My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 970 - 971: Father Like Son-in-Law

With every moment Rexagon spent reflecting, a deeper, hotter rage incinerated his mind.

Suffering a defeat against Ashergon was one outcome; after all, Ashergon was his kin, a peer. Falling in combat against an equal brought with it no disgrace. Even a loss to a rival boasting similar prowess could be tolerated.

But this reality was different.

This was agonizing humiliation.

To be shamed by an entity so wretchedly miniature, so feeble, and so utterly insignificant was beyond comprehension.

"How dare he..."

Rexagon’s colossal claws raked deep gouges into the rocky terrain.

"How dare that Damon treat me so."

Initially, the trick involving the imitation potion had sparked his anger, yet deception was a common trait among inferior beings. That instance alone would never have ignited this level of madness.

No.

The catalyst for his descent into insanity was what unfolded next.

Clutched within his claw was a single bone.

It appeared microscopic against his titanic frame, but in truth, the fragment measured over three meters in breadth and length. The surface had been meticulously scrubbed clean.

Carved deep into the white material were inscriptions.

Insulting, biting words.

Words the dragon had already memorized through hundreds of angry viewings.

The inscription read:

I am your father today and tomorrow.

— Signed, Damon

The dragon’s gaze flared with murderous intent.

Though Rexagon remained wounded, his flesh far from mended, slumber was an impossibility while that tormenting memory festered.

He parted his jaws, revealing the void where a massive fang once stood.

Shattered.

Broken by that detestable human creature.

For weeks he had attempted to disregard the trauma and bury the humiliation, but the time for restraint had passed.

"Damon, offspring of Kadelas..."

The utterance echoed like the rumble of distant thunder.

"You shall pay for this."

The gargantuan beast climbed into the heavens.

His wings unfurled, casting a shroud that plunged the forest below into sudden darkness. Even riddled with wounds, his wings possessed the span to eclipse the sun.

With a solitary, thunderous beat—

The landscape for hundreds of kilometers shuddered.

Ancient trees were uprooted like mere blades of grass by the sheer force.

Rexagon, his body rivaling a mountain range, ascended into the firmament, setting his course toward the east.

"Moon Glades..."

Venom and fire smoldered within his draconic eyes.

"Moon Glades."

For the first time in centuries, a mighty dragon surveyed the eastern continent with intent to invade. As he climbed into the stratosphere, he unleashed an earth-shattering roar that disturbed the very heavens.

Clouds roiled into violent, dark tempests, and a cyclone of dust and wind trailed his flight.

The world of Aetherus was expansive, yet not vast enough to offer sanctuary from a dragon’s wrath.

Soon, the Verdant Continent revealed itself below.

He soared over endless arboreal domains where elven kingdoms slumbered serenely under the twin moons, ignoring them entirely.

His senses were locked on a singular target.

Searching. Hunting. Seeking that one metropolis empowered by the ancient lunar magic.

"Damon... son of Kadelas..."

"You shall pay."

Kadelas stared in sheer disbelief. Sylvia remained standing before his gaze, yet the realization struck him like cold water.

She was not truly present. An illusion.

And yet, it had carried the weight of reality. It had felt tangible.

He had kept his watch on her since the moment she exited her chamber, so at what point had the replacement occurred? How had he failed to perceive the trickery?

Then, a sharp, bitter laugh escaped his lips.

"You remained in your room the entire time, didn't you?"

His eyes narrowed as he deduced the truth.

"Those guards you bypassed... that was merely a phantom.

They never truly saw your presence.

You simply manifested an illusion that mirrored what would have transpired."

Sylvia’s countenance remained motionless, utterly unperturbed.

"May the Goddess walk beside you, Father," she murmured softly.

"My reliance is entirely upon your actions."

Her tone deepened with a chilling edge.

"Regardless of your choice... you must prevent Rexagon from attaining the skies above our city."

Kadelas shot her a piercing look.

Then, amidst a brilliance of silver light—

He vanished.

Seconds later, he had arrived high within the atmosphere, positioning himself directly in the flight path of the encroaching dragon.

Beneath his feet, the city dissolved into pandemonium.

Alarm bells tolled incessantly, echoing through every thoroughfare. The elven guard scrambled to their stations as radiant defensive barriers materialized over the city like shimmering domes of protection.

Sylvia bit her lip. He had to halt the beast, though not merely for the preservation of her kin.

The survival of the elven population was not her primary concern.

Her anxiety was fixed upon the horizon of the future.

If her father engaged in this war, and if she warned him, would the tapestry of the future she witnessed change? Or had the compact with the Unknown God doomed them to an unalterable fate?

Was every loss still inevitable?

Her hands trembled, barely perceptible.

"Please, Father..."

Her voice was a mere vibration in the air.

"Validate my foresight."

*******

High above, Kadelas confronted a living monolith. The dragon was of a scale that defied logic, his massive form feeling more like a tectonic entity that had sprouted wings than a creature of flesh and blood. Eschewing his weapon, Kadelas offered a polite, raised hand. Only a fool would initiate hostilities with a Great Dragon—they were living calamities, yet they possessed enough ancient intellect to be reasoned with.

"Great One, what purpose brings you to my domain?" his voice rang out, projected by his power.

Rexagon hesitated, feeling the potent aura of the elf king. His golden eyes locked onto Kadelas, measuring him for a heartbeat.

"I have journeyed for retribution," Rexagon replied, his voice resounding like thunderclaps. "I bring the promise of devastation. I bring the scent of carrion and death."

"Great One, I am Kadelas Moonveil, the ruler of these lands."

The dragon appeared incandescent with rage, yet the lack of an immediate strike provided a sliver of hope for discourse.

"Great One, your state is injured. Who could have inflicted such a wound? My vaults are stocked with remedies of the highest grade. Permit me to offer—"

Rexagon’s eyes dilated. Potions.

The word lashed at him like a whip. That very item had been the instrument of Damon’s mockery.

"Like father, like son," Rexagon rumbled, his voice dripping with venom. "Even now, you insult me with these petty trivialities. I find your mockery repulsive. You shall perish shortly, and I shall claim your kingdom as the grave where I finally find rest."

Kadelas frowned, bewildered. He possessed no son, only a daughter who remained locked within the castle.

"I do not—"

He could not finish his retort.

A searing flash erupted from Rexagon’s jaws as molten liquid was discharged into the sky. Blue lava cascaded for miles, raining down in a burning deluge. The forests below were engulfed instantly, ancient timber vaporizing under the onslaught of the searing bile.

Kadelas narrowly evaded the bombardment.

With a sudden flick of his hand, silver light coalesced around him. A sword flew from the distant Moonveil vaults, streaking across the sky like a falling star, while fragments of argent armor swirled around him, locking perfectly into place.

"Great One, temper your wrath," Kadelas commanded, his fingers tightening around the hilt as moonlight crackled along the blade. "I possess no son."

"Falsehoods!" Rexagon roared. "All of you small creatures are nothing but liars."

He opened his enormous wings, casting the sky into complete shadow.

"Your end has arrived."