The alley felt like a tomb. Blood and smoke hung in the air, suffocating him as if it were venom. Before him loomed the monstrous woman—part human, part gnarled tree—her thorny limbs twisting as roots crept in from every wall, sealing off light and escape.
"I want to eat in peace," she hissed, her voice a writhing curse in the darkness.
He could taste panic on his tongue. His legs shook, his mana wavering—his sealing magic was far too weak for a foe like this. He thought of screaming for help, but the village was already engulfed in flames and screams, its buildings collapsing around panicked villagers.
Then, through the fear, his grandfather's voice thundered in his memory: "Power isn't about winning; it's about never giving up, even when you're broken."
He braced himself and forced his voice steady. "You're making a big mistake."
A chilling laugh answered him. "Mistake? No, child… you're dinner."
Roots whipped forward like edged whips. He dove aside, rolling over fractured cobblestones. He pressed fingers to earth, weaving glowing seals in midair.
"Level 2—Fireball Seal!"
A blazing orb shot from his palms, detonating against her thorned flank. The explosion rocked the alley; wooden spikes along her limbs ignited. Yet when the smoke cleared, her cruel grin remained.
"Now it's getting interesting," she whispered.
He darted among the encroaching vines, his body a blur of motion. Every slash of bark threatened to shred him as he prepared his next counter.
Weapon Skills Unlocked:
• Level 2 Flame Cutter
• Level 2 Ignite Slash
Magic Skills:
• Level 2 Fireball
• Level 2 Sniper
Sealing Arts:
• Level 2 Sealed Fireball
• Level 2 Basic Healing
He seized a cracked sword from a fallen villager—its edge nicked but serviceable. Time seemed to dilate. The beast lunged with a forest of wooden tentacles.
"Level 2—Flame Cutter!" he roared.
His blade flared in a fiery arc, shearing through one arm. Flames licked her bark; she shrieked, slamming the ground. Roots burst up and flung him into a brick wall.
Pain scorched through him. He coughed blood… but he rose again. He refused to surrender.
She struck in a fresh onslaught. He deflected one strike, ducked another, then gathered heat in his sword once more.
"Level 2—Ignite Slash!"
A wave of flame roared through the alley. The beast, charred and enraged, lashed him with a vine-whip, crashing him into debris.
His vision swam, mana ebbing away. He formed new seals, but thick roots bound him midair, squeezing the wind from his lungs.
"Die quietly," she sneered, opening her monstrous maw.
His heart stilled. For a heartbeat, he stopped fighting and welcomed the end.
Then—something surged within him. A fierce warmth spread through his chest. The hidden seal from the mysterious book flared like molten steel.
He stared at his shaking hands and let out a ragged laugh. "Heh… maybe fate's not done with me yet."
The alley cracked with raw energy. Flame spiraled around his sword as his Mana Capacity shifted: 3 Stars unlocked. A new skill blazed into his consciousness: Level 2 Fire Weapon Style—Fire Tearing Slash.
He screamed, veins burning red as his blade glowed molten. With a thunderous roar, he swung.
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave of fire gouged through the alley, rending vines, darkness, and the beast itself. Her head split apart, the rest of her form collapsing into smoldering ash.
Silence fell, broken only by the crackle of dying embers.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping, as his sword fractured into glowing motes that drifted away like embers in the wind. He stared at his trembling hands—never before had he felt so powerful, so hopeful.
Tears stung his eyes as he rose on unsteady legs and limped toward the main road. Behind him, the alley burned—a tomb for his fear. Ahead lay the battlefield.
Softly, he whispered, "I can become strong… I will become strong."
Then he ran—into the flames, into the chaos, into his destiny.