My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger - Chapter 383

Chapter 383: Chapter 384: Can You Keep A Secret
“It really hurts, she’s so mean…” Damon’s voice echoed with a hint of childish resentment.

“Dear, dear… don’t worry, I’ll make the pain go away,” Sylvia whispered, her tone sweet as she smiled and began to heal him.

A soft white glow emerged in her palm, gently caressing Damon’s cheek.

He shot Evangeline the occasional glance, each one deliberate and smug.

She rolled her eyes, while the rest of the party stared at Damon and Sylvia with dumbfounded expressions, clearly stupefied by the scene unraveling before them.

Leona could no longer keep quiet.

Sylvia’s healing magic was potent—able to mend cracked ribs and shredded muscles—there was no way Evangeline’s punch had actually done any real damage. It was obvious something else was going on here.

Sylvia was clearly using this moment to get close to Damon. Leona didn’t want to read too deeply into it… but she couldn’t hold her tongue anymore.

“Emmh… can you guys get a room…?”

Sylvia’s fingers twitched to a halt, her face turning sharply to the side. But from the red flush creeping up her elf ears, it was clear she’d just realized how it looked.

Damon glanced at her… and promptly burst into laughter.

Clearly, their mischievous party leader was having fun—and Sylvia was today’s chosen target.

“What are you talking about, Leona? I’m in serious pain! That orc woman hit me! Sylvia was just being kind and healing me…”

Evangeline gasped, gritting her teeth.

She was stunning—golden hair, sun-marked eyes, and a figure sculpted like a goddess. Calling her a city-toppling beauty wasn’t an exaggeration… and yet this bastard had just called her an orc.

“You… you… you better take that back or else…”

Sylvia gave Damon a side glance, her lips curled in a thin smile.

“If she hits you again, I won’t heal you. It’s best not to anger our secondary healer.”

Damon sneered.

“Fine. I’ll apologize… to the orcs.”

Evangeline didn’t even bother responding. All her ladylike grace and noble decorum crumbled in an instant.

She lunged for him.

Sylvia was shoved aside as Evangeline tackled Damon to the ground, straddling him without a shred of elegance.

Poise? Grace? None of that.

Damon might have been a lot of things—but a feminist wasn’t one of them.

To him, all parts were fair game in combat. Equal rights, equal fights. He didn’t hesitate to shove her back—even in the chest.

“Ahhh… bastard!”

Hmm. Maybe that wasn’t a smart move.

Evangeline unleashed a chaotic flurry of slaps, followed by sharp scratches across his face—none of it held the finesse of a trained swordswoman. They were like two kids brawling in a schoolyard.

The rest of the party just watched.

No one moved to help.

After nearly a minute of huffing and puffing, the two combatants froze, both glancing at their teammates—who were barely holding in their laughter.

“What is wrong with you people?! Why aren’t you trying to stop us?” Damon snapped.

Matia giggled softly, covering her mouth, while Sylvia clung to Leona, tears forming in her eyes as she struggled to hold back.

Leona lost it, pulling Sylvia down with her as they collapsed in a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

“It’s funny because… they said it together!”

Xander removed his helm, letting out a roar of laughter that echoed through the chamber walls.

Damon and Evangeline glanced at each other, then back at the others, their faces etched with indignation.

“You people are horrible… and that’s saying something coming from me…” Damon muttered.

Evangeline tapped his shoulder, shaking her head.

“No, don’t sell yourself short like that. They’re obviously worse… Imagine getting into a fight and your friends don’t even try to break it up.”

Damon spat to the side with theatrical disgust.

“I know, right? These savages… I’ve done horrible things, but I should be taking notes from them…”

Their banter was so sincere it only made the others laugh harder.

“It’s not funny!” they roared in sync.

Sylvia finally managed to compose herself enough to stand. Honestly, she was a little grateful to Evangeline for causing such a scene—it distracted everyone from her earlier embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. It’s just… we kind of agreed not to interfere when you two start bickering. We wanted to see how it would play out…”

Damon was appalled.

“Hey, Eva… these people…”

She nodded, equally mortified.

“Yes, Damon… they have no morals. I thought you were bad, but I owe you an apology…”

Damon shook his head solemnly.

“No. It is I who should apologize… We’re the last good people in the world of Aetherus…”

After that, the two of them proceeded to berate everyone while the rest of the party continued laughing.

For the next few hours, they all just… played around, forgetting the looming threat that surrounded them. As if they weren’t deep in the heart of a death zone.

They lived in the moment, laughing in the face of possible death. Every second could be their last—and they knew it.

Damon sat quietly later, a small smile on his face.

This could be it. Tomorrow, they’d either find hope… or death.

He took a deep breath.

They had originally stopped to rest—but ended up staying there for the night.

They ate. They laughed. Once, they were just a bunch of students.

Now… they were warriors.

Comrades forged in the nightmares of these Badlands.

Damon stood up, his fist clenched in quiet resolve. He needed the Shades more than ever now. He needed to capture as many as possible.

He had to.

“Hm? Where are you going…?” Matia asked, a piece of dried jerky paused near her soft pink lips.

He offered her a casual smile.

“I just wanted to take a walk, that’s all…”

Matia stood quickly, grabbing her weapon.

“I’ll come with. It’s dangerous here…”

He shook his head.

“Ahh, no. It’s fine…”

He didn’t want anyone seeing what he was doing anyway.

She glanced at him, nodding slowly.

“If you don’t want me to follow, I’ll respect your will. But this place is dangerous… so I hope you’d at least let me shadow you.”

The others were watching now. If he went alone, they’d definitely worry.

Matia said she’d respect his will—but she didn’t exactly look happy about it.

Damon sighed before the others could chime in.

“Fine, Matia. You can come… as my shadow. Happy?”

She smiled, equipping her helm with a quick motion.

“I’d like that.”

As they walked together into the shadowed corridor—the way their party had originally come—Damon glanced over at her.

“Can you keep a secret…?”