My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 955 - 956: Volunteer

Damon sensed the ground quaking under his position.

In the far reaches, subtle sounds of ruin cascaded over the terrain like faraway lightning crashes.

The conflict was now fully underway.

This occasion, the Goddess Races hadn't initiated the hostilities. Nevertheless, venturing into the Demon Continent was a tactic they knew well from past efforts.

Naturally, the majority of such advances concluded in familiar fashion.

Repelled forcefully.

Followed by demon retaliation strikes.

The previous conflict kicked off with a breathtaking arrival. Naval armadas traversed the seas, troops stormed the coastlines in a spectacle designed to rattle the realms.

It wrapped up in under thirty days.

Unable to secure their positions, they suffered a shameful withdrawal.

Yet the disgrace stretched further.

In reality, that marked merely the start.

The Demon Race countered with their own assault.

They struck at Harlem Pass within Soltheon.

Despite the loss, the Goddess Races' overconfidence lingered. Believing in their territorial edge, they overlooked vital provisions and transport routes.

A tactical error.

One that extracted a heavy toll.

On this round, circumstances had shifted.

They faced a sobering reality.

They made thorough arrangements.

Beyond any prior attempt.

After all, the motive behind the demons' declaration of war eluded them.

They grasped just a single detail.

Ashcroft made his comeback.

Due to that lone truth, the Goddess Races resolved to unleash their full arsenal against the demons.

For them, this battle carried ultimate stakes.

It would stand as their final holy war... or birth a transformed era.

Still, the core fact stayed straightforward.

Conflict lacked any valid excuse.

Nor was any struggle truly just.

Damon gathered a fistful of the Demon Continent’s earth.

The soil felt yielding and heated in his grasp.

“So this is the Demon Continent.”

He surveyed the surroundings leisurely.

It appeared scarcely distinct from his homeland.

The foliage matched. The ground had the identical aroma. The breeze bore the usual whiff of dirt and greenery. The sole notable variance lay in the climate. The atmosphere seemed a touch denser, the gusts holding a subtle unknown coolness.

“Yes,” Seras murmured at his side.

“This is it.”

Damon creased his brow lightly.

“Hm.”

He scanned the woodland once more.

“Kinda underwhelming. It’s... well... lacking a whole lot of evil.”

He lifted his shoulders.

“You know, this isn’t what I had in mind.”

Seras gradually shook her head.

“Yeah. I had the same thought.”

She gazed toward the remote elevations.

“Across the ocean, from a young age, we’re taught the Demon Continent is some kind of hell. A barren land filled with death and doom.”

Her mouth twisted faintly.

“But it isn’t.”

“The Demon Continent actually has the highest quality of life index for most civilians.”

Damon arched a brow.

“You literally just said it was dangerous.”

Seras affirmed with a nod.

“Yes.”

She crouched and lifted a tiny rock, twirling it in her grip.

“Not because the continent itself is safe.”

“It’s because of its rulers.”

She flung the rock away.

“The Demon Lords protect every social enclave. Cities, towns, settlements. As long as civilians stay inside those protected areas, they’re safe.”

Damon linked his arms.

“And outside those places?”

Seras breathed out steadily.

“It depends.”

“The Demon Lords have spent thousands of years eliminating danger zones across the continent.”

A trace of envy tinged her voice.

“One territory at a time.”

“Cursed forests. Monster nests. Ancient ruins. Corrupted lands.”

“They’ve destroyed or purified countless places.”

She directed her view to the far-off peaks.

“The areas that remain are the worst of the worst.”

“And even now... they’re still trying.”

Damon hesitated.

Briefly, he caught himself silently respecting that feat.

Demon Lords endangering themselves to purge the deadliest spots in their realm.

That outcome hadn't crossed his anticipations.

“Of course,” Seras noted softly, “they profit from it too.”

She started tallying with her digits.

“Relics.”

“Treasure.”

“Ancient knowledge.”

“And warriors who gain terrifying levels of battle experience.”

She offered a minor shrug.

“It’s not all glamorous though. The demons still maintain a strict hierarchy.”

Then she turned back to Damon.

“The difference is that if you’re strong enough... anyone can rise.”

Damon inclined his head gradually.

“And that’s why the demons are strong.”

Seras angled her head a bit.

“Yes... and no.”

She averted her eyes once more, her stare remote.

“It’s because even if they die, their power is inherited.”

“And if someone manages to ascend, their power is added to the system.”

“Even after their death.”

A chilly grin formed on her mouth.

“It’s the Ouroboros Coil.”

“And we have to steal it, right?” Damon questioned, doubt entering his tone. “Makes me wonder... why didn’t they just ask us to destroy it?”

Seras shook her head deliberately.

“Who knows. They probably expect us to destroy it if we can’t take it.” She halted. “Although I doubt we can.”

Damon rose and dusted the soil from his palms.

“We’ve got two options.”

He indicated the remote peaks.

“We go into the death zones, hide in the Graveyard of Gods while we move around.”

Then he motioned toward the interior woodlands.

“Or we blend into demon society and see things for ourselves.”

He introduced yet another choice.

“There’s also the wilderness. We could break into smaller squads and scatter.”

Seras remained silent briefly before denying with a head shake.

“The Graveyard of Gods is a no-go. We’re more likely to run into demons there than anywhere else. If we go too deep, we’ll just be walking into a trap.”

Damon crossed his arms.

“So you want us to blend into demon society.”

Seras nodded.

“Yes.”

Her face grew shadowed.

“The plan from the high command is stupid. Too many of us have already died for it.”

She eyed the surviving troops.

They had begun with almost a thousand.

Presently, scarcely eight hundred endured.

“So we’re setting up a hidden camp,” she went on. “Then an elite squad will move into demon towns and gather information.”

Damon lifted his hand.

“I’ll volunteer.”