CHAPTER 592: CHAPTER 593: A DEMON

After a few minutes of tireless work, Damon finally finished crafting the ideal battlefield for mutual destruction. He left his severed arm in a convenient location, staged just right to show he had fought with everything he had.

The scene told the story clearly: Ashcroft had been trying to kill Abellona while she was unconscious, but Damon had protected both her and the crystal platform above.

That was why he was dead. He died for her.

Damon almost shed a tear at how heroic he looked in his own masterpiece.

"She better build a statue in my honor... and think about me all the time."

After setting the stage for his grand death, he left Abellona with one of his high-quality blankets from the system, along with some of his clothes for her to wear.

Well... because he had taken her ring.

Of course, he had done that earlier before he even fought Ashcroft.

"She’s probably going to figure out I took her ring... but leaving her to doubt whether I’m alive or dead sounds like a good way to get her brain working."

He wanted to laugh. The thought of the princess walking—or rather, in her case, flying—into the capital wearing a strange man’s clothes was simply too entertaining.

Life was a tragedy when seen up close, but from a distance, life was a comedy.

Even someone as bitter and depressing as Damon was still managing to make the most of it.

At least... until it all came crashing down again.

"Cough... cough... arggh... ermm..."

Abellona’s faint moans echoed through the cavern.

Damon wasn’t quite finished yet, but time had run out. He ushered the lesser demon and his two familiars out of the cavern, leaving the space that had become Ashcroft’s grave.

He would be long gone before Abellona woke. With that certainty in mind, Damon decided it was time to check his spoils.

The first thing he noticed was his aura. It felt deeper, more vast—like he was standing at the edge of something.

"I’m at the cusp of third-class advancement..."

The only reason he hadn’t advanced was because he hadn’t yet resolved his path. His philosophy was incomplete, his intent unclear.

"I could force it... but..."

There was no reason to. Whether he rushed or not, he would reach third class in weeks, perhaps months. There was no need to stumble.

He opened his system panel, examining the stats he had scattered with ruthless pragmatism to secure victory over Ashcroft.

"Damn... I’ve become quite the monster."

[HP: 14995/14995]

[Mana: 23,567/23,567]

[Strength: 16124]

[Agility: 9157]

[Speed: 17985]

[Endurance: 15410]

[Class: Death Seeker]

[Shadow: 1600]

[Shadow Hunger Levels: 0%]

[Shadow Level: 16]

[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]

[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 Lv2] [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 Lv4]

[Items:]

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

[Quest:]

[Path to Conflict]

This was all his power now. All of it—the fruit of his suffering. Yes, the system had helped him, but only by forcing him to bleed for every ounce of strength he earned.

"I’m the strongest in my class..I’m ... all but invincible. I suppose I am the Ashcroft of my generation."

A small smile tugged at his lips. How much stronger would he become if he devoured all of Ashcroft’s fragments?

He glanced at the skill he had gained from leveling up. It wasn’t the true prize—that was the attribute of Domination—but it was the tool he could use now.

[Skill: Demon Dominate

[Description:]

A demon is not cruel because it lacks kindness, nor hateful because it cannot love.

Demons are creatures of overflowing emotions, those who have drowned within their own myriad of desires.

Any who bear a name, when consumed by depravity, become demons—and the truest of demons are the true demon kings who have fallen from grace, enduring damnation with the sole purpose of surpassing their great enemies.

A heart swollen with resentment against those who did not see, who did not understand.

A demon is one who resists, who endures, who shatters and yet continues even in broken —for even depravity cannot extinguish the fire that burns within.

They bewitch with beautiful promises, yet deliver only cruel outcomes.

[Effect:]

Grants the authority to dominate demons. If the wielder’s will surpasses theirs, demons—whether feral or intelligent—must yield. Demon kin and higher demons resist more fiercely, but in time, even they shall kneel beneath the power of the Dominator.

[Cooldown:]

0 seconds

Damon had asked what a demon was. The unknown god had answered.

A demon was one whose heart endured, even when shattered.

A heart that carried too many emotions, even twisted and broken.

The god had made demons sound beautiful. But Damon had not been deceived—beauty did not hide horror.

A demon was simply a broken person who refused to conform to the world, who rejected it when it failed to match their vision.

A demon was one who destroyed because the world had no place for them.

Was that not what Mugu was? Was that not Ashcroft? Was that not Damon himself?

All of them were people who refused to accept. People who refused to yield. Their feelings twisted them into something cruel.

The True Demon Kings were the same. And so was the unknown god.

"What cruel outcome will he bring about..."

Damon did not know.

But he knew this much:

A demon endures.

And as he walked out of the deep underground world, every step carried more resistance, more resentment. Until one day...

He, too, would become—