Chapter 245 242: The Grand Plan

Chapter 245 242: The Grand Plan

'But it doesn't mean there's no way to deal with it.'

Val thought to himself.

He squinted. His eyes narrowed, focusing intently on what lay ahead, as he prepared to take action.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, while still facing forward, he threw a calculated punch backward with such speed it cut through the air.

He knew it was a risky move. After all, he didn't know whether attacking the ghost would activate a red flag or not. Not to mention, his sixth sense was giving him mixed feelings. But he had a gut feeling that it would work, and he had no better choice, so he went with it.

The ghost saw the incoming punch and just hovered there behind Val, not making the slightest move to dodge.

The ghosts in the fog were an ethereal entity, intangible to the physical world. Physical objects, whether they were living creatures or inanimate items, simply couldn't interact with them.

The ghost haunting Val felt a sense of arrogance. It believed it existed in a state that was untouchable. It could be seen by the eyes but never affected by the material world. What it didn't know was that it knew too little. It was ignorant of the true danger of the world. Val was a Whitemore, with the White Devil Bloodlines running through his veins, and white devils were infamous in the place where the Fog came from. If the Fog knew what Val was, it would've never used such a method to deal with him. It would have come after him itself!

Val's fist effortlessly passed through the ghost just as it had expected. Seeing this, the menacing felt a twisted sense of satisfaction, which it couldn't contain. Its lips curled into a devious arc, and for a moment, it felt like victory was at hand. After all, the condition to torture and finish off Val had been met now that Val had attacked it. These conditions were set down by the fog, and the ghosts had to follow them unconditionally. Or else, they would be erased from existence. It was no exception.

"Once I kill him, I'll return to the embrace of The Fog, my creator, as a being worthy of serving it," the ghost thought, feeling more happy than ever.

Every ghost was assigned a target to kill by the Fog. The target of this particular ghost was Val, and taking down Val would serve as the ultimate testament to its worthiness. In other words, successfully killing Val would spare it from annihilation when The Fog conducted its final judgment. In essence, Val's life was all that stood between the ghost and its own secure future. So, of course, it was eager to take it.

However, the ghost didn't know it had made a mistake that was going to cost it so much more than it could handle.

'I knew it would do that.'

Val had accurately predicted that the ghost wouldn't dodge his Hellish Fist skill that was thrown at an unusual angle simply because it was too arrogant and overconfident, thinking that it couldn't be harmed. Val had met enemies like it before. They had made the same mistake and lost their lives as a result.

[The Hellish Fist Skill has activated]

The instant his fist found only empty space on the other side of the ghost, something extraordinary happened. Grayish flames that seemed to hunger for souls materialized, seemingly out of nowhere, wrapping themselves around his entire fist. Although his fist had harmlessly glided through the ghost's form, these peculiar flames had an affinity for devouring souls. They latched onto the ghost like a predator catching its prey.

Kuagh!

The ghost emitted a guttural cry, a sound of pure agony, as it found itself engulfed in Hellish fire. But its cries were short-lived. Exposed to what could only be described as its natural enemy, the ghost quickly disintegrated, its form reduced to nothingness in just a matter of seconds.

When the ghost died, Val's shadow reverted to its normal state. Seeing this, a wave of relief washed over him.

He exhaled deeply, letting out a long-held breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

Why was he so tense? It is because when he formulated his plan, he had no certainty that it would work. He also didn't know whether attacking the ghost would trigger a death sentence. He was risking it all on a chance.

Thankfully, it had worked. The ghost was destroyed by his Hellish Fist skill, and he had emerged victorious without a scratch on his body.

It was a moment of vindication for Val, confirming that even in the face of the unknown, his instincts and resourcefulness could see him through. n-/o()V(-e(-l()b.(I((n

When the ghost died, a notification popped up in front of him.

[System Notification: You have successfully eliminated the Menacing Ghost.]

[Experience gained: + 500.]

[Rewards obtained: 2 Soul Crystals, 1 Soul Orb!]

Soul Crystals were similar to the Soul Crystal Shard he had obtained from killing the Revenant, but they were more intense and pure. They could be ingested directly to boost life force.

As for the soul orb, it was truly something special.

Val resumed his journey. On his way to the cave, he didn't meet any more danger. The cave was hidden behind thick vines. It was hard to notice it unless one had already been there or had a special ocular ability like Val.

After getting inside the cave, he poured his soul power into the teleportation circle inside the cave, powering it up. When it consumed a considerable amount of his soul power, it activated, teleporting him to the secret area behind the serpentine's waterfall.

A rare trace of excitement made its way on Val's face. He had successfully escaped the Fog!

Just as he appeared there, an unexpected notification popped up, bringing with it pleasant news.

[System Notification: Congratulation, Host! You are the first human to escape the Fog that had been strengthened twice.]

[You have unlocked a rare achievement!]

['First to Escape the Fog' Achievement Unlocked]

[Reward Obtained: +1000 Mad Points.]