Dancing on the golden ashes

I watched her movements with great caution, every muscle in my body taut. That last attack had nearly taken my life, and even now, I hadn't escaped without consequences.

My arm throbbed painfully, the damage severe. It would take a moment to regenerate, but if she launched another of those devastating attacks before I was ready, I might not be able to dodge.

I can't underestimate this dragon. Not for a second.

I glanced at the timer ticking in my mind. Eighty seconds left. That was all I needed—eighty seconds until my power would skyrocket. Until then, every second counted. I had to survive.

She moved again, faster than my eyes could track. Her claws were like massive, curved blades, tearing through the very fabric of space as she slashed. I could feel the force of her presence alone weighing down on me, the pressure suffocating.

Her arms crossed in an X-shape, unleashing a deadly strike. Before I could react, I felt the world around me twist unnaturally. Time itself seemed to grind to a halt—no, not time. It was space, frozen and locked down, trapping me in its suffocating grip.

The slashes closed in, creeping toward me with impossible speed. My mind screamed at me to move, but my body was held in place as if by invisible chains.

Shit!

With no other choice, I summoned all the chaos energy I could muster, wrapping it around my body like armor. The Soul Armor technique, one I'd learned in the cultivator's mysterious world, flared to life. It wasn't something I was confident in using before, but with my current soul power and the situation I faced, hesitation wasn't an option.

The dragon's claws struck, the impact reverberating through my entire body like an unstoppable tidal wave. My soul armor held—barely—but the force sent me skidding across the ground, carving a massive crater in my wake. It felt like I'd been hit by a truck, my body screaming in protest as I came to a jarring halt.

A deep, X-shaped wound stretched across my torso, the stinging and burning pain radiating through every nerve. My breath hitched as another wave of dread washed over me. I forced my gaze upward, and what I saw nearly stopped my heart.

A massive crimson orb of soul power loomed above me, held aloft by her single outstretched arm. It was even larger than the one before, its sheer intensity making the air around it crackle and shimmer. I could feel her energy draining, the toll evident as the dragon woman stumbled slightly in midair, her movements less fluid than before.

But still, she held the orb steady, her eyes burning with unrelenting determination.

Why? What drives her so hard to kill me?

It was a question I couldn't answer, and the realization hit me like a cold slap to the face—there wasn't time to figure it out. The blazing orb was already descending, slow but deliberate, and its oppressive weight bore down on me even from afar.

This is bad. This is really bad.

My mind raced, trying to calculate a way out. My heart pounded as seconds slipped away, the energy in the air suffocating.

Think, Gaon! Think!

I gritted my teeth, pushing back against the panic threatening to consume me. I wasn't done yet. I couldn't be done yet. Somewhere in the depths of my mind, I had to find a way. Anything... And fast!

"Let me teach you a secret technique of mine," the eerie voice echoed in my mind, its tone oddly calm despite the chaos around me.

Before I could respond, an overwhelming surge of power flooded through me, almost suffocating in its intensity. A single phrase imprinted itself in my thoughts: Void Dance.

The name alone carried a weight that made my chest tighten. This technique would consume everything—my mana, my soul energy—but it would grant me a fleeting chance to turn the tide.

There's no other way. It's now or never.

Steeling myself, I channeled the power coursing through my veins. The massive orb of soul energy was nearing, its speed unstoppable and its destructive force undeniable. The heat alone was oppressive, scorching the air around me.

"Haaaah..." I let out a slow, measured breath. "Let's dance!"

My body vanished in an instant, slipping into the void. The sensation was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It wasn't just darkness—I could feel myself brushing against the very fabric of space and time, my hand gliding through its threads like silk. Yet, the darkness wasn't empty; it was alive with an overwhelming awareness.

Through this strange new perspective, I could see the dragon woman clearly—not just her physical form but every minute detail of her being. It was as if her essence was laid bare before me. The intricacies of her power, her weaknesses, even the faintest flickers of her soul—all of it was visible.

And yet, this awareness came at a cost.

My head pounded mercilessly, my vision blurred, and it felt as though my mind was fracturing under the strain. It was like staring directly into the sun while standing on a glass shard bridge suspended over an abyss. I wasn't meant to be here. My body wasn't made to endure this plane of existence.

"Hurry! Your body can't sustain this!" The eerie voice snapped, its warning sharp and urgent. "One more unnecessary second, and you'll be torn apart—ceasing to exist entirely." Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Gritting my teeth, I pushed through the searing pain and activated the second part of the technique. Manipulating the threads of space and time, I bent them around the dragon, forcing reality itself to crash into her from all directions.

For me, it felt like an eternity. Each manipulation, each fold of space, required intense focus. My soul energy drained at an alarming rate, and my body screamed in protest. But to her, it happened in the blink of an eye.

In a single, incomprehensible moment, the crushing force of space collapsed onto her, leaving her no escape. The dragon woman's body contorted as the technique ravaged her from every angle, yet she remained unaware of the devastation until it was already too late.

I canceled the technique immediately, the strain unbearable. My form reappeared in the physical plane, exactly where I intended.

The dragon woman was before me, her form trembling violently. She didn't even know she was on the verge of death yet, but I could see it—the cracks in her essence, the faltering energy, the faint spark of life dimming in her eyes.

Void Dance. This power... it's terrifying.

I clenched my fists, my body aching and my soul nearly depleted. My breathing was ragged, and I could barely stand, but I had done it. I had pushed past my limits and lived to see another moment.

But I knew one thing for certain—this technique came at a price. And next time, I might not survive it. For the briefest moment, I felt infinite—aware of every connection and possibility. But that awareness... it wasn't meant for a mortal mind. It was too much, too fast. And now, I could never unsee it.

Suddenly, I felt my world spin as if the very ground beneath me had turned into an endless vortex. My vision blurred, and a strange dizziness overtook me, making it hard to tell up from down.

In the next moment, I dropped to my knees, my body convulsing violently. Black bile poured from my mouth in heaving torrents, steaming as it hit the ground. The acrid stench burned my nose, and each retch felt like shards tearing through my insides. Where was it even coming from? I couldn't eat real food—only souls.

Yet, I didn't feel like I was dying. No... this was different. My body wasn't breaking; it was being cleansed.

"Surprised?" The eerie voice chuckled in my mind, smug and amused. "When you tap into the power of gods, you risk self-destruction. But use it wisely, and you might just survive."

My breath hitched as the last of the bile left me. A strange lightness settled in my core, as if a weight I hadn't known was there had been lifted.

"Cleansing your body with power beyond comprehension strengthens your cultivation," the voice continued, "bringing you closer to the divine. Not by much, mind you—less than 0.1%. But it's better than nothing, right?"

I wiped my mouth, trembling. My soul energy felt different now—calmer, more controlled—but the words lingered in my mind. Less than 0.1%? How long would it take before I could face the power that brought me here?

With great difficulty, I lifted my head. The dragon woman was barely breathing, her body mangled and tattered. The impact of my attack even scared me—but to think she had withstood it and kept her life, even if barely… she was terrifying.

"I don't have enough mana…" Black vines stretched from my body, but no matter how much I pushed, they couldn't wrap around her.

[Insufficient mana]

[Required: 56,000]

"The hell?... Is it because she's so strong?" I muttered under my breath, mocking myself and my efforts. Of course, it made sense. This dragon was the strongest being I had ever encountered, yet I somehow expected to tame her with depleted mana reserves. I had no choice but to wait.

Even in her defeat, she refused to collapse. Her body stood like a statue, unyielding, as though surrendering to the ground would be the ultimate disgrace. I felt a strange sense of awe.

Moments passed. My mana barely regenerated, but it was enough.

The black vines slithered forward, wrapping around the woman's broken form. As they encased her completely, I held my breath, waiting.

"You're mine, Scaelvorix," I whispered. The instant the binding completed, the entire world erupted.

A deafening boom tore through the air as space and time bent violently around me. Gale-force winds crashed into me, their sheer intensity threatening to topple me where I stood. My body trembled uncontrollably—why? Was it fear? The sheer weight of the power I had just unleashed?

Above me, the sky turned black. A massive vortex spiraled into existence, so vast it seemed to devour the heavens themselves. Its center hovered directly above me, radiating an overwhelming aura of dominance and destruction.

All around, darkness fell. If anyone were watching from afar, they'd surely think night had descended on this land.

The vortex pulsed with energy, its presence undeniable.

[Congratulations!]

[You have successfully cleared your quest!]

[Proceeding to evolve…]

[You will soon become the one and only Demon Lord.]