Chapter 83: Something Is Being Summoned

Ethan sent several Shadow Wraiths ahead to scout the passages.

He and Aria continued deeper into the cave, following the route that led toward the Bat King’s chamber.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Aria asked.

"Not far."

"That’s what you said earlier."

"I found something this time."

Aria sighed and continued following him.

As they moved forward, Ethan noticed that the remaining bats were behaving strangely. Some hid in narrow passages, while others perched on the walls with their ears moving as they listened to the sounds around them.

They weren’t simply resting. They were using their echolocation to monitor the passages.

Whenever a Shadow Wraith moved nearby, the bats turned toward it and followed its movements.

Ethan understood why the bats were acting that way.

"They’re keeping watch for the Bat King," he muttered.

He wasn’t going to let them continue monitoring his movements.

Ethan gave his Shadow Wraiths an order, and the bats hiding along the passages were quickly eliminated.

He continued forward with Aria while his summons cleared the remaining passages.

They hadn’t gone far when one of his Shadow Wraiths spotted a large bat approaching from another passage. Its body was much bigger than those of the ordinary bats, and its claws were long and sharp.

It was the guardian the Bat King had sent to deal with them.

Ethan stopped walking.

"What’s wrong?" Aria asked.

"We have a guest."

Before she could ask what he meant, a loud cry came from the passage ahead.

A huge bat rushed toward them with its wings spread wide.

Aria stepped back, trembling at the sight.

"What is that thing?!"

Ethan raised his hand, and several Shadow Wraiths rushed forward to meet the incoming monster.

The guardian opened its mouth and released a sharp cry.

The sound spread through the passage, causing several Shadow Wraiths to freeze in place. Their bodies trembled as the sound disrupted their movements.

The guardian took the opportunity to charge through them.

However, more Shadow Wraiths were waiting on both sides of the passage. They attacked its wings and claws, forcing it to slow down.

The guardian cried again. The nearest Wraiths were briefly stunned, but the others continued attacking.

Ethan watched the fight.

"So that’s your ability."

The guardian’s cries could disrupt his Shadow Wraiths and make it difficult for them to coordinate their attacks.

It was an interesting ability, but it wasn’t enough to stop his legion.

Ethan summoned several Solar Elementals behind the Shadow Wraiths.

"Attack."

The Solar Elementals raised their heads and fired rays from their eyes.

The guardian tried to dodge, but the narrow passage left it with little room to move. Several rays struck its body, forcing it to retreat.

Realizing that it couldn’t win, the guardian turned around and tried to escape.

"Don’t let it go," Ethan ordered.

Shadow Wraiths rushed in from behind and blocked its path. Others attacked from the sides, grabbing its wings and limbs with their claws.

The guardian struggled and released another cry, but more summons continued to join the fight.

It couldn’t break through.

Within moments, the Shadow Wraiths dragged it to the ground. The Solar Elementals fired several more rays, finishing it off.

The guardian’s body disappeared, leaving behind an essence buff.

Aria looked at the spot where it had fallen.

"That thing was supposed to stop us?"

"It was doing its job," Ethan replied. "The Bat King doesn’t want us getting any closer."

He collected the essence buff and continued forward.

A few Shadow Wraiths moved ahead to check the next passage. They soon found several empty blood containers lying near the wall.

Ethan stopped to examine them.

"More of those containers?" Aria asked.

"Yes. The bats must have been carrying blood through here."

Ethan glanced at the empty containers before ordering his Shadow Wraiths to continue scouting.

The strange markings he had seen earlier came to mind again. He was beginning to suspect that the markings formed a summoning formation, one that required a large amount of blood.

It would explain why the Bat King had ordered the bats to collect so much blood.

But what was it trying to summon?

Ethan couldn’t think of anything that would require such a large amount of blood.

...

Deep inside the cave, the Bat King opened its red eyes.

"The Waykeeper was weaker than I expected. It died so quickly."

Still, that didn’t matter as the guardian had served its purpose.

The Bat King looked down at the pool of blood beneath it.

Its red eyes narrowed as it recalled the human who had killed the Waykeeper.

"That human..." it muttered. "He has already caused enough trouble."

It flapped its wings in irritation.

"If that human hadn’t interfered, the Lord’s plan would have been completed much sooner. Now, we’ll have to wait a little longer."

"But the delay doesn’t matter. The Lord’s power is enough to send it through. Once the summoning is complete, everything will be worth it."

"That human will be the first one I kill!"

The blood in the pools began to bubble.

The Bat King watched as the bubbles spread across the surface. Soon, the entire pool was boiling, and the markings on the floor began to glow.

...

Ethan stopped in front of the stone door.

"Stay close to me, Aria."

Aria looked at him in confusion.

"Why? Can’t you just burn that bat to death with your fire? With so many summons, it shouldn’t be difficult."

Ethan shook his head.

"I can deal with it using my fire. But I want to see what it’s been doing with all that blood first."

Aria glanced at the stone door.

"What’s there to see? Just go in and burn it."

"Didn’t you see those markings on the floor? The Bat King has been collecting blood for a reason. I’d rather find out what it’s planning before destroying everything."

"So, you’re saying we should be careful?"

"Not exactly." Ethan smiled slightly. "I’m just curious about what it’s up to. Besides, if it has something prepared for us, I’d rather know about it before I use my fire."

Aria sighed.

"Fine. I’ll stay close."

Ethan nodded and pushed the door open.