Dancing on the golden ashes

The workers of the place began to rush into the main room, their footsteps chaotic and frantic. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by half-naked men—a sight I never wanted to see.

"What the hell is going on here?"

A deep voice boomed from the entrance, silencing the commotion. A tall, bulky man shoved his way through the crowd, his sheer presence commanding attention.

His gaze fell on the headless corpse of Jang Pil-Soo, then shifted to me, standing there with my scythe still in hand.

"Was this your doing?" he asked, his voice trembling. Tears began to pool in his eyes, and this time, they seemed genuine.

It wasn't the twisted sorrow of someone mourning their power but the raw pain of a man who had lost someone close to him.

"Da-Daddy!" he screamed, his voice cracking with anguish as his body began to expand unnaturally.

Inspect!

[Jang Min-Sik]

[Level 37]

[Crimson Berserker]

His already massive fists ignited in crimson flames, the fiery energy radiating with raw power. Without warning, he lunged at me, his speed belying his size.

I dodged to the side just in time, and his punch obliterated the wall behind me, sending debris flying in every direction.

The sound of destruction reverberated through the building, drawing attention from all around.

Great. Now I'm at the center of a commotion I didn't ask for.

"Bring my daddy back from the dead!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face as he swung another powerful uppercut.

The strike was aimed directly at me, but dodging wasn't an option—not with people behind me who'd be crushed in an instant.

With no choice, I raised my scythe and blocked the attack. The force behind his punch was immense, and though it was manageable, the impact launched me through the ceiling.

I shot into the sky, debris trailing in my wake, as the entire town turned their eyes upward to witness the commotion.

Well done, Gaon... You've really outdone yourself this time. I thought bitterly.

All eyes turned to me as I hovered in the sky, my fire wings blazing behind me like a radiant banner.

In the next moment, the man who had sent me flying leaped into the air, his legs wrapped in a powerful crimson aura. The determination in his eyes was clear—he thought he had the upper hand and was ready to finish the fight.

"Idiot..." I muttered under my breath, a smirk tugging at my lips.

My scythe danced fluidly in my hands as I scanned his movements.

Darkness Slash

A wave of dark energy surged forward, cutting through the air with deadly precision.

To my surprise, he managed to block the attack, the collision sending shockwaves through the air. But the force was still too much for him to handle. His body was hurled downward, crashing into a nearby building with a deafening explosion.

Screams erupted from the streets below as debris rained down, the onlookers scattering in fear.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Jang Min-Sik roared, his voice echoing across the town, attracting even more attention.

A moderate crowd began to gather below, their faces a mix of awe, fear, and curiosity. The chaos was impossible to ignore, and among the onlookers, I noticed a few individuals dressed in strange uniforms that resembled law enforcement.

Great. Just what I needed.

His rage continued to boil over, his aura flaring wildly as his eyes locked onto me with murderous intent.

Jang Min-Sik clasped his hands together amidst the rubble, and in the next instant, a powerful crimson aura surged forth. The attack shot at me with extreme speed, its intensity almost blinding.

But since I could see faint glimpses of the future, I had more than enough time to dodge.

The attack arced downward, crashing into the ground in a devastating explosion. A small workshop—or something resembling one—was obliterated in an instant, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Stop right there!" a commanding voice shouted from below.

I glanced down to see several individuals in uniforms that resembled law enforcement, their expressions stern and unyielding.

"You're both under arrest for disturbing the peace and causing chaos in our peaceful city!" Read new chapters at empire

One of them raised a hand, and a white chain shot out of his body, splitting into two. One segment wrapped around Jang Min-Sik like a cocoon, suppressing his wild aura with ease.

As for me?

Heh...

Golden flames erupted from my body, lighting up the sky in a radiant blaze. The chains disintegrated instantly, unable to withstand the sheer power of my fire.

"You dare challenge me?" I declared, my voice echoing through the sky as my King's Aura erupted outward in full force.

The entire town trembled beneath its weight. People dropped to their knees, their faces etched with awe and reverence as they worshiped me from below.

"A king!"

"Look at that! A powerful king has appeared in our kingdom!"

"Where are our own kings? Why haven't they come out to fight yet?"

Countless voices filled the air, chatter rippling across the streets as chaos turned to something akin to a frenzied reverence.

From this vantage point, I could finally gauge the extent of my aura. It stretched far—an impressive two-kilometer radius. Beyond that, its influence seemed to weaken, only mildly affecting those further away.

As for the rulers in the city? They weren't shaken in the slightest.

Suddenly, several strong auras erupted from different parts of the town.

From the massive marble palace, two figures emerged, their presence undeniable. At the same time, three more figures shot into the sky from scattered locations across the city, their speed and power making it clear they were not ordinary opponents.

"This troublemaker's got some bite, even with her level," a young man with pink hair remarked, his tone dripping with arrogance as he lazily picked his ear with his finger. A sword rested casually on his shoulder, his posture oozing overconfidence.

"You don't mess with us in this city. I thought everyone knew that," said a tall young woman, her sharp gaze locking onto me.

Her pink eyes glowed faintly, and her white hair shimmered in the sunlight, enhancing her already stunning appearance. Around her, a pink aura swirled and danced, radiating a feeling of slow, inevitable erosion.

"Surrender yourself, and we won't slay you here," a short girl, barely in her teens, said coldly. Her voice carried a sharp edge that matched her unsettling appearance. Dark crow-like wings unfurled behind her, and her pure black eyes gleamed with an eerie intensity. There was something primal about her, a tinge of wilderness that made her presence unnerving.

"Yoon Da-Eun," a calm voice cut through the tension. "I've told you before—we don't execute people like animals. This isn't the old days of free executions. We hold trials and let the people decide."

The speaker was a young man with jet-black hair and glasses, his sharp gaze fixed on the girl. As he spoke, his aura erupted, stronger and more oppressive than anyone else's in the group, silencing even her defiant energy.

But the scariest one was a man with long, golden hair that shimmered like threads of sunlight.

He carried a massive black longsword, its blade resting casually across his shoulders as he held it with both hands. His piercing gaze locked onto me, scanning me intently, as if trying to unravel every secret I carried.

Yet, he remained silent.

I could feel the immense power radiating from his body, a suffocating presence that dwarfed the others.

His attire was striking—an all-black ensemble that seemed to belong in a cyberpunk world. The sleek coat draped over his shoulders, combined with the sharp edges of his outfit, gave him an aura of authority and lethality that set him apart from the rest.

The crowd erupted into cheers the moment they appeared.

"The five of the six kings are here! Look, it's Han Ji-Yeon—her beauty is unmatched!"

"Idiot, just look at Yoon Da-Eun! She's not losing to her at all!"

"Hey, she's still a child. Are you a pedo?"

"Shut up, both of you! Sir Kim Joon-Ho is here! That pink hair of his is so striking!"

"Heh... He's nothing compared to my squad leader, Lee Min-Jae. His intellect is unmatched."

"You can admire them all you want, but we all know that the second-in-command, Park Seo-Jin, is untouchable. He could crush that woman with a single finger!"

I glanced at the five figures surrounding me in the air, their formation closing in like a well-rehearsed trap.

"Trust me," I said, my voice steady but laced with warning. "You don't want to fight me. How about we settle this peacefully, and I go on my way?"

My aura began to rise, slowly but deliberately, as if daring them to test me.

But I knew they wouldn't back down. Their pride, their image—letting me go would tarnish it. And they couldn't allow that.

"Or," I continued, smirking as my gaze met each of theirs, "the five of you can be the first to fall and push me closer to the Emperor's level. I'd like that too."

I wasn't afraid of battle. If anything, the thrill of a fight made my blood hum.