I Became A Bat

48: Desert Night

Cold wind from the night is blowing wildly against the barrier of mana around me while I'm flying in the lonely skies of the Desolate Continent. On my waist is a belt with a metallic arm connected to it. The arm is currently gripping tight on Maine's waist whose face looks to be devoid of blood.

The two of us are silent as we traverse the aerial territory of the demon clans. It's too boring without anyonr speaking so I tried to break the silence but while my mouth is just about to open, she is already speaking.

While trying to straighten her shaking voice, she speaks. "W-when you said we're flying with your wings, I thought that..."

"That I would princess carry you?" I grin as I tease her.

When my head turns back to look at her, a fist flies towards my face. I move my head sideways to dodge before laughter bursts out of my mouth. This girl's mind is so easy to read. Is this what they call a sheltered child's wild imagination?

"I-I didn't say I wanted that. A-anyway, can we just fly a little bit lower. There are more space tears over here." She changes the topic by pointing towards the front.

I return my gaze towards the front where the scene of the space being torn apart every few seconds and then closing at the same time enters my eyes. This place is getting really dangerous. If we get trapped in that maze of space tears, we're minced meat!

The blowing of the wind changes directions as I suddenly make a dive. When there's only a few meters distance between me and the plains of sands, I nimbly move my body into a horizontal posture. Finally, I'm back to my regular flight position.

While we're flying, the wind kicks up a huge sand cloud beneath us. Suddenly, a yellowish clawed hand peeks out of the cloud and heads towards the barrier. A hand made of sand? There's a familiar prickling feeling on my head at it moves towards us. It's actually psyche energy?

The barrier around us breaks as soon as it makes contact with the hand. I quickly stretch out my hand and a ripple of white psyche energy comes out of my palm. The ripple hits the creature and a scream full of horror sounds out from it almost the same time. I also halt my movements to face the creature.

"What's that?" Maine raises a surprised shout from behind me.

As the cloud of sand clears up, the figure of a humanoid creature with a body made of sand appears. From its eye sockets is the white glow of concentrated psyche energy. On the spot on the center of its chest is an opening where a a glowing transparent crystal can be seen. Currently, the creature's body is shaking and try hard as it might, it can't move. It's as if something heavy is pressing down upon its back.

"Suppression," I utter and a ripple once again appears from my hand.

It's one of the skills I got after I became an incubus king. It sends a feeling of suppression on the target's mind, restricting their movements and thought processes.

Maine removes the metallic arm on her waist and walks right next to me. In a tone oozing with curiosity, she speaks. "So this is a member of the famed spectres of the Desolate Continent. It doesn't look as scary as what the stories often tell."

"That's only 'cause I'm suppressing it. It's level thirty. Enough to kill you a dozen times if you were here alone," My response to her words without even looking at her. After that, I approach the spectre before speaking once again. "But still. To think that the battle between two people can cause all of this."

It's really incredible how a whole continent became a danger zone even to its own inhabitants just because of the aftereffects of the battle between two people. The legendary battle between the previous Hero King and Demon King altered the nature of a whole continent.