"Tch... A Half-Beastman from the mountains, and he actually came all the way out here," Valles scoffed.

"Aren’t you two the same? Why so hostile toward him?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who’s the same as him?"

Valles’s eyes widened. "I’m an Elf, he’s a Beastman!"

"You’re both mixed-bloods. What’s the difference?" Gray said, intrigued.

"It’s impossible to talk to people like you!" Valles fumed, exasperated.

"Why are you two arguing again?"

Marcus returned after registering the party for the mission and tossed a Gold Coin each to Zelir and Valles.

"This is the compensation from the Government Hall from last time. Three Gold Coins in total, so we’ll split it."

"The Government Hall is pretty generous," Zelir said, pocketing the Gold Coin.

"Just how much money did you guys make while I was gone?" Gray’s eyes practically bulged.

"We shouldn’t have brought you along," Valles said, giving Gray a sidelong glance.

After accepting the mission, the party assembled at the gates of Black Stone Town the following morning, as usual.

This commission put a lot of pressure on Marcus. He would have to withstand the frenzied Giant Winged Bat’s attacks, so he had specially bought a finer Composite Shield.

The Shield’s base was several laminated layers of tough wood. Its face was no longer simple wood but a solid steel plate, reinforced with rivets.

Its defensive Power was several times greater than his previous Small Round Shield or One-Handed Shield.

Of course, the Shield was also quite expensive, costing Marcus a full Gold Coin.

The Giant Winged Bat’s roost was in the western part of the Gray Wood Forest, a location clearly marked on their map.

To be on the safe side, however, Marcus didn’t head there directly. Instead, he first led them to Valley Village, which was being plagued by the Giant Winged Bat.

It was always best to understand the situation before acting. What if the intel was wrong?

Valley Village.

True to its name, the village was nestled in a small valley with a creek babbling past. The scenery was actually quite nice.

However, even before Zelir and his party stepped foot in the village, they sensed the somber atmosphere.

It was broad daylight, yet as far as the eye could see, there wasn’t a single person in the village, nor were there any figures toiling in the fields. It gave off an eerie, sinister feeling.

"This is seriously creepy," Zelir muttered.

"This is normal. When faced with a Demon scourge, common folk have no Power to protect themselves. All they can do is hide."

Marcus had seen this sort of thing countless times.

"Especially with a flying Demon like the Giant Winged Bat. It can snatch up not just a child but a full-grown adult in a single dive. Everyone else can only watch helplessly."

As they entered the village, there was finally a stir from one of the houses.

A wooden door, left slightly ajar, swung open, and an old man leaning on a cane hurried out to meet them.

"Thank the gods... Are you the Adventurers who took the commission? You’re finally here!"

The old man tightly gripped Marcus’s hand. "I am Village Chief Bart."

Spurred by Village Chief Bart’s actions, people began to emerge from the other houses, one after another.

The moment they stepped out of their homes, the villagers instinctively glanced up at the sky, their faces etched with fear.

"Adventurers!"

"It’s the Adventurers! Our village is saved!"

"Kill that damn bat!"

Overwhelmed by the clamor, Marcus could only hold up a hand to quiet them.

"Please, everyone, be quiet... Before we begin, we need to confirm some details."

"Village Chief Bart, when did the Giant Winged Bat first appear?"

"About five or six days ago..."

Village Chief Bart began to recall.

"It flew over the village, and we lost a lot of livestock. At first, we thought it was an eagle or something, so we had a few Hunters try to shoot it with a Bow and Arrow. But that just sent it into a frenzy, and it dove right at us."

Fear was etched all over Village Chief Bart’s face; the memory of that moment still terrified him.

"Our people were no match for it. Its claws tore John’s head clean off... and the others were all injured."

"Ever since then, it’s come back every day to circle over the village. The moment it spots someone, it attacks. We had to wait until it was gone just to send someone to Black Stone Town for help..."

"How big is the Giant Winged Bat?" Valles asked.

"With its wings spread... it’s about five or six meters across."

One of the village Hunters spoke up. "And its wingtips have sharp bone claws. Its teeth are sharp, too, and it can unleash some kind of attack like a Wind Blade!"

"Are you sure it’s the same one every time?" Valles asked again.

"Positive!" the Hunter answered with conviction.

Once they had all the information, the four of them exchanged a look.

What the villagers described matched the details on the commission.

"Adventurers, when do you plan to act?" Village Chief Bart asked, his voice trembling.

"Right now," Marcus said. "It should be at its weakest around noon."

Just before they left, a little girl hugged Zelir’s leg and looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Mister Adventurer, please... you have to avenge my daddy..."

Zelir knelt and gently stroked her head.

"Don’t worry. We will."

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

Even for a Demon, the Giant Winged Bat’s basic instincts would be to seek darkness and avoid light. The forest here was far denser than in other areas; even in broad daylight, the interior was dim.

Combined with the fact that the Giant Winged Bat’s diet included various large animals, this place was an ideal habitat for it.

"Zelir, use your Lighting Skill to scout ahead. You and Valles, stay ready to attack. Gray, you’re on support. When I’m drawing its aggro, you need to focus on destroying its wings so it can’t fly!" Marcus said.

"Got it!"

A ball of light slowly rose, hovering over their heads and illuminating the surroundings.

Valles looked up, surveying their surroundings.

The trees here were incredibly tall, their dense, overlapping canopies almost completely obscuring the sky. Massive roots snaked across the surface of the ground like slumbering pythons.

Many branches showed signs of being violently snapped, and claw marks scarred the tree trunks.

From the moment they stepped into the dense woods, the party remained on high alert.

The air was unusually hot and humid, like a steam basket. A faint, fetid stench hung in the air—likely the smell of rotting animal carcasses.

Every member of the party had a growing sense of foreboding.

They were getting close.

"Everyone, watch the skies," Marcus said quietly.

He slowed his pace, carefully picking his way through the tree roots and holding his Shield over his head.

Valles’s pointed ears twitched incessantly, trying to catch the slightest sound as he vigilantly scanned the canopy above.