The battle raged, but the tide was no longer in the Iron Saplings' favor.
They kept swinging, casting, slashing—giving everything they had. More skeleton warriors kept coming. Endless waves, bone and steel crashing into exhausted bodies.
Each swing from Gareth's sword came slower. Rook's movements were less agile. Lira's magic sparks were dimming. Fenn's quiver had only a few arrows left. Tessa, breath ragged, forced out healing spells through trembling lips.
"We're out of magic," Lira gasped, falling to one knee.
"My arms… I can barely lift them," Rook panted, bruises and cuts lining his arms.
"I didn't think it'd be this strong," Fenn muttered, glaring at the Bone Knight.
Tessa knelt beside Gareth. "My magic's… almost gone."
Their leader, battered and bloodied, nodded grimly. "We hold. We protect each other."
Suddenly, more bone soldiers rose from the blackened soil—hundreds now. A full army. They encircled the party.
Gareth narrowed his eyes. "This… this might be it."
The Bone Knight raised its sword high. The group braced.
"What's it doing?" Rook asked, breathing heavily.
"It's charging something," Lira said, eyes wide. "I don't know what, but it's—"
With a horrible screech, the Bone Knight slashed its sword through the air, launching a wide arc of dark energy. It tore through some of its own skeletons, disintegrating them as it flew—headed straight for the Iron Saplings.
Their eyes widened.
"No time to block it!" Fenn shouted.
"How are we supposed to stop that?!" Rook screamed.
Gareth surged forward with what little strength remained.
"Shield Wall – Final Bastion!"
He raised his shield as the dark blade slammed into it.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shattered the barrier, sending a devastating explosion across the battlefield. The adventurers were flung in different directions, hitting the ground with heavy thuds.
Smoke and silence followed.
Rook groaned. "I… can't move."
Fenn leaned against a tree, barely conscious. "That hit… everything hurts."
Lira coughed blood. "Magic… gone."
Tessa crawled over to Gareth. "Gareth! Are you okay?"
He wasn't moving. Just lying still, eyes closed.
"Gareth?" she whispered again. "Please… say something."
The Bone Knight advanced, dragging its cursed sword. Behind it, the 100 skeletons marched. Slow. Relentless.
Tessa turned, face streaked with tears. The others were unconscious or barely holding on.
This is it. This is really the end.
I wanted to live. I wanted to see my family again. Maybe start my own someday. I didn't think… it'd end like this.
The skeleton soldiers raised their hands.
Tessa closed her eyes. "Goodbye…"
Then—
"FLAME WALL!"
A roaring blaze erupted between the adventurers and the skeleton army. Screams echoed from the front lines of the undead as many were knocked back or instantly incinerated.
The entire battlefield froze.
Tessa's eyes shot open.
"What… what just happened?"
Lira groaned, shielding her face from the heat. "Where… where did that come from?"
A voice echoed through the fire. Confident. Cocky.
"Hey, Mr. Skeleton and his little bony boy band—why don't you try picking on someone your own size?"
From the blaze stepped a figure cloaked in fire. Red hair. Golden-red eyes. Flames trailing from his hands.
Tessa stared, stunned. "Who are you…?"
The stranger cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Name's Damien Cross. Fire Mage. And I'm here to help."
He looked past the stunned adventurers, directly at the Bone Knight.
"Let's dance, Mr. Skeleton Knight."
Fire spiraled off Damien's body as his power surged. The air shimmered from heat.
The battle wasn't over.
It had just been reignited.
Tessa, lying near the smoldering tree line, blinked through the haze. "Who is he?" she whispered. "Where did he come from?"
Rook coughed from the dirt, eyes wide as he propped himself up. "That fire wall… and the way he walked through it? You don't just teach that."
"He's… just one person," Lira muttered, clutching her arm. "How's he going to take on all those skeletons and the Bone Knight?"
Fenn narrowed his eyes, watching closely. "I don't know… but I want to."
Damien, standing calmly in front of the swarm, cracked a half-smile.
"Fire Clones."
With a low, rumbling whoosh, the forest in front of him shimmered with flame. In seconds, one hundred identical, blazing versions of Damien materialized, lining up like a battalion.
The Bone Knight responded with a harsh, echoing screech. The skeleton army behind it roared in response and charged.
Damien raised his hand. "Go."
His fire clones surged forward, crashing into the skeleton soldiers like living meteors. Steel clanged, bones cracked, fire erupted. Clones grappled, exploded, and burned through wave after wave of undead.
The battlefield turned into a chaotic inferno.
One fire clone tackled a skeleton, wrapping its arms around it and detonating in a fiery burst. Another clone leapt into the air and hurled streams of fire down like a blazing rain. Skeletons caught in the blasts shattered, their bones flying apart from the heat.
A squad of skeletons tried to flank the clones, but two fire clones responded with spinning fire-laced strikes, cutting them down with brutal efficiency.
Skeletons swung rusty swords and crude spears, taking down a few clones, but for each one lost, others countered with vicious kicks, palm strikes, and flame bursts.
One clone grappled a skeleton and forced it to the ground before igniting it completely in a pillar of flame.
A trio of fire clones worked in unison, casting Inferno Whips that spiraled and burned through clusters of enemies.
The forest shook with the force of their clash.
Cries, metal shrieks, and explosions echoed through the battlefield.
The Bone Knight plunged its sword into the ground again, summoning another wave of undead to overwhelm the dwindling fire clones.
Despite their efforts, the skeletons began to gain the upper hand. One by one, the clones fell—detonating in final bursts of fire, taking their enemies with them.
The final clones stood atop blackened ground, covered in flame and ash, before they too were overwhelmed by the growing wave of undead.
Silence.
Damien watched as the skeletons, burned and blackened, turned toward him. The last of his fire clones had fallen.
He raised an eyebrow. "Persistent, aren't you?"
"Flame Barrier."
A massive sphere of swirling fire ignited around him. Ninety skeleton soldiers slammed into it, surrounding him like a living wall.
Inside the barrier, Damien shook his head with a sigh. "Okay, okay… I've had enough."
He closed his eyes. The flames around him surged.
"Flame Overdrive."
His aura burst into a brilliant inferno. The ground beneath him cracked, glowing like lava.
Then his eyes opened—glowing bright gold and red.
"Goodbye. Inferno Wave—Full Power!"
He thrust both hands forward.
FWOOOOOOOM!
The barrier exploded outward in a shockwave of divine fire, vaporizing everything in its path. The skeletons were engulfed, reduced to ash mid-charge. The trees surrounding the clearing were incinerated. The entire battlefield shook.
The Iron Saplings shielded their eyes from the blinding light and heat.
"What the hell is that magic?!" Rook shouted.
"It's like… the forest itself just vanished," Lira whispered.
When the dust finally settled, the scenery had changed completely. The ground was scorched black. The trees had been reduced to charred stumps. Nothing moved… except one figure.
Damien stood in the center of the devastation, fire still flickering off his body.
Only the Bone Knight remained.
It staggered forward, its armor cracked, half its body scorched. But it still stood.
Damien smirked. "Had enough, Mr. Bones?"
The Bone Knight let out a furious, earsplitting screech. The adventurers winced, clutching their ears.
"Did he just vaporize ninety skeletons?" Fenn muttered.
"How powerful is this guy…?" Tessa whispered.
The Bone Knight roared again and charged, blade glowing with cursed energy. It raised its sword high and brought it down toward Damien.
Damien didn't flinch.
"Blazefang."
Flames around him swirled and surged, rushing toward the space between him and the Bone Knight's sword.
CLAAAAANG!
Metal slammed against metal.
From the flames, a burning longsword formed—its blade blazing with molten gold, its hilt wrapped in ember threads.
Damien caught the handle mid-air.
He grinned. "Let's sword fight, then."
He pushed forward, forcing the Bone Knight back several meters, skidding across the scorched ground. The cursed knight looked up—and saw Damien, still smiling, now holding his flaming sword with both hands.
"Let the real fight begin, Mr. Bones."
The scorched battlefield radiated heat as Damien stood facing the Bone Knight.
Though Damien's raw strength didn't match the towering undead's brute force, his flame magic far surpassed it.
Damien dashed forward, sparks trailing behind him.
Steel clashed against cursed steel.
The two began a furious exchange of blows—Damien's flaming blade clashing with the Bone Knight's corrupted greatsword. Sparks erupted with every strike. Damien weaved in fast footwork, parries, and flame-infused counters, while the Bone Knight responded with vicious arcs and brutal downward slashes.
The air sizzled around them.
The Bone Knight roared and unleashed one of its sword skills—an explosive slash of dark energy that struck Damien mid-dash. The force sent him skidding backward across the ground, tearing up dirt and stone until he finally jammed his sword into the earth, halting his momentum.
Gritting his teeth, Damien looked up—just in time to see the Bone Knight launching itself into the air, sword raised to strike.
"Ember Dash!"
In a burst of flame, Damien vanished.
The Bone Knight's sword slammed into the ground where he'd been, sending a massive shockwave through the battlefield.
Damien reappeared a few meters away, crouched low, grinning.
"Alright. Let's finish this."
He extended both hands outward. "Come to me—Ember Gauntlets."
His sword dissolved into glowing embers, swirling around his fists. The flames condensed, then solidified into a pair of flaming gauntlets, molten with divine heat.
He slammed his fists together, sending out a pulse of ember shockwaves.
From the distance, the Iron Saplings—still recovering—stared wide-eyed.
"Did he just—his sword… turned into gauntlets?!" Rook gaped.
"What kind of magic is that?" Lira whispered.
"I've never seen anything like it…" Tessa murmured, her voice filled with awe.
Damien clenched his fists. "Let's finish this, Mr. Bones."
The Bone Knight screeched in fury, raising its sword and unleashing a slash of concentrated dark energy.
Damien dropped into a stance, one fist pulled back.
"Blazing God Fist!"
He lunged forward and punched.
A massive surge of flame exploded from his fist, creating a giant shockwave of pure fire. The blast collided with the Bone Knight's dark slash—and disintegrated it instantly, plowing straight through.
The flaming shockwave struck the Bone Knight with unstoppable force, engulfing it entirely.
Its screech echoed… then vanished in a blaze of fire.
The inferno didn't stop there. It roared across the battlefield, through the forest beyond, vaporizing trees and burning a path that stretched for miles.
Then… silence.
Ash floated through the air.
A massive crater now stood where the Bone Knight had been.
Damien stood at the center of it all, flames slowly fading from his arms. His gauntlets dissolved into sparks and vanished.
The Iron Saplings stared, speechless.
"That was… a C-rank monster," Fenn said.
"Level 35 at least," Lira whispered. "And he just… one-punched it."
"Who is this guy…?" Rook muttered.
Tessa clutched her healing staff, eyes wide. "He… saved us."
Damien looked around, brushing soot from his shoulder. "Man… C-rank, huh? And I'm still technically level 3."
Just as he was about to say more, a glowing screen flashed into existence in front of him.
[LEVEL UP!]
[+12 LEVELS GAINED: Current Level – 15]
[Bonus Skill Unlock: Blazing Momentum]
[Title Earned: Flamebreaker of the Undead]
Damien blinked. "Level 15 already? Guess I really am built different."
He chuckled to himself, golden-red eyes glowing faintly.
This world's going to have a hard time keeping up with me.
Chapter Eleven: The Goddess's Gift
Damien exhaled slowly as the last embers faded into the wind. His boots crunched against scorched earth as he turned back toward the party of adventurers—The Iron Saplings—still recovering at the edge of the battlefield.
He began walking toward them, calm and steady.
Tessa blinked. "He's coming over here."
Rook winced as he sat up. "That guy just roasted a C-rank monster like it was breakfast… and now he wants to talk?"
Lira tried to push herself to her feet, but faltered. "What is he? A walking inferno with a pretty face?"
Fenn narrowed his eyes. "No way that guy's normal. I've never seen flame magic like that. Not even in academy scrolls."
Damien reached them and stopped a few feet away, glancing at each of them with a mild smile.
"You guys alright?" he asked.
They exchanged glances. Their armor was cracked. Their robes were torn. Gareth—their leader—still lay unconscious on the ground beside them.
Tessa looked down at him, hands trembling. "We… we're alive. But Gareth's still out. We've got injuries. Magic's drained. We're barely hanging on."
Damien frowned slightly. "That hit looked serious." He glanced down at Gareth, then back at the others. "How far is the place you came from? The city, the guild—wherever you were based before the mission."
Tessa nodded slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "We came from the guild in Vellondria City. It's… maybe half a day on foot. We were sent to investigate undead attacks on trade routes. This was our third mission out here."
Damien nodded, considering the distance. "Too far to walk in your condition. Even with me helping you back, that's risky."
Rook grunted. "Not to mention half of us can't walk. You saw Gareth, and Lira's half-fried."
"Thanks, Rook," Lira muttered, rolling her eyes.
Damien turned away briefly, deep in thought. There's gotta be something I can do… Come on, think.
His mind flashed to something.
He opened his inventory and pulled out a glowing red gem—the Fire Goddess's Crystal.
He held it in his hand, felt the heat pulsing gently from within.
Closing his eyes, he channeled a stream of his fire magic into it.
"Goddess…" he murmured in thought. Ignara. I know I just left your domain, but… please. Help me. These adventurers are hurt. They don't deserve to die like this.
Silence.
Then, warmth.
A soft voice echoed in his mind.
"Yes… my little temper flame. You've done well. I'll grant you the strength to heal them."
A golden light flared from the crystal, bathing Damien in a pillar of warm radiance.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
[Skill Unlocked – Divine Flame Restoration]
[Type: Support – Tier 3]
[Effect: Heals all non-hostile targets within a 20-meter radius using purifying fire. Removes curses and stabilizes life force.]
Damien opened his eyes, a smile breaking across his face.
"Huh. That'll do."
The party members stared as the light faded.
"What was that?!" Lira gasped.
"Did… did something just descend on him?" Tessa asked, stunned.
"I've seen blessings," Fenn muttered, "but that wasn't just divine… it felt ancient."
Damien turned back toward them, his golden-red eyes glowing brighter than before.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Let's fix this."
The golden light from the Fire Goddess's blessing still lingered in the air, casting a warm glow over the scorched battlefield.
The Iron Saplings looked on in stunned silence.
"What… what was that light?" Lira asked softly.
"Is he about to cast… a healing spell?" Rook muttered, eyebrows raised. "That didn't look like any cleric magic I've seen."
"Where's it coming from?" Fenn added. "That energy… it wasn't normal."
Damien stood calm in the center of it all, firelight reflecting in his eyes.
"That light?" he said, a small smile forming. "Let's just say it came from a good friend of mine. And the spell… it's called Divine Flame Restoration. It's going to heal you."
Tessa looked at her team. Then at Gareth. Still unconscious.
She took a breath. "I trust you."
Damien nodded. "Alright. Here we go."
He extended his hand toward them.
"Divine Flame Restoration."
Five glowing healing circles materialized in the air, one above each adventurer.
Golden-red flames—not burning, but warm and gentle—drifted down onto their bodies. Cuts began to seal. Bruises faded. Shattered bones shifted and repaired themselves.
"Whoa…" Rook gasped. "I… actually feel better."
Lira blinked. "The pain's gone. Even my mana is… returning?"
Fenn stood slowly, stretching. "This healing… it's too clean. Too refined. It's not just curing wounds. It's restoring our energy."
Tessa's eyes widened as she looked at Gareth.
His chest rose steadily again. His color returned. And slowly—his fingers twitched.
"Gareth!" she gasped, crawling closer.
Damien stood quietly, watching it all.
This power… it's not just destruction. It really can protect, too.
Gareth groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open.
He blinked at the sky, then at Tessa hovering above him.
"What… what happened?" he mumbled. "Did… we win?"
"Gareth!" Tessa cried. "You're awake!"
The others gathered, relief on every face.
"You're alright, man," Rook grinned. "We thought we lost you."
"Thank the gods…" Lira sighed.
Gareth chuckled weakly. "What hit me? Last thing I saw was a wave of skeletons and… then darkness."
"Yeah, well," Rook said, gesturing toward Damien, "that guy happened."
Tessa nodded. "He saved us. Took out the Bone Knight… and all the skeletons. Alone."
Gareth looked toward Damien, eyes wide in disbelief. "He… did all that?"
"It's true," Fenn added. "You should've seen it. The ground literally exploded."
Damien chuckled and stepped forward. "I'm Damien Cross," he said, offering a hand. "Nice to meet you."
Gareth looked at the hand for a moment. Then smiled and shook it. "I'm Gareth. Leader of the Iron Saplings. And… thank you. We owe you our lives."
Damien shrugged. "No problem. I'm just glad I showed up when I did."
The other party members stepped forward.
"Thanks, Damien," Tessa said softly.
"Seriously. That was insane," Rook added.
"Impressive," Fenn said with a nod.
"You're not exactly normal, are you?" Lira asked, raising an eyebrow.
Damien smiled. "Define 'normal.'"
He glanced around. "So… what's next?"
Gareth looked toward the road. "We were sent here to complete a mission. We'll return to Vellondria City and report the job finished. The Bone Knight's dead. Our duty is done."
Damien nodded thoughtfully. Vellondria, huh? Might be a good place to start figuring this world out.
Tessa looked at him hopefully. "Why don't you come with us?"
"Yeah," Rook said. "We could use someone like you on our side."
"You've already saved our lives," Lira added. "Might as well keep the streak going."
Gareth smiled. "What do you say, Damien? Come to the city with us?"
Damien's smile widened. "Sure. Sounds like an adventure."
"Then let's go," Gareth said, starting forward.
"Right!" the party echoed.
They began walking, slowly at first, through the blackened forest, heading toward the path home.
Damien walked alongside them, firelight fading from his eyes, a quiet smile on his face.
Guess I'm not as alone as I thought.
To be continued…