"Yes, I accept," Igneous responded.
The sphere glowed with a red light that flooded the entire place.
Igneous floated a few centimeters off the ground, then felt a heat that enveloped his body. As if he was on fire, but he didn't burn. He felt good, he felt powerful. His clothes disintegrated and on top of his skin, black armor materialized. In his legs, on his chest, in his arms.
He felt invincible as if he had the strength of a hundred men. And his chest burned as if that inner fire that they said he possessed had manifested itself.
The red light that enveloped everything went out and there was Igneous. In his black armor, burning like a thousand fires.
'How is this possible?'
[ IGNEOUS – FIRE USER
ATK: 240
DEF: 150
MAGIC-120
SPEED: 170
STAMINA: 200]
He looked at his hands, he looked at his body. Some parts of his body were bare, such as his forearms, his abdomen, and his thighs, but everything else was protected by an armor of... Charcoal?
"Seriously? Charcoal armor?
There was no trace of the red sphere, but the voice was heard inside his head.
"Let me doubt it," the boy replied.
One of the machines swung at Igneous and hit him with one of its metal pincers. The blow was devastating, sending igneous flying into a tree, whose trunk exploded into hundreds of splinters.
That impact did not stop the boy, he followed the same trajectory and broke three more logs.
Igneous rolled on the ground until he stopped.
That blow would have shattered the bones of any other person into a thousand pieces. However, the boy stood up, as if nothing happened.
He himself was surprised. He looked at himself and realized that he was complete. Conscious, without any injuries.
"This just can't be…"
The machine lunged at Igneous, but he easily evaded it. However, that metal ball swung his massive metal pincers for another devastating blow.
Igneous was already prepared and contained the attack. His strength was such that he was able to grab the pincer with his arms and the machine could do nothing to break free.
"You'll see!" the boy yelled. He then lifted the machine, spun it on his head, and slammed it to the ground.
CRASH! The tongs snapped into hundreds of pieces.
The other two machines didn't stay still, they also swung at the boy. He jumped so high that he dodged the attacks.
He fell behind them. He managed to grab one of the pincers and with a single pull, ripped off the mechanical arm.
"My elemental skill?"
"And how do I activate that?"
"Fists of fire!"
He felt the heat of a volcano in both arms.
BOOM! A single fist snapped one of the machines in half. BOOM! He smashed the second one.
The third metal creature retracted its legs and arms. He curled up into a ball and ran away. Rolling down the hill and winding through the trees and rocks.
"Oh no! You won't run away!"
Igneous jumped over the trees, took aim, and dropped towards the machine. BOOOOM! He fell like a meteorite. The explosion was such that it raised a cloud of black dust and ash.
The smoke cleared. And there was the boy, imposing, erect, and with his head held high. Like proud. All around, hundreds of pieces of metal and charred tree trunks.
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED: 4]
Igneous turned around and found the unknown girl, her mouth open and her eyes wide open as big as two saucers. In her right hand, she held the sword.
"You're welcome," the boy said, with a cocky smile.
She took a couple of steps forward.
"You…accepted the power of the Eon," she said, in disbelief.
"Emm, I don't know what that means, but it seems so," Igneous responded, looking at his armor-clad body, "Isn't that great? It looks like those superhero movies."
She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, gritted her teeth, and lunged at the boy.
"You must die!"
FUSH! She swung her sword, but he easily dodged it.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the boy protested.
"You must die!" She was screaming without stopping slashing, "You don't know what you did!"
He evaded her nonchalantly.
"Calm down, Breeze! If it bothers you so much, then I reject the powers, and problem solved!"
She stopped.
"You're hopelessly ignorant… You can't back down! Once you accept the mission it is to fulfill it or die!"
"What? Is that true?" Igneous asked, rolling his eyes up as if trying to look at his own forehead.
"Fuck," he cursed.
"You are a danger to the Federation of Allied Cities," the girl stated, getting into a combat stance, "that is why you must die here and now."
"Federation? Why is everyone talking in such gibberish?" Igneous complained, annoyed.
The stranger brandished her sword again. The boy grabbed the blade with his bare hands, as if it were nothing.
"Enough!" The Scream. Then he pulled the sword and snatched it from the girl's hands with great ease. "I'm sick of you attacking me! I won't give it back to you until you promise not to threaten me with it again."
"AAAAH! MORON!" She yelled, "DAMN MARKED ONE!"
"That word again, what the hell does it mean?"
"MORON! MORON! MORON!"
"Well, no sword for you."
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"Do you promise not to attack me again?" The boy asked.
She snorted.
"Then I won't give you the sword back."
"That sword belongs to my family! It has passed from generation to generation. Please give it back to me."
"You know what you have to do."
She gritted her teeth and kicked.
"No! I refuse!"
"It has been a pleasure," Igneous said, walking away with the sword in hand.
The girl growled very loudly until…
"Okay, fine…"
"What did you say?" The boy turned around, with a leftover smile.
"Fine…"
"What thing?"
"I promise I won't attack you with the sword again."
"Do you plan to keep your promise?"
"Of course!" She replied to the stranger as if offended, "I am a Knight. I always keep my word."
"Can women be knights?"
She shot him a murderous look.
"Uh, sorry if I offended you," the boy muttered.
"Are you going to return the sword to me or not?"
"Mmm... mmm... well, I'll give it back to you."
Igneous threw the sword and the girl caught it out of the air. She sheathed it and gave the boy a glare.
"Anyway," she hissed, "I hope I never run into you again."
She turned around and walked in the opposite direction to Igneous.
"How about a 'thank you'?" Igneous yelled at her.
She didn't answer.
"Well, it was nothing," the boy continued, "I just saved your life. I thought the knights were more appreciative."
Unanswered.
He clicked his tongue and ran to catch up with her.
"Hey, where are you headed?" the boy asked.
"To the nearest city."
"Mm… I see. Look, I just don't know where to go."
"I'm so sorry for you," she answered nonchalantly.
"It would be very helpful if someone could help me locate myself."
"Yup, that would be very helpful…"
"And I've lost my brother, you know?"
"Aaaajah," she kept walking without giving it much thought.
"I think he is somewhere in this place. Maybe I can find him."
"Good for you."
"But I don't know anything about this world so I was thinking..."
"…"
"How about if I come with you and you guide me to a city or a town?"
"No way," the girl stopped, "you go your way and I go mine. Let's pretend we never meet. Do you think that's OK?"
"No, it doesn't seem right to me. Hey, having me around you can be an advantage, you shouldn't reject me so quickly."
"Why do you say that?"
"Hello? Didn't you see how I just destroyed those machines?"
The girl hesitated.
"Oh, do you see?" Igneous insisted, "What if more of those things come back? Something tells me that those three are not the only ones and that they are chasing you for a reason."
The stranger hesitated. He flexed her bicep.
"Come on, you need my strength."
She grunted.
"Oh! Fine! You can come with me, but let's keep our distance and we don't have to talk."