Somewhere on the planet called Earth, in the heart of a city that never truly sleeps, a young man with fiery red hair and eyes like molten gold wandered through the crowded streets. Crinkling the last remnants of a chip bag in one hand, Damien Cross—19 years old, orphan, college student—moved with the easy swagger of someone who didn't quite care what the world thought.
Damien was a contradiction in motion: goofy yet smart, charming with a loner's air, romantic but unpredictable. He smiled easily, laughed often, and always had a sarcastic remark ready—unless you caught him at the wrong moment. Because under all that warmth, Damien had a fire burning inside him: a temper that could scorch bridges in an instant.
Today was just another day. He muttered to himself between mouthfuls of chips, "Maybe I'll finally clean up my place today… or maybe I'll sleep. Yeah, sleep sounds better. Or ramen. Ramen and sleep."
His stomach rumbled in agreement. Then, voices pulled his attention.
Up ahead, a group of kids played catch in the narrow street. Laughter rang through the air. Their joy was infectious, and Damien slowed his pace just enough to watch, a small smile tugging at his lips. He listened to their bickering, their arguments over who should throw next.
"I should go first—I'm the fastest in class!" one kid shouted, tossing the ball up and catching it.
"No way! I always throw the farthest!" said another.
"Yeah, but your aim sucks," a third chimed in, giggling.
"I hope school lets us out early again tomorrow," one said, spinning in a slow circle. "I hate math class. Miss Grayson gives too much homework."
"Tell me about it," the smallest one muttered. "My mom said if I don't do better in history, I'm grounded all summer."
Their laughter continued, the ball flying between them, arguments erupting over whose turn it was. One kid missed the ball completely as it bounced off his hands and rolled away.
"I'm gonna get it!" he yelled, bolting after it before anyone could stop him.
At that exact moment, a rumble echoed from the street beyond.
A truck.
Barreling through the street, engine snarling as it swerved between lanes. Horn blaring. Drivers shouted from passing cars as the truck veered through tight spaces, tires screeching.
Damien's eyes snapped to the scene. Everything slowed.
That kid. The truck. The speed. The sound.
No time to think.
"HEY, KID!" Damien shouted.
The child didn't hear.
Damien's bag of chips hit the ground.
He took off, sprinting with everything he had.
Gotta get to him. Don't think. Just move. Faster. Move, dammit!
The truck's horn shrieked. People screamed.
Damien's heart pounded. Almost there!
He lunged.
Arms outstretched, he shoved the kid with all his strength—
—and then blinding pain.
Metal. Noise. Impact.
Silence.
Darkness.
A void.
Damien's senses returned in fragments. Pressure. Stillness. The taste of iron. The scent of nothing.
He blinked. Fuzziness. Weightlessness. Darkness above, below, around. Like falling with no end.
He sat up slowly, groaning. "Where the hell am I?"
He looked around. Nothing. No walls. No ground. Just infinite black.
Did I die? Is this hell? Or a dream? Or both?
He rubbed his head. "No way I died. I mean—I saved that kid, right?"
His voice echoed. Loneliness clung to him like damp fog. "This place sucks. What am I even supposed to do here?"
He paced in tight circles. "Okay, Damien. Think. Big truck. Kid. Me—getting hit. That happened. I remember the sound. The air leaving my lungs. But this? What is this? A coma? An afterlife? Where's the damn pearly gates or fire pits or something?"
He turned sharply. "HELLO! ANYONE HERE?!"
The void swallowed his words.
"I swear to god, if this is some messed-up dream…" He clenched his fists. "I'm losing my mind in here."
Then, the air shifted.
A flicker.
A speck of light blinked into existence far in the distance. Tiny at first. Then swelling.
It pulsed—bright and burning. A golden-orange hue that shimmered like dancing flame.
"What the hell?" Damien whispered, shading his eyes. "Is that… fire? No. A star?"
The light drew closer, streaking across the void like a comet.
He stepped back. "Oh no. Nope. That's coming fast. Really fast. What is that?!"
The fireball accelerated, a brilliant trail blazing behind it. Wind kicked up—though there hadn't been wind a moment before. Heat licked at his face. The glow blinded him.
"Is this how I die again?!" he yelled.
It was nearly upon him now. He threw his arms up.
Then—
Stillness.
No impact. No pain.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The black void was gone.
In its place stretched a realm of unimaginable beauty and burning majesty. Rivers of lava carved through shimmering obsidian ground, their glow casting golden light across towering rock formations. The air shimmered like a mirage. Sparks floated through it like glowing fireflies.
"Where… am I now?" Damien breathed.
A wide staircase of black volcanic stone rose before him, spiraling toward a massive throne carved from molten rock. At its peak sat a woman—no, not just a woman. Something more.
She was radiant.
Her eyes blazed with molten red and gold, like deep lava pools. Her hair was a cascading firestorm, shifting between shades of crimson, orange, and gold with every flicker. Her skin was a luminous golden-amber, glowing with soft embers. She wore a gown of flame and obsidian silk, covered in glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
She smiled with wicked amusement.
"Hello, my little flame," she said, voice a seductive purr wrapped in wildfire.
Damien froze. "Wh-Who are you?" he managed.
She rose from the throne, her presence overwhelming. "Me? I am Ignara. Goddess of the Eternal Flame. And this..." she spread her arms wide, "…is my personal domain."
Damien's mind reeled. Goddess? Eternal flame? What the hell kind of death trip is this?
He backed up a step, thoughts racing. Okay, so I save a kid, get hit by a truck, wake up in an abyss, get nearly incinerated by a fireball, and now I'm talking to a flame goddess who looks like a walking supernova? What's next, dragons?
Ignara's smile widened.
"You've been chosen, Damien Cross," she said, her voice like the crackle of a hearth and the roar of a forest fire. "The flame inside you burns hotter than you know."
Damien swallowed hard, heart hammering.
What the hell is happening to me?
Ignara giggled softly, her voice a melody of crackling embers. "No, this is real, my little temper flame."
Damien flinched, eyes narrowing. "You just… read my mind?"
She tilted her head, amused. "I didn't have to. You wear your thoughts like fire wears smoke."
Annoyance flickered across Damien's face. "Why am I here? Are you really a goddess, or is this some kind of delusion?"
Ignara giggled again, the sound both mocking and oddly comforting. "Oh, I'm very real. And yes, I'm a goddess. This world, this realm, everything you've seen—none of it is a dream. I brought you here because I'm giving you a second chance."
Damien's breath caught. A second chance? That single phrase rattled him.
"You're serious?" he asked, voice low. "Why me? I'm not important."
Ignara's eyes sparkled. She laughed once more.
"What's so funny?" he snapped.
"You saved a child," she said, stepping down from her throne. "Knowing it would kill you. That moment… that flame of yours—it caught my attention."
Damien's jaw tightened. "Okay, fine. Heroic moment. Big whoop. But how am I supposed to survive in this… place? I don't have any skills or powers."
Ignara descended, one step at a time. Her aura exploded outward like a solar storm, sending waves of heat and energy into the air. Each step sent small quakes through the ground. Damien could feel her presence pressing on his skin, into his bones, into his soul.
What the hell is happening right now? he thought. She's like walking wildfire. But... she's not wrong. I did run into that truck. Why does she care?
She stood before him now, only a few steps away. Damien looked up, jaw clenched.
She smiled. "I will give you power beyond imagination."
He narrowed his eyes. "What kind of power?"
The world stilled.
The floating embers in the air froze.
The flames stopped flickering.
Even the heat seemed to hold its breath.
Before him stood Ignara, Goddess of the Eternal Flame. Her gown flowed like a river of molten fire, runes glowing like living stars. Her glowing eyes locked with his, fierce and strangely tender.
Damien's heart thundered. He could feel the weight of the moment deep inside him.
What's going on? What is she doing? Why does it feel like the universe is about to split in two?
Without a word, Ignara raised her hand.
She touched her chest, then—
—plunged her fingers into her own heart.
Damien's eyes widened in horror. "What the hell?!"
No blood spilled.
No flesh tore.
Her golden-amber skin parted like molten gold. Light burst forth, brighter and brighter until it scorched the air. A sound echoed—a scream, a chorus, a crack in reality itself.
She reached deep into her divine core… and pulled something out.
A shard of flame.
It pulsed like a living thing. Constantly shifting in shape—sometimes a blade, sometimes a tendril, sometimes pure energy. Its color changed between molten gold, deep crimson, solar white, and smoky black at the edges. It looked like a living storm of lava, lightning, and divine power.
It hummed. A sound like a choir singing and screaming at once.
Damien's knees buckled. He collapsed—not in pain, but from sheer presence.
This… this is fire from the beginning of time, he thought, struggling to breathe. The first flame. The one that scared gods and warmed creation. What am I looking at?
Ignara looked down at him, voice soft yet commanding. "This is no blessing. This is my flame—raw and untamed. It has burned angels, devoured kings, and now… it chooses you."
She held it out.
The shard floated from her hand to his chest, slow and deliberate.
"This," she said, "is the Sliver of my God Flame."
Damien stared at it, frozen. "I can't move… I can't stop it…"
And then it slammed into him like a meteor.
Fire erupted from his body—from his eyes, his back, his mouth. A corona of divine flame engulfed him. But it didn't burn him—it rebuilt him.
The pain was cosmic.
The change was godlike.
What's happening to me?! he thought, overwhelmed. This pressure… it's crushing. But… it feels right. It feels like… me.
Ignara's voice echoed in his mind as the transformation began:
"From this moment on, Damien Cross… the world will never again know peace where you walk."
Minutes passed.
The core merged with Damien.
Ignara watched, her smile quiet, contemplative. The Embercore Flameheart has accepted him. He is no longer just human. What will this new form of him bring? Light… or destruction?
Then the flame surrounding him erupted skyward, splitting the clouds of this realm. Smoke and debris blasted outward in a circle. Cracks webbed across the ground beneath him.
And then—
Silence.
As the smoke cleared, a silhouette stood in the epicenter.
Damien.
His body radiated heat. Flames licked off his arms and shoulders. His hair, now deeper crimson, flickered with sparks. His eyes glowed molten red and gold.
Ignara nodded, smiling in admiration. Yes. He is worthy.
Damien looked at his hands, amazed.
What is this feeling? I feel… alive. More than alive. Like I could tear a mountain apart with a scream. This is insane. I love it.
He opened his palms—flames burst forth.
Ignara chuckled. "How do you feel, my little temper flame?"
Damien grinned. "I feel… amazing. Light. Like the fire's always been in me and now it's finally free."
The goddess tilted her head, watching the raw, new power ripple off him. "Good. Let it guide you. But never let it control you."
Damien stared at the fire in his hands, then at her.
This power… it feels like me. For the first time in forever, I feel like I'm not missing anything.
Then, suddenly—
Something shimmered in front of him.
A flaming screen of light, covered in glowing runes and shifting text, materialized out of thin air.
"What the hell is that?" Damien whispered.
He reached toward it. Words shifted, then stabilized. He began to read.
The flames around Damien's body began to fade, leaving scorched cracks in the obsidian ground beneath him. His chest rose and fell with deep, slow breaths, still glowing faintly from the godflame.
Then—
[SYSTEM WARNING: ERROR - BALANCE SYSTEM DETECTED UNCLASSIFIED CORE. FORCING STATS TO RE-CALIBRATE...]
[WARNING: DAMAGE OUTPUT EXCEEDS RECOMMENDED WORLD LIMITS.]
A sharp chime echoed in the fiery air.
Damien blinked. "Wait, what?"
Another screen erupted into existence before him, hovering in the air like a burning banner. This one was different—sleeker, structured, glowing with divine code laced in fiery runes. It pulsed with power.
He stared at it, dumbfounded. "Is this… an RPG status screen? What is this, some kind of Isekai game?"
The screen unfurled line by line:
Name: Damien Cross
Age: 19
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Level: 1
Class: Overpowered Fire Mage
Titles: Flameborn of Ignara, Ashbringer, Reincarnated Anomaly, Godflame Vessel, Enemy of World Balance, He Who Burns Paths
Health Points (HP): 999 / 999
Magic Points (MP): 9,999 / 9,999
Strength: 75
Agility: 85
Endurance: 120
Mana Core: Embercore Flameheart
Luck/Charm: 95
Normal Skills:
Appraisal – Allows Damien to analyze objects, beings, and magical phenomena with exact detail. Also grants insight into weaknesses and hidden traits.
Danger Sense (EX) – A sixth sense that automatically alerts him to incoming danger, even before it happens. Functions at an extra-sensory level.
Enhanced Reflexes – Drastically increases reaction speed and muscle memory, allowing him to dodge attacks and counter with unnatural precision.
Flame Resistance (MAX) – Grants complete immunity to all natural and magical fire, including divine flames and volcanic temperatures.
Pain Resistance (MAX) – Negates the effects of physical and magical pain. Damien can fight with lethal injuries as though unhurt.
Night Vision – Allows Damien to see clearly in complete darkness, with enhanced perception of heat signatures.
Enhanced Vision (MAX) – Grants multi-layered sight including thermal, mana flow detection, long-range focus, and reaction prediction.
Ability Skills:
Flame Adaptation – Damien's body instinctively adjusts to any fire-based threat, increasing his defense or converting it to energy.
Flame Overdrive – Temporarily boosts all physical and magical stats by channeling divine fire through his body. Increases burn output.
Battle High – The more damage he takes or deals, the stronger and faster he becomes. Adrenaline fused with godflame rage.
Ember Dash – A short-range teleport-like dash that leaves a flaming afterimage, burning anything it passes through.
Magic - Fire Skills:
Fireball – A concentrated orb of fire that explodes on impact, scalable with Damien's mana.
Flame Lance – A long-range, piercing spear of fire that can punch through magical barriers and steel walls.
Inferno Wave – Sends a wide, sweeping arc of flames forward, incinerating everything in a cone.
Blazing Wings – Conjures a pair of fire wings granting temporary flight and explosive wing-based attacks.
Hell's Roar – Unleashes a deafening blast of fire and sound that stuns enemies and melts surroundings.
Fire Clone – Creates a duplicate made entirely of fire. It copies basic attacks and explodes when destroyed.
Unique Skills:
Phoenix Rebirth – When Damien is fatally wounded, he resurrects from his own ashes with increased stats. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Firestorm Incarnate (Battle Mode) – Temporarily transforms Damien into a being of pure flame, multiplying all fire-based skills and altering his form.
Flame Sovereign Domain – Creates a battlefield-wide fire domain where Damien controls all flames, nullifies enemy fire resistance, and boosts allies' fire abilities.
Crimson Judgment – A divine execution strike. Damien summons a massive burning sword from the sky to obliterate a single target or an army.
Blazing God Fist – A punch infused with the core of the godflame. One hit can vaporize mountains. Restricted by cooldown and mana cost.
Weapons:
Blazefang
Ember Gauntlets
Items:
Fire Goddess's Crystal
1,000,000,000 Coins
Damien's mouth fell open. "What the… This is nuts. This is insane. This is awesome!"
He scrolled through each entry with his eyes, soaking it all in.
Overpowered Fire Mage? Titles like Flameborn and Ashbringer? Am I supposed to be a walking natural disaster now? he thought.
Ignara's laugh echoed from behind him. "Well, well… it seems the system is struggling to define what you've become."
She floated forward with a knowing smirk. "That 'Embercore Flameheart' isn't just a mana core—it's a divine anomaly. One that warps reality itself. You're no longer just human, Damien. You're a flame that should not exist… and yet, you burn."
Damien kept reading, eyes wide. Phoenix Rebirth? Firestorm Incarnate? I have resurrection AND a battle mode?
And that title—Enemy of World Balance? What does that even mean? Am I a threat? To who? Everything?!
He turned to the goddess. "So… what exactly am I supposed to do with all this?"
Ignara's expression turned serious for a moment. "That, my little temper flame, is up to you. This power is not just a gift. It's a burden. A fire that destroys or protects, depending on the will of its bearer."
Damien looked back at the flaming screen. His heart was pounding—but not with fear.
This is it. My second chance. A new world, a new life, and a ridiculous amount of firepower. I can do something with this. I can actually matter.
Then the screen glowed brighter.
A line of text appeared at the bottom, blinking:
"TRANSFER TO NEW WORLD IN: 00:00:10..."
Damien's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. We're doing this now?"
Ignara stood tall before her throne of molten fire, the glow of divine embers dancing around her. Her gaze settled on Damien, and a knowing smile curved her lips. She saw it in his eyes—the fire, the hunger, the unshakable resolve.
"You look ready, my little temper flame," she said, her voice warm and crackling like a hearthfire.
Damien turned to her, a confident grin stretching across his face. "Yes… my goddess. I'm ready."
Ignara's smile deepened, eyes shimmering with molten gold. "The world you're heading to… it is called Ignareth—a land of ancient magics, chaos, gods, monsters, and mortal ambition. It will not be kind to you, but it will be worthy of your flame. Show them what my chosen can do. Let them feel the blaze of your power."
Damien's smile widened. His hands curled slightly, flames flickering between his fingers. "That's the plan. They're not ready for me. And I'm definitely ready to show this world exactly what an 'overpowered fire mage' really means."
His aura began to radiate a low, steady heat, his excitement simmering just beneath the surface.
Ignara stepped closer, her gown flowing like a living inferno. "Good. Now… are you ready?"
"Yes, goddess," Damien replied without hesitation. "I'm ready."
Ignara nodded. "Then go. Burn bright. Burn bold. Burn the path only you can walk."
He took one final look at her, nodding in gratitude. "Thank you, Ignara. For everything."
She raised her hand, fingers poised. "Good luck in the new world. Show them your power… my little temper flame."
With a snap of her fingers—
Damien vanished in a swirl of divine flame.
Ignara stood alone in her realm, arms folded as she gazed into the burning horizon.
He will shake their world, she thought. Whether they call him hero or monster, they will never forget his name. And when he truly understands what he holds… even gods may tremble.
A warm breeze stirred through emerald leaves. Birds sang softly in the canopy above. The sunlight filtered through massive, ancient trees, casting golden patterns across the forest floor.
A flash of fire flared in the air—then Damien appeared beneath one of the towering trees, still smoldering faintly from divine transport.
He opened his eyes.
The world around him was alive.
Magic filled the air like pollen, thick and rich. The mana danced through the forest like wind given form. Everything shimmered faintly with power.
Damien took a deep breath—the scent of pine, flowers, and fresh air filled his lungs. A breeze brushed his face.
He smiled.
This… this is it. A new world. A new chance. No more orphanage. No more city grime. No more helplessness.
"I'm finally here," he said aloud. "Ignareth. And this time… I write the story."
He took his first step forward.
Flames trailed at his heels like loyal shadows.
To be continued…