Kane’s hand holding the glow stick remained rock-steady.

  He stared at those crimson eyes on the ceiling, his throat hitching slightly as he swallowed.

  Crag squeezed out from the fissure and stood beside Kane. When he saw the sight above, his entire body stiffened.

  "Kid..." Crag’s voice was barely a whisper. "Are those..."

  "Shadow Bats," Kane replied in an equally hushed tone. "At least a hundred of them."

  In the overhead shadows, the crimson eyes were packed densely together. Every pair of eyes represented a Shadow Bat. They hung from the stalactites, their bodies merging perfectly into the gloom. Had it not been for the glow of their eyes, their presence would have been impossible to detect.

  Kane slowly lowered the glow stick. "Don't move," he breathed. "They haven't spotted us yet."

  Crag nodded. The two stood perfectly still. Inside the cavern, the only sound was the rhythm of falling water.

  Drip.

  Drip.

  Every splash felt like a hammer strike against their hearts. Kane’s mind raced. Shadow Bats were social creatures; they typically slept during the day and hunted at night. It was late into the night now, so by all logic, they should have been out scavenging.

  But these bats were all staying in the nest. Something was wrong.

  Kane narrowed his eyes, observing the clusters of eyes above. Suddenly, he caught a detail: every single eye was fixed in the same direction—deeper into the cave.

  Kane followed their line of sight. Deep in the cavern’s interior, there was a patch of shadow even darker than the rest. Within that darkness, a massive silhouette was faintly visible.

  Kane’s pupils contracted. "Crag."

  "Yeah?"

  "There’s something at the back of the cave."

  Crag followed Kane’s gaze. When he saw the enormous silhouette, his expression shifted. "What is that?"

  Kane didn't answer. He raised the glow stick, casting its light toward the deepest shadows. The green radiance pierced the gloom, and the massive figure finally revealed its true form.

  It was a Shadow Bat of monstrous proportions. Its wingspan exceeded five meters, and its body was the size of a small beast. It was covered in pitch-black membranes etched with eerie, swirling patterns. It hung from a central stalactite with its eyes tightly shut.

  Even with its eyes closed, the sheer pressure radiating from it was suffocating.

  Crag sucked in a cold breath. "This is..."

  "The Bat King," Kane said softly. "The leader of the colony."

  He paused. "All the other Shadow Bats are guarding it."

  Crag’s face grew grim. "Kid, what’s the move?"

  Kane remained silent for a few seconds. "We kill it."

  "Killing a leader has a much higher probability of dropping an orb—I’ve tested this before."

  Crag froze. "Are you insane? That thing is huge. We can't take it!"

  Kane shook his head. "No," he said, pausing. "We have a chance."

  He pointed to the Shadow Bats on the ceiling. "Look at their state."

  Crag observed closely. Though the Shadow Bats had their eyes open, their bodies were motionless. Furthermore, their breathing frequency was incredibly slow.

  "Are they... hibernating?"

  Kane nodded.

  "Shadow Bats are nocturnal, but even they need rest."

  He paused.

  "And when the Bat King hibernates, all the other Shadow Bats enter a state of light sleep to guard it."

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  A cold glint flashed in Kane’s eyes.

  "This is our only chance."

  Crag remained silent for a moment. "What do you plan to do?"

  Kane said flatly, "I’ll use [Subterranean] to get close to the Bat King."

  He paused. "Then, one shot to the head."

  Crag frowned. "And if you miss?"

  A cold smirk curled on Kane’s lips. "Then we’ll just have to fight our way out."

  He turned to look at Crag. "You wait here. If I fail, run immediately."

  Crag shook his head. "No."

  He paused. "We go in together."

  Kane stared at him. "You’ll only slow me down."

  Crag let out a jagged grin. "So what?"

  He patted Kane’s shoulder. "You said you’d watch my back."

  Crag paused. "Well, I’m doing the same for you."

  Kane was silent for several seconds. "...Suit yourself."

  He turned and began heading toward the depths of the cave. Crag followed close behind. Their footsteps were light, making almost no sound.

  Kane reached the center of the cavern and stopped. He took a deep breath.

  Activating [Subterranean].

  The ground instantly softened. Kane’s body sank slowly into the earth. Crag stayed where he was, gripping his massive shield. He looked up at the Shadow Bats on the ceiling. Those crimson eyes remained motionless.

  Underground.

  Kane moved through the darkness. The [Subterranean] ability allowed him to navigate the earth as easily as a fish in water. However, it also meant he couldn't see what was happening above. He had to rely on memory to navigate toward the Bat King.

  After advancing about thirty meters, Kane stopped. He estimated the distance. He should be right there.

  Kane rose slowly. The soil parted around his body as his head emerged from the ground.

  Right in front of him, the massive Bat King hung from a stalactite less than five meters away. Its eyes were still closed, its body rising and falling rhythmically with its breath.

  Kane didn't strike immediately. He calculated every possible scenario that could follow his attack, while waiting for the cooldown of [Subterranean] to reset.

  After a moment, Kane held his breath. He slowly raised his left hand.

  The Cyclone pistol was already in his grip. The muzzle was aimed straight at the Bat King’s skull. Kane’s finger rested on the trigger.

  He took a deep breath.

  [Aero Blade] triggered.

  He pulled the trigger.

  BANG!

  The gunshot exploded within the cavern. The bullet tore through the air, heading straight for the Bat King’s head.

  But at the exact moment before impact—the Bat King opened its eyes.

  They were eyes of a deeper, more terrifying crimson than any other Shadow Bat. Within them flickered a cold, murderous intent.

  The Bat King’s body suddenly vanished.

  The bullet struck the stalactite, sending a spray of stone fragments flying.

  Kane’s pupils contracted. "Invisibility!"

  The next second, a powerful sense of crisis surged from behind him. Without a second thought, Kane triggered [Aerial Step].

  His body forced a sharp angle in mid-air.

  TEAR—!

  A dark blur swept past his original position.

  Razor-sharp claws tore through the air, leaving three deep gouges in the stone floor.

  Kane landed, performing a tactical roll to dissipate the momentum. He looked up. The Bat King’s figure reappeared, hanging upside down from a stalactite, staring at him. A trace of a mocking curve tugged at the corners of its mouth.

  At that same moment, the hundreds of Shadow Bats on the ceiling opened their eyes in unison. Crimson light flickered in the darkness.

  The next second, a series of high-pitched shrieks erupted. Over a hundred Shadow Bats dove from the ceiling simultaneously.

  Crag roared. "Kid! Run!"

  He raised his massive shield, charging toward the swarming bats to intercept them.

  Kane didn't run. He stared at the Bat King, a flicker of madness in his eyes.

  "You think you can escape?" A cold smirk played on his lips. "Dream on."

  Kane activated [Haste]. His neural transmission speed surged instantly. His silhouette blurred into a residual image as he bolted toward the King.

  The Bat King shrieked, its body vanishing once more.

  But this time, Kane didn't panic. He closed his eyes and activated [Aero Blade]. Air currents swirled around him; he could feel a strange fluctuation in the atmosphere. It was the displacement caused by the Bat King’s movement.

  "Found you."

  Kane snapped his eyes open. He swung his left hand, and a razor-sharp wind blade sliced toward his left flank.

  Screee—!

  A pained shriek rang out. The Bat King was forced out of hiding, a deep wound appearing on its left wing. Black blood welled from the gash.

  Kane didn't stop. He triggered [Subterranean], sinking into the earth. A second later, he erupted from directly beneath the Bat King.

  The Cyclone pistol was pressed hard against the Bat King’s abdomen.

  "Goodbye."

  Kane pulled the trigger while simultaneously triggering [Aero Blade].

  BOOM!

  A high-powered round punched into the Bat King’s body and detonated from within. The King let out a final, piercing wail. Its body convulsed violently before falling from the stalactite.

  CRASH!

  The massive carcass slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Kane landed, eyes locked on the body.

  A moment later, a blue orb of light drifted out from the Bat King’s remains. It spun in the air, emitting an eerie, potent glow.

  Kane was ecstatic—a blue orb! He immediately raised his left hand. The five-pointed star mark in his palm began to glow, drawing the orb into it.

  A grin spread across Kane’s face. "It’s done."

  But then, Crag’s roar echoed through the cave. "Kid! Watch out!"

  Kane whipped around. Hundreds of Shadow Bats were diving toward him in a frenzied swarm, their eyes burning with the fires of vengeance.

  Kane narrowed his eyes. "Perfect timing."

  He activated his newly acquired [Shadow Stealth].

  The next second, his silhouette vanished completely into the darkness.

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