My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger-Chapter 264: The Ultimate Secret, The Ultimate Name...

Matlock's body ached, torn and battered. He bit his lip, holding onto the remains of his combat uniform pressed against his chest. Beneath the dirty bandages wrapped tightly around him, his wounds throbbed, but oddly enough, most of the blood coating his body wasn't his own.

He was filthy, slick with dried crimson, yet of the entire group, he was the least injured. It wasn't because he had run from battle—he had fought just as fiercely as the others—but he had danced through the chaos, weaving between enemies like a lethal specter, striking with precision and vanishing before they could retaliate.

Matlock's gaze drifted to Xander, who lay unconscious, his body battered beyond recognition. He had taken blow after blow, shielding them with his own flesh. Nearby, Leona was also unconscious—she had been the one to deal the initial damage with her lightning, weakening the war troll just enough for them to stand a chance.

Without her, they would have been dead already. Both of them had reached First-Class advancement, but their newfound power was useless now that they lay unmoving on the battlefield. Their only hope rested on Evangeline.

She had advanced as well, stepping into the First-Class, gaining a class of her own. Matlock didn't know what kind of power she had awakened, but it was their last chance to defeat the hulking war troll before them.

With a blinding flash of light, the air rippled as Evangeline surged forward. Her fist, wreathed in golden radiance, slammed toward the troll with a roar. The beast raised its massive arm to meet her strike head-on. Their fists collided, and the very ground beneath them caved in from the force. The wind howled, kicking up debris, but Evangeline did not budge. Her golden eyes burned with unwavering determination.

The troll snarled, raising its other arm to swat her away. Before it could strike, Sylvia appeared at its side, an ethereal, illusionary book floating in front of her.

With a silent resolve, she slashed at the creature. The troll reacted, lifting its leg to kick her, but Sylvia simply glanced at the book. Then, she sidestepped, her movements effortless, almost as if she had foreseen the attack. Her bloodshot eyes gleamed with something terrifying.

"Die."

Matlock watched the two girls, his heart pounding. They moved without hesitation, without doubt, as if they had already seen the end of this battle. Their confidence was absolute.

"I can be like them... I can be strong... I'm not scared..."

Like a snowflake caught in a storm, Matlock's wings fluttered, carrying him into the heart of battle. The ground trembled beneath them, the air thick with raw power. He could feel Evangeline's overwhelming aura, and as if answering her presence, Sylvia's own energy surged, rising to match her intensity.

Something shifted.

Sylvia's illusionary book solidified, its once-blank pages filling with unseen text. The moment her eyes scanned its contents, she fell into a trance. The war troll noticed the shift, its primal instincts screaming at it to act, but instead of attacking, it leapt back several paces, taking a moment to regenerate. It watched Evangeline warily, the golden glow of her body crackling with unrestrained magical energy.

"How you so strong?" The troll's guttural voice rumbled across the battlefield. "Me kill many First-Class… none strong like you..."

Evangeline didn't answer. Her gaze remained locked onto the war troll, her senses fully attuned to the power swelling within Sylvia. If she had reached First-Class advancement, then she could be the key. Together, they could end this fight.

Sylvia's eyes glowed white as she focused on the book before her. A distant whisper echoed in her mind.

[Careful what you wish to know, White Seer… The new gods guard their secrets more closely than the unknowable old ones. Pray you never uncover them…]

The voice broke off, glitching, before speaking again, this time as if revealing a great secret.

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[...The Unseen Sovereign seeks to reveal their Lie…]

[You have awakened the unique class: White Seer.]

[Class: White Seer]

"You seek knowledge unbound by time, glimpsing the future—and dreading what you see… Do you dare to know?"

Skill – [Altair's Journey Book]

A copy of the unknown god's tome of infinite knowledge, ever-growing with each vision. But with every truth revealed, a part of you is lost… You have glimpsed a horrible truth. Speak not of His name… Speak not of His name… Speak not of His name… This book carries the omniscience of a true god… the infinite knowledge of a true demon king… You hold all in your hands..... for a price.

Sylvia stood frozen, a strange sense of dread washing over her—yet there was also an eerie serenity. She saw the name… She tried to read it in her mind, but she could not comprehend it. She could not think it. She opened her mouth, but no sound came. It was impossible to speak it.

In her mind, she thought of Damon. Slowly, she whispered, the book showed her images of him…. making her an offer.

[Do you wish to reject boundless knowledge?]

"I accept."

The voice of the world paused before repeating,

[Do you wish to reject boundless pain?]

"I accept."

[Do you wish to reject the ire of the gods?]

"I accept."

A deep silence followed—then the voice returned, almost resigned.

[His influence deepens within Doom's World…]

[Your fable begins, White Seer.]

Sylvia did not understand what had happened, but the first thing the book showed her was… Damon. It had offered her Damon. It had shown her Damon. It promised her Damon—if she was willing to make sacrifices. It had offered her boundless knowledge as long as she was willing to pay the price.

Those were the two things she desired, the former she didn't even know she wanted until recently.

If this book contained the answers to every question imaginable, then she needed nothing else. She only had to give it something of equal value in return.

She raised her head. She had seen how the troll would die. That was her initial question: how to kill this creature that kept regenerating despite their meager strength.

The war troll was catching its breath. Sylvia walked up to Evangeline, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Matlock will kill the troll. Even if you fight, it will die by his hand."

"Save your strength…we'll need it.."

Evangeline remained in a battle-ready stance, her body bleeding from earlier injuries. She frowned at Sylvia in horror. Did she expect Matlock to fight that thing alone? He would die.

She pushed Sylvia's hand away. "No, I—"

Before she could finish, Sylvia raised her blade and struck Evangeline's forehead with the hilt, knocking her out cold.

The war troll looked at Sylvia in confusion, its grotesque face contorted in surprise. Matlock gasped.

"Wh-what are you doing?! She was our strongest fighter!"

Sylvia ignored him and turned to the troll. "You will die soon. A shame it won't be by my hand."

She then turned to Matlock. "Forgive me, Matlock. But if you don't fight and advance now, you will die the moment we reach the other side."

Matlock's eyes widened as the troll turned toward him, smiling coldly. This was going to be an easy battle. It would eat him, regain vitality, and then kill the others.

Matlock gritted his teeth. Sylvia had gone mad—that was the only explanation. Why else would she act so strangely?

But Sylvia did not care what he was thinking. She merely looked at the book as her eyes bled. She forced a pained smile and whispered the words Damon had once told her.

"Have faith, Matia."

Matlock's breath caught in his throat. His hands clenched into fists, ice forming at his fingertips. There was no going back now.

Might as well fight.

Like a snowflake in the wind, he would dance to death. But first he would freeze the world over.