Dancing on the golden ashes

I was left standing speechless, unsure of what to say. Too many questions built up inside me, and if I let them explode, I'd most likely spend an entire day inside this gem.

"Before I agree... you must answer me. Why would you willingly pass me your so-called legacy? I can't imagine a situation where this would make sense." I was suspicious of this strange goddess of fire. In this world, nothing was ever free—there was always a catch.

She eyed me, her eyes widening slightly for just a moment before her usual playful expression returned. I felt her fingers brush lightly against my left shoulder as she walked away. My gaze followed her, only to be met with a breathtaking display of flames. Her entire body ignited, the fire consuming her completely as she disappeared from my sight, merging seamlessly with the flames dancing around me

Where did she go...? I don't like this one bit...

In the next instant, the flames around me flared up, shifting into vibrant new colors, as though the rainbow itself had been dragged into this world. The fiery display began to change, casting scenes across the flames like a projector illuminating a wall.

I saw a vast world filled with towns, cities, and empires—but they were all engulfed in flames, burning as if the entire world had been set alight at once.

In the distance stood the figure of an unimaginably beautiful young woman, her silhouette strikingly similar to the goddess of fire I had met just moments ago. Her face was void of any emotion, her eyes completely black, as if they had been filled with ink.

She floated effortlessly in the air, adorned in a stunning dress crafted from flames. Behind her, wings of fire stretched out, spanning several meters in both length and width. Their edges glowed so brightly they were nearly white.

The goddess slowly raised her hand, floating above a citadel made of diamonds and gems, its brilliance so intense it was almost blinding. Sparks danced in the air as the entire citadel erupted in a glorious explosion, shattering into countless fragments of light.

At that moment, her face was drenched in tears of sorrow and pain. Everything in the world burned, consumed by unrelenting flames. Just as the destruction reached its peak, a black beam shot down from the sky, piercing through her and extinguishing her flames.

Her lifeless body plummeted toward the earth, vanishing in a burst of fiery light the instant she hit the ground.

The flames around me returned to their normal hues as her body reappeared in front of me. Her playful expression was gone, replaced with a sorrowful one.

"I'm not going to explain myself too much," she said softly. "What I showed you just now were my last moments in the world before yours. A thriving world filled with laughter and peace… yet I destroyed it with my own hands. I can't explain the feeling—it was as if I was lost, as if I was being controlled."

With a graceful motion of her hand, she conjured a throne made of fire and sat on it, crossing her legs.

"We lived in peace," she continued. "Training ourselves, growing strong. But then one day, a mysterious figure appeared, introducing a so-called 'system' that promised to make the weak strong. Many embraced it instantly."

She waved her hand again, creating another fiery throne and gesturing for me to sit down.

"I don't think I have much time to sit around... my companion..." I trailed off, thinking about Malrang, who was still fighting alone, and my body outside barely holding on to her.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Sit down. Time here flows a thousand times slower than outside. When you leave, only a mere moment will have passed."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

My jaw dropped. It was eerily similar to the trial world I had been in before.

"I've been to a place like this before," I said cautiously. "But that world was called a trial world… I fought someone called the Fallen King of Ruttham or something like that…"

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gripped the armrest of her throne tightly. "So his world fell as well…"

I was taken aback, but somehow it made sense. Someone at her level would undoubtedly know secrets like that.

"You know him?" I asked curiously, hesitantly sitting on the fire throne. To my surprise, it was only slightly warm and didn't burn me. It felt solid yet soft, as if it were made from the finest, most comfortable fabric.

"Not only do I know him," she said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "He was once a part of this world before it was torn apart. Their empire was the first to fall—the first to rebel when we realized something was wrong…" I listened intently, afraid to miss any detail.

"I'm at least glad to know that world is still somewhere, hopefully thriving with life..."

Our eyes met, and in that instant, she seemed to understand the truth—that the world was empty.

"I see..." she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Well, maybe that is for the best."

"Enough about that," the goddess said, her tone sharpening. "All you need to know is that the world you live in now has been utterly destroyed, tearing away everything that existed here before. Only a few powerful creatures were allowed to remain, submitting to the so-called 'Creator.' In reality, he's nothing more than a thief..." Her eyes were full of hatred.

"Then what about the other creatures in this world?" I asked, curiosity laced with unease.

"They were created by that person, with the system built into them—slaves to him forever..."

"That means Malrang..." My chest tightened, a strange ache swelling within me. I didn't know why, but something in my heart cried out for her. She seemed so pitiful, born into a world where she was forced to follow the path of that person...

"Don't worry about that," she said firmly. "One day, I know you'll grow strong enough to surpass the system and escape it. When that day comes, you'll be able to drag her out with you. Just don't let the darkness inside of you deceive you."

She paused, as if anticipating my next question. "And before you ask, no… I don't know what that entity is." She shook her head slightly, cutting me off just as my mouth opened to inquire.

"Now... it is time for you to learn the path of fire," the goddess declared, rising to her feet. Flames erupted around me, wrapping my body in a fiery embrace. The heat didn't burn; instead, it tingled against my skin, as if tempering and refining me. I could feel myself grow slightly stronger.

"The power in this world comes from your soul," she continued, her voice booming, reverberating through the gem's space. "That was his mistake—leaving soul power as the main tool for growth while masking the system behind it. He tricked all of you, the new residents of this world, into believing it was your only path to strength."

The fire around me intensified, roaring like a raging furnace. It wrapped me in a cocoon of flames, isolating me from the world. All I could hear was her voice, echoing from outside.

"Listen, Lee Gaon… This world of mine was once a world of cultivators, where we reached for immortality. The system you have now has replaced that path—and blocked you from ever taking that step. Let me unlock that path for you. Inside your soul, I will leave a key. One day, you will know what to do with it. But for now… you shall inherit my power. The goddess of fire shall be born again!"

The flames consumed me, burning my body to ashes as I lost consciousness. Yet in the next moment, I felt myself rising from those very ashes, renewed. My body felt transformed, as if it were made of fire—warm, untamed, powerful, and, most importantly… pure.

My eyes shot open, and the fiery cocoon around me shattered. I was left standing naked, but in the next spark, a black-and-gold ball gown materialized around me. Flames burned along the edges, as if half the dress itself was made of fire, flickering and alive.

"This..." I felt my soul shifting, a profound transformation taking place. Darkness and fire intertwined within me, neither fully merging nor opposing each other. They danced in a tenuous balance, as though striving to coexist in harmony.

"You will not gain the system's abilities from this," she said, her voice steady yet tinged with sorrow.

"But you will wield fire freely, independent of its rules. It won't be powerful at first, but as you train your soul, the flames will grow stronger—strong enough to one day burn everything in your path. Let me warn you, though: there are no cultivation scripts left in this world. He destroyed them all. You will have to forge your own path. I cannot guide you in this... I am but a fractured soul, lingering just long enough to meet the one destined to carry my will. That person is you, Gaon."

She smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with tears, as her body began to fade. The space around us trembled with her impending departure.

"When the time comes to slay that bastard," she continued, her voice steady despite her fading form, "let him know that I send my regards. And tell him I will be waiting for him in hell."

Her presence flickered, and the tremors grew stronger. With a final, heartfelt smile, she added, "I've left fragments of my abilities for you. Search for them within your soul and train with them. Please... don't let my legacy vanish from this world."

The flames dissipated, leaving an aching void in their wake. My heart clenched painfully. "You were one of the few who ever showed me kindness," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I vow to you—one day, I will avenge you. I will free myself from the chains of this world, untamed and untainted. I shall become fire and darkness. I shall become... immortal!"

As the words left my lips, flames roared to life around me, their vibrant hues blazing with newfound intensity. The darkness within me surged, weaving into the flames, dyeing them a deep, unyielding black. Together, they raged in a chaotic harmony, reshaping the very air around me.

"Yes..." I breathed, the power swelling within me, unstoppable and absolute. "Fire and darkness will coexist under my rule!"

The flames on my dress shifted, darkening as they pulsed with a newfound, formidable energy. They clung to me like a second skin, radiating power. Behind me, fire and darkness intertwined, roaring to life as they took shape. Blazing with heat and fury, they formed great wings, each stroke of flame and shadow embodying my rising dominance.