It was already evening. The sky had gone dark.Our heroes were searching for a place to spend the night.
The moment Koharu cast a light spell to see ahead—
Swen's eyes suddenly lifted to the sky.
"Something… is flying."
Dark shapes appeared above them.First a few… then dozens—hundreds.
The sound of wings turned into a sharp, disturbing hum.
Shinju spoke immediately:
"Void bats. Koharu, turn off the light. Now."
Koharu canceled the spell.
"Sorry… I couldn't see."
Aurelia frowned slightly.
"I can smell that curse on them too."
Shinju kept his eyes on the sky.
"They've mutated with the essence of the Void…In these numbers, they could be dangerous. Stay alert."
Aurelia scoffed.
"Are you serious?These things?"
She turned her gaze to Shinju.
"Perfect chance to test your strength.I don't want a single one left alive."
Swen smirked.
"Good timing to gather Yin essence too."
Shinju took a deep breath.
"Fine… then watch."
He stepped forward.
Darkness gathered around him.Six thin, sharp Yin needles formed in the air.
Shinju's eyes searched for a target.
But—
The bats were moving.
No…
They were flowing.
One moment to the right.Then to the left.Then somewhere else entirely.
Shinju attacked.
The needles shot forward.
Empty.
Nothing.
Only the air was torn apart.
Shinju's brows furrowed.
Again.
Missed.
Again.
Nothing.
"..."
His eyes couldn't track them.
This… wasn't something he was used to.
He clenched his teeth.
"How…"
Not a single hit.
A drop of sweat slid down his forehead.
Aurelia stood to the side.
She didn't move.
She just watched.
And there was only one thing on her face:
disappointment.
Shinju attacked again.
This time faster.
More aggressive.
But the result—
The same.
Empty.
Empty.
Empty.
Time stretched.
With every missed attack…
something inside him tightened.
"Focus…"
One.
Just one.
Finally—
A hit.
The bat let out a sharp, thin scream—
and fell to the ground.
For a brief moment, Shinju felt a flicker of relief—
Then—
The sky trembled.
The remaining bats began moving as one.Their movements synchronized—and they released a piercing sound together.
It was unbearable.
The sound didn't enter through the ears—
it went straight through the bones.
Swen dropped to her knees.
"Ugh… that frequency—!"
Shinju's Yin flow collapsed.The needles trembled… then shattered.
"Damn it… not this sound attack again?!"
The bats began circling him.
His energy was breaking apart.
The Yin waves he tried to form… dissolved inside the sound.
His vision darkened.
Koharu and Swen were on the ground, covering their ears.
Shinju stepped back.
Tried to steady himself—
But couldn't.
The Yin kept falling apart.
And then—
Aurelia moved.
She stepped forward.
The air around her changed completely.
Her crimson eyes lifted to the sky.
She took a breath.
And the sky filled with fire.
Flames spread like a tidal wave.The black sky turned gold.
The bats burned one by one, falling from above.
The air filled with the smell of scorched flesh.
Shinju turned his head away, shielding his eyes.
It ended… almost instantly.
Less than a minute.
When the flames faded—
Only charred remains were left.
Swen bent down, picked one up.
The body crumbled to ash in her fingers.
"Forget Yin absorption… it's all gone."
Shinju turned to Aurelia.
His breathing was still uneven.
"I… struggled for half an hour…""You ended it in one attack."
A brief pause.
"So when you fought me… you weren't even serious."
Aurelia walked toward him slowly, the tips of her hair still flickering with faint flames.
"No bat exists that can withstand dragon fire."
She stopped, placing her hand on his shoulder. The touch burned.
"But that's not the point."
Her eyes sharpened.
"I don't understand you. You rely on that corrupted power…yet there's something far greater inside you. The power of dragons. Why don't you use it?"
Shinju looked away.
"I can feel it… but I can't use it. I tried… it doesn't work.I've always cultivated the essence of the Void. I can't reach that new energy."
Aurelia crossed her arms, her gaze calm but knowing.
"Yin and Yang… are the two hearts of the universe.We dragons use Yang. It is the essence of creation. Yang gives form to existence—shaped by thought."
She traced a small ring of flame in the air. It flickered… then faded.
"But you use Yin. The energy of destruction. Of returning everything to nothing."
A short pause.
"If you want to control Yang… you must reverse your intent."
Her voice remained steady.
"Yin drives you to break things apart. Yang brings things together.You've grown used to destroying."
Her gaze locked onto his.
"If you want to use Yang…you must learn to create."