The morning fog clung to the training grounds like ghosts of failed adventurers. In the heart of the Emberglow Adventurer's Annex, a crowd of first-year students gathered before a glowing portal—their first dungeon.
The words "NEWBIE DUNGEON: Emberfang Caverns" shimmered above the gate, pulsing with soft orange light.
Aira stood off to the side, arms crossed, eyes scanning the crowd. She had no intention of waiting for an elite party to invite her. The moment the guild forms arrived, she signed up solo.
But the academy had other plans.
"Hold it," barked Instructor Garron, a mountain of a man with a graying beard and a missing hand. "Nobody enters alone. Team assignment is mandatory for new entrants."
Aira raised a brow. "I can handle myself."
"That's not the point. You're still a student. You fight alone, you die alone." He handed her a scroll. "Team C. Entry slot 3."
She unrolled the parchment and sighed.
Team C
Aira Flameheart — Fire Talent (SSS)
Ryn Torvine — Sword User (C-rank Talent: Iron Flow)
Mira Dossel — Healer (B-rank Talent: Vital Thread)
Kel Ornis — Scout (C-rank Talent: Night Sight)
The moment she met them at the portal, she felt it—the awkward silence. The fear.
Ryn, a tall boy with a broadsword bigger than his confidence, kept sneaking glances at her like she was going to combust. Mira gave her a polite smile but stayed behind the others. Kel didn't even bother hiding his annoyance.
"This is a joke," Kel muttered. "Why pair us with a walking nuke? What happens if she sneezes and incinerates the whole cavern?"
Aira ignored him.
They stepped into the portal—and the world twisted.
Dungeon: Emberfang Caverns
Difficulty: F-rank
Objective: Clear the Core Nest
Warning: Fire Affinity Creatures Present
The team emerged into a dim, sweltering cave. Lava veins pulsed through the walls, lighting the path in a hellish glow. The air was thick with smoke and the faint skittering of something...hungry.
Aira's body responded instantly. The fire here fed her.
You have entered a Fire-Aligned Dungeon. Affinity Bonus: +20% flame control.
Current XP: 0/500
"Stick to formation!" Ryn called. "Kel, scout ahead. Mira, center. Flameheart—uh, rear support?"
Aira smirked. Rear support? Cute.
The first ambush came quickly—two lava wolves burst from the rocks. Kel shouted, Ryn swung wildly, and Mira screamed.
Aira didn't move.
Not until one of the wolves lunged straight at Mira.
She raised her palm.
FWOOOSH.
A narrow stream of flame shot forward like a blade, slicing through the wolf mid-air. The corpse crashed to the ground, still burning.
Everyone stared.
"I thought you were support," Kel said, blinking.
"Support is subjective," Aira replied, stepping forward. "Let me lead."
They hesitated—then followed.
As they delved deeper, more beasts attacked—fire lizards, molten beetles, ash serpents. Aira cut them down with ruthless efficiency. Her flames weren't wild; they were precise. Controlled. Alive.
She didn't just cast spells. She commanded fire like it was born for her.
And the system responded:
+20 XP
+30 XP
+15 XP
Current XP: 250/500
They reached the Core Nest two hours later—a circular chamber littered with bones and flame-scarred stone. At its center slumbered a Lava Hound Alpha, its body radiating blistering heat, its eyes glowing like burning coal.
Ryn swallowed hard. "That's not F-rank."
"It's an overgrown C-rank," Kel whispered. "We should pull out."
But Aira stepped forward.
"No. We finish this."
The hound raised its head and growled—a sound like a furnace breathing.
It leapt.
Aira raised her arms.
Boom.
A geyser of flame erupted beneath it, blasting it into the ceiling. She dashed forward, fire wreathing her limbs, and struck it mid-fall with a spinning kick—igniting it completely.
The others watched, stunned, as the creature howled and collapsed into molten ash.
Dungeon Cleared.
+300 XP
LEVEL UP!
Level 2 ➤ 3 ➤ 4 ➤ 5
New Talent Acquired: Phoenix Heart
You now passively regenerate HP while surrounded by fire. Immune to burn and heat-based damage.
Aira exhaled slowly as the flames died down.
The others stared in awe.
"…Okay," Ryn finally said. "I vote we let her lead from now on."
Aira just smiled.
These were her first steps.
The fire had only just begun to rise.