Chương 33: Monster Cubs

[The party has slain the Giant Winged Bat together and gained a large amount of experience.] Lv. 4 (27/175) → Lv. 4 (147/175) A total of 120 experience points were gained. Zelier scratched his head. Not bad. That was thirty more experience points than the Giant Slime had given him. But it still wasn't enough to level up... Then, all of a sudden, his experience bar jumped again. Lv. 4 (147/175) → Lv.

4 (157/175) The kill notification that appeared on his character sheet read: [Giant Winged Bat Hatchling] Zelier instinctively looked upward. High above, smoke still drifted from the treetops. Faint cries from the hatchlings echoed from within the nest.

"Should we go up and clear them out?" Zelier asked.

"Definitely. Each hatchling is worth fifty silver coins, and leaving them alive would only cause trouble later." Vaelis lowered his longbow.

"I'll handle it."

"I'll come with you." Zelier volunteered immediately. He didn't want to miss out on the experience. Meanwhile, Grey leaned against the tree trunk, removed his boots, and sat down. His lower leg had been cut by one of the bone spines earlier. Marcus took out the medical kit and began treating the wound.

"Be careful up there. Don't survive the mother just to get taken out by the babies."

"Relax." Vaelis waved him off. The ancient tree chosen by the Giant Winged Bat as its nest was enormous. Even the lowest branches were seven or eight meters above the ground. But for Vaelis, that was hardly an obstacle. He stepped back a few paces, sprinted forward, and used his momentum to kick against the tree trunk several times. His body shot upward. He grabbed a hanging vine midair, then pulled himself up with both arms, quickly reaching the first branch.

The entire movement was smooth and effortless, almost graceful. Compared to him, Zelier's method was far more straightforward. He didn't even attempt Vaelis's flashy parkour-like movements. Instead, he relied on the most basic method possible—climbing with his bare hands. The tree bark wasn't smooth. Countless cracks and grooves gave him enough grip to steadily pull himself upward. Although he was a mage now, years of farm work had given Zelier a surprisingly sturdy physique.

And the original owner of this body had climbed trees to steal bird eggs plenty of times before. Those memories still remained buried in his muscles. The two of them successfully reached the thick branch where the Giant Winged Bat's nest was located. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The branch was wide enough for both of them to walk across safely. The closer Zelier and Vaelis got to the nest, the stronger the stench became.

A foul mixture of burned leaves, half-digested rotten flesh, and some sharp, irritating odor rushed toward them, forcing both of them to wrinkle their noses and cover their faces. The nest itself was crudely constructed. Branches were tangled together in every direction, barely holding the structure in place. Some parts of the outer layer were still burning, releasing choking black smoke. Vaelis was considering whether they should approach from another direction when— A Water Orb suddenly slammed into the nest.

The flames immediately weakened. Vaelis turned toward Zelier in surprise. If he remembered correctly... Zelier had displayed two more new spells during today's battle. One was a control spell that could restrict the Giant Winged Bat's movements. And the other was this Water Orb. The number of spells this guy possessed was getting ridiculous. After firing three or four more Water Orbs, Zelier finally extinguished the remaining flames. The two climbed onto the nest and looked down from the edge.

Inside was a thick layer of animal bones and fur. At the center of the nest were four Giant Winged Bat hatchlings, each roughly the size of a turkey and covered only in sparse black down. Beside them lay another hatchling that had already been burned to death. The surviving hatchlings huddled together, screeching threateningly at Zelier and Vaelis.

"Ugliest things I've ever seen..." Vaelis's eye twitched slightly. Suddenly, the largest hatchling among them spread its wings. It leapt more than a meter into the air and lunged straight at Zelier with its jaws wide open!

"Whoosh!" A flash of cold steel cut through the air. Zelier casually drew the thin sword at his waist and swept upward. Blood sprayed. The hatchling was sliced cleanly in half before it even landed, two chunks of flesh crashing onto the ground beside Zelier's feet. Without hesitation, he followed up with another Wind Blade. The remaining three Giant Winged Bat hatchlings were killed instantly. Lv. 4 (157/175) → Lv. 5 (22/200) Level up successful!

Zelier continued with his previous strategy and assigned all four attribute points to Intelligence. Strength: 65 Agility: 61 Vitality: 68 Spirit: 71 Intelligence: 74 → 78 Perception: 30 Charisma: 47 → 48 Luck: 41 Innate Skill: Spell Matrix Deduction Mana flowed through Zelier's body more smoothly than before. Those complicated and fragmented spell structures seemed to become slightly clearer. He wondered if this increase in Intelligence would finally allow him to break through that invisible barrier.

After dealing with the four hatchlings, Zelier and Vaelis extracted the magic cores from their bodies before climbing back down the tree. Meanwhile, Marcus had begun collecting the rest of the spoils. Aside from its magic core, the Giant Winged Bat's wing membrane was also extremely valuable. Lightweight, flexible, and possessing a tear resistance comparable to several layers of treated leather, it was an excellent material for crafting leather armor and could also be used in potion-making.

"For this reward, we'll split it three-three-two-two," Marcus said.

"Zelier and I take three shares. Vaelis and Grey take two each. Any objections?" During the battle against the Giant Winged Bat, Marcus had charged ahead and absorbed the majority of its attacks. There was no question that he had acted as the party's main tank. Zelier's contribution had also been significant. Gravity Press had created the opening for their first coordinated assault.

Wind Blade provided powerful damage, and his Fireball attacks on the nest had forced the Giant Winged Bat into a desperate confrontation.

"Works for me." Vaelis nodded. Grey had no objections either. He grabbed Zelier's shoulder and squeezed it firmly.

"Not bad, Zelier. Look how much you've improved in such a short time. At this rate, there'll come a day when we won't even be able to help you hunt monsters anymore."

"That won't happen." Zelier gave a modest smile.... The setting sun rested behind the mountains, spilling threads of golden light across the sky and painting the clouds crimson. At the entrance of Creekvalley Village, Chief Bart and a crowd of villagers waited anxiously. Their eyes remained fixed on the edge of the forest, their faces filled with unease. The adventurer party that entered the dense forest... What had happened to them?

"It's almost dark... why haven't they... why haven't they come back yet?" A woman holding a child spoke with a trembling voice.

"Could something have happened to them?"

"Don't say such things!" Chief Bart lowered his voice and scolded her.

"They are brave warriors from the Adventurer's Association. We must believe in them!" Despite his words, his grip on his cane tightened unconsciously until his knuckles turned white. The old man was just as nervous as everyone else.

"Look! What's that?" A sharp-eyed young boy suddenly pointed toward the shadows at the edge of the forest and shouted in surprise. Everyone turned their gaze in that direction.