My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 855 - 856: Gravity

Locating Xander was a simple task. The man resided in an actual tower, living a life of luxury as the commander of a mercenary outfit. That bastard was truly thriving.

Damon wasn’t particularly thrilled about this reunion, but he went regardless. He felt out of place, and since Wendy was constantly pestering him, he simply needed an excuse to vacate the house.

Furthermore, the sooner he assembled his party, the better his chances. He even held out hope of finding Sylvia.

To be perfectly honest, things were going to be significantly more difficult without Sylvia Moonveil by his side.

Had she been the first person he encountered, her unique abilities would have made tracking the others effortless. Having a seer on the team would have been a massive advantage.

Then there was Renata Malcrist. Her skill set was also highly valuable, but he specifically wondered about the whereabouts of the Valtheron princess, Abellona. Given her royal status, she could easily rally the entire group.

He exhaled deeply.

Lilith Astranova had also failed to appear. Although he tried to keep a low profile, it was surprising that she hadn’t managed to hunt him down yet.

’Could she be in some kind of trouble?’ he mused, a flicker of concern crossing his mind.

No, he dismissed the thought. She was fine; after all, this was Lilith Astranova he was thinking about.

Besides, he couldn't possibly die in peace without first ensuring his sister’s cure was safely in her hands.

As that thought surfaced, the world seemed to freeze momentarily as a torrent of chaotic memories flooded his consciousness.

He gripped his head, fighting off a sudden wave of dizziness.

"Well, that was bizarre," he whispered. He felt a powerful sense of déjà vu, as if he had stood here before, accompanied by Sylvia and Lilith while they traded murderous looks.

’Was I just imagining things?’

He gazed up at the tower and the formidable walls encircling it. This district of the city was incredibly exclusive, which was typical for someone like Xander. The man certainly knew how to enjoy the finer things.

Damon clenched his teeth in frustration.

"So, while I was rotting away in a prison cell, he’s been living like royalty."

He felt a strong urge to ruin the man’s day.

’At least I’m taking his firstborn,’ he thought, letting his petty jealousy take hold.

Accompanied by his entourage of three stunning women, Damon approached the gates.

Evangeline was breathtaking, her long golden hair and matching eyes drawing every gaze. Leona, with her dark hair and twitching beastkin ears, radiated a warm, approachable beauty with her playful smile and golden eyes.

Then there was Wendy. With her long dark hair, a sword carved from bone, and copper skin, her exposed midriff hinted at a wilder nature beneath her beauty.

The sentries on duty immediately tensed up.

"Halt." They blocked the path with crossed spears.

"You are at the entrance of the Iron Guild. Declare your purpose here."

Damon surveyed them. They had achieved Second-class advancement, yet Xander was using them as mere gatekeepers.

"Iron Guild... what a pathetic name," Damon mocked with an arrogant sneer.

Evangeline let out a weary sigh. She could tell he was deliberately picking a fight.

"Damon, stop. Just don’t do it."

He made a face of pure revulsion.

"What? Am I not allowed to have an opinion? This is an authoritarian and totalitarian act of oppression, using violence to intimidate a common citizen! I refuse to tolerate such blatant injustice!"

The knights exchanged looks and sighed. Surprisingly, they kept their cool.

"Sir, we are only asking you to state your business."

Damon paused. Their lack of anger was annoying. How could he make Xander Ravenscroft’s life difficult if even his lackeys were this well-behaved and polite?

"You have the nerve to ask about my business? My business is my own!" he shrieked, his voice echoing like an entitled brat.

Evangeline shook her head in exasperation. It was obvious he just wanted to irritate Xander. She considered intervening, but after glancing at Leona and Wendy—who were staying out of it—she changed her mind.

"Fine, whatever. I’m staying out of this. Let this idiot do as he pleases."

The knights began to frown.

"Sir, if we have offended you, we apologize, but this is a standard procedure."

"Standard procedure? Do you have no idea who I am? Don't you recognize me? Go get your leader. He clearly hasn't taught you how to respect my greatness!"

The guards were reaching their limit. If the man hadn't radiated such strength, they would have forcibly removed him by now.

"And exactly who are you supposed to be, sir?"

Damon gasped, feigning absolute outrage. His face turned a bright shade of red.

"You—how dare you insult me! You're trying to humiliate me on purpose! Fine, have it your way."

Reaching into his shadow storage, he retrieved a specific talisman.

It was known as the [Voice of the Silent].

The charm had a very basic function: it was incredibly loud. Damon never thought he’d actually use it, but if it meant embarrassing Xander Ravenscroft, it was worth it. How dare that man act so superior? How dare he establish an organization before Damon?

How dare he live in the lap of luxury while Damon struggled for every coin?

’It’s just not fair... that pretty boy gets everything.’

He held the charm to his lips and screamed.

"Xander Ravenscroft! Get your pathetic ass out here right now! Crawl out if you have to!"

Damon had underestimated the artifact's potency; his shout boomed through every street and alleyway. His unmistakable voice resonated across the entire city.

Renata heard the shout, and a wide smile spread across her face.

"My lord... you’ve finally arrived."

Inside a crimson room lined with various weapons, Abellona let out a scoff.

"It appears that scoundrel has finally shown up."

It was a relief to know he was in the city.

Elsewhere, Kashi the demon necromancer was busy inspecting his skeletons. He froze as the voice reached his ears, his hair standing on end.

He knew that terrifying voice all too well.

"Damon Grey..."

Atop a building with a view of the black tower, two women stood together. One was an exquisite elf with snow-white hair. The other was a human woman with vibrant red hair and emerald eyes. A flower was tucked into her hair; two petals remained fresh, while the others had shriveled.

Sylvia, the elf, smiled softly.

"So, Damon is here. Did he make such a loud entrance in the previous timeline?"

Lilith shook her head, her gaze icy.

"No. I was there to keep him calm so he wouldn't cause a scene. Besides, he was too busy dealing with the two of us to act out."

Sylvia looked down at a book hovering before her, her brow furrowed.

"Time is short. We need to secure that elixir immediately."

Lilith frowned as she stared at the tower.

"That's easier said than done, especially with Seraph Null keeping an eye on us."

Sylvia let out a small, knowing smile.

"Normally, I’d agree. But he’s going to be far too occupied dealing with Damon."

Having lived through this before, Lilith understood Seraph Null’s strategy.

"He wants to draw all the opposition into one location. Once everyone who defies him is gathered, he intends to wipe them all out in one go. That is his ultimate plan, which is why he’s letting Damon’s group do whatever they want."

Sylvia’s beautiful face twisted into a dark grin.

"And if we manage to seize the Elixir of Pseudo Immortality, we’ll shatter the timeline. The resulting butterfly effect will be something to witness."

Lilith sighed, taking a deep breath.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. Our mission is to stop a suicidal fool, and my past attempts have proven that Damon is a much better combatant than I am. I can't restrain him through strength alone."

Sylvia tilted her head, her smile widening.

"And you couldn't stop him with love either, heheheh."

She laughed, mocking Lilith’s previous failures rather than Damon’s fate.

"Let’s move. We have a tower to infiltrate," Lilith commanded coldly.

"It would be a tragedy if we failed," Sylvia added.

.......

Back at the Iron Guild’s headquarters, Damon stood awkwardly before the guards after his massive outburst. The charm’s magic made the sound’s origin difficult to trace, but Xander had definitely heard his name and knew someone was at his gate.

Damon looked at the sentries.

"Ahem... can we, uh, talk about this?"

The guards had reached their breaking point.

"Apprehend them!"

Evangeline’s brow shot up.

"Them? What did we do? You mean apprehend him!"

Before the infuriated guards could move, a man in full plate armor came running out, flanked by several knights and a familiar woman.

Upon spotting Damon, the man’s helmet dissolved, revealing a massive grin.

"Hahaha! Damon! You’re actually alive!"

He stepped forward, throwing his arms wide for a massive bear hug.

Damon’s face twisted in disgust as he was crushed in the embrace.

"Xander Ravenscroft..." These were the first words he offered to a friend he hadn't seen in months, despite being in a dangerous, foreign land.

"You really have the nerve to show off in front of me. I see your gear, Xander. I know you're loaded..."

Xander looked down at his Ascendant-rank equipment—the Armor of the Bound Colossus.

"But... this is just what I always wear..."

It was the truth; this was Xander’s standard attire.

However, Damon was determined to be a hater.

"Are you flaunting your wealth just because I’m broke?"

He was clearly looking for trouble, but Xander was accustomed to his antics.

Xander looked to Evangeline for assistance.

"A little help?"

She sighed and walked over, grabbing Damon by the hands.

"You aren't poor. Stop being difficult. Why do you have to embarrass me every time we go somewhere?"

Damon shot Xander a glare.

"You coward. Hiding behind a woman."

Xander simply ignored the comment and smiled at Leona.

"I’ve missed you all so much. Come inside so we can catch up."

As he was led away, Damon realized with dismay that Xander had developed a complete immunity to his provocations.