Dancing on the golden ashes

"Gaon, are you okay?" Kim Seong-Hoon asked worriedly as we lay together on the ground. His arms held me firmly, ensuring that my crash into him hadn't caused any harm.

"I'm fine," I said, coughing up a small amount of blood. "I appreciate your help, but could you let me go now?" I hated being held like this and wanted nothing more than to get away as quickly as possible.

"I'm comfortable like this, Big Sis. You don't need to wor—!" His words were cut short as my elbow slammed into his ribs, giving me the opening I needed to break free.

"There's no time for games, you idiot!" I snapped, losing my temper. Sometimes, I wondered if he even took the whole 'you could die at any moment' thing seriously.

Once again, I saw one of the boars charging toward us, its body bathed in a golden light so intense it felt suffocating. But what truly caught my attention was something even stranger—within the radiant aura, as it flared and exploded outward, I caught a glimpse of five translucent lines shimmering against the golden glow.

"Watch out!" Eun-Woo shouted, his massive frame leaping in front of us. Like an unyielding mountain, he stood firm, absorbing the boar's attack with his shield without budging an inch.

Jieun moved swiftly, her body beginning to glow with a celestial light as her aura steadily intensified. My eyes, increasingly attuned to the flow of soul energy in the air, caught glimpses of two faint lines shimmering on her form. I had no idea what they signified. Moments later, she unleashed a small celestial attack, but it barely grazed the boar before dissipating as it struck the ground.

The weight of our situation pressed down on me—I knew we weren't ready for this fight. Yet, I had led everyone into what felt like an inescapable doom.

I have to act fast!

My scythe whirled in my hand, shrouded in darkness as I struck at the boar. A sharp metallic clang rang out the moment my blade collided with its body. The golden light enveloping the creature flared twice as brightly, leaving me stunned. Its defense was unreal—like an impenetrable steel wall, no matter how much force I put behind my attack.

Eun-Woo quickly followed my lead, bringing his hammer crashing down onto the boar from above. The sheer force of the blow, combined with his immense strength, made the creature squeal in pain. But just as it turned to flee,

"First step: Birth!"

A massive golden fire erupted from the ground, roaring to life and cutting off the boar's escape route. The flames surged and crackled, forming an impenetrable barrier that trapped the monster in place.

"Hold it there! I want to try something!" Jieun shouted, her fingers dancing in the air as though weaving an intricate spiderweb.

In the next moment, strands of delicate celestial light materialized, following the flow of her movements. A massive celestial net formed in her hands, radiating an otherworldly brilliance that left me utterly speechless.

This child... Who is she?

She swiftly hurled the net over the boar, ensnaring it as effortlessly as if she had cast a net of steel.

The boar thrashed violently, but the net held firm, burning its flesh as if the golden light shielding it didn't exist. The searing flames consumed it, leaving the creature powerless. The other boars charged toward us at first but halted when they saw the flames devouring one of their own. Recognizing the impending doom, they turned tail and fled.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

We had captured our first beast, and it was thanks mostly to Eun-Woo and Jieun. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of inadequacy. My darkness, once so powerful, had grown weak since the entity within me had entered its slumber. It felt as though my powers were being suppressed, leaving me with only fragments of the strength I once wielded.

Yet, I wasn't the only one affected. Kim Seong-Hoon stood off to the side, his dragon sword coiled tightly around his arm, pulsating with barely contained energy. He looked ready to leap into the fray, but before he could act, Jieun had already taken care of the beast.

"You okay?" I stepped toward him. I wasn't truly worried about him, but guilt gnawed at me for dragging us into this mess.

"Yeah... I'm fine..." he muttered, barely audible. His eyes avoided mine, fixed instead on some distant point, as if lost in his own thoughts.

"Actually... can you accompany me for a moment?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"But right now..." I hesitated, glancing at the still-struggling boar. If it managed to break free, we'd be in for another fight.

"That's fine. You two go," Eun-Woo interrupted, his tone calm and reassuring. "Jieun and I have this under control. I'll handle it—skin this thing for our dinner and wait here for your return."

"Please... just... I need a word with you. Alone," he said again, his voice quiet but insistent.

I sighed, relenting. "Fine, but make it quick. We don't have time to waste."

"I won't take much of your time, Big Sis," he replied with a small nod, and I reluctantly followed alongside him.

"So, what's this about?" I asked, my eyes darting around to scan the area for any lurking monsters. I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"I wish I could forget..." I replied, my tone cold but laced with a hint of humor. Strangely enough, despite everything, I found myself enjoying his company now and then.

"Right... Back when we were evenly matched in power. Our sparring sessions were incredible," he said, his voice growing quieter. "But now, I'm falling behind. More and more, each day, it feels like all of you are leaving me in the dust—especially you, Big Sis." His words trailed off, his gaze distant, as if lost in some important thought.

"Well, don't you want a big sister who can protect you every time you get into trouble?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood. "And I do it for free! Though, if you keep complaining, I might start charging you—with a foot rub or a massage as compensation. But that's as far as I'll go!" I laughed, hoping to ease his worries.

"That's the problem—I don't want to be protected," he said, stopping in his tracks. His voice carried a weight of determination, and I could see in his eyes that he wasn't joking anymore. "I want to grow stronger, to stand by your side once again as your equal. Even if I have to train harder than anyone else, I refuse to be useless in battle. I'll make sure I'm always there to protect you—even if it costs me my life!"

I didn't know how to respond at first, but I understood him completely. I hated falling behind too. "You're the only idiot I know with such a ridiculous resolve," I said, the words slipping out before I could think.

"But we're friends, so don't sweat it. We'll figure this out together. And if you're determined to surpass me someday, then do it. Show me what you're capable of. One day, we'll spar again, and that battle will shake the entire world—proving that the two of us stand at the top."

I extended my fist toward him. "Let's do it, Kim Seong-Hoon."

For the first time ever, I smiled at him—bright and warm. I believed in him. I knew he had what it took to climb to the top of the food chain. All he needed was his awakening. Your next chapter awaits on empire

"Yeah!" His fist met mine with a determined force. "I'll grow so strong that no one will ever dare to look down on me. I'll become the dragon among men, someone even you, Lee Gaon, can look up to!"

His eyes burned with unshakable resolve, and a powerful blue light began to radiate from his body. The air around us grew colder, the temperature dropping sharply, as though something deep within him was awakening.

"Yeah, no. I'm never going to look up to you," I said with a smirk. "But we can be a duo—fire and ice. We may never see eye to eye, but together, we'll become an unstoppable force!"

In that moment, I shared a rare smile with him, caught in the simple joy of his unwavering determination. When it came to growing stronger, I couldn't help but admire people with the resolve to rise above everything.

Maybe that's why I let him follow me the first time we met.

A small ice dragon began to materialize behind him as Kim Seong-Hoon exhaled a frosty breath. His eyes shut for a moment, only to snap open again, glowing with an intense light-blue frost. I instinctively took a few steps back, watching as the bluish aura around him thickened.

His entire body trembled under the strain, blood trickling from his nose, but he pressed on. Slowly, painstakingly, the ice dragon took shape, its majestic form identical to the one he could summon with the system's help. But this time, he had done it on his own. The sight left me breathless.

"I, Kim Seong-Hoon, vow to you, Big Sis, that one day, I will become a true dragon among men!"

His voice boomed with unwavering conviction, and as the words echoed, the entire area around us was cast in shimmering frost, the ground and air transformed into a frozen testament to his awakening.