Chương 31: The Battle Begins

Zelier forced his eyes wide open, carefully scanning his surroundings. But everywhere he looked, there was nothing except layers upon layers of dense leaves. It was nearly impossible to spot anything unusual. After staring for so long, his eyes began to ache. Suddenly, Vaelis raised one hand. The entire team immediately stopped moving.

"Found it?" Marcus whispered. Vaelis pointed ahead and silently mouthed two words. Above. Zelier slowly lifted his head and followed Vaelis's gaze. At first, he saw nothing. But after rubbing his eyes and carefully separating the overlapping leaves and shadows, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Hanging upside down beneath a horizontal branch more than fifteen meters above the ground was a massive cocoon-like black silhouette. It blended almost perfectly with the surrounding darkness.

Without Vaelis's warning, it would have been nearly impossible to notice. 《The Adventurer's Association Universal Bestiary》 【Sequence 31】: Giant Winged Bat Individual Threat Rating: [Difficult] Appearance: A massive bat monster with a wingspan exceeding five meters when fully extended. Four crimson compound eyes are located across the upper portion of its head, granting it a complete field of vision with no blind spots.

Habits: Usually inhabits the highest layers of ancient forest canopies or the cliffs of deep ravines. Possesses an extremely strong territorial instinct and will attack any creature that enters its domain. Female Giant Winged Bats during their breeding and nursing period will actively sweep through their territory, eliminating potential threats. Their aggression increases several times during this period. Special Abilities: The greatest threat posed by the Giant Winged Bat comes from its claws.

During a high-speed dive, they are powerful enough to effortlessly tear apart an adult human. It can also combine wind blades with the bone spines on the tips of its wings and launch them as projectiles, creating extremely lethal attacks. Additionally, the Giant Winged Bat's screech possesses tremendous penetrating power. Proper protection is strongly advised. Core Weaknesses: Before launching its bone spines, the Giant Winged Bat must spread its wings. This obvious movement can be used as a warning sign.

Furthermore, its wings are its most vulnerable point. Once the wing membranes are torn, its flying ability will be severely impaired. If the Giant Winged Bat is forced onto the ground, it no longer poses a significant threat. Association Notes: Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. It is highly discouraged to challenge a Giant Winged Bat without a ranged combatant in the party.

Additionally, adventurers are strongly advised to choose battle locations with complicated terrain. Facing a Giant Winged Bat in an open area will multiply the difficulty and is practically suicide. Zelier slowed his breathing. The Giant Winged Bat was even larger than he had imagined. Even with its wings folded and hanging upside down, its body length already exceeded two meters. Its head was completely hairless, covered in layers of wrinkled dark-red flesh that looked grotesque and horrifying.

But the most unsettling part was undoubtedly its four compound eyes. Each one was roughly the size of an egg. They were not arranged on the same plane either. Instead, they were divided into two pairs, each facing a different direction. The sight was bizarre and deeply unnatural. Suddenly, the membranes of the Giant Winged Bat's wings trembled slightly. Its four sinister eyes opened. Blood-red color flooded the entire surface, swallowing the whites of its eyes as it locked onto the adventurers.

"Wait… how did it find us?" Vaelis exclaimed.

"The Giant Winged Bat uses echolocation." Grey drew his sword immediately. Having fought one before, he understood the creature well.

"Even while sleeping, it periodically releases sound waves to scan its surroundings. The moment it detects something unusual, it wakes up."

"Prepare for battle!" The Giant Winged Bat opened its enormous mouth. Its entire body trembled as energy gathered deep within its throat. Seeing this, Grey shouted immediately.

"Cover your ears!"

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEE!" From the monster's mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth erupted a horrifying shriek. The sound was like metal scraping against glass, so piercing that it seemed capable of tearing through the mind itself. The entire forest echoed with its scream. Even though Zelier covered his ears in time, dizziness still washed over him. After releasing its sonic attack, the Giant Winged Bat loosened its claws. Then it spread its wings. Like a dark cloud suddenly blotting out the sky, it descended.

The air pressure around them surged. A foul-smelling gale swept through the forest. When fully expanded, the Giant Winged Bat's wings reached an astonishing five meters across. It launched itself from the shadows of the canopy and dove toward them.

"Enemy contact!" Marcus roared and charged forward first! He concentrated all his strength into his shield-bearing left arm, bracing himself head-on against the monster's deadly dive.

"CLANG!" Claws collided with steel. A shower of sparks exploded from the impact. Marcus felt an overwhelming force slam into his shield. The ground beneath his feet was carved apart, leaving two deep grooves behind him. Even the steel faceplate of his shield was marked with scratches. Grey darted out from behind Marcus. Lowering his stance, he stepped forward— Then thrust! His blade tore through the air. His timing was flawless.

Taking advantage of the moment when the Giant Winged Bat had not yet folded its wings, he stabbed directly through the thinner membrane. Its ability to fly was immediately compromised.

"Whoosh!" Vaelis's arrow followed instantly. The arrow pierced straight through one of the Giant Winged Bat's compound eyes. Thick fluid burst outward like a crushed berry. The continuous assault enraged the monster. It violently beat its wings. A storm of air exploded outward, blasting Grey several meters away. Just as the Giant Winged Bat prepared to retreat back into the sky, Zelier's spell was already fully charged. Gravity Press!

"Get back down here!" The mana impact erupted instantly! A crushing force descended from above. The Giant Winged Bat's body suddenly froze, as if an invisible hand had grabbed it and dragged it downward. The height it had already gained was forcibly reduced by several meters, bringing it back into the team's attack range.

"Now!" Marcus's eyes lit up. Shield Bash! With brutal force, he smashed his shield into the Giant Winged Bat's head. The impact staggered the monster. Vaelis immediately drew another arrow. The projectile buried itself into the creature's softer abdomen, spraying dark-green blood through the air. Zelier's second spell followed immediately. Wind Blade!

"Snap!" An invisible blade tore across the battlefield. It sliced horizontally through the Giant Winged Bat's remaining compound eyes, crushing two of them instantly. After suffering so many devastating injuries in such a short time, even the monster's powerful body could no longer endure. It thrashed wildly, its wings sending Marcus staggering backward. Zelier's Gravity Press finished charging again. But this time, the Giant Winged Bat had already climbed into the sky, flying unsteadily.

After suffering from the spell once, it had learned to guard against Zelier's magic. The second Gravity Press failed to drag it down. It only slightly disrupted the monster's flight path. The team's first assault had been a huge success. The Giant Winged Bat had suffered severe injuries. With only one eye remaining, the monster glared down at them with pure hatred. A furious screech erupted from its throat. It could not understand. Why were these humans so powerful?

Just a few days ago, the humans in the village had been nothing more than helpless prey waiting to be slaughtered.