Chương 6: B1 | Chapter 6

Aidan More time passes as I hunt more bats, gradually leveling myself up in the process. But unfortunately, not only am I getting fewer levels from these bats now that I'm a higher level, but I also seem to be getting skills less frequently. I just kind of assumed I would get another skill for my Class at level nine since I got a skill at level three and one at six. And yet, I didn't. No new skill. Although I did get a second skill for my Profession at level six.

{Profession Skill} [Void Form Creation(Epic) – Grants the Void Creator the power to create physical void creatures bodies. The power of the physical body is equivalent to the amount of mana and source mana used to create it.] {Profession Skill} And it's pretty much the same thing as my first Profession skill. Another skill I have no idea what does or how to use. Despite some knowledge about its usage entering my mind.

But just because it enters my mind doesn't mean I know some of the terms it's using or how to do some of the things it's telling me to do. Which is annoying. Even after reaching level ten, I still don't get any new skills for my Class. All the way till I kill more than a hundred bats and keep on going hunting more of them. Clearing one part of the mission. Eventually I find a new and slightly different cavern with two larger bats amidst the swarm of other bats. All sleeping on the ceiling like the first cavern.

And there are three other tunnels branching from this cavern instead of just one along with the entrance. Okay. It's just another room to clear out. No problem here. I identify the big bat, deciding to start with the big ones just to get them out of the way. [Level 15 Cave Dweller Alpha] Right. So, that's a big jump in levels. The bat alpha in question opens its eyes from the ceiling of the room and immediately locks its gaze on me. Meanwhile I run the hell away. No thank you. Please go back to sleep.

I hear a loud screech from the cavern. It didn't go back to sleep. Of course it didn't. I continue running down the tunnel, taking advantage of my increased physical capabilities to run faster than I've ever ran before. Only to glance back several seconds later to find the large bat – one spanning an entire meter in length – chasing after me with four of the smaller ones following it. At least it's only one of the big ones and not both. It's the small things that matter most.

Not that this bat fits any definition of small. I continue running down the tunnel as fast as I can while occasionally jumping or rolling to the side to avoid the large bat. All in an attempt to lose the smaller ones who can no longer keep up with me thanks to my higher level. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. And eventually I do manage to lose the smaller ones. Leaving just me and the big bat.

But when I finally turn around fully to stand and face said big bat, I find the thing's eyes glowing red. Which isn't a good sign. The bat then rushes straight at me at a speed faster than I can react to. Following which it bites straight into my neck. Unlike the other bats though, this one rips its fangs out of my neck before biting somewhere else. Then it does it again. And again. Turning me into a pincushion even as I repeatedly claw at the thing's sides. Tearing ribbons out of the creature.

Unfortunately for me, despite tearing into it with my claws, my wounds aren't healing fast enough, and I quickly begin to feel lightheaded. At which point the bat finally switches to just tearing its fangs deep into my throat and drinking deeply. I feel my lightheadedness getting more and more severe even as I try to tear apart the bat's throat and body. But no matter how hard I try, the creature's flesh and hide serves a far stronger defense against my strikes than the other bats.

Not letting my claws dig in too deep. Eventually, when I begin to see spots in my vision and lose strength, I change tactics. I stick both of my fingers in between the bat's jaws before prying them open and then sticking my hand into its mouth to tear the inside of its mouth apart with my claws. And that manages to do some damage. Healing me in the process.

The bat lets out a muffled screech as it tries to grab at my arm in its mouth, but since its two incisor-like fangs are still stuck in my throat with just its lower jaw pried open, it can't do much. Letting me tear its mouth and throat apart, and even dig upwards into its brain through the roof of its mouth. The dark spots in my vision continue to grow more numerous even as the light in the bat's eyes finally begins to fade, and the strength in its body gives out. Pulling me to the ground with it.

[Level 15 Cave Dweller Alpha has been slain. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] I hurriedly rip its two fangs out of my neck, feeling immense pain as I do so. But I'm used to pain, so it doesn't affect me as much as it probably would others. After all, I've spent my entire life with that gnawing hunger tearing away at me. Even if that's not as bad as having all of my blood sucked out with dozens of holes punctured across my body.

Despite having killed the massive bat and ended its drainage, I don't feel my situation improving any. I just don't feel it growing worse anymore. I look down at my body – which is covered in bat blood – while lying across the ground, only for my eyes to widen when I realize I'm still full of holes across my body that blood is pouring out of in a constant wave. Which ironically enough washes off most of the bat blood except for the bat blood that soaked into my clothes.

Judging by the fact that I'm not feeling any worse, it's probably pouring out at around the same speed my heart is replacing it. Which is an incredible speed that I still question how is possible. It's hard to think. And I feel weak. Not to mention… hungry… I reach over to put a hand on the massive bat's corpse, beginning the process of devouring its source mana. And by the time I finish, I finally get both of the next messages I'm looking for. Surprisingly almost at the same time.

[User's Class, Void Devourer, has reached level 11. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +2 Physical, +2 Magical, +2 Mind, +2 Soul.] [User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 10. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul.] After finishing the source mana meal, I begin to crawl in the direction of the other bats in the hope that I can use the smaller ones that followed me into the tunnel to heal myself.

But before I can get a few meters away from the large bat's corpse, I feel everything going dark. Then I wake up again feeling a lot better, albeit not completely. I blink in confusion before looking at the countdown in the corner of my vision. Which shows that about four hours have passed since I last checked right before identifying the big bat. After a brief moment of confusion, I look at my body to find a lot of the wounds having partially sealed themselves. Looks like my wounds do still naturally regenerate.

My body is just… weird… in how it does it. I climb to my feet with a grimace as blood continues leaking from the wounds. Then I begin walking back through the tunnel until I reach the point where I see several bats just hanging from the ceiling mid-tunnel. The very bats that were chasing me with the alpha before we lost them. It doesn't take much effort to kill these bats now that I'm six levels above them. And with that, I manage to heal myself completely. Well, at least I dealt with one of the alphas.

I let out a sigh at that thought before beginning to walk back in the direction of the cavern. After draining the bats here of their source mana, of course. Time to continue the hunt.