A series of notifications rang in Val’s mind. 𝑶𝓋𝓵xt.𝑐𝑜𝚖
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing an Uglyface Devil! You’ve gained +1500 EXP]
[For killing an intermediate-level devil for the first time, you have gained an additional reward. You’ve been rewarded with the Orb of Darkness!]
[Item name: The Orb of Darkness
Description: The Orb of Darkness is a powerful artifact with multiple purposes. Firstly, it can be traded with the Shrine of Evil for a considerable amount of undead-creating power. Secondly, it can absorb attacks. Absorbed attacks can be released at your command. This effect can only be triggered three times within ten minutes once a week.]
‘Not bad,’ Val thought before the aftereffects of his reckless use of wizardry hit him like a truck.
His vision became disoriented, and he felt so nauseous that he failed to fight against it. He dropped to his knees, vomiting out whatever he had the previous night, as the world spun around him.
He could feel exhaustion and weakness quickly taking hold of him. His mind and body screamed for rest, and his eyelids felt heavier than they had ever felt before as if they were made out of lead.
Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision, rapidly overtaking his consciousness.
He was on the brink of fainting.
The next moment, his world turned into an empty void. Just then, a powerful voice rang in his mind.
“Stay awake! The battle isn’t over yet!” Voidslayer’s roar reached Val’s soul. Its call jolted him awake.
“I know,” Val uttered as he fought back the intense exhaustion threatening to drown him with sheer willpower and forcing his eyes open.
One Uglyface had fallen, but another still remained. He had to stay strong until it was gone or dealt with.
Or else, this underground area would become his grave!
Just then, something unexpected transpired, causing Val to feel like the luckiest man alive.
Although the second Uglyface was embroiled in a fight with the undead, it noticed the death of its counterpart.
The sight filled every fiber of its being with absolute terror.
After all, until this moment, it had believed it was immortal and couldn’t be killed, but now it was proven wrong.
There was a way to kill it, and it could be used against it at any time!
As this thought took root in its mind, the magnificent breath of fear that could reduce even a wise king to the level of a mumbling fool brushed against every piece of its soul, which resulted in it looking at Val with utter dread
Val’s face was pale, as white as a sheet of paper. On top of that, he was coated in sweat. These were all clear signs of exhaustion. He was like a plane at the end of its flight. It seemed like it wouldn’t be long before his body collapses.
However, to the Uglyface, he appeared to be the most terrifying monster imaginable.
Val raised his eyes and met its gaze.
In that instant, the Uglyface’s fear magnified to heights comparable to Mount Torjan.
Its desires, such as experiencing the taste of human flesh and blood for the first time, vanished, replaced solely by fear.
The only thing it now wanted to do was get as far away from Val as possible.
It crushed the undead sticking to its body by wildly thrashing about. This injured it even further but allowed it to regain mobility, which was all it needed at the moment. It looked at Val one last time, burning his face in its memory before making a beeline towards the well.
As long as it entered the well, it believed it would be safe!
Val saw it getting away but didn’t do a thing.
He was in no condition to give chase. After all, the only thing keeping him conscious was his sheer willpower. If he force himself to catch up to it, maybe his body would give out before he even reach it.
Rather, he felt relieved and decided to seal the well as soon as the Uglyface enter it, then recover his strength before forcing it out and slaying it.
“Master, we can’t let it get away! If it enters the well, you’ll never have a moment’s peace!” Voidslayer warned.
Val felt confused, hearing its words. He couldn’t help but ask, “But why? What’s inside the well?”
“There’s no time for that now! It’s getting away, we need to act quickly!” Voidslayer urged.
The urgency in Voidslayer’s words was so thick and heavy that Val was forced to acknowledge the severity of the situation. He didn’t know what would happen if it successfully retreated into the well, but whatever it was it wouldn’t be pretty. He decided to trust the ancient spirit sword as it was more knowledgeable about these matters than him.
“I only have one chance to take it out.”
Val was running dangerously low on soul power; he could only perform wizardry once more.
He decided to use the sword he had created using wizardry a while ago to kill the first Uglyface to kill the second one.
“This better works!”
He withdrew all the swords made of his soul power from the corpse of the first Uglyface and directed them towards the retreating enemy.
The Uglyface was unable to see or sense them. What couldn’t be seen couldn’t be dodged. It wasn’t able to tell that its life was endangered when the swords found their mark. Just as it neared the well, the swords rained down on it like the most violent rain the world has ever witnessed, nailing it to the ground. It didn’t get a chance to scream before all signs of life were snuffed out of its body.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You’ve killed an intermediate-level Uglyface Devil! You’ve gained +1500 EXP!]
The system notification chimed in Val’s mind, bringing with it good news. Val had no time to celebrate his victory over the intermediate-level devils as his consciousness was rapidly waning.