Chapter 124: The Elemental Creature (Part 1)

As Merlin stepped into the depths of the dark cave, he felt an eerie chill that seemed to seep into his bones.

Despite the pitch-black surroundings, the spellcasters could still see with the aid of their mental power, which allowed them to navigate in the dark.

Merlin led the way, remaining vigilant. At the slightest sound, he would pause, check for any danger, and only continue when he was sure it was safe.

"Wait, what's that sound up ahead?"

Merlin suddenly stopped, tilting his head to listen closely.

"Screech, screech."

The noise grew louder, sharper. Merlin's face tensed, and he quickly called out, "Be careful, it could be Dark Blood Bats!"

Just as he finished speaking, a large red glow appeared in the depths of the cave and swiftly moved toward them.

"Freeze!"

Merlin instantly cast Freeze, sealing the narrow passage with thick ice.

*Boom!*

With a violent crash, the red glow smashed through the ice without slowing down and hurtled toward them.

Merlin's eyes widened as he got a clearer look at the creature. He drew a sharp breath.

The red glow was, in fact, an enormous Dark Blood Bat, much larger and more grotesque than the ones outside. Its entire body was blood-red, and it screeched loudly as it moved faster than Merlin could with Gale.

Merlin barely had time to cast Fireball in an attempt to slow the bat down.

*Boom.*

The bat flew right through the fireball, scattering the flames as if they were nothing. Opening its jaws wide, it spat out a foul-smelling, sticky black substance.

The attack came so quickly that Merlin could only dodge to the side.

Lorinka, sensing the danger, also moved out of the way just in time. But Mage Damber wasn't so fortunate. The sticky black substance shot forward at high speed, and in the dim cave, it was difficult to see clearly. Damber had only enough time to cast an earth defense spell.

A thick earthen wall rose in front of him, nearly blocking the passage.

*Hiss, hiss.*

The bat's black, viscous spit was intensely corrosive. To Damber's horror, the wall only held it back for a brief moment before a hole formed, and the substance splattered onto his body.

"What… what is this?"

Mage Damber looked down in terror as the liquid burned through his skin, leaving a bloody wound. He screamed in agony and collapsed, his face contorted with pain.

Merlin shivered. Thankfully, he hadn't relied on Earth Guard to protect himself. Seeing Damber's fate, Merlin realized this Dark Blood Bat was far from ordinary.

"Retreat!" Merlin shouted, recognizing the danger. He knew that this bat was too powerful for any of them to withstand for long, and even Lorinka would struggle to fend off its relentless attacks.

"Screech, screech."

The bat emitted another sharp cry, gathering dark elemental energy from its surroundings. In the pitch-black cave, a dark-element creature like this had a natural advantage.

Merlin's heart raced as he watched the bat's aura grow. He understood now that this was no ordinary Dark Blood Bat. Only a Blood Bat King could wield magic.

As the dark energy intensified, Lorinka couldn't help but shout, "Could it be… a Blood Bat King?"

A fully transformed Blood Bat King could rival a Level Four spellcaster, possess great intelligence, and control elements. At that stage, it was no longer considered a mere elemental monster but an elemental creature.

The evolution from elemental monster to elemental creature marked a fundamental transformation. While elemental monsters were relatively mindless and could be defeated by entry-level spellcasters or high-level elemental swordsmen, elemental creatures gained intelligence and mastery over their elements, making them vastly more dangerous.

*Whoosh!*

The Blood Bat King launched a spell—an invisible dark ray that merged into the shadows of the cave, nearly impossible to detect.

"It's Dark Ray! But it's not fully developed; it's only close to Level One strength. This must be a Blood Bat King in the process of evolving," Merlin realized, using his mental power to sense the ray. Lorinka did the same, and both managed to dodge.

However, Capes and Kathleen weren't as lucky. Capes, a peak Level Three elemental swordsman, sensed the incoming danger and raised his sword to block.

*Crack.*

The dark ray pierced through his sword with ease. The ray, known for its penetrating power, tore through the blade, then Capes's hand, and continued to wound Kathleen's right arm, making her nearly faint with terror.

It all happened in an instant. Merlin could do nothing but watch as Capes and Kathleen were struck by the ray.

As Merlin had warned earlier, he could save them once or twice, but not every time. Fortunately, they had survived this time with injuries—a pierced hand for Capes and an arm wound for Kathleen—but they had learned a painful lesson.

*Screech, screech.*

The evolving Blood Bat King screeched again, gathering even more dark energy. It was preparing a stronger attack, and the threat loomed heavily over Merlin and his group.