Chapter 19: The Fire Within
Pain.
That was the first thing Bright felt.
A deep, throbbing ache in his ribs, his body complaining loudly as he slowly regained consciousness.
The second thing he felt? Heat.
Not fire. Not burning. Just… warmth.
Inside him.
Not normal.
His mind was still sluggish, but survival instincts kicked in.
He needed to move.
Bright's fingers twitched against the cold stone floor, his breathing ragged as he forced his eyes open.
The world swam for a second before snapping into focus.
The cave. The dim light. The cracked ground a few feet away from him—evidence of where that monster had stomped down.
Too close.
Way too close.
His body ached, but he pushed himself up to one knee, scanning the area.
The metallic-haired monster stood a short distance away, unmoving.
Bright's muscles tensed.
Was it dead?
No.
It was watching him.
Waiting.
Bright exhaled slowly.
This thing was smarter than the others.
It knew he was still alive.
But it hadn't attacked yet.
Bright gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance.
His gun was gone.
No weapons. No plan.
Just his bare hands and an aching body.
Fantastic.
The monster's muscles twitched.
Bright didn't hesitate.
He moved first.
Close the gap. Get in range. Avoid the claws.
The same strategy as before.
Except—
The creature was faster this time.
Its arm shot out, claws slashing toward his throat.
Bright barely dodged, twisting his body mid-step to avoid the attack.
His ribs screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain.
He grabbed its outstretched arm, twisted—
And froze.
The fur.
It was hot.
Not from body temperature. Not from movement.
Something else.
Something burning.
The warmth inside him pulsed.
For a split second, Bright thought he was imagining it.
Then—
A spark.
A faint, flickering ember at his fingertips.
What the hell—?
The monster jerked back violently, screeching as if it had just touched fire.
Bright stumbled backward, eyes wide.
His hands tingled.
Not just from impact.
From heat.
From something waking up inside him.
The system notification from before flashed through his mind—
[Fire Manipulation (Boosted)]
A shaky breath left his lips.
This… this was real.
The monster recovered quickly.
It lunged at him again, claws raised.
Bright's instincts took over.
His body moved before his brain could process it.
He raised his hands.
And willed the heat forward.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Then—
A flicker.
A tiny spark of flame ignited at his palm, vanishing in the next second.
The monster hesitated.
Bright didn't.
He slammed his hand into its face.
Another spark.
A flash of heat.
The monster reeled back, shrieking, clawing at its own skin.
Bright didn't stop to think.
He stepped in, grabbed its arm, and twisted.
Pop.
Another scream.
His heart pounded in his chest, but his body was moving on pure instinct now.
He grabbed its remaining arm, dislocating it with another sharp yank.
Then, with every ounce of strength left in him—
He stomped down on its head.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until the screeching stopped.
Until it stopped moving.
Bright stood there, panting.
His hands still tingled.
His chest still burned.
And then, just like before—
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
A screen appeared in his vision.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Bright Brooks
Race: Human
Ability: Fire Manipulation (Boosted)
New Skill Acquired:
[Ignition] (Basic): You can now generate small bursts of flame at will. Power increases with mastery.
Bright stared.
Then let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh.
"Okay. What the actual hell."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, shaking his hands like he could shake off the lingering heat.
This was real.
The fire. The system. The monsters.
All of it.
Bright swallowed hard.
If he was getting stronger…
Then so was everyone else.
And this was just the beginning.
He sighed.
"Emily's gonna kill me for this."
With that, he forced his aching body forward.
Because there was still more ahead.
And no way in hell was he dying here.