Chapter 58: The Bat That Followed

Daemon raised his hand.

A deep blue-and-white storm of light erupted in front of them as the Solitary Gate tore open. Space twisted violently for a moment, and the familiar pressure of the portal spread outward in waves.

The air hummed with energy strong enough to make the nearby grass bend.

Victoria’s eyes widened.

She had seen dungeon gates before, but only the ones that formed naturally across the world. She had never watched someone open one with their own power.

The swirling light reflected across her face as Daemon reached out and took her hand. Sana stepped up on his other side without hesitation.

Together, the three of them walked into the gate.

When Victoria opened her eyes again, the world had changed completely.

For a moment, she couldn’t speak.

Every dungeon she had entered before was the same barren rock, corroded walls, lifeless air, and an environment that felt hostile to human existence.

The deeper floors especially always carried the stench of decay and blood. But this place was nothing like that.

An enormous forest stretched out before her. Towering trees rose high into the sky, their leaves glowing under soft golden sunlight. Clear waterfalls cascaded down distant cliffs, creating thin curtains of mist that sparkled in the light.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of greenery and damp earth. Small beasts ran freely between the roots, while strange winged creatures soared high above, their cries echoing faintly across the canopy.

Victoria’s eyes shone.

"...This is beautiful."

Daemon watched her reaction quietly and smiled.

Sana glanced at him.

"Why didn’t you open the gate directly inside Silverheart Palace?"

"I can," Daemon replied. "But I wanted Victoria to experience this place a little first. The nature here... it’s different from anything on Earth."

Sana smiled.

"That’s good. Looks like she already likes it."

Victoria had already started walking ahead, looking around with open curiosity. She kept smiling without even realizing it, stopping every few steps to take in another view.

a cluster of glowing flowers, a stream running over smooth stones, a small creature watching them from a branch before darting away.

After giving her a short time to explore, Daemon called out,

"Victoria. We should move. We’re near the border of the Elorian Kingdom right now. People from other kingdoms sometimes roam this area. I’d rather not run into them."

Victoria nodded, though she still looked reluctant to leave the scenery behind.

"Alright."

They began walking deeper into the forest.

For the next few hours, Victoria continued to take in everything around her. The deeper they went, the clearer it became that this world was truly alive.

The plants, the animals, even the flow of energy in the air felt richer than anything on Earth. It wasn’t just beautiful it felt ancient and powerful, as if the land itself carried history.

While they walked, Daemon and Sana explained what they knew about Virendal.

They told her about the many races that lived here High Elves, beastkin, and other bloodline clans. They explained how power in this world didn’t follow Earth’s Hunter ranking system.

Instead, strength was measured through bloodline awakening and stage progression. The higher the stage a person reached, the longer they could live while preserving their youth.

Victoria listened carefully to every word, occasionally asking short questions whenever something was unclear.

After several hours, the trees finally thinned, and a massive gate came into view.

Two elven guards stood at the entrance of the Elorian Kingdom, both wearing light armor woven with silver patterns. The moment Sana stepped forward, both guards straightened and bowed deeply.

"Lady Sana. Welcome back to the kingdom."

They opened the gate without delay.

Victoria immediately covered her mouth, trying and failing to hold back a laugh.

"Lady Sana?"

Sana’s expression twisted.

"I earned that respect. I helped them many times with Zephyra. Don’t laugh at me."

Victoria wiped the corner of her eye, still smiling.

"I’ll try to control it."

As they stepped through the gate, the full view of the Elorian Kingdom unfolded before them.

The kingdom was built in harmony with nature rather than against it. Wide pathways of pale stone wound between towering trees that had been carefully shaped into homes, towers, and open halls.

Soft green-gold light filtered down through the thick canopy above. High Elves moved gracefully through the streets, their clothing light and elegant, woven with natural patterns that seemed to shift slightly with the wind.

There were no loud machines or heavy metal structures. Everything felt calm, refined, and ancient. Bridges made of living wood connected different levels of the city.

Clear streams ran alongside the main roads, and glowing crystals provided gentle light instead of artificial lamps.

The entire kingdom felt less like a city and more like a living forest that had chosen to welcome people into it.

Then they saw it.

At the center of the kingdom rose an enormous silver tree.

Its trunk was so massive that it seemed to support the sky itself. The bark shimmered faintly under the light, and the upper branches disappeared into the clouds, making it impossible to see the top. All three of them tilted their heads back in silence.

Daemon let out a quiet breath.

"How long would it take to reach that height..."

Victoria shook her head slowly, still staring upward.

"It would definitely take years."

Sana smiled and pointed ahead.

"Come on. The palace is inside the tree. There’s a wooden staircase that leads upward."

As they moved closer to the entrance of Silverheart Palace, Victoria suddenly stopped.

Something felt off.

She turned her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.

A small bat was flying a short distance behind them.

She had noticed it earlier in the forest, but she hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Now, however, it was clear the creature had been following them the entire way.

No matter how far they walked, it never disappeared from sight for long.

Daemon and Sana stopped when they noticed she wasn’t moving.

"What are you doing?" Daemon asked.

Victoria kept her eyes on the bat.

"I want to take a closer look at that thing."

Sana frowned slightly.

"Leave the bat alone. Don’t kill it."

Victoria glanced at her.

"Who said I was going to kill it? I just want to look."

She raised one hand.

A small spherical structure of condensed blood formed in the air and shot forward with precise control. Before the bat could escape, the sphere closed around it completely.

The creature thrashed inside, wings beating rapidly as it tried to break free, but the blood barrier held firm.

The sphere floated back into Victoria’s palm.

She leaned closer and looked at the small bat trapped inside, her expression curious rather than hostile.

"Hey, little thing. Why have you been following us all the way through the forest? Do you like me?"

She poked the barrier lightly with one finger, almost playing with it.

Then the sphere suddenly burst.

A thick red mist exploded outward without warning.

Daemon reacted instantly. He pulled both women behind him and spread his arms, shielding them with his body as the mist expanded.

Within the swirling red haze, the bat’s form twisted and expanded. Wings folded inward, limbs stretched, and the small creature’s body reshaped itself at a speed too fast for the eye to fully follow.

In the next moment, a woman stood where the bat had been.

She wore a dark mask that covered most of her face. Her presence felt strange neither fully hostile nor friendly and the air around her carried a faint, unfamiliar pressure.

Victoria’s breath caught.

The moment she looked at the masked woman, something deep inside her chest pulled tight. A familiar feeling rose without warning, something she couldn’t explain or name.

As if she had stood in front of this person before.

In another time.

In another life.