POV: Jinwoo Han — Fire Mage, Seoul District 9
The first thing Jinwoo remembered after the red sky was painted in crimson blood.
Fire crawling under his skin, smoke filling his lungs, the sound of his own heartbeat louder than the sirens outside.
He had been an office worker—a burnt-out salaryman with debts, a failing relationship, and a life that tasted like ash. When the world ended, it almost felt like relief.
Then the System came.
[System Awakening Detected.][Class Assigned: Flame Adept.][Skill: Ember Spark Lv.1]
A spark flared in his hand. Small, trembling, but real.For the first time in years, Jinwoo felt alive.
After the First Wave
He survived by accident—trapped in a collapsed building, surrounded by corpses, feeding on canned beans and melted snow. His flames kept the cold away.
Every day, he leveled up a little. Killed small monsters that wandered the ruins. Hunted shadows for their essence.
By the time the first countdown ended, he was Level 22, stronger than most survivors around him. The System recognized him.
[Ranking Update: #11 Seoul District.]
That was when guild recruiters started arriving—men and women in patched armor, with weapons glowing faintly from their awakened energy.
They spoke of a ranking system, of guild wars, of upcoming "waves." They needed someone who could fight with fire.
He joined them.
The Ardent Flame Guild
By the seventh day, Jinwoo Han was no longer just another survivor. He was Captain Han, the Flame of Seoul District 9.
His fire could melt monsters, forge weapons, and light entire safe zones. People began to rally behind him—half out of faith, half out of fear.
But even among his followers, there was one name they whispered with awe.
"Did you hear? Someone in District 13 can grow food again.""They say her garden heals the sick.""A woman who can make monsters wither just by walking near them."
Jinwoo frowned every time he heard it.
"Sounds like a fairy tale," he said once, watching the smoke rise from his campfire. "No one that powerful would stay hidden."
Yet part of him wondered—why had no one claimed the top rank?
The world ranking board was still blurred out. Only partial data could be seen.
But once, when his interface glitched, he caught a glimpse.
[#1 ??? | Class: Life Artisan | Power: SSS+]
A chill ran down his spine.
"Life Artisan?" he murmured. "That's… not even a combat class."
The others shrugged. To them, it was just system data. But Jinwoo had a feeling—whoever that was, she didn't need combat to be deadly.
The Scorched Plaza
On the tenth day, Jinwoo led a scouting team through Seoul's central plaza. The ruins were crawling with new creatures—skeletal beasts dripping with molten sludge.
A single breath of his flame incinerated them. But what came after made him freeze.
In the center of the plaza grew a field of glowing white flowers.
Impossible. Flowers couldn't grow here. The soil was burned black. Yet these bloomed untouched—soft, alive, pure.
When his fire brushed near them, the flames bent away.
A message flashed in front of his eyes.
[Area Effect Detected: Sanctuary of Life][Creator: ——— (Data Hidden)]
He knelt beside one bloom. Its petals shimmered faintly, releasing warmth instead of fragrance. He felt his fatigue vanish, his mana refill instantly.
Whoever created this… wasn't just powerful.They understood the world's new laws better than anyone.
"Captain?" one of his scouts whispered. "What do we do with it?"
Jinwoo straightened slowly. "We leave it," he said. "And spread word—this place is off-limits. Sanctuary or trap, I'm not burning it."
As they left, he glanced back once more. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow—a slender figure watching from a rooftop far away, light blooming faintly around her.
When he blinked, she was gone.
Later That Night
Back at camp, the guild gathered around him for news.They were all tired, half-starved, desperate.So he told them what they needed to hear.
"That field in the plaza," he said quietly, "it means someone is protecting us. Maybe… maybe Seoul isn't alone."
They smiled for the first time in days.
But when the firelight dimmed and the camp fell asleep, Jinwoo stayed awake. The glowing mark on his hand pulsed faintly.
He whispered into the night, almost to himself—
"If you're really out there… Life Artisan… I'll find you."
Because deep down, he knew—the true ruler of this new world wasn't the strongest fighter.It was the one who could make life bloom in the ashes of the end.