Dancing on the golden ashes

My blood boiled—I knew this was it. Malrang and the wolf squad were finishing their own fights, and I couldn't afford to let them down. Everyone's fate rested in my hands.

"You're big! But the taller you are, the harder your fall will be!" I shouted in my own language, my voice echoing across the battlefield.

Without hesitation, I flew into the sky with my fire wings and I rushed at the yeti with all the speed I could muster. My scythe materialized in my hands, its edge gleaming as I slashed at the towering beast, aiming for its eye.

I need to be smart about this one. I have a bad feeling... if I can get its eye I will have an advantage.

The yeti stood still, calm. Its massive body seemed frozen, unmoving. But that was my mistake—it wasn't frozen at all. I couldn't even see its movements.

Suddenly, it felt as though a mountain had crushed me. My body plummeted to the ground, and I couldn't even process where the attack came from. Find your next adventure on empire

BOOM!

The snow cushioned my landing, but the pain was unbearable. Every bone in my body felt shattered.

It hurts... damn it all... I can't move...

My vision darkened. I couldn't feel my legs—my spine was likely broken.

"Gaon... we're dying... why? Why were you so reckless? Are you pleased? Is this the outcome you wanted? You crave battle, yet you can't even survive one. Pathetic!"

The eerie voice inside me rang out, mocking me. Yet beneath its scorn, I could sense a faint trace of concern.

"This battle isn't over. Get up. Fight! Can you hear me? You're not weak, are you? You're not pathetic. Aren't you a warrior? Or have you already given up on your revenge?"

I wanted to get up. I truly did. But my body was broken. No matter how much I willed it, I couldn't stand.

Why am I so weak? My mind began to cloud, darkness pulling me under.

Suddenly, I felt myself rise—not through my own strength, but as if someone had lifted me. The yeti had grabbed me by my dress, holding me at eye level. It studied me curiously, tilting its head as if to inspect me.

"You... why... weak?" it growled deeply, its voice rumbling through the air.

Its eyes were filled with disappointment, as though I was far weaker than it had anticipated. And honestly, I couldn't blame it.

I was weak. Shit... I was so weak, yet I challenged an entire horde alone. How stupid was I? What was I even thinking? Losing myself in mindless leveling, trying to rise in the ranks? Sure... but was it worth it? Ha... hahaha... Yes! Yes, it was worth it!

I grinned through the pain. I loved this battle. I loved it so much that I'm about to die. But so what? Death is just another adventure. If I die now, I'll rise from the ashes and kill this thing over and over in my next life.

I stared into the yeti's eyes, my gaze unflinching, devoid of fear.

"Fuck you," I spat at it.

It was ridiculous, but I didn't care. At least I made my point before my departure.

"GAON, NOOOO!"

The scream cut through the air—it was Soo-Ah. I barely managed to turn my head toward her. She was crying.

Why? Why would she care? I was already dead to her when she betrayed me. What's the point of those tears? Or... am I wrong?

CRACK!

My neck twisted unnaturally, the sound sharp and final. With a pop, my head separated from my body. As I fell, I watched as my head and body landed in opposite directions on the bloodstained snow.

The yeti let out a heavy sigh, as if the fight hadn't been worth the effort, and began to walk away.

[You have died]

[An exclusive ability has been automatically activated]

[Level 2: Death Dance is now active… Proceeding with resurrection]

[You have entered a cooldown period of 300 hours]

[A special condition has been met]

[You have gained a new achievement: Second Death]

[You have gained one level as a reward]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 19!]

Death Dance... I completely forgot about it. I thought it was still on cooldown. Wait—!

A realization struck me like lightning. That time in the trial world—it must have counted! Even though time here didn't move, the cooldown must have run out there!

I could feel it—the eerie sensation of my head rolling through the snow, moving on its own as if searching for my body. A powerful energy, like a magnetic pull, surged through me, reconnecting my head and body. The wounds closed instantly, knitting themselves back together with an almost unnatural ease.

I laid on the ground, still and quiet, like a rabbit hiding from a predator. My breathing was slow and measured.

Now's the time. I need to increase my stats.

Focusing, I allocated all fifteen skill points into agility. What I lack here is speed, I thought. Defense won't help. That thing will just smack me back into the ground or, worse, turn me into a bloody mist.

The thought sent a chill down my spine. There won't be another chance after this. I was lucky Death Dance was off cooldown.

Let's push my speed to infinity!

[Level 14 Lesser Agility -> Level 10 Greater Agility (Evolved) (Level 70) Total Agility: 700 / After Amplify: 1400]

My body instantly felt twice as light.

Let's see why that bastard is so fast!

Inspect!

[Level 25]

[Legendary Monster]

[Ice Yeti]

[Beast Master]

That's something new... I've never seen that before.

[Total Attack: 2200]

[Total Agility: 1900]

[Total Magic: 0]

[Total Strength: 2330]

[Total Defense: 2040]

[Total Mana: 0]

It all suddenly made sense. No wonder I was completely obliterated before. This monster was pure muscle and no magic.

Even so, a surge of newfound energy coursed through me as I pushed myself off the ground with all my strength. My agility reached its peak, my body moving faster than ever before. If I had to guess, I was running at least forty kilometers an hour now—and that was before activating my boost skill.

I need to drag this fight out. Only then will I have a chance to kill it.

I could have stayed on the ground. Honestly, I should have. The monster didn't seem interested in the wolves or Malrang as they fought their own battles—it was leaving.

So why didn't I let it go?

The answer burned in my chest. I wanted to win. I wanted revenge for the humiliation. This bastard had made me accept my own death. I'll make it regret that.

My scythe slashed at the yeti's legs as I dashed past it like a shadow, leaving a small wound on its ankle. The beast staggered, its massive frame momentarily thrown off balance.

ROAR!

The yeti was furious. Its massive claw shot toward me, bending at an unnatural angle as it lashed out. Its movements were still incredibly fast, but I wasn't three times slower anymore—I could keep up.

The yeti's towering size was now its biggest disadvantage. I darted around it like a mosquito, quick and untouchable, slashing at its ankles and making it roar in frustration. But its recovery speed was relentless. Every wound I inflicted healed almost instantly, the flesh stitching itself back together before I could do any lasting damage.

This won't work. I'll just tire myself out. If I keep running like this without a plan, my legs will betray me.

I needed a new strategy—and fast.

Gripping my scythe tightly, I activated my next move. Massive illusory shackles shot out from the blade, rushing toward the yeti and binding its soul. My newfound strength made the connection clearer than ever—I could finally see how the skill worked. The chains were tied directly to my own soul, amplifying their power.

The yeti froze in place for just a few seconds, but that was all I needed.

Darkness Prison!

A shroud of shadow enveloped the battlefield, swallowing everything around me in pitch black. The yeti's vision was gone. I took to the skies, my scythe glowing faintly as I descended and slashed with all my strength, carving out its left eye.

GRRAAWWWWWWWWRRRRAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!

The yeti's agonized shriek was deafening, sending shockwaves through the air and throwing me out of the Darkness Prison's bounds, shattering the spell instantly.

Now, the yeti glared at me with its remaining eye, rage burning like a firestorm within it. Its expression left no doubt—it intended to end my life. But instead of fear, all I felt was exhilaration.

I'm no longer at a disadvantage.

Only ten seconds left... This will be my victory!

To my disappointment, the ten seconds felt agonizingly long. The monster moved with blinding speed, far quicker than anything I had ever encountered before, as if it had gone into a full rampage.

I tried to flee, but it was no use. It grabbed me by the legs and slammed me into the ground with a force capable of splitting a mountain in half. I was lucky to survive, but my body was a wreck. Only my regeneration kept me alive, healing me just enough to keep moving.

Using Shadow Parade, I split myself into clones. With their help, I managed to dodge another devastating attack as the Yeti slammed its massive fists into the ground, the impact lifting and shattering the terrain around us. Everything in the area was obliterated in an instant. If I had stayed there, I wouldn't have been a puddle of blood—I wouldn't have been anything at all.

Its cold, merciless gaze locked onto me again. My bloodied body was healing, but every second felt like an eternity. Eight seconds left... and I had no idea how I was going to survive.

"I... Kill!" the beast roared at the top of its lungs, and I had no choice but to flee—far, far away. I sent my clones to attack it, commanding them to use Shadow Blast. The attack barely scratched the monster, but it served its purpose as a distraction. I needed every second to create distance; without it, I'd be dead in the next seven seconds.

"Let me give you one last present before we fight like equals, you shithead!"

The moment I gained some ground, I poured every ounce of my soul energy into a single attack. It was the only way to buy myself time.

"Get annihilated, bitch!"

A powerful beam of fire ripped through the sky, striking the beast as it lumbered forward. But to my horror, it barely flinched.

"My turn!"

The words echoed in my ears like a death knell as its massive form hurtled toward me at lightning speed.