Dancing on the golden ashes

The energy in the air was thick with tension as the battle reached its peak. Eun-woo's shield groaned under the assault, its surface cracking, but his resolve never wavered. With every passing moment, the weight of the attack seemed to intensify, and his body screamed in pain, muscles tearing under the strain. Still, his soul blazed brighter than ever, the very essence of his being pulsing with an unstoppable will to protect those around him.

The moment the beam connected, Eun-woo gritted his teeth, determined not to falter. I can't fail now, he thought, eyes narrowed in focus. The pain was excruciating, but his soul burned hotter than ever, and that newfound strength surged through him. His shield began to glow brighter, its edges glowing with a radiance so pure it seemed to push back the darkness itself.

"HA!" He roared, pushing everything he had into the shield. His body was torn, but his spirit remained unyielding. The power washed over him in waves, and with a final, determined push, Eun-woo forced the energy back. The beam shattered against the surface of his shield, dissipating into the air with a deafening crack.

Eun-woo's face twisted with fury as he locked eyes with the beast. The monster roared, but there was something in Eun-woo's gaze—a promise, a defiance, that spoke volumes. He would not let it take one more step.

"Not today!" he shouted, his voice booming through the battlefield, filled with unshakable conviction.

As the monster recoiled, Seong-hoon saw his opportunity. With a fierce battle cry, he leapt into the air, dragon sword crackling with raw power. The sword transformed, its shape shifting as his dragon aura filled the air, swirling with energy. He slashed through the air, the blade cutting deep into the beast's knee. The wound was small, but it was enough to make the beast stagger, causing it to lose its balance for a fleeting moment.

Seong-hoon didn't wait for a second chance. He pressed forward, knowing that every attack brought them one step closer to victory, and one step closer to the moment when they would finally bring the monster to its knees.

Min-jae and Ji-hoon moved with unmatched precision, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. One, Min-jae, melded with the surrounding space, his presence untraceable as he flowed effortlessly through it, charging his energy for the perfect strike. The other, Ji-hoon, became one with the shadows, darting from one to the next like a fleeting wraith, his daggers crackling with dark, poisonous energy.

Together, they reappeared in a flash, poised at the creature's injured knee. The impact of Min-jae's violet sword tore through the beast's flesh, leaving a deep wound, while Ji-hoon's daggers, laced with deadly poison, drove into that very wound, sending corrosive black energy surging through the monster's body. It howled in pain, but the two of them were already gone, retreating before the beast could retaliate.

The monster staggered, its massive form trembling as it struggled to maintain its balance. The earth beneath them rumbled, and the ground cracked as the beast dropped to one knee. The booming sound reverberated through the battlefield, sending shockwaves that shook the ground. As the beast collapsed, the cannons from the city wall opened fire, aiming directly for its eyes with pinpoint accuracy.

But the monster didn't fall—not yet. Despite the attacks, it remained defiant. Its knees were injured, and it was vulnerable for only a few seconds before its body began to heal, but that was enough. The attackers had done their part.

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Min-jeong, never one to waste an opportunity, clasped her hands together, calling on the earth beneath her. The ground trembled violently as thick, thorn-covered vines erupted from the soil, shooting upward and wrapping around the monster's body, holding it in place with unrelenting force. The beast struggled against the binding, but it couldn't break free.

Malrang, ever the resourceful one, knew exactly what to do. In a moment, she transformed into her massive thirty-meter demon fox form. Her tails lashed through the air, and with a fiery roar, a massive hellfire chain shot out from them. The chain, infused with dark energy, coiled tightly around the monster's limbs, binding it even further. It burned where it touched, causing the creature to screech in pain, but Malrang didn't relent. The chains were like the soul shackles Gaon had used, a power she had honed over time by watching Gaon's own battles.

The combined force of Min-jeong's vines and Malrang's hellfire chains ensured that the monster could no longer move freely. Its strength was being sapped by the poison and the binding, and its regeneration slowed, giving the group a precious window of time to press the attack. The monster's struggle was only growing weaker, but it was still dangerous.

"Let's go, little sister!" Seo-Yeon's voice rang through the air, her arms shooting up toward the sky. Blood began dripping from her nostrils as a massive icicle, over two hundred meters long and fifty meters thick, formed above them. The sheer weight and power of it seemed to make the very air crackle with her icy energy. Jieun didn't hesitate either. In an instant, the sky was filled with celestial energy, expanding in every direction before rushing back, focused entirely on the monster's head. The sheer force of the attack was like nothing they had ever done before.

The attacks came crashing down almost simultaneously. Seo-Yeon's enormous icicle slammed into the monster's chest with a thunderous crack, piercing through its flesh. At the same moment, Jieun's celestial blast exploded, its light brighter than the sun itself. The force of the blast severed the monster's head from its body, causing it to tumble lifelessly to the ground.

The entire sequence felt like it stretched on for an eternity, but in reality, it all unfolded in mere seconds. The group's coordination, honed through countless battles together, had finally paid off. The massive beast, the very creature that had threatened their home, was no more.

And just like that, victory was theirs.

The sound of cheers erupted from the group, and soon, it spread like wildfire through the town. The people of Luminara had held their ground. They had defended their city. And they had done it without their empress.

"We did it!"

"We defended our city!"

The words rang out, echoing in the streets as the entire town celebrated. It was a victory that meant more than any of them could ever explain. They had faced the unimaginable, fought with everything they had, and emerged victorious. But more than that, they had proved to themselves that they could protect their empress, that they could stand tall without her.

Their pride swelled, and the cheers filled the air, reaching every corner of the city. For the first time, they had truly become a family—united in their love for Gaon and in their newfound strength.

This battle would be one for the history books, but for now, they would take their victory. It was their time to bask in the glory of what they had accomplished together.@@novelbin@@

Cries of joy and relief surged through the crowd, echoing in every corner of Luminara. The battle that had once seemed so insurmountable now felt like a distant nightmare, a victory too sweet to believe. But as the people on the front lines gathered themselves, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. They hadn't expected the battle to end so quickly. The monster, a terrifying creature at level 200, had been destroyed—at least, that's what they thought. Yet, the absence of experience points made them uneasy.

"Keep attacking!" Eun-woo's voice cut through the cheers, a sharp command that silenced the celebration in an instant. People on the city walls stared at him in confusion. Had they not won? The monster was clearly dead. What was happening?

Before anyone could respond, a deep, rhythmic sound reverberated through the air—a powerful beat that felt like the thumping of a massive heart. It tore through the atmosphere with a force so great it sent shockwaves through the ground. The group was thrown back, their bodies slammed against the earth, internal injuries wracking their bodies as if an invisible bomb had gone off right next to them. The power behind the heartbeat crashed into the city wall, and it crumbled beneath its weight. People fell, their lives extinguished in an instant, unable to survive the overwhelming impact.

As the shockwave faded, the creature, despite its grievous injuries, began to regenerate. The ice that had pierced its chest was pushed aside, and its head reformed, bringing it back to life.

Before anyone could react, a deafening explosion erupted from the creature's body, a burst of destructive force that obliterated everything in its path. The battlefield became a scene of absolute devastation, the explosion destroying everything, even the lives of every person who had fought so valiantly.

The silence that followed was deafening. The city was gone. The land was scorched. The bodies of the fallen lay where they had stood, and black orbs began to rise from their forms, swirling and filling the area with an eerie, oppressive darkness. There was no one left. No living soul remained.

The once-great city of Luminara, a symbol of strength and defiance, was now a graveyard, its people and its heroes reduced to nothing more than dust and shadows.

And for nine days, the world remained still, until one set of eyes, once closed, slowly opened once more.