My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1122: Chapter 1123: What Will You Do At The End Of The World

”I want a world where Ranar never has to see another battlefield.”

He said it to Ashcroft before giving one last glance to the little girl sleeping peacefully on the bed. His fingers lingered briefly on the edge of the blanket, gently pulling it over her shoulder before he turned away. He quietly opened the door to his large chamber and stepped into the empty hallway.

”How many do you think have tried to do that... bring an end to war?”

”Every tyrant and despot has uttered those same words years before you were born, and look around you...” Ashcroft’s voice echoed through his mind, carrying an unusual melancholy. ”The world you have today is the inherited ruin of their ideals.”

”Do you know how many kings uttered those same words before drowning the world in blood?”

”Peace is always the excuse.”

”Conquest.”

”Domination.”

”Genocide.”

”Every tyrant believes the final war will create everlasting peace.”

”They were all wrong.”

His voice seemed to thrum through Damon’s mind, each word carrying the weight of countless centuries.

There was a small lingering silence.

”You are talking about yourself, aren’t you...” Damon muttered, slowly making his way down the corridor, his footsteps echoing against the polished stone floors.

Damon had grown up in a world where Ashcroft was little more than a myth. The Demon Lord of Domination who had almost conquered the known world before he was destroyed by the goddess. Many didn’t even believe he had been real, dismissing him as nothing more than a story told to remind people of the goddess’ greatness, a cautionary tale for children.

However, no matter how much people tried to downplay his greatness, the idea of Ashcroft lit a fire in everyone who heard his name.

The Demon of Domination.

The monster who could not be stopped.

”Have I ever cared for right or wrong Ashcroft?” He said without shame. ”... I have never wanted anything more in my life than this.”

Damon lowered his eyes as he continued walking.

”For the first time... I am not just trying to survive.”

”I want to change everything.”

”For a time, saving my sister was my only goal. I didn’t care for anything or anyone else.”

”When I saved her...”

His voice faltered.

”I didn’t have anything to fight for... anymore.”

”That’s your problem.”

Ashcroft interrupted immediately.

”You believe you need to fight for something.”

”It’s like I said.”

”You have a heart consumed by the fires of war.”

”How can someone who has only known war live in a peaceful world?”

”Humans crave violence.”

”They crave something to break the monotony of life.”

”War is one of those things.”

”There are many like you in this world who need war.”

”People like you can’t live in a peaceful world.”

His voice grew colder with every sentence.

”Do you intend to kill them too?”

Ashcroft didn’t wait for an answer.

”This world has the Pillar of Conflict as a driver of war.”

”But let me break you out of your delusions.”

”Even worlds that don’t have some abstruse Pillar of Conflict still have wars.”

”War.”

”Conflict.”

”Violence.”

”Death”

”Those things can’t be defeated.”

”You can only win one war and wait for the interlude before the next.”

”That is all peace is.”

”An interlude before the next violent outbreak.”

”Your world simply has it a little worse than the others.”

Damon didn’t know how to reply.

His brows slowly drew together as he stared ahead.

Other worlds had wars.

Of course they did.

He had already figured that out.

”Then why here?”

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

”Why us...”

”Why do we have to be burdened with the Pillar of Conflict?”

”The goddess could have chosen a world without life.”

”There are countless stars in the heavens.”

”Surely some of them are empty wastelands.”

His jaw tightened.

”Why here...”

”Why us?”

His fist suddenly slammed into the wall beside him.

Boom!

The stone shattered beneath the impact, cracks racing across the corridor as chunks of marble exploded onto the floor. Dust drifted through the hallway while fragments bounced across the polished tiles.

The alarm immediately sounded.

Within moments several knights rushed around the corner with weapons already drawn, only to stop abruptly when they recognized Damon. Their expressions stiffened as they lowered their blades and saluted.

Damon didn’t even spare them a glance.

Taking another step, his body dissolved into shadows.

The darkness swallowed him whole.

When he emerged again, he stood within a vast garden.

Fresh air filled his lungs.