Dancing on the golden ashes

The air around me trembled ever so slightly, a soft vibration that made the hairs on my skin stand on end. I could feel myself slipping into a state unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was as though I could feel the very aura of the world itself—a sensation I couldn't fully explain. This mysterious state was like a delicate caress of the world, a gentle yet overpowering touch against my skin. It was soothing, yet it carried a weight, as if the world itself was pressing in on me, demanding that I yield to its presence. Perhaps I wasn't yet strong enough, but that didn't stop me from giving it a try.

With a deep breath, I focused all my energy, controlling the soul energy that swirled around me. I extended my consciousness outward, feeling it stretch far beyond my physical form. My awareness expanded like ripples in water, pushing farther and farther, until I could feel myself intertwining with the world itself. I wasn't just connected to it; I was it.

I was the wind, the breeze that swept across the land. I was the ground beneath me, the soil, the trees. I was the grass, soft and swaying with the gentle breath of the earth, the water flowing through streams, the very essence of life itself. I felt the hum of existence coursing through me, yet I remained limited. Despite that, I knew I had connected to everything within a thousand kilometers around me. It was vast, and the sensation was like standing at the center of the world, feeling its pulse, its rhythm, its heartbeat.

But even as I marveled at the enormity of it, I realized the limitations of my reach. This world was much larger than I had imagined. I had already traveled, by my best guess, over fifty thousand kilometers from the place where I first arrived, and it struck me just how hard it would be to find the demigod-level beasts I sought.

This world... it wasn't just large—it was massive. The laws that governed it were different from those of my original planet, Earth. If I had to guess, this world was the size of Saturn, if not even larger. The vastness of it overwhelmed me, as did the realization that, with each passing moment, I was only scratching the surface.

I found plenty of demon beasts, and even encountered a few humans in the area, but nothing that came close to the power of a demigod. So, I decided to expand my search radius, but it seemed I had pushed myself too far, too soon. I managed to stretch my awareness to an area of five thousand kilometers, but going beyond that caused a searing headache, unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was as if someone had placed a heavy, crushing weight on my head, pressing down with all their might until my skull felt ready to split. I had to stop, but despite the pain, the experience was not wasted. It had given me invaluable results, and more importantly, it had expanded my understanding of the world around me.

I wasn't sure how to describe it, but when I opened my eyes again, everything felt clearer. My mind felt sharper, more focused, as if the fog that had clouded my thoughts had finally lifted. It was as if I had just awakened from a long, deep sleep. I could feel the difference—it was subtle, but undeniable. My mind felt stronger.

"I wonder…" I muttered aloud to myself. "Could it be possible to cultivate my mind, not just my body and energy?" The thought lingered in my mind. The mind is a powerful tool. If it could be cultivated, trained, then perhaps I could learn at a much faster pace. Maybe even store more information, like a computer. It was an interesting idea, but I had no idea if I was right or wrong.

Still, I knew one thing: I would find out soon enough. I needed to travel another ten thousand kilometers to a new location and search there.

Why ten thousand? Well, since I could search in a circular area, it didn't make sense to search the same place twice. The vastness of this world meant I needed to keep pushing forward if I ever hoped to find the demigod beasts I was after.

I stood up and flapped my wings, launching myself into the sky, leaving the battlefield behind. I couldn't help but wonder—if someone were to stumble upon this place in the future, what would they think? The thought made me chuckle in my mind as I shot forward, heading north. The terrain shifted beneath me, constantly changing. I passed through magical landscapes, places I had never imagined, each more beautiful and mysterious than the last.

But soon, the temperature dropped. The air grew cold, and I found myself landing on the peak of a massive snow-covered mountain. The landscape around me was blanketed in white, the snow stretching endlessly in every direction. I wasn't sure if I would find anything here, but I couldn't afford to leave any corner of this world unexplored.

Closing my eyes, I extended my search. The area was devoid of humans, and there were only a few scattered beasts, but something caught my attention. A powerful aura, one that pushed back against my probing, pulsed from the distance. It was sharp and intense, a presence that challenged me. I focused harder, sensing its exact location: about two thousand kilometers to the north. It emanated from an icy, remote area, and it could only mean one of two things: a treasure, or a demigod-level beast.

My eyes shot open with a surge of excitement, and without hesitation, I wrapped my wings in crimson lightning. The air crackled with energy as I propelled myself forward, pushing my speed to the absolute limit. Every muscle in my body burned with the thrill of the chase, the exhilaration of the hunt. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"Time to hunt." My lips curled into a wild smile, a rush of excitement flooding through me. I felt the thrill coursing through my veins, as if every part of me was alive with the anticipation of the chase. I had waited so long to find another demigod beast—too long. The moment had finally arrived, and I could feel the adrenaline building with each beat of my heart. This was what I had been waiting for.