Dancing on the golden ashes

I stood as blood rained all around me, warm droplets landing on my skin, soaking into my dress, and streaking down my face. Each drop painted me as though I were the queen of death herself. But that no longer bothered me—I was getting used to it. There were more pressing problems to deal with, even as exhaustion clawed at my body.

Luckily, my mana had fully recovered with my level-up—a stroke of luck that gave me a fighting chance.

RRROOOOAAARRR!

The deafening roar nearly pierced my eardrums as an enormous wolf-like creature burst onto the battlefield, its body coated in thick snow and frost. Its icy claws slashed with terrifying precision, cutting a smaller beast in half as it charged forward, the unfortunate creature collapsing in a spray of blood.

The death of the other monster cleared my path. I smirked coldly, locking eyes with the four-meter-tall wolf barreling toward me.

"You think I'm afraid of you? Pathetic little doggy..." I growled, gripping my scythe tightly. "Let my scythe taste your blood. Let it feast on you."

Strangely, every time my scythe claimed a life, I felt a faint tinge of blood being absorbed into it. I hadn't paid much attention before, dismissing it as my imagination, but in this battle, it was becoming impossible to ignore. The weapon seemed to hunger for more with each kill, its presence growing darker and heavier in my hands.

My soul was growing darker with each kill, dragging me closer to the abyss of insanity.

I want to kill all of them.

The craving consumed me, an insatiable hunger burning deep within my core. My soul burned with an intense heat, and the air around me mirrored that intensity as the temperature surged. Snow melted rapidly, puddles forming where the frost had once blanketed the ground.

I felt it then—the fire goddess's legacy unlocking within me. As I gazed into my soul, the vision became clear: a scroll forged from flames, its radiant blue letters burning with divine energy. Each word seemed alive, revealing the secrets of the ability I would soon unleash. It was the first step on the path to the immortal flames, and I could feel its power surging within me, waiting to be mastered.

Let the fire burn within me, Let the world witness the birth of an eternal flame. Grow within me, oh flame of life, And bring the enemies to bow before your presence. The world, oh the world, shall taste a new beginning, As ashes give rise to the birth of a goddess. My soul will savor immortality, For the flames shall be my life, my redemption.

The moment I finished reading the text, my mind was overtaken by the new knowledge. My soul energy rotated through my body, each part of me gently trembling.

The wolf was only a meter away, its icy fangs poised to tear into me. But something inside me froze, refusing to move. My arm stretched out on its own, fire energy surging from deep within my soul.

A massive flame materialized in my palm, a swirling black and crimson inferno. Without hesitation, I hurled it at the beast.

BOOM!

The battlefield trembled as an incredible force erupted from my palm. Black fire twisted and danced wildly in the air, consuming the wolf entirely. It disintegrated into ashes before its jaws could close around me, reduced to nothing by the overwhelming power.
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So loud, yet so useless. The thought echoed in my mind as I watched the beast's final remnants scatter into the wind. All its roaring, all its fury—none of it mattered in the end.

The eyes of everyone on the battlefield shifted to me as my blood-soaked form struck down a Level 22 beast with a single attack.

Amazing... This legacy was a blessing, a power unlike any I had ever wielded. But the toll on my soul was too great. My head spun, and a sharp, hollow ache spread within me, yet I refused to fall. I knew most of my soul energy was already gone, but surrender wasn't an option.

I stepped forward, each step igniting the ground beneath me with life, melting the snow in my path. The remaining ten beasts trembled, their monstrous bodies betraying their fear. All except the yeti. It stood tall, its gaze fixed on me, unflinching and eager, its expression betraying its excitement. It wanted this fight.

"M...ve ...ll of you!" the yeti roared, its words garbled but just clear enough to understand. The remaining ten beasts, humanoid figures hidden in the snow, hesitated, their fear palpable. But the yeti's command left no room for defiance. Bowing their heads, they suppressed their terror and rose from their hiding places.

A group of white-furred monkeys, each at least two meters tall, charged at me together. Their speed was extraordinary, their forms blurring as they moved. Long, muscular arms churned up the snow, creating a blinding storm that masked their presence. Their combined aura was overwhelming—I knew at once these were the strongest of my remaining opponents before I faced the yeti.

"Ice Shield!" I shouted desperately as I saw the long, thin arm darting toward my belly.

I was too late.

CRACK-KSHHHRRRR!

The strike shattered the shield instantly, its power relentless. The arm connected with my stomach, driving into me with brutal force. My body folded from the impact, and I was sent flying backward. Blood erupted from my mouth as I felt my organs shift painfully inside me.

The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It consumed me, blinding and suffocating, and for a moment, the edges of my vision darkened. I was on the verge of blacking out.

My body hit the cold snow, spinning uncontrollably before crashing into the jagged rocks of the valley behind me. The impact rattled through me, sharp and unrelenting.

Soo-Ah stood frozen nearby, her trembling form barely out of my path. My body had missed her by inches, yet she didn't move. She was too terrified, paralyzed by fear.

I forced myself to look into her eyes, silently pleading for any kind of support. Anything. My hand instinctively pressed against my belly, and the swollen flesh beneath my fingertips sent a jolt of panic through me. Internal bleeding...

Even with my regeneration, this will take time to heal. Damn it... how the hell are they so fast?

They gave me no breathing room, most likely afraid of my large-area attacks. I had to think fast. The group of ten monkeys, moving with impossible speed, rained down from the sky, their attacks targeting both me and Soo-Ah at once.

Well, shit... I'm not done yet. Not like this.

My body split into three without hesitation. The two copies quickly grabbed Soo-Ah, dragging her into the safety of the valley while I stayed behind to face the horde of primitive bastards alone.

"Darkness Prison," I whispered under my breath, unleashing a field of shadow that trapped everything in my sight.

The effect was immediate. The monkeys' confidence wavered, their movements faltering as confusion and panic flashed in their eyes. Their terror gave me the edge I needed.

Suppressing the searing pain through sheer willpower, I moved swiftly. Superior Space Distortion activated just in time, allowing me to roll away as a combined attack from the beasts obliterated the wall behind me.

Wow... if that had hit me, I'd be so freaking dead.

I laughed inwardly at the thought, gripping my scythe tightly. With a sharp twist, I drove it into the ground, carving a half-circle motion as if unlocking a seal. The ground split apart violently, and a massive pool of lava erupted into the sky, its heat exploding outward and dispelling the Darkness Prison.

But as the firelight illuminated the battlefield, my breath caught.

The monkeys' fur shimmered with an icy blue glow, completely unfazed by my attack. They looked like ice gods, their divine-like presence mocking the power of my flames.

Great... I didn't see that coming. Well, whatever. If fire doesn't work, I'll slice them to pieces.

I pushed my speed to its limit, rushing toward them. Their attacks came at me relentlessly, but I twisted and dodged, my body moving fluidly from left to right. With a fierce slash, I unleashed a Wind Slash that tore through one unlucky monkey, severing it clean in half.

But my moment of triumph was short-lived. The other monkeys scrambled to its aid, their regeneration working at an incredible speed. The severed body fused back together in an instant.

Wait... what?

I froze for a split second, watching as they fumbled to reassemble their fallen ally—backwards. Its head was where its legs should've been. A laugh bubbled inside me, escaping as a small chuckle even in the midst of chaos. These stupid monkeys...

Their attacks continued raining down on me, but I dodged them all with quick, precise movements.

Taste my Mind Slash!

I unleashed a wave of black aura toward the two monkeys closest to me. The dark energy enveloped them, and they froze mid-attack, trembling as fear overtook them. Their hesitation was all I needed.

Soul Bite!

My illusory teeth sank into their very souls. Both monkeys collapsed, lifeless, their energy flowing into me. My soul energy replenished and grew stronger, but a familiar unease crept over me.

This ability... I've neglected it for a reason.

I remembered the first time I'd used Soul Bite—against the Goblin King. Its terrifying secret had become clear: I didn't just take a bite out of his soul, I absorbed part of its knowledge, its essence, into myself. The thought of consuming too many souls this way made my stomach twist. What if I change one day? What if their memories start flooding into me, overwhelming my own, until I forget who I truly am?

But survival left no room for doubt. I pushed the fear aside, swearing to myself, No matter what, I will not change.

Dodging another attack, I shouted, "Shadow Slash Barrage!"

The battlefield was consumed in a storm of dark slashes, tearing into the horde. Some monkeys were severed in half, but most suffered only grave injuries, their shimmering fur regenerating once again. However, they looked slower now, exhausted.

Now's my chance!

A wild idea struck me. Extending my arm, I gathered compressed air into my palm. Air Shatter! The energy swirled violently as I made my scythe vanish, using my other hand to channel the devastating fire ability I'd used against the wolf earlier.

I'll call this: The Annihilator!

[Congratulations! You have created a new attack: Level 1 Annihilator!]

My body screamed in protest, my legs buckling under the strain. But I didn't stop. With a final burst of energy, I released the attack.

The combined force of fire and air surged forward, an unstoppable beam tearing through the battlefield.

BOOM!

The monkeys disintegrated instantly, their icy fur unable to withstand the hellish heat. The beam carved a deep, jagged hole into the valley wall, stretching into the unknown. Silence fell over the battlefield, the ground scorched black from the impact, with black flames still flickering on the charred rocks.

The powerful force hurled me into the distance, my body crashing into the snow with a thud. My breath came in ragged gasps, every fiber of my being aching from the strain. Slowly, I forced my eyes open—and there it was.

The towering yeti-like monster stood only a few hundred meters away, its massive hands gripping the snowy mountain peaks. With terrifying strength, it squeezed, shattering chunks of rock and ice as if they were nothing. Its crazed eyes locked onto mine, brimming with an insatiable desire to fight.

I matched its gaze, a wild grin spreading across my face.

"Come!" I shouted in its own language, my voice echoing across the battlefield.

The challenge was clear. This was a fight for dominance—a battle to decide the true victor of this war-torn field.