Just as they had expected, the monsters fled in a panic.
Although they were injured and their bodies were covered in blood, their escape speed was incredible, darting away like flashes of lightning.
“I’ll go first! Keep an eye on the signal and keep up!”
Hati hoisted Lin Shu onto her back and gave chase.
Facing the biting wind, Lin Shu reached out and pointed into the distance. “They went that way!”
“I smell them. They’re hurt, and the scent of blood is pungent.”
Relying on her staggering physical strength, Hati leaped between the giant boulders, covering more than ten meters in a single bound.
After crossing the rocky stretch, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
On the vast, boundless plains, there was a gaping hole that looked like the maw of an abyss.
It appeared to be an abandoned mining pit, with long-forgotten facilities resting at the bottom.
Hati skidded to a halt at the edge of the massive crater, kicking a small stone that tumbled down the steep slope.
Lin Shu leaned out and looked down, spotting the monsters that had just escaped ducking into a hole in the ground. Their long, gray tails vanished from sight.
“I found it. This must be their nest.”
Perhaps because the stench was too strong, Hati spoke while pinching her nose.
The Angel Nuns arrived shortly after, stopping at the edge of the pit.
“Let’s move together. There are too many tunnel entrances; it’ll be dangerous if the team gets separated.”
With that, Hati took the lead and jumped down. Using the stone walls to cushion her descent, she landed in front of the largest mine entrance.
The inside of the mine was pitch black, seemingly endless.
“Do you need me to get down?” Lin Shu asked, tilting her head.
Hati immediately vetoed the idea. “No, they’re specifically targeting you. It’s better if you don’t leave my side.”
The nuns quickly followed, their movements synchronized as they loaded their guns and mounted searchlights onto the barrels.
The group entered the cave in a single-file line.
The further they went, the quieter the outside world became, until it was so silent that not even a whisper of wind could be heard.
After walking along the passage for a while, a larger space appeared ahead.
This underground cavern was the central area of the former mining operation. A patch of vegetation emitting a faint, ghostly blue glow grew on the ground, providing a weak source of light for the subterranean space.
By that light, Lin Shu looked down.
“Are those… eggs?” Lin Shu’s pupils shrank.
Broken eggshells were scattered across the bottom of the cave.
“They hatch from eggs?” Hati’s ears twitched. “I’ll see if I can find any that haven’t hatched yet. We should deal with them now to avoid future trouble.”
“Wait, Captain Hati,” one nun said, sounding puzzled. “Where are the monsters? We haven’t seen a single one since we followed them in.”
“They might have escaped deeper through other connecting tunnels,” another nun added.
‘It’s definitely unnervingly quiet,’ Lin Shu thought.
This was likely the heart of the nest; it didn’t make sense for there to be no monsters at all.
“I’m going down to scout.”
“Hati, be careful.”
Lin Shu gripped the fabric on Hati’s shoulder tightly. Her right eyelid was twitching uncontrollably.
*Squelch.*
As soon as Hati’s boots touched the ground, they made a sticky sound.
The floor was covered in the slime left behind by the monsters after they hatched.
“Ugh, this is filthy,” Hati said, lifting a foot in disgust.
Right then, a heavy, muffled sound drifted down from above their heads.
*Gurgle…*
Hati and Lin Shu looked up at the same time.
The nuns aimed their guns upward, illuminating the rock ceiling.
Lin Shu’s heart instantly tightened.
A massive body was hanging upside down from the ceiling—larger than any monster they had seen before.
At that moment, it slowly unfurled its body. A large lump bulged in its belly, and after a moment of squirming, it rolled up toward its throat.
It extended its head downward and opened its mouth just as the lump reached its maw.
“Hit it! Don’t let it spit!” Hati shouted.
“FIRE!!”
The nuns raised their weapons and pulled their triggers, sending a hail of bullets toward the massive monster leader.
However, its reactions were lightning-fast. It kicked off the ceiling with its hind legs and landed directly in front of Hati and Lin Shu.
As if timed perfectly, more monsters crawled out of the surrounding tunnels, splitting the nuns’ focus.
The monster leader opened its bloody maw, preparing to swallow Hati and Lin Shu whole.
“Look out!” Hati shoved Lin Shu away with a sudden burst of strength.
Lin Shu fell back onto the ground, looking up in terror.
*Thud!*
As the monster’s giant mouth prepared to snap shut, Hati held her hands high, desperately propping up its upper jaw.
Hati’s face turned bright red as she strained against the beast.
‘Should I use magic? Now?!’
Lin Shu’s mind raced.
‘But… it might attract even more monsters, or it might just enrage this leader.’
No, there was no time. The priority was saving Hati.
Without another thought, Lin Shu summoned her War Banner, grabbed the staff, and charged forward.
The monster leader’s giant eye was inches away. Its pupil shifted, locking onto Lin Shu.
Lin Shu raised the flagpole and, with all her might, stabbed it hard into the vertical pupil.
*ROAR—!!* The monster let out a pained howl.
The moment it opened its mouth wider in agony, Hati rolled away and escaped.
She rushed forward, reaching for Lin Shu’s wrist. “Let’s get to safety—”
Before she could finish, a thick, gray tail wrapped around Lin Shu’s waist and yanked hard.
Lin Shu’s feet left the ground instantly as she was hoisted into the air.
“LIN SHU!!”
Hati screamed, her face filled with panic as she turned and chased after her recklessly.
“Cover them! Clear the other targets!”
The nuns’ gunfire was continuous, picking off the ordinary monsters that tried to swarm them.
However, more and more monsters crawled onto the stone walls. They opened their mouths, and a series of eerie cries erupted from their throats.
It sounded like 100 pieces of chalk scraping against a blackboard, echoing through the mine in wave after wave.
Lin Shu had intended to chant an incantation, but the piercing sound bored into her ears and struck her brain directly.
Nausea and dizziness surged within her.
She suddenly understood why Asha had been harmed by these monsters.
The torturous screeching made it impossible for Lin Shu to concentrate on her spells. Even Hati’s forward momentum faltered.
With a flick of its tail, the monster leader slammed Lin Shu against the stone wall.
“Ugh!”
Lin Shu let out a muffled groan as she fell from mid-air, landing heavily on the uneven ground. The back of her head happened to strike a jagged outcrop of rock.
Sharp pain exploded from the back of her head, and she curled her body in agony.
“Lin Shu! Lin Shu!”
Hati’s frantic voice reached her.
Hati ran toward Lin Shu at top speed, stumbling in her desperation.
She reached out with trembling hands and pulled Lin Shu into her arms.
“It hurts…” Lin Shu ground her teeth, her face deathly pale.
A dense volley of gunfire erupted as the monster leader and the nuns became entangled in combat.
The bullet wounds enraged the beast. It turned and opened its mouth once more toward Hati and Lin Shu’s backs.
The muscles in the monster’s throat contracted, and a bone spur shot out from its mouth, flying toward Hati’s back.
“Get out of the way!” the nuns shouted a warning.
*Puncture!*
Hati’s body jolted. The bone spur pierced through her left shoulder, and blood began to drip.
But she didn’t look at the wound, nor did she turn to counterattack. Her eyes were fixed entirely on Lin Shu’s face.
Lin Shu had closed her eyes, losing consciousness.
“Wake up! Wake up! Lin Shu!” Hati’s cries were filled with despair.
In that moment, it was as if all the strength in Hati’s body had been drained. She slumped powerlessly to her knees.
“Please wake up… I’m begging you…”