Fire Mage

The dragon's frenzied roars echoed across the forest like thunder, causing nearby beasts to scatter. Its wings unfurled fully, sending out gales of heated wind that scorched leaves and cracked brittle bark.

The four-eyed Orc gritted his teeth and stumbled back as if the air itself turned against him.

"You bitch! Do you have any idea what you've done?" he shouted.

Myl's crimson eyes narrowed.

"You enslaved a dragon. I simply returned it to freedom."

The Orc raised his hand to summon another spell, dark runes spiraling to life along his forearm. But before he could finish the chant, Myl was already in motion.

She threw her hand forward.

"Infernal Chains!"

Molten red chains burst from the ground and wrapped tightly around the Orc's legs and arms, anchoring him in place as steam hissed from the fiery links.

The Four-Eyed Orc struggled wildly, his skin blistering from the heat.

"You... monster!"

But Myl didn't wait. She raised her index finger and muttered.

"Finger of Destruction."

A searing ray of condensed infernal energy shot toward the Orc like a bullet. He roared and summoned a strange, round metallic shield from his back—a relic carved with runes and jagged edges.

The fiery spell collided with the shield, causing a loud explosion that cracked the shield's surface, but didn't pierce it.

Myl frowned slightly but reached over her shoulder and drew another arrow—this one longer and darker than before.

The arrow shimmered with a fiery red aura as she murmured,

"Inferno Enchant: Twin Flare."

She aimed directly at the Orc's forehead.

The moment she released the arrow, it curved unnaturally in the air, bypassing the shield and—

Thunk!

It was embedded deep into the Orc's skull, flames igniting from the wound.

The Orc's eyes widened in disbelief. He swayed once… then collapsed, smoke rising from his charred forehead.

The chains turned to embers and scattered.

Silence returned—except for the dragon.

The beast roared again, but this time the rage had shifted into something else—grief? Pain? Freedom?

Its glowing eyes fell on Myl, who met its gaze calmly.

Then, surprisingly, the dragon lowered its massive head and let out a slow breath.

The dragon remained silent for a while, its glowing amber eyes flickering as if trying to process something beyond the physical realm. It shifted its massive wings once and lowered its head further, breathing deeply. The red aura surrounding it dimmed, and a faint shimmer began to rise from its scales.

Moments later, its form blurred, as though its entire body was being melted and reformed by invisible heat. The wind died down, and the intense pressure in the air slowly dispersed.

From where the dragon once stood, a short figure emerged—barefoot and no taller than 140cm, with crimson hair cascading down her back like molten lava, red skin glistening faintly in the light, and piercing amber eyes that gleamed with restrained power. She appeared human, yet her presence felt no less terrifying.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, her voice tinged with suspicion as she scanned the clearing. Her amber gaze narrowed at the sight of the dead orc nearby.

Myl calmly lowered her bow and raised her hands to show she meant no harm. "I mean no harm. That orc seems to be controlling you using that staff. When he tried to attack me, I broke the staff and released you from the slave spell."

The girl's expression softened slightly as her eyes landed on the shattered remnants of the staff and the motionless four-eyed orc. Her memories seemed to come back in fragments. She rubbed her forehead, gritting her teeth.

"These bastards sneaked into my mansion and drugged me!" she muttered with a deep growl, glaring at the orc's corpse. Her fists clenched, flames flickering faintly across her arms. After a moment, she exhaled sharply and looked back at Myl.

"Who are you?"

Myl smiled faintly. "I'm Myl, disciple of a human from another world. I've been staying at the Rebirth Tower in Edhen World. I'm the fifth disciple of the Ancient Mage."

The girl's eyes widened. "You became the disciple of the human from the outer world?" she echoed, stepping closer. There was a flicker of familiarity in her gaze, as if connecting dots in her mind.

"I think I might have guessed who your teacher might be. I've battled against him a few years ago and lost... pathetically." She clenched her jaw. "Even though he was the same rank as me, his strength far surpassed mine."

She then glanced at the burned rune etched into the dead orc's forehead and nodded slowly. "Your spell resembles his one, too."

The hostility in her demeanor had vanished. Her shoulders relaxed as a grudging respect settled in her tone. After a short pause, she turned toward the west.

"Let's go. I've some business to deal with those bastards who dare to enslave me. I shouldn't have let them into the town," she said, voice seething with rage.

Without waiting for a reply, her body flared with red flames once again. In seconds, her human form dissolved into a stream of molten fire, reshaping itself into the same majestic red dragon.

"Hop on," came her voice, deep and resonant from the beast's throat.

Myl nodded and climbed onto the dragon's broad back, gripping the ridges near its neck.

With a powerful flap of its wings, the dragon launched into the sky, splitting the canopy below. The clouds parted around them as they ascended, leaving the burning forest far behind.

…

The crimson-scaled dragon soared across the molten skies and slowly descended into the heart of the Miner's Den. From above, the town looked unchanged—its igloo-like stone houses sat nestled around the lava lake, with ember-coated Rocky Mountains surrounding them like jagged sentinels. But as Myl and Isla landed at the center, a strange silence welcomed them.

Not a single soul walked the paths.

The streets were deserted.

Only a few Four-Eyed Orcs stood near the large obsidian mansion at the far end of the plaza. Behind them, more than a dozen Lava Orcs, their skins glowing with molten lines, stood quietly, as if awaiting orders.

Myl narrowed her eyes. "Where is everyone?"

Isla stepped forward, her eyes scanning the quiet settlement. "Something's wrong."

The moment the Orcs noticed Isla, their demeanor shifted. Their postures stiffened. Weapons were subtly pointed forward. One of the Four-Eyed Orcs stepped out, his obsidian spear aimed directly at her.

"Where is Lord Gerth?" he demanded, voice sharp.

Isla's golden eyes flashed. "Oh? I never thought there would be a day when the people I ruled over would betray me."

Before the Orc could react, she raised her massive leg and brought it down like a hammer.

Boom!

The stone cracked, and the Orc's body was crushed instantly under her immense weight. His spear clattered to the ground.

The other Orcs barely had time to lift their weapons before Isla inhaled deeply.

Then, she exhaled.

A cone of scorching flame swept outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the remaining Four-Eyed Orcs and Lava Orcs. Screams were short-lived. The fire devoured everything. Stone walls blackened, and weapons melted. When the flames finally receded, nothing remained but ashes and scorched earth.

"Come in." Isla's voice was calm as she shrank back into her human form, her dragonic presence still lingering like a shadow.

She pushed open the mansion doors and stepped inside.

Myl followed her, sparing a glance at the burned remains outside. "If they were your subordinates, why did they betray you?" she asked, eyes falling on the ashes of the Lava Orcs.

"That's a blunder I made a few decades ago," Isla replied as she walked deeper into the mansion. "It started when I let some suspicious Four-Eyed Orcs from Madness Land into this town. I thought they would be useful—they were supposedly descendants of the original Lava Giants. Skilled in artifact crafting. Especially things like slave collars and rune engravings."

Her fingers trailed along the wall as she reached a corner. She pressed her hand against a particular stone.

With a faint click, a hidden door swung open.

Inside was a small, dusty chamber. She stepped in and reached for a wooden box sitting atop a stone pedestal.

From within it, she pulled out a strange black orb, covered in fine red veins. Its surface pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

"After the death of the Lava Fiend I raised personally, I thought it would be easier to control the Miner's Den through slave runes. I should have known better." Her expression was grim. "They used the Staff of Obedience and turned it on me."

She closed her eyes and began to chant under her breath. Ancient syllables echoed in the room. The orb shimmered faintly, casting eerie lights on the walls.

After a moment, her eyes snapped open.

"Hmm, as I suspected… someone is plotting something."

Her gaze turned to the window.

Outside, movement stirred.

One by one, Lava Orcs began to gather—hundreds of them. From every street, every corner. Within minutes, nearly five hundred Orcs filled the area outside the mansion. Each one radiated heat and tension, their ranks spanning from low-tier grunts to elite warriors at Rank-3.

"They must've sensed my return," Isla said, voice low. "But I don't think they even understand what they're doing."

She turned from the window and walked out of the mansion.

The moment her feet touched the front steps, flames burst around her, cloaking her body in a torrent of red fire. She transformed once again into her dragon form, towering and terrifying.

The ground trembled beneath her weight.

Then, with a single breath—

Fwoooosh!

She unleashed a blazing inferno upon the gathered army. The flames roared like a storm, sweeping through the Orc ranks with terrifying speed. None escaped. They didn't even have time to scream.

One moment they stood. The next—they were ash.

And silence returned to the Miner's Den.