Dancing on the golden ashes

I walked slowly, my feet dragging along the path to who knows where. The last thing I remembered was being forcefully teleported away from the battle. Now, with my body collapsing and my spirit shattered, all I could see ahead were endless fields stretching far into the horizon. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

The fields were teeming with monsters. Their auras were oppressive, each one radiating a domineering and threatening presence.

I could feel their eyes on me, their instincts sharpening.

My blood must have smelled irresistibly sweet, because soon, I found myself surrounded—thousands of them closing in from every direction.

"Heh..." I laughed to myself, the sound bitter and hollow.

"Is this what you want?" I muttered, thinking of the Creator and his twisted schemes. "For me to be mauled to death by beasts?"

It was almost laughable. He had once asked for my favor, but now it seemed he'd changed his mind entirely. I wondered what had happened to shift his plans so drastically.

The monsters around me seemed wary, their powerful auras swirling as they assessed me. But one of them—a massive tiger—appeared hungrier than the rest.

It crept up slowly, its muscles tense as it stalked me from behind. Then, with a low growl, it leapt, claws outstretched, aiming straight for my neck.

Too weak.

With nothing more than a flick of my wrist, my scythe arced through the air, and the tiger's head rolled clean off. Its body collapsed lifelessly to the ground, my weapon claiming it with effortless precision.

The rest of the beasts, noticing my display of power, hesitated. They backed off slightly, their predatory instincts tempered by caution. But I knew it was only a matter of time. They were patient. They could sense it—my energy was fading fast.

They're waiting…

My legs grew heavier with every step until they finally gave out beneath me. I dropped to my knees, my body trembling with exhaustion. This mindless walk, this desperate attempt to find home—it was silly. Pointless.

My vision blurred, my head spinning.

I'm going to faint… I'll die here soon.

"Come out…" I whispered, my voice barely audible. It carried no strength, just a plea.

In an instant, all of my beasts surged forth from the beast world, their towering figures surrounding me like a living shield. Their auras roared to life, brimming with raw fury as they faced down the horde of monsters.

Savryn, the sole female Thunder Tempest wolf, stepped forward, her sleek fur crackling with electricity. She growled softly, her voice both protective and commanding.

"We will defend you, Master. Please rest."

Soon, the battle erupted around me. The sounds of claws tearing through flesh and roars of fury filled the air as my beasts fought relentlessly. In just minutes, countless monsters within a few kilometers had been slain, their blood staining the ground.

I lay on my back, my heavy body sinking into the cold grass. My breaths came shallow as I stared up at the sky. It was dimming slightly, its fading light mirroring my own dwindling strength.

Will I revive again?

The thought lingered, but there was no answer. Maybe the Creator had taken that ability from me. Maybe it was still there. It felt like a gamble now—a lottery with no guarantees.

I decided not to care. There was no point.

My body refused to regenerate on its own, the energy I had unleashed earlier still raging inside me, tearing me apart from within.

So this is what it feels like, I thought bitterly.

Now, I truly understood what it must have been like for my enemies to face me. The unrelenting, overwhelming power that left no room for escape—it was a taste of my own medicine.

"Killed by my own power," I murmured softly, my voice barely a whisper. "How pitiful…"

The last rays of sunlight dipped behind the horizon, disappearing beneath the cover of the night. As the world around me faded into darkness, so did I.

I gasped for air, my breaths shallow and strained. Dying slowly was agony—pure, unrelenting agony. I felt as if invisible hands were choking the life out of me. And with my powers, I could survive without breathing for so long that the torture seemed endless.

The pain stretched on, dragging me through the night.

Until finally, I drew in one last, desperate breath.

And exhaled no more.

[You have died.]

[Level 3 Death Dance has been consumed.]

[You have entered a cooldown period of 150 hours before the next use.]

The cold embrace of death welcomed me once again. Little by little, I was growing numb to this feeling. It was strange—I felt immortal, yet I knew deep down that one mistake could be my last. Sooner or later, I'd run out of luck.

Surprisingly, this time, I didn't instantly revive.

I felt myself lying in a cold, still place. My body rested in what felt like a pool of icy water, the chill seeping into my very core. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the sound of a single drop of water hitting the pool every ten seconds. The rhythm was maddening, its meaning unknown.

Time passed, though I couldn't tell how long. Seconds, minutes, hours? I had no way to measure it. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak.

Then, faintly—so faintly it was almost imperceptible—I heard voices.

Far in the distance, somewhere beyond my reach, people were talking.

"She must be slain. We cannot continue to risk it all. If that power escapes, this entire world will be destroyed. Not to mention our plane—it will not escape its wrath. Master, you must!"

The voice belonged to a woman. I didn't recognize it.

"Silence," another voice replied, calm but commanding. "This is not for you to meddle in. I know what I'm doing. I've sent her far away. She won't be able to return for a long time."

The second voice… it was familiar, but I couldn't place it.

There was a pause, a weight in the silence that followed.

"That creature…" the voice spoke again, quieter, as if musing aloud. "I thought I had slain them all. I need to run system tests. I need to find out if there are more of them. If I missed any… we would have another war. You know what that means for this universe, don't you?"

The words hung heavy, laced with foreboding.

Then the voices faded, leaving me alone once more in the cold, silent void.

[You have revived.]

When I opened my eyes, the warmth of the morning sun greeted me, its gentle rays tickling my face and urging me to wake up.

I… did I dream of something important?

But… I can't remember…

I found myself nestled among my wolves, my head and back resting comfortably against Savryn. Her soft fur crackled faintly with the remnants of electricity, a gentle reminder of her strength.

As I stirred, a thought hit me like a dagger. Ravokar.

I sat up quickly, but the realization came crashing down. Ravokar would never come back to life. His existence was long gone, lost forever.

The grief simmered in my chest, but I didn't have time to linger on it.

"Master!"

The voices of my beasts pulled me back. They noticed my awakening, their towering forms rising to their feet as they surrounded me.

Each of them carried a worried expression, their loyalty and concern shining through.

In that moment, it became clear to me—beasts were far better than humans. They were loyal to the end, with hearts far bigger and more genuine.

I got to my feet slowly, feeling my body fully healed now. The ache and exhaustion from before were completely gone, replaced with a newfound strength.

As I looked around, I finally took in the scope of this place. Endless fields stretched out in every direction, and with them came the unending presence of beasts.

They were everywhere.

I estimated there were at least 10,000—maybe even 20,000—surrounding us. Their auras pressed against me, oppressive and unyielding.

The only reason I was still alive, was the golden flood dragon.

His aura was overwhelming, a force so powerful that it kept even these countless beasts at bay. His presence was like a beacon of dominance, and I knew without it, I wouldn't have lasted a second.

"I'm okay now," I said, my voice steady as I calmed the beasts that surrounded me.

Their worried gazes softened as they stepped back, giving me room to breathe.

I took another look at this place. It was likely far, far away from my empire—there were no signs of people here. But was this a punishment or a blessing in disguise?

The more I thought about it, the more it felt like the latter.

As far as I could see, this place was a paradise for someone like me. Endless fields of beasts roamed freely, untainted by the presence of humans. Not only would this allow me to complete my goal of collecting enough beasts, but it would also give me countless opportunities to level up.

I was certain now—there were no humans in this zone. If there had been, it would have been stripped clean of monsters long ago.

"It's time for me to become a true Demon Empress," I whispered softly, the words barely audible as I let my thoughts drift to the future ahead.