Chapter 80: Healing Abilities and Light Magic

Chapter 80

As the quintessential nocturnal creature, bats are naturally elusive in the darkness, rarely detected by humans. Yet, they can easily track human movement through ultrasonic waves beyond the range of human hearing.

After the apocalypse, many bats underwent mutations. These mutated bats became not only nearly invisible to the naked eye but also exceedingly difficult to detect even with sophisticated equipment. It was as though they were cloaked in an extra layer of protection, allowing them to evade thermal imaging and infrared sensors.

Moreover, the sound produced by the wings of these mutated bats was nearly imperceptible to ordinary ears. Their flight was so swift that even the slightest delay in reaction could result in being scratched by them. Although a scratch from a mutated bat wouldn’t turn a person into a zombie, it would prevent blood from clotting for a short period.

In the post-apocalyptic world, carrying the strong scent of blood was tantamount to inviting greater dangers.

Ling Feng had no idea how Mei had detected this particular bat. His concern was: how many more mutated bats like this one might be lurking nearby?

“Are there more?” Ling Feng asked directly.

In response, Mei drew another arrow and shot it, answering with action rather than words.

The others, who had been eating, realized there truly was something amiss. They quickly dropped their food, grabbed their weapons in a panic, and stared nervously at the sky.

But the mutated bats moved with terrifying speed; by the time anyone noticed them, it was often too late to dodge. In mere moments, several people were scratched, and one unlucky soul had his carotid artery torn open, blood spurting in a crimson spray. The thick scent of blood immediately drew countless bats into a frenzied attack. Within moments, that person was reduced to a shriveled husk by the swarming bats.

“Xiao You, boost everyone’s senses!” Mei called out as she continued shooting at the bats that swooped closer from above.

After observing the bats’ abnormality, she realized why the others had failed to notice their approach in time. These mutated bats were enveloped by a membrane of energy that rendered them partially invisible. Coupled with the cover of night, even those with enhanced vision found it difficult to perceive their presence.

Only by using spiritual power to sense the faintest energy fluctuations could their movements be detected.

“Sensory boost!” An Ziyou’s voice was soft, but every person present heard it clearly.

The moment his words fell, everyone felt their five senses become markedly sharper. Those with strong spiritual power found their awareness extending even further, giving them crucial time to react.

Those with abilities unleashed long-range attacks against the bats, while those without had to wait until the bats drew near to strike.

Though most had never faced mutated bats before, they were seasoned fighters. After the initial chaos, they quickly adapted their tactics, grew calmer, and dispatched the bats with increasing efficiency.

Because of the bats’ speed, An Ziyou couldn’t lock onto them accurately, so his powers had little effect. Having just expended tremendous energy boosting everyone’s senses, he instead began, under Mei’s protective shield, to attempt chanting a new spell.

Mei had found a moment to help him record several magical incantations for him to study and experiment with, searching for the ones most suited to him.

This was his first time attempting this particular spell. He didn’t know if it would succeed, but he had to try. If he succeeded, the threat of these mutated bats would be greatly diminished.

Mei, hearing him begin his chant, cast a protective barrier around him to ensure her attacks wouldn’t interrupt his spellcasting.

The incantation was much longer than the blessing spell, taking him a full minute and a half to complete. During that time, more people fell under the bats’ relentless assault.

As he finished, an invisible wave of energy spread rapidly through the swarm of mutated bats. The fighters quickly realized that the bats had slowed, their movements growing rigid, their wingbeats awkward and stiff—making them far easier to kill.

Seeing this, morale surged, and the group’s attacks grew even more ferocious.

An Ziyou, meanwhile, sat under Mei’s shield, recovering his depleted energy.

After a grueling battle, the group finally managed to wipe out several hundred mutated bats.

Ling Feng, finally able to catch his breath, began to organize the tally of casualties.

There had been 115 participants in this mission. In this assault, three had been drained dry by the bats. Sixty-nine more suffered varying degrees of injury. Of these, the eight most severely wounded were already showing signs of excessive blood loss: fainting, cold skin, and other symptoms.

Ling Feng looked over these people, then turned to Xiao Keran and asked, “Can you heal them?”

Xiao Keran was in a sorry state—her clothes torn in several places, but by rare luck she had escaped without injury. Hearing Ling Feng’s question, she forced her aching limbs to stand and went to check on the wounded. A soft, milky-white light radiated from her hands as she laid them over the wounds.

Mei watched Xiao Keran’s healing ability with curiosity—this was her first time witnessing a healer in action. During their previous journey together, Xiao Keran had never demonstrated this power.

Healing magic was a branch of light-based magic. Not every light mage could wield it. Mei’s own light magic specialized in dispelling darkness, especially effective against dark arts. She could wield other light magic, but with much reduced effect, and some spells—like healing—she couldn’t cast at all.

The gentle nature of healing magic was the opposite of her own light abilities. Unless she became an Elemental Deity, she could never use it.

Yet with a single glance, Mei recognized that Xiao Keran’s healing power drew from light energy as well. The key difference was that healing magic stimulated the patient’s own life force to mend wounds, while Xiao Keran’s ability seemed infused with abundant life force independent of the patient. In fact, as she cast her healing, her own vitality seemed to grow, her cheeks flushing with health.

How strange! Where did all that life force come from? It couldn’t just appear out of thin air.

Wounds from the mutated bats contained a peculiar energy that prevented them from closing, continuing to bleed until the energy dissipated. Xiao Keran’s healing power could neutralize this energy, but at considerable cost; she poured out all her energy and managed to save only five of the eight gravely wounded. The remaining three could not hold out long enough for her to recover, and the group could only watch helplessly as they succumbed to blood loss.

Losing six people on the very first day drove home the true difficulty of their mission.

The fallen were given a hasty burial by their companions; there was no time for mourning, as a new problem forced itself upon them.

Their temporary camp was no longer tenable. Even if they burned all the bat corpses, the stench of blood would linger for hours. No one could guess what further horrors it might attract. They had no choice but to move.

Only two options remained: press into the mountains by night, or drive back the way they had come. Entering the mountains meant facing unknown dangers, while retreating with sixty-odd wounded would draw zombies in droves, no matter where they stopped. Moreover, retreating would mean retracing their steps at dawn, a waste of precious time.

Weighing the two, Ling Feng decided caution was the better part of valor. The group would withdraw fifty kilometers and reassess. After all, if they lost too many before even reaching the laboratory, the journey ahead would only grow harder and slower.

Everyone boarded the vehicles again, driving fifty kilometers back before stopping to set camp anew.

Because the wounded reeked of blood, only the uninjured could take watch. Forty-eight people—including the five who had been healed—remained, divided into six groups of eight, taking turns on night watch.

Mei’s team of six, all unscathed, were split into pairs and assigned as the first watch group.

“Xiao You, get some rest. We don’t need you tonight!” Mei objected as she saw An Ziyou, exhausted but insistent, trying to join them for the watch.

“I’m fine. It’s only an hour and a half—I can manage,” An Ziyou replied softly, looking at Mei.

“There are enough of us. Why push yourself? You’ve already used up so much energy tonight. If you don’t rest now, how will you recover? We’re heading into the mountains tomorrow—what will you do without your powers?” the others agreed.

Convinced by their reasoning, An Ziyou realized he’d only be a burden if he stayed. Better to recover as much as possible.

After a moment’s hesitation, he turned toward the tent.

But as soon as he lifted the flap, he discovered two people who had no business being there.

“What are you doing here?” An Ziyou frowned at Si Tuqing and Xiao Keran, who were huddled together under a blanket.

“Um… there were too many people in our tent. Yours had fewer, so we wondered if we could stay here for one night,” Xiao Keran answered sheepishly.

Tents had been allocated by team and family group. The Xiao siblings had come with the Liu family, who had three other members besides them. With the wounded resting in the vehicles, the Liu family leader decided for safety that all their people and their affiliated mercenaries would sleep together. A tent meant for five now had thirteen people cramped inside. The overcrowding, combined with the lingering scents of blood and sweat from the earlier battle, drove Xiao Keran out. She bumped into Si Tuqing, who found herself in the same predicament. Reasoning that Mei’s tent had only six, they decided to join them—without asking.

An Ziyou’s frown deepened, a touch of irritation in his eyes. People called Mei delicate, but these two were clearly even more so!

The fog is thick in my area today. I’m not sure about other places, but I hope everyone stays safe if you have to travel!