NOVEL NEXT Chapter 567: Half Lie
Damon didn't know how she did it, but he was feeling a heck of a lot better, well… as better as someone with a body full of stitches would feel.
He was low on blood and was slightly worried he would get necrosis. He reached into his shadow storage, bringing out several vials of potions and downing them.
This was the closest he'd come to actually dying. His consciousness was almost lost — the only reason he was still able to come back was because his shadow clone was still active, or he may have become brain dead.
His heart was destroyed… or at least his physical heart. However, his heart of shadows was still well and intact.
Deathless had made sure he would continue with his cursed life.
And this time it had used Abellona of Valtheron to avoid his death.
What were the odds he would survive something like that…
"Ashcroft…" he called, his fist tightening as he tried to sit up. Abellona's eyes flashed as she pushed him down.
"Stay down. I order you to stay down."
Damon narrowed his eyes.
Order it… who did she think she was to order him to do anything…
He was about to say something but stopped, laying back down. While he didn't necessarily want to be saved, she had still saved him.
No, she had given him a chance for a showdown with Ashcroft.
And while he was injured, he heard what she said…
Damon really hated the elite and rich — the top one percent who controlled the world.
He had been raised on the streets, after all. Still, Abellona had her own problems too.
Damon was sour and resentful… he had so much anger with nowhere to go. The emotions in his chest were something he could hide with smiles and crude words, but not the scars.
How does one act like he didn't massacre a village of women, children… whole families?
His own village no less.
This wasn't regret… it was just… it was frustration. He was frustrated because he failed to live up to the wishes of Carmen or Valarie.
He glanced at Abellona. He had been taking out his anger on her, even if he didn't mean to… but he was also not one to apologize.
She glanced at him with relief in her eyes.
"You're alive…"
Damon nodded slowly, glancing at her.
"Obviously…"
He had used high-level potions from the system to heal his wounds, so he was going to be fully healed in a matter of hours.
Damon glanced at her, having heard what she had to say about herself. He remembered…
Nobles were people too. While he couldn't apologize, he could say…
"Thank you…" he whispered.
That much he could do.
Abellona shook her head.
"I should thank you… you saved my life."
Damon nodded, biting his lip. He didn't expect her to seem so happy. He bit his lip again.
"I'm…I apologize…"
He muttered inaudibly.
Abellona tilted her head, muttering back what he had called her so rudely earlier today.
"Retard, shady retard…"
Damon narrowed his eyes. Was she insulting him?
She smiled lightly.
"Now we are even…"
"Shall we let bygones be bygones then…"
Damon narrowed his eyes. He was in pain, but he had grown used to pain.
He was not one to beat around the bush.
"Does this have anything to do with your moniker… Abellona of Destruction?"
Her eyes trembled slightly as she lowered her head.
"What does that matter to you…"
Damon shook his head.
"It doesn't."
He glanced at her with a tired expression.
"It's just… in some ways I can understand you. You may seem distant and cold, but you value the lives of your followers. And when those who have followed you, believed in you, die… you feel so helpless…"
Damon stared at his shadow, where Matia was. Now she was his shadow — once, she had been his friend…
And he had killed her with his own two hands.
Abellona bit her lip.
"I… I… see… you have also lost those you trust… those who believed in you…"
She glanced at him with a confused expression.
"How do you deal with that…"
Damon smiled in a self-deprecating way.
"I don't… I can't forget… and I know it's all my fault… I… still continue to move forward because if I stand still, I know my regrets and sins will catch up."
Abellona nodded, listening to his words.
"If you stay here with me, you will die…"
She reached her hand, shaking the shackle.
"If I die… I may drag you down with me. I can't beat Ashcroft… and I apologize for asking you…"
Damon didn't know why she was suddenly being so nice, but she must have thought this was because of her. There was no need to correct her…
This was actually between the Unknown God, Damon, and Ashcroft. The Unknown God wanted him to face Ashcroft now.
Damon didn't understand why he and Ashcroft couldn't just work together at the beginning, but after meeting him he knew he would never work with Ashcroft.
That demon saw no one as his equal.
He saw himself as king, emperor, maybe even as a god.
You either kneel or die…
Still, Damon knew there had to be a possibility of winning. That was just how the Unknown God was — he set the table, but there was always a degree of fairness to it… no matter how twisted.
'I'll use every card in my deck…'
Abellona pushed her hair to the side, blood dried on her hands and face from helping Damon.
"Stranger… how do… no, what do we do with the little we have…"
"Damian…"
She turned her head with a confused crease on her forehead.
"Excuse me…"
He glanced at her with a sigh.
"My name is Damian… there's no point in hiding it anymore… though I ask your pardon for not revealing my full name."
She glanced at him, her red eyes gaining a gentle flicker. She nodded slowly.
"Damian… it's an honor to make your acquaintance."
Damon nodded slowly. With this, he had gained her trust to a certain degree…
It was a shame he had to lie to her about his name, but so be it. Most times when people used fake names, it was close to their original.
Still he made her a promise.
"I won't die…. I'll live to cash out on the price we agreed upon…"