Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Engagement
Zelir also strained his eyes, trying to see.
But all he could see was a dense canopy of leaves; it was hard to spot anything out of the ordinary.
Staring so intently for so long was making his eyes ache.
Suddenly, Valles raised a hand, and the entire party came to an immediate halt.
"Find it?" Marcus’s voice was barely a whisper.
Valles pointed ahead and mouthed a word.
Above.
Zelir slowly raised his head, looking in the direction Valles was pointing.
At first, Zelir saw nothing. But as he rubbed his eyes and carefully tried to distinguish the interwoven leaves from the shadows, his heart leaped in shock.
Beneath a horizontal branch more than fifteen meters off the ground, a huge, cocoon-shaped black shadow was hanging upside down.
It blended almost perfectly with the surrounding shadows. If Valles hadn’t pointed it out, it would have been nearly impossible to spot.
Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas
[Tier Thirty-One]: Giant Winged Bat
Individual Threat Rating: [Difficulty]
Appearance:
A giant bat-like Demon with a wingspan that can exceed five meters when fully extended. Four blood-red compound eyes are distributed on the top of its head, providing it with a full, 360-degree field of view.
Habitat and Behavior:
Typically resides in the highest canopies of ancient forests or on the cliffs of deep canyons.
Possesses a strong sense of territory and will attack any animal that enters its living area.
During their breeding and nursing periods, female Giant Winged Bats will proactively sweep the surrounding environment, their aggression increasing severalfold.
Special Abilities:
The primary threat of the Giant Winged Bat comes from its sharp claws, which can easily tear an adult human to shreds during a high-speed dive.
Furthermore, it can combine Wind Blades with the Bone Spikes at its wingtips and launch them as projectiles, making them extremely lethal.
Additionally, the Giant Winged Bat’s cry is extremely piercing. Please take precautions.
Core Weaknesses:
Before launching its Bone Spikes, it has a distinct wind-up animation of spreading its wings, which can be used as a tell.
In addition, the Giant Winged Bat’s most vulnerable part is its wings. Once the Wing Membrane is torn, its flight capability will be greatly affected.
Once a Giant Winged Bat is grounded, it is no longer a major threat.
Association Notes:
It is highly inadvisable to Challenge a Giant Winged Bat without a ranged class in the party.
Furthermore, Adventurers should try to choose battlefields in areas with complex terrain. Facing a Giant Winged Bat in an open area will multiply the Difficulty and is tantamount to suicide.
Zelir’s breathing grew shallow.
The Giant Winged Bat was even larger than he had imagined. Just hanging there upside down with its wings folded, its body was over two meters long.
Its head was hairless, with folds of dark red skin piled on top of each other, making it utterly hideous.
But what was most chilling were the Giant Winged Bat’s four compound eyes.
Each was the size of an egg, and they weren’t on the same plane. Instead, they were arranged in two pairs, each facing a different direction, giving it an absurd and deformed appearance.
Suddenly, the Wing Membranes of the Giant Winged Bat’s wings trembled slightly.
Four malevolent compound eyes snapped open, their blood-red color completely eclipsing any whites, and stared directly at the party.
"Wait... How did it spot us?" Valles was startled.
"The Giant Winged Bat has sonar. Even while sleeping, it intermittently sends out pulses. It wakes up the moment it detects an anomaly."
Gray drew the Longsword from his waist. He had killed a Giant Winged Bat before and was experienced. "Get ready to fight!"
The Giant Winged Bat’s massive mouth opened, its body trembling as Power gathered deep in its throat.
Seeing this, Gray roared.
"Cover your ears!"
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
From the Giant Winged Bat’s tooth-filled maw, a shrill cry erupted, as ear-piercing as metal scraping against glass.
The entire dense forest echoed with its shriek.
Even though Zelir had covered his ears in time, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of dizziness.
After the sonic attack, the Giant Winged Bat released its claws. It suddenly spread its wings, sweeping down like a black cloud!
The air pressure suddenly spiked. Accompanied by a foul, gale-force wind, the Giant Winged Bat’s fully extended wings reached an astonishing five meters in width as it dove down from the shadows of the canopy!
"Engage!"
Marcus roared, the first to charge forward!
He focused all his Power into his Shield-bearing left arm, meeting the Giant Winged Bat’s death dive head-on!
"CLANG!!!"
Claws clashed with the Shield, sending a shower of sparks flying.
Marcus felt immense pressure from the face of his Shield. The ground beneath his feet was carved into two deep furrows, and the Shield’s steel face was scored with deep gashes.
Gray flashed out from behind Marcus. He lowered his stance, stepped forward, and executed a Thrust!
The blade cut through the air. Gray had timed it perfectly.
He took advantage of the moment before the Giant Winged Bat could retract its wings, piercing straight through the thinner Wing Membrane to weaken its ability to fly.
"WHOOSH!"
Valles’s Arrow followed, whistling through the air. His shot pierced one of the Giant Winged Bat’s compound eyes.
Viscous fluid burst out like a popped berry.
The barrage of attacks sent pain through the Giant Winged Bat. It flapped its wings furiously, unleashing a violent gust of air that threw Gray several meters back.
Just as the Giant Winged Bat prepared to pull away and return to the sky, Zelir’s Magic had finished charging.
Heavy Pressure Technique!
"Get back here!"
A blast of Magic Power erupted!
A downward pressure caused the Giant Winged Bat to falter, as if an invisible hand were dragging it down.
The Giant Winged Bat, which had already begun to ascend, was forced down several meters, bringing it back into the party’s attack range.
"Good chance!" Marcus’s eyes lit up.
Shield Strike!
He slammed the Shield into the Giant Winged Bat’s head with ferocious Power, making its body stagger.
Valles nocked another Arrow, firing it directly into the Giant Winged Bat’s softer abdomen. Dark green blood splattered out.
Zelir’s second spell followed immediately.
Wind Blade Technique!
"SLASH!"
An invisible blade swept past, slicing horizontally and bursting two of the Giant Winged Bat’s compound eyes!
Even with the Giant Winged Bat’s formidable Constitution, it couldn’t withstand so many severe injuries in such a short time.
It flapped its wings frantically, knocking Marcus back.
Zelir’s Heavy Pressure Technique was charged again, but by now the Giant Winged Bat had already flown unsteadily high into the air.
Having suffered once, the Giant Winged Bat was now wary of Zelir’s Magic.
This time, the Heavy Pressure Technique failed to knock it down, only slightly affecting its flight path.
The party’s first wave of attacks was effective, inflicting significant damage on the Giant Winged Bat.
The one-eyed Giant Winged Bat glared venomously at the group and let out another shrill cry.
’It didn’t understand. How were these humans so strong?’
’Just a few days ago, the humans from the village were nothing but livestock for it to slaughter.’
