The corner of Val’s lips quirked up in a victorious smirk as he watched the Shadow Imposter’s figure retreat in fear.
“Perfect. My plan worked,” he murmured, his eyes shining with the victorious gleam of a strategist whose plan had unfolded perfectly.
‘Anyways, this facade has stretched out for too long and it is time to put an end to it.’
Val thought as he curled his fingers into a firm fist. As he gathered his strength, wisps of grey fire began to materialize around his clenched hand, enveloping it in an ominous, radiant glow.
He drew back and then, with a fluid motion, punched out in the direction of the fleeing figure.
A fireball, as swift as a falcon in pursuit, rocketed out from his clenched fist, hurling itself towards the Shadow Imposter.
The Shadow Imposter had her back to the grey fireball, but she could still see it coming. After all, unlike humans, Shadow Imposters don’t have a blind spot in their vision.
However, she didn’t take any action to move out of its way.
It’s because dodging would delay her, which would, in turn, make it easier for Val to catch up to her.
Not to mention, her body was incorporeal, meaning physical and magical attacks would pass straight through her. She could only be injured by attacks that harmed the soul, but she had clearly seen that Val hadn’t employed soul power this time.
She didn’t know that the Hellish Fist skill was the most effective one against her kind!
She only realized that when the fireball made contact with her incorporeal body, and her eyes widened in fear.
But by then, it was already too late.
Boom!
A deafening reverberation rang out as the fireball exploded upon contact. The ensuing explosion engulfed the devil whole.
She was set ablaze, every inch of every figure being consumed by hellfire.
Arghhhh!
The creature shrieked like a banshee, its blood-curdling cries reverberating down the desolate street.
The infamous haunted house was tucked away in a quiet corner of the eastern district of the lower city. It stood in a pocket of the city where signs of life were almost non-existent.
This street was rarely taken because of the apprehension people had about the haunted house.
And right now, there was no one in their surroundings.
Thus, there were no prying eyes to witness the grim spectacle of a devil being burned alive!
As the last bit of the Shadow Imposter was consumed by the Hellfire, a chime sounded in Val’s mind. A system notification popped up.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully hunted down a Shadow Imposter. Your reward is a few thousand experience points and 100 soul stones.]
[The first condition to earn the acknowledgment of the Shard of Darkness has been met.]
[Second condition: ???]
[Third condition: ???]
[Fullfill the conditions to gain its acknowledgment. Once it has acknowledged you as worthy, you’ll become its master!]
Val had obtained the Shard of Darkness after killing Grull’s doppelganger. He had kept its existence a secret from Grull as he suspected that the demon would demand it to be returned. And to not arouse his suspicion, he had never asked him about how to become the shard’s master.
This was the first time the Shard had responded to him, and it indicated he had made a significant step towards becoming its master. Two more steps remained, but he was clueless about how to proceed with them. 𝑜𝑽𝑳xt.𝕔𝑜𝐌
Soul stones, on the other hand, were small crystalline gems imbued with radiant soul power. They were a coveted commodity in the wizard community. They were primarily used to amplify the arcane heart, augmenting a wizard’s abilities. Since they were rich in soul power and lacking in impurities, they could also be consumed directly, serving as a quick source to replenish depleted soul power. Though it was quite an unpleasant act as soul stones were as cold as ice cubes!
Although the notifications were shocking, Val ignored them. There was a more pressing matter at hand.
Eliana was severely injured!
To make the act as believable as possible, Val hadn’t held back when he attacked her while she was possessed by the Shadow Imposter. Although the act forced the female devil out of her body, allowing him to successfully kill her, it also left Eliana near death’s door.
There was a huge bone-deep laceration running down her back with blood running out of it. Her natural healing abilities were insufficient in the face of such a serious injury.
At the rate she was losing blood, she would die within minutes or maybe even faster!
Only a healer could help in this situation, but there was no clinic nearby. The closest one was a good half-hour away.
Val gently picked up the bleeding Eliana, cradling her fragile body close to his chest. With a muttered word, “Levare,” they vanished from the deserted street with the haunted house as the only background, reappearing in the Shrine of Evil.
“Welcome back, Master,” Gruul greeted as soon as they arrived. However, as his gaze fell upon the unconscious woman in Val’s arms, his expression shifted subtly.
“May I ask why you’ve brought a grievously injured human to the holiest ground for all devils?” he asked him.
“I want you to heal her,” Val replied to him commandingly, his tone steady and insistent. “For an ancient being like you who has fought against gods and devils alongside Morkus, this should be easy,”
“Since it’s only a carbon body that needs restoration, it indeed is easy.” Gruul shrugged nonchalantly, “But… I refuse to heal her.”
“Are you going to defy your God?” Val spoke calmly as he locked eyes with Gruul. His gaze was stern and full of authority. Although Val was the Devil God, he was still infinitely weaker than Gruul. But, even then, Gruul felt intimidated.
Gruul knelt to Val on one knee and said, “This slave don’t dare.”
Gruul was utterly loyal to Morkus, and since Val inherited Morkus’s will, Gruul’s unwavering loyalty was transferred over to him.
Basically, it meant that Gruul was utterly devoted to Val.