Dimas deftly pulled Shella and me behind the root of the most enormous tree nearby. Then bent down and tried to stay still.
Moments later, the beast horde literally flew past us. As the name implies, this Black Vampire Bat was completely black in color, from its feather, wings, eyes, to the nail. In this darkness, we could only see the vague figure and sounds of the fluttering wings.
For me, who was a Haier-Elvian, the shape and appearance of the bat could be clearly seen. The beast was similar to a familiar bat. What made it different was its size, as big as a dog with a wingspan of about three meters. Also, a pair of large fangs sticking out of its mouth to suck the blood of its prey. Maybe that's why people called it the Black Vampire Bat.
This animal moved with the herd while hunting. The way they saw it was exactly the same as bats on earth. Because of their poor eyesight, they relied on echoes of sound emanating from their bodies. When it hit something, the sound echo would bounce off and be received by its sensor. The bats would know what was in front of them. That's how they saw. The animal distinguishes prey from inanimate objects based on movement. So as long as we didn't move an inch, they wouldn't be able to see us.
Now, all we had to do was be quiet until they all passed. I had to hold my breath to make my movements as slow as possible. Both my hands gripped the hands of Kak Shella and Dimas tightly. Feelings of tension and fear completely overtook me. Ever since I hunted in the Elvian territory, this was the first time I encountered a Black Vampire Bat. They were wild animals that lived freely in the foothills of the northern region. I didn't know what brought them here.
Every second seemed to go by so slowly. I was almost out of breath, but I still had to hold it in until the flock had passed.
Suddenly, Kak Shella flinched a little, then pressed her body against me. I could see there were a few bats that had glanced here for a while. Only when I was about to warn the woman not to make any movement did I realize what scared Kak Shella. At the root of the tree, there was a centipede the size of an adult's thigh. That five meters long insect moved slowly closer to that girl. Maybe it also intended to hide from the Black Vampire Bats. But it actually scared Kak Shella.
The centipede's tentacles repeatedly hit Kak Shella's pale face. The woman's breath became faster.
"Kak Shella, hold on!"
"Close your eyes!"
Dimas and I whispered softly so as not to attract the bats' attention. Kak Shella closed her eyes anxiously. A look of fear was evident on his face. Naturally, anyone would feel scared and disgusted if there was such a giant insect. What was worse, the insect has a poisonous sting if you look at its long barbels.
Instead of moving or avoiding, the giant centipede actually climbed onto Kak Shella's shoulder. The girl let out a low scream as the bug crawled over her body. Her face was terrified. Sweat was pouring down. She forced her eyes shut tightly but remained still and made no sudden movements.
I didn't know what Dimas was thinking, he suddenly stood up. Stab the giant centipede with his sword and throw it far away. The insect squirmed after its body was pierced through. Several bats who felt the movement on the ground immediately grabbed and devoured the centipede. The fangs of a bat tore through the notoriously tough exoskeleton of the arthropod with ease, like ripping a paper. A horrifying image instantly appeared as if the bats were targeting the three of us.
I didn't know why my body suddenly stiffened. I flinched at the horrific sight. Several bats looked at me, then landed in front of me. As if to confirm if I was one of their prey or not. A bat walked over and opened its long-fanged mouth. My heart beat fast. Imagining if the two fangs stuck in my body and tore my flesh.
Dimas, who was already standing and holding a weapon, did not hesitate to slash the bat. Suddenly, many bats were diverting attention here. They sped away with their mouths wide open.
"Run!!" shouted Dimas.
Without wasting a second, I immediately left the place. I was at the front to guide my friends who didn't have good eyesight at night. The Black Vampire Bats immediately turned towards us. They flew fast like the wind but didn't attack right away. The herd flew right overhead.
Suddenly two bats dived sharply while opening their mouths. I immediately took two arrows and shot them down. From now and then, I release arrows to the bat herd that aimed at Dimas. The man looked troubled. Repelling bats while protecting Kak Shella wasn't an easy feat. He had to slash the sword several times and made him tore their bodies. Five bats came from behind. I stopped my steps and let the two of them run first. While I took the standby position.
One by one, the beasts fell to the ground, but one arrow missed. A bat that escaped my striking came. But I repelled two of its huge fangs with my bow. Its power was big enough, I was pushed by it. My hand took a small dagger from my pocket and stabbed it several times until it died.
"You damn beast!" I cursed angrily.
After that, they chased Dimas and Kak Shella, who were in front. Looked like they got into trouble. About ten bats were surrounding from all directions. Trapped like a rabbit in a cage. I intended to prepare arrows on the bow, but I held back.
There were too many of them. I would run out of arrows when there hadn't been a day since starting this journey. When in confusion, I realized something.
"That's right! That Viglet!" I exclaimed happily.
I didn't know why I forgot the existence of my primary weapon. I pulled out a small stick from the sock. A black viglet with an ivory-colored pattern that looked elegant was in my hand now.
"Vitr Bris!" I said while directing the viglet at the swarm of bats that surrounded my two friends.
I could feel the power flowing out of my body through the viglet I was holding. It was so clear, I could even feel the flow of Esze from within my circuit. A wisp of wind was ejected from the tip of the viglet. Paralyzing the bats that surrounded Dimas and Kak Shella.
Its power was enormous. Not only bats but the surrounding trees were also affected. The trunks of the giant trees around crushed and looked like they might collapse if I hit one more time with that attack. The entire flock of Black Vampire Bats was instantly attracted by the commotion that was created. Many of them turned around and headed here.
"Hurry up and run!" I shouted.
I again led the way ahead. Around here was still an area where giant trees grow. So the bats can still fly between the wide trees.
After running for a long time, I found a cavity under the roots of a giant tree. Without further ado, I immediately dragged Dimas and Kak Shella inside. This hole has enough space for the three of us.
The herd of bats followed us. However, due to the narrow entrance, only one or two bats can pass at once. Dimas and I easily paralyzed every bat that tried to enter. We repeatedly thrust daggers and swords to drive them off. The herd of bats didn't give up easily. Every time a bat died, two came.
"Shit! There's no end!" I cursed. I took the viglet and directed it towards the entrance. "You two take cover behind me!"
After making sure that Dimas and Kak Shella followed my directions, I released a large gust of wind. I could feel the wind howling fiercely from the tip of the viglet. After chanting, I immediately released the gathered Esze's power. The attack shattered the entrance and tore apart the bats in front.