Chaos Warlord: Reincarnated in Eldrich with the Devil System!

Moving with such speed that he could only be registered as a flash of black to the naked eye, Val dashed through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over obstacles with an ease that seemed supernatural.

Each step he took left behind no traces. As there were no footsteps, the Ashtines, who had crossed over to the other side of the forest by moving around the wall of fire, were clueless as to where he had went. So naturally they had to split up to cover more ground, lest he get away.

"My experience as an assassin in my previous life is helping me a great deal now."

Every twist and turn Val took in the forest was the accumulation of his life as an assassin and quite strategic, intended to throw off his pursuers.

Under his manipulation, the dense underbrush and the towering trees of the forest had become his allies, offering cover and camouflage.

The archers couldn't see him.

Thus, he was met with no attack, allowing him to reach the destination where he was supposed to meet Oliver without any delay.

Oliver was waiting for Val by the edge of a serene pond, the water's surface smooth like glass. He had already placed the mirror inside it, causing it to transform into a portal to the other side of the dimension and vice versa.

As Val emerged from the thick underbrush, Oliver's face lit up with sheer relief and joy.

The sight of his companion, safe and without a tail of pursuers, was more than he had hoped for.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn't contain himself and exclaimed, "Bro! Your plan worked! We both made it out alive from an impossible to survive situation!"

Val, catching his breath from his exhilarating sprint, grinned at his friend, saying, "It's all thanks to our combined effort. but we're still not out of danger. Let's celebrate after getting out of this place."

"Jump in," Val directed, his voice firm and filled with urgency.

Following his command, Oliver plunged into the pond. The water rippled and then stilled, with Oliver nowhere in sight. Val followed suit but not before retrieving the mirror with his wizardry.

In what felt like the span of a heartbeat, they broke out of the pond cold and suffocating embrace. They took a moment to catch their breaths, their chests rising and falling in tandem.

Looking around, one could barely make out a forest because it was too dark. There were no stars in the sky. Overhead, only a crescent of a moon was present.

Despite the overwhelming quiet, a silent understanding passed between the two. They had indeed successfully teleported to the other side of the dimension, just as they had hoped, leaving the Ashtines in their dust for good!

A sense of achievement flickered in their eyes, but it was quickly replaced by caution.

Night had already begun in this side of the lesser dimension.

And faint, distant howls revealed that devils and other unsightly creatures were prowling the forest in search of prey.

At this moment, every second was crucial. Lingering wasn't an option unless they were looking for a confrontation with a devil. However, for humans, any encounter with a devil was worse than none at all. They had to act swiftly.

Knowing they were short on time, Val grabbed Oliver's arm and jumped out of the pond. The cold, damp sensation of the water was quickly replaced by the sturdy feeling of the ground beneath them. As soon as they were on solid ground, Val released Oliver, spun around, and unleashed a powerful punch, activating his hellish fist skill as a result. Flames erupted from his fist and made contact with the pond's surface, setting it ablaze.

It started to rapids vaporize. In mere moments, nothing was left behind.

Oliver, taken aback, questioned with widened eyes, "Why did you do that?"

Any disturbance caused at night had the possibility of attracting unwanted attention. It was common knowledge that was taught even to the children of the kingdom, So why, despite knowing all that, did Val took such a risk?

Val replied, "It's to ensure the Ashtines can't follow us through the portal we left open."

Val was a meticulous guy. He didn't like leaving behind loose ends. Moreover, in his perspective, the actions he took were justified. Neutralizing the potential threat of the entire Ashtine tribe pursuing them was worth the gamble, even if it risked drawing the attention of the devil. Devils could be killed. He had the skills to do that. But fighting off a massive army of levek 30-50+ monsters all by himself? That was well impossible even for him. He could run away for them. He could hurt them hard too. But in a face to face battle, he would lose.

After knowing that the effect of the mirror wasn't momentary, Oliver also thought he did the right thing.

Seeking shelter was their immediate priority in the menacing darkness of the other dimension.

There were many places in the forest that could be used as shelter, but the forest was akin to a treacherous maze, riddled with hidden dangers. A single misstep could mean a gruesome end.

Fortunately, Val possessed the 'Heavenly Eye' skill. With its aid, he was able to discern every concealed threat in their vicinity, the deadly pitfalls, the lurking predators, and every other conceivable danger. This knowledge was invaluable as he meticulously plotted the safest route to their destination—a cave nestled in a nearby mountain.

"Follow me closely," Val instructed, his tone leaving no room for doubt about the gravity of their situation.

With unwavering trust, Oliver nodded and trailed behind Val as he led the way.

Minutes passed before they stood in front of a towering mountain with its peak surging all the way up to the skies.

On their way there, they didn't encounter a single danger, leaving Oliver awed at Val's ability to avoid peril.

"Man, you're good," he praised.

"Thanks, but it's just a skill. Everyone has their strengths, and mine just happened to be particularly helpful in this situation," Val replied with a modest shrug.

"Too humble," Oliver muttered under his breath. Of all the people he had met, Val had the best personality. He was amazing, able to do almost anything. Others would already be conceited at this point, but he didn't let his accomplishments and capabilities get to his mind, staying true to his noble roots. He was elegant in the ways he did things and quiet gentlemanly.

Nowadays, a person like him was too rare, almost like a single leaf in a forest.

What he didn't know was that his good brother had two faces: a kind one and a very ruthless one. Those who had only ever seen his kind and humble face were like Oliver. They only had many good things to say about him. But the unlucky many who had seen his other side were not alive to tell the tale.

Val raised his hand and pointed ahead, asking, "Can you see that?"

There was a crack in the face of the mountain; it was a bit hollow from the inside. The space wasn't big but it would fit two people comfortably, and it met all the conditions for the defensive amulets to work their charm.

Responding to Val's inquiry, Oliver nodded.

"Good." Val said, "We will be spending the night there."

Then, employing the anti-gravity technique, they both effortlessly floated into it. Once inside the cave, they set up their defenses before sitting down.

It was cold, but they didn't start a fire as it was a sure way to attract devils on such a dark night. Although barriers were set up to keep the devils at bay, they could only hold on for so long. If too many appear, which might happen if they start a fire, it would result in a situation where a bloody fight would be inevitable.

"Let's increase our strength," Val suggested.

"How?" Oliver asked, puzzled.

"Did you already forget? We got the Lunar Dewdrop," Val reminded him.

Oliver's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Ah!"

"I'll start the purification. Bring out yours too," Val instructed.

"Free of cost?" Oliver inquired with a smirk.

"Since it's the first time, it's on the house," Val replied, both of them chuckling.

Following their brief conversation, they each took out their portion of the Lunar Dewdrop. 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝑚

The two shiny blue petals were placed in front of Val.

He positioned his hand next to them, and after activating the heavenly eye, he inspected them inside and out, pinpointing the areas where the force of corruption was concentrated

He then employed wizardry, with streams of soul power radiating from his palm, targeting and entering directly into the pockets of corruption deep inside the two petals.

Each petal had about three such pockets of corruption. As Val's soul power seeped in, their size diminished. After a few moments, they were non-existent. And Val ceased his flow of soul power.

Just then, a notification sounded.

[System Notification: Purification process complete.]

[System Notification: The two petals of the Lunar Dewdrop have been purified of all the force of corruption. Their effects has improved!]