Damien kept walking through the glowing forest, boots crunching through layers of leaves, branches, and ancient roots. The deeper he went, the more the air shimmered with faint heat and lingering enchantment. The wind sang a soft lullaby through the trees, and the fireflies gave the illusion of stars dancing beneath the canopy.
"Alright, forest," Damien muttered. "I didn't get reborn with nuclear firepower just to hike and birdwatch. I want action. Monsters. A proper test. Give me something to roast."
He wandered past strange glowing mushrooms, leaping over moss-covered stones and ducking beneath vine-laced branches. With every step, he scanned his surroundings. Occasionally he paused to focus his senses, hoping to hear something, anything.
"Where are the slimes? Goblins? Even a tree that tries to kill me would do. This place is too quiet."
Another twenty minutes passed. Still nothing. No tracks. No howls. No movement.
He sighed. "Come on. This is like being in a cooking show with no food. How am I supposed to cook if there's nothing to fry?"
Then.
A tickle ran up the back of his neck. Goosebumps erupted. A pulse rang in his ears like an alarm.
Danger Sense.
Damien stopped.
His pupils shrank. The hairs on his arms bristled.
He muttered, "Something's wrong."
TWANG. TWANG. TWANG.
Eight arrows ripped through the foliage with deadly precision.
But before they could reach him, Damien vanished.
A burst of wind kicked up where he stood, scattering fallen leaves as he reappeared several meters away in a controlled blaze of flame and speed. His boots slid across the earth, scorching the moss beneath them. He pivoted into a ready stance, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Did someone say hello with arrows?"
He looked back. The arrows slammed into the ground he had just occupied, cracking through stone and bark. If he hadn't moved, they would've skewered him like a kebab.
Rustling erupted from the trees.
Guttural growls echoed through the forest.
From all around him, goblins emerged. They crawled from the underbrush, stepped out from behind tree trunks, and dropped down from the branches. Their beady eyes glinted with malice, and they brandished crude weapons—clubs, daggers, and shortbows.
Some crouched low with snarls, while others stood tall and hissed. Above, a few clung to the trees with bows drawn.
Damien's grin widened.
"Oh, finally. Party guests."
The goblins began making agitated, aggressive noises—clicking, barking, and shouting in their crude language. Four of them, spurred by rage or bravado, rushed toward Damien with weapons raised.
"Time to taste the heat!!!" Damien shouted.
His body erupted into flame, igniting in a vibrant red-orange blaze that coiled around his limbs like a living creature. The ground beneath him scorched black as the temperature rose.
The four goblins shrieked, leaping into the air with blades gleaming.
Damien raised his hand, palm glowing.
He smirked. "Fireball EX!"
A massive orb of burning, swirling energy formed in front of him. It hummed with unstable power, arcs of heat snapping across its surface.
He hurled it.
The fireball streaked through the air like a comet, crashing directly into the airborne goblins.
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion lit the entire forest in a blinding flash. The shockwave shattered nearby branches and sent dirt and ash flying in all directions. The smell of sulfur and charred flesh filled the air. Where the goblins had once been, only drifting particles of ash remained, carried on a gentle breeze.
Damien's eyes widened. "Okay. That was... more than I expected."
He looked down at the scorched crater, then back at his hand, grinning.
"Note to self: don't sneeze while casting that."
The other goblins were frozen in place, wide-eyed. Their snarls turned into uncertain grunts. They looked between each other, hesitation creeping into their stances.
Behind Damien, his fiery aura shifted.
A phoenix—massive and ethereal—began to form. Wings of molten flame spread wide, casting long shadows. The air rippled with pressure, and the temperature spiked.
The goblins panicked. Some shrieked in fear. Others trembled.
Damien opened his hands, and fire surged into his palms.
"I warned you," he said, voice low. "It's time to turn you guys into ash."
The goblins screamed and turned tail, bolting into the forest.
Four fireballs spun into existence behind Damien, orbiting him like fiery satellites.
He smirked. "Fireball x4."
He pointed.
The fireballs launched in four directions, each tracking a separate cluster of fleeing goblins.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
Then—
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOOOOOM!
The explosions were enormous, each one sending shockwaves that shook the canopy and rippled through the ground. Birds burst from treetops. Dust clouds rose high. Chunks of earth and scorched wood flew through the air.
Smoke curled around him. Flames licked at broken trees. The scent of cinders filled his lungs.
Damien lowered his hands, breathing slowly.
Fire burned across the landscape in patches. Trees were blackened skeletons. The wind carried thick plumes of smoke.
He looked around, stunned.
The forest was devastated.
Massive craters marred the earth—scorched pits surrounded by blasted rock and burning soil. At least three trees had been reduced to stumps or shattered trunks. Entire sections of the underbrush were ablaze or steaming in the aftermath. Ash snowed down like volcanic fallout.
Charred goblin weapons lay scattered among the debris, their wielders turned to nothing.
Damien whispered, "That's... that's a war zone. I did that. Me."
He raised a hand and looked at the flickering flames still scattered around the area.
"Fire Absorption," he said.
The flames reacted instantly.
The scattered fires bent and twisted, drawn toward Damien like metal shavings to a magnet. Streams of crimson and orange light flowed into him—arching like reversed lightning into his chest and arms. The warmth soaked into his skin, replenishing him, energizing him.
His hair lifted slightly in the magical breeze. The runes on his body pulsed with life.
The air grew still again.
Then—
DING!
A crimson status screen popped up.
Level Up!
New Level: 5
Stat Points Gained: +20
Skill Points Gained: +5
Damien grinned. "My first fight in this world and I annihilate twenty goblins. Not bad for a guy who used to microwave leftovers for dinner."
He exhaled, letting the warm forest breeze hit his face.
Above, the sky had begun to dim. The golden light of day was fading into warm hues of orange and violet. Shadows stretched, and the wind carried the cooler touch of evening.
"Sun's going down," he said, glancing at the sky. "Time to set up camp before I torch another acre by accident."
He began walking again, carefully navigating through the cracked earth and scorched trees.
"Need a nice cozy corner of the forest. Somewhere I won't get ambushed in my sleep."
The forest gradually softened. Less fire. More green. Eventually, he found a small, open clearing with tall stones that offered natural wind cover, and a shallow hill behind for support.
"Bingo."
Damien stretched and yawned. "Now for firewood."
He roamed the clearing for a few minutes, collecting sticks, bark, and branches. Then he returned, built a firepit with a ring of stones, and stacked the wood carefully.
He knelt down.
"Now for the spark."
He snapped his fingers. A playful little flame danced onto his fingertip.
"Forgot I could do this," he said with a grin.
He flicked the flame into the pit.
FWOMP.
It caught immediately, crackling to life with a warm orange glow.
He sat against the base of the hill, arms folded behind his head.
The fire flickered gently. The stars blinked into existence above the forest canopy.
"What a day," he whispered. "Died, met a goddess, got reborn, destroyed goblins with fireballs… and now here I am, camping like it's an anime side episode."
He yawned again, his body finally feeling the weight of the day.
As the fire crackled beside him, Damien's eyes drifted shut. He thought of Ignara. Of the fire in his veins. Of what tomorrow might bring.
His lips curled into a tired but satisfied smile.
"Let's see what happens next…" he mumbled.
And then, he drifted off to sleep.
After nearly nine hours of deep, fire-warmed sleep, the first rays of morning light began to filter through the trees.
Damien stirred, still resting against the sturdy base of the old tree where he'd made camp the night before. The warmth of the fire pit had faded, but the embers still glowed faintly. Golden sunlight streamed through the branches above, illuminating drifting motes of dust and pollen like enchanted particles.
A beam of sunlight touched his face, and he groaned softly.
"Mmph… what time is it?" he muttered, voice rough with sleep.
He blinked open his eyes, rubbing the crust from the corners as the full brilliance of the forest's morning revealed itself. Birds chirped overhead. A squirrel darted across a nearby tree branch. Leaves swayed gently with the breeze.
He let out a long, satisfying yawn and stretched both arms above his head. Joints popped audibly.
"Oh yeah… that's the stuff," he mumbled as he rolled his shoulders and got to his feet, groaning just a little from the stiffness in his back. He dusted himself off, gave the fire pit a final glance, then turned toward the deeper woods.
"Alright," he said aloud, hands resting on his hips. "New day, new madness. Time to find a village, a city—anywhere that serves hot food and doesn't smell like scorched goblin."
With that, Damien began walking again.
The hours passed slowly, his steps soft against the lush forest floor. The sun continued to rise, casting warm amber hues through the thick canopy. The world around him buzzed with life—birds flitted between branches, magical butterflies shimmered in blues and golds, and distant howls echoed now and then, faint reminders that not everything in this world was friendly.
As he continued his trek, Damien began to notice something more than just the sounds of nature—something deeper, ancient, almost sacred.
He slowed.
"Whoa…" he whispered.
All around him, the forest seemed to glow—not visibly, but perceptibly. From the trees, from the rocks, even from the grass beneath his feet, there emanated a soft hum. Threads of mana swirled gently in the air, flowing like currents of wind only visible to those attuned to magic.
He raised his hand, watching a few motes of mana drift toward his fingertips.
"The whole forest is alive with it… I can feel the mana flowing through everything."
The breeze picked up, brushing against his face like a whisper.
"This world… it's rich. Raw. Like it hasn't been broken yet. Like it's waiting for something."
He paused.
Something wasn't right.
BOOOOOOM!
The ground trembled.
Then a distant, guttural roar shattered the peaceful morning.
Damien stopped cold.
"Well... that's new."
Another boom. Louder. Closer.
"Definitely not thunder. And that roar? Sounds pissed."
He glanced around.
"I need a view... or better yet..."
He closed his eyes.
"Divine Fire Affinity," he murmured.
Flame energy surged into his veins, pooling in his head. His pupils glowed.
"Heat Sense."
When he opened his eyes again, the forest had changed.
Through the enhanced sight, he could see far—miles deep into the wilderness. The world was rendered in hues of temperature: trees, animals, rivers... and then—
There.
Four towering heat signatures. Each one enormous. Their forms pulsed with the internal heat of living furnaces. Their bulk rippled with raw power.
Ironback Grizzlers.
They stood over eleven feet tall when upright, hulking monsters with obsidian-gray fur and muscle-bound limbs. Their backs were layered in jagged iron-like plates, steaming with the heat they resisted. Arrows bounced off their hides. Low-tier spells wouldn't scratch them.
Damien's jaw tightened. "Living tanks..."
But something else drew his eye.
Opposite them—a lone figure.
A woman. Fighting.
Slim and agile. Hair white with mint-green tips, flowing like a silken ribbon. Her jacket fluttered enchantingly, her cape catching even the still air. Silver accents glimmered on her curved sword.
She looked tired. Hurt.
Damien's eyes narrowed.
"Who's that? A lone adventurer?"
She was holding her own. Just barely.
But not for long.
He made his decision.
"Pyrostep."
The moment he said the word, flames exploded around his legs. The air cracked with heat. His body ignited briefly, then vanished in a burst of crimson flame. All that remained was a scorch mark, scattered dust, and embers drifting lazily in the swirling breeze.
The tree bark where he stood shimmered with residual heat. Leaves fluttered down slowly, caught in the spiral of wind left behind. Birds scattered in panic. Silence returned—briefly.
He reappeared in a flash of fire, far away, dashing toward the chaos.
—
Meanwhile, Aira slashed through the air with a wide arc.
"Silver Crescent Slash!"
Wind energy whipped across the battlefield, slicing across one of the Grizzlers' shoulders. It snarled but didn't fall.
She ducked, dashed left with Wind Step, narrowly dodging another swing.
She panted. "Too slow. Not enough mana... Damn it."
Another Grizzler barreled toward her.
She leapt, twisting in the air.
"Aerial Bloom Kick!"
Her boot cracked into its jaw with wind-boosted force, but the monster barely reeled.
She landed hard, breath shallow.
"I… can't… keep this up..."
Her mana was draining. Her blade's runes flickered weakly.
"I need to retreat. Come back later. With backup."
She parried another claw strike with a spin, countering with Petal Fang.
Then another roared behind her. She turned mid-dash.
"Sonic Draw—Twin Gust!"
Twin blades of wind screamed through the air, cutting into the monsters—but they kept coming.
Too strong. Too many.
Then—
She jumped, raising her sword.
"Crescent Tempest Slash!" she screamed.
Her blade surged with power—until a Grizzler lunged forward, swinging a massive arm.
CRACK!
The blow slammed into her mid-air.
"UNGH—!"
Her body flew through the forest like a rag doll, smashing into a thick tree trunk.
She crumpled to the ground, coughing violently. Blood stained her lips.
Everything hurt.
Her right arm was broken. She could barely breathe.
She lay against the tree, helpless.
And the Grizzlers advanced.
She laughed bitterly through the pain. "Well... that's embarrassing."
Her voice broke. "Guess I wasn't strong enough after all."
She stared up at the sky. "Sorry... Mother. Father. Guess I won't be coming home."
The Grizzler raised its claw.
She closed her eyes.
"Do it."
FWOOOOOOOSH!
"FLAME LANCE!"
The voice tore through the trees like thunder.
Aira didn't move. She waited for pain.
Nothing.
She cracked one eye open.
The Grizzler's claw hovered inches from her face.
Then slowly… it dropped.
A long, searing spear of flame pierced clean through the beast's chest. Its eyes rolled back. Steam poured from the wound.
The beast collapsed in front of her, twitching.
Aira blinked in disbelief.
"What…?"
The trees around her burned. Fire crackled all around. A wall of flame spread like a curtain.
Then—
He walked through it.
Damien Cross. Cloak flapping. Eyes blazing. Grinning.
The flames parted around him.
"Hey, furballs," he said, looking at the remaining Grizzlers. "Pick on someone your own size."
Aira stared, wide-eyed.
"Who… the hell is that?"
Damien smiled.
"Let's turn this up."
Aira blinked in disbelief.
Who… who was this guy?
The way he walked through the fire like it was a warm breeze… the way he took down a D-rank monster in a single shot. It wasn't possible. Not for anyone short of an A-rank adventurer—and even then, not this easily.
She stared, wide-eyed, jaw slightly parted.
He saved me like it was nothing… Who the hell is he?
The remaining three Ironback Grizzlers roared in fury, charging Damien in a wave of claws, teeth, and primal rage.
"Watch out!" Aira shouted instinctively.
But Damien just grinned.
"I got it."
The Grizzlers lunged.
"Pyrostep!"
BOOM.
Damien vanished in a flash of fire and wind, embers exploding from where he stood, scattering across the clearing. Dust spiraled into the air, trees bending with the shockwave. The Grizzlers crashed into empty ground, sending tremors through the forest floor and carving deep gashes into the earth.
Aira shielded her face from the blast. "Where is he?!"
A calm voice whispered beside her.
"I'm right here."
She yelped, nearly dropping her sword. She spun. "WHAT THE HELL?! Who are you?!"
Damien smirked, hands casually in his coat pockets. "Calm down, Mrs. Windy."
"Mrs. WHAT?!" she snapped, face turning crimson. "Listen here, you Flame Idiot! I didn't ask for a walking wildfire with a death wish to jump into my fight!"
She stumbled back, gritting her teeth. Her ribs screamed in protest. Her arm hung limp.
Around her, the battlefield was littered with scorched fur and the wreckage of a half-decimated monster pack. Damien had annihilated two Grizzlers in seconds.
Smoke coiled behind him as the remaining three monsters snarled from across the field.
Aira clenched her jaw, eyes burning with pride and frustration.
"Why… why did you save me?" she growled. "I didn't need your help!"
Damien dusted ash off his cloak, grinning. "Really? Could've fooled me."
He pointed with his thumb. "Those Ironback Grizzlers were kicking your pointy-eared butt so hard, I thought one of them was about to ask for your sword as a trophy."
Aira's eye twitched violently.
Her face flushed—equal parts rage and embarrassment—as she jammed her sword into the dirt to steady herself.
"I-I was just warming up, Flame Idiot!" she spat. "You think a few cracked ribs and a broken arm are enough to stop me?!"
Damien glanced over his shoulder. The three remaining Grizzlers were stomping closer.
"Well," he said casually, "let's test that theory. Try not to die before I'm done flaming the rest of them."
He stepped forward. Flames flickered to life across his hands.
Aira watched his back, teeth clenched.
"…Arrogant pyromaniac," she muttered through gritted teeth. "If he wasn't so stupidly strong, I'd kill him myself."
Damien raised a hand, flames curling upward.
"Let's finish this, you ugly furballs."
Three massive Ironback Grizzlers remained. Their obsidian-like hides gleamed under the sun, their battle-scarred forms radiating bloodlust. One roared and charged first, barreling toward Damien like a boulder with teeth.
Damien cracked his neck.
"Tsk. One at a time? That's just rude."
The first Grizzler lunged.
Damien's fist ignited with molten fire, spiraling upward in coils of energy that radiated raw heat.
"BURNOUT PUNCH!"
He stepped forward, throwing his entire weight into the blow. His fist connected with the Grizzler's snout in a booming impact.
BOOOOOOM!
The creature's head jerked back with a spray of molten saliva and burning fur. The force launched the Grizzler off its feet like a meteor. It smashed through the forest—splintering one tree, then another, and another—before slamming into a boulder with such force that the entire stone cracked down the middle. The beast burst into a flare of fire, disintegrating into a rain of scorched fur, shattered bone, and rising cinders.
The shockwave flattened the underbrush nearby. Trees bowed from the pressure. Ash rained in slow spirals.
Aira watched wide-eyed, gripping her sword as it vibrated in her hands from the tremor.
"…W-What the hell was that…?" she breathed.
The second Grizzler bellowed with rage and charged.
Damien didn't flinch. He lifted his hand slowly, flames coalescing into a sharp, pulsing spear of fire.
"FLAME LANCE!"
The fire gathered tightly—condensed heat forming a point of brilliant energy. With a snap of his wrist, the spear shot forward like divine lightning.
ZWWWWMMMM—CRACK!
The lance tore through the Grizzler's chest. Its torso erupted as the fire sliced straight through it, creating a geyser of flame. The force of the blast lifted the monster off the ground, and it exploded midair in a fireball, raining bits of molten hide and scorched embers in all directions.
The treetops lit with flickering orange as fire dripped from branches. The earth shook again.
The last Grizzler skidded to a stop. It hesitated.
Bad move.
Damien grinned.
He lifted both hands, and fire rushed to his palms like magnets drawing in the wrath of a sun.
"Now for the finale."
"FIREBALL EX!!!!"
The ground trembled beneath him. The air screamed.
Between Damien's hands, a massive orb of molten energy formed—spiraling with red-gold flame, runes pulsing in its core. It grew, fed by his will, distorting the light around it with pure heat.
He hurled it into the air.
It detonated mid-flight.
KRA-KOOOOOM!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted across the battlefield.
A shockwave burst outward in all directions—ripping up soil, incinerating foliage, leveling everything within a 100-meter radius. Trees vanished in columns of fire. The earth split, creating craters that burned with magma-like glow. The firestorm swallowed the entire field.
The sky dimmed briefly, shadowed by the rising plume of smoke.
A ring of pure destruction pulsed outward like a god's wrath unleashed. Waves of heat surged through the forest, scalding bark from distant trees.
When the light dimmed and the dust settled, the battlefield was a sea of black.
Ash swirled through the air like snow.
A massive crater smoked at the center, glowing orange along its fractured edges. Nothing moved. Nothing survived.
No Grizzlers. No sound. Only ruin.
Aira stood far behind the blast radius.
She had thrown her cloak over her face to block the heat. It was halfway torn from the wind. Her hair whipped wildly as she limped forward, stunned.
She screamed:
"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT?!"
She hobbled into the blackened battlefield, stepping over melted roots and twisted stumps.
Damien stood in the center.
Stretching. Calm as ever.
"Your mission," he said, "was bleeding out with three angry bears about to cave your face in. I made an adjustment."
She picked up a rock and hurled it.
It melted midair.
"YOU BURNED DOWN HALF THE DAMN FOREST!"
Damien glanced around. "Correction: just the aggressive half."
Steam practically burst from Aira's ears.
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!" she shouted. "You just appeared out of nowhere, set the entire region on fire, and now you're acting like you fixed things?!"
Damien shrugged. "I saw a pretty elf getting her ribs cracked like breadsticks. Figured I'd lend a hand. You're welcome, by the way."
Aira stood there, shaking.
Face red. Sword trembling.
"Y-you…! You arrogant, smug, reckless—FLAME IDIOT!"
Damien smiled, hands in his coat pockets, as the smoke swirled around him.
"Nice to meet you too, Windy."
Aira collapsed.
Her knees gave out beneath her like a crumbling tower, slamming into the scorched earth with a dull, heavy thud. Her sword dropped from her hand, clattering into the ash beside her. She slumped against a still-smoking tree, its bark blackened from the recent inferno. The breath left her lungs in a wheezing gasp.
Her chest heaved—slow, uneven, and raw. Her ribs screamed with every inhale. Her mouth tasted copper. Blood stained her lip, running down her chin as she weakly wiped it away.
It hurts... Gods, it really hurts.
She tilted her head back against the trunk, eyes fluttering shut for a moment.
I knew they were strong. I trained for this. Countless hours. Countless drills. But I still wasn't ready. Not for all four. Not alone.
The scorched wind blew through her hair, and the heat from the still-burning embers around her made her vision waver.
I pushed too far. Got too proud. Thought I could do it solo… she thought bitterly.
She let out a dry, half-laugh. And now I'm lying in a crater, half-dead, ribs shattered, barely able to blink. Just great, Aira. Great tactical planning, as always.
Her fingers curled into the dirt, grasping for something—anything—some anchor to reality. But all she felt was pain.
Maybe this is it, she thought, strangely calm. Maybe I won't be able to stand back up this time.
Then… she heard footsteps.
And the world changed
Damien walked over, his footsteps slow and casual, like a guy taking a morning stroll through hell.
He knelt beside her, palm glowing faintly with flickering flame.
"W-What… are you doing…?" Aira asked, her voice weak, barely above a whisper.
Damien grinned. "Saving your stubborn elf ass. This is gonna sting."
He held the flame close and murmured, "Flame that renews… burn away the weakness. Phoenix Rebirth — Lesser Flame."
Then he pressed the glowing fire straight into her chest.
"AAAGGHHH!"
Aira screamed, her body arching with the sudden surge of heat. Smoke curled up from her skin. Her eyes bulged as every nerve screamed back.
She punched him in the face mid-heal.
"Y-you psycho!! That's not healing! That's TORTURE!!"
Damien laughed, rubbing his jaw. "Same result. Less flowers."
Aira gasped. Her eyes widened as the burning in her ribs faded into warmth. Her broken arm trembled, then clicked into place with a sickening pop and a final sting.
She sat up, panting, sweat dripping from her brow.
"I… I can breathe again…"
She slowly moved her arm—flinched—but it moved. She stared down at her side in disbelief. Her bruises were gone. In their place, a faint ember-shaped scar glowed like a rune.
Her face flushed bright red.
"D-did you just set me on fire to heal me?!"
Damien flashed his usual grin. "Technically, yes. You're welcome."
"THAT'S NOT HOW HEALING'S SUPPOSED TO WORK, YOU FLAME IDIOT!!!"
She stood—wobbling a little—then clenched her fist. Her eyes widened slightly. She was strong again. Whole again.
"…But it worked," she muttered under her breath. "Stupid magic idiot…"
She exhaled sharply as the last of the phoenix fire faded from her skin. The pain was gone. Her ribs were silent. Her arm no longer throbbed. She was still scorched, soot-covered, and pissed off—but undeniably better.
She wiped her brow and turned to face Damien.
He was casually adjusting his coat, brushing ash from his shoulders like he hadn't just blown up a quarter mile of forest.
Aira sighed.
"…Okay. I'll ask one last time. Who the hell are you?"
Damien glanced over, smirking with zero shame.
"Well, well… Mrs. Windy's finally calm enough to hold a conversation."
Her eye twitched. Steam might've actually burst from her ears.
"D-Don't call me that!!"
Damien laughed, delighted. "Oh come on, it fits! You've got wind magic, pointy ears, and a personality gustier than a tornado."
Aira drew her sword and pointed it at his nose. "Say it again and I swear I will SLICE that smug grin off your flammable face!!"
Still grinning, Damien didn't even flinch. "Alright, alright. No need to get stabby."
He lowered his hands, then bowed with theatrical flair.
"Name's Damien Cross. Wandering fire mage, adventurer, occasional forest arsonist… and the guy who just saved your life."
Aira glared at him. Sword still up… but then she slowly lowered it. She exhaled through her nose, flicked her hair back, and straightened.
"…Fine," she said, in her best high-elf formality. "I'm Aira Everwind. High Elf, swordmaster of the Windpeak School… and that was supposed to be my mission."
Damien raised a brow. "Everwind, huh? Hah. Now the nickname makes even more sense."
"Shut. Up."
"Whatever you say… Windy."
Aira's scream echoed across the smoldering crater.
Somewhere, birds scattered.
A squirrel two miles away fainted.
Damien stood there, wiping a fake tear from his eye.
"Man… that was a great scream. I think the forest got quieter out of respect."
"Shut. Up." Aira turned away, arms crossed, trying to reassemble her shattered dignity.
"What are you even doing out here anyway?" she asked.
Damien shrugged, flicking a glowing spark off his shoulder. "Just a traveler. Got dropped in this lovely forest. Figured I'd wander until I found a village or city… or, you know, giant murder-bears. That works too."
"…You're lost?"
"More like aggressively off-course. Happens when you get dumped into a new world by a smug goddess with no GPS."
Aira blinked at him. Stared. Shook her head like she was choosing not to unpack any of that.
"What about you, Mrs. Mission-Taker?" Damien asked. "You said this was your job. What city are you with?"
"I'm from Elmsreach," she said flatly. "Part of the outer branch of the Verdant Vale Adventurers' Guild."
"Elmsreach, huh? Sounds fancy." He tilted his head. "You mentioned something earlier—this was a mission?"
"Yes," Aira said, finally turning toward him with a serious look. "Guild quest. Mid-tier assignment. Monsters were attacking caravans and travelers passing through this region. Ironback Grizzlers don't normally gather like this — something's agitating them. My job was to eliminate the threat."
Damien nodded. "Well… mission technically accomplished. Trade routes saved. Forest… optional."
"You were not part of the mission!" Aira snapped. "This was supposed to be my fight. I had it under control!"
Damien grinned, gesturing at her recently healed arm.
"With a broken arm and cracked ribs? Sure. Totally."
Aira clenched her fists again, steaming.
Damien walked a few steps ahead, flames flickering faintly on his shoulders like embers that refused to die.
He looked back over his shoulder.
"So, Miss Guild Professional… you leading me to the city, or do I just keep blowing stuff up until I find it?"
Aira glared at him. Then sighed.
"…Fine. But only because if I leave you out here, you'll burn down the rest of the continent."
Damien's grin widened. "That's the spirit, Windy."
"Say it again and I will stab you."
She looked at him.
He looked back, still casually brushing soot from his sleeves like he hadn't just nuked a grove.
Without another word, she turned and walked toward the forest trail, motioning with her head.
Damien followed.
The scorched battlefield slowly faded behind them. Charred trees leaned like twisted skeletons. Smoke drifted upward in lazy spirals. Ash coated everything in sight. The crater glowed faintly from residual flame magic. The ruins of the fight felt surreal—like they belonged to another story, another time.
But they walked away.
The deeper they went, the more the forest began to recover. The green crept back in—the leaves no longer singed, the canopy thicker overhead. Birds chirped cautiously. Light filtered through the trees, dancing in golden patches on the trail.
To Be Continued...