Damien walked through the forest for hours, each step sinking gently into mossy soil. The world around him pulsed with life. The wind, the scent of leaves, the hidden currents of mana—it was like walking through a dream he'd never known he wanted.
He twirled a flame lazily on the tip of his finger, flicking it back and forth. It danced like a playful spark, shaping into little birds, fire daggers, and spinning rings.
"Man, this is wild," he said to himself. "Magic forests, flame powers, overpowered stats… I could get used to this."
But then—
A deep, resonant roar echoed through the trees.
Damien stopped. "The hell was that?"
He looked around. The roar came from deeper in the forest, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky.
Whatever made that sound is huge… he thought, tensing slightly. Something worth testing my strength on?
The ground began to rumble. Stomping sounds—loud, heavy, and fast—rattled the trees.
Then, without warning, a massive figure leapt out from the woods and slammed into the earth with a thunderous BOOM! Dust and dirt blasted outward in a shockwave. Smoke curled through the air.
Damien shielded his eyes, smirking. "Well now… what do we have here?"
As the smoke cleared, a hulking gorilla-like beast stood tall, pounding its fists on the ground and roaring to the sky. Its gray hide was coated in rocky plating, and its knuckles glowed with faint elemental energy.
[APPRAISAL ACTIVATED]
Name: Stone Fist Gorilla
Rank: Level D
Level: 3
HP: 1,800 / 2,000
Skills: Stone Fist Barrage, Earth Slam, Roar of Intimidation, Minor Regeneration
Traits: Earth-Aligned, Physical-Type, Low Intelligence, High Strength
Damien chuckled. "A level 3 beast, huh? Higher than me, but not smarter than me."
He narrowed his eyes. "Come on, you ugly ape. Show me your strength."
The gorilla let out a bellow and charged, fists raised.
"Fire Clone!" Damien shouted.
Five blazing versions of himself burst into existence, each radiating intense heat.
"Go, my clones!"
They launched forward as one, intercepting the Stone Fist Gorilla with a series of synchronized attacks. The forest shook as flames and fists clashed. The clones darted around, pelting the beast with fire-infused strikes.
The gorilla swung wildly, crushing one, then another—but not before suffering burns and deep scratches. Smoke curled from its fur as it howled in frustration.
Damien watched with satisfaction. "Guess it's my turn now."
The gorilla, now enraged, stomped the ground and barreled toward Damien, howling in fury.
Damien raised his fist, fire swirling around it. "Bring it on, ugly!"
The beast closed the distance in seconds, its right fist cocked back.
"Fire Fist!" Damien roared.
Their punches met with an explosive BOOM, sending a fiery shockwave across the clearing. The gorilla was blasted backward, skidding through dirt and debris before crashing through trees and into a distant lake.
Damien looked down at his smoking fist, a few flickers of amber flame licking his knuckles.
"Didn't even use half my strength," he muttered. "Still packed a punch."
Back at the lake, bubbles began to rise. The surface rippled—then the Stone Fist Gorilla emerged, coughing, wounded, and soaked.
It staggered to its feet, body trembling.
Damien smirked. "Ember Dash."
In a flash of embers, he vanished—then reappeared just meters from the wounded beast.
"Still breathing, huh? You've got guts. Ugly ones."
The gorilla roared in defiance, taking slow, agonized steps toward him.
Damien lifted his hand, palm glowing. "Let me put you out of your misery."
The creature staggered forward.
"Fireball!" Damien shouted.
A massive sphere of flame erupted from his palm, roaring across the battlefield and slamming into the creature.
KA-THOOM!
The explosion lit the forest in a sea of fire. Trees bent from the force, and the lake evaporated in seconds. A shockwave of heat blasted outward, scorching the area.
Minutes later, the smoke cleared. Flames flickered out. Where the gorilla once stood was now a smoldering crater, steam rising from the cracked earth.
Damien whistled. "Level one, huh? What a joke."
Then—
[LEVEL UP!]
[+2 LEVELS GAINED: Current Level – 3]
A fiery screen hovered in front of him, glowing with fresh energy.
"Huh," Damien said, impressed. "Took down a two-level-higher beast and got the win. Not bad for my first fight."
He turned, looking out into the forest.
"This world's going to learn real quick—not to mess with fire."
He walked forward, flames trailing his steps once again.
A few hours had passed since Damien's explosive battle with the Stone Fist Gorilla, and he was still grinning from ear to ear. The thrill of combat, the fire in his veins—it all felt too perfect.
"Level one, and the world tosses a gorilla at me?" he chuckled to himself. "Not exactly subtle. Wonder what's next… a dragon?"
He flicked his finger, and a flame sparked to life at the tip. As he walked, he spun it into shapes—a phoenix, a spinning wheel, a tiny flaming knight. "At this rate, I'll either be crowned king… or public enemy number one."
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the forest ahead of him. Smoke curled into the air above the treetops.
Damien blinked. "What the hell was that?" He narrowed his eyes. "Out of nowhere… that had some serious force behind it. Could be dangerous. Could be fun."
A grin returned to his face. "Let's go find out."
With a flick of his heel, he vanished in a burst of glowing embers.
A few minutes later, Damien arrived at the source. The trees had been scorched, bark charred and leaves stripped from the branches. Smoke still lingered. He stepped carefully, peering through the blackened underbrush.
Then he saw them.
A group of five people, clearly adventurers, stood their ground in a loose formation. They were facing down a towering armored figure—something… inhuman.
A skeletal knight, clad in jagged black armor, stood tall. It wielded a corrupted greatsword wreathed in a black aura. Its hollow eyes glowed with crimson hate.
Damien narrowed his gaze. "Appraisal."
[APPRAISAL ACTIVATED]
Name: Bone Knight
Rank: C-Class Monster
Level: 35
Type: Undead / Weapon-Class
Skills: Cursed Blade Art, Boneguard Shell, Undead Tenacity, Death Pulse Slash
Traits: High Durability, Magic Resistance, Aggressive AI, Weakness to Holy and Flame
"Huh… not bad," Damien muttered. "That's a big jump from a gorilla. Wonder if these guys can handle it."
He turned his attention to the adventurers.
A foxkin with russet hair and sharp eyes stood confidently, flipping a dagger between his fingers. Lean and agile, with a mischievous grin.
"Hey boss, Gareth," the foxkin said, "you got a plan or are we just wingin' it again?"
This was Rook, all sass and swagger.
Behind him stood the team's anchor—Gareth, a massive man with a commanding presence. He bore a large, battered shield and wore steel armor scarred from dozens of battles. A red scarf hung from the hilt of his longsword.
He exhaled, steady and calm. "We take it down. It's hurting villages, merchants, even other adventurers. The guild sent us for a reason."
Rook raised an eyebrow, still spinning his dagger. "You sure you're not just trying to impress Tessa?"
To Rook's side stood Lira, a tall half-elf with long silver hair in a braid, her violet robe glowing faintly from enchanted sigils. She clutched a staff etched with flame runes over frozen wood.
Lira rolled her eyes. "You two can flirt later. That thing's magical and armored. We need to break its defenses first. Rook, you distract it. I'll prep an ice seal to slow its core movement."
Next to her, a petite woman wrung her hands nervously. Tessa, a human cleric with short blond hair and round glasses, wore a white and gold robe and clutched a prayer staff. Her pouches jingled with protective charms.
"Gareth…" she said softly, "we'll need a barrier if it uses that dark slash again. I'll try to keep everyone healed, but… we need to end this fast. Before someone gets really hurt."
Gareth gave her a reassuring nod. "We'll keep you safe, Tessa. Just do your best."
Last to speak was the tall elf standing back from the fight. Fenn, elegant and composed, green hair tied back, a crystalline bow in hand. He had a look of perpetual calm.
"The creature's aggressive but predictable. If Rook draws aggro, I can pin it from range. Aim for the exposed ribs—Lira, freeze the joints if you can."
Damien watched from the trees, arms crossed, fire flickering in his palm.
They're coordinated, he thought. Well-trained. Different personalities, but balanced roles. Kinda refreshing, actually. Might be fun to fight alongside them—or against them.
He leaned on a tree and grinned.
Let's see what you've got, party of five.
Gareth gripped the handle of his massive shield, eyes locked on the towering Bone Knight as the air thickened with tension.
"Let's finish this monster," he growled. "Right, Iron Saplings?"
"Right!" the others shouted back in unison.
In perfect sync, the adventuring party—The Iron Saplings—charged forward, blades drawn and spells flaring. Rook darted to the left, daggers flashing in the light as he aimed for weak spots in the Bone Knight's armor.
"Come on, bone-head!" he taunted. "I've seen scarier scarecrows!"
Lira chanted quickly, her staff glowing icy blue. "Freezing Bind!" Chains of frost snapped into existence, targeting the Bone Knight's legs.
Fenn fired a volley of elemental arrows. "Targeting exposed joints—take the left!"
Gareth led the front, absorbing blows with his shield while trying to draw the creature's focus. "Tessa! Barrier on Lira!"
"On it!" Tessa replied, trembling but determined as her staff pulsed with protective magic. "Holy Shield!"
The Bone Knight grunted and twisted with surprising speed, dodging and countering with slashes of cursed energy. Sparks flew as its greatsword clashed with Gareth's shield. Every blow sent shockwaves into the ground.
Damien, still hidden in the trees, observed in silence.
They're good. Coordinated. Their synergy's tight, like they've done this before.
Not bad for mortals... he smirked, flame dancing at his fingertips again. This is the first real battle I've seen in this world. Feels different watching it happen instead of being in the center of it.
The Bone Knight suddenly lifted its sword, twirled it in a spiral motion, and slammed it blade-first into the ground with a heavy CLANG.
Everyone froze.
"What's it doing?" Rook asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Be ready," Lira muttered, her eyes flickering with magic. "That felt... wrong."
A deep rumble rolled through the forest floor. Tessa's hands trembled. "Is it summoning something?"
Gareth raised his shield instinctively. "Everyone defensive! Now!"
The ground split with loud cracks. Skeletal hands clawed their way out of the earth.
"No way…" Fenn whispered.
One by one, skeletons rose—clad in crude armor and carrying rusted blades. Dozens of them. Forty at least, surrounding the Iron Saplings in a tightening circle. Behind them, the Bone Knight raised its head and let out a metallic screech that shook the trees.
Damien's eyes widened slightly. "Summoning? This guy's more dangerous than he looked... now this is getting interesting."
The Bone Knight pointed its cursed sword forward.
The skeleton soldiers screeched in unison and charged.
Gareth snarled. "Form a circle! Protect Tessa! We hold the line here!"
"Bring it on, bone bags!" Rook shouted, spinning into motion.
The clash began anew—steel on bone, flame and ice against undeath. Rook and Fenn moved like blurs, slicing through the front ranks. Lira summoned a flaming whirlwind, incinerating a group. Gareth bashed down skeletons with bone-crushing force. Tessa healed wounds and cast divine wards as fast as she could, sweat pouring down her face.
"There's too many!" Lira yelled. "We take five down, ten more show up!"
"They just keep coming!" Rook grunted, slicing through another.
"I count at least forty!" Fenn added. "And I don't think that's the end of it!"
Suddenly, eight skeletons dashed forward and leapt toward Gareth in a swarm.
"Gareth!" Tessa screamed.
"Boss!" Rook shouted.
The undead piled onto him like a tidal wave. He vanished beneath them.
"No!" Tessa gasped.
Then—
"Shield Burst!"
A massive shockwave of force erupted outward as Gareth exploded from beneath the swarm, sending the skeletons flying through the air like ragdolls. They hit the ground and crumbled to pieces.
"I'm alright!" Gareth shouted, panting but standing strong.
"Damn, old man!" Rook grinned. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."
"We can't keep this up," Lira said urgently. "Mana's dropping fast."
"My arrows are running low," Fenn added, loosing another shot. "We need an escape or a miracle."
Damien watched silently.
They're strong… but they're wearing down. It won't be long before they break. Should I step in?
He tightened his fingers into a fist.
If this gets worse, I might have to. No point watching a good team die their first time in front of me.
He narrowed his eyes, waiting.
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.
To be continued…