Dancing on the golden ashes

Every vein in my body pulsed with molten heat, my blood threatening to boil if I didn't act fast. My legs moved on their own, carrying me forward with reckless speed. A wild grin spread across my face as I rushed headlong into the thunderous force ahead. The battlefield was a vast expanse of snow, flat and open except for the towering peaks a few kilometers ahead. Behind me, the valley loomed as an escape route—a fallback in case I needed to lure some of the monsters away or if Soo-Ah decided to run.

Malrang darted behind me, her tails swirling in the icy wind as she gathered hellfire energy for an attack. Her Overlord aura surged outward, a wave of raw intimidation meant to lock the horde. A few beasts faltered under its weight, but most pressed on, their own auras clashing against hers. My luck was running thin—these monsters were overlords themselves.

"WOOO!" Malrang howled, her small form expanding until she towered four meters tall. Hellfire blazed around her, condensing into a searing beam on her two tails that tore through the sky. The massive white-furred fox countered by forming a path of towering ice spears, blocking Malrang's attack with precision. The icy barrier deflected the fire, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. Their eyes locked, their auras clashing violently as fire and ice surged into the heavens, each vying to reshape the very environment around them.

Meanwhile, I had my own opponents to deal with. I dashed through the air, my speed pushing the limits of what I thought was possible. The monsters scrambled and fought amongst themselves, each vying for the chance to take me down. Five of them had bottlenecked themselves between narrow mountain peaks, shoving and snapping at each other to get through.

I saw my opening. Closing the distance in an instant, I drove my scythe into the ground with a fierce twist. "Earth Shatter!" I roared.

The ground erupted with a deafening roar, molten magma surging upward in a violent explosion. The monsters were swallowed whole by the blazing inferno, their shrieks of agony lost in the torrent of heat. One disintegrated instantly, its body reduced to ash in a heartbeat, while the remaining four staggered out, their fur scorched black and smoke curling from their smoldering forms.

Bears, foxes, and wolves made up the horde, but these were no ordinary beasts. Their forms were unnaturally large, their features exaggerated and sinister—jaws lined with too many teeth, limbs twisted in unnatural ways. They radiated a primal ferocity, creatures bred for destruction, their presence a chilling reminder that this was a world where only the strong survived.

"Let me end your suffering..." My voice sounded as if it was a decree of death, my scythe spun in circles, as I dashed past them with Superior Space Distortion, their bodies lifting into the sky, while being cut in half. Blood changed the color of the snow, as all of the low levels were now dead, the smarter higher level beasts watched from afar, they did not rush to attack after they felt Malrang's aura.

I stood with my scythe embedded in the snow, a wild grin spread across my face. The thrill of battle coursed through me, filling me with an almost uncontrollable happiness. I wanted more.

I can do this.

My Thunder Tempests were circling from the sides, slowly pulling monsters of their levels away from my main fight. It helped, but I noticed Soo-Ah wasn't moving. She just stood there, frozen. What a pity... I wanted to see her fight. She's turned into a coward. I sighed inwardly.

From here on, I knew things would only get harder. A simple slash with my scythe wouldn't cut it anymore—literally. Even though my scythe's sharpness was tied to my soul strength, my greatest advantage, the beasts ahead were giants. Cutting them down in one swing wasn't going to happen.

Inspect!

The remaining monsters... all above level 20.

ROOOOAAAARRRRR!

A pair of goblin-like creatures rushed at me. Unlike the green goblins I'd encountered before, these were blue, standing a towering five meters tall. They carried massive tree stems that seemed almost transparent, as if made of ice.

Then, from the distance, two enormous snowballs rose into the air and hurtled toward me with terrifying speed. A rabbit-like monster stood far off, its enormous paws lifting snow with magical power, condensing it into deadly projectiles.

I dodged the first snowball with a leap into the sky, but the second one seemed to predict my move, meeting me midair.

I'm not that easy to deal with.

A fiery crescent slash shot from my scythe, slicing the snowball clean in half. But as the pieces scattered, one of the blue goblins leapt from behind it, using the snowball as cover.

I barely had time to react. My fire shield flared to life, absorbing the brunt of the goblin's attack. The force of its tree stem slammed into me like a sledgehammer, sending me rocketing downward. I scanned for the second goblin but couldn't see it anywhere.

Only as I neared the ground did I realize where it was—hiding in the snow, waiting. Its icy club was poised, ready to swing at me like a batter preparing to smash a home run.

These shits... just they wait. I'll paint this battlefield with their screams.

I forced my wings to spread, stabilizing myself midair, but it was too late. The goblin below swung its icy weapon upward while the one above crashed down from above.

BOOM!

The impact shook the ground as I was crushed between the two strikes. I barely managed to summon my earth shields in time, their magic absorbing just enough of the blow to save me from being obliterated. Still, the pressure was immense. Pain shot through my body as I felt myself being squeezed between the attacks.

But I refused to break.

I'll make them regret this. They'll wish they never crossed me.

I poured all my strength into pushing back against my shields, slowly gaining the upper hand against the goblins. My hands trembled from the strain, but my strength stat wasn't just for show—there was real power in these twig-like biceps of mine.

"Eat shit, you bastards!" I roared, shoving them back with one final push. Taking advantage of my agility, I twisted upward, slicing through the goblin above me with a precise Wind Slash. Its body split cleanly in two, blood spraying into the air as the pieces tumbled to the ground.

The goblin below, enraged, lunged at me with its icy tree stem. But its attack missed as my Superior Space Distortion activated, my body twisting and spinning fluidly in the air. Before it could recover, I unleashed Air Shatter, sending a wave of compressed air slicing toward its head. The goblin's skull exploded in a crimson burst, its lifeless body collapsing into the snow.

I barely had a moment to breathe. My eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for the rabbit. Now, where are you hiding?

A sudden fog clouded my mind for a split second, but it quickly dissipated. I spotted it—its lanky, tall legs and absurdly small body bounding through the snow, sending plumes of white powder rising into the air.

From the distance, a guttural voice rumbled through the battlefield. "A...ck..." It was the yeti. Its roar reverberated, commanding the monsters with terrifying authority. I watched as a massive white, crow-like beast flapped its enormous wings and soared into the sky, while five nearly transparent serpents slithered underground, vanishing from sight. I could feel their auras approaching, moving closer beneath the surface.

FWOOOOOOOSH!

The sound cut through the air as I hovered a few meters above the battlefield. My ears perked at the noise, followed by a barrage of snowballs streaking toward me at lightning speed. They were no ordinary projectiles—small, glowing orbs of icy-blue energy. I didn't need to get hit to understand what would happen if even one of them touched me.

That stupid rabbit... it's behind this.

Dodging was my only option as I was forced to drop to the ground, running away at my full speed, leaving darkness with each step, slowly raising my agility. And dashing to where the annoying rabbit was standing, his magic creating little snowballs which rained on me.

"Dodge!"
Experience more on empire

The eerie voice echoed in my mind, and in the next moment, I narrowly avoided the transparent serpent. It had been so well hidden in the snow that spotting it with the naked eye was impossible. Its fangs brushed against my face, leaving a shallow scratch.

Instantly, I felt my cheek freeze, a numbing sensation spreading across the left side of my face. Poison. Whatever this thing carried, it was unlike anything I'd encountered before. I couldn't move the left side of my face anymore, the frost biting deep into my nerves.

I realized then that I had overestimated myself. This battle was far more difficult than I had anticipated. Sweat trickled down my back, chilling as it met the cold air.

Just as I dodged the serpent, a snowball smashed into my waist. Pain erupted as the icy projectile exploded on impact, freezing the entire area it hit. The burning cold was almost unbearable, gnawing at my flesh as though it were fire in reverse.

I collapsed to the ground, supporting myself on one knee. It was almost over—I had messed up. Noticing my vulnerability, the beasts surged toward me, their bloodlust driving them into a frenzy.

The massive crow dove from the sky, its talons aimed directly at me. The serpents, as if controlled by a single mind, lunged from both sides, their bodies twisting in midair, each targeting my neck. And then there was the rabbit, barreling toward me with its enormous paw, ready to crush me into a bloody mist.

"Ha... Hahahaha!"

A wild smirk spread across my face, my body trembling—not with fear, but with exhilaration. I was losing myself to the thrill of the fight. The pain, the struggle—it all made me feel so alive. This... this is what I live for. I wanted more. More battles, more challenges. I wanted to fight that Yeti.

"Die!"

Just as the monsters closed in, my body erupted in darkness. My vision blurred, but I felt my power surge uncontrollably. The beasts were obliterated in an instant, their bodies shredded to pieces as I unleashed Shadow Slash Barrage. The onslaught left nothing but scattered remains around me.

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 18!]