Dancing on the golden ashes

"Are you ready for the final?" the Creator asked, his voice oozing with cruel amusement. "Only one of you will walk away from here alive, and I have a pretty good guess who the winner will be."

"Drums, please!"

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of drums filled the air, their rhythmic pounding echoing ominously around me. Flashy, multicolored lights danced across the stage, casting surreal and shifting shadows.

"Two world-class gamers!" the Creator's voice boomed theatrically, each word laced with mock excitement. "Will now face each other in the ultimate game of..."

He suddenly fell silent, letting the tension hang thick in the air.

Then, with a sudden burst of enthusiasm, he finished:

"Capture the flag!"

In an instant, everything shifted again.

The space morphed into a massive, open stage, vast and imposing. Around me, it felt as though we were outdoors. Towering mountains stretched endlessly in the distance, their peaks disappearing into the clouds. Below them, countless waves of beasts prowled, their numbers seemingly infinite, their roars echoing through the air.

Then, a familiar sensation washed over me. My system powers returned, surging through my body like an unstoppable tide. I clenched my fists, my gaze locking onto Jeong Suhan, who stood across from me.

"Now, now, children, don't fight," the Creator's voice rang out, light and mocking. His laughter grated on my nerves.

"Or you can try," he continued, his tone growing sharp and menacing. "But I promise, you'll regret it. After all, I'm standing right before you. Do you dare disrespect me, Lee Gaon?"

His voice boomed, daring me to act. I couldn't see his face, but I wished I could. I wanted to see the expression he'd wear when I finally tore him down.

"Go fuck yourself," I spat, venom dripping from every word.

This bastard didn't know who he was messing with.

Just you wait, I vowed silently. One day, I'll end you.

"I knew you'd say that," the Creator giggled, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Now," he continued, "somewhere in this vast space, I've hidden a little, tiny, very miniature red flag. About the size of a needle." His words carried a maddening glee. "The first one to find it will win the game. And the loser..."

He paused, his laughter turning twisted and perverse. "The loser will instantly die."

I scanned the area quickly, taking in the mountains, the beasts, and the seemingly endless terrain. To find something so small here—it would be a task based purely on luck. Even with my system abilities, it would be nearly impossible.

But then an idea sparked.

"Wait," I said, narrowing my eyes. "I can use any ability I want, right? And you won't interfere?"

The Creator's voice sounded intrigued, almost curious. "That's right. What will you show me?"

A competitive fire ignited in my chest.

"Great," I said, a confident smirk tugging at my lips. "When do we start?"

"To give you both a fair advantage, I will teleport you to random locations," the Creator announced, his voice laced with amusement.

Before I could respond, a blinding white light engulfed me, and in the next moment, I found myself standing on the edge of a massive cliff. The view stretched endlessly before me, the mountains and valleys sprawling in all directions.

I had no idea where I was or how I'd even begin to find the flag. All I knew was that the timer in my mind had already started.

[59:59… 59:58… 59:57…]

The system's monotonous voice echoed each second, ticking away at my sanity. It was seriously annoying.

One hour… That's all I have.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. There was no time to waste.

I leapt off the cliff, the wind roaring around me as I descended, scanning the terrain below.

"Let's begin, then," I muttered under my breath, extending my hand.

In an instant, my beasts filled the area, appearing one after another.

I couldn't help but smile. It had been so long since I'd last seen them, their presence a familiar comfort. They had grown stronger in my absence.

The Thunder Tempests now stood tall at Level 42, their crackling energy a constant hum. The Molten Crabs, now slightly taller, had also improved, reaching Level 40.

Then there was Magmaclaw, its fiery presence commanding as ever, now an impressive Level 46.

But the crown jewel of my army—the Golden Flood Dragon—swam gracefully through the air above me. Its shimmering scales gleamed in the sunlight, and its power was palpable. At Level 51, it rivaled even my own strength.

"Let's find this flag," I said, my voice steady with determination. "And let's show him who he's messing with."

"You all know what to do, right?" I asked, my voice firm.

All my beasts nodded in unison, their powerful forms ready for action.

"Now, go find that flag for me! Whoever finds it first gets a belly rub."

That was all it took. In an instant, they scattered like a storm, each beast rushing to scour the massive terrain for the hidden flag. Their eagerness brought a fleeting smile to my face, but I had no time to waste.

Now… where are you, Jeong Suhan?

Suspicion gnawed at me. Something about him didn't sit right. Had he been working with the Creator all along? Why else would he have lured me into that cave? There was no way he already knew about this place. And that role of his… Main Character. It didn't bode well.

If I find him, I might just find the flag too.

Summoning my demonic wings, I focused my energy. I used superior space distortion to boost my speed as red lightning and golden fire propelled me forward. With Steps of the Dark Lord maxing my agility, I pushed myself harder than ever.

I launched into the sky, scanning every inch of the endless terrain. But the task was maddening. The vast expanse of mountains felt infinite, and time ticked away mercilessly.

[30 minutes left]

My beasts scoured the area tirelessly, but it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. No matter how hard we tried, there was nothing.

[10 minutes left]

Sweat beaded on my forehead, the thought of death creeping closer with every second.

Where are you, Jeong Suhan?

I clenched my fists as frustration surged. My beasts began to grow restless too, their movements more erratic.

[5 minutes…]

[3 minutes…]

[1 minute…]

And then I saw him.

A white figure rushed toward me at an unbelievable speed.

Jeong Suhan!

My heart raced as I scanned the ground below. There, hidden behind a shadowy rock, was something small and red.

The flag!

My instincts screamed as I pushed myself to the limit, dashing toward the ground at full speed. Jeong Suhan was right next to me now, and I knew it would come down to milliseconds.

"Piss off!" I screamed, reaching for the flag. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Our fingers collided, but with a burst of strength, I shoved him away and grabbed it.

"HELL YES!" I shouted, holding the tiny flag between my fingers. For some reason, victory felt sweeter than I expected.

Jeong Suhan, however, stared at me with an ugly expression. But something about him unsettled me—he didn't seem worried at all. Was he truly unafraid of death?

"CONGRATULATIONS, LEE GAON, ON WINNING THIS CONTEST!" the Creator's voice boomed, followed by thunderous applause.

I recalled all my beasts back into the beast world with ease, I could use the skill regardless of distance.

Standing proudly, I turned toward Jeong Suhan. But before I could speak, a shadowy figure appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Now kill him," I said, "or let me kill him myself. That's even better, right?"

He looked at me with a playful glint in his eyes and spoke the words I had dreaded most.

"I did say the loser would die," he continued, his tone mocking, "but that only applies to you, not him. After all, he's the Main Character. Look at his role."

My heart sank.

"You don't mean…" I growled, rage bubbling to the surface. "This was all for nothing? You'll kill me but let him live?"

"Correct," the Creator said, nodding as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

My laughter came unbidden, wild and filled with madness. "I, Lee Gaon, have never met anyone so shameless! You know what? You're not even worth speaking to anymore. From this moment on, I vow to be your worst enemy!"

"No need for anger, my child," the Creator replied, his tone patronizing. "You're free to walk away. That's a good reward, isn't it? And stop chasing after him, or I'll have to kill you myself. I need him for something later."

A dark, suffocating energy wrapped around me, restricting my movements.

"I need him more than you," he said, and those words cut deeper than I expected.

"Is that so?" I whispered, my laughter growing uncontrollable. My head spun as emotions surged—anger, jealousy, and something far more dangerous.

"Pride…"

The eerie voice echoed through my lips.

"Envy…"

It continued, the words dripping with power.

"Wrath…"

My body trembled as I felt my emotions spiral out of control. The colors in my eyes reflected in Jeong Suhan's—red to purple, purple to green, then back to red—an endless loop.

Suddenly, the Creator's figure flickered, his form fading as if being pushed out by an unseen force.

Crack!

Something inside my mind shattered, and the world shifted. I felt connected to everything, as if the system itself was unraveling before me.

The ground shook violently, the air thick with instability.

"That's… impossible," the Creator stammered, his voice filled with fear. "How are you inside this child?"

A scream tore from my lips, filled with an anger I could no longer contain.

"We are untouchable," the eerie voice declared through me, its power overwhelming. "If you try to mess with us again, I will sacrifice myself and shatter this entire system of yours!"

The ground quaked, the Creator's once-commanding voice now trembling with terror.

The little world he had created was breaking, fracturing under the weight of an unknown power rising within me.