My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 977 - 979: Bring Them To Their Knees

Midair, the balors halted, floating overhead like executioners eyeing their prey.

Shadows from them stretched far over the ground, flickering amid flames.

Then, one among them uttered words.

That voice hissed, multi-layered and twisted, yet boomed with thunderous force.

"You dare pass through our dominion..."

A pause hung in the air.

Flames coiled tighter around its body.

"Pay tribute in souls... or die."

The declaration hung over the field like a verdict already delivered.

Behind Damon, several goblins stirred restlessly.

Souls.

Not zeni.

Not mana cores.

Lives.

They demanded surrender of their very own.

Damon cocked his head a bit, seeming to weigh the proposal with genuine thought.

"Interesting," he remarked, voice steady and mildly intrigued. "So you only want souls."

Oppressive heat bore down on him.

The hellish aura crushed everything nearby.

He disregarded it entirely.

Next, he raised his hand and flicked it casually, brushing off the demand.

"No," he stated.

"That won’t do."

Damon anticipated a furious strike right after his refusal.

It never came.

The balor’s fiery stare intensified, annoyance flashing in its encircling flames, yet it stayed put. No sudden assault followed.

That detail alone piqued Damon’s interest.

Balors, by his knowledge, weren’t ones for talks. Born of fiery peaks and shattered abysses, they razed first and skipped chatter. Cross their domain, become food or cinders.

’So it’s different with demon kin...’

His gaze sharpened on them. The dark hue of their forms wasn’t mere scorched hide or rock.

It writhed.

It flowed.

Shadows intertwined with fire, pulsing like living entities.

’Hmm... that’s interesting.’

The leader descended nearer, its enormous head angling as it locked eyes with Damon more intently.

"Then what will you offer for safe passage."

Damon replied without delay.

He shook his head firmly.

"I’m more of a taker than a giver."

That sealed it.

The atmosphere shifted abruptly.

The balor grasped the truth. No bargaining here.

"I see," it growled, fires blazing hotter. "You choose death."

Damon’s face remained unchanged.

He shook his head faintly, a hint of amusement showing.

"No," he replied. "If anything... I’ve taken a shine to you."

His chin rose subtly, eyes icing over.

"You should feel honored."

A brief silence.

"I don’t particularly like being looked down on."

Then came his command.

One word.

Cold.

Heavy.

Absolute.

"Fall."

The balor blinked.

That moment was all it got.

In the next heartbeat, its huge frame crashed to the earth. The smash gouged a pit in the soil, dust and scorching waves bursting out as wings crumpled willingly.

It wasn’t solitary.

The rest plummeted too.

Not compelled by might.

By submission.

The leader sprawled, gazing upward, flames sputtering unevenly over its shape. Something invaded its thoughts. Not coercion. Not agony.

Authority.

Upon the order, its wings faced no binds.

They simply complied.

A shiver coursed through it.

It recognized this force.

All balors did.

Not acquired knowledge.

Ingrained memory.

’Domination.’

The truth struck, bringing an unforeseen reaction.

Not dread.

Not rage.

Thrill.

It heaved up slightly, then halted, bowing its head low instead, flames dipping in deference.

"Ashcroft..." it whispered, tone pious amid blazing teeth.

It stayed down.

"I yield to your greatness," it declared, sinking deeper. "I bow and beg to serve."

The other balors mirrored it instantly, plunging from the sky to kneel in allegiance.

Damon blinked once.

That... proved simpler than anticipated.

’He thinks I’m Ashcroft.’

The notion clicked fast in his mind.

Dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

If word of that mix-up spread, it wouldn’t draw mere curiosity. It would summon lethal pursuit.

’I need to be careful with this...’

His outer demeanor stayed composed.

He advanced a step, peering down at the prostrate balor, aura firm and restrained.

Then his voice rang out again, laced with that same subdued command.

"You will not speak of my identity."

A pause.

"You will serve me."

The balor dipped its head further.

"As you command."

The followers behind echoed the gesture, fires yielding, shadows curving.

Damon breathed out slowly via his nostrils.

Just like that—

He commanded an army.

Conquest came effortlessly, incredibly so. Now Damon grasped why Ashcroft shattered so utterly.

The enigmatic god truly played favorites. Why did Damon snag the living shadow system over the domination one? Domination seemed superior, given Ashcroft wielded traits like that.

He could subjugate all and sundry. Damon had witnessed him bend time and space, thoughts and bodies.

Versus his living shadow system, which merely devoured. Solid enough, yet paling beside domination.

But having devoured Ashcroft, he’d claimed domination as well... so didn’t that make the living shadow system superior?

The balor remained oblivious to Damon’s musings until Damon eyed it.

"What’s your name?"

"Gotrog my liege, it is my honor to be in your service."

Damon nodded. Balors packed immense power. This force would carry him to Trace unscathed.

"Very well then, follow me to Trace."

Thus, Damon’s swelling army set forth.

Gabo got supplanted by a balor. A goblin hardly befitted the king’s right hand.

Gabo harbored no gripes. He had zero desire to get torched by a balor, and this one clearly knew far more.

"We shall arrive at the main road to Trace in two hours my lord."

"Many young demon kin will also be there with their entourage."

’I should probably keep a low profile,’ Damon mused.

"I’ve already made preparations for your plan to subjugate them all and add them to your army."

Damon stiffened.

’What... conquer?’

Before words escaped, he noted the eager stares from his minions.

Damon shut his eyes briefly.

Refusing wouldn’t suit a demon lord.

"Bring them to their knees."