My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Wimpy clutched his head from the mana strain, but the blood spray and collapsing enemies boosted morale.

Adventurers cheered. Weapons raised. A victory—however brief.

But that was only the beginning.

Damon’s eyes fell on the orc war chief.

The Orc seemed to chuckle. His lips moved.

Then the siege beasts stirred.

Mounted on their backs were crude catapults, fashioned from salvaged magic artillery. They hurled flaming boulders through the air as orc shamans lifted their arms—red magical energy spiraling into the sky.

Unnoticed Singularity sliced a flaming boulder in half as it came flying toward them.

”They’re taking us seriously now...” he muttered.

”Any more bright ideas before they kill everyone? My party and I can escape if we have to—but we can’t take many with us.”

Damon chuckled.

”Actually, everything is going better than I thought.”

Singularity raised an eyebrow just as another blast landed inches from Damon, coating his armor in dirt and flames.

The fire rolled harmlessly off his body.

”Uh huh. Very convincing...”

Dred dodged a falling boulder as civilians screamed behind them.

”Quit aura-farming and do what you gotta do!”

Damon sighed and pulled a staff from his shadow storage.

”Like I said... I’ll ask nicely.”

”To negotiate,” he said, walking forward through the rain of fire, ”you must first establish a position of strength.”

He laughed to himself.

”Before I was a death seeker, I was a merchant in blood... and a dealer in death.”

Then, in a voice the orcs would understand, he raised his staff and shouted:

”I am a merchant in blood, and a dealer in death!”

The staff ignited.

Black flames erupted from its tip, casting a wide arc of destruction. From his high vantage point, Damon had clear sightlines on many of the orcs below.

Without hesitation, he launched the attack—

A devastating volley of fire from the Staff of Carnage tore down the slope and struck the orc ranks.

A deafening boom.

A black, consuming explosion.

Then...

Silence.