BXBX NOVEL Chapter 205 205: Return
Swiftly, he repositioned himself. However, no matter where he ran to or how fast he ran, the ominous sensation didn\'t wane.
Instead, it deepened, growing more intense with every heartbeat, signaling a threat of unprecedented magnitude was out to chase him.
While running at the top of his speed, Val looked back at the monster from over his shoulder and saw a scene that would chill anyone to the bone.
The Giant Squid was unleashing a torrent of inky darkness from its massive form. As the thick cloud of ink spread outward, it consumed everything in its path, making it vanish as though erased from existence.
Voidslayer urgently cried out, "Master, run!"
In response, Val quickly activated the return scroll.
He was whisked away to safety just moments before the squid\'s devastating attack could reach him. He was teleported back to his room, which was located on the first floor of the haunted house.
"Phew. I thought we were going to die," Voidslayer sighed in relief.
That thought, however, hadn\'t even crossed Val\'s mind. After all, he had a few trump cards up his sleeve. He could escape to safety whenever he wished.
"We didn\'t, so it\'s all fine," Val said calmly.
"There\'s not a hint of disturbance in his voice. It\'s as if he wasn\'t the one who was nearly killed just moments ago," Voidslayer mused internally.
"You were so adamant about engaging that creature, but it turned out to be too overwhelming. Did you gain anything out of it?" Voidslayer inquired.
"A lot actually," Val replied, "For starters, I\'ve ascertained the true caliber of the Devil Gods of the Forest of Dread. They surpass the likes of Stormgazer in strength and intellect. Someone possessing the might of an advanced-stage bloodline user can rival them. Do you grasp the implications of that? These beings, as formidable as they are, lack the divine essence that would make them invincible. They can be harmed; they can be defeated; they can be killed and eaten. It has also become clear to me that venturing deep into the forest without reaching the advanced stage would be sheer folly."
Val\'s revelations left Voidslayer in a state of astonishment.
"You gleaned all that from a brief encounter?" it asked in disbelief.
Val nodded.
"But how can you be so certain that the giant squid is indeed one of the forest\'s Devil Gods?" Voidslayer asked another question.
"Recall what the Shadow Drake Variants mentioned back in the cave when I was questioning them? Devil gods possess the power to single-handedly wipe out tribes. That squid displayed such overwhelming might. Thus, I deduced it must be a Devil God," Val explained.
"You\'re able to come up with such conclusions so easily. It\'s like you\'re far more intelligent than me despite the fact I have lived longer than you. Is it because humans are born with wisdom unlike cursed weapon like me that develops our consciousness over time and after countless tribulation," Voidslayer lamented profoundly.
"Nah, I just have a knack for drawing conclusions that often turn out to be accurate. But it\'s not as if I\'ve always been right. I\'ve made mistakes, and once, my misjudgment cost me everything, even my life," Val said with a hint of sorrow in his voice.
In his previous life, he failed to consider the possibility of every superpower teaming up to nuke the strongest mercenary group. He was so busy profiting from the war, he didn\'t realize when they met up in secret and decided to eliminate the profiteer by nuking them. If only he hadn\'t been so blind to the grand scheme of things, maybe he would have still been in control of everything.
"But how can that be? You\'re still alive!"
"This is my second life," Val shrugged.
"You... why did you reveal such a monumental secret to me?"
Val replied confidently, "I believe a spirit sword that was willing to die for its creator would not betray its master."
Moved by the trust Val placed in it, Voidslayer declared, "I will not let you down."
Val\'s next plan was to upgrade his innate bloodline. For that, he would have to pay the Shadow Valley a visit. However, two of his trump cards were on cooldown, and he was feeling pretty exhausted with only eight points left in his stamina bar out of a total of 32. Given these circumstances, he decided to delay his visit to the Shadow Valley by another day.
"An entire night spend adventuring outside."
Rays of light were streaming into the room through the window, signifying he had spent the entire night in the class advancement dungeon.
\'I can\'t rest.\' Val thought, \'A training event will be held soon.\'
Maybe the location where it would be held had already been forwarded?
As this thought crossed his mind, he stepped out of his room to retrieve his talisman. It was hanging on the door, protecting the house from devil invasions. Since it was already morning, it had fulfilled its purpose for the night.
As he picked it up, he noticed that a new message had appeared on the talisman.
The message read: "We will be discussing the recent dungeon breach today. Every level 2 to 3 bloodline user is expected to gather at the coliseum before 6 a.m. Attendance isn\'t compulsory, so it\'s up to you if you want to attend. However, know this: A great opportunity awaits for those who do."
Val pondered the message on the talisman. Marshal had personally advised him to participate in the training event just yesterday, saying it would be beneficial for him. Even if Marshal hadn\'t mentioned it, the intriguing line at the end of the message was enough to pique Val\'s curiosity. He decided to participate.
Before leaving, he used his Oracle Eye skill to check on Eliana. She was dead asleep, oblivious to the world around her.
"Let\'s brush up my Brownie points by preparing breakfast for her," Val decided to do something nice for Eliana in order to improve their relationship.