Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It was already nighttime by the time Reed returned to the castle.
After he stretched for a bit, he called the guard, who had been guarding the corridor, over.
“Call Dylan over. We will head to the hexbat cave.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
Two solhours later, inside the hexbat cave.
The hexbats lived in the cave to the left of the castle, and the cave was not too far from the sacred grounds where the Divine Spirit was stored.
The cave had steps connecting it to the ground, and the entrance itself was a huge landing platform with bluestone slabs covered in dense claw marks, large and small.
There were hundreds of hexbats living in that cave.
While he was mentally prepared, Reed was still taken aback when he saw the hexbats.
They were the King Kong version of a bat and were just too big.
Terrible barbs were visible on their ten-meter-long bat wings when unfolded, and their wingtips gleamed with cold light; they were sharp enough to pierce a knight’s armor.
The bulging muscles in their two giant claws were prominent, and their claws looked as strong as the arms of a giant.
Razor-sharp fangs lined their mouth and could easily chew through the armors of soldiers. Adding that to its iconic long ears, the hexbat looked every part a creature from a magical world.
Name: Hexbats
Level: 6
Abilities:
1. Rage: Flies into rage after being wounded. Strength will increase greatly without any fear of pain
2. Blood Revival: Consuming blood will quickly heal any bodily wounds
3. Powerful Physique: Hexbats tamed using a special method have very powerful physiques
4. Sound Wave: Hexbats can emit a unique sound wave for echolocation, which can also be transformed into mind magic. Third Circle Spell: Mind Shock
Explanation: Hexbats are giant bats raised using a special method by the vampires. They have massive strength, as well as speed, and are able to unleash mind attacks. They are creatures unique to vampires.
Powerful.
That was the only thought Reed had after he read the hexbat’s attribute panel. Its four abilities gave it powers beyond any ordinary beast, especially the final Sound Wave talent. It was a solid Third Circle Spell, which surprised him somewhat.
Spellcasters were extremely rare, and not only were vampires natural spellcasters, but even their trained mounts had spellcasting talents as well.
The vampires had more than four hundred similar hexbats now.
Reed finally realized that he had somewhat underestimated the foundation that the vampires had built over the past two hundred years.
His mood was getting better and better.
Only the strong had the ability to protect themselves.
“Patriarch, everything is ready.”
Dylan extended his hand and motioned to the four hexbats before him. He then got his men to secure the heavy oaken chest on one of the bat’s backs.
In order to ease the ride, every hexbat had a special riding tool on its back, similar to a knight’s saddle.
Hence, securing the chest was not difficult.
Reed nodded and did not say much. It was already three past midnight now, and it would be dawn by the time he reached Grimm.
The night was far more suitable for any vampire to move about than the day.
“Ready the hexbats. I will send you a missive after I have purchased enough food items. Also, if the cleaning works in the southern district are progressing too slowly, please assist me in reminding Eudes.
“The future of our kind will change now. Dylan, you are bearing witness to a historical moment. Do not let me down.”
Dylan was greatly moved by Reed’s words, which was an expression of the Patriarch’s trust in him.
He held a single hand to his chest and bowed in an aristocratic manner.
His tone was solemn and serious.
“Lord Progenitor, I will fight for you until the end.”
“Dylan, you know that I have always trusted you. Well, I will head back first.”
Reed waved his hand to stop the excited Dylan from expressing his heartfelt gratitude again.
Walking over to the quiet and obedient hexbat, he stepped on the special short ladder and hopped onto its back… The saddle was made out of cloth and cotton.
It felt soft and comfortable after he sat down and was nothing like the bone-framed saddle he had imagined earlier.
He gently tugged the reins, and the hexbat, whose IQ was no less than that of a ten-year-old child, kicked back its claws slightly. At the same time, its wings expanded, whipping up a strong gust.
The hexbat’s massive frame rose into the air under the goddess of the night’s gaze.
The three other hexbats behind it also took off normally.
That was the first time Reed had ever experienced such flight.
It was completely different from any form of flying. As he saw the castle and vampires below get increasingly smaller and the mountains grow distant, he had to say that the feeling of riding a hexbat was not bad.
Since the progenitor often trekked between Grimm and the castle, he knew the path by heart.
He guided the hexbats through the mountains as he faced the cold moonlight in the dark.
The hexbats were extremely fast, and Reed estimated that they could reach up to 300 km per hour.
At first, he could enjoy the pleasure of looking down at the ground, but now, his eyes were dry and painful from the strong wind.
In the end, he used a First Circle spell, Mana Shield to solve the problem.
Three solhours later, the hexbats slowly landed in the woods outside Grimm.
Right then, dawn had broken.
After Reed got off the bat, he used Mage’s Hand to take the chest off the back of another hexbat, and with the wave of his hand, he sent the hexbats back to the castle.
Hexbats that had been domesticated possessed the same positioning ability as pigeons… and they could always find the way to their lair no matter where they were.
Reed looked at the hexbats as they disappeared into the distance, and he tidied up his wrinkled blue mage robes before he slowly walked out of the woods.
On the main road just outside Grimm, there were caravans that had been forced to stay overnight on both sides of the road, because they missed the final call to enter the city. They saw a scene that both surprised and scared them.
A robed mage was out alone at dawn, and behind him was a translucent giant hand holding an oaken chest.
The bizarre scene made the escorting knights, who were still on guard, vigilant.
Mages were rarer than the nobility, and every time a mage headed out, he would be escorted front and back. For one to walk out of the woods just like that was terrifying.
It was simply abnormal.
Reed calmly glanced at the several groups of merchants that were stationed together and did not react much when he saw the guard’s vigilant as well as fearful faces.
His robe and the Mage’s Hand behind him had indicated his identity.
In this world where mages were the representation of power and the arcane, it would have been abnormal if these ordinary merchant guards did not respond when they saw him.
It was still a bit early now, and the city gate would not open until after the sun rose.
He had at least another one and a half solhours to go.
Reed needed to find a place to rest.
He glanced at several of the caravans, and a fully-armed merchant caravan attracted his attention. It was on guard by the vast grassland on the right side of the road.
There were obvious battle marks on the twenty-odd carriages, and a few of them were even half destroyed.
Many of the wounded were sitting around the campfire, and the thick scent of blood, even when covered by herbal concoctions, could not escape the vampire’s keen sense.
Unexpectedly, he saw a familiar flag on the carriages.
The flag had two golden ears of wheat that were crossed together and a beautiful gold pattern, which had been sewn by a maid with dexterous fingers.
The Goldwheat Guild.
Reed narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped.