Fire Mage

Layer-0, Underground Basement Hall, Rebirth Tower, Iron Kingdom

A pale, eerie glow filled the subterranean chamber—cold, sterile, and humming with mystical energy. Dozens of cylindrical clone pods lined the walls, each filled with translucent amniotic liquid that pulsed with faint red-orange runes.

Six of the pods were active—inhabited. Within them, humans of various ages floated lifelessly, their bodies half-formed or suspended in critical stages of development.

Only three had reached adult form.

At the center of the hall, a long metal table lay under bright rune-lights. On it, Charles rested in silence, his face heavily bandaged. His eyes were completely covered in cloth.

Standing beside him was Runeth, his gloved hand faintly glowing with golden runes as he examined the bandages.

"The transplantation of essence to your left eye is complete," Runeth muttered, his voice sharp and quiet. "All you need now is rest. Stay in the tower for a few months. Let the new eye synchronize with your will. Then, you can begin testing its capabilities."

Charles gave a small nod, his lips unmoving.

Runeth stepped away and walked toward the row of clone pods. He halted before one pod, larger than the others. Floating inside was a woman with long black hair, her expression serene, her limbs folded as if in deep sleep.

This was Edith.

Runeth raised a hand and whispered in a tongue long forgotten by most—a guttural syllable of the Ancient Rune Language.

"Out."

With a hiss and a sudden spark of dark red light, the glass chamber lifted. A gushing sound echoed through the hall as the fluid inside spilled onto the floor. Edith's body dropped with it—limp, fragile, slick with shimmering amniotic residue.

Her eyes remained shut, her chest rising and falling with slow, rhythmic breaths.

Runeth touched his spatial ring and pulled out a cloth, kneeling to cover her naked body without delay. As he gently wiped the fluid off her arms and face, Charles's voice echoed from the metal bed behind.

"Is she ready?"

Runeth rose and turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "Yes. But her soul shard has been attuned to Hellfire more. Although she can use the other elemental flames, their power will be diminished."

Charles furrowed his brow. "Will she be like the clone Charles?" He paused, then added coldly, "I don't want a soft-hearted, sentimental fool."

Runeth chuckled. "Fear not. This one carries a piece of your coldness… and all of your cruelty. Her consciousness was restructured to reflect the darker nature of Hellfire—wicked, cunning, logical. She's the colder side of you made flesh."

Satisfied, Charles nodded faintly. "What about her strength?"

Runeth walked over to a nearby scrying crystal and began adjusting its glyphs while answering, "She retains sixty percent of your original with the exception of the Hellfire Spells. Still, she is more than enough to challenge the strongest Legend Mystics of Edhen. Though she may struggle against high-ranking Demigods like the Popes due to lacking spell diversity, in raw destruction, she is no less dangerous.

"And my subclass skills?"

"She retains all subclass abilities. Assassin techniques, shapeshifting skills, multi-vision skills, and trickery webs. In a sense… she is your mirror with fewer limits."

Just as he finished speaking, Edith stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open, deep-set, jade-like. The fluid around her tan skin began to sizzle, evaporating into faint steam. Her gaze swept the hall like a blade, sharp and dispassionate.

Charles turned his head slightly toward her, sensing the shift in aura.

Runeth handed her a folded set of black formal clothes.

"Get dressed. We're leaving."

Without a word, Edith took the clothes, dressed herself with efficient movements, and adjusted the coat. She didn't ask questions. She didn't look confused.

She was already aware of herself, of what she had become.

Minutes later, Runeth activated the teleportation array etched into the basement floor. Mystical lines glowed in bluish light, forming a magic circle that pulsed like a beating heart.

Charles lay still on the table as they vanished.

…

Meanwhile, Rhea appeared on the first floor of the Rebirth Tower and noticed that the hall was filled with hundreds of people. Most were students of the Rebirth Tower, while the rest were professors.

"Where is the guest you've mentioned?"

"Behind you." A familiar voice came from behind, causing Rhea to turn around in surprise.

A black-haired woman with deep-set jade eyes, tan skin, an oval face, and appearing to be around 25 years old, stood near the reception, waving at Rhea with a smile.

"H-How? Didn't you die trying to save Titus?" Rhea's whole body stiffened.

After Titus's death, Jessie had gone to the battle site and retrieved Edith's body.

After that, they had held a simple funeral ceremony for her and, over time, forgotten about her.

After all, they knew little about Edith other than that she was from the Nightwind Family and hadn't been close to anyone.

'But how is she here?'

"Well, I have the ability to clone myself. But my power regressed a lot, so I had no choice but to stay hidden all this time." Edith lied without blinking.

"Shall we go?" A deep male voice came from the left as a middle-aged man, around 50 years old, walked toward them. He had amber eyes, long brown hair hidden beneath a bowler hat, and wore a black frock coat over his formal attire.

"Greetings, Mr. Runeth." Rhea greeted him with a bow.

"There is no time to waste," Runeth spoke as he walked toward the exit.

Rhea and Edith followed him closely while Zera watched them leave the tower in silence.

Rhea, Edith, and Runeth soon stepped out of the Rebirth Tower, their eyes adjusting to the soft light of dawn.

Without a word, the three looked at each other, then slowly turned their gaze to the vast sky above.

"To the Redhills?" Runeth asked.

"Yes, Mr. Runeth. The airship to the Sacred Empire departs at 2 P.M.," Rhea responded.

"What about the rest of the Iron Kingdom's council members?" Edith asked.

"They departed for the Sacred Empire long ago, Miss Edith. We are the last." Rhea answered while releasing her wisdom power.

"Let's go, then," Runeth said.

In a smooth, graceful motion, they began to ascend. Their bodies rose steadily, untouched by gravity, lifted by the invisible force of their wisdom power.

High above the ground, they hovered for a moment, taking in the endless horizon.

Then, without hesitation, they flew westward.

Gliding through the sky, they flew across the mighty Iron City. From there, they crossed towns and villages, endless stretches of green vegetation.

Time passed unnoticed. For more than three hours, they soared through the skies, the wind whispering against their ears, the clouds parting before them.

Eventually, the landscape below began to change, and dense woods appeared more frequently.

They had crossed into the territory of the Blood Empire.

Beneath them, a vast forest spread like an emerald sea.

They passed it silently, then glided over more towns, a few scattered cities, and finally, on the distant horizon, they saw it.

Redhills City.

It was a metropolis housing millions of people. Towering skyscrapers and magic towers lined the broad, concrete streets. Although entry wasn't easy, they managed to enter thanks to Rhea's royal authority.

They emerged onto a bustling boulevard. With a polite nod to the nearby carriage stand, they climbed into a crimson-clad coach.

"Sky Terminal, please," Rhea ordered as she paid the driver three blood crystals.

The driver, holding three palm-sized Blood Crystals, winked before tying the horses and climbing onto the driver's seat.

Then, he whipped the horses and headed through the inner districts.

They passed the Commoner Borough, the varied stalls of the Merchants' Land, and finally entered the northern Royal District.

All around, holographic runic displays broadcast Imperial edicts, spellwork ads, and mage announcements. Patrol hawk-constructs circled overhead.

The Empire looked more advanced in technology and magic.

"This Empire's knowledge of runes seems quite advanced," Rhea muttered.

"This city looks more like a sci-fi movie setup," Edith commented, causing Rhea to frown in puzzlement.

"That's not wrong. But instead of science, the Blood Empire focused more on mixing magic with technology." Runeth answered before looking outside.

At last, the carriage turned into a narrow lane and halted before the towering Sky Terminal.

The terminal resembled a floating amphitheater encased in shimmering glass and suspended mana barriers. Nobles and high mages mingled near platforms where gargantuan airships hovered.

The trio walked into the Sky Terminal, showing their boarding passes, and entered the main building.

Once inside, guards in red dresses checked their identities, their spatial rings, and inquired about them.

"We are on our way to attend the Union Council. I'm the Queen of the Iron Kingdom, Rhea Boneflare." Rhea showed her royal seal and even presented her Union Council membership card.

The guards performed a quick check and, after confirmation, allowed them to enter.

After that, a steward in scarlet-laced regalia led them across pulsating platforms toward Docking Bay SE103, an airship ten times larger than the vessel Charles had boarded before.

The SE103 dwarfed everything, its hull shimmering with flowing rune-glyphs, propulsion pylons throbbing with violet mana, and stabilization arrays humming with elemental energy.