Chapter 72 – Goddess Icon (End)

Chapter 72 – Goddess Icon (End)

“Blood-sucking bat aberrations!” this colony of bats had flown out of the crack and had began to attack the squad.

Because of their appearance, their way of attack was quite characteristic, thus once they appeared, their name was called out by one of the members.

Blood-sucking bats. As the name implies, it was a type of creature that treated blood fluid as food. They were truly the type that lived off blood, they were also a distinctive type of mammal to suck blood.

Ordinary blood-sucking bats would often live in the forest, plains and other such damp dark areas. Their bodies were small, the heaviest weighing would not exceed 30 grams. Their top incisors would be specially larger, their canines would be shaped like dagger; equal to exceptionally sharp “cutting edges”. They lacked molars, obviously due to a lack of a function. The blood-sucking bats thumb was long but strong. Their hind legs were also powerful, able to run rapidly when on ground, so much that it could even jump over short distances. Strong flight capabilities. Tailless with a leaf-like nose. Their eyes were comparatively larger than other bats, but in a pitch-black cave it was still lacking in any function. Their sense of smell and hearing were quite acute, similar to other bats in possessing “echolocation sensing”. The high frequency sounds waves they emitted was above the range that man could hear. Furthermore, their appearances were the same to other bats. Blood-sucking bats had pointed hook claws, which could allow it to climb stone crevices closely, or perhaps rough margins.

Although a large majority of bats on ground were helpless, blood-sucking bats had slender legs and front limbs; this allowed them to effortlessly move on top of the ground. Blood-sucking bats were also an animal that crowded together, forming colonies and living in the walls of valleys and caverns. Apparently sharing in the pleasure of each other’s accompaniment; passing in attention grabbing colony livelihoods. Blood-sucking bats almost completely dwelled in pitch-black areas. Strong scented amounts of ammonia would be emitted In their refuge area, due to the sediments of digested blood. During the daytime, they would hide within caves, they would only begin to move about after night had settled; fixed to forage every night. White winged blood-sucking bats and hairy-legged blood-sucking bats were fond of fowl blood. Mammal blood for standard blood-sucking bats. They would descend in the general living vicinity of cows, horses, deers and such before then crawling up the foreleg to the shoulder or neck, utilizing their upper incisors and canines to pierce through a few millimetres of skin and using their tongues to lick the flowing blood.

Occasionally, they would also suck the blood from the leg of domestic animals. They would often jump quickly in order to avoid harm from the leg’s host’s defensive actions. They would be able to smoothly suck the blood before it could quickly clot; due to the anticoagulants from the fluids of a blood-sucking bat. Blood-sucking bats would suck a large quantity of blood like this. In some regions where domesticated animals couldn’t be reared, as well as being a carrier of rabies or other sickness, they were thus animals that people detested. Blood-sucking backs would also occasionally suck human blood.

This was the bit of information that Rumont had read from books. However, the figures that were in front of his eyes, evidently surpassed the imagery of bats in his mind it seemed. He feared that until these blood-sucking bats were full, those that were sucked would die from blood loss.

Aberrations. As expected, they were really abnormal enough, heretical enough ah. Heavens knew how long they had lived in Briar Forest for, feasting for long terms on magical beasts blood. The toxins that their bodies carried was sure to be even more lethal. Being sucked by such aberrant blood-sucking bats, he feared that having two lives still wasn’t enough.

As Rumont re-grasped his sword, he madly waved it about, killing the blood-sucking bats that was endlessly spiralling in the air and attacking him, while being depressed inside. He currently finally knew for what reason why those human remains was so much. He was afraid that it was because they had suffered the attacks of blood-sucking bats and died here as a result. Although presently he still had a couple of healing spells he hadn’t used, he still didn’t know what else he would encountering later on. He didn’t wish to squander away his precious healing spells on this entanglement of blood-sucking bats.

Thinking to this point, he brandished his double-edged sword even more madly. The blood-sucking bats was increasingly getting their heads decapitated by the double-edged sword. Their bodies fell down on the ground and brought about a fishy scent. Allowing the people who were battling with their heads up, to trample over it; most of it becoming a meaty pulp.

At this time, because he was killing blood-sucking bats, Rumont at this time had already moved to a distance area away from Howard and them.

Precisely when he held his head up to chase away the troublesome blood-sucking bats, when suddenly, a burst of killing intent came attacking at him.

Rumont immediately reacted. He quickly turned his head and saw at an area not too far from him, that Lancas was also just being entangled by the blood-sucking bats, with his expression quite undisturbed. It seems that the one that was just watching Rumont attentively wasn’t him in any way.

However, Rumont still detected on his body the killing intent that had yet to be recovered.

Seeing that the other person painstakingly turn his head away, Rumont’s mouth jerked about, also pretended to not be aware, and continued with the fight against the blood-sucking bats in midair.

“Rumont, you alright?” even though the numbers of blood-sucking bats was many, but under the collective effort of the 9 people, they still quickly cleared away the colony of blood-sucking bats. Because Howard was worried that Rumont’s fighting strength was weak, and would be injured by the blood-sucking bats, thus he had fought while heading towards this direction. However, when he arrived by Rumont’s side, the fight on Rumont’s side had already concluded.

Meanwhile, everyone had almost concluded their pester of blood-sucking bats. It had to be said, that blood-sucking bats was a severe problem, but a few perhaps Rank 1 or Rank 2 Warriors that were already alerted beforehand, would not in the slightest be taken advantage of. It could also be seen from this that the people that died here, if it wasn’t for the fact their own capabilities wasn’t strong enough, it was otherwise because they lacked any kind of vigilance at all, or perhaps it could also be because of other reasons that lead to their loss of fighting strength. Only then would the attacks of blood-sucking bats kills so much people.

At this very moment, watching the ground of bat corpses, let alone Scarlet Mary, even Rosa’s face this time displayed an expression of disgust. It looked like snakes and animals like the blood-sucking bats would forever be targets of disgust for females.

Thus, the remaining 7 males could only fully display the poise of a gentleman during the following up process of cleaning. Their primary responsibilities was to clear up the blood-sucking bat corpses as well as the bones and so forth. As for the two females, they were arranged to continue the assignment of finding clues.

However, the final result was that the secret passage was still yet to be found. Instead, another room was accidently discovered amidst of cleanup.

This time, the one to have discovered the room was Scarlet Mary. Because Scarlet Mary and Rosa both loathed those corpses, thus they were charged with continuing the search for clues in the cleared up area.

Because her clothes was torn by the blood-sucking bats, Scarlet Mary’s mood wasn’t great; during the search, she was neither diligent. Instead, when she had casually kicked at a wooden club that was covering a wall, a low hanging door had appeared in front of her just like that.

When everyone hurried over because of several previous lessons, Commander Howard had thus lead the charge. He first kicked open the door and waited a while. Seeing that nothing was coming out, did he then carefully advance on.

This was a prayer room. Rumont’s eyes had a glance, and understood the use of this room. The reason was quite simple. The furnishings and decorations here were practically the same as the prayer room he had seen at the Mother Earth Goddess Shrine. Apart from several arranged soft mats, this room also had a table. The table had a small Goddess icon on top, and in front of the idol were a few small items used for praying.

Once he saw the small Goddess icon, Rumont had a type of déjà vu feeling. This was a very simple wooden made icon that had already lost it’s lacquer. It had already seen its ravages of time. The original appearance of the icon couldn’t even been seen anymore. Only the faintest silhouette of the face could be made out in general; which displayed a smile.

This kind of smile made Rumont feel that it was quite familiar. Thinking it over carefully again, this kind of smile, wasn’t it exactly resembling to the smile of the engraving on the stone wall? Even its clothing was also quite similar that the more Rumont looked at it, the more he felt that it was the same venerated Goddess.

Furthermore, maybe the others couldn’t see it, but as a Rank 2 Druid, Rumont’s pair of eyes could detect that although this place seems to have had a long time since anyone sweeped it, being abandoned, this small icon still had the traces of a halo on it. This kind of halo was either because the idol itself originally contained a powerful strength, or otherwise it was because it frequently received worshiping; possibly arising from the daily interactions of the people’s prayers and reverence. And it was quite obvious from looking at the situation of this place, that the second option shouldn’t be a possibility.

Rumont seeing that the others were still searching the wall in trying to find the mechanism, and nobody was noticing the small Goddess icon, he immediately walked towards the table. Afterwards, he placed his hand on top of the small icon in wanting to pick it up and look at it carefully.

The results was that at this time, an extremely strange event occurred.

When Rumont’s finger came into contact, Rumont then felt something within his inner body getting violently shocked.

This only happened for a split second.

During this moment, he seemingly felt separated from this world. Everyone in the surrounding environment, sounds and voices, all seemed to lack any effect on him at all.

His body was still standing there, but his spirit had seemingly already flown to another space. On the whole, he didn’t seem to have any kind of changes, but within his body, it seemed like a vast plains in the midst of a large storm.

And at this moment, a voice suddenly entered his ear. Along with the sounding of this voice, the whole environment also recovered to its normal state.

“Rumont, what’s wrong?” the one that issued the voice was Howard. He saw Rumont standing in front of the table and not moving, being a bit anxious had thus went and asked.

Rumont abruptly broke out of the strange type of feeling. Seeing Howard, he had then smiled and said: “nothing, I’m just thinking.”

“It’s not safe here. Be careful.” Howard nodded his head before patting his shoulder and walking off to the sides.

At this time, Rumont opened up the hand that was holding onto the idol, before pretending to not noticed the surroundings. Fortunately, nobody noticed his abnormal behaviour. Again looking at the small Goddess icon, Rumont’s mind again raised great waves.

“Pity. The present situation doesn’t allow me to investigate it more. I’ll save it for later then.” Rumont sighed out in his mind.

Afterwards, his actions was extremely quick as he placed the small Goddess icon into his chest area.

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