Chapter 3: 3: Against the devils!

A figure sculpted from pure darkness stood before Val V. Whitemore, its edges shifting and fluid as if ink bled into water. Its twin arms, sharp and deadly as a reaper's scythe, gleamed ominously under the eerie red lamp.

Recognizing the creature, Val murmured, "A shadow devil, is it?"

Born from the chaos and negativity saturating Eldrich, devils feasted on life force to strengthen themselves, eventually evolving into tangible beings capable of bringing physical harm. Normies feared such encounters, as their deaths were certain if they encountered one.

"I see, so it's you I must survive against for 5 minutes," Val mused, observing the threatening creature.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the room's silence was shattered by the entity's sudden attack. Its rapid, predatory movements blurred in the dim light as it lunged at Val. Despite the sudden onslaught, Val's composure didn't falter. His body, driven by a sharp survival instinct, dodged the lethal strike just in time.

'That was a narrow escape,' Val thought, feeling the gust of the creature's attack as he leaped back, just missing death by mere inches.

A normie would have already shit himself if they were in Val's shoes. However, Instead of fear, an adrenaline rush surged through him, focusing his senses further.

Val's nature set him apart from the norm. The absence of fear, while unusual, came in handy in such precarious situations. Where others would have been frozen in fear, Val maintained his calm. His clear mind and unwavering focus gave him an edge that others, be they normies or bloodline users, could only dream of.

"There's something odd about you. I can sense a hint of familiarity from you. It is almost as if you are not human but a devil in human skin." The ominous shadow devil uttered, seemingly detecting an inconsistency within Val's being.

"My mother had said worse," Val retorted with a detached tone, "She named me a Monster when I was but a toddler of three summers."

"Monster or not, haunted by us, your doom is inevitable," the shadow devil articulated, each syllable brimming with an undisguised threat.

Val cast a glance at the devil before shifting his gaze to the blood-red door. Piecing together the dialogue, he surmised that they were not one but two devils who had come to haunt him.

His eyes lit up in realization, "Ah, you must be the infamous pair causing chaos within our stronghold."

"Good guess. Now die!"

The shadow devil, undeterred by Val's dodging maneuvers, launched another assault, its relentless attacks barely leaving any room for him to sidestep. Nevertheless, Val met each onslaught with swift, graceful evasion, his movements as fluid as a seasoned dancer.

His options for escape, however, grew limited with every passing moment, and he soon found his back pressed against the wooden frame of the chair next to the desk. His retreat path was blocked, leaving him with no choice but to face the encroaching threat head-on, or so it seemed.

'It can be used as a weapon.'

Val swiftly assessed the situation, realizing the chair could be wielded as a weapon. He grabbed the head of the chair.

With the chair behind him and his hands out of sight, the shadow devil remained oblivious to Val's plans. Patiently, Val bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Seeing is believing. The Shadow Devil was certain that its prey was trapped. It lunged towards Val again, its razor-sharp arms ready to claim their kill. However, Val had made his move before it even lunged at him. He swung the chair with all his might, the momentum boosted by his bodily force.

The chair was made out of a cursed tree that had gained sentinent and was personally put down by Joshua. It was 20 times denser than normal wood. It was so heavy that if Val had been any weaker, he wouldn't have been able to move it around!

Bam!

The thunderous sound of collision reverberated across the room as the chair met the shadow devil's grotesque form.

"Arghhhhh!"

The creature shrieked in agony as it was knocked off its feet, falling to the ground. It was writhing on the ground when Val's shadow fell over it.

"You messed with the wrong guy."

Bam! Ugh! Bam! Bam! Argh!

Val renewed his onslaught, battering the downed creature relentlessly with the chair. Splintering wood and the creature's torment-filled cries filled the room as Val rained down blow after blow on the Shadow Devil. He gave it no chance to recuperate or counterattack, beating it senseless.

However, the chair crumbled under the intensity of Val's strikes, leaving him with mere fragments in hand.

The shadow devil, sensing the loss of Val's weapon, mustered its strength, ready to counterstrike in this newfound opening, but then Val did something that made its blood run cold.

Puchi!

The sound of flesh being pierced rang out as Val, with a chilling calmness, impaled the remains of the chair into the devil's shadow form. He withdrew the shards only to plunge them back in again, repeating the vicious cycle until the shadow devil disintegrated into thin, black threads, leaving behind a sickening stench.

"Seems like what I was taught in school is indeed true. Shadow Devils can be easily killed if they are spiked," Val muttered, casting an indifferent glance at the vanquished enemy.

Victory, however, took its toll. Val's body dripped with sweat, his clothes adhering to his body, and his hair matted with sweat, but he refused to show any sign of weakness. The appearance of vulnerability could be fatal as he was in the presence of an enemy!

Slowly, Val shifted his gaze towards the bloodstained door.

"Next, it's your turn."

He issued a threatening growl.

As if reacting to his declaration, the blood smeared across the door dissipated rapidly, the lamp's ominous red glow subsiding and the room returning to normalcy.

Val watched as the fearful Blood Devil that had come here to haunt him with the Shadow Devil retreated hastily. He thought that it must be a newborn and inexperienced devil, devoid of offensive or defensive capabilities, only having the ability to scare and trap the faint of heart. That is why the first thing it did after its formidable ally was defeated was run away.

'Lucky bastard.'

He didn't give chase, fully aware he couldn't catch it.