The man stood silently on the rooftop.
From his position high above the broken streets, the entire clearing was visible beneath the dim crimson glow of the Underworld sky.
The wind carried the smell of ash and burned wood toward him.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on the distant scene.
"What are you doing, Mike…?"
His voice was low, almost amused.
"…Huh?"
Below, the aftermath of a battle lay scattered across the ground. Several bandits groaned in pain while others staggered away into the dark forest. Burn marks scarred the earth in jagged patterns, and thin trails of smoke still rose from the charred patches of grass.
But none of that interested him....
His focus remained on the boy standing in the middle of it all.
The flames had already faded, but the faint red glow around the boy's hand had not.
The man narrowed his eyes.
He leaned forward slightly, resting his hand on the rusted railing of the rooftop.
For a moment, he simply watched.
The masked guy Mike stood near the boy, speaking to him casually, as if nothing unusual had just happened.
But the observer knew better.
His gaze sharpened.
He adjusted the small communicator device clipped to the side of his ear.
Then he tapped it once.
A soft beep echoed in the quiet night.
The line connected.
A moment later
Mike's voice crackled faintly through the device.
"…What?"
The observer smirked.
"So you're alive."
Mike sighed loudly on the other end.
"Of course I'm alive."
The observer leaned casually against the rooftop edge.
"You've been quiet for a while."
Mike's voice sounded slightly annoyed.
"Cut to the point."
The man chuckled softly.
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
He paused.
Then his eyes drifted again to the boy standing below.
"…What exactly are you doing out there?"
There was a brief silence.
Mike didn't answer immediately.
The observer's smirk widened.
"…Don't tell me."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You actually found one."
Another pause.
Then Mike sighed again.
"…Yeah."
The observer blinked.
For the first time, his relaxed posture stiffened.
"…Wait."
He stood up straighter.
"You're serious?"
Mike's voice came back calmly.
"Dead serious."
The man stared at the distant boy again.
His eyes scanned the ground burn marks, melted ropes, scorched bodies.
Then he focused on the boy's hand.
"…A Flamer…?"
Mike didn't respond.
That silence alone confirmed everything.
The observer let out a slow breath of disbelief.
"…Seriously?"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Out of all places… the Forbidden Zone?"
Mike's voice remained calm.
"That's where I found him."
The observer stared silently for several seconds.
Then he began laughing.
A quiet, incredulous laugh.
"You have the most ridiculous luck I've ever seen."
Mike sounded unimpressed.
"Not luck."
"What then?"
Mike's reply came instantly.
"Trouble."
The man chuckled again.
"Fair enough."
His gaze softened slightly as he watched the boy.
Even from this distance, he could sense it.
The unstable energy.
The faint flicker of crimson heat still radiating from the boy's body.
A newborn power.
Raw...
Untrained...
Dangerous....
"…So what now?" the observer asked.
Mike didn't answer right away.
Finally, he spoke.
"I'm taking him to Steve."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"Doctor Steve?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm."
The observer tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the metal railing.
"That old man hates surprises."
Mike snorted.
"He'll live."
The observer's expression turned serious again.
"…You're aware what this means, right?"
Mike's tone lowered slightly.
"Yeah."
The man looked back at the boy.
"A Flamer appearing out of nowhere…"
His voice grew quieter.
"…People are going to notice."
Mike's reply was simple.
"They won't."
The observer raised an eyebrow.
"You sound confident."
Mike's voice hardened slightly.
"I'll handle it."
The man on the rooftop stared at the scene one last time.
Then he sighed.
"Well."
His voice carried a strange mixture of amusement and curiosity.
"…Looks like things just got interesting."
Mike chuckled faintly.
"You have no idea."
The call ended with a soft click.
The observer slowly removed the communicator from his ear.
For several seconds, he remained still.
Watching.
The boy below was now barely standing, exhaustion clearly dragging his body down.
Mike walked toward him casually.
The observer exhaled slowly.
"…A Flamer."
His voice carried quiet fascination.
"In the Underworld."
A small grin spread across his face.
"Let's see how long you survive, kid."
He turned away from the edge.
The wind swept across the empty rooftop as his long coat fluttered behind him.
Then he disappeared into the shadows.
Far away from that rooftop…
Darkness swallowed the scene.
And the story moved elsewhere.
To a place where broken windows rattled in the wind.
To a building forgotten by time.
An abandoned hospital hidden deep within the Underworld.
The hospital smelled like rust, alcohol, and something faintly rotten.
Paint peeled from the walls in long, curling strips, revealing cracked concrete beneath. Half the lights flickered weakly, casting uneven shadows that crawled across the floor.
The building had clearly been abandoned years ago.
Yet someone still used it.
Metal tools clinked softly as an old man moved around the room.
"Yeah… I found him wandering around the Forbidden Zone."
Mike's voice sounded as casual as ever.
He stood near a long metal table where Alfez's unconscious body lay.
The boy's clothes were torn, dirt-stained, and scorched from the earlier battle. Burn marks traced along his arms, and faint crimson marks still lingered on his fingers.
Mike shrugged lightly.
"Believe it or not, this kid is a Flamer."
Across the table stood an older man wearing a faded white medical coat. His gray hair stuck out wildly in every direction, and his glasses hung low on the bridge of his nose.
Doctor Steve adjusted them slowly.
"…A Flamer?"
His voice carried clear skepticism.
Mike leaned against a cabinet.
"That's what I said."
Doctor Steve stepped closer to the table.
His sharp eyes scanned Alfez's body like a scientist examining a rare specimen.
"Hmm."
He grabbed Alfez's wrist without warning.
Pulse.
Temperature.
Energy flow.
The old doctor's expression slowly shifted from boredom… to curiosity.
"…Interesting."
He reached for a small metallic scanner from the nearby tray.
The device hummed faintly as he passed it over Alfez's chest.
A soft beep echoed in the room.
Doctor Steve frowned.
Then he moved the scanner toward Alfez's hand.
The moment it passed over the red ring
The scanner emitted a sharp buzz.
The doctor froze.
"…Oh?"
He leaned closer.
The ring was faintly warm.
Almost alive.
The scanner beeped again, louder this time.
Doctor Steve's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"Well now…"
His voice dropped thoughtfully.
"That's unusual."
He glanced toward Mike.
"You weren't exaggerating."
Mike smirked faintly.
"Told you."
Doctor Steve hummed while continuing his examination.
"Energy channels… unstable."
He moved the scanner along Alfez's arm.
"But responsive."
Another scan.
Another beep.
"…Very responsive."
The doctor slowly straightened.
His gaze lingered on the unconscious boy.
"Where exactly did you find him?"
Mike stretched his arms lazily.
"Forbidden Jungle."
Doctor Steve's eyebrows shot upward.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
The doctor let out a low whistle.
"Well."
He folded his arms.
"That explains the injuries."
He poked Alfez lightly in the ribs.
"Kid's lucky to still be breathing."
As if responding to the comment—
Alfez groaned.
His fingers twitched.
Mike glanced over.
"…Oh."
Doctor Steve leaned forward slightly.
"Look who's waking up."
Alfez's eyelids fluttered open.
The ceiling above him blurred in and out of focus.
Bright lights.
A strange room.
The metallic smell.
Pain..
His mind scrambled to catch up.
Then his eyes shifted sideways
And landed on a very familiar masked face.
Alfez's brain immediately snapped awake.
"HEY!"
His sudden shout echoed through the room.
Mike raised an eyebrow.
Alfez pushed himself up slightly on the table, glaring at him.
"Masked guy!"
He pointed accusingly.
"When exactly did I say I was going to become some Girgon Slayer?!"
Mike looked completely unfazed.
He crossed his arms.
"Relax."
Alfez narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not asking you to join."
Mike paused for a moment.
Then added calmly
"It's more like… an order."
Alfez's jaw tightened instantly.
"I told you already."
His voice sharpened.
"I need to get back to the Upper World as soon as possible."
Suddenly
A loud scoff interrupted them.
"Hah!"
Both of them turned.
Doctor Steve stood beside the table with an unimpressed look on his face.
"You should be grateful you're still in one piece, you dumb kid."
Alfez blinked.
"…Who the hell are you?"
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"And why are you touching me?"
Doctor Steve rolled his eyes dramatically.
"What kind of dumb kid wanders alone into the Forbidden Jungle and gets lost?"
He tapped Alfez's shoulder with a finger.
"If you had breathed that toxic air for a few more minutes…"
His tone became blunt.
"You'd already be dead."
Alfez froze slightly.
Doctor Steve snorted.
"And after that, you even managed to get kidnapped by bandits."
He shook his head slowly.
"Kid, your luck is unbelievably terrible."
Alfez opened his mouth
Then paused.
…He had no argument.
Doctor Steve stepped back and wiped his hands.
"Alright."
He stretched lazily.
"Treatment's done."
Then he casually extended his hand.
"Now pay me."
Alfez stared at him.
"…What?"
Doctor Steve wiggled his fingers impatiently.
"Payment."
Mike chuckled softly from the corner.
Alfez sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Thanks for covering the treatment cost, Mike."
He glanced toward him.
"But I don't have time to become a Girgon Slayer."
His voice grew more serious.
"I just need information about this place."
Mike leaned back against the wall.
His usual lazy expression slowly faded.
"You saw how Underworlders treat people from the Upper World."
Alfez's expression stiffened.
Mike continued quietly.
"You can ask questions…"
His eyes sharpened.
"But if they find out where you're really from…"
He paused.
"You're dead."
The room grew silent.
Alfez swallowed.
Mike sighed slightly.
"I'm not trying to scare you."
His tone remained calm.
"I'm just saying this world isn't kind enough to give information for free."
Alfez looked down at his hands.
The faint red ring still rested on his finger.
His mind swirled with confusion.
Upper World.
Underworld.
Flamers.
Girgon Slayers.
Nothing made sense.
Mike suddenly pushed himself off the wall.
"Alright."
He stretched his neck.
"Enough talking."
He walked toward the door.
Then glanced back.
"Shut up and follow me for now."
Several hours later...
Alfez stood frozen in place.
"…What the hell."
The sight before him was unbelievable.
A massive underground city stretched across a cavern larger than anything he had ever seen.
Thousands of glowing lanterns hung from towering stone structures. Markets filled the streets with shouting vendors and crowds of people.
The air buzzed with life.
Smoke from cooking stalls drifted through the warm cavern air.
Mike walked casually ahead of him.
"Welcome to Belica."
Alfez stared around in shock.
"The capital city of the Underworlders."
Later…
Inside a crowded restaurant.
Wooden tables filled the room while people talked loudly over plates of steaming food.
Alfez sat across from Mike with a bowl of unfamiliar food in front of him.
He stared at it for a moment.
Then took a bite.
His eyes widened slightly.
And then he began eating quickly.
Mike blinked.
"Whoa, kid."
He leaned back.
"Slow down."
Alfez didn't stop.
Mike laughed softly.
"You're eating like you haven't seen food in weeks."
Alfez paused briefly.
"…Well, I haven't."
He glanced around the busy street outside the restaurant window.
People.
Families.
Merchants.
Children running past.
His voice grew quieter.
"I thought the Underworld was just ruins and monsters."
He frowned.
"I didn't know there were cities like this… full of people."
Mike watched him for a moment.
Then asked casually
"By the way."
"What's your name, kid?"
Alfez swallowed his food.
"…Alfez."
Mike blinked.
"Alfez…?"
Then he burst out laughing.
"That's a pretty weird name."
Alfez immediately scowled.
"How is it weird, jerk?"
Mike wiped a tear from his eye.
Then leaned forward slightly.
His expression became serious.
"Listen carefully."
His voice lowered.
"I'm about to give you a crash course about the world down here."
Alfez straightened slightly.
Then nodded awkwardly.
"Th-thanks…"
TO BE CONTINUED...