My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger
Chapter 493 - 495: Act Of Will

The pain numbed his body — he couldn't feel his legs… or anything below his waist.

A deep, sharp ringing filled his ears as something warm spread across his body. The metallic taste of blood overwhelmed his tongue.

He tried to move — he couldn't. It had happened too fast, too sudden. He forced his head to turn, his neck bones screaming in agony as he fought against the shock.

Slowly, inch by inch, he tilted his head. In the distance… a strange roar echoed — a creature's howl mingled with the dying screams of his men. Then… silence.

He gritted his teeth, forcing his head to move despite the blood pouring out… and what he saw made him tremble in despair.

The battlefield was gone.

Only a frozen graveyard of ice spears remained — hundreds of them, piercing through the mangled corpses of his men.

Their bodies had been torn apart — organs shredded, blood splattered across the shattered earth, victims of the rain of falling spears.

They had grown careless. They had walked right into a trap.

The others… the ones in the woods… they must be dead too.

He tried to move his legs — only then did he realize… he wasn't even on the ground.

He was hanging. Impaled by several spears of ice — through his lower abdomen… his lungs… his stomach.

His entire body was held together by the very things killing him.

He had been the only one who saw the attack before it struck — barely enough time to react. Maybe that's why he'd survived this long… or maybe… it was because he carried the same ice attribute… and his body had resisted.

"Arghrg…" he coughed out, blood spilling past his lips before it could choke him.

And then… she appeared.

The fairy woman — the one who had done this — stood before him. Her helm hid her face.

He did not tremble. Death was an old companion to assassins. But still… he had to know.

"Who… what are you…?"

She said nothing.

Saladirel felt his strength fading. If he moved, he would bleed out. The holes in his gut would have nothing to hold them closed once the magic ice melted.

He was ready to give up — until she spoke.

Her voice was regal. Cold. Impassive — as though speaking itself was a burden.

"I am… Ruin Fairy. A shadow."

That was all.

But even those few words made Saladirel smile weakly. It wasn't often a dying assassin got acknowledged… by a knight.

How could killers like them compare… to noble, upright knights?

He closed his eyes… but her cold, blue gaze never left him. She stood there… waiting for him to die.

Then… something stirred in the woods.

A creature emerged — inky black, formed of shadows. Its monstrous shape moved on all fours, long fangs gleaming beneath sharp claws. Armor made of writhing shadows clung to its body.

And in its mouth… it carried something.

Saladirel gasped.

"Daniiel…" he choked out.

It was an arm — ripped clean off — and he recognized the bracelet on its wrist.

The creature dropped the severed limb with a soft, twisted laugh.

"Heheahahaha…"

The sound was low… guttural… almost inhuman. A voice that scraped against the spine.

"It seems… one survived…"

Even with death looming, a wave of fear and disgust twisted Saladirel's face.

"What… what is that thing…?"

"Thing…?" the creature echoed back. "You hunt me… and call me… a thing?"

Then the realization hit him.

"You… You are… Damon Grey… You… were a monster all along…"

The creature's mouth stretched into a long, sinister grin — jagged fangs on full display.

"That's… not a very nice thing to say… I actually went insane and used Ravenous."

Damon's voice rasped. "Had to use my full power to kill all of you… and even then, I almost died…"

Saladirel's pale face tightened.

Damon walked past him, towering and monstrous. He grabbed one of the ice spears, lifted a corpse skewered on it… and like popping a grape into his mouth… devoured it.

The shadows around him pulsed — and as the corpse vanished, Damon's ravenous form bled away. His shadow fell back to his feet.

And that's when Saladirel saw it —

The young man… beneath the monster.

One arm gone… the stump still raw. His armor shattered… dented… ripped apart.

Wounds gaped along his body — too many for his battered armor to hide.

Flesh torn off his legs… charred skin marking his lower abdomen — the stench of burnt flesh heavy in the air.

Damon turned with a tired sigh, his hand running through blood-soaked hair. He moved his hand in a slow circle — a crown forming atop his head.

He exhaled sharply.

"Phew… That was a relief. Sorry about that… I kinda lost it a few moments ago."

With a wave of his hand, shadows spread across the battlefield. The corpses sank into the darkness like stones dropped into a lake.

Saladirel stared. The boy's armor faded away — only then did he see how dire his wounds really were.

And yet… he was alive.

The damage his comrades had inflicted… and still this thing lived.

Damon reached into the shadows, pulled out a vial filled with something Saladirel had never seen before… and drank.

Right before his eyes… the wounds began to heal. Even the severed arm… slowly, unnervingly… regrew.

Damon let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Guess I got lucky… High-quality loot from killing you guys. Shame I didn't get any skills, but… my mastery went up. Can't complain."

Saladirel barely understood a word of it… but he knew… he'd be joining his comrades soon.

"If… you kept me alive to interrogate me… it's pointless. I'll never talk…"

Damon summoned his sword.

"There's no need. I don't want to know."

He raised his blade… ready to strike…

But then… she moved.

Matia stepped between them — the Ruin Fairy held Damon's severed arm in her hand.

She lifted it slightly… pointing it at Saladirel.

Damon tilted his head.

"You don't want me to kill him?"

She nodded once.

Damon sighed.

"Sure… whatever."

It wasn't every day she acted on her own. He wanted to see what she'd do.

Matia walked up to Saladirel… the severed arm still in her grasp.

As the assassin met her gaze… she raised her sword… and plunged it straight into his heart.

Damon blinked in surprise… until he saw what happened next.