As Ronan walked back to his hut, he felt a strange sense of belonging. This team might not be the strongest, but here, he wasn't Samantha's shadow.
For the past few days, Ronan and his team—Kael, Darius, Garrick, and Sylphie—continued their hunt for monsters, pushing themselves to their limits. Today, their battle had been especially fierce, as they had faced a formidable Five-Tailed Fox. Now, as dusk settled, they sat around their campfire, sharing a well-earned meal under the vast, star-strewn sky.
Between bites of roasted meat, Ronan leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Kael, do you think we have enough materials to exchange for those skills?"
Kael wiped his hands with a cloth and smirked. "More than enough."
Ronan's eyes lit up. "Then how about we head back and get them? I also need a new sword and daggers."
Darius, who had been lazily stretching his arms, raised an eyebrow. "Don't you already have the high-grade sword, Eclipse Edge?" he asked, puzzled.
Ronan chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I do, but..."
With a sigh, he unsheathed Eclipse Edge and held it up for everyone to see. The once-glorious blade was now dulled, its edges worn, and visible melting marks marred its surface.
Darius stared, his jaw dropping. "How the hell did you do this?" he exclaimed.
Kael, now intrigued, finished washing his hands and gestured toward the sword. "Let me see that."
The group gathered closer as Kael examined the damaged weapon, his fingers brushing over the molten grooves. "Did you melt the sword by concentrating too much mana in a single spot?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Ronan nodded. "Yeah. I don't have much mana to spare, so every attack has to count. To make my strikes stronger, I condense as much mana as possible in a single hit. But that generates an insane amount of heat, and over time, my weapons just... break."
Kael frowned, deep in thought. If Ronan's flames are strong enough to melt high-grade weapons, maybe... maybe he could suppress the Five-Tailed Fox's flame.
His gaze shifted to the small flame core in his palm from the battle earlier. "Hey, does anyone have an issue if I give today's Five-Tailed Fox's flame to Ronan?"
The others shook their heads. Sylphie clapped Ronan on the back, grinning. "He's the backbone of our team. If anyone needs to grow stronger, it's him."
Kael nodded and held out the purple flame core. "Here, Ronan—"
Before he could finish, a fireball burst from Ronan's chest, surging toward the flame core like a starving beast. Ronan's eyes widened as he lunged, trying to snatch it back. "Oh no, not again!"
But it was too late. The fireball absorbed the essence from the core in an instant, floating lazily around Ronan before settling beside him, flickering like a playful ember.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. This is like what Grandpa told me... But these only happened after reaching Master three or higher. How is Ronan experiencing this now? Is this somewhat different from what Grandpa told me back then? He did tell me that a fire user's flame sometimes gaining consciousness, not to this extent, just emerging from the master's body. And looking at Ronan's reaction, this does not seem to be the first time.
A childhood memory flashed in Kael's mind—his grandfather telling him a tale of a woman whose love for magic was so deep that her very mana took on consciousness to protect its master. In the end, her magical core had burned itself out to protect her life. But that was just a story... wasn't it?
Kael narrowed his eyes, determined. I need to ask Grandpa about this. When he returns.
Meanwhile, Ronan sighed, crossing his arms as he glared at the fireball. "You're getting naughtier by the day. If you don't start listening to me, I'm going to ban you from coming out."
The fireball dimmed slightly, almost sulking, before obediently retreating back into Ronan's chest.
Sylphie, fascinated, stepped closer and poked Ronan's chest. "Make it come out again. I wanna see it."
Ronan frowned. "No. Absolutely not."
Sylphie pouted. "Hmph! You're no fun."
Then, with a mischievous grin, she suddenly pulled out a low-tier flame core and held it up. "Ooooh, look! I have a flame core!"
The fireball instantly emerged, drawn toward her outstretched hand like an eager pet.
Ronan groaned. "I give up."
Kael chuckled as he sat beside Ronan by the campfire, watching Sylphie, Garrick, and Darius crowd around the floating flame, their faces glowing in its warm light.
Darius tilted his head. "Ronan, can you shape it into something other than a ball?"
"Yeah, I can."
"Then give it a body."
Ronan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I tried. It seemed it didn't like it."
Sylphie leaned in, eyes sparkling. "What kind of body did you try?"
"A male one. And a few animals."
She said, "Give it a female body!"
Ronan groaned again. "No."
Instantly, Sylphie latched onto his arm, pleading. "Please? Pleeease?"
Kael smirked. "Just do it, or they'll never stop."
Defeated, Ronan muttered under his breath and willed the fireball to take on a new form. Slowly, the flames stretched and moulded, shaping into a small female figure. Her body flickered like a candle's glow, her tiny limbs graceful as embers swirled within her form. She had delicate, glowing eyes that blinked with curiosity, her hair a cascade of soft, flickering fire.
The team stared in awe.
Sylphie gasped, hands clasped together. "She's adorable!"
Garrick nodded, thoroughly impressed. "Never thought I'd see something like this."
Sylphie turned to Ronan, grinning. "Does she have a name?"
Ronan shrugged. "No."
"Then I'm naming her!" Sylphie announced triumphantly. "And I get to pick whatever I want! Let's call her Fira!"
Ronan sighed, already regretting his decision.
As laughter filled the air and the flames danced around them, the night carried on, brimming with warmth, camaraderie, and the promise of untold mysteries yet to unfold.