My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 952 - 953: Only Rats Flee

Damon gazed at the light mist wafting over the remote ocean, his face showing a serene and aloof demeanor.

Or it might be better to describe it as having been deeply scarred by the vast waters.

These shadowy seas concealed way too many secrets.

However, right now, the ocean wasn't shadowy anymore. The accursed abysses had yielded to transparent azure waves extending boundlessly under the heavens.

They were nearing the coasts of the Demon Continent.

The vessel bore evident wounds in multiple spots. The signs of combat showed in the splintered wood and mended canvases. Due to this, they altered their initial strategy.

Rather than venturing further into perilous seas, they had veered a bit beyond the supposed location of the Graveyard of Gods.

It carried danger.

The demons from the land might spot them anytime.

Yet it remained much preferable to plummeting into those damned depths.

Damon massaged his brow.

Not long after obliterating the Eye of Morticai, they had clashed with the Bloody Mary. The confrontation hadn't proven overly difficult.

Regrettably, Damon got drenched in its blood.

He still trembled recalling that moment.

At least a positive outcome emerged from it.

He acquired a fresh proficiency.

A subtle panel materialized in front of him.

---

HP: 24995/24995]

[Mana: 55,567/55,567]

[Strength: 31124]

[Agility: 23157]

[Speed: 33985]

[Endurance: 34210]

[Class: Black Death]

[Shadow: 1900]

[Shadow Hunger Levels: 0%]

[Shadow Level: 19]

[Condition: Shadow Is Full]

[Attributes: Umbral, Domination Fragment]

[Skills:]

[5x] [Remorseless] [Shadow Perception] [Water Celebration] [Sacrifice] [Shadow Control] [Parkour] [Shadow Armor] [Beholder’s Gaze] [Dead Eye] [Spirit Affinity] [Ashborn] [Omen Of Dread] [Dealer’s Hand] [Bloodletting] [Shadow Movement] [Shadow] [Faceless] [Danger Sense] [Shadow Storage] [Wave Walk] [Shadow Clone] [Blitz] [Flash Step] [Air Walk] [Appraisal] [Iron Bones] [Astral Projection] [Accel] [Terror Engine] [Vengeance] [Soul Tongue] [Eyes of Veracity] [Shadow Stride] [Soul Conduit] [Heart of Shadow] [Demon Dominate] [Shadow Seizer]

[Mastery:]

[Etiquette Lv3] [Swordsmanship Lv7] [Survival Lv10] [Persuasion Lv2] [Deception Lv3] [Bartering Lv2] [Theft Lv3] [Archery Lv5] [Trap Lv5] [Alchemy Lv1] [Dagger Arts Lv5] [Cooking Lv4] [Basic Magic Lv5] [Mana Control Lv7] [Magic Gatling Lv5] [Pain Resistance Lv6] [Mental Contamination Resistance Lv5] [Disintegration Resistance Lv3] [Sniper Lv5] [Rune Magic Lv3] [Insanity Lv4] [Fate Manipulation Resistance Lv2] [Ravenous LvMax] [Poison Resistance Lv6] [Elemental Resistance Lv3] [Petrification Resistance Lv5] [Magic Resistance Lv5] [Curse Resistance Lv2] [Pressure Resistance Lv2] [Corruption Resistance Lv5] [Aura Farming Lv4] [Charisma Lv9] [Tyranny Lv3] [Ragebaiting Lv9] [Shadow Manipulation Lv2] [pheromone resistance lv3] [Sailing lv3]

[Items:]

[Pale Crown Armor] [Broken Bonds] [Deep Quiver] [Silver Blades] [Staff of Carnage] [Sword of Nicolas] [Furnace of Frost] [Helm of Balero] [womb of healing] [Book Of Shadows] [Charms] [Potions] [Miscellaneous Items]

[Quest:]

[Path to Conflict]

---

Pheromone Resistance joined Damon's expanding array of defenses.

Truthfully, he wasn't certain if he ought to feel proud about that.

The trip afterward proved anything but tranquil.

Initially, the vessel traversed the Narrow Sea.

Next came the Fog Sea.

That's when the true horror unfolded.

The mist possessed life of its own.

It slithered over the deck as if sentient. Beings formed purely from vapor hid within, hauling off any imprudent or unfortunate soul who strayed too distant from the group.

Multiple crewmen disappeared in that manner.

And that scarcely scratched the surface of the terror.

Upon finally breaking free from the Fog Sea, a Cloud Dragon ambushed them.

The skirmish almost obliterated the vessel.

Though the beast was merely at the Fifth Class of progression, it almost eradicated them entirely prior to vanishing into the clouds.

That clash jogged Damon's memory of a vital truth.

Dragons inspired sheer dread.

By now, he genuinely pondered why Deathless appeared fixated on hurling dragons his way.

Damon rested against the vessel's rail and released a weary chuckle.

"I’m still alive. Hahaha..."

Surviving that merited a toast.

Overhead, seabirds wheeled idly through the air.

Such a sight signaled just one possibility.

Land drew near.

Throughout this extended journey, Damon had absorbed considerable knowledge.

Among his latest skills was Sailing. He had mastered steering a ship, directing sailors, and rendering tough choices amid the waves.

Should fortunes sour ahead, he might find a berth in some fleet.

Damon shut his eyes briefly, allowing the ocean gust to envelop him.

The breeze bore a far-off noise.

A delicate tune.

A melody.

It wafted over the waters like a murmur.

Damon's eyes flew open in an instant.

A song?

His eyes scanned the barren sea.

From whence did it originate?

Damon wasn't hallucinating.

The tune sailing across the ocean was genuine.

It was enchanting.

The harmony glided through the breeze like a soothing surge, cozy and alluring. It enveloped the thoughts akin to a soothing recollection of hearth and home. Briefly, Damon sensed his frame easing, his mind turning sluggish and foggy as the melody tugged at a profound core inside him.

Then a gruff tone shattered the enchantment.

"Aye. If that ain’t the voice of sirens."

Damon looked over his shoulder.

The captain lingered behind at the helm, limbs folded as he peered toward the remote shore.

"Beautiful voices," the veteran mariner went on with a wry laugh. "They drag a man into the depths all the same."

He hawked a globule into the waves.

"Looks like we’ve truly made it to the shores of the Demon Continent."

Damon directed his attention ahead once more.

The enormous terrain bulked in front, shadowy peaks thrusting abruptly from the edge.

And there, dotted amid the rugged boulders where surges battered the bluffs, silhouettes perched on the stones.

Females clad in billowing pale robes.

They rested on the crags with limbs swinging over the tide, their tones blending in eerie unison.

Damon observed their motions, yet despite his sharpened vision, their features remained indistinct from afar.

The exploratory team neared a brutal stretch of the shoreline.

Ragged precipices.

Perilous stones.

Currents too hazardous for typical vessels to near.

Precisely the reason they selected this path.

Invading troops usually had to hit the sands. Solely there could forces sustain logistics. Transports and skyships were essential to ferry arms, troops, and siege gear for prolonged strikes on the Demon Continent.

The demons understood this well.

Hence their armada patrolled those strands with ferocity.

This path sidestepped it all.

Here the bluffs soared steeply and mercilessly.

No legion would dare disembark here.

But that's what rendered it ideal.

They merely needed to forsake the vessel, scale the height, and enter the land from an unforeseen vantage.

And as though that lacked peril, the cursed sirens were greeting them already.

Seras approached the captain, her mantle fluttering in the brine gust.

"Your job here is done," she stated evenly. "You can either come with us and sink the ship... or turn around and risk being captured by the demon navy."

The captain sealed his eyes momentarily.

Then he grinned.

Nearby, the exploratory team's members readied themselves. Plates were fastened, blades inspected, and satchels bound as they geared for solid ground.

The weathered seafarer placed a palm on the vessel's edge.

"This ship belonged to my grandfather," he murmured softly. "Then it passed to my father. And now it’s mine."

He surveyed the planking with warm regard.

"She’s old... but she always gets the job done."

He let out a faint snort.

"When a ship sinks, the rats flee. But the captain sinks with her."

The captain pivoted and inclined deferentially to Seras.

Then to Damon.

"It was my honor to contribute to the Goddess Race like this."

Seras merely inclined her head.

Her eyes flicked briefly to Damon.

This operation remained covert.

The sanctuary could never allow their role to surface.

Thus, once the team left...

All left aboard would perish.

The vessel would plunge.

That's why Seras extended the captain an escape.

Damon sealed his eyes as crewmen commenced descending the minor craft to ferry the team to the craggy bank.

Prior to departing, he halted by the captain.

"You know what will happen, don’t you?" Damon inquired softly.

The captain beamed without pause.

"Then I’ll be a martyr of war."

He adjusted his jacket and eyed the far bluffs.

"When you tell my story, tell the world we were killed by demons."

His smile broadened.

"But make sure you tell them we gave those bastards one hell of a fight."

Damon lifted his arm in tribute.

The captain mirrored it with pride.

This fellow had garnered Damon's admiration.

He grasped precisely his impending doom.

He would perish here, slain not by foes but by comrades.

Nonetheless, he embraced it sans protest.

Damon had seldom grasped pious zeal.

Clearly, the deity showed no concern.

In days gone by, that insight would have ignited fury within him.

Now he merely smirked.

There lay the issue.

Folks persisted in awaiting divine intervention to mend the realm.

Yet that's never been the way.

This realm belonged to mortals.

If it turned infernal, humanity bore the blame.

And should it ever turn heavenly...

It would stem solely from mortal resolve to forge it thus.

Damon clambered onto the cord descent and slid into the awaiting skiff beneath.