Dancing on the golden ashes

"Death?" I asked curiously, tilting my head. I wasn't afraid of death—not anymore. Besides, my system could always save me. Unless… unless this power could bypass the system and kill me outright. Even then, if I could eliminate all those who stood in my way before my time ran out, I'd gladly call it worth it.

"Haha!" The skeleton let out a hearty laugh, its bony shoulders shaking. "I know exactly what you're thinking. But this isn't a simple death."

Its tone grew heavier, laced with a solemn warning. "The power growing inside you is something only gods were ever meant to wield. You are forbidden from possessing it. But now that you've been branded by divine power, your fate is sealed. One day, you must die to restore balance to this world—just as I did. If you fail in your mission, your punishment will be far worse. You'll end up like me, condemned to suffer for endless years."

I gazed at the distant sky, my thoughts drifting as I tried to process everything. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, yet I forced myself to stay composed.

"Can you?" I asked suddenly, my voice cutting through the silence. "Can you at least tell me how much time I spent in that place?"

I paused, my eyes narrowing as resolve hardened within me. "As for the future, I don't care. I will grasp my own destiny."

The skeleton turned to me, its empty eye sockets now void of any light.

"Three thousand years," it said, its voice heavy with finality. "That's how long it took you to break free."

Those words cut through me like a knife, leaving a sharp sting in my chest. My breath hitched, but before despair could take hold, it spoke again.

"But…"

A flicker of hope ignited within me, my heart racing as I waited for its next words.

"Only a day has passed in this world."

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, and I almost lost my balance. It was the best news I could have hoped for.

"You seem unfazed by the burden I've placed on your shoulders. How fascinating." The skeleton's hollow voice dripped with contempt. "I've never encountered a creature as foolish as you. Only a fool would cling to emotions in a situation like this. The world needs someone to watch over it, and here you are, spewing nonsense about grasping your own destiny."

Its voice suddenly rose, a thunderous roar that made the ground tremble and the trees shake violently.

"Perhaps I was wrong! I chose the wrong person. Give me back this power, you damn weakling!"

Before I could react, the skeleton rose from the ground, a massive pitch-black sword materializing in its hand. Without hesitation, it swung the weapon with all its might, the sheer force of the attack ripping through the air and crashing down on me like an unrelenting storm.

I watched the incoming attack, completely unfazed. Calmly, I extended my arm, reaching for the blade. With a lazy grasp, my bare hand caught the massive weapon mid-swing. The moment my fingers tightened around it, I squeezed slightly, and the pitch-black sword shattered into countless fragments, scattering like dust in the wind.

So this is the Soul Split Stage…

The realization sent a thrill through me. The power coursing through my body was overwhelming, each of the four souls within me amplifying my strength exponentially. The sheer amount of soul energy flooding me now was at least four times what I'd ever wielded before.

I smirked, pride swelling in my chest. The grueling three thousand years of torture suddenly didn't seem so unbearable. They had forged me into this—something truly powerful.

The force of the explosion from its shattered sword sent the skeleton flying backward, its bony frame crashing into the ground with a dull thud. My white hair danced in the wind, the remnants of its once-powerful weapon scattering like dust, carried away by the breeze.

Before it could recover, I moved—a blur of motion—and appeared above it in an instant. The moment it hit the ground, I landed gracefully, planting one foot firmly on its chest to hold it down.

My black-and-gold scythe rested against its neck, the blade gleaming ominously. "Thank you for the power, but I don't plan on becoming some sort of world protector. I will be myself, and I will live for what I wish."

My scythe gleamed with a bluish-white light, the forces of life and death intertwining in a mesmerizing dance. In the next instant, a powerful blast erupted from the blade, its energy surging outward like an unstoppable wave.

The force was so immense that it sent me flying backward through the air. My demonic fire wings unfurled instinctively, catching me mid-flight and holding me aloft. Hovering above, I gazed down at the aftermath.

Below me, a massive crater stretched deep down, its depth unfathomable. Nothing remained—not even dust. The power was absolute as if it was an annihilating force that seemed to erase existence itself.
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I felt nothing—neither joy nor pain from ending that creature. There was only an unshakable urge pulling me toward something far away, a distant memory of my goal resurfacing.

"Jeong Suhan…" I murmured, the name slipping from my lips as I turned my gaze to the endless sea. So much had happened—I had nearly forgotten. The thought of that being, the one that had once filled me with terror, sent a faint chill through me even now.

I spread my wings, the flames burning brighter as the surge of soul power coursed through me. With a single flap, my speed skyrocketed, the newfound strength pushing me higher and faster than ever before. The fire felt fiercer, more alive, and my body hummed with power, stronger than it had been since the black chains had fused into me.

It took me only a brief moment to return to the spot where I had fled from the creature. There was no trace of it now. I could only hope it hadn't made its way to the surface. Deciding not to dwell on it, I turned my focus to the direction where Jeong Suhan must have gone.

Moments later, I spotted land on the horizon. A pang of regret hit me—I should have come here immediately instead of retreating to that eerie place. But despite everything, it had paid off.

The endless cliffs stretched out before me, jagged and imposing. Massive waves crashed against the rocks below, their thunderous roar echoing through the air. As I stepped onto the ground, I immediately sensed something different about this place. The aura here was distinct—older, more ancient than the continent I had been on before.

In the distance, I noticed a group of people walking along the cliffs. They looked... different. Their features were unfamiliar, their skin pale, and their appearance distinctly Caucasian.

How is that possible?

The thought lingered in my mind as I observed them, unease and curiosity building within me.

That confirmed my suspicion—it wasn't just Koreans who had been dragged into this world. Who knew how many people, how many nationalities, had been scattered across this vast, unforgiving land?

Is that why the top rankings are so competitive?

The thought settled heavily in my mind. The sheer diversity of people fighting for survival—and dominance—might explain the cutthroat competition. This world was larger and more complex than I had imagined.

I cloaked myself in Superior Space Distortion. It wasn't a skill I often used for concealment—typically, I relied on it for speed—but this time, I needed to remain hidden. If I could spy on them for a moment, perhaps I could pick up their language.

As I drew closer, I could hear them speaking, their voices carrying an unfamiliar tone. The words were foreign, their language unlike anything I had encountered before.

"Wurde diese Person schon festgenommen?" the man with golden hair asked, his blue eyes so eye-catching.

"Nein, Dummkopf, deswegen haben wir die Aufgabe den weißhaarigen Mann zu finden. Wenn wir das geschafft haben gibt's eine schöne Belohnung!" A taller, black-haired fellow answered, almost smacking the other on the head.

Thanks to my Lingual Absorption skill, now at Level 37, I could make out their words without much trouble. For once, I was genuinely grateful for having gained this ability—it was proving invaluable.

"Has that person been captured yet?"

"No, you idiot! That's why it's our job to find the white-haired man. If we succeed, there's a nice reward waiting for us!"

White-haired person… The description struck a chord. Could it be him? I wondered if that day, Eun-Woo had also seen him—the one who slayed the massive lizard before we were transported to the trial world. Was this the amazing genius Eun-Woo had mentioned?

The memories of Han Ji-Yeon were still vivid in my mind, each detail sharp and unrelenting. In her memory, he also had white hair, and it aligned perfectly with the direction he had been traveling.

A massive, illusory mouth materialized above me, shimmering with power before descending on the three people. Their bodies slumped to the ground, their eyes dull and lifeless. Their memories flooded into my mind, sharp and clear as if they were my own.

I sorted through the information quickly. He had destroyed a small kingdom to the west, leaving nothing but ruin in his wake. Ten kings had chased him for days, yet he had managed to slay three of them before escaping. Recently, rumors placed him in this area.

That was all I needed.

I tore the remnants of their souls apart, feeding on their essence before leaving their lifeless bodies to rot. In the next moment, I was back in the sky, soaring high above an endless mountain range. The jagged, rocky peaks stretched before me, eerily resembling the European Alps.

Pushing myself to top speed, I scouted the area, my eyes scanning every inch of the terrain below. After a few minutes, my gaze locked onto a battle in the distance. My eyes lit up with recognition.

There he was—a white-haired man, the one who still haunted my nightmares. He was locked in combat with seven kings, each strike of his power shaking the ground beneath them.

My heart pounded. My time for revenge had come. I would not let anyone else claim his life—his death belonged to me and me alone!