Inside the seemingly dark cave, it instantly lit up when the two young men at the front conjured orbs of fire to illuminate their path. All eyes surveyed their surroundings with apprehension, but suddenly, everyone heard high-pitched screams accompanied by the fluttering of wings, creating a cacophony of sounds.

    "What... what is that noise?" Ken, who was at the rear, asked, feeling eerie, for the sounds indicated an overwhelmingly large number of creatures. The sweet-faced young man didn't answer, his blue eyes cautiously scanning ahead.

    Flap... flap... flap!!

    The sound of small creatures flapping their wings grew louder, but the concern was that there were so many it was eerie. The deeper they flew into the cave, the clearer and more distinct these sounds became.

    Screech... A shriek echoed along with its owner emerging from the shadows. Thousands of dark red eyes reflected in the darkness, and their mouths, full of sharp, tiny teeth, indicated that these creatures survived by feeding on blood.

    "What are those things?" Kyre asked loudly, his intuition screaming that these small creatures in front of them were dangerously venomous. The more numerous they were, the louder his sense of alarm.

    "They're blood-sucking bats, Mr. Kyre," Ken quickly responded. He was worried because encountering blood-sucking bats in such a dark cave was not a good sign at all. However, as Ken spoke, everyone's eyes widened because the small creatures they faced were not just in the thousands as they had initially thought; there were far more than thousands.

    “Protect, guard, heal, Guardian Dragon!!" Teshia’s voice began to cast a spell, knowing well the venom of these tiny bats and needing to do something. A translucent blue shield appeared, protecting everyone from the blood-sucking bats' attacks.

    "Hunt, fight, slay, Wrathful Dragon!!" He cast another spell, causing a cloud of smoke to form outside the protective shield. For Teshia, merely defending was not enough.

    "Destroy to protect, hunt to defend, fight to preserve, unite as one, World-Turning Dragon!" The smoke outside transformed into a giant dragon form. The blood-sucking bats attacked it immediately. The roar of the colossal dragon resounded as beams and bursts of light targeted the bats, aiming to suck blood. But these bats were too agile, dodging skillfully in the dark, attacking precisely and terrifyingly. Soon, the giant dragon dissipated, overwhelmed by the sheer number of bats.

    Are the seniors trying to kill us or what?!!

    "If it continues like this, the shield won't hold," said the young woman with dark blue hair, Venna Masiver, the Princess of Lake, her voice filled with anxiety. It was understandable for her to be worried as the giant swarm of bats seemed relentless, with many already dead on the ground yet many still assaulting the protective shield that the traveler created, causing loud straining noises.

    "We need to figure out what to do," said the last woman sweetly. She was Eleena Faten, the princess of Geseia.

    "Oh, come on, help think of something," Kyre spoke teasingly, causing the brown-eyed woman to glare at him seriously. Even in such a situation, he could still bother others. Was he truly calm or was it just an irreparable trait?

    "Calm down, everyone," Ken quickly intervened before things escalated further. Encountering a large swarm of blood-sucking bats was bad enough, and it would be catastrophic if everyone started fighting each other as well.

    "Shut up!!" The icy voice of the prince of Sivia rang out. His silver eyes surveyed the situation—both the blood-sucking bats and the nearly quarreling friends. Seius analyzed the situation with the utmost calmness.

    "What are blood-sucking bats afraid of?" the young man with silver hair asked coolly, his question directed not to everyone, but specifically to Teshia and Ken. Clearly, these two must know since one had identified the type of bats while the other had immediately created a protective shield for everyone. It was evident that he was familiar with the blood-sucking bats.

    "Sca...Scared" Ken answered hesitantly, shivering under that piercing gaze. It was so icy and commanding that it made him tense. This prince was more terrifying than any swarm of bats outside.

    "They're afraid of light," countered the other young man, Teshia, who responded calmly, unaffected by the intense stare. He naturally had no fear, born into a position of power and authority himself.

    The young man with blue hair wasn't surprised that not everyone knew about the blood-sucking bats as they should. After all, they are rare and only appear in the borderlands, deep within caves in the darkest parts of the forest.

    It wasn't strange that Ken knew them; blood-sucking bats are considered a symbol of evil and bearers of disease among clerics. It was normal for a cleric like Ken to study such creatures. However, it was curious how the seniors managed to bring them here, making it apparent he needed to reassess the seniors’ capabilities.

    "But as you can feel, creating light in such darkness alone is impossible," Teshia said challengingly with a flat-toned voice, knowing the person in front of him possessed more power than anyone might assume. The young man with blue hair smirked, his power is boundless… He just thought of not displaying for all to see.

    Seius looked around again and had to agree. It was too dark here to create light alone as the young man with blue hair had stated. But if two people worked together, his silver eyes glanced at Teshia, realizing the other also possessed extraordinary powers!!

    "If one can't do it alone, use many," the young man with blue hair grinned upon hearing the statement of the person in front. Devils never cooperate with humans, so this was a first!!

    Crack, crack, crack... The sound from the protective shield indicated it wouldn't last much longer. Teshia nodded at the ominous signs. Both extended their hands and closed their eyes, and slowly, light began to emanate from the outside of the protective shield.

    White light spread throughout, swallowing the darkness of the cave. From a small cluster of light that soon expanded as everyone combined their powers to create brightness. Yet, the light they generated was not enough to cover the entire cave and drive away all the bats.

    Should he unleash his full power? Teshia pondered, frustrated that he couldn't use his full abilities. If he did, the cave might collapse under the force of his magic. Besides, he had promised never to use it—whatever happened. With a sigh, he realized one method was impossible while the other had its own set of problems.

    Everyone strained their magical powers to increase the light. Those with light dragons used their abilities to help, and this was what the seniors wanted to see—a cooperative effort among the juniors to overcome challenges. Although everyone came from different places with different thoughts, once here, they were under the principle that "the Dragon is One."

    Yet even the light creating together, expanded to the extent of engulfing additional territory, couldn't disperse all the bats.

    Teshia's brow furrowed as his protective shield began to fail. If it broke, the bats would swarm in immediately, making the situation dire.

    These people still didn't understand the severity of the threat. Being bitten by these blood-sucking bats was deadly. If left untreated, the bleeding wouldn't stop, and the wound would worsen over time. By the time one sought treatment, it was almost certain they would lose too much blood. To leave it untreated resulted in either death or severe harm!!

    The brain urgently calculates an escape route. In the human body, all elements naturally balance with each other. If I could temporarily transform the dark element within me into the element of light, might it repel the blood-sucking bats? Blue eyes heavily scrutinize the worsening situation around, not hesitating...

    "Hold it off," a steady voice commanded before lowering his hand, causing darkness to consume the light due to the loss of his power, and the bats drew closer as the light's domain shrank.

    "What-will-you-do?" Seius asked with effort, emphasizing each word. What is he planning to do next?

    "End this initiation once and for all," Teshia responded before spreading his arms again, determined to handle everything on his own. At this moment, he felt he could only rely on and trust himself.

    "In the name of the creator of both elements," his right arm slowly wrapped in black light, similar to his left, which was engulfed in white. Seius's eyes widened, realizing the young man's intentions. This fool was clearly courting death.

    "Stop!" The icy command was immediate, his heart skipping a beat as he realized the method the other would use. Elemental transformation—was this foolhardy kid really resorting to such extremes? There were other ways out if everyone cooperated, but Teshia wasn't listening. In truth, whatever the other might protest, he wasn't inclined to care.

    "Left to right, consume all the dark elements!!" The white light moved to swallow the black on the right side completely. In that moment, pain seared through him, deep into his bones, as the young man with blue hair screamed, echoing throughout the cave. The bright white light flashed as the slender figure collapsed onto Fok's back. Soon, the light dimmed quickly. Teshia slowly rose, drained by the spell affecting his body and all his magical energy.

    Exhausted... utterly exhausted. Exhausted to the core, his blue eyes nearly shutting, yet the task ahead was just as critical.

    The bats in front must disappear!!

    His blue eyes swept the area, but now his vision wasn't as clear. Disrupting the balance of all his powers was no minor matter. At this point, Teshia could lose consciousness at any moment.

    Ah... He hadn't anticipated the extensive consequences of changing elements. Had he known, perhaps another method would have been better. But it was too late for changes now; he had to follow through to the end.

    No one was trustworthy, no one reliable. Even if he screamed his lungs out, he could only depend on himself. Only he could be trusted...

    "Damn it!!" The curse from the Prince of Sivia went unheard by the young man.

    Teshia spread his arms wide and closed his eyes again. The continuous flapping of the blood-thirsty creatures echoed. The light gradually brightened, engulfing the surrounding darkness. As the light touched the bats, their screams merged with the young man's agonizing cries, the forced power causing his body to lose all magical balance!!

    Fok began to scream in anguish, hearing the painful cries of his master. Concern for his young master was driving him mad. The young master had never screamed in pain like this; he was strong. Hearing such a scream meant that the young master must have been in a lot of pain. The more he thought about it, the more the Twilight Knight felt furious and terrified.

    "Mr. Teshia... Mr. Teshia," Ken tried to call out, hoping to bring the young man back to his senses as he screamed in agony. The more power Teshia used, the more pain he suffered. Ken looked on anxiously as the young man in front of him refused to lower his power.

    Everyone watched their friend who continued to scream as if his breath were tearing apart, worried for him. Although they all came from different places and initially didn't trust each other, seeing one of their friends exert so much effort for their sake began to foster trust in this critical situation.

    However, for the Twilight Knight, the screams of his only young master were like a knife slashing through his heart, driving him nearly insane. His fiery eyes blazed with extreme anger.

    “Calm down, calm down," Ken softly consoled Fok, even though he knew it was futile since the Twilight Knight loved his master above all else.

    “Argh!!" Everyone was shocked when Teshia suddenly coughed up blood, and as the blood dripped onto the back of the Twilight Knight, the fiery red eyes of the beast widened. The blood on the black scales stirred such anger that it was nearly uncontrollable.

    Screech...!!!

    Fok howled loudly in anger, shaking the cave with its enormous black wings, creating a massive gust of wind. Blood... the blood of his young master... the blood that should not have been shed…

    Teshia himself wanted to console his dragon but lacked the strength to do so. A slight miscalculation in his elemental transformation had left him unable to fix anything. He underestimated the spell too much. Teshia thought it was good that this was just a test. If it had been on the battlefield or during his own evening events, he would surely have been doomed. Although he didn’t like to admit it, at this moment, it was good to have the Prince of Sivia with him...

    Ah... this wasn't like him at all. How could he trust in the power of others? But his vision and senses were now too faint. Even if he wanted to endure, he knew the limits of his own body too well.

    Thump!!

    Suddenly, Teshia collapsed unconscious on Fok's back, causing every pair of eyes to widen in shock.

    Snap!!

    The unconscious weight of his young master on the back of the Twilight Knight was the last straw for Fok. Its mouth opened wide before releasing a blast of dense, black energy darker than the night itself.

    Boom... Bang!!

    In an instant, the protective barrier that had shielded everyone from the bats shattered completely. Fok flapped its wings, propelling itself forward, unleashing streams and bursts of black energy from its mouth, attacking the bats relentlessly. As the bats attempted to draw near for a blood meal, a dark force field enveloped Fok, protecting it.

    The Twilight Knight is a high-level dragon. Whether it is attacking or moving, it is fierce, swift, not wasted, and flawless, with scales and powers terrifyingly strong. The chance for the blood-sucking bats to reach it for a blood meal was extremely slim.

    Whoosh!!

    The unleashed power surged towards both the bats and the cave walls. Ken, sitting on Fok's back, cried out in dismay but did not forget to hold onto Teshia. The Twilight Knight was rampaging, and no one could stop it!!

    Greez... Suddenly, Fok cried out again. Its mouth opened wider, and this time, the black power inside it spread out, forcing those nearby to raise protective shields around both themselves and the dragon.

    Whoosh... Boom!!

    The force burst from the mouth of the Twilight Knight, swallowing everything in its vicinity, extinguishing the light everyone was trying to create, the screams, and ultimately, the lives of all the bats.

    Greez... It seemed Fok was not yet satisfied, releasing another barrage of energy that shattered the cave walls, and it appeared he wasn't going to stop easily.

    "Mr. Seius, help! I can't control it," Ken shouted, calling for the nearest prince to assist. This dragon was too powerful, too potent, and too ferocious. Ken couldn’t control it.

    Prince Seius's silver eyes grew tense as the situation escalated beyond his expectations. His tall figure maneuvered Fayse closer to Fok before doing something unexpected. Seius kicked off from his own ice dragon to approach Ken, a distance considered to be so far that amazed onlookers, though they quickly had to focus on controlling their own dragons as the cave began to collapse.

    The Twilight Knight continued his rampage, his eyes burning with fury and now glinting with a desire to kill!!... kill to quench his anger... kill to avenge the blood that stained his black scales… kill to compensate for the pain his young master had endured!!

    “Ken, bring Teshia here," Seius ordered, prompting Ken to quickly hand over the young man with blue hair. Only Teshia could stop this rampaging Twilight Knight.

    "Hurry up, Seius, we're all going to die," Kyre shouted, though he was still controlling his dragon, Fera. Seius’s icy gaze turned to Ken.

    “Sorry,” eh…a sudden apology from the prince puzzled the young man who sat astride the Twilight Knight, but then…

    "Hey!!"