Chapter 218: Rescue Mission [3]

The small footprints continued along the corridor.

Liam led the way alongside Jordan and Ray, while the rest of the group maintained a tight formation.

After finding those tracks, everyone had become more attentive to their surroundings. The possibility that Emma was still nearby gave them hope, but it also meant they had to proceed carefully.

“The footprints continue to the left,” Zayn reported after moving a few meters ahead.

“There’s another corridor that seems to lead to a larger room.”

Liam nodded.

“Don’t get too far ahead. Wait for us to catch up before you continue exploring.”

“Understood, Boss.”

The group turned down the corridor and entered a spacious hall. Several columns supported a partially collapsed ceiling, and the walls were decorated with worn reliefs depicting creatures that were difficult to identify.

At the far end stood a stone door, partially open.

Lena studied the reliefs as she walked.

“Do you think someone actually built all this? I mean, it doesn’t look like an ordinary cave.”

“It’s possible the dungeon is recreating some kind of ancient architecture,” Liam replied.

“But we don’t have enough information to know for sure.”

Lucas gently knocked on one of the walls with his knuckles.

“At least it seems pretty solid.”

A small fragment of stone fell from the ceiling and landed beside his boot.

Lucas pulled his hand away.

“I take that back.”

Eve burst out laughing, but Liam raised a hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He had heard something.

At first, the sound was barely noticeable, like a distant rustling that repeated at irregular intervals. Then it came again, accompanied by the faint flutter of wings.

A system message appeared before Liam’s eyes.

[Danger!]

Liam looked up at the ceiling.

“Do you hear that?”

Nora closed her eyes and extended her senses through her shadow creatures.

“There’s movement above us.”

Before she could explain further, a piercing screech rang through the hall.

Several hunters instinctively covered their ears.

Winged creatures began emerging from the cracks in the ceiling. Their bodies were small and dark, with membranous wings and curved claws. Their heads had large ears and deformed snouts, but the most unsettling thing about them was that they appeared to have no eyes.

Dozens of bats descended toward the group.

“Contact!” Ray shouted.

Jordan stepped forward and hardened his body, shielding the front of the formation. The first creatures collided with him and bounced off, while others tried to fly over his shoulders.

Carol covered her arms in a layer of stone and struck any bats that came too close. Emily unleashed small electrical discharges to keep them away, taking care not to hit her teammates.

“There are too many!” Chuck exclaimed, throwing several knives.

His weapons cut through the air, bringing down multiple creatures, but the rest continued to descend.

Liam drew his weapon and positioned himself beside Lydia.

“Don’t let them surround us! Hold formation!”

Lydia extended an arm and unleashed a gust of wind that swept a group of bats away. Lucas advanced a few steps and punched two creatures with his enormous gloves, sending them crashing into a column.

Eve raised a hand.

“Get down!”

An explosion lit up the hall and shook the air. Several creatures fell to the floor, but the blast triggered another wave of screeches.

Nora’s eyes snapped open.

“Wait! I think they’re reacting to sound!”

Liam immediately understood what she meant.

The bats had no visible eyes and seemed to navigate using their screeches. Every explosion, every impact against the walls, and every shout from the hunters could be attracting even more creatures.

“Stop attacking indiscriminately!” he ordered.

“We need to reduce the noise!”

Eve lowered her hand, realizing her mistake.

“Understood. No more explosions.”

Jordan retreated to protect the others while Carol and Emily adjusted their movements. Liam pointed toward a side opening that led into a narrow passage.

“We’re retreating through there! Move in small groups, and don’t split up!”

◇◆◇

The hunters began to fall back, using precise attacks to keep the creatures at bay without making more noise than necessary.

Zayn was the first to reach the side passage. He stopped just before the entrance and waited for his teammates to catch up, resisting the urge to sprint ahead.

Liam noticed his effort and gave him a brief nod.

“Well done. Stay with the group.”

The passage was narrower, with a low ceiling. The bats tried to follow them, but Jordan blocked most of the entrance while Ray altered the density of a fallen stone slab, shifting it into place to partially seal the opening.

The creatures collided with the obstacle and scattered amid a chorus of screeches.

A few seconds later, silence returned.

The hunters stood still, listening.

All they could hear was their own breathing and the faint crunch of sand beneath their boots.

Chuck leaned against the wall.

“Well, I think I can officially confirm that I hate bats. How am I supposed to intimidate them with a menacing glare?”

“Maybe you could try keeping your mouth shut,” Eve replied.

Lucas burst out laughing, but stopped when Liam shot him a look.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Liam approached the entrance and examined the obstacle they’d put in place. He couldn’t hear any movement on the other side, though that didn’t mean the creatures had left.

“Nora, can you check if they’re still there?”

She sent several shadow creatures through the cracks in the wall. A moment later, she shook her head.

“They’re still in the hall. Some have hidden in the ceiling, but they don’t seem to be trying to get past the blockage.”

“Then we won’t be going back the way we came.”

Lydia looked toward the end of the passage.

“There’s another door.”

An arched opening led into a dark room. A current of air flowed from within, carrying sand into the corridor.

Liam studied the floor before approaching. He didn’t want to repeat the mistake of moving forward without checking their surroundings.

“Let’s take it slow. If we encounter another threat, we’ll retreat and look for a different route.”

The group passed through the doorway and entered a room that appeared to have been used as a storage area. Broken shelves, stone containers, and pieces of furniture covered in a thick layer of dust were scattered throughout the space.

On the floor near one of the walls, Liam spotted something that caught his attention.

He crouched down and picked up a small piece of fabric.

It was light-colored, with a torn edge.

“Do you think it belongs to the girl?” Chloe asked.

Liam examined the fragment carefully.

“We can’t be sure, but it could be a clue.”

Lydia studied the floor and pointed to some barely visible marks in the sand.

“There are footprints here, too.”

They were small, similar to the ones they’d found in the previous corridor. This time, however, they led toward a door at the far end of the room.

“Then we’re heading in the right direction,” Lucas remarked.

“Possibly,” Liam replied.

“But we don’t know how long she’s been here or whether the footprints are recent. Stay alert.”

He tucked the piece of fabric into a compartment in his gear and approached the door.

Before opening it, he looked back at the group.

“What just happened taught us something important. These creatures react to sound. If we encounter more of them, we’ll need to move carefully and avoid attacks that could attract them.”

Eve nodded, no longer joking around.

“Understood. I’ll be more careful with my explosions.”

“We all need to be,” Liam replied.

He slowly opened the door.

Beyond it stretched another corridor, wider than the previous one. Several columns were visible in the distance, along with a descending staircase that disappeared into the darkness.

Liam studied the path ahead.

Emma could be somewhere in those ruins, alone and frightened. Every minute they spent there increased the chances of something happening to her.

“We’re moving on,” he ordered.

The hunters followed him, leaving the hall of bats behind.

They still hadn’t found the girl, but now they knew that these ruins concealed creatures capable of turning the slightest noise into a threat.