Sudiya felt as though she had been dreaming.
In her dream, she became the legendary "Firebearer." Countless subjects knelt before her, and she restored the glory of the "Kingdom of Fire and Steel," banishing the darkness from the world.
At the end, she ascended the throne, and by her side, waiting, was a familiar face…
He seemed to be smiling at her.
Then, she woke up.
Sudiya lay on her back, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before realizing it had all been a dream.
She was now just a Tier One Duty Wielder, barely stronger than an ordinary person, having only just stepped onto the path of transcendence.
But soon, her spirits lifted. The royal family's "curse" had been broken. Lucille had truly helped her become a Duty Wielder, and that fact alone filled her with uncontainable excitement.
As long as she could master the power of "fire," the scenes from her dream might one day become reality.
With that thought, Sudiya remembered her Duty Crystal. With a flicker of intent, a dark red gem appeared in her palm.
The gem was flawless, almost otherworldly in its perfection, not resembling anything crafted by human hands.
But its color surprised her. It was indeed red, but not the vibrant red of flames—more like the muted, ashen glow of dying embers.
"Is this what a Firebearer's Duty Crystal looks like…?"
Sudiya frowned, puzzled. The legendary class had vanished over fifty years ago, so she truly didn't know what the crystal was supposed to be like.
She pushed the doubts aside and began attempting to integrate the Duty Crystal into her body. This would align her physical form and mana flow with the class, a process known as "Duty Manifestation."
When she willed it, almost instinctively, she pressed the crystal to her chest. It merged seamlessly into her skin, becoming a gem embedded in her sternum.
She hadn't stored any equipment in the crystal, so she expected no "gear change" during the manifestation—or so she thought.
Then, something unexpected happened. Flames erupted spontaneously, without warning or reason.
She felt no pain—the fire couldn't harm her—but her clothes were scorched, leaving gaping holes at her collar, waist, and back, exposing her pale skin to the air.
Thankfully, no one else was in the room, or she would've been so embarrassed she'd want to crawl into a hole.
Creak—
The door swung open, and Lucille stepped inside.
"Sudiya, time to get up and eat…" Lucille froze at the sight of her, but within a second, he regained his composure and finished calmly, "…food."
"Don't… don't look, Lucille!" Sudiya's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Even as she dove under the covers, her blush didn't fade. "Why did my clothes burn?! Is this… what being a Firebearer is like?! It's not what I imagined…"
"No need to cover up, Sudiya. You're beautiful—you can be more confident," Lucille said naturally. "As for why this happened… it's not easy to explain in a few words, but first, I need to tell you that the class you've gained isn't Firebearer. It's Emberbearer."
"Not… Firebearer?" Sudiya's eyes widened in shock.
"Sorry, I didn't clarify earlier," Lucille said calmly. "After the sacred flame went out of control, no one could master it. The Firebearer class is gone. What we've done is find a new way to harness the embers of that fire."
"It's tamer than the sacred flame but still not easy to control. Burning your clothes is just one manifestation of it."
"But its true purpose is to bring you closer to that class. Normally, a Duty Wielder's progression toward higher tiers aligns them more with their class. Your special class, however, means you'll align even more closely than others."
"Come out from under the covers. Don't let them block your skin. Feel the flow of mana in the air. Your instincts will guide you to its currents."
Half-doubting, Sudiya climbed out of bed. Her face, which had just calmed, flushed again. She tried to sense what Lucille described, and soon her eyes lost focus, slipping into a trance-like state.
Lucille didn't interrupt. He knew this state was beneficial for her and stood quietly, waiting for her to regain awareness.
Inevitably, his gaze lingered on her. The Sudiya before him was different from the game's CGs. In the game, Sudiya was a corpse—exquisitely beautiful, adorned in elaborate attire, like a perfect work of art.
But now, with her flushed cheeks and tattered clothes clinging to her slender, curvaceous figure, she radiated vitality.
Lucille looked for a moment before averting his eyes. It wasn't that he was immune to beauty, but the game's upcoming plot weighed heavily on him, making it impossible to relax.
If the story unfolded unchecked, darkness would engulf the world, leaving only one in ten humans to survive in fear.
Knowing the plot in advance brought him no joy—only a crushing burden on his shoulders.
Romance could wait until the world was saved.
As he pondered, Sudiya stirred softly, emerging from her trance.
"I… I feel something strange," she said. "It's like I'm only a step away from Tier Two?"
"Exactly," Lucille said with a slight smile. "That's the Emberbearer. That's what makes it unique. Your growth will outpace anyone else's. This is your path to genius."
As he spoke, hurried footsteps echoed outside. Lucille hesitated for a moment before grabbing a coat and draping it over Sudiya.
The next moment, the door swung inward, and Night Star strode in decisively. Without a word, she tossed a pendant to Lucille.
He caught it midair. Night Star said nothing more and turned to leave.
Lucille, too, remained silent. He didn't even glance at the pendant, simply slipping it around his neck.
Sudiya watched the exchange, pursing her lips.
Then, as if resolving herself, she reached into her clothing and pulled out an object.