Damian stared at the newly unlocked ability for several seconds before slowly nodding to himself. Unlike many of the flashy combat techniques he had obtained over the months, this one carried a different kind of value. He understood almost immediately why the system had given it to him now.

[Name: Shadow Slave]

[Type: Active]

[Description: You can attach your shadow to a target. A shadow can only protect a target and can only display 30% of your power. However, you can instantaneously reach a target through your shadow allowing you to protect them properly.]

His gaze lingered on the words while faint ripples spread across the dark waters beneath him. Even without activating the ability, he could already imagine the possibilities. A shadow that never left someone’s side. A shadow that could defend them. A shadow that could become a bridge connecting him to them no matter where they were.

"Be careful who you are using this on. You have only one shadow. So it should be reserved for the most important person in your heart." Rin’s voice was unusually serious.

Damian slowly nodded.

When he read through the description, Clara’s face had already appeared in his mind. He planned to erase her memories eventually. He planned to walk away from her life completely. Yet even then, the thought of leaving her entirely unprotected bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

Twenty had men around him. Twenty had influence. Twenty could pick up a phone and summon help from every direction. Clara had none of that.

A small smile appeared on Damian’s face.

"I really like this ability."

Rin glanced at him but said nothing.

The more Damian thought about it, the more he realized something had changed. In the beginning, most of his abilities existed for two purpose. Survival and growth.

Now things were different. More and more abilities were appearing that allowed him to protect others instead of merely protecting himself.

It was almost as though the inheritance itself was slowly acknowledging his position as a prince.

A ruler was not measured solely by how many enemies he could kill. A ruler was measured by how many people he could protect.

The realization settled quietly in his heart as he continued investing points without hesitation.

160... 170... 180... 190... 200...

A pulse echoed through the dark world.

[Name: Demonic Weaponry: Hanfu of the Flying Fox]

[Type: Passive]

[Description: Not only do these robes provide immense defensive properties against physical and spiritual attacks. While worn, people naturally ignore your presence and once their eyes peel off you, they are nearly bound to forget you. You exist yet there is no proof of your existence.]

Damian’s eyes widened slightly.

Without hesitation he activated the weapon.

Purple flames exploded around him.

The dark waters below churned violently as the infernal fire spiraled around his body in elegant circles. The flames did not burn. Instead they wrapped around him like silk before slowly fading away.

When the final sparks disappeared, his appearance had completely changed.

A flowing black hanfu rested upon his frame. Intricate violet fox patterns moved along the sleeves and hems like living creatures. The long robes drifted gently despite the absence of wind, giving him an almost unreal appearance.

Damian lowered his gaze toward the water beneath him. His reflection stared back.

For a brief moment he forgot to breathe. The image reminded him immediately of Lin Qui. The only difference was the color. Lin Qui had worn white and violet while he wore black and violet.

Lin Qui’s hair was also much longer than his own. Yet the resemblance remained undeniable.

His chest tightened unexpectedly. A strange mixture of emotions surged through him. Things he could not fully describe.

"You are afraid."

Damian slowly raised his head as Rin had moved beside him without him noticing.

"It’s natural."

The fox gently patted his head. Damian remained silent.

He knew Rin could feel everything he felt.

The closer Damian moved toward godhood, the more real everything became. Before, it was easy to focus only on levels and abilities. Now he stood on the edge of a battlefield that stretched across worlds.

He was no longer preparing for war, he was already standing inside it.

Even with all the power he possessed, he was still a human who had been dragged into a conflict older than civilizations.

The courage needed to stand beside beings like Sol could not be built overnight. That kind of confidence came from centuries of victory.

Centuries of surviving impossible odds. Damian exhaled slowly and allowed the emotions to settle.

Eventually his attention returned to the floating panel.

[Lust Talent Tree Rejuvenation Process: 35%]

[Living Arts: 50%]

[Primal Soul: 30%]

[Elder Arts: 30%]

"My Living Arts isn’t as important as my other stats, is it?" Damian asked.

He had noticed the discrepancy immediately. A twenty percent increase had only moved the overall completion rate by four percent.

Rin nodded.

"Yes. For the Sin of Lust, Living Arts are the least important. Primal Soul comes after that. Your true strength comes from Elder Arts."

Damian nodded thoughtfully. It made perfect sense.

When he examined his abilities honestly, most of them weren’t designed for direct combat. Even his equipment reflected the same philosophy.

One stole identities and the other erased his existence from people’s minds.

Neither existed to win a straightforward fight. The Sin of Lust wasn’t meant to charge into battle like Wrath. It was meant to reshape the battlefield before the fighting even began.

"I’m guessing Pride is more reliant on his Living Arts."

The moment those words left Damian’s mouth, Rin’s expression became strange.

The fox nodded but then it hesitated and then shook his head only to stop midway.

"Pride is a monster."

His voice carried genuine discomfort.

"His true strength comes from the raw power of his Primal Soul. Yet somehow it also grants him physicality capable of rivaling Wrath’s Living Arts. Nothing about him makes sense. That’s why everyone is afraid of him."

The moment those words left Rin’s mouth, an image flashed through Damian’s mind.

A man with golden hair and eyes brighter than the sun. Golden cracks spread across bare skin like divine fractures and White cloth hung around his waist while the rest of his body remained exposed.

Everything around him burned.

Despite standing barely over ten feet tall, his presence was monstrous. A colossal version of himself loomed behind him.

Rin shuddered visibly at the thought. Damian finally understood why demons ran toward Lin Qui and why they still desperately searched for someone capable of standing against Sol.

"Lin Qui was really up against a lot."

Rin nodded slowly.

"He was."

For a brief moment neither of them spoke. Lin Qui had carried burdens no one should have carried alone. Now those burdens belonged to Damian.

Thankfully, the Abyssal inheritance had become a pillar supporting some of that weight. Pushing those thoughts aside, Damian focused once more on his primal Soul.

Without hesitation he began spending points.

10... 20... 30... 40... 50...

[Name: Sovereign’s Will]

[Type: Passive]

[Description: Mental attacks, corruption and soul manipulation become increasingly ineffective against you.]

Damian stared at the description, then slowly turned toward Rin. The fox immediately looked away and Damian narrowed his eyes.

He examined Rin from head to toe twice but Rin continued pretending not to notice.

Without saying a word Damian returned to the panel. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

60... 70... 80... 90... 100...

[Name: World Devouring Maw]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Create a void-like mouth capable of consuming physical and spiritual phenomena.]

Damian immediately turned his head. This time he caught Rin peeking. The fox instantly looked away and a smug smile appeared on Damian’s face.

"You lucky motherfucker."

Rin kept his back turned.

"Threatening your partner won’t get you better abilities."

Damian rolled his eyes. Still, he could not deny the ability was impressive. A mouth capable of devouring physical and spiritual phenomena left his imagination hungry.

The fox had escaped another beating today.

For now.