My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 933: Chapter 934: Bone Hallows

Damon crashed into the skull’s interior, his back slamming against something jagged as the impact forced a broken cough from his throat and blood spilled past his lips. He rolled and scraped further inside, fingers dragging across ancient bone as Seras jumped in behind him from another hollow socket. What followed them were molten lava and raging flames pouring through the openings, illuminating the ancient skull in flickering orange light that danced across its weathered surface.

He forced himself upright just as the sound of a massive claw struck the skull, Rexagon trying to rip the ancient bones apart. The strike sent cracks racing along the surface and debris scattering down around them, his claws skinning in and grinding against the bone, yet not enough to destroy the ancient remains.

Seras grabbed Damon’s arm and pulled him as they ran further into the skull, boots echoing hollowly along the curved interior. Damon staggered slightly as the world shook again, and when he glanced back he saw Rexagon’s giant eye peeking into the skull, burning with unrestrained rage.

Damon didn’t stop. He turned a corner deeper within the skull and found members of the expedition force hidden inside a cavity that he could only imagine was the nape of whatever colossal creature this had once been.

His strength left him.

He collapsed onto his knees, wiping blood from the side of his mouth before suddenly laughing as he pulled out a giant fang he had torn from Rexagon’s own maw.

He hugged the fang tightly, arms straining around its immense weight. It was larger than a long spear and wider than four whole cows.

”Hahaha hahahha..” Damon laughed, breathless and giddy. He had truly underestimated the effectiveness of the Sword of Nicholas on giant entities. Who would have thought it could actually break Rexagon’s fang? Damon had poured everything into strength, yet even then the sword had felt alive, as if it carried its own will guiding the strike.

Everyone watched Damon in shock. Seeing him squeezing the fang, or at least attempting to, was surreal.

”Yo.. you broke Rexagon’s fang..” Renata muttered. Hearing those words sounded unbelievable to anyone present, yet seeing was believing and their eyes did not deceive them. That truly was a fang from Rexagon.

While everyone remained stunned, Seras felt something colder settle in her chest. It was not the fang that shocked her. It was the lie.

Damon had claimed he was from the Moon Glades and the son of Kadelas Moonveil, the elf king known as the White Ruler.

That was absolutely diabolical. The reason was simple. If Rexagon could not find Damon, he would turn his wrath toward Damon’s supposed homeland and unleash devastation upon it.

Normally that homeland would be the Valtheron Empire where Damon was actually from, except now Rexagon believed Damon was the son of Kadelas.

’I should remember not to provoke this guy.’ She bit her lips. ’He’s a very dangerous man.’

For all they knew Rexagon might cross the continent and descend upon the eastern lands where the elves lived, seeking the Moon Glades to burn them to the ground. Or at least attempt to. Kadelas was no slouch.

Either way, it would not kill Kadelas or destroy the Moon Glades, but it would become a massive nuisance.

Everyone had already surrounded Damon, singing his praises, when Seras stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him aside.

”Are you crazy..” The more she thought about it, the crazier it sounded.

Damon shook his head with indignation.

”Of course not. I’m actually insane...” he corrected. Crazy was for normal people. He had gone mad long ago.

Seras took a deep breath and dragged him further away where no one could see.

”Do you realize you just put a target on the Moon Glades in a time of war? No less, they are a crucial ally for the empire in this demon war.”

Damon raised his hand to stop her.

”I just saved you from serious injury and instead of a thank you I get a lecture...”

He raised his hand again, pointing at her as he stepped closer without hesitation.

”And by the way, don’t you owe me something for my troubles...”

Taking another step closer to her, he ignored how terrifying her aura was or who she was for that matter.

”I believe you owe me a little something something... or are you going back on your word..”

Seras inhaled slowly, his arrogant face making her hesitate. She had not forgotten. She was just a little shy, that was all.

She awkwardly pushed her hair to the side, lowered her head slightly, and pressed a quick kiss against Damon.

Then she pushed him back, unintentionally sending him flying. Damon barely processed what happened before he hit the ground and slowly raised his hand.

”That.. erh.. doesn’t count..”

She turned around immediately.

”Let’s go. We need to sneak out of the Bone Hallows before Rexagon spots us.”

She started walking with Damon following behind while rubbing his head.

”Speaking of which, how are we gonna get to the demon continent? I mean, the Bone Hallows is by the sea. We need a boat, except if you can fly us over the sea..”

Seras nodded.

”Flying spells are easy to learn. Anyone can learn them. It’s just no one bothers because they’re also easy to disrupt.”

She paused slightly, taking in the dull grey atmosphere around her.

”We have airships now, although I wouldn’t advise using them to get to the demon continent. Air defence magic has come a long way. We can’t get in without being seen and shot down.”

”So we’re going through the sea then,” Damon answered.

”That still doesn’t answer my question. Or wait, it does. Is there a boat? No, in this case we’re taking a ship. There’s a ship waiting for us, isn’t there..”

Seras nodded slowly as they walked back toward the expedition force who were still admiring Damon’s dragon fang.

”Yes, there is..”

Damon nodded, then his face scrunched up in anger.

”If they were giving us a ship then why did we have to go through the evil forest..”

He was right. Why not sneak through safer lands or towns, or even uncharted but less hostile areas?

Seras shook her head.

”Because you and I are too high profile. The enemy wants to know our location at all times. The demon races’ spy networks are actually quite complex, as you’ve seen with the priest. We don’t know who is a spy or who isn’t anymore. Following the unknown god isn’t about race anymore. It’s an ideology... and there’s also the fact that some of the goddess races’ continents openly worship the unknown god.”

She turned around to face him, armor gleaming faintly.

”We can’t trust anybody or even ourselves..”

Damon nodded slowly. That made sense.

Seras smiled coolly.

”As far as the world is concerned, you and I are in the Aether Academy having a special secret one on one training to prepare you for the battlefield, which means the enemy thinks we are still there.”

Damon smirked, glancing around at the deathly landscape and the distant sounds of dragon wings and occasional flames flashing outside.

”Well, it’s definitely not a picnic.”

Seras rejoined the expedition force with Damon. She did not need to give orders. After weeks on cursed vines, everyone collapsed to rest, exhaustion overtaking them within the shelter of the skull.

Damon received praise and eagerly recounted how he had overcome Rexagon and broken its fang. He was further hailed as a hero. Of course, Damon being Damon did not forget to emphasize how he saved Seras’s life and painted her like a princess in a fairy tale.

Every time he said something outrageous, the expedition force glanced at Seras, yet she never corrected him or refuted his words, allowing the tale to grow larger.

Naturally, one telling became another until their expedition force now carried an unbelievable story where Damon broke Rexagon’s fang and even saved Seras.

He stood his ground and, with a lady in one hand and a sword in the other, cut off the dragon’s fang.

That was not what happened.

Seras could hear soldiers arguing nearby.

”You bastard, I saw it with my own eyes. He was a real hero. She was in his left hand and his sword in his right..”

”You’re mad. I saw it. She was in his right hand and his sword in his left. You think an honorable gentleman like our vice commander would mistreat a lady by holding her in his left hand...”

The argument was ridiculous since no one had actually seen anything.

Seras shook her head.

Damon, on the other hand, enjoyed the hero’s treatment, the reverent gaze of the expedition force, and the careful attention he received while the healer worked on his wounds.

He felt heroic. Life really took a man places. If he was not in the Bone Hallows, he would have been excitedly enjoying this moment even more.

”Right, speaking of which, what kind of bones are these anyway?” he asked no one in particular.

Seras answered calmly.

”These are the bones of the enemies of the wicked prophet, all relics of an ancient battle all the way from the demon continent to here in Soltheon.”

Her voice dropped into a quiet whisper.

”Have you heard of the graveyard of gods.”