Dancing on the golden ashes

The bear exuded an overwhelming presence, its massive form radiating raw power. In the next instant, its body glowed with a vibrant green light, and an oppressive aura descended upon us like a crushing weight from above.

It was a strange sensation, one that might have paralyzed me before. But after all the battles I'd endured, I was growing used to resisting such pressure. This time, I would prove that I wasn't so easily broken.

A massive claw swiped down toward Eun-Woo, its sheer force shaking the air. His shield flared with a radiant moonlight, but just before the claw could strike, a delicate veil of celestial light wrapped around him—Jieun's protection. She had worked tirelessly to recreate this ability in this world, but it lacked the strength of its system counterpart. The claw's immense power shattered it instantly.

Yet, Eun-Woo didn't flinch. He stood firm, taking the attack like a true champion. The massive claw collided with his shield, meeting an unyielding wall of defiance.

"Nice block!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the battlefield.

Dark flames erupted around me as I dashed through the air. It wasn't as fast as my usual space distortion; without the system's support, the technique was too complex to fully execute. Now, it only gave me a slight edge in speed, but that was enough.

I raced past the massive claw the moment it clashed with Eun-Woo's shield, the timing perfect. My scythe burned with golden flames and crackled with black energy as I gripped it tightly. Channeling every ounce of power into the swing, I slashed with everything I had.

In an instant, the massive claw dropped to the ground, severed cleanly by my strike. My power had grown significantly over the past five days, and this was proof of it.

"Celestial Fire!" Jieun's voice rang out, and the next moment, a blazing celestial ball shot toward the bear's face. The impact was devastating, sending the massive creature toppling onto its back.

This fight was going much smoother than we had anticipated. Perhaps we had even overestimated our opponent.

The bear growled in pain, its roar shaking the ground, but we had no intention of letting it live.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

My scythe whirled in my hands, its flames flaring with renewed intensity. Eun-Woo's hammer blazed with radiant sunlight, illuminating the battlefield. Meanwhile, Jieun's fingers moved gracefully through the air, as though weaving an intricate masterpiece.

In the next instant, her efforts culminated in a massive ball of celestial light, glowing with divine power as it descended from the sky like a falling star, aimed directly at the bear.

Explore hidden tales at empire

It took only moments for the beast to fall, utterly annihilated by our combined attacks. Its massive body lay in pieces—some parts severed cleanly, others crushed beyond recognition. As for its head, it was completely obliterated, as if reduced to atoms.

Pretty solid teamwork, if I say so myself. I allowed a small, satisfied smile. If we keep fighting like this, no beast in this forest will stand a chance against us.

"I've finally done it! Did you see how powerful my hammer was when I wrapped it in my soul energy?" Eun-Woo beamed with pride, his confidence radiating as brightly as his weapon had moments before. "If only Brother Seong-Hoon could see it... I bet he'd freak out at my new power."

He smiled, clearly proud of his achievement—and I didn't blame him. This time, the energy he exuded felt at least half as powerful as when he had the system's support.

"What about me?" Jieun pouted, her golden eyes shining brightly as she turned to me. "Big Sister Gaon, did you see? Did you see? That attack I cast was so strong! What do you think?"

"You both did an amazing job. At this rate, you'll both leave me in the dust," I said with a smile, my words meant to encourage them.

But deep down, I didn't believe it. I couldn't let them surpass me—I needed to be the strongest. A sudden burst of jealousy surged through me, sharp and uncontrollable, like a poison spreading through my body and mind. No matter how hard I tried to suppress it, the thoughts wouldn't go away.

Eun-Woo's laughter echoed through the forest, hearty and carefree. "You flatter us, Gaon. There's no way we'd eve—"

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

A sharp, slightly high-pitched voice cut through the air, interrupting Eun-Woo mid-sentence.

"It seems a bunch of rookies in the Soul Bend stage has stolen our prey, Young Master. What do you think we should do?"

Two figures emerged from the forest, their powerful auras pressing down on us, unmistakably stronger than ours. One of them, clad in a pristine white robe, had long black hair tied neatly in a ponytail. He looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, yet carried himself with the poise of someone far more experienced.

The other was slightly older, wearing an identical robe, though he lacked the striking handsomeness of the first. Even so, he was far more attractive than most people I'd known back on Earth. It seemed everyone in this world possessed a beauty that put my old world to shame.

"We should teach them a lesson—not to steal from the territory of our White Tiger Sect. Otherwise, everyone will think they can do the same," the older one said, his tone cold and condescending. His gaze flickered over us before he smirked. "But... they do look like rogue cultivators. Maybe we can be lenient. If that beauty would accompany us for a round of dual cultivation, we might as well let them all walk away today! Hahaha!"

His disgusting laughter echoed through the forest, making my skin crawl. I didn't know what dual cultivation meant, but the way their eyes scanned my body told me everything I needed to know—it wasn't anything good. A wave of nausea hit me as their predatory gazes lingered, and I clenched my fists, fury bubbling inside me.

I know she told me not to mess with anyone... but honestly, they're already as good as dead. So why not help them along and make it quicker? I'd be doing them a favor, to be honest.

My scythe whirled in my hand, dark flames dancing along its edge. Without hesitation, I channeled all my soul power, unleashing a devastating dark slash at the one who dared insult me.

His eyes widened in shock, but he reacted quickly. His fingers moved in a flurry, forming intricate seals, and in the next instant, a sword shot out from behind him. It radiated a golden light as it surged forward, attempting to intercept my attack.

But it was all futile. My attack tore through his sword as if it were paper, the golden light shattering in an instant. The dark slash collided with his neck, severing it cleanly.

His eyes remained wide, frozen in shock and fear. I think the last thing he saw was my cold, unflinching gaze locking with his before his head fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"You bitch! What the fuck did you do?!" The cocky one was trembling, his bravado shattered. His legs gave out beneath him, and his once-pristine white robe was quickly turning yellow as he lost control in fear.

"Should I deal with him?" Jieun asked suddenly, her hands glowing with celestial light, ready to strike.

But I raised a hand to stop her.

"No, I've learned from my past mistakes. We'll keep at least one alive for questioning," I said calmly to Jieun.

But the man I was referring to was already trying to flee. Struggling to even stand, he fell back onto his rear before frantically crawling away, his movements clumsy and desperate, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"I'll catch him," Eun-Woo growled, his voice rough with anger as he took off after the man in white.

Eun-Woo seemed furious—most likely because of the way they had treated us so dismissively. He might have been soft at heart, but when someone messed with his friends, he turned into a beast. A beast even I found myself wary of.

"N-No... please... spare me! W-We were wrong, okay? I'm sorry!" the man stammered, his voice trembling with fear. "I didn't even see anything, I swear! I'm blind in one eye—no, in both eyes! I can't even see who's coming toward me! Please, just let me go!"

Eun-Woo grabbed the man by the neck from behind, his massive hands wrapping around him effortlessly. He lifted him like a small kitten, the contrast almost comical—but at this point, laughing would feel entirely out of place.

"What do you want to do with him?" Eun-Woo's grip tightened, causing the man to scream out in pain.

"No! Please, spare me!" the man begged, his voice frantic.

"Shut up!" Eun-Woo growled, his voice cold. "You dare speak to us like that? You'd better learn how to face the consequences."

I glanced at the scum he was holding with a cold gaze. "Let's leave first, and shut him up with something. We don't need any unnecessary attention."

"And what about the other one?" Eun-Woo asked, his eyes shifting toward the lifeless body.

"I'll deal with him."

With a flick of my wrist, golden flames suddenly surrounded the corpse, reducing it to nothing but ashes.