Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 30 Giant Winged Bat

"Tch... The orcs from the mountains have actually come here." Vales snorted.

"Aren't you two the same? Why are you so hostile towards him?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Who's like him?"

Vales's eyes widened. "I'm an elf, and he's an orc!"

"They're all mixed-race, what's the difference?" Gray asked with interest.

"There's no way to communicate with someone like you!" Vales was exasperated.

"Why are you two arguing again?"

Marcus returned after registering the mission members and tossed a gold coin to each of Zeril and Vales.

"This is the compensation from the government office last time, a total of three gold coins, which we will split equally."

"The government is quite generous," Zellier said, putting the gold coins into his pocket.

"How much money did you guys make while I was away?" Gray's eyes widened.

“It’s unnecessary to bring you along.” Vales glanced at Gray.

After the mission was set, the team still assembled at the Blackrock Town checkpoint the next morning.

Because this mission put Marcus under considerable pressure, as he had to withstand the attacks of the berserk giant bats, he specially switched to a more sophisticated composite shield.

The shield base is made of several layers of laminated tough wood, and the shield surface is no longer made of ordinary wood, but is made of a single piece of steel panel, which is then fixed with rivets.

Its protective capabilities are several times stronger than the previous small round shield and one-handed shield.

Of course, this shield was also quite expensive, costing Marcus a whole gold coin.

The habitat of the giant winged bat is located in the western part of the Greywood Forest, which is marked in detail on the map.

However, just to be on the safe side, Marcus did not go directly there, but instead went to the valley village that was being invaded by giant winged bats.

It's always good to understand the specific situation before taking action, just in case the intelligence is wrong.

Xigu Village.

As its name suggests, the village is nestled in a small valley, with a babbling brook flowing around it, making for a rather pleasant landscape.

However, before Zellier and his group even stepped into the village, they sensed the eerie atmosphere.

It was broad daylight, yet as far as the eye could see, there was hardly a soul in the village, and no one was working in the fields, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

"That's really weird," Zellier said in a low voice.

"That's normal. When faced with the threat of monsters, ordinary people have no power to protect themselves, so they can only hide."

Marcus was already used to it.

"Moreover, it's a flying monster like the Giant Winged Bat. Let alone a child, even an adult could be snatched away with a single swoop. Others can only watch helplessly."

After stepping into the village, there was finally some movement in one of the houses.

The half-open wooden door opened, and an elderly man leaning on a cane quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Thank the gods... Are you the adventurers who accepted the quest? You've finally arrived!"

The old man gripped Marcus's hand tightly. "I am the village chief, Bart."

Following Village Chief Bart's actions, people from the other houses gradually came out as well.

As they left the house, the villagers would instinctively look up at the sky, their expressions filled with extreme fear.

"Adventurers!"

"It's you, adventurer! Our village is saved!"

"Kill that stinky bat."

Faced with the cacophony of voices, Marcus was overwhelmed and could only wave his hand down to suppress it.

"Please be quiet, everyone... Before we begin our mission, we need to confirm some details." "Village Chief Bart, when did that giant winged bat appear?"

"About five or six days ago..."

Village Chief Bart began to recall.

"It flew over the village, and many livestock were killed. At first, we thought it was an eagle or something, so we had some hunters shoot it with bows and arrows, but it suddenly went berserk and swooped down."

The village chief's face was filled with fear, and he still felt a chill when he recalled the scene.

“The villagers were no match for it. John’s head was ripped off by its claws... and the others were injured as well.”

"Since then, it has come to circle above the village for a period of time every day, and it will attack as soon as it sees people. We were only able to send someone to Blackstone Town to deliver a message when it was away..."

"How big was that giant winged bat?" Vales asked.

"If its wingspan is extended... it's about five or six meters long."

A hunter in the village spoke up, "Moreover, the wingtips have bone claws that are extremely sharp, and the teeth are also very sharp. They can also launch attacks similar to wind blades!"

"Are you sure it's the same one every time?" Vales asked again.

"I'm sure!" the hunter answered confidently.

After clarifying the situation, the four of them exchanged glances.

The villagers' account was similar to that in the power of attorney.

"Adventurers, when do you plan to make your move?" Village Chief Bart asked tremblingly.

“Now, at noon is when it’s at its weakest,” Marcus said.

Just before she was about to leave, a little girl hugged Zellir's leg and looked up at her with teary eyes.

"Adventurer, please avenge my father..."

Zellier knelt down and gently patted her head.

"Don't worry, it will definitely happen."

The team left the village and headed straight for the valley exit. After crossing a log bridge over the river, they arrived at the entrance to the dense forest.

Even if the giant winged bat is a monster, its nature is to be attracted to darkness and avoid light. The forest density here is far greater than in other places, so even during the day, it is still somewhat dark inside.

Furthermore, given that the giant winged bat's diet includes a variety of large animals, this place is an ideal habitat for it.

“Zeril, use Illumination to scout the situation. You and Vales are both ready to attack at any moment. Gray will provide support. While I'm luring the Giant Winged Bat, it'd be best to damage its wings first so it can't take off!” Marcus said.

"understand!"

The sphere of light slowly rose and floated above everyone's heads, illuminating the surrounding environment.

Wallace looked up to observe his surroundings.

The trees here are extremely tall, with dense, layered canopies that almost block out the sky, and huge roots that intertwine on the ground like crawling pythons.

Furthermore, many branches showed signs of being violently broken, and there were scratch marks on the trunk.

From the moment they stepped into the dense forest, the team remained on high alert.

The environment was unusually humid and stuffy, like a steamer, with a faint fishy stench in the air, likely caused by the decay and fermentation of some dead animals.

The team members all had a vague premonition.

We're almost there.

"Everyone, pay attention above," Marcus whispered.

He no longer strode forward, but carefully moved among the tree roots, holding his shield above his head.

Vales's pointed ears twitched as he strained to catch any subtle sound while scanning the sky warily.

(End of this chapter)