Dancing on the golden ashes

"Aren't you a little rebel, haha?" His laughter cut through my soul like a hot knife, full of mockery. He didn't regard me at all—as expected. This piece of shit was a sadist who loved to see people suffer and die.

"Don't tell me that a high and mighty creator came to deal with me personally. Do you have no shame?" I taunted him, trying to get under his skin. "Why don't you fight me at my power level? What? Are you afraid?"

I could sense his body tense, even if his shadowed face remained hidden. His shifting posture told me all I needed to know about what he was thinking. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

"Childish taunts like that will not work on me. After all, I could crush you with a single finger if I wished. You should get off your high horse and learn to be obedient in my world."

Suddenly, I felt the world around me come to a halt before it all crashed down on me. Inexplicable power bore down from above, forcing me to squat, compelling me to my knees.

I'm not going to kneel before him—never! I'd rather die!

I could feel the rage in my heart burn as the pressure around me intensified, my power surging in defiance.

"That disgusting power you possess—this is not what I planned at all. You're in my way, Lee Gaon, and you will submit to me. I can still use your power if you put it to my advantage. Join me, and this will all end. You'll keep your little empire and your friends, and I'll grant you the power to destroy worlds if you wish." I could sense something off in his voice—a hint of fear, as if he didn't truly have the power to kill me, or as if this burgeoning power within me was far too beneficial to him, making him impatient.

"How about you go and fuck yourself?!" I roared at the top of my lungs. My pride refused to let me submit. Suddenly, I felt the power surge through me, slowly lifting me up—even if only slightly. I had been saved from being forced to my knees.

"You!" I could hear the anger in his voice, but at that moment, I didn't care about his fury. My own rage surged—along with the envy I felt towards the other two standing beside him. I craved the chance to be acknowledged without these pathetic methods. I envied their luck, their strength, even the creator himself for his divine power. I wanted to be there—to be the strongest as well.

"Stop!" the creator shouted. Panic tinged his voice, and it felt like I was finally moving in the right direction.

The air around me shook as I felt the world bending to my will, no longer willing to serve him. All it took was a spark of the wrath burning inside my heart.

"I will kill you all! I hate this—I hate being suppressed! I will not bend, no! I will destroy everything in my path if that's what it takes. I will have my revenge against you all, and I'll end this world if I have to!" My voice cut through the void, shattering the force that had been holding me back. I could feel myself surge with a power that didn't seem to belong to me, yet at the same time, it was undeniably mine. My horns shone in a crimson light, and my entire body pulsed with strength—power enough to destroy the world, or at least that's how I felt.

"This is impossible! This power was sealed away by me, so how?!" The creator's voice trembled, and before I knew it, he dispersed like smoke.

"Hahahaha..." I laughed maniacally. "He fled—look at that, the creator fled. Hahaha!" I was losing control; my mind was consumed by thoughts of destruction, and the terrified expressions on the two men before me only fueled my desire to kill them.

"Come here, come and meet your end!" I shouted, and with a single step, I appeared before Jeong Suhan.

"Just who the hell are you, Lee Gaon?" he spat, his ugly expression satisfying me.

"Me?" I snarled, grabbing him by the throat and squeezing hard. "I'm your worst nightmare." I twisted his neck, but in the next moment, he dissolved into a white mist and reappeared at least two hundred meters away. I glared at him coldly, my eyes so icy they could slice through the void itself if I wished.

Suddenly, a golden spear shot at me from behind. I sensed it with my instincts and dodged to the side. Catching the spear, I pulled it in, sending Nam Ji-Ho hurtling toward me. I grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground with full force, making the earth crumble under the impact. Rocks flew into the air, and a deep crater formed beneath us. But then, a burst of golden lightning exploded from Nam Ji-Ho's body, enveloping me and inflicting countless injuries. The lightning sliced through my skin with overwhelming power.

"So you still have something in you, hahaha, good—because it was starting to get boring with just the two of you!" My hand exploded with power as invisible energy rushed into Nam Ji-Ho's body. In the next instant, the area burst into a multicolored radiance.

I watched as his body completely disintegrated, only for a white light to shine and reveal his reappearance next to Jeong Suhan. Both were panting heavily and then their weapons combined—the powerful fusion of white and gold energy shaking the air around them. This power, the combination of the two strongest people in the world, threatened to overwhelm me. But I didn't flinch; I knew I had to take it, that I had to stand my ground.

"Beat heart, beat! Let me feel it—let me know I'm alive! Let me take this hit and show everyone that it's my turn, that I stand at the top of the world!"

Suddenly, memories flooded my mind—memories of winning the world championship, of standing at the pinnacle only to fall soon after. But not this time. This time, I would not submit. This time, I possessed the power to defend myself!

The two of them slammed their weapons together in the air. "Die, Lee Gaon, and rot in hell for us!" they roared in unison. Their voices only fueled my satisfaction—finally, they acknowledged my strength.

A thick beam of energy, a fusion of gold and white, shot toward me. As it advanced, the beam morphed into the head of a dragon—a combination attack so coordinated that it was clear these two had fought side by side before, taking down powerful opponents with moves like this. But it was time to give them a rude awakening!

My claws shifted back into the form of my scythe as I launched an attack on the dragon. The mysterious power of my emotions surged forth, intertwining with the chaos energy coursing through me. "Let me show you how a dragon looks!" I thought, envisioning the face of the dragon goddess—the battle with her had inspired me beyond measure. Fueled by that memory, I unleashed my own creation: a grey, eerie dragon that streaked through the air as it departed from my scythe.

Instantly, the two attacks clashed, causing the entire area to tremble under the pressure. I could even see the clouds parting as our energies collided. The ground split in two, creating a long, jagged crack that separated me from the other two. Molten lava surged from the depths, shooting into the sky where our attacks met. But my assault didn't stop there—no, it was stronger.

I watched as both of them turned ashen, their expressions registering the realization that my attack was swiftly devouring theirs. I infused an extra surge of darkness into my strike, and the moment it hit, it sent them both flying.

Nam Ji-Ho crashed into the cold ground—his left side obliterated, his eyes barely open as darkness devoured him, halting any chance of regeneration. As for Jeong Suhan, he withstood the blow better. I saw him push Nam Ji-Ho in front of him just before the attack struck him. Though he had only lost his left arm, the relentless darkness prevented his regeneration. In a desperate move, he fled into the sky. Then, a gate opened in the air, leaving me utterly flabbergasted. The gate consumed him, and he vanished far away—most likely fleeing to the creator.

I moved quickly, appearing over Nam Ji-Ho.

"So you've been abandoned, huh." I said coldly. A flicker of pity stirred within me, but at the same time, I yearned to kill him. I knew that if our roles were reversed, he wouldn't spare me either.

"Yo-you... have no id-idea what you've done, this world..." His voice was weak, each word punctuated by coughs of blood.

"Rest in peace, Nam Ji-Ho. You were the best opponent I ever had," I said respectfully. It was true—he was the only one who had ever proven himself a real warrior.

"Haha. Yo-You too..." he managed a smile before I ripped the soul from him, his eyes draining of all color. Nam Ji-Ho ceased to exist in this world.

Yet, when I held his soul in my hand, I could see his massive black orb crackling with golden lightning inside it.

"What is that?" I squinted in confusion. "This has never happened before. If I consume this soul... what will happen...?"