My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 6 War Halls

Damon gazed into the water, his face a mask of disbelief as he absorbed the image before him. The reflection revealed a somber youth, his features twisted by a mixture of alarm and bewilderment.

His lips trembled. Prying his eyelids wider, he leaned closer to the surface to confirm he wasn’t hallucinating. There was no denying the reality—a disturbing transformation had taken hold of his eyes.

He let out a sharp gasp, his breathing becoming ragged. "Wh... what happened to my eyes?"

The blue of his irises had vanished, replaced by a pitch black so profound that the boundary between iris and pupil had disappeared. It was as if a void had opened within his sockets, consuming every trace of his original color.

He used his fingers to stretch his eyelids further, desperate to prove himself wrong. Yet, no matter how intensely he looked, the darkness remained absolute.

"Ahhh… Wh-what do I do? What if someone notices?"

He cut himself off, a self-deprecating smile forming on his face. "Who's even going to notice? Nobody cares about me… I don't even have friends."

The words rang hollow, a grim confession for a teenager. Ever since his Mana pool was revealed to be a measly 30, he had been dismissed as a nobody unworthy of notice. Between his habit of clashing with the Young Masters of noble houses and the cold shoulder from commoners who had actually passed the entrance exams, he was utterly isolated.

His own temperament didn't help—he was naturally reserved and a bit melancholic.

He let out a sigh at his reflection before shaking his head to dispel the loneliness. Making friends hadn't been his goal when he arrived at the academy anyway.

"Right, I'm here for the one million zeni," he reminded himself. Everything was for the sake of that money—the funds necessary to keep his sister alive.

Rising to his feet, he retrieved his academy jacket from the dirt, brushed it off, and slid it on. He began scanning the ravine for an exit, but a bizarre sight stopped him in his tracks.

The system screen was hovering right in front of him, following his every move.

He blinked, stunned.

"Errh… how do I make this disappear? Am I going to have this following me around? What if everyone sees it?"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, the system panel flickered and vanished.

"Huh, it disappeared."

His shadow, observing the entire exchange, facepalmed in visible frustration.

Damon’s lip twitched as he realized even his own shadow was disappointed in his intelligence.

"Hmm. You wouldn't happen to know how to make it reappear, right?"

Though it lacked a face, the shadow’s posture radiated pure disdain and disappointment.

"Tch, can't rely on you, can I… unless…"

Damon felt his tension ease slightly; while still cautious, he was becoming less fearful of his shadow. He decided to test a theory.

"Emm… system… open."

The panel materialized once more, though the shadow seemed irritated by his clunky choice of words.

Ignoring the entity, Damon whispered, "Disappear."

The interface vanished. He tried again. "System." It appeared. "Close." It faded away.

He spent several minutes experimenting with various commands before realizing that the trigger wasn't vocal, but mental. Speech was unnecessary; the system responded directly to his intent.

Relieved, he let out a long breath.

"At least one thing's in my control."

Turning his gaze back to his shadow, he saw it looking so profoundly bored it seemed to be dying of impatience.

Damon smirked, enjoying a small moment of victory.

"Alright, let's head back to the academy... and act normal around other people."

The shadow snapped to attention, offering a crisp salute. While the gesture differed from the military salutes of his world, Damon understood it as a sign of compliance.

That was sufficient for now.

Damon surveyed the surrounding woods. After trekking for a while, he found a path out of the ravine and crested a hill, looking out over the vast, suffocating forest ahead.

This territory lay beyond the academy’s protective barrier. The deeper one traveled, the more lethal the environment became; it was a realm of goblins, kobolds, trolls, and ogres, filled with nightmare creatures.

He was well aware that this was no place for a weakling. Turning his back on the wilderness, he headed toward the safety of the academy perimeter.

It didn't take long to reach familiar territory, where he quickly stumbled upon the trail left by Marcus and his lackeys.

"Those idiots left me for dead and didn't even bother hiding their tracks…" he muttered, findng their arrogance amusing.

"If I were in their shoes, I'd have covered my tracks and left a few hollow clues to mislead any investigations."

He shook his head. He would never be like them, but he would ensure they paid for their actions. The goddess of doom was also the goddess of judgment, and he would be the instrument of their punishment.

Determined, he exited the woods and reached the academy grounds. Passing his private training area, he noticed the dried bloodstains where he had been brutally beaten. He ignored them and made his way toward the dormitory.

Paradoxically, despite being a commoner and the weakest student, his room was located in the academy's most prestigious hall. He passed other students heading to their lectures, but none spared him a glance.

His residence was known as the Halls of War—or the War Halls. Named after the continent of Soltheon, it served as a monument to the goddess of doom and war. The structure was a magnificent castle, offering a level of luxury Damon had never imagined before his enrollment.

He was the sole commoner in the building, a privilege granted by his unique scholarship—a "golden ticket" recommendation that bypassed exams, provided elite housing, and included the million-zeni fund.

Stepping into the opulent foyer designed for high-ranking nobles, he took the side stairs to his floor and entered his suite-like room.

After a hasty bath to scrub away the filth of the ravine, he donned a clean uniform. A wave of dread hit him—what if his secret was discovered? What if someone saw the void in his eyes?

However, no one noticed, and his shadow remained perfectly behaved, drawing no suspicion.

He hurried toward the main building, hoping to catch his class. But as he rushed through the corridor, a stern voice stopped him cold.

"Damon Grey… see me in my office at once."