女人的战争之窥视的眼睛

He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing, "Outside this cave is an expansive forest known as the Forest of Dread. It stretches on for tens of thousands of miles. Countless tribes had risen and fallen in the forest in the past few centuries. Our tribe has survived for 180 years as we had the fortune to not experience calamities we can't endure. Our tribe is located on its outskirts and, despite being small in number, is the most formidable in the surroundings. As for the forest, the deeper you tread, the more powerful and dangerous the tribes you'll confront. And at its heart, there are rumored to be creatures so fierce that they can obliterate entire tribes single-handedly."

"They are the Devil Gods, right?" Val asked.

"That is indeed the case," Dris nodded. "Sighting them is rare since don't meddle in the affairs of the tribe unless they are offended or hungry. We had never seen one ourselves until today. We once dismissed these tales as mere myths, but after witnessing your might, we are compelled to believe the myths are real. Once again, we apologize for offending you." 

Val raised a hand, silencing the speaking Shadow Drake variant.

"Tone down the praises and don't you apologize again. It just reminds me of the great disrespect I was shown just after waking up and sour my mood," he commanded. 

Dris responded submivessly, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyways, is that all?" Val asked. "Are you sure you're not missing something?"

Dris scratched his chin with his scaly fingers, seemingly lost in thoughts. A moment passed before his eyes brightened as if he had remembered something crucial. 

"Ah! There's one more thing. Beyond the expanse of the forest, there exists a civilization of mortals known as the Kingdom of Lumorion." Dris said.

This was quite shocking!

After all, it was stated in the Kingdom of Victoria that there were no humans outside its realm. Even if you met one, it would only be a barbarian that doesn't know how to hold a proper conversation!

However, now he was being that there was an entire kingdom of humans just outside this forest.

Were both kingdoms located in the same world? If so, what the Kingdom had been telling the masses for years would be proven wrong.

Anyways, it doesn't happen often but Val's curiosity was piqued.

"Oh? Tell me more about this kingdom." Val tilted his head, showing keen interest.

Dris took a deep breath before speaking, "My knowledge about them is rather limited since I have never ventured out of the forest. I hope the Devil God won't feel offended. I've come to know that the mortals in that kingdom refer to themselves as 'humans'. Their appearance closely mirrors yours, though they are vastly inferior in terms of strength and can't perform miracles like the one you've shown us. This limited information stems from encounters with groups of these humans who ventured into the forest. In fact, it was these explorers who named our dwelling The Forest of Dread."

Val didn't bother asking what they did with them as he could already tell that they killed them.

"What about the others in your tribe? Have they also never left the forest?" Val asked.

"We tend to stick close to our territory. When we leave, it's primarily for hunting purposes. We don't wander far," Dris replied.

"And why is that?" Val arched an eyebrow.

"Because we have to be in the cave before it gets dark. Nighttime in the Forest of Dread is a treacherous time when predators become prey. You must never wander the forest at night or you will become the next meal of the devils. These words have been passed down in our tribe for generations. The tribal chief before the Sorcerer wanted to see what the devils were all about and ignored these warnings. He was never heard of again," Dris said, a hint of unease evident in his voice.

Val looked blankly ahead. Since there were devils, he confirmed he was still on Planet Eldrich, but where exactly was something he still needed to find out.

"And just staying in your cave can protect you from the anomalies of the forest?"

Dris nodded, "Not just the cave. There's a protective barrier that envelops the cave's entrance. It runs on mana stones, consuming dozens of them a night and even more if the barrier was attacked, which is why we've been mining so vigorously in recent years. And regrettably, it was this incessant mining that disturbed and offended you."

Upon hearing this, Val activated his Heavenly Eye skill to confirm Dris's claims.

What he found erased any lingering doubts; there was, indeed, a barrier that surrounded the cave's entrance. The shimmering protective layer was clearly powered by the energy of the mana stones mentioned by Dris.

"I believe you," Val said.

Upon hearing these words, Dris breathed a sigh of relief.

The mechanics and essence of the barrier surrounding the cave reminded him eerily of the power exhibited by talismans.

Understanding the workings of this barrier could potentially grant him the knowledge and capability to craft talismans himself.

It was a tantalizing prospect that was too good to pass up.

Val continued with his inquiry, "But what sort of magic allows you to construct a barrier using only mana stones? One that's strong enough to keep the devils outside?" 

"You have never needed it?" Elrick asked in shock.

Repeatedly asking questions has created cracks in his identity.

They were catching onto his act.

Maybe if he gave a wrong answer, they would realize he was lying all along and resist.

Val decided to mend the situation by telling another lie.

"What did you expect? I am a Devil God. Why would I feel the need to protect myself from the inferior? I am just asking about the barrier because I am curious."