Lin Zhu whispered, "What now? There’s way too many of them."Yun Luohe replied, "Can we sneak through without waking them? Just keep moving forward?"Zhao Xuan nodded, "We can try. They’re still asleep. Daytime probably isn’t their active period."The three of them crept forward, step by cautious step. Fortunately, the moss covering the ground was thick enough to completely muffle their footsteps. Otherwise, those bats would have already been alerted.It also helped that they had been careful when entering, barely making a sound the entire way.Hundreds of diamond-shaped cavities lined the cave ceiling, with blood-red bats hanging densely from every one of them, a sight that sent chills down their spines. Their bodies were entirely crimson, except for their claws and faces, which were deep black. The rest was shrouded in that unsettling red hue.It resembled dried, darkened blood, mottled with rough textures. Fine crimson veins crisscrossed their wings, faintly visible beneath the translucent membrane.Yun Luohe, despite the situation, could not help but think: if black bat wings could be used to craft weapons, wouldn’t these red bat wings be even higher-grade materials?But now was not the time for such thoughts.What she should be thinking about was: if they got discovered, how were they going to fight back?The three formed a line, hugging the cave wall, inching forward.Their full attention stayed on the bats above. If discovered, they would have to enter combat immediately.Yun Luohe observed the bats' faces. Their features were twisted and distorted. Their ears were long, thin, and pointed, standing upright, twitching slightly as if constantly straining to catch sounds.She dared not even breathe heavily, feeling as though they would be discovered any second.Suddenly, an ominous feeling crept over her. Just as they were about to slip past the danger zone, her shoulder brushed a jagged piece of rock protruding from the cave wall. The rock broke loose.Had it fallen onto the moss, there might not have been any sound. But fate had other plans—it bounced directly off Yun Luohe’s Military Shovel.A crisp clang echoed through the silent cavern.Yun Luohe’s heart froze for a second.This was bad—really bad.The bats immediately opened their eyes, sniffing the air. Their pupils, tiny and cold, glowed faintly in the dark. Upon spotting the intruders, their eyes narrowed to vertical slits, exuding a sinister chill.In unison, the bats opened their mouths, unleashing a deafening sonic attack.The Blood-Red Bats’ soundwave was shockingly powerful. Even with earplugs, the three of them winced, clutching their heads, barely able to stay upright against the cave wall.Yun Luohe gritted her teeth, yanked out a torch, and swung it violently at the Blood-Red Bats.The bats still feared fire—they instantly ceased their screaming.The three of them hurriedly took out all their remaining torches, fire basins, and portable stoves, tossing them toward the cave ceiling.After leaving the first bat cave, they had stocked up on fire-related gear at the Trading Hub.There were simply too many bats on the ceiling. But as soon as they flung fire basins, stoves, and torches upward, dozens of bats caught fire. In their panic, they flailed and collided with other bats, igniting a chain reaction.More and more bats were engulfed in flames.But that only made things worse—their dying screeches intensified, and the soundwave attacks grew even more unbearable.Their eardrums felt like they were on the verge of rupture, but the three of them fought through the pain, wielding torches to keep attacking the bats.Yun Luohe raised her Military Shovel and slammed it down, killing several bats in a single blow.[Blood Crystal Shard ×1][Bat Wings ×1][Blood Crystal Shard ×1]...The more bats they killed, the more resources dropped.Out of hundreds of materials, nearly half were automatically absorbed into Yun Luohe’s backpack by her [Magnet Ring], though she had no time to check the haul.The Blood-Red Bats' screams attracted even more bats—it felt endless, like they could never kill them all."Get to the lower level, now!" Yun Luohe shouted, dashing toward the descent.The exit behind them had already been completely blocked by thousands of bats. Their only option was to head deeper.Lin Zhu and Zhao Xuan clenched their teeth and followed.The three of them sprinted down the passage.Behind them, a mass of Blood-Red Bats swarmed, filling the tunnel with sharp, echoing screeches. But none of the trio dared glance back.They had no idea where the passage led—was it an exit, or a dead end?There was no time to ponder, not even time to regret.They had not run far when the path sloped down sharply, revealing a strange bridge spanning over a crimson pool.The blood-like liquid churned ominously, filling the air with a metallic stench.They did not pause—crossing the bridge, they arrived at an even larger cavern.They had thought the previous cavern was huge—but this one was twice the size.In the center of the chamber stood a massive red crystal, glowing faintly. Hanging upside down from the crystal was an enormous bat.Its size was terrifying.Even with its wings folded, its body stood nearly two meters tall and one meter wide, emanating a dark crimson aura. Its entire body was covered in red fur, and its claws were razor-sharp.Clearly…They had barged straight into the creature's lair.This had to be the Blood-Red Bat King.[Area: Cave][Blood-Red Bat Quest Triggered — Quest 1: Slay the Bat King][Quest 2: Complete the Sacrificial Ritual]The Bat King’s body was several times larger than the regular Blood-Red Bats.Upon detecting the intruders, it slowly opened its eyes, glaring down at Yun Luohe and the others. Its face was unnervingly humanoid, its features twisted.It gradually unfurled its massive wings—each wing easily seven or eight meters across, like sails.Its body was thick and muscular, red fur bristling like steel needles along its spine.But the most terrifying were its eyes, radiating an ominous, unnatural light.The moment the Bat King locked eyes with them, all three felt the looming shadow of death.Yun Luohe had never been this tense before—this time, the odds of survival were grim.The massive red crystal the Bat King clung to—it must be a Blood Crystal.There was no retreat.Even knowing how powerful the enemy was, they had no choice but to fight the giant bat. If «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» they failed, they would never make it out alive.Besides, the system had already issued the quest. All they could do was hope the quest rewards would be generous—and that they would live to see them.Their only slim advantage was that they were a team of three. Working together gave them at least a sliver of hope. If one person had entered alone, it would have been certain death.Zhao Xuan had already drawn his bow, firing three consecutive arrows at the Bat King’s head—but the creature blocked them effortlessly with its wings.Only one arrow pierced its wing membrane—but that only enraged the Bat King further.It shrieked, yanking the arrow out, unleashing a soundwave so powerful that their ears nearly bled.Yun Luohe felt as though all sound had vanished from the world.Although her archery could not compare to Zhao Xuan's, Yun Luohe still seized the opportunity to fire several arrows at the Bat King. Taking advantage of the moment when it raised its wings to block, she swiftly closed the distance with a few leaps and rolls, arriving at the Bat King's lower body. She raised the Military Shovel and swung it fiercely at the Bat King's foot.A crimson streak of blood spurted out, nearly splattering onto Yun Luohe.She quickly dodged aside. The dark red blood splashed onto the ground, instantly corroding it with a sizzling sound.Yun Luohe squinted her eyes, her heart still racing, but she immediately launched a second attack.However, this time she was not so lucky—the Bat King kicked her away with tremendous force.Yun Luohe was flung back, crashing into the cave wall.Agonizing pain bloomed in her chest. Looking down, she saw several claw marks tearing through her clothes—but fortunately, there was no bleeding. She was wearing the Pearl Scale Armor, which blocked most of the damage. The Pearl Scale Armor also reflected damage, forcing the Bat King to recoil slightly, though the 10% reflection barely fazed the creature.Yun Luohe clutched her chest, feeling suffocated, struggling to steady herself against the wall as she forced herself upright. Meanwhile, Zhao Xuan and Lin Zhu rushed forward to continue battling the Bat King.Lin Zhu swung his long blade, but it barely scratched the Bat King’s surface.The surrounding Blood-Red Bats, under the Bat King’s control, remained motionless, hanging from the cave walls and simply watching the fight unfold.The eerie atmosphere sent a chill through Yun Luohe’s heart.The Bat King had not summoned the Blood-Red Bats to assist—it clearly viewed them as insignificant, believing it could eliminate them with ease.Yun Luohe took a short breather, eating a few bites of meat to recover. She also tossed some food that restored stamina and health to Lin Zhu and Zhao Xuan.Eating during combat carried obvious risks, but if they did not replenish their strength, they would collapse even faster.Yun Luohe nocked an arrow, firing repeatedly to stall the Bat King while the others ate quickly.At the same time, an idea formed in her mind. The bats feared fire—surely the Bat King was no exception.Its body was covered in dense red fur. If ignited, it would be extremely difficult to extinguish.But tossing torches from afar would simply be deflected by its wings.She would have to get close—circle behind it.But doing so was incredibly dangerous.Yun Luohe clenched her teeth, mind racing with hesitation. But without taking the risk, victory would be nearly impossible.She looked at Zhao Xuan and shouted, "Cover me!"Zhao Xuan, though unsure of her intentions, obeyed without question, loosing arrow after arrow toward the Bat King’s head.Infuriated, the Bat King roared, its deafening cry shaking the entire cave.The soundwave blast forced Yun Luohe and the others to cough up blood on the spot.Cursing silently, Yun Luohe forced her trembling legs forward, inching closer. She reached the Bat King's feet—within its blind spot—for now, she remained undetected. But the moment she was spotted, another direct hit would likely be fatal.Her head throbbed painfully from the earlier sonic attack. It was pure willpower keeping her conscious. She pulled out a torch, followed by a large quantity of fungal fuel.This was highly flammable material she had obtained from Spider Island, refined from special fungal threads.She had brought some along specifically for emergencies—and now, she dumped all of it, along with several torches, at the Bat King's head.Her aim was decent, but her hands were trembling uncontrollably. Out of several torches, only one hit its mark—but that was enough to ignite the fungal fuel.The Bat King's crimson fur erupted into roaring flames.A shrill, agonized scream tore through the air.Yun Luohe, being closest, felt as if her chest was about to split open.The very next second, the enraged Bat King finally noticed Yun Luohe at its feet. It went berserk, violently flapping its fleshy wings at its own head, creating a powerful gust in an attempt to snuff out the flames.But the more it fanned, the worse the blaze became. The fungal fuel was exceptionally difficult to extinguish once ignited—and, as luck would have it, the Bat King's fur was slightly oily, further fueling the fire.The flames grew fiercer with each passing moment, and the Bat King's frantic struggles only made things worse.Yun Luohe spat out a mouthful of blood, shouting with all her strength, "Now! Hit it with everything you've got! Lin Zhu, throw more torches! Zhao Xuan, shoot its head and wings!"The three launched their coordinated assault.Lin Zhu hurled his torches toward the Bat King's wings, while Zhao Xuan rapidly fired several arrows with pinpoint accuracy.Yun Luohe timed her movement, leaping up to seize the Bat King's wing, pouring every ounce of strength into hacking and slashing with the Military Shovel.Sensing the mounting threat, the Bat King realized the situation had changed.Previously, it had arrogantly refused to summon its offspring—but now, with a piercing roar, it called the Blood-Red Bats to attack.Hundreds of Blood-Red Bats swarmed toward them in an instant.The burning Bat King howled in rage, lashing out with renewed ferocity.It unleashed devastating sonic blasts, while the smaller bats shrieked and clawed viciously.Yun Luohe, already on the verge of collapse, felt herself nearly lose consciousness.She clung desperately to the Bat King's wing, her strength nearly gone.The Bat King suddenly paused, its eerie eyes locking onto its wing. It reached with a massive claw, razor-sharp talons aimed directly at Yun Luohe's chest, prepared to pierce her heart.Yun Luohe, nearly blacking out, was suddenly jolted awake by a sensation like lightning ripping through her body.[Near-Death Crisis Triggered. Perception Trait Breakthrough: 3 Seconds of Hyper-Sensory Surge Acquired.]

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