The sprawling expanse of the Evernight Forest was partitioned into two distinctive parts - the inner region and the outskirts. Predominantly, the inner region was the territory of the formidable beasts that were above level 10, while the outskirts were home to those of levels 1 to 10.
"Beast" was the term used for mutated animals.
The beasts ranging from level 1-10 were considered equivalent in strength to level 1 bloodline users. Meanwhile, the beasts of levels 11-20 were comparable to those at level 2 bloodline users, and so forth. Every level of Bloodline User was further divided into three stages, Beginner, Advanced, and Peak. Val, who had just awakened the bloodlike of the Blood Devil, could be considered to be at the beginner stage of the first level.
To reach ShadowFall Village, Val only needed to traverse through the outskirts of Evernight Forest. He did not need to step into the dangerous inner region where the chances of level 1 Bloodline users dying were exceedingly high.
However, that didn't mean he was safe from being dealt the fatality card.
There were instances when powerful beasts would venture out from the inner region to the outskirts in search of prey.
Thus, he had to maintain a high level of alertness to his surroundings, and Val did just that.
If he encountered a formidable beast, he was prepared to bolt at once!
Engaging in a battle against a level 11 or higher beast as a level 1 bloodline user was simply an unfair fight, and such a battle was one that Val had absolutely no intention of fighting!
The towering trees of the EverNight Forest, having never met the harshness of an axe, reached for the skies with their massive trunks. Their branches, like outstretched hands, wove together, creating a vast and dense canopy overhead.
As the clouds drifted apart, one of the moons - a gleaming snow-white orb - came into view. But the dense canopy blocked this stunning sight and, along with that, most of the lunar light.
However, through the occasional gaps in the interwoven branches, soft beams of moonlight managed to penetrate, casting a serene glow upon the forest floor.
Under this ethereal light, Val was bathed in a soft, luminescent sheen, the moonlight cascading over him like a gentle, silvery waterfall.
Val moved briskly through the forest, yet his steps were eerily silent.
This was possible because of a technique he had learned in his previous life. The name of the technique was Silent Steps.
In his previous life, he had the misfortune of being born into a family of madmen. Finding out that he was unable to feel pain and fear, they threw him into the League of Shadows, an organization notorious worldwide for spawning the highest number of assassins, to be trained. At that time, he was a young child of only so many months old.
Raised in an environment shrouded in darkness, he grew to become one with it, learning the art of assassination from his mentors, that were also his tormentors. He mastered what they taught him to the point where he even surpassed his teachers. After that, he turned on his creators.
Using his skills, he eradicated every member of the league that stood on his path to power, ascended to its leadership, and secured his position as a warlord in the modern world!
The forest floor was littered with fallen leaves and decomposing organic matter. However, for someone like him, treading swiftly without a sound in a place like this was as effortless as a leisurely walk in a park. He deftly maneuvered his way through the outskirts, careful to avoid stepping on the dry debris.
Crunch!
However, the quiet of the forest was abruptly shattered by a crunching sound, the clear sign of leaves being crushed underfoot.
In an instant, Val's hand was on his sword, the crisp, metallic whisper of the blade leaving its sheath cutting through the tranquility of the night.
Emerging from the veil of the trees, a group of four level 0 zombies staggered forward. Their rotting bodies were draped in ragged cloth, and their limbs were grotesquely misaligned. They were a horrifying mockery of the human form, their lifeless eyes vacant and their bodies misshapen.
A foul stench wafted from them carried on a sudden gust of wind that blew forward, straight towards Val.
The very next moment, Val's nose crinkled in disgust at the vile odor that hit his senses.
Their scent was reminiscent of pigs wallowing in their own filth for centuries!
It was really hard to bear.
If he lacked the unfeeling trait, could feel pain and fear, and the full extent of his other emotions, he would have puked his guts out just like any other person if they were in his shoes.
Thankfully, he was unordinary! Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to stand this god awful smell!
Gah! Gah!
Grunting, the zombies shuffled closer to Val at the pace of a snail.
Their slow speed and their specific movement patterns were a clear sign of their being level 0 zombies.
Zombies, or 'the Walking Dead' as they were commonly referred to by the inhabitants of Eldrich, were categorized from level 0 to ten.
Level 0 zombies were the least threatening, possessing abilities below that of an average human and exhibiting limited intelligence.
Level 1 zombies matched humans in speed but not in intellect.
Level 2 zombies were more physically robust. Depending on the type of zombie, they might be faster, stronger, or more resilient than humans and even level 1 bloodline users.
Zombies above level 2 were reported to possess supernatural abilities. They were opponents not to be underestimated. However, such powerful zombies were seldom encountered in these lands.
In Eldrich, level 0 zombies were the easiest monsters to kill. Even a normie can kill them if they don't let cowardice and disgust take over them. Val had studied in the most prestigious school of the IronSpire Stronghold. He had been attentive during his time in school. He had throughly memorized their attacking patterns and knew how to effectively handle them
The bodies of the level 0 zombies were in various stages of decomposition. Their mobility in particular was pathetic as their legs were close to rotting out, seemingly ready to collapse under their weight at any moment.
Tightening his hold on the hilt of the sword, Val waited for them to get close to him.
Their claw-like hands reached out, eager to grip his flesh, but a swift swing of his sword severed their reaching limbs.
Thud!
Numerous severed hands fell to the ground simultaneously.
With a single stroke, the zombies were rendered handless.
Upon losing their hands, level 0 zombies were known to lunge at their prey. Val knew what was coming as he had learned all about zombies in the prestigious school of the IronSpire stronghold.
He had graduated from the school just a month before turning 16. So the memories of what he studied were still fresh.
The zombies lunged at him with surprising agility. They performed this action 20 times faster than when they still had hands. This attack would normally catch ignorant fools off guard as they would not be expecting something that was moving at the pace of a snail to leap towards them with the ferocity of a tiger.
Val, however, had anticipated it.
He sidestepped, evading their onslaught with ease.
Then he retaliated!
One powerful slash and two zombies were instantly beheaded. Before their heads had a chance to hit the ground, Val moved swiftly to the remaining pair and swung his sword again. His sword cut through their decaying flesh effortlessly as if it were a hot knife passing through butter. Two more zombies were beheaded.
Thud!
Their bodies crumbled to the ground, yet the severed heads, once part of their bodies, were still functioning, their jagged and black teeth gnashing and attempting to drag themselves towards Val.
In this world, zombies didn't perish from beheading. The key to their demise was the destruction of their brains!
Puchi!
A morbid game of poke began as Val jabbed the decayed zombie heads with his sword, one after another. From the holes he drilled in their heads with the help of his sword, black blood sprayed in all directions like miniature geysers. But Val ensured that not a single drop of the vile liquid touched him with his unique ability to manipulate blood.
A few moments later, the heads stopped moving, a result of being repeatedly stabbed.
Immediately, a system notification popped up before him.
[Ding! You've defeated four level 0 servants of the Corpse Devil. You get +10 EXP.]
Val's eyes widened at the unexpected revelation from the system notification. The common belief among the citizens of the Victoria Kingdom was that the horrid act of the dead turning into zombies was a natural phenomenon that came into existence after the appearance of the Crimson Moon
However, this notification suggested otherwise.
It attributed the existence of zombies to the workings of a devil known as the Corpse Devil!
Val was caught off guard by this shocking revelation.
He had also been living with the idea of the Crimson Moon being responsible for the birth of the zombies
'It was truly foolish of me to believe what I had heard from the mouths of the so-called specialist.'
The thought that an entity called the Corpse Devil was behind this caused him to question everything he knew about the post-apocalyptic world he inhabited. The unraveling of such a disturbing truth added a whole new level of complexity to the mystery surrounding Eldrich and what he knew about it.
Val's thin lips stretched back. A small smile was formed on his face.
'It will be interesting to explore the mysteries of this strange world.'
That's how he gained another purpose in life!
To reach the second level, 10 EXP were required. Val had a little more than that, about 0.001 points more.
Thus, he leveled up.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have leveled up. You have reached level 2 from 1. You get +2 Stat Points, and a slight upgrade in your Blood Devil Bloodline.]
[As this is your first time leveling up, you have gained an additional reward. Gained more stat points.]
He had gained a several stat points. They were a valuable resource he could utilize to enhance his capabilities right away. However, he decided to reserve them for now for the right situation.
After all, using them at the right time was better than using them randomly.
For example, if he confronted a formidable opponent in the future, he could allocate these points according to the adversary's strengths. If speed was their forte, he would boost his agility using the stat points. If they possessed incredible strength, he would invest the points in his own strength, and so forth.
Glancing at his character screen, he noticed the addition of new text.
[Current progress of the Host's Level 1 Blood Devil Bloodline towards the next level: 20/100%]
Just by leveling up once, his level 1 bloodline had experienced a 20% upgrade. He deduced that if he leveled up four more times, his Bloodline would advance to level 2, transforming him into a level 2 bloodline user.
A satisfied smile graced his face as he murmured, "Great."