Dancing on the golden ashes

Everything was plunged into pure darkness. The air grew thick with fear, and I could feel their panic radiating through my domain. Everyone's—except for one.

Jeong Suhan.

His gaze locked onto me, unwavering, as if the darkness meant nothing to him. As if he could see through it entirely. His calm, almost playful demeanor only made my blood boil. It felt like he was toying with me, showing off his strength without the slightest intention of fighting.

Fine, I thought, forcing myself to suppress the growing irritation. If he doesn't want to fight yet, then I'll wait too.

My focus shifted to the remaining kings. They were still scrambling, their panic making them vulnerable. If I could eliminate them here, one by one, I'd be a step closer to my goal—the title of emperor.

Or, in my case, empress.

But not just any empress. A powerful one. At that point, who in this world would have the strength to stop me?

I moved at lightning speed, the world around me slowing to a crawl. The twins, once synchronized and precise, now looked sluggish, their movements almost comical. A laugh escaped me as I positioned myself between them.

With a single swipe of my claws, two heads fell, rolling to the ground as their bodies crumpled.

Their souls surged toward me, and I welcomed them eagerly. The taste was intoxicating. I'd noticed something peculiar—the higher the level of a soul, the purer it became, and the more delicious it felt.

I no longer flinched at the thought. The taste of human flesh and body no longer disgusted me.

Am I a cannibal? The thought lingered, but I quickly brushed it aside. Perhaps. But I'm still me.

This was survival. And in my world, survival demanded sacrifices far worse than this. People back home had done things more depraved than I ever would just to cling to life.

At least I was honest about it.

My eyes locked onto the mage with the black book, her panicked gaze meeting mine. A wicked grin spread across my face. I was eager, almost impatient, to find out how her soul would taste.

In a single leap, I closed the distance. My claws plunged into her torso, slashing her cleanly in half at the waist. Her body collapsed as I tore her soul free, holding it in my grasp. With one final look at her lifeless form, I let her die quickly.

Mercy, right? Heh.

With this, I was so close—just one more soul, and I would claim the title of emperor. Or empress, in my case.

But before I could act, a black blade pierced through the elf girl, striking her down in an instant.

My head snapped toward the source.

Lorena Ebenhain, their so-called leader, stood with her weapon drawn, the faint glow of dark energy still radiating from the blade. She had killed her own teammate—denying me the last kill.

Smart, I thought begrudgingly. Perhaps she sensed my impatience, or maybe she simply wasn't willing to risk letting me succeed. It was a drastic, ruthless move, but undeniably clever.

With no witnesses from the outside world, she had nothing to fear. No one would see her treachery, and none of her people would dare turn against her.

"You…" I hissed, venom dripping from my voice.

Before I could move, a hundred black swords materialized out of nowhere, rushing at me from all directions. They had been hidden in the void, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

It was a sneak attack, and I had to admit—it was a good one.

Without hesitation, I lunged toward Lorena, aiming to reach her before the swords could converge. But to my surprise, even after they missed their mark, the blades shifted and followed me, relentlessly tracking my every movement.

Is that so? I thought, unfazed by the threat. Pain was nothing new to me.

I charged toward the woman in black armor, her desperate attempt to dodge futile as I quickly caught up. With a vicious slash, my claws—sharp as scythes—tore through the air, unleashing a chaotic wave of energy. Each strike drained my mana further, but the power behind it was worth the cost.

The attack struck her full force. Both of her arms were severed, blood spraying as her body was hurled to the border of my domain. She crashed heavily into the edge, her energy fading fast.

She didn't have much strength left to resist me.

As the sharp, searing pain of swords piercing my body from all directions surged through me, I barely flinched. I extended my hands, ignoring the agony. This was nothing—nothing compared to the torment I had endured for thousands of years.

I reached out to rip her soul from her broken body, but she resisted. Even with pain etched across her face, she refused to give herself to me. She was stronger than I had anticipated, her defiance only fueling my frustration.

And as if things couldn't get worse, Jeong Suhan finally decided to interfere.

Why now? I thought, but the answer didn't matter. What made this domain so powerful was the flow of time—here, my time moved three times faster than theirs. With the final tick of the hundred stacks, the black swords embedded in my body shot outward, shattering into fragments of raw energy.

My power surged, my healing abilities spiking as my strength doubled with the 200% boost. I was ready.

I turned my focus back to Lorena. This was it. I would end her here and now. If I claimed the title of emperor, this fight—and my revenge—would finally come to an end.

But then, a suffocating presence wrapped around me. A white energy coiled tightly, and before I could react, I was forcefully ejected from my own domain.

"What the hell?!" I snarled, my gaze snapping to Jeong Suhan. His expression hadn't changed—still calm, still smug, still looking down on me.

His white sword moved with blinding speed, and in an instant, we clashed. Sparks erupted as our weapons collided, the force of the impact shaking the ground beneath us.

But as the fight raged on, I felt it—a subtle shift in power. His strikes grew heavier, more forceful.

For the first time, I felt myself being slightly overpowered.

What the fuck? How strong is he?!

For the first time, I felt terrified. Truly terrified. Jeong Suhan wasn't just strong—he felt unstoppable. No matter how much I powered up, he always seemed to stay ahead, always coming out on top.

Is this what it means to have the powers of a "Main Character"? The thought gnawed at me, cold and unrelenting. If his class allowed him to control fate itself, killing him might be impossible. He'd always escape, always find a way. I needed to sever that connection, whatever it was.

Before I could act, his hand clamped around my neck like a vice. In the next second, the air around us warped and twisted. I felt space itself bend, and suddenly we were somewhere else.

I couldn't sense the aura of the woman in black armor anymore. This was a teleportation skill.

But where did he take us?

The unknown was more terrifying than the fight itself.

"Let go!" I screamed, slashing at his waist. My claws raked through the air, forcing him to release me instantly. He stepped back, his sword sharpening in his grip as he took a defensive stance.

That infuriating smirk never left his face as he stood there, practically inviting me to attack.

"At least you could say something," I sneered, a wild grin spreading across my face. "But good. You've brought yourself to your own death. Let's see… I only need one more kill to become emperor."
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My laughter echoed through the warped space. "How about you be the one to give me the honor with your life?"

But to my surprise, he only smiled wider.

"Likewise," he said calmly, his voice steady. "If I kill you, it will be enough for me to become emperor."

His words caught me off guard. Why didn't he already do it? He was strong enough to easily kill one of the other kings. Why wait?

Was he so confident, so sure of himself, that he didn't even see me as a threat?

"Let me tell you something fun," I said, forcing a laugh. I hated the way he looked at me, that mocking face, that condescending gaze. "Your stupid empire is gone. So what kind of emperor will you even be without your city? And guess who annihilated everyone..."

My voice dripped with venom as I tried to provoke him, to make him lose control and attack first. Come on… take the bait.

But he stayed calm, unshaken.

"So what," he said, his tone maddeningly even. "I'll build another. Or maybe I'll just take over yours."

His smirk deepened, his aura flaring. "Do you think I didn't know about you? That I didn't know you killed Kim Ha-Joon?"

The casual way he said it sent a chill through me. He paused, his aura growing heavier, suffocating.

"You're too naive, Lee Gaon," he continued. "That's why they played you, why they made you look like a cheater. I told you not to win. I told you to lose so I could bring you onto the team. You didn't listen. So why do you blame me?"

His words pierced through my defenses like a blade.

"You…" My voice trembled with rage. My emotions spiraled out of control. "You dare to say that to me after you were my mentor?!"

The betrayal burned hotter than anything I had ever felt.

"You were the only one I trusted, and even so… FUCK! DIE!"

I lunged at him, all reason gone. He had played me like a fool, and now I'd let him make me lose control first.

Fuck it! I'll win anyway!