[Ding! Congratulation, Host! You have leveled up. You have reached level 11 from 10. You get +2 Stat Points, and a 25% upgrade in your Level 2 Blood Devil Bloodline!]
[Current progress of the Host’s Level 2 Blood Devil Bloodline towards the next level: 75/100%]
[EXP required to reach the next level: 1000/4000]
To reach the next level, he needed 4000 EXP, but he already had a thousand in his pocket. It seems like it won’t be long before he levels up again
Val ignored the system notifications that were buzzing incessantly in his mind. Instead, with a swift, fluid movement, he scooped up the severed head of the Direwolf and bounded away, masterfully evading the deadly grasp of the hellish flames. They were licking up the colossal body of the Direwolf greedily and seemed like an inferno too dangerous to engage.
Val landed outside of the grey fiery pit that he had created using his bloodline skill and casually tossed the severed head of the Direwolf in Alfred’s direction. Alfred, still grappling with the sheer power and precision Val had displayed, was too stunned to grab it. The head landed with a dull thud near his feet, its lifeless eyes reflecting the shock of its abrupt end. The grisly sight sent an involuntary shudder rippling down Alfred’s spine.
“Your trophy,” Val said, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint, almost imperceptible smirk.
Alfred managed to muster a shaky laugh, forcing his eyes away from the haunting gaze of the Direwolf’s severed head. “Well, that’s one hell of a trophy. Thanks, man.”
True to his word, Alfred reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out five gleaming Starlight notes. Despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his hand remained steady as he handed over the payment to Val.
Without missing a beat, Val accepted the Starlight notes, a sense of satisfaction shimmering in his eyes. The notes disappeared into his pocket dimension, a space only he could access.
Though the mystery of Val’s sudden disappearance and reappearance during the fight pricked at Alfred’s curiosity, he refrained from asking. Experience had taught him that everyone harboured secrets, and in a world as dangerous as theirs, it was wiser not to pry.
“Not every puzzle needs to be solved, especially when it concerns a formidable force like him. Curiosity didn’t bode well for the cat, and it certainly won’t for me. I better not poke around,” he muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on Val’s formidable figure
Val, having caught a hint of Alfred’s muttering, turned his gaze towards the vine manipulator. “Did you say something?” he asked, his tone as neutral as ever.
Alfred, caught off guard, shook his head vigorously,
“No, no, nothing at all,” he said, quickly waving his hand dismissively.
Val merely shrugged, letting the matter slide without pressing any further. Though he noted Alfred’s flustered state, he had no interest in pursuing the matter.
The forest was now nothing more than a desolate scene of charred remains and scattered ashes. The wolves that had been so threatening earlier were reduced to nothing, leaving behind no loot or spoils of war.
The forest was eerily silent now that the fight had ended, with only the whistling wind for company.
Alfred turned to Val, breaking the quiet. “We should make a move before it gets dark. This forest…it’s not the same place when night falls,” Alfred said, an unease lining his voice that he couldn’t hide.
Intrigued by Alfred’s statement, Val asked, “What do you mean?”
“Strange occurrences take place in the forest at night. It’s something my father warned me about before he banished me to this godforsaken place,” Alfred started, his eyes distant, lost in the recollections. “There’s something known as the ‘Midnight Mirage’. Around midnight, you might start to see things that aren’t really there, like entire landscapes changing, buildings appearing out of nowhere, or creatures that don’t belong in this world. This is the forest playing tricks on your mind, and it can be incredibly disorienting, enough to drag you deeper into the forest and get you killed.”
Hearing his words, a hint of curiosity passed through Val’s emotionless face. “And how do we survive this?”
“The only way to counter it is to keep reminding yourself that what you’re seeing isn’t real amd staying absolutely still because you don’t know where you’re going even if you move. Rumor has it that those who disobeyed this rule were never heard from again,” Alfred explained, shivers running down his spine as he retold the tales of yore.
“What about the other two?” Val questioned, interested despite his stoic demeanor.
“The next one is the footsteps,” Alfred continued, “If you’re alone in the forest at night and hear extra footsteps, you must run. Run as fast as you can. No one knows what causes these footsteps, but if they catch up to you… Father said it’s better to commit suicide than experience what will happen.”
Throughout Alfred’s recital, Val maintained his unflappable expression, his inability to feel fear or pain rendering him unphased by the terrifying tales. Alfred, however, seemed to feel the evening chill seep deeper into his bones as he recounted the final phenomenon.
“I understand,” Val said.
“The last one is the ‘Echoing Whispers’. When the night is at its darkest, some say they can hear a chorus of soft voices, whispering unintelligible words. Those who encountered them and lived to tell the tale say that it’s like they’re murmuring directly into your ear, that they are extremely close to you. The eerie part is that these whispers are said to echo your deepest fears and regrets. Some who’ve heard them have been driven mad, while others simply vanished. It’s said that vanishing happen if you fail to comprehend what they are saying. If you ever hear them, the best advice is to cover your ears and sing loudly, to drown out the whispers.”
Pausing, Alfred finished somberly, “These are just the tip of the iceberg. My father left the discovery of the rest to me.”
Val listened intently, absorbing the information with his usual analytical detachment and filing it away for future reference. Though he did not fear or feel as humans did, he understood the need to respect the unknown entities in the forest. It was another survival rule in this unpredictable world. 𝑂𝓋𝐥xt.𝑐𝗈𝑚
“Well then,” Val remarked, “We better head back as fast as we can because it’s going to get dark real soon.”
Alfred nodded in agreement, hoisting the Direwolf’s head onto his shoulder with a grunt.
With that, the two men began their trek back to the station at the top of their speed.