My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Damon took a deep breath. The others probably didn't realize how dire their situation was about to become. With limited rations and supplies, they would have to survive off whatever the land provided.

Which would have been fine—if they weren't about to walk into a Death Zone. The land ahead could be twisted and corrupted.

The food would be inedible, at least for those who had yet to reach their first class advancement.

Now that they had, they could do a lot of things they couldn't before.

Absorbing energy from the mana cores of dead monsters to enhance their bodies and magical prowess… using skills…

Well, that wasn't new to Damon. The system already allowed him to do that. What mattered now was that they were stronger.

"Our odds are higher now…"

He took a deep breath. They had to cross the bridge in front of them.

The bridge before his eyes was an old, rickety rope bridge with some missing planks. The ropes were thick but frayed, and runes were inscribed along them and the wooden planks, emitting a faint magical glow. He couldn't clearly see the other side due to a strange mist, and the worst part was the rumbling from the deep chasm below.

He looked down, peering into the darkness. Even with eyes that could see in absolute darkness, he couldn't make out the bottom. However, with the benefit of his awakening, he could faintly see shapes moving far below—drifting like clouds in the abyss.

"Better not get their attention…"

Whatever was down there was far beyond the rank of their small party.

He turned around, the massive axe he had taken from the war troll secured on his back.

His gaze swept over the group, their torn combat uniforms barely holding together. The material was supposed to be high-quality from the magic continent, but even it had limits.

"Remember the rules—make as little noise as possible until we cross."

He glanced at Matlock—now called Matia after he discovered she was actually a girl.

"Matia, don't try to fly over. We might attract something, or worse, discover some abnormal phenomenon that prevents flight."

His eyes shifted to Xander, who had taken the time to clean off some of the blood while Leoan created a small storm cloud to gather water.

"Use your gravity magic to make us lighter."

Xander nodded.

Damon turned to the others, pulling out a rope and tying it around each of their waists.

"We stay together. The ropes will make sure we can catch each other if someone falls."

He muttered under his breath, "Or we all get pulled down together."

Their faces didn't pale with fear. They had already resolved themselves.

Damon took the first step toward the bridge, leading his party in a single file. Their fate was uncertain, but hesitation would only make things worse.

At first, the mist was faint, almost nonexistent, but the moment Damon placed his foot on the shaky wooden planks, it was as if he had stepped into an entirely different world.

The mist thickened instantly, curling around him like a living thing. However, he could still see in front of him—for now.

The others stepped onto the bridge cautiously. The rope bridge swayed, the old planks creaked, and even those who had reached their first class advancement felt a sense of vertigo creeping in.

Damon shook his head, steadying himself before taking another step. He kept his eyes forward, careful not to look down into the chasm. It wasn't a fear of heights that kept his gaze fixed ahead—it was the unsettling knowledge that something lay within that darkness, waiting.

He hoped for a quiet, uneventful crossing.

Slowly, they made their way across, one careful step at a time. Damon led, gripping the thick ropes on either side to steady himself. It was almost peaceful—until they reached the center of the bridge, where the mist became even denser. Then, the humming started.

It was faint, almost like a whisper carried by the wind, yet it sent a chill through them. The mist itself seemed to shift, forming vague, shifting shapes that might have been illusions—or something far worse.

Leona moved closer to him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I... I hear singing..."

Damon nodded, his own voice hushed. "Stay sharp. We might have a monster or some unusual phenomenon on our hands."

The others nodded as well, stepping carefully. The mist now covered the floor of the bridge, making it difficult to see where the planks actually were. Damon took a deep breath, testing each step before fully committing, ensuring that the bridge was still beneath them.

As they approached the end of the bridge, the mist coalesced into distinct forms—figures of men and women, ghostly and ethereal. One particular figure—a woman—hovered directly in their path, floating above a section of the bridge where no planks should be. She opened her arms as if welcoming them.

"Come… come to me… let us be together as one…"

Damon hesitated. He couldn't sense any shadows, couldn't tell if she was real or just an illusion.

He recalled reading something in the old travel journal, but the notes had only covered the creatures lurking in the chasm below, not this…. At least the parts that were still legible.

Sylvia, gripping her tome, flipped through glowing pages, wincing as she read something…. This unusual tome was her skill it was invisible to others… but Damon could see it just fine.

"We can walk past them… as long as they do not scream… we should be fine…"

Damon studied her expression, then nodded.

Slowly, he stepped forward. The mist woman reached out to touch him, but her hands passed through his form like vapor. One by one, they moved past her, ignoring her murmured words. The end of the bridge was in sight.

She followed them with a pleading and desperate expression.

Then, the woman's face twisted. Her mist-like form shuddered, and her voice took on an eerie, anguished tone.

"I love you… I love you, but you hurt me… you hurt me… You only want her… but she betrayed you… Why? Why, Mugu? Why? Ahahahahaha!"

The mist let out an ear-piercing scream.

The sound was unbearable, forcing them to their knees, clutching their ears in agony. Damon's eyes widened as the chasm below rumbled, the mist within it beginning to swirl violently.

Then, something moved.

A massive black form, larger than a mountain, began to rise. Its presence alone was suffocating, ancient, and terrifying. Blood dripped from Damon's nose as sheer terror gripped his body. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would explode.

Panic set in.

Damon staggered to his feet, yanking at the rope that connected them all.

"Come on! Run! We need to get off the bridge!"

He didn't need to say it twice.

They sprinted toward the end, moving as fast as they could. As long as they reached the other side before the creature fully emerged, they had a chance.

But suddenly, the end of the bridge seemed impossibly far away…