Red Bats

The group of fifteen Lizardmen steadily made their way through the dark tunnel that led underground. A thick, musky sent wafted through the tunnel, a result of the heat, and the damp internals of the tunnel. Michael resisted the urge to cover his nostrils as he walked. Perhaps if he was a human, the smell might have done more than just bother him, but as a Lizardman, it was just a nuisance, and nothing more.

With their tails swishing, and their glowing eyes scanning every nook and cranny as they walked by, the group of fifteen kept on walking with Michael at the forefront. It was then he felt something. He raised a hand, bringing the movement of the Lizardmen behind him to a stop.

Michael peered into the darkness with his bright blue eyes that glowed in the darkness. Although his senses were quite good, he still defaulted to the game system for identifying his foe.

[Red-Eyed Bat]

-Rank - F

-Growth Stage - 3/3

-Overall Energy Level - 100

-Rank Elevation Impossible.

-Remark - The Red-Eyed Bat is known for its ability to inflict the [Chaos] Status onto its victims. Avoid staring this creature down.

(A/N: I will be adding side remarks to the descriptions of creatures that are being introduced for the first time.)

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Glowing red eyes opened up in the darkness before Michael. He already knew what kind of creature this was as he was unlucky enough to have been inflicted with the [Chaos] status numerous times in his previous life.

"Avoid staring at its eyes!" Michael immediately warned his people, making them turn their gazes elsewhere. Their reaction was fast, effectively avoiding getting targeted by the negative status. Noticing this, the bat let out a screech, spreading its glowing red wings. The wings themselves had large, glowing eyes imprinted into them. These eyes had the same effect with its primary pair of eyes, but unlike its primary eyes, these pair had an area of effect in which the negative status applied.

'Damn it.' Michael thought to himself. He opened his mouth, releasing a jet of purple liquid. This liquid was extremely potent poison that he had gathered in his mouth the moment he say the bat.

[Action detected. New Skill Derived - Poison Jet Spray.]

The potent, purple poison hit the bat square on the chest, sending it slamming against the hard, hot wall of the underground tunnel. A pained screech erupted from within its throat as the poison sheared off its red, hardy skin. The spray didn't let up one bit, burning through the bat until it thoroughly melted through its innards, ending the creature's life.

The Lizardmen behind Michael watched on, dazed at his calm and collected face as the last embers of life died out in the bat. He displayed a strength that could utterly dominate them. As far as they knew, their own poison wasn't that strong.

"Don't get distracted; that will lead to your demise. Let's keep moving. Michael easily snapped them back to reality before moving on. As he was passing by the corpse of the bat, he made sure to absorb its bloodline for future use.

[New Bloodline Stored - Red-Eyed Bat. New Ability Gained - Chaos Gaze.]

(A/N: Just to be clear, Skills and Abilities are different. A skill is something that is learned over time, while an ability is an innate talent unique to a race, group of people, or bloodline.)

The group headed deeper into the cave, stalking silently in the darkness. They didn't run into any other bats for some time, making their journey relatively safe. At least, for a time.

Numerous screeches exploded in the ears of the Lizardmen, their enhanced hearing being used against them. Tiny red bats burst forth from the darkness, these ones much smaller than the Red-Eyed Bat.

[Red Winged Bat]

-Rank - F

-Growth Stage 1/2

-Overall Energy Level -60

-Rank Elevation Impossible.

-Remark: An offshoot of the Red-Eyed Bats, these little critters are able to induce a [Chaos] Status on their opponents through their special vocal chords. Carry ear plugs when venturing through their territory.

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'What?!' Michael couldn't remember anything about these Red Winged Bats. Quickly opening his mouth and spewing out a jet spray of poison. The tiny bats quickly jerked out of the way, evading the spray of potent poison. Michael kept at it for a few moments before stopping, noticing how much of his energy the attack was draining up.

"Your tongues!" He yelled before his own serrated tongue dashed out from his mouth. Unlike the jet spray, their tongues were much more flexible, flicking around and cutting down the tiny, elusive bats from the air. Slowly, but surely, the last bat was finally cut down, leaving the earth soaked with blood.

"Is everyone alright?" Michael turned to take stock of his men. A couple of Lizardmen were sitting on the ground, their heads in their hands. He walked over to them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders to check their status. Each of them had an extra blinking status effect below their overall information bar.

[Negative Status Effect Applied: Chaos Mind. Reduces concentration by 50%, gradually erodes at targets mental fortitude.]

-Negative Status Effect will wear out in: 30 seconds.]

'This is slowing us down.' Michael thought to himself when he saw the effects of the status.

"Everyone, wait here. I'll scout ahead to see what is waiting for us." Michael declared and stood up. "Milizaus, you watch over them. Aiden, you and the others, come with me." He pointed out his elite guard and motioned for them to follow him. He planned to clear the path ahead with them before returning to get the remaining Lizardmen.

The Lizardmen in question turned to follow him, but not before casting a last glance at the resting Lizardmen. Although they were strong physically, their mental strength was still somewhat lackluster, making them vulnerable to mental attacks.

The six of them left the small open area, heading deeper into the narrow tunnel where many more dangers awaited them.