Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon's Might - Chapter 57 - As Expected

[Your shadow is alive.][Feed your shadow, devour souls, level up, gain skills, complete quests, and grow stronger.][Do you wish to view your current stats?]In the magical world of Aetherus, Damon Grey is the weakest student at Aether Academy, relentlessly bullied and ridiculed for his lack of power and defiant personality. Yet, he endures the torment, clinging to his scholarship—the only thing providing him with the funds to keep his sick sister alive.After a brutal attack leaves him near death, Damon encounters a dark viscous entity in the forest that fuses with his shadow, awakening the Living Shadow System. This strange power grants him unimaginable abilities but comes with a grim cost—a relentless hunger for souls and flesh to feed his shadow.Now, with his shadow alive and insatiable, Damon faces a terrible choice: feed it to grow stronger or starve it and die with it.In a world ruled by ruthless nobles, deadly monsters, and power-hungry demons, Damon must decide if his newfound power is a curse or the only way to survive. With the Living Shadow System, his fate is clear: devour or be devoured.

Born with a seed of immortality, he rose from the Han tribe at the end of the century, and embarked on the road of immortality, step by step, until he reached the other side of immortality.

Efforts will pay off. For cultivators, what better golden finger is there?

- Description from novelbuddy

The male lead is devoted, the female lead is passionate, childhood sweethearts, everyday family matters, the ordinary daily life of nurturing a wife.

“Breaking News! A 28-year-old IT worker beats three university kids to death with a spiked bat over a dog!”Abandoned at birth, and named John Wicked, he suffered a life of solitude and harshness. His only companion was a dog named Alfred who was with him since he was 8 years old.Alas, on his 28th birthday when he was returning home from the company with a gift for Alfred, what awaited him was three university students beating his dog senseless--the reason being that Alfred barked at them.They escaped after beating him, too, but John Wicked lost his only family there as the sky broke into tears as if weeping alongside John, holding his dear companion's lifeless body.After getting revenge and being put on death row, John Wicked felt no regret for his actions, and the public also didn't support him.If the world didn't understand him, he didn't need to understand the world. He took his own life because he didn't want to die by the so-called justice of this world.But that wasn't the end. That was the beginning of John's new life after making a deal with an Eldritch God.Join John and Alfred's journey in the fantasy world where humans tame monsters and live an intricately connected life.