Ignis watched Damien with a soft smile, her eyes glowing as she saw the confident grin spread across his face.
She giggled. "I know that look. You're ready."
Damien nodded firmly. "I am."
"Good," Ignis said. "Because you'll be sent to the other world now."
He took a deep breath, then grinned wider. "I'm ready for a new adventure."
Ignis stepped forward, her presence radiating warmth. "Excellent. You are my flame, Damien—the one who will burn brightly in the darkest of times. Enjoy your second life. And when the Demon Lord awakens... I hope you're ready. Show him your power."
Damien clenched his fists, fire flickering along his arms. "Yes—I will do it!"
She gave a final nod, her expression proud and powerful. She extended her hand outward, her palm glowing with divine energy. Power surged through the air, ancient runes glowing in a circle beneath Damien's feet.
[Summoning Circle Activated...]
The runes flared with light, the air shimmering around him. Crimson and gold light spiraled upward, wrapping around Damien's body.
"See you next time, my flame," Ignis said, her voice echoing with warmth and finality.
Damien smirked and gave a two-finger wave. "Later, Goddess."
In a flash of brilliant light, he vanished.
Ignis looked at the spot where he stood, her expression bittersweet. "Good luck..."
A few seconds later, Damien reappeared, kneeling slightly, in the middle of a beautiful forest.
A gentle breeze rustled the tall trees above, sunlight filtering through vibrant green leaves. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of flowers and earth. Birds chirped in the distance, and a nearby brook babbled softly over smooth stones. Wildflowers blanketed the clearing, colors blooming in every direction.
Damien slowly stood, turning in a slow circle as he took it all in.
"Wow... this place is amazing," he muttered. "This ain't Earth anymore, that's for sure."
He clenched his fists again, feeling the power of the Flame Soul hum beneath his skin.
"Alright then..." he said, eyes burning with excitement. "Let's make this adventure count."
He took a step forward, the leaves crunching softly beneath his boots.
"Let the adventure begin."
Damien walked slowly through the forest, breathing in the fresh, earthy air. A gentle breeze brushed across his face and arms, carrying the scents of leaves, wildflowers, and magic. The forest around him was alive—not just with nature, but with mana. He could feel it in the air, pulsing like a soft heartbeat through the trees, whispering through the soil and leaves.
Sunlight streamed through the canopy in golden shafts, casting dancing shadows across the mossy ground. Birds chirped overhead, and the occasional flutter of wings stirred the silence.
Damien smiled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Okay... this place is kind of amazing. Definitely beats the noisy streets back on Earth."
His thoughts wandered. "The mana here... it's so clear. So rich. It's like the world itself is alive. Everything's vibrant. Realer than real. Even the breeze feels like it's hugging me or something. Man, I could get used to this."
For hours, he wandered. Each step took him deeper into the forest. Time passed slowly, but peacefully—until...
Rustle.
Damien froze. The soft crunch of leaves to his right broke the calm.
He narrowed his eyes, slowly shifting into a defensive stance. "What was that...?"
The bushes rustled again—and suddenly, a shadow shot out, low to the ground and fast.
Damien's hand twitched, instinctively preparing a spell, but he paused as the creature emerged.
It looked like a rabbit—if a rabbit had a small, spiraled horn jutting from its forehead and muscular legs built for speed and power. Its fur was snow-white, and its red eyes locked onto Damien with wary curiosity.
Damien raised a hand and muttered, "Appraisal."
A new screen appeared in front of him.
[ APPRAISAL RESULT ]
Name: Horned Rabbit
Species: Beast Monster
Rank: F
Level: 3
Type: Herbivore / Defensive
Health Points (HP): 120/120
Magic Points (MP): 20/20
Strength: 16
Agility: 35
Endurance: 10
Mana: 5
Traits: Cautious, Fast Reflexes, Low Threat
Skills:
Horn Charge: Charges forward using its horn to deal piercing damage.
Leap Dodge: Enhanced jump ability used to evade attacks quickly.
Burrow Escape: Can dig into the ground to flee from combat.
Description:
A low-level forest-dwelling beast monster. Despite its harmless appearance, it is incredibly fast and can defend itself with quick strikes using its horn. Known to be highly territorial in packs but usually avoids conflict when alone.
Damien lowered his hand and chuckled. "A horned rabbit, huh? Not exactly a dragon, but I'll take it. Still, I should probably stay on guard... something tells me even cute things in this world can kill you."
Suddenly, the horned rabbit's ears twitched—and without warning, it leapt straight toward Damien.
Damien blinked. "Huh? Wait... why's it coming at me?"
He stepped back, eyes narrowing. *"Did I piss it off just by appraising it? I thought this thing was supposed to be cautious! Maybe it thinks I'm in its territory? Or maybe it just doesn't like redheads?!"
The horned rabbit's muscles tensed, and in a flash, it dashed forward.
[ Skill Activated: Horn Charge ]
Damien's eyes widened. "Oh, shit!"
He barely managed to throw himself to the side as the rabbit shot past, its sharp horn slicing the air where he'd just stood.
"Okay—so this thing is really not playing around!"
The horned rabbit skidded to a stop, spun around with incredible speed, and launched into another charge.
Damien dodged again, barely keeping up. "Whoa! Stop it, Bugs Bunny on steroids!"
Again. And again. The rabbit kept using Horn Charge, launching itself with unrelenting fury.
Damien ducked behind a tree, panting. "This is ridiculous... why does it have this much stamina?!"
Another dash.
He leapt aside—
—but this time his foot slipped on wet moss.
"Oh, sh—"
CRACK!
The horned rabbit struck him square in the chest. The impact knocked the wind out of him as he was launched backward, skidding across the ground before slamming hard into a tree.
Thud!
He gasped, pain flaring in his ribs. "Damn... that hurt a lot more than I thought it would... and it's just a rabbit?!"
He pushed himself to his feet, teeth clenched, body trembling from the blow. Frustration boiled in his chest. His breath grew heavier. Steam began to rise off his skin. Ember sparks danced along his arms.
His eyes glowed like molten gold.
"Okay... now you've done it, you little ugly furball."
The horned rabbit snarled and bolted forward once more.
Damien grinned. His anger focused. "Let's turn up the heat."
[ Flame Soul Resonance Detected ]
His right fist ignited, flame spiraling around it like a vortex.
"IGNITION FIST!"
He stepped forward into the rabbit's charge, pivoted, and swung.
[ Skill Activated: Ignition Fist ]
His blazing fist connected with the rabbit mid-charge. There was a fiery explosion as the force sent the beast tumbling through the air, flames bursting around it.
The rabbit hit the ground, twitching once—then went still.
A faint trail of smoke rose from its singed fur.
Damien stood tall, fist still glowing. He smirked. "That's what you get, you burned furball."
[ You have defeated Horned Rabbit (Lv. 3)! ]
[ Experience gained: 65 XP ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ Damien Cross — Level 2 ]
HP: 470/470 | MP: 950/950
Strength increased!
Agility increased!
Magic Skills proficiency improved!
A screen shimmered into view, showing all the updated stats and passive gains from the victory.
Damien exhaled, finally able to relax. He glanced at the glowing panel and smiled.
"My first fight... and I actually leveled up. Not bad. Not bad at all."
His flames slowly faded as he stood in the peaceful silence of the forest once again.
After his battle with the horned rabbit, Damien continued walking through the forest, his steps lighter than before. The adrenaline from combat still lingered, but now it mixed with something else—freedom. The forest air was crisp, and the warm magic of the world still pulsed gently around him.
He stretched with a grin on his face. "Man... that was wild. I actually won. That punch felt good. Like, really good."
His mind wandered as he walked. *"I might be into this whole fighting thing. Is that bad? I mean, I'm not saying I want to go looking for trouble... but damn, that rush? I get it now. Is this what a battle junkie feels like?"
He let out a laugh. "Welp. Guess this is my life now. Monster fights, magic powers, and mysterious worlds. What am I even supposed to do with the rest of it?"*
Then, his stomach growled.
"Okay, before any life decisions—food. Definitely food."
Suddenly, a distant voice pierced the air.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"
Damien froze. His eyes narrowed, scanning the trees ahead.
"That sounded like a kid!"
He didn't hesitate. "Let's go see what that was."
[ Skill Activated: Flame Dash ]
His body surged forward in a trail of fire, flames bursting beneath his feet as he shot through the forest like a living comet.
Meanwhile, not far away, a young boy sprinted through the trees, panting heavily. Behind him, a group of small, mushroom-like monsters were chasing him down.
"Go away! Leave me alone you stinky fungus freaks!" the boy shouted.
"Why me?! I just wanted to pick some berries for my mom! What did I ever do to you?!"
His legs ached, lungs burned, and tears welled in his eyes. He tripped over a root and crashed to the ground, scraping his knee.
"Ahhh!" he cried out, grabbing his leg. He looked behind him in horror.
The shroom monsters didn't stop. They kept coming, hopping and growling with high-pitched screeches. They leapt into the air, aiming to pounce.
The boy squeezed his eyes shut. "Please... I don't wanna die... I wanna see my family again..."
Then—
A voice.
"You okay, kid?"
The boy blinked. He was no longer on the ground. Strong arms were holding him. He looked up—and saw a tall man with red hair and glowing golden eyes carrying him like a hero from a story.
"Wh-Who are you?!" the boy gasped.
Damien smirked. "Name's Damien Cross. Nice to meet you. Who are you?"
The boy sniffled. "I'm Leo... I live in the village nearby..."
From ahead, the shroom monsters let out a high-pitched screech and jumped wildly.
Damien glanced at them and frowned. "Ugly little guys, aren't they?"
Leo nodded rapidly. "They bit my bag and chased me all over the woods! They're crazy and gross!"
Damien set the boy down gently behind him. "Stay back. I've got this."
He raised his hand.
"Appraisal."
A screen shimmered to life in front of him.
[ APPRAISAL RESULT ]
Name: Biting Shroom
Species: Fungal Beast
Rank: E
Level: 4
Type: Swarm / Aggressive
Health Points (HP): 150/150
Magic Points (MP): 10/10
Strength: 20
Agility: 25
Endurance: 15
Mana: 5
Traits: Pack Behavior, Aggressive, Toxic Bite
Skills:
Toxic Bite: Bites target and injects a mild paralytic toxin.
Spore Cloud: Releases a burst of spores to confuse or disorient opponents.
Jump Attack: Leaps with increased speed and strikes with claws or teeth.
Description:
A nasty little forest pest known for its speed and unpredictable aggression. Though small, its bite contains a mild toxin. Dangerous in groups. Known to ambush travelers and chase them in swarms.
Damien rolled his shoulders. "So you bite and spit spores, huh? Gross."
He grinned. "Let's finish this with one shot."
The Biting Shrooms screeched and dashed toward him in a chaotic swarm.
Damien extended both hands.
"FIREBALL! x10!"
[ Skill Activated: Fireball ]
Ten blazing spheres of flame launched from Damien's hands in rapid succession. Each one streaked through the air like a missile, crashing into the swarm with explosive bursts.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Flames engulfed the area, lighting up the forest with orange and red flashes. Mushrooms flew in all directions, burned to a crisp or blown apart.
[ You have defeated 10x Biting Shrooms (Lv. 4)! ]
[ Experience gained: 220 XP ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ Damien Cross — Level 3 ]
HP: 510/510 | MP: 1,000/1,000
All stats increased!
Skill proficiency increased!
As the smoke cleared, Leo peeked out from behind Damien, wide-eyed.
"That... was... AMAZING! You're so strong, mister! You blasted them like BOOM BOOM BOOM!"
Damien chuckled, watching the flames smolder across the ground. "Yeah, it was pretty fun."
Then, he raised his hand again, and a deep red glow spread through his arm.
"FLAME DEVOURER."
[ Skill Activated: Flame Devourer ]
All the lingering flames, smoke, and embers began spiraling inward, pulled into Damien's body. The fire swirled like a vortex and vanished, leaving behind only blackened ground.
Damien exhaled and rolled his neck. "Well... that was fun."
To be continued...