Bathilda's victory cry died in her throat, repced by a strangled gasp as the brutal efficiency of her own words struck her. The taste of triumph was bitter, but she couldn't afford hesitation.

  A pn, born of desperation and honed by a survival instinct she hadn't known she possessed, had been set in motion. She was a predator now, a pink blur against the cavern's gloom, diving towards the behemoth that dominated the fray: the Alto.

  The Brat, a creature teetering on the precipice of defeat, sensed Bathilda's approach. Its fading eyes, clouded with pain and the encroaching shadow of death, locked onto the descending form. The Alto, however, was a creature of singur focus, its massive frame trembling with the thrill of imminent victory.

  Either its senses were dulled by the bloodlust, or it simply cked the Brat's preternatural awareness. It remained oblivious to the tiny, deadly projectile hurtling towards it.

  The Alto raised a colossal paw, thick cws extended, ready to crush the st vestiges of life from its prey. But before the brutal stomp could nd, a searing pain erupted in its neck. A thin, razor-sharp edge, slick with venom, had pierced its thick hide.

  The monstrous rabbit erupted in a frenzy of panicked motion, its powerful legs churning the air as it hopped wildly in pce. The Brat, forgotten in the surge of agony, y broken and twitching. The Alto's eyes, now bzing with fury, swiveled to the source of its torment.

  Hovering in the dim light was a small, pink bat, its dark purple wings beating with a frantic energy. Bathilda, her heart hammering against her ribs, knew she had only a moment. Before the Alto could react, she unleashed her attack: three shimmering, white bdes of compressed air, each honed to a razor's edge.

  Fate, however, was a cruel mistress. Or perhaps, it was simply the Alto's brutal pragmatism. With a swift, brutal kick, the Alto sent the dying Brat hurtling into the path of Bathilda's wind bdes. The rodent, already a mangled ruin, was bisected in midair, its remains scattering across the cavern floor.

  The Alto's eyes, now bzing with a murderous rage, followed the trajectory of the wind bdes. They were weakened, deflected by the Brat's corpse, but still deadly. The Alto, with a desperate, clumsy leap, managed to avoid the worst of the attack, the wind bdes slicing harmlessly through the air.

  A high-pitched, ear-splitting screech erupted from the Alto, a sound that, despite its ferocity, possessed an oddly comical, almost cute quality. Bathilda, however, was in no mood for amusement. She had nded a critical blow, but the fight was far from over. With a sharp, decisive turn, she fled, her small wings propelling her back towards the network of tunnels.

  The Alto, its blood boiling with rage and frustration, was in hot pursuit. It had been denied its kill, its meal, and its moment of triumph. The insult was unbearable. It thundered down the tunnel, its massive form shaking the very stone beneath its feet.

  Bathilda, meanwhile, was experiencing a surge of exhiration. Her hit-and-run tactic had been a resounding success. Not only had she managed to eliminate the Brat, a significant boost to her confidence, but she had also delivered a venomous bite to the Alto. The poison, a potent concoction enhanced by her (Chomp+) skill, was already coursing through the giant rabbit's veins.

  Stupid rabbit, she thought, a dark satisfaction creeping into her voice. It doesn't even know it's already dead.

  She didn't dare stop, not with the Alto's thunderous pursuit echoing behind her. Using (Enhanced Echolocation), she could track its health as well as its movements, its heavy footfalls shaking the tunnel walls. She needed to reach the pit, the only pce she felt even remotely safe.

  As she rounded a sharp bend, a hail of stones pelted her, narrowly missing her head. The Brats, their eyes burning with a primal hatred, were waiting. They had not forgotten her.

  The air was thick with flying projectiles, a chaotic barrage of rocks and pebbles. Bathilda, weaving and dodging, knew she couldn't afford to linger. The Alto was closing in, its enraged screeches growing louder with each passing moment. With a desperate dive, she plunged into the gaping maw of the pit, the darkness swallowing her whole.

  So far, I haven't seen anything other than myself that's able to fly in this cave, she thought, her voice echoing in the vast emptiness. That means I should be safe to wait it out down here. OK, that's not definitive, but it's the best I've got for now.

  She descended into the abyss, the stones raining down around her, harmlessly deflected by gravity. The pit, a vast, vertical shaft, was a stark contrast to the winding, cave-like tunnels above. The walls were unnaturally smooth, almost polished, hinting at a deliberate creation, a constructed death trap.

  As she neared the bottom, she spotted a narrow crack in the wall, a dark, inviting crevice. With a swift maneuver, she slipped inside, finding herself in a small, cramped alcove.

  I'll be fine here, she muttered, her voice clicking in the confined space. It's dangerous to hang around in the open anyway. Even if I do sort of feel weirdly strange for not doing so. For now this will be my base of operations.

  "Really?" a voice echoed in her mind.

  Yes! Really. It's my body and if I want to sit in a cave instead of hanging from the roof, then that's what I'm damn well going to do!

  Frustration boiled over, and her clicking triggered (Enhanced Echolocation), painting a vivid, three-dimensional image of the pit's depths in her mind. What she saw sent a shiver down her spine.

  The bottom of the pit was a scene of carnage. The remains of the Millisnake had been reduced to a mangled skeleton, picked clean by a swarm of monstrous creatures. Barts, their forms twice the size of the Brats, swarmed over the carcass, their powerful jaws tearing through flesh and bone. Thanks to her passive (Identify) skill, she could see that each Bart boasted over 500HP.

  See that! We're staying here... I mean, I! I'm staying here. Now, be quiet and let me check myself out, please.

  Talking to herself was a strange comfort, a way to combat the crushing loneliness. Also the first sign that she was going crazy, but she ignored that fact wholeheartedly and focused on the notifications that had appeared before her escape.

  Brat has been sin.

  715XP has been awarded.

  Wing Ssh has reached Level 4

  Bathilda has reached Level 9

  Fly has reached Level 5

  Fly has evolved into Fly+

  Fly+: Speed and Stamina have been increased for more agile movements and extended flights

  Nice. Level 9! If it's the same as st time, I only need one more level. Once the Alto dies, I should be able to confirm my evolution in here. No falling. No enemies. It's one hundred percent safe.

  "What if you're too big after the evolution has finished?"

  Shit! What if I do get too big?

  Panic seized her. She immediately began to expand the alcove, tearing at the rock with her cws and wings. It was a borious task, but she worked with a frantic energy, driven by the fear of being trapped.

  The Alto's death, a distant echo in the tunnels, went unnoticed. Bathilda was lost in her work, her mind a whirlwind of fear and determination. She dug and scraped, widening the alcove, creating a small, makeshift chamber.

  When she finally emerged, exhausted but triumphant, she surveyed her work. The cramped alcove had been transformed into a small room.

  "Why the hell haven't you been listening to me?" the voice in her head snapped.

  I was in the zone.

  "The zone? The zone!? I said it would have been sufficient half a room ago!"

  Yeah well, you never know. I just wanted to be sure.

  "Well because you wanted to make sure, you missed out on more XP that would have helped your growth!"

  What!? How? Wait a minute, how the hell do you know that? You're just me, right? I'm just talking to myself, aren't I?

  "Well, sort of, but not really. In a way, I'm you, because I'm in your mind. But my name is actually, Hiro. Hiro? Yes. That was my name."

  OK then. Umm, Hiro.

  "Yes?"

  Get the hell out of my head!