I was left standing speechless, unsure of what to say. Too many questions built up inside , and if I let them explode, I'd most likely spend an entire day inside this gem.
"Before I agree... you must answer . Why would you willingly pass your so-called legacy? I can't imagine a situation where this would make sense." I was suspicious of this strange goddess of fire. In this world, nothing was ever free—there was always a catch.
She eyed , her eyes widening slightly for just a mont before her usual playful expression returned. I felt her fingers brush lightly against my left shoulder as she walked away. My gaze followed her, only to be t with a breathtaking display of flas. Her entire body ignited, the fire consuming her completely as she disappeared from my sight, rging seamlessly with the flas dancing around
Where did she go...? I don't like this one bit...
In the next instant, the flas around flared up, shifting into vibrant new colors, as though the rainbow itself had been dragged into this world. The fiery display began to change, casting scenes across the flas like a projector illuminating a wall.
I saw a vast world filled with towns, cities, and empires—but they were all engulfed in flas, burning as if the entire world had been set alight at once.
In the distance stood the figure of an unimaginably beautiful young woman, her silhouette strikingly similar to the goddess of fire I had t just monts ago. Her face was void of any emotion, her eyes completely black, as if they had been filled with ink.
She floated effortlessly in the air, adorned in a stunning dress crafted from flas. Behind her, wings of fire stretched out, spanning several ters in both length and width. Their edges glowed so brightly they were nearly white.
The goddess slowly raised her hand, floating above a citadel made of diamonds and gems, its brilliance so intense it was almost blinding. Sparks danced in the air as the entire citadel erupted in a glorious explosion, shattering into countless fragnts of light.
At that mont, her face was drenched in tears of sorrow and pain. Everything in the world burned, consud by unrelenting flas. Just as the destruction reached its peak, a black beam shot down from the sky, piercing through her and extinguishing her flas.
Her lifeless body plumted toward the earth, vanishing in a burst of fiery light the instant she hit the ground.
The flas around returned to their normal hues as her body reappeared in front of . Her playful expression was gone, replaced with a sorrowful one.
"I'm not going to explain myself too much," she said softly. "What I showed you just now were my last monts in the world before yours. A thriving world filled with laughter and peace… yet I destroyed it with my own hands. I can't explain the feeling—it was as if I was lost, as if I was being controlled."
With a graceful motion of her hand, she conjured a throne made of fire and sat on it, crossing her legs.
"We lived in peace," she continued. "Training ourselves, growing strong. But then one day, a mysterious figure appeared, introducing a so-called 'system' that promised to make the weak strong. Many embraced it instantly."
She waved her hand again, creating another fiery throne and gesturing for to sit down.
"I don't think I have much ti to sit around... my companion..." I trailed off, thinking about Malrang, who was still fighting alone, and my body outside barely holding on to her.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Sit down. Ti here flows a thousand tis slower than outside. When you leave, only a re mont will have passed."
My jaw dropped. It was eerily similar to the trial world I had been in before.
"I've been to a place like this before," I said cautiously. "But that world was called a trial world… I fought soone called the Fallen King of Ruttham or sothing like that…"
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gripped the armrest of her throne tightly. "So his world fell as well…"
I was taken aback, but sohow it made sense. Soone at her level would undoubtedly know secrets like that.
"You know him?" I asked curiously, hesitantly sitting on the fire throne. To my surprise, it was only slightly warm and didn't burn . It felt solid yet soft, as if it were made from the finest, most comfortable fabric.
"Not only do I know him," she said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "He was once a part of this world before it was torn apart. Their empire was the first to fall—the first to rebel when we realized sothing was wrong…" I listened intently, afraid to miss any detail.
"I'm at least glad to know that world is still sowhere, hopefully thriving with life..."
Our eyes t, and in that instant, she seed to understand the truth—that the world was empty.
"I see..." she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Well, maybe that is for the best."
"Enough about that," the goddess said, her tone sharpening. "All you need to know is that the world you live in now has been utterly destroyed, tearing away everything that existed here before. Only a few powerful creatures were allowed to remain, submitting to the so-called 'Creator.' In reality, he's nothing more than a thief..." Her eyes were full of hatred.
"Then what about the other creatures in this world?" I asked, curiosity laced with unease.
"They were created by that person, with the system built into them—slaves to him forever..."
"That ans Malrang..." My chest tightened, a strange ache swelling within . I didn't know why, but sothing in my heart cried out for her. She seed so pitiful, born into a world where she was forced to follow the path of that person...
"Don't worry about that," she said firmly. "One day, I know you'll grow strong enough to surpass the system and escape it. When that day cos, you'll be able to drag her out with you. Just don't let the darkness inside of you deceive you."
She paused, as if anticipating my next question. "And before you ask, no… I don't know what that entity is." She shook her head slightly, cutting off just as my mouth opened to inquire.
"Now... it is ti for you to learn the path of fire," the goddess declared, rising to her feet. Flas erupted around , wrapping my body in a fiery embrace. The heat didn't burn; instead, it tingled against my skin, as if tempering and refining . I could feel myself grow slightly stronger.
"The power in this world cos from your soul," she continued, her voice booming, reverberating through the gem's space. "That was his mistake—leaving soul power as the main tool for growth while masking the system behind it. He tricked all of you, the new residents of this world, into believing it was your only path to strength."
The fire around intensified, roaring like a raging furnace. It wrapped in a cocoon of flas, isolating from the world. All I could hear was her voice, echoing from outside.
"Listen, Lee Gaon… This world of mine was once a world of cultivators, where we reached for immortality. The system you have now has replaced that path—and blocked you from ever taking that step. Let unlock that path for you. Inside your soul, I will leave a key. One day, you will know what to do with it. But for now… you shall inherit my power. The goddess of fire shall be born again!"
The flas consud , burning my body to ashes as I lost consciousness. Yet in the next mont, I felt myself rising from those very ashes, renewed. My body felt transford, as if it were made of fire—warm, untad, powerful, and, most importantly… pure.
My eyes shot open, and the fiery cocoon around shattered. I was left standing naked, but in the next spark, a black-and-gold ball gown materialized around . Flas burned along the edges, as if half the dress itself was made of fire, flickering and alive.
"This..." I felt my soul shifting, a profound transformation taking place. Darkness and fire intertwined within , neither fully rging nor opposing each other. They danced in a tenuous balance, as though striving to coexist in harmony.
"You will not gain the system's abilities from this," she said, her voice steady yet tinged with sorrow.
"But you will wield fire freely, independent of its rules. It won't be powerful at first, but as you train your soul, the flas will grow stronger—strong enough to one day burn everything in your path. Let warn you, though: there are no cultivation scripts left in this world. He destroyed them all. You will have to forge your own path. I cannot guide you in this... I am but a fractured soul, lingering just long enough to et the one destined to carry my will. That person is you, Gaon."
She smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with tears, as her body began to fade. The space around us trembled with her impending departure.
"When the ti cos to slay that bastard," she continued, her voice steady despite her fading form, "let him know that I send my regards. And tell him I will be waiting for him in hell."
Her presence flickered, and the tremors grew stronger. With a final, heartfelt smile, she added, "I've left fragnts of my abilities for you. Search for them within your soul and train with them. Please... don't let my legacy vanish from this world."
The flas dissipated, leaving an aching void in their wake. My heart clenched painfully. "You were one of the few who ever showed kindness," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I vow to you—one day, I will avenge you. I will free myself from the chains of this world, untad and untainted. I shall beco fire and darkness. I shall beco... immortal!"
As the words left my lips, flas roared to life around , their vibrant hues blazing with newfound intensity. The darkness within surged, weaving into the flas, dyeing them a deep, unyielding black. Together, they raged in a chaotic harmony, reshaping the very air around .
"Yes..." I breathed, the power swelling within , unstoppable and absolute. "Fire and darkness will coexist under my rule!"
The flas on my dress shifted, darkening as they pulsed with a newfound, formidable energy. They clung to like a second skin, radiating power. Behind , fire and darkness intertwined, roaring to life as they took shape. Blazing with heat and fury, they ford great wings, each stroke of fla and shadow embodying my rising dominance.
Reviews
All reviews (0)