Bats—so many bats!
From who knows where, a huge number of bats had suddenly filled the church. Their bodies were pitch black, darting through the air like shadows, their constant screeching a grating, irritating noise.
And, without exception, all these bats had glowing red eyes. Their teeth were much sharper than normal bats. Without a doubt, these bats, like the crows outside the facility, had fed on zombie corpses and been infected, becoming highly aggressive mutants.
What made them even more difficult to deal with was their coordination. While bats didn't hunt as a pack like wolves, they could communicate and work as a team, something most ordinary animals couldn't do. They would forage in large groups and then return to their roosts in a big cluster. This meant they were highly tolerant of each other, making their communication very strong. Once they targeted you, it was hard to escape their pursuit; they would constantly harass you. And now, the virus had amplified these behaviors, making them even more troublesome!
It was also worth noting that 70% of bat species are herbivores, feeding on nectar and fruit, with only the remaining 30% being blood-suckers. But unfortunately, now that they were infected with the virus, they had become extremely violent. Even the omnivorous bats were likely to crave flesh and blood.
What was even more terrifying was the large number of viruses that bats themselves carried. As is well known, bats are one of the most adaptable mammals in the world. Their bodies can withstand a wide range of temperatures. The highest temperature they can tolerate is around 50°C, a fever that would be fatal to humans, burning out their organs and brain. But for bats, it was completely tolerable. Then, when the environmental temperature dropped to around 16°C, bats would enter deep sleep, reducing their metabolism and energy consumption, allowing them to survive for a longer time.
This incredible physical constitution, combined with their excellent ability to spread by flying, made the bat one of the most effective natural carriers of zoonotic viruses. Its body's excellent temperature adaptability could host a large number of viruses. A single bat could carry dozens of different disease-causing viruses, which was a terrifying thought.
Therefore, scientists speculated that many human pandemics were likely spread by bats. After all, they could adapt to viruses without dying, and their flight ability was excellent, making it incredibly easy for them to spread a virus. This was indeed the case. Many modern viruses were carried by bats. However, blaming them for it was also unfair. Regardless, bats carry a large number of viruses, and even if they were only slightly infected with the T-virus, one bite could... make the infected person's life a living hell. After all, you would have no idea what a fusion of the T-virus and a dozen other bat viruses would create. If such a hybrid virus was injected into a human body, it would be an unbearable experience. Even if an immortal came and gave you an elixir, it would be too late to save you.
Therefore, in Javier's opinion, these bats were undoubtedly very troublesome infected creatures. What made Javier even more confused was how they had appeared so suddenly and in such a huge swarm. He refused to believe there wasn't a mastermind behind it. After all, bats were not as dumb as zombies or plague crawlers. They could think and had their own communication system. Such a species that could work together like bees or ants was undoubtedly the most difficult type of infected to deal with!
"Clang—!"
"Rebecca, Billy, are you okay? Where did all these bats come from?"
Kicking open the study door, Javier ran out of the priest's room. His face changed when he saw the dense, black swarm of infected bats covering the church ceiling. He asked with an expression of utter shock.
Javier thought there would be a lot of bats, but he didn't expect so many. He had thought there would only be twenty or thirty, but there were seventy, eighty, or even close to a hundred. This number was enough to tear the three of them apart. If this weren't a Resident Evil game, Javier would have wondered if he had entered a vampire world. How could there be so many bats, and all concentrated in one place?
"Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang—!!!!"
"I don't know, who knows where all these bats came from all of a sudden? Everything was fine a minute ago, and then there was a strange noise, and this swarm of bats all came pouring in!"
"Javier, be careful! These bats are infected. If they bite you... the consequences will be dire!"
Gunshots echoed as sparks flew within the church. Rebecca and Billy answered, their faces grim. The bullets quickly hit the flapping black bats in the air. Like fallen demons, they plummeted to the ground, wriggling for a few moments before falling still. The bats had intended to swarm them and bite off a piece of flesh from Rebecca and Billy, but they didn't expect the two of them to have such fierce firepower. Their 9mm police pistols emptied quickly, followed by the rapid shots from their shotguns. This sudden powerful firepower caught the bats off guard.
Seeing their own kind falling in droves, the bats' aggression dissipated. They all circled in the air, waiting to see which of their kind would be brave enough to lead the next attack. But unfortunately, once a species has the ability to think and communicate, they are usually very cunning. None of the bats wanted to be the first to get shot. They hovered hesitantly in the air, not daring to attack for a while.
After all, consider this: aside from insects like ants and bees, what pack-hunting mammals are not known for being cunning and clever? Wolves, hyenas, rats, even monkeys—none of them are stupid. The same goes for bats. They wouldn't sacrifice themselves foolishly.
Besides... at this moment, their true "leader" had not yet arrived. As mere subordinates, they wouldn't easily follow someone else's command.
Meanwhile, Javier saw the bats' hesitation and understood their cunning and cowardice. After a quick scan of the church, he came up with a plan and shouted loudly:
"..."
"Rebecca, Billy, there's a study behind me! A priest's study! We'll use the study as a fortress. All of you get in there and block the cracks in the windows. Then, throw all the books from the church out to burn them and use the fire to stop their attack!"
Yes, that was Javier's plan. He had just remembered that there was a study in the church where they could take cover. Staying in the middle of the hall was too passive; they could be attacked from all sides. They needed a retreat, and the church study was the perfect one. This retreat would protect them from a surprise attack and prevent them from being attacked from behind. As long as their backs were against the study, they could use fire and gunshots to slowly drive the bats away!
After all, these bats' aggression wasn't particularly strong compared to zombies or plague crawlers. The only real problem was their large numbers and their ability to sneak up on you. If they could be trapped in a cage and shot one by one, these mutant bats would be no different from ordinary ones.
Hearing Javier's words, Rebecca and Billy's eyes lit up. They quickly ran into the church study while shooting. The bats might be able to break through the windows, so Rebecca and Billy quickly used the desks and bookshelves to block them. They took all the books, like Bibles and other religious texts, and threw them out the door. Billy took out his lighter and started a fire!
"Sizzle..."
A weak flame ignited. The moment it touched the paper, it spread rapidly. The fire grew fiercer, producing thick smoke. The temperature in the church slowly began to rise. This seemed like a foolish move—blocking the only exit with fire.
But in reality, it was a double-edged sword. Using the fire to block the only exit could be called a desperate move, but Javier preferred to call it burning the boats. Everyone knew the story of Xiang Yu's desperate gamble. By blocking their own retreat with fire, he was also blocking the bats' advance. The winner would be the one who could use the tactic better. If it worked, it was a heroic last stand; if it failed, it was a stupid mistake.
As expected, when the fire grew large at the study door, the rising temperature and the smoke's effect made the bats on the ceiling falter. They all flapped their wings in mid-air, unwilling to come down or even get close. Some bats were so affected by the smoke that they stiffened up, their eyes rolling back. With a "thud," they fell to the ground, seemingly knocked out.
After all, this was smoke from a fire. It contained carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide—the most dangerous gases in a fire. In most fires, trapped victims die from inhaling too much smoke; very few actually die from being burned.
The smoke from the burning books became their most powerful weapon. People in the wild often use smoke to drive out animals like moles and bees. It was highly effective. Even though these bats were infected, they were not immune to the smoke. They began to fall to the ground one by one!
Javier's face lit up with delight. He was wearing a gas mask, so he wouldn't inhale the smoke and pass out like the bats. To make sure the bats were dead, Javier picked up a burning book and threw it at the unconscious bats on the floor. The fire touched their fur and quickly burned them. The unconscious bats painfully woke up and struggled on the ground, but it was useless. They quickly died again.
"Sizzle... sizzle..."
The entire sacred church had been transformed into a fiery hell. It was a spectacular sight, reminiscent of the ignorant commoners and cowardly king burning Joan of Arc. The flames were fierce and zealous, burning away the black filth in the church. As for the classic Bibles and religious books, Javier didn't care about them. Books were meant to be "used." The method was just a little different now. But it didn't matter. If these Bibles could save a few lives, surely their merciful Lord wouldn't blame them, a group of lost sheep? After all, saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. And in this case, it was three lives! Our Lord should be very willing to accept this virtue. Worst-case scenario, Javier could spend a few dollars to make copies of the Bible and promote the benefits of Christianity to the children in the orphanage later.
"..."
"Thump... thump..."
More and more bats couldn't bear the smoke from the fire. They didn't dare to get close to Javier, who was protected by his gear and the flames. After a long standoff, the bats finally couldn't hold out against Javier, who was wearing a gas mask, and one by one, they fell from the air to the ground.
Some of the clever ones quickly flapped their wings and flew out of the church to breathe fresh air. They weren't stupid. If they continued, they would all be wiped out.
Seeing this, Javier sighed in disappointment, but it didn't matter. Fifty or sixty bats had died in the church. The remaining twenty or thirty were no longer a threat. It was fine if they escaped!
However, despite his words, Javier seemed to have forgotten one thing. The church was a boss-fight area. This group of bats was not the boss. The real boss had just arrived, and the real battle was just beginning!
"Screech—!!!"
"Squeak... squeak... squeak..."
At that moment, just as Javier and the others were about to let their guard down, a sharp, piercing shriek came from the ceiling of the church, making the trio cover their ears. This sound was completely different from the low growls and roars of the zombie monsters they had encountered before. This piercing scream had a powerful penetrating force that felt like it would pierce their eardrums. In a way, it was a sonic attack!
Could it be... that a much larger bat had arrived at the church?