My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

The Leruchuna slowly sat down. His boots were worn, as expected. They were always running around, after all, until their soles gave way to the dirt and road.

Still, Damon wouldn't be disarmed by the harmless-looking façade.

He was here in Valerion for revenge.

But even so—he didn't know how things would pan out after destroying Quick Hand. That was why he needed to secure funds beforehand and complete his objectives.

The Leruchuna—Kudi—sat comfortably, lifting a small monocle to his eye. He picked up the relic and stroked his beard as he began his appraisal.

"Hmmm… yes… hmmm. Such a rare piece… Fascinating! A true relic of the Golden Age of Kings! You've got a keen eye, young master. Might I ask what you're hoping to get for it?"

Damon almost sneered.

As expected of a Leruchuna.

Flattery was just the first weapon in their arsenal.

'He's baiting me to name a price first. Classic leprechaun tactic—make you set the ceiling, then laugh inside.'

He picked up the cup of tea on the table, swirling it slightly.

If he named something too high, the leprechaun would balk. If it was too low, he'd act like it was a loss… and then lower it even more.

"I'll leave that to you, the expert," Damon said casually. "However, the price depends on the buyer's honesty. I'm not just here to sell. I'm here to establish trust."

Kudi maintained his smile, but it was clear—Damon wasn't like the other pampered young nobles.

'Tch… this kid looks like the stingy type. Damn.'

"My, young master… surely you have some idea of the value. I would like to know your opening price."

Damon smiled under his hood.

"You tell me. You're the appraiser here. Or should I go find someone with appraisal skills?"

Kudi's eye twitched. But he kept his tone level—he couldn't afford to be baited.

So, he moved to the next phase of his plan.

"Well, you see, this sigil does resemble those found in the Eastern sector of Lysithara, but the mana residue is faint. Perhaps degraded over the centuries. Or… it might be a replica?"

Damon sneered.

He was trying to imply it was a fake. A classic tactic to dissuade and undervalue.

So Damon fired back.

"It seems you know too little about Lysithara. The eastern section is no more dangerous than the center. This artifact came directly from the city center. But then again, what could I expect? All you know of Lysithara is from old sages and musty textbooks."

Kudi gave a slight bow, still smiling.

"Ohh, I apologize, young master. No offense intended. That said, what you said doesn't really address the crux of the matter…"

He sighed dramatically.

"The artifact might still be… a little lackluster."

Damon smirked, his face still hidden.

"So a 'replica' made of First Epoch magic alloy, sealed with runes no one alive can replicate, and found in a city no one escapes from? That's a bold claim."

Kudi froze internally.

He was trapped.

Damon had baited him—using the truth.

Even if the artifact was broken or useless, its origin alone gave it value. And if he lost this deal, the guild would be livid.

He decided to double down.

Feigning disinterest, he spoke, "Well, while certainly aesthetically intriguing, it is broken. Damaged artifacts are difficult to resell, you know. I might be able to offer… say, three million zeni."

Damon wore a casual expression. The smile on his face made Kudi uneasy.

"You're free to offer that. But if you do, I'll just sell to your competitors."

He leaned forward.

"You saw the adventurers outside. One thing we both know—adventurers have big mouths. I wouldn't even have to advertise it. They'll spread the word on their own. I could get millions with fair competition. I might even auction it off."

He leaned in closer.

"Try that number again."

Kudi internally groaned.

'That's why he let the receptionist see the artifact… he wanted the attention. Damn it…'

He realized he was well and truly cornered.

"You drive a hard bargain… but leave me some leeway here…"

He gritted his teeth.

"Best price I can do is thirty million zeni."

Damon's eyes scanned him briefly. His skill Eye of Veracity was active. The Leruchuna wasn't lying.

"Fine," Damon said flatly. "We have a deal."

Kudi groaned, almost physically in pain as he reached into his green coat and pulled out a pouch.

"Thirty million zeni. All in premium coin."

Damon inspected the large denomination coins. They were real.

He nodded, then tossed the pouch into his shadow storage.

Kudi took the artifact carefully, inspecting it like a miser discovering a forgotten inheritance.

Meanwhile, Damon's attention shifted.

The red squirrel was eating the snacks brought in earlier, cheeks puffed like a balloon. The raven stared at him, as if begging Damon to slap the bumpkin across the table.

He ignored them both and turned back to Kudi.

"Now that my business with the guild is done… I have a somewhat personal proposition for you."

Damon took out a basic potion. He placed it gently on the table.

The moment Kudi saw the vial, he let go of the artifact like it had turned into dirt.

He grabbed the potion like it was divine.

His voice trembled with reverence.

"W-What is this marvelous elixir…?"

Damon almost laughed.

It was the lowest-grade potion from the System.

But it came from the Unknown God.

Which meant—even the most basic potion… had zero percent impurities. Something absolutely unheard of.

A perfect potion.

And to a man like Kudi, whose eyes had seen too much… it was beyond comprehension.

"This is…"

Damon smiled.

It was time to come for his real goal.

Recruitment.

He dropped three more basic potions on the table.

"You see, Kudi… I'm creating a guild. With a certain duchess friend of mine. And we want you to be part of our founding staff."

He smiled, his tone tempting.

"Think of this as a personal gift."

The leprechaun's eyes widened.

"My… Lord… this… I… goddess…"

Damon noticed the shift instantly.

He had gone from "young master" to "my lord."

Perfect.

He reached into his coat and pulled out one mid-grade potion.

It was his last one.

"Sell this for me. Think of it as a test… for our future staff."

Damon stood up and dropped a small contact card on the table.

"All correspondence should be made to that contact. There's more where that came from. Make the wise choice, Kudi Kudi. We'll be expecting your call."

As the stunned leprechaun stared at the potions—

Damon turned and dissolved into the shadows.

He felt a small headache coming on.

But he had finally settled things with one of Lilith's potential recruits.

Of course, the contact card he left behind…

Was Lilith's.

"She better not say I ran off without helping after this…"

Now it was time for vengeance.