Dancing on the golden ashes

My eyes stayed locked on the man cloaked in shadows. He looked... exactly like him. The version of the Creator I had seen back in his ridiculous game world, during my clash with Jeong Suhan.

"Him again..." I muttered, my voice tinged with irritation.

I already knew what he was about to do, and I was right.

Moments later, the massive black sword descended from the heavens, slamming into the ground with a deafening roar. A surge of mysterious black energy exploded outward, wrapping everything in its suffocating embrace.

I watched in stunned silence as the world itself seemed to hold its form, yet massive fragments of it broke away, drifting apart like shattered glass in a void. The winds surged with the force of a tempest, ripping across the land in a relentless, chaotic fury.

It wasn't destruction—it was division. A catastrophe so immense it felt like the very essence of the world was being rewritten.

"After this attack, the world was never the same," the elder continued, his voice steady and laden with the weight of history. "For many years, the lands remained lifeless. Then, after an untold amount of time, a tiny sapling sprouted from the barren ground."

As he spoke, the vision around us shifted, and the desolate wasteland transformed into the image of a single, delicate red sapling piercing through the cracked earth.

"The little red sapling," he said softly, "was all that remained of this world."

Years seemed to pass in a heartbeat. The sapling grew taller, its crimson leaves trembling in unseen winds. I watched in awe as time accelerated before my eyes, witnessing the unimaginable span of years encapsulated in mere moments.

"As the sapling became a tall tree, the grass began to grow around it." The vision shifted again, revealing fields of vibrant crimson grass spreading out in all directions, painting the landscape in breathtaking beauty.

"It was a sight to behold," the elder murmured, his voice calm, though my heart raced at the magnitude of what I was witnessing. "This tree did not stop growing, as if fueled by a mysterious energy. It kept reaching higher, breaking past the limits of the skies, stretching toward the heavens themselves."

The tree grew taller and taller, its massive branches extending into the void of space, its leaves shimmering with an otherworldly light. The elder's face remained calm, as if he had seen this countless times before, but I was utterly entranced. The sheer enormity of the story unfolding before me was overwhelming.

"It continued growing," the elder continued, "until it reached outer space, breaking past the heavens. Only then... only after defying the limits of the cosmos, did the tree finally stop." He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the crystalline fruit hanging from the branches. "My ancestors believed this tree sought to steal the energy of the cosmos itself—to birth new life."

His finger pointed toward the crystal-like fruit that now shimmered in the vision. As I watched, the fruit began to grow, slowly taking on a form larger than life. Inside, I could see the faint outline of something stirring, something taking shape.

"Over time," he explained, "a beast began to form within the fruit. It grew steadily, nurtured by the tree's cosmic energy."

I stood transfixed, watching as the being inside the fruit became clearer, its features sharpening until it appeared almost lifelike.

"And this," the elder said with a bright smile, "is how our race was born. But the Mother Tree couldn't allow our fragile forms to simply fall to the ground. So, over time, it began to collect rainwater around itself."

The vision shifted again, showing the colossal lake surrounding the tree, its surface dotted with blooming lotuses.

"When the lake had fully formed, the lotuses bloomed," he continued, "providing soft landings for us as we came into the world, beginning our journey."

The elder's smile lingered, but my heart pounded in my chest, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what I had just seen. This wasn't just history—it was a story of resilience, rebirth, and a power that defied all comprehension.

I listened intently, afraid to miss even a single detail. All of this was crucial information to me. It might actually help me figure out how to fight him in the future. At least now, I knew he had the ability to split worlds. That alone was terrifying, and I wasn't even close to that level of power. Perhaps it would take me ages to reach it—if I ever could.

"But how do I get back to that world?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. I had to know if it was even possible.

The elder looked at me for a long moment. Then, with a wave of his hand, the vision faded, and the surrounding scenery shifted back to the mysterious star-filled space. He sighed deeply, his small frame exuding an air of contemplation.

The silence was unnerving, and when he finally looked into my eyes, I felt an icy chill race down my spine. For a moment, I froze completely.

What the hell is going on? A flicker of panic sparked in my chest. Did he suddenly decide to kill me?

"Pure soul, yet so broken..." he muttered, his voice so soft it was barely audible.

Before I could ask what he meant, he continued, "I can help you, but in return, you must take a vow."

His words struck a chord in me, and I couldn't help but listen carefully. It made sense—something like teleporting me back to the main world couldn't be a simple task.

"What do you need me to promise?" I asked cautiously.

"All I ask is this: when you gain the power to do so, you must connect all of these worlds together. And when my people have fulfilled their destiny, you must set them free."

His hand moved again, and I felt a force begin to push me back. It was gentle at first, but the pressure grew stronger with every passing second.

"Wait!" I called out, realizing I was being forced out of the space. "Elder! There are still so many things I need to ask!"

But my voice barely reached him as the pressure intensified.

"Return here in ten days," his voice echoed faintly. "Come alone. Make sure all of them are inside your special space. Only then will I be able to teleport you."

I tried to resist the force, but it was no use. My surroundings blurred as the elder's words lingered in my mind.

Finally, I was expelled completely, finding myself standing once again in front of the giant tree stump. No matter how hard I tried, there was no way back inside. The path was sealed.

Ten days... It felt like an eternity. But there was nothing I could do now but wait.

For the next ten days, I had a lot to think about. One question refused to leave my mind: If the beasts born from this tree were all here in this village, where did the other beasts come from? This world was filled with them, and not just outside the village—life thrived everywhere. When was the turning point? Why hadn't the elder shown me that side of history? Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

Something still didn't add up. I wasn't sure if I could fully trust him, but he was my only hope of getting out of here.

With time to spare, I decided to try something I'd never had the luxury for before: meditation. It felt awkward at first, but during my time in the illusory world, I had noticed people sitting cross-legged, their breathing steady, radiating an aura of peace and power. I wanted to try that.

Sitting down, I closed my eyes and let my breathing slow. At first, I felt ridiculous. But then, as I attempted to rotate my soul energy, something shifted. With each breath, I felt a faint connection to this world, as though it were feeding my soul. It was mysterious and disorienting, and my unsteady breathing made it challenging.

After days of practice, something finally clicked. My body trembled, and then a powerful sensation washed over me. It was as if my entire being grew stronger—my soul expanding by an inch, each fragment brimming with newfound energy.

Time slipped away unnoticed, and before I knew it, the ten days had passed. I had completely forgotten my plan to look for the last beast.

"Master, it's time," Lee Ja-Ho's deep voice broke through my focus.

I opened my eyes to see his massive lion frame towering above me.

I nodded silently, standing up.

Time to go home.

My mind raced. I didn't know what to expect, or how the people back in my empire would react when I returned. Would they even accept me after everything? Letting out a deep sigh, I shook off the lingering doubts and summoned all of the beasts back into the beast world. I could only hope they had enough space in there.

I left only Pawpaw with me—he was the only one who could open the tree. After his massive paw pressed against the ancient trunk, revealing the hidden entrance, I patted him on the leg with a small smile and summoned him into the beast world as well.

Inside, the space shimmered with celestial energy, and the old rat elder was waiting for me. This time, he held a massive wooden staff in his hand, its surface etched with glowing runes.

"Welcome back, Lee Gaon," he said, his voice steady yet solemn. "I hope you are ready."