Somewhere in the modern world called Earth, a lone figure strode through the bustling city streets. Amidst honking cars, flashing signs, and the endless shuffle of life, a 19-year-old college student named Damien Cross stood out—not just because of his striking red hair and fiery golden eyes, but because of the way he carried himself: a bag of chips in hand, a devil-may-care grin on his face, and a presence that felt somewhere between chaotic and magnetic.
Damien was a walking contradiction. Sneaky and clever, funny and chaotic. A hopeless romantic with a lovable streak of insanity. He had a temper hotter than molten steel, but was fiercely loyal to those he cared about. Smart, but in the "break-every-rule" kind of way. And above all, a battle junkie who secretly wished life was more like an anime.
"What am I even gonna do when I get home?" Damien muttered to himself through a mouthful of chips. "Watch reruns of supernatural crime dramas? Or maybe try that new ramen hack I saw online. Damn, I need a life."
As he wandered, lost in his chaotic thoughts, he passed a group of kids playing catch on a patch of grass by the sidewalk. Their laughter echoed down the block, loud and bright with that untouchable energy only kids had.
"Man, I don't wanna go back to school," one of the kids groaned.
"School's not that bad," another said, throwing the ball high. "Except for math. Math can die in a hole."
"I like science," a younger kid chimed in. "We made slime last week. It looked like zombie guts."
"Throw it to me next! I'm wide open!"
"I'm totally gonna be a quarterback one day," said another, striking a pose.
Damien smiled as he strolled past. "Kids got dreams. Got each other. Just... being loud, messy, and alive. Must be nice."
Suddenly, the ball bounced off a hand and rolled into the street.
"I got it!" a boy called and darted after it.
"Wait—" one of the kids started.
But it was too late.
Down the street, a large truck thundered forward, weaving through lanes and overtaking slower cars like a charging beast. The driver leaned on the horn.
"Move! Get outta the way!" he shouted, panic rising as the child came into view.
Cars swerved. Tires screeched. The truck barreled on.
Damien's head snapped toward the sound.
"No. No no no no—what the hell?!"
He saw the kid. Saw the truck. The world tunneled.
"C'MON, MOVE!" Damien screamed, legs already sprinting.
"This isn't happening. I'm not watching this happen. Not today. I'm not gonna freeze—I've been alone too damn long to let some innocent kid get flattened because I hesitated! MOVE, DAMMIT!"
Time warped as adrenaline exploded through him. The honking grew louder, more furious. The wind from the speeding truck howled. Damien lunged forward.
He reached the kid.
He shoved.
Impact.
Pain.
Darkness.
Silence.
Unfamiliar.
Empty.
Damien's eyes fluttered open. His vision was static, glitchy. Fuzzy lines of light and shadow. No color. No sky.
Just black.
"...Huh?" he croaked. His voice echoed into forever.
He sat up slowly. There was nothing beneath him. Nothing around him. No ground, no sky, no horizon.
"Am I dreaming? Did I hit my head? Is this... is this what a coma feels like?"
"Okay. Okay. Think. What's the last thing I remember...?"
Flashes of memory blinked in:
Kids playing catch
A ball rolling
A truck
A scream
A push
Pain
"No. No, no, no. That wasn't a dream. That was real. That was..."
Realization struck.
"Oh HELL no. Did I actually DIE?! That's so BS! Who dies saving a kid and ends up in a void?! Where's my glowing staircase? Where's Morgan Freeman welcoming me to heaven?!"
He stood up, spinning around.
"HELLOOOOOO? ANYONE OUT THERE?! GRIM REAPER?! COSMIC GUIDANCE COUNSELOR?!"
His voice bounced back at him, endlessly.
"Am I seriously just... alone? Here? Like some floating nothing ghost in a black screen of a dead video game?! This place SUCKS!"
Damien kicked at the emptiness, stumbling forward.
"Okay, breathe. Breathe. You're smart. You're clever. You're... totally flipping out, but it's okay. Just gotta—"
A faint shimmer.
He turned.
In the distance, a pinprick of light flickered to life. At first, like a dying ember. Then it pulsed. Glowed. Grew.
"What the... is that a flashlight? UFO? Hallucination?"
The light grew brighter, then surged forward like a firestorm unleashed. It raced toward him, no sound, just burning intensity.
"Okay, okay, that's new. I do not like that. That's fast. That's VERY FAST!" Damien shouted, taking a step back.
"Why is it speeding up?! What are you?! Glitch in the Matrix?! Holy fireball of judgment?!"
The light exploded outward into a tidal wave of heat and gold.
Damien threw up his arms, bracing for impact.
"OH COME ON, I JUST GOT HERE!"
The wave hit him.
Silence.
Warmth.
He opened his eyes.
The void was gone.
He now stood in the heart of a magnificent fire-lit realm. Ember-lit towers climbed into a hazy crimson sky. Glowing lava rivers flowed through sculpted channels of obsidian and ash-black stone. The air shimmered with warmth and strange energy—but instead of burning, it felt... alive.
"Okay," Damien breathed, turning slowly. "I have officially passed the WTF threshold. What is this place? Mordor Spa Resort? Fireland Fantasy 9000?"
He wandered, dazed.
"Was I reborn in some kinda hell? Did I unlock an anime afterlife? Is this my brain melting?"
Then he saw it.
A staircase—ancient and regal—rose from the fiery floor, leading to a massive throne carved from obsidian and flame. Glowing runes pulsed across its surface.
And atop the throne... her.
Her eyes were molten red, glowing with golden flecks. Her hair cascaded in waves of living flame—shifting between red, orange, and gold. Her golden-amber skin radiated a soft, ember-like glow. She wore a gown of flame and obsidian silk, etched with living runes.
She sat with the grace of a queen, and the power of a goddess.
She smiled.
"Hello, my little flame," she purred.
Damien froze. His mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again.
"Wh—Who are you?!"
She tilted her head, amused.
"Me? I am Ignara. Goddess of Eternal Flame. Welcome to my personal domain."
His brain stuttered.
"Goddess? DOMAIN?! FIRE CASTLE?! She's glowing like the inside of a volcano and casually calling me 'little flame' like that's normal! What the hell did I just land in—some mythological fever dream crossover?!"
Ignara giggled softly, watching Damien with those lava-glow eyes. "No, this is real, my little temper flame."
Damien blinked, stunned. "Wait—did you just read my mind?" His tone shifted into mild annoyance. "Okay, that's creepy. And irritating. Why am I here? And are you seriously a goddess?"
Ignara chuckled again, clearly entertained. Her voice held warmth, amusement, and something ancient beneath. "Yes, I am a goddess. Everything you're seeing is real. You, Damien Cross, are not dreaming or hallucinating. And I brought you here to give you a second chance at life."
Damien's mouth parted in disbelief. "A second... chance?"
The weight of her words hung in the firelit air. He shook his head. "But... why me? I'm nobody. I'm not important."
Ignara laughed again, melodic and mischievous.
He scowled. "Okay, seriously, what's so funny?!"
"You saved a child," she said, her voice now low and powerful, "knowing it would kill you. That moment... that flame of yours—it caught my attention."
Damien narrowed his eyes. "And what? You just pick up dying guys off the street? I'm not exactly hero material. I don't have powers or skills. How am I supposed to live in some crazy new world?"
Ignara rose from her throne.
A wave of power radiated from her as she descended the obsidian steps. Her aura ignited like the sun being reborn—bright, hot, alive—and with each step she took, shockwaves rolled through the air. Damien staggered back, sweat breaking on his brow.
"What... what is happening right now? Is she about to incinerate me? Is this a goddess thing? Because that's the hottest and scariest entrance I've ever seen in my life—what is she doing?!"
She stood in front of him now, towering yet graceful, her smile warm and terrifying all at once.
"I will give you power," she said, her tone hushed but weighty, "power you can't even begin to imagine."
Damien stared, eyes narrowed. "What kind of power?"
The very world trembled.
The floating embers in the air stopped mid-drift.
The flames in the rivers stilled.
The heat itself paused.
Before him stood Ignara, Goddess of Eternal Flame. Her fiery gown flowed like molten lava wrapped in living starlight. Her glowing eyes locked with his—fierce and, somehow, tender.
Damien trembled.
"What is this presence? I can't breathe—I can't even think straight. What is she doing?! This pressure—it's like the world's heart is beating in my bones!"
Without a word, she raised her hand to her chest.
Then, to Damien's utter shock—
She plunged her fingers into her own heart.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Damien cried.
But there was no blood.
No torn flesh.
Her skin parted like molten gold, radiant and smooth. The glow intensified, until it blinded.
The air cracked with the sound of reality fracturing as she dug into her divine core.
And then she pulled it out.
A sliver of flame.
Jagged. Shifting. About the size of a dagger blade, but never staying in one shape. It flickered constantly—molten gold, deep crimson, solar white, and edges rimmed in blacksmoke. It looked like glass, lava, lightning, and raw power wrapped into one impossible object.
It hummed—a sound like a distant choir, screaming and singing all at once. Damien felt it deep in his bones.
He dropped to his knees—not out of pain, but the sheer pressure.
"This... this isn't magic. This is something older. Bigger. It's like staring into the first fire ever lit—the fire that scared the gods and warmed the void."
He struggled to breathe, to think.
"W-What is that... pressure?! What is that thing?!"
Ignara stepped forward, holding the shard.
"This is no blessing," she said, voice steady. "This is my flame. Raw and untamed. It has burned angels. Devoured kings. And now… it chooses you."
The sliver floated from her hand, drifting toward Damien's chest with slow, deliberate purpose.
"This," she whispered, "is the Sliver of my God Flame."
Damien's eyes widened. He couldn't move. He couldn't stop it.
The shard slammed into his chest like a meteor.
Flames exploded from his back, his eyes, his mouth.
A corona of divine fire consumed him.
But it didn't kill him.
It changed him.
His body broke. His soul screamed.
Then—
It rebuilt.
The last thing Damien heard before his mind blacked out was Ignara's voice:
"From this moment on, Damien Cross… the world will never again know peace where you walk."
Minutes passed. Maybe seconds. Maybe lifetimes.
The flame finished merging.
The fires around Damien erupted upward into the sky like a volcano awakening. Smoke and heat filled the air. The ground beneath cracked, scorched from the force of transformation.
And then—
Silence.
The smoke cleared.
A silhouette stood at the center of a scorched crater.
It was Damien.
His body glowed with crimson and gold. Flames danced off his skin. His hair now burned in deeper crimson hues, almost metallic. His eyes blazed with a molten light that made the very air tremble.
Ignara smiled and nodded.
"Yes... he feels it. The Embercore Flameheart has accepted him. He is no longer just human. He is something... new. Something the realms haven't seen in eons."
Damien looked at himself, breathing heavy.
He opened his hands. Fire poured from his palms like liquid power.
"I... I feel... incredible," he whispered.
He turned to Ignara. "I feel amazing. I feel... light."
She chuckled. "How do you feel, my little temper flame?"
"Like myself," he said. A grin cracked across his face. "But more. Way more."
Ignara's eyes sparkled. "Good. You'll need that confidence. Because this is only the beginning."
Suddenly, a flaming screen materialized before Damien's eyes, crackling into existence like a digital interface born from magic.
"What the hell...?" he said, staring.
"A screen? With text? Like... a game? An RPG status panel?! This is insane. This is awesome!"
He leaned forward to read.
A sudden glitch in the flame-filled air.
Text erupted across Damien's vision in burning red:
[SYSTEM WARNING: ERROR — BALANCE SYSTEM DETECTED UNCLASSIFIED CORE.]
[FORCING STATS TO RE-CALIBRATE…]
[WARNING: DAMAGE OUTPUT EXCEEDS RECOMMENDED WORLD LIMITS.]
Damien blinked. "Wait, what? Did I just break the world?"
"Okay, yeah... that's not something you ever wanna hear from your cosmic status screen. 'Damage exceeds world limits'? That's not an ability, that's a threat!"
Another screen burst into existence, this one massive, flaming at the edges like parchment dipped in lava. Rows of glowing golden text scrolled across as if summoned by divine code.
Damien squinted. "Oh man. It's like a full-on RPG screen. Don't tell me I'm getting isekai'd like one of those anime protagonists. I am the trope now."
He read:
[STATUS SCREEN]
Name: Damien Cross
Age: 19
Race: Reincarnated Human (Flame-Blessed)
Level: 1
Class: Overpowered Fire Mage
Titles:
Flameborn of Ignara
Ashbringer
Reincarnated Anomaly
Godflame Vessel
Enemy of World Balance
He Who Burns Paths
Blessing of the Flame Goddess (Ignara)
Health Points (HP): 999 / 999
Magic Points (MP): ∞ / ∞
Strength: 180
Agility: 220
Endurance: 999,∞ (Overflowing)
Luck: 404
Charm: 480
Normal Skills:
Appraisal MAX – Analyze everything instantly. Nothing is hidden from Damien's perception.
Enhanced Vision – Night vision, telescopic zoom, and thermal detection integrated into his natural eyesight.
Pain Resistance – Severe injuries register as minor discomfort. Allows combat efficiency even when critically damaged.
Weapon Proficiency: Staff, Sword, Fist – Mastery born from instinct. Damien adapts and excels with almost any melee weapon.
Fire Resistance (Complete) – All forms of fire, magical or natural, cannot harm Damien in any capacity.
Mana Sense – Passive awareness of magical auras, ley lines, and mana signatures of creatures and objects.
Sixth Sense – Detects hostile intent, hidden traps, and incoming assassinations through instinctive foresight.
Ability Skills:
High-Speed Regeneration – Rapidly heals injuries, including deep wounds, broken bones, and organ damage in seconds.
Pyrostep – Instantaneous short-range teleportation through nearby flames, leaving a trail of embers.
Overheat Limit Breaker – When Damien's HP falls below 20%, all base stats double for a limited time. Emits a burning aura.
Battle Instinct (Passive) – Automatically reacts to danger with perfect timing. Enhances reflexes, dodging, and countering under pressure.
Magic Fire Skills:
Flare Mine – Places hidden traps that erupt into explosive bursts of flame when triggered.
Inferno Zone – Transforms the battlefield into a superheated deathfield, amplifying all fire-based attacks within the area.
Phoenix Wings – Manifest wings of flame for flight and high-speed midair maneuvering. Leaves a trail of searing heat.
Fireball – A classic high-velocity sphere of fire with customizable size and blast radius.
Flame Lance – A piercing, spear-shaped projectile of compressed fire magic. Shatters metal and detonates on impact.
Flame Wall – Conjures a vertical barrier of flame to block enemies or attacks. Can be maintained or used for crowd control.
Heat Mirage – Manipulates light and heat to create illusions, visual distortion, and decoys in battle.
Unique Skills:
Eternal Flame Core – Damien's heart is replaced with divine fire. Grants infinite mana, immunity to death by fire, and semi-immortality.
Ashen Sovereign Form – Transforms Damien into a divine flame avatar for a limited time, drastically enhancing all stats and fire-based abilities.
Crimson Fang Barrage – Launches dozens of intelligent, high-speed flame spears that seek out targets' vital points and explode upon impact.
Flame Devourer – Absorbs all nearby flames, magical or natural, to fuel a devastating empowered attack at 10x potency.
Flame Fist – Ignition Break – Condenses flame magic around Damien's arm to deliver a punch that explodes on impact, bypasses armor, and ignites the target's soul, stunning them.
Damien staggered back, overwhelmed. "This... is ridiculous. This is next-level OP. I have stats that break the meter. I have infinite mana. I have a soul punch. I'm a walking endgame boss with a sarcastic streak!"
Ignara floated beside him, arms crossed, watching the screen with a faint smirk.
"Not bad for someone who thought he wasn't important," she said with amusement. "The system fears you. Even the Balance is scrambling to handle your existence."
Damien glanced at her, wide-eyed. "You meant to do this, didn't you? You wanted to make me the ultimate chaos nuke."
"I gave you the flame," she said. "What you do with it is entirely your choice. But... power like that doesn't go unnoticed."
Damien turned back to the screen, thoughts racing.
"What do I even do with all this? What kind of world am I stepping into? Will they hate me? Worship me? Hunt me? All of the above? Should I lay low? Or go full Flame King and burn my own legend into history?"
He clenched his fist. Fire spiraled up his arm in response.
"One thing's for sure—I'm not the same Damien anymore. This new world better be ready... 'cause I'm coming in hot."
Ignara watched the expression on Damien's face. His crimson-gold eyes burned with determination and excitement. She could see it clearly—he was ready. Ready for his second life, ready to embrace the flames that now coursed through his soul.
She smiled softly. "You look ready, my little temper flame."
Damien turned to her, his grin widening, a new confidence radiating from him. "Yes, my goddess."
Ignara chuckled, her tone both proud and mysterious. "You're about to enter a world unlike any you've known. It's called Veltheria. A land of ancient magic, endless war, forgotten gods, and legends waiting to be rewritten. And you... you will set it ablaze with your overpowered flames."
Damien's grin deepened, a flicker of flame lighting in his eyes. "Veltheria, huh? Sounds like a challenge. I like it. Can't wait to drop into this world like a fireball through a glass roof. Let's turn history into fireworks."
Ignara's eyes gleamed. "Good. That fire in you—it's exactly why I chose you. So now, tell me... are you ready?"
Damien clenched his fist, embers sparking around him. "Yes, Goddess. I'm ready."
"Good," she said, raising her hand with a graceful motion. "Then go. Good luck in the new world... and show them your power, my little temper flame."
Damien bowed slightly, his voice steady. "Yes, Goddess. Thank you."
With a soft snap of her fingers, his form shimmered and vanished in a burst of golden fire.
Ignara stood alone in her throne room, her eyes glowing brighter as she gazed into the burning remnants of the teleportation magic.
"He'll shake Veltheria to its core. The gods will feel him. The monsters will fear him. And the world… it will change because of him. My little flame is about to become a wildfire."
A pulse of light split through a vast, lush forest.
Damien reappeared under the towering shade of a massive, ancient tree—its bark shimmering with faint blue runes, its leaves a soft gold-green hue, whispering in the wind.
Birds chirped. Mana sparkled like dust motes in the sunbeams. The air smelled fresh and wild, brimming with energy. It was breathtaking.
Damien took a slow breath, the breeze hitting his face, rustling his crimson hair.
"So this is Veltheria... Damn. Even the trees here look like they could punch you with magic."
He reached out, hand brushing against a nearby branch as he felt the soft mana flowing through it.
"I can feel it. Magic. Power. Like the air itself is alive. This isn't just a new world. This is a whole new level. And I'm not scared... I'm ready. This is where my legend starts."
He stepped forward, fire lightly flaring around his boots with each stride.
Damien smirked. "Let's see what this world's got for me."
And with that, he began to walk—deeper into the unknown, the start of his journey blazing behind his every step.
Damien had been walking through the magical forest of Veltheria for hours, yet every step only seemed to energize him further. He felt more alive than he ever had in his previous life. The trees hummed with mana, and the air buzzed with mystical energy.
With a casual grin, he held out his hand and summoned a tiny flame to the tip of his finger. As he walked, he flicked it between his fingers like a coin, making it dance and spin into rings and patterns.
"Man, this is crazy... It's like I am the fire. I could do this all day. Hell, I am doing this all day."
Suddenly, a deep, guttural roar echoed from deeper within the forest.
Damien stopped, eyes narrowing. "Okay... not a bird. Not wind. That was big. Real big."
The ground trembled. Stomping—loud and fast—grew nearer. Branches snapped in the distance.
Thoom. Thoom. THOOM.
"Oh, here we go," Damien muttered, tossing the flame into the air and absorbing it back into his palm. "Showtime."
A massive creature burst through the treeline, landing with an earth-shaking crash. Dirt and smoke exploded outward in a shockwave, clouding everything in dust.
From within the swirling cloud, glowing red eyes emerged.
Then a monstrous, gray-skinned beast stepped forward—at least 15 feet tall, with massive tusks, a thick hide, and boulder-sized fists. It roared toward the sky, the sound alone shaking the leaves from the trees.
"Well hello there, ugly," Damien grinned, eyes lighting up. "You just made my day."
He held out his hand. "Appraisal."
A fiery screen blinked into existence.
Name: Forest Ogre
Rank: D
Level: 3
HP: 3,800 / 3,800
Abilities:
Thick Hide (Passive) – Reduces physical and magical damage by 30%
Brutal Charge – A full-speed sprint attack
Earth Slam – Ground-shaking AOE stomp
Regeneration (Minor) – Slowly heals over time
"Not bad... Level 3 and ranked D? Still weaker than I expected. C'mon, you overgrown gorilla. Show me what you've got."
The ogre roared in response and charged forward.
Damien smirked. "Fire Clone."
Five flaming versions of Damien appeared around him in a burst of cinders.
"Go get him, boys."
The clones leapt into action with synchronized precision, zigzagging through the trees, leaving blazing trails behind them. The ogre roared and swung its massive arms wildly, smashing a clone with a crushing backhand—but the clone exploded in a flash of fire, singing its arm and leaving burn marks.
Two clones leapt from above, spiraling down with fiery fists. They landed solid hits to the ogre's shoulders and chest, sending small shockwaves rippling through the forest floor. The ogre roared in frustration and stomped the ground, unleashing a tremor that staggered the remaining clones.
One clone dashed in and performed a spinning kick that left a trail of fire across the ogre's side. Another followed up by forming a condensed fireball and launching it at point-blank range into the ogre's abdomen.
The explosion knocked the beast back several feet, roaring in fury. It grabbed the last two clones by the throat and crushed them with both hands—only for them to explode violently, sending flames crawling up the ogre's arms and across its back.
Smoke rose from its wounds. Patches of its thick hide were charred and peeling. It growled, slightly hunched, breathing heavier.
Damien crossed his arms, impressed. "Huh. Not bad. You actually survived that."
He stretched his neck. "I guess it's my turn now."
The ogre bellowed in rage and charged, faster and angrier.
Damien smirked. "Bring it on, ugly!"
As the ogre's fist came crashing down, Damien shouted:
"Flame Fist – Ignition Break!"
Their fists collided.
A burst of flaming energy erupted between them. The shockwave melted bark off nearby trees.
The ogre was flung backwards like a missile, crashing through the forest, skidding across the ground for nearly eight miles before it finally smashed into a lake, disappearing with a massive splash.
Damien stood still, lowering his hand. Steam hissed off his skin. Amber flames danced around his knuckles.
"...Damn. I didn't even use my full strength. That was just the first punch."
Back at the lake, bubbles rose.
The ogre burst from the water, coughing, roaring, bleeding heavily. It staggered to shore, barely on its feet.
Damien appeared in a flash of embers, just a few feet away.
"Had enough, you big ugly?"
The ogre roared again, trying to intimidate him.
Damien sighed. "Guess not."
He pointed his palm forward. "Fireball."
A massive orb of searing flame exploded from his hand.
The ogre tried to move, but its body wouldn't respond fast enough. The fireball hit—and detonated.
An enormous explosion consumed the area. Trees vaporized. The lake evaporated. Firestorms surged across the landscape.
When the dust finally settled, a smoking crater sat where the lake used to be. Of the ogre, there was no sign.
Damien stood at the crater's edge, whistling. "Okay... so that was overkill. And I'm still level 1? This is wild."
Suddenly, a fiery screen blinked to life.
[LEVEL UP!]
Experience Gained: 740 XP
Level: 2 ➝ 9
Damien blinked. "Wait, seven levels?! From one fight?!" He laughed. "Man, I love this world."
He looked at his hands again, fire flickering gently from his fingertips.
"This power... it's unreal. And this is just the beginning. What else is waiting out there? Monsters? Dungeons? War? Whatever it is... I'm ready. I'm so damn ready."
And with that, Damien turned and walked deeper into the forest, flames lighting his path.
To be continued...