Staring at the almost fully packed field of view with giant bats, Zigmadar shivered involuntarily. His eyesight was good; he could clearly see the appearance of the large bats, with their sharp mouths and monkey-like cheeks, long curved hands and feet, and open wings without feathers but only skin, all of which seemed extremely sinister. 

“What are these things?” Sela lowered his voice and asked the person next to her, Su Ge. 

Su Ge’s brow had been furrowed all along, and her expression didn’t look relaxed. “These are bats, and very large ones at that.” 

“Are they easy to deal with?” 

Su Ge hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “If there were only one or two, they would be easy to handle. Besides flying, they don’t have any special attack methods, but now…” 

“There are too many of them.” Amphit watched nervously as the bats crowded around the four of them under the big tree, swallowing nervously. 

“Yes, and not only that,” Su Ge exhaled, then dropped another bombshell. “These creatures carry many unknown viruses. If one gets infected by their scratches or bites… the only option might be to contact the organizers.” 

For the participants who were here with a serious attitude to go through this program, hearing Su Ge say this made everyone’s heart skip a beat. 

“What do we do now?” Sela nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He stared closely at Su Ge. At this moment, Su Ge seemed to be their backbone. 

No, that’s not right. In fact, since entering this forest, Su Ge had already become their backbone. As long as Su Ge remained steadfast, they would feel much more at ease. But if even Su Ge found this situation tricky, one could imagine that what lay ahead would likely be a fierce battle. 

“There’s a way,” Su Ge said, pursing her lips, though she wasn’t sure if there was still time. She glanced around at the trees and suddenly noticed a not-too-large pine tree covered in resin. Her eyes lit up. 

Pointing at the pine tree, she instructed the three of them, “You go and pull out that tree, but remember, don’t make too much noise. Once you’ve pulled it out, ignite it and bring it to me.” 

As she spoke, Su Ge took out a flintstone and handed it to Zigmadar, while sternly warning, “Don’t lose my flintstones, or… I’ll make you my servant for a year!” 

“Got it,” Zigmadar gulped and dared not to bargain, taking the two flintstones and swiftly darting down the tree with the other two towards the designated pine tree pointed out by Su Ge. 

Abing was panting heavily, despite being skilled at running and having decent combat abilities. Even with her cooperative teammate, Flynn, she still felt a sense of hopelessness.

They were blindly rushing around in the forest with no direction, completely unaware that there would be such things inside the cave they entered. If only they had known… 

There was no knowing beforehand, and no “if only.” 

She glanced at Flynn, who seemed to sense her gaze and turned to look at her. They both took a deep breath and nodded. 

Then Flynn turned to the other two and said, “We’ve come this far. There’s no turning back now. We have to charge in and fight them.” 

Glaki was very short, probably only about one to one point two meters tall. He swallowed nervously and looked at the much larger and weirder creatures, asking anxiously, “Are we just going to charge at them like this? Isn’t it dangerous?” 

Flynn glanced at him, his gaze heavy with disapproval. Without saying a word, that single look silenced Glaki, prompting him to reflect on his actions.

Indeed, it was Glaki who had caused this terrible situation.

Now wasn’t the time to assign blame. Flynn shifted his gaze away from the gloominess and focused on the bat swarm. Taking a deep breath, he swung the slender wooden stick in his hand and shouted, “Charge!”

Then the four of them rushed straight into a corner of the bat swarm, attempting to break through the bats defensive line and escape. 

As mentioned earlier, while bats individually weren’t strong attackers, they had several advantages. Firstly, they could fly, and secondly, there were many of them. Let’s not discuss whether they carry viruses or not; just these two points alone were extremely dangerous. 

Just as Flynn and the others tore open a gap to escape, they were instantly filled in by other bats. After several back-and-forth attacks, the four of them stood back to back on the ground, panting heavily, with no other effective changes in sight. 

Looking at the dense bat swarm, Abing heart was filled with a profound sense of helplessness. She really didn’t want to leave this show, but was it now time to leave involuntarily? 

She trembled, wanting to press the distress signal on her wrist, but Flynn pressed it down with one hand, saying, “What are you doing! Giving up already just because it’s a bit tough here?” 

Abing quivered her lips, “But in this situation, if we don’t give up, we won’t find a solution…” 

Indeed, that was the truth, but Flynn just couldn’t accept it. How could they give up now, just as they arrived, just as they began? Leave the show? Ridiculous! 

“Let’s try again. This time we need to move faster!” Bloodshot eyes and sweat beads forming on his forehead, Flynn looked at the other three and said, “No more talk of quitting until we’ve tried everything!” 

With that, he signaled another attack, and the four of them immediately charged towards the bat swarm. 

The continuous swarm of bats flew around them like wheels, mocking their ignorance. The impenetrable darkness made it impossible for them to find hope’s end. 

They hadn’t been fighting for too long, but their arms were already too weak to lift, yet they all persevered with sheer willpower. 

Gradually, Abing felt her hands getting heavier and heavier, as if completely out of her own control. Then she saw a giant black bat flying straight towards her face. She couldn’t help but scream and instinctively raised her hands to cover her face. 

But the next moment, she didn’t feel the expected pain. Instead, after a fierce gust of wind blew on her face, she felt something touching her clothes and then heard a “thud” as it dropped to the ground. 

She paused for a moment, quickly lifted her head to look, and was stunned. 

In fact, not just Abing was stunned, but all four of them standing back to back were equally shocked. They saw a black-haired, fair-skinned woman hovering in the air, like the smoothest water droplet gliding through their sight, moving gracefully as if dancing some strange dance. 

And with her movements, several of the giant bats that had been closest to attacking them fell to the ground one after another. 

The group was almost dumbfounded, feeling like this miracle had come too suddenly for them to even comprehend. But then, they heard the woman shout, “What are you standing around for? Fight!” 

The resounding shout snapped the group out of their shock, prompting them to react swiftly, swinging their weapons once again to viciously attack the bats in front of them. 

Su Ge’s appearance seemed to bring a glimmer of hope, injecting the four of them with a dose of encouragement, making them anticipate the battle. However, it was evident that despite Su Ge’s martial arts prowess, superb combat skills, and strong attacks, her assistance was like a drop in the ocean against the overwhelming number of bats besieging them. 

As more and more bats swarmed in, Abing truly felt despair creeping in. Gasping for breath heavily, even her vision started to blur. She didn’t even need to turn to Flynn to say, “Luck really isn’t on our side this time.” 

“Just hold on.” The moment Abing spoke, Flynn knew what she was about to do. He coldly interrupted her, “Put away those unreliable thoughts!” 

“But right now…” 

“No ‘buts’! It’s not yet a situation where we have no other choice!” 

Abing swallowed hard, unable to suppress a bitter smile. Was that so? If that was the case, then she’d hold on a bit longer. 

While Su Ge was engaged in combat with the bats, she kept her ears pricked, listening for any sounds from Zigmadar’s group. With bats swarming everywhere, the noise of their flapping wings filled the air, making it challenging to accurately pick up Zigmadar’s group’s voices amid the cacophony. 

What Su Ge didn’t expect was that Amphit had a booming voice. Just as Su Ge was still trying to discern Zigmadar’s group’s voices, she heard Amphit’s voice roaring, “Su Ge! We’re here! Where are you?!” 

“Over here!” Su Ge immediately responded before sprinting towards the direction of their voices. 

Zigmadar held a burning pine tree and ran forward. Suddenly, he saw a large mass of bats flying towards them. He was startled, exclaiming “Wow! Wow! Wow!” and instinctively began waving the burning pine tree. 

What he didn’t expect was that before the bats even got close to the pine tree, they were driven back by the blazing flames, hissing, and turning back to fly away. 

Meanwhile, surrounded by the bats, Su Ge emerged from the bat swarm, wielding a wooden sword, and swiftly approached the group of four. She exclaimed, “Quick, follow the bat swarm and drive them away with fire!” 

Zigmadar, realizing the significant damage the pine tree could inflict on the bats, was filled with ambition. He loudly agreed, “Alright!” and rushed forward with the burning pine tree. 

Abing had completely given up hope. When she initially saw someone coming to help, a glimmer of hope arose in her heart. But when Su Ge turned away, she felt her heart sink. It was as if her heart had become barren, much like the pitch-black forest before her, devoid of any hope of seeing the light of day. 

Without hesitation this time, she raised her hand to press the help button on her wrist. However, at that moment, she heard a piercing noise. Looking closer, she saw the strange creatures that had surrounded them inexplicably panicking, as if encountering something terrifying. 

This kind of panic spreads quickly. In no time, even the strange creatures besieging them started panicking. They ceased their attack, and their previously orderly rhythm slowed down, or rather, completely lost its order. 

They were seen flying erratically, crashing into each other in mid-air, emitting piercing sounds from their mouths, akin to desperate screams. After this frenzy subsided, Flynn and Abing noticed a flaming mass rushing towards them from afar. 

The flames were tall and large, floating in the air and heading directly towards their location with a clear purpose. 

Having reached a safe point before and witnessed this kind of low-grade fire element, Abing and Flynn were not surprised by the flaming mass. However, Glaki and Guagaka were greatly astonished. 

In the current interstellar alliance, the most common form of fire is elemental stones containing sealed fire elements. If needed, one could simply break open the elemental stone. The flames within these stones are purified and not orange-red but blue or even purer white. Such flames possess higher heat and longer burning times, incomparable to these basic flames. 

Because of this, when these two saw the moving fire, their immediate reaction was, “What is this?” 

Flynn glanced at them, announcing retreat while answering, “It’s fire.” 

However, nobody dwelled on the question and answer because the massive flames seemed to be charging straight at them. In such a crisis, such a sudden turn of events was nerve-wracking. The four of them retreated while keeping their eyes fixed on the approaching fire. 

“Why are you running? Hurry up and help!” The woman who had come to their rescue spoke again as the four stumbled in retreat. 

They looked towards the voice and saw the woman, who had seemingly disappeared, reappear gracefully in the air, directing her movements towards the fire. “Don’t just run around. Start swinging, towards where the bats are.” 

True to her words, the fire began to descend and continuously waved around the areas with the most bats, often catching those bats that were panicking. Suddenly, amidst the forest, besides the hissing of bats, there was also the smell of burnt flesh. 

It wasn’t until this moment, illuminated by the chaotic flames, that Flynn could clearly see. The flaming mass wasn’t moving on its own; it was being carried by Zigmadar. And the woman floating in the air was indeed from Earth. 

Bats are extremely afraid of fire, especially such a large mass of it. It was a massive stimulus for them. After their panicked escape, they left behind a trail of corpses along their path, flying back to where they came from. The forest was left with a sea of bat carcasses and a lingering stench. 

After fiercely striking the last bat around her, Su Ge shook her sword and gracefully descended not far from Flynn and Abing. 

At this moment, the four of them were sitting on the ground, covered in dirt and stains, almost unrecognizable from their previous appearance. Especially Flynn, who looked so disheveled that one wouldn’t believe he was the same confident person who had been give orders Su Ge just moments before. 

However, now upon closer inspection, she had to admit that this woman’s confidence was indeed well-deserved. Abing took a deep breath, and even now, her fingers were still trembling. 

 Su Ge stood quietly beside them, looking down at them from a high vantage point, and asked in a bland tone, “Are you okay?” 

Glaki and Guagaka didn’t know about the banter between Flynn and Su Ge. From start to finish, they only felt that this person who came to help was very powerful, especially after they got a good look at this person after the introductions. They realized that this was the Earthling from the Class V Planet who had been pointed out and talked about in the hall. Suddenly, they felt a bit embarrassed, but this embarrassment was quickly dispelled by the recent situation. 

The situation just now was really unforgettable. If it weren’t for this Earthling’s help, who knows what would have happened. Thinking about it now, it made them feel very lucky. 

So, under this complicated mix of emotions, the two of them were stunned for a few seconds before they gratefully nodded repeatedly at Su Ge, expressing their heartfelt gratitude. 

The more thankful these two became, the worse Flynn’s expression turned. He always had a somewhat superior air about him, looking down on these lower-grade planets. He had always believed that planets of lower grades were all inadequate in some way. But now, he had been saved by someone from a lower-grade planet, and this feeling was indeed uncomfortable. 

He didn’t want to speak and just turned his head away. 

It was only at this moment that Abing truly looked at Su Ge. She suddenly remembered seeing this woman the day before at the safety point. She stood leisurely among a group of higher-grade planet people, without any timidity or unease, even exuding a strong aura of confidence. At that time, she felt amazed but also couldn’t help thinking this person was somewhat pretentious. 

However, now, she had to admit that it was only natural for this woman to have such confidence. Abing took a deep breath, her fingers still trembling. 

Raising her head, Abing sincerely thanked Su Ge, “Thank you for your help. It was really dangerous just now.” 

Su Ge glanced at Abing and noticed that the young lady with golden mixed eyes seemed a bit miserable now. She not only lost her bold and confident style but also appeared somewhat fragile. It seemed that the battle with the bats just now was indeed very damaging. 

Before Su Ge could speak, Zigmadar, Sela, and Amphit had already extinguished the fire. They approached Su Ge, and Sela looked at her and asked, “Are we leaving?” 

“Are you here to find us?” Guagaka’s eyes lit up instantly. He jumped up, his not-so-tall figure exceptionally agile. His face beamed with a brilliant smile, and words of gratitude poured out like they were free. 

Su Ge didn’t say anything, just stepped aside to let them come over. Guagaka happily skipped behind Su Ge, completely disguising the fact that he had been exhausted and collapsed on the ground just moments ago. 

Abing helped Flynn stand up and also intended to walk towards Su Ge. However, the woman, who had been silent from the start, suddenly raised the wooden sword in her hand and placed it horizontally between the two, blocking their path. 

With a questioning look, Abing raised her head to look at Su Ge. The golden mixed eyes were filled with puzzlement, but she saw a faint smile on the Earth woman’s lips, tinged with mockery. She parted her lips, and chilling words spilled out, “Apologies.” 

Abing was taken aback, staring at Su Ge in confusion. “Apologies for what?” 

Su Ge raised an eyebrow, looking far less amiable than usual. 

Indeed, to Sela and Zigmadar, Su Ge seemed unfamiliar now. While Su Ge typically displayed a disdainful expression anytime and anywhere, it was a soft kind of disdain, one without a shell, something everyone could easily brush off. But now, her face bore a cold indifference, sharp and uncompromising. 

Suddenly, Sela remembered Flynn’s various attitudes towards Su Ge yesterday morning and the harsh words they exchanged. He seemed to have found the crux of the problem. “How did you talk yesterday? Offending someone and then trying to take advantage? There’s no such good deal in the world. Apologize first for yesterday’s incident.” 

This matter had been weighing on Abing’s mind, and now that it was brought up, her complexion turned sour. She bit her lower lip, struggling to speak. 

Flynn, who had been silent since the beginning, stared intensely at Su Ge. It was unclear what was going on in his mind, but he suddenly spoke up, “You’re quite narrow-minded. Just because of a few words yesterday, you’ve been waiting here for me? Fine, I can apologize to you, after all, you did help just now.” 

Upon hearing Flynn’s unapologetic words, a stronger sense of mockery spread across Su Ge’s face. She scoffed lightly, no longer bothering to look at the two of them, and turned directly to Zigmadar and Sela, saying, “Alright, let’s go.” 

Sela furrowed his brow slightly, looking towards Flynn with a hint of disapproval in his gaze. However, since they were all strangers before, he didn’t feel the need to intervene. He simply turned his head and followed Su Ge as she walked towards the outside. 

Abing wanted to support Flynn and follow along, but before she could, Su Ge suddenly turned around. The wooden sword in her hand pointed straight at the two of them, with the tip of the sword only five or six centimeters away from Abing’s face. A cold frost enveloped her face. “Don’t follow along. I came to save my comrades, not to save the ancestors who boss me around. I’m petty-minded, so don’t follow me!”