The group was already on their way back to the tribe.

They continued traveling while clearing out the monsters and large bats that they encountered on the road.

Partway up, they unexpectedly ran into a small swarm of bats. But according to Lafetti, this should not be possible as bats live in a much deeper part of the monster lair, not here.

Strange...

Thus, the 10 or so large bats caught the group unprepared. Fortunately, there weren’t too many of them. With Lafetti and the others good coordination in battle while Rain did his best to support them --the battle concluded quickly.

“Why are Crobats here?” Lafetti frowned as she looked at the bat’s corpses.

The others had already started dismembering the monsters. Giant bats had leathery skin and they are good materials for flexible clothes used in combat.

As for Rain, he really didn’t think anything was strange, after all, he doesn’t know the habits of these monsters or their habitats. He was still a newbie in this world.

Since this was called a Monster Lair, then it does make sense for monsters loamed around, almost everywhere!

As the group continued on their way, once again they heard the flapping sounds of wings coming towards them.

“Did we annoy some of them?” Rain asked as he readied his bow. He looked into the pitch-black that normal people couldn’t see, thankfully he has his [ Night Vision ]. “They seem to have increased! At least over 16!”

Sho! Sho! Sho!

Rain along with Hadani and Havara began attacking first.

Rain entered a focused state in order to shot arrows one after another. With great teachers constantly teaching him, needless to say, he was almost accurate. Two of four arrows hit the targets.

Is this what Hawkeye or green arrow always feels when they were shooting?

“Just what the hell is wrong with these monsters?!” Lafetti welcomed the first bat with a slash of her long sword. Her long tail also easily swatted another one out of the sky.

Using her superior senses, Lafetti saw the bat that was knocked down by Rain and the other’s arrows, still squirming and quickly stabbed down on it with her sword.

Magic attacks flashed by.

Wind and fire combined, instantly killing giant bats that were hit. As the battle gradually concluded, Lafetti and the other Lamias supported each other, minimizing the injuries they acquired. Even Rain who was at the back had come to fill in the gap.

All the monster had entered melee range so there wasn’t room to use his bow, and also to save on arrows as he didn’t have many left. At this moment, Electricity, Rain’s magic was extremely useful, electrocuting monsters he passed through.

Several bats besieged him and it was too many for his electricity, thus, Rain felt the molecules in the air and “Air Bomb!” Boom!

As if a shockwave was generated from his palm, the bats flying towards him was sent flying, crashing on the wall.

As Rain continued to fight, suddenly, at this very moment, Rain’s eyes narrowed. He immediately somersaulted when he did, something brushed past him. A humanoid figure with arms that of a bat wings and feet that of claws. Looking closely, it was a thin and slender female humanoid.

“Rain!!” Lafetti’s anxious voice echoed but before he could react, he felt motion behind him.

But since he was still in midair, he doesn’t have any foothold he can use to propel himself to dodge, thus, Bang! He collided; no he was caught by something, mid-air.

“Rain!!” Lafetti and the others wanted to rush and help him but they were constantly besieged by humanoid bat monsters that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Rain felt two claws were gripping his shoulders. It was extremely tight to the point that he felt pain. He tried to use his electricity but before he could use it, another humanoid monster was already right in front of his eyes.

The monster suddenly opened her mouth and bit his neck. Bang! As if something exploded inside his mind, his vision becomes blurry and all the strength of his body seemed to be sucked out.

“Ah… shit!!” He cursed in his final moments before he completely lost consciousness.

There seemed to be something injected inside of him.

“Damn it!! Rain!! Rain!!” Through his blurry consciousness, he seems to have heard anxious voices from Lafetti and the others.

They tried their best to rush towards him, he can even see the blurry image of Scarlet swinging the cart around to make a path but the humanoid bats' speed was still impressive as he gradually flew away, and finally out of their reach.

Magic attacks constantly bombarded on the monster that was carrying him but because the monster seems to be a good pilot worthy of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, not even one attack hit them while Rain’s body swayed in the air --flying away.

“RAAAAAIIIINNNNN!!!!” A despairing voice echoed through the whole cave.

Lafetti… Rain muttered as he lost consciousness.

--- ---

“NO, NO, NO, NO!!”

Lafetti frantically run towards the direction where Rain disappeared and felt her heart crushed into pieces. She could do nothing but slashed her sword and howl. Like a wounded beast, her despairing echoes filled the entire cave.

The pain was indescribable... physical, mental... metaphysical... it is everywhere, seeping into the marrow of her bones.

Grief.

This is grief.

“RAIN! RAAAAINNNN!!” Lafetti’s tears flowed from her eyes like a dam bursting.

When the humanoids finally disappeared, retreated and escape to who knows where, Lafetti fell down, crying and howling in pain. It was obvious that this was an ambush and the target was not them but… Rain.

“Uuh… Rain… Rain…” Lafetti’s eyes turned bloodshot as she tried to stand up and chased them.

She can’t lose him!

She can’t lose Rain!!

She can’t!!

Rain’s capture plunged her into the deepest despair, and she wanted to curse this world and scream her anger to her enemies.

No, no, her Rain! Her only Rain! She can’t lose him!!!

The physical pain from her wounds was nothing compared to this devastation.

Bang! Suddenly, Lafetti’s head was struck by a hilt of a sword and her eyes widened before completely losing her consciousness.

“We need to get back to the tribe! The Chief must know this!!” The one who struck Lafetti was one of the veteran warriors of the group. Her name was Pasa.

“We need to get back Rain as fast as we can and to do that mindless chasing wouldn’t bring us any result! The Chief will know what we needed to do!”

The tribe will shake!

And it’s not just simple shaking but… an earthquake will happen!

It’s not just her who thought of this, after all, Rain’s existence was a large one, not only for her but for the entire tribe!

Rain’s captured hurt not only Lafetti but also Pasa. She was there but she was too late to react!

They had gone complacent!

Pasa did not think that she and Lafetti were the only ones that felt that way.

Even though it did not show on their faces, Hadani, Havara, and the last Lamia member, Tali had made up their minds.

They had to be feeling just as down about it as them- if not more so.

The Crobats and the WereBats had just declared war on the entire tribe!

Thus, they will slaughter them all!!

Pasa’s eyes turned bloodshot in anger and madness.

At this moment, the entire cave instantly went below freezing point and turned somewhat cold and chill.

If something happened to Rain, all the Lamias will massacre each bat monster found in the monster lair!

They had touched something they shouldn’t have!!

--- ---