Two system alerts flashed into view as the battle ended. To say that Mark was surprised would be an understatement.
He stared at his victorious comrade in disbelief, struggling to process what had just transpired.
The fire elemental—whom Mark had fully intended to use as bait for his escape—had not only defeated the hellhound but had done so flawlessly, without taking a single hit.
And then there was the system. It had somehow interpreted his panicked retreat as participation in the fight. Not only that, but it had rewarded him with a sliver of experience. To top it off, he'd apparently created a new skill while fleeing for his life.
"Well, what are the odds of that happening every day?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
As he spoke, his flames flickered orange—a sign of his bewilderment.
---
NPC STATUS
Level: 1 (2,000/1,000,000 XP)
Name: Varzamochorginechtigroranm
Race: Pure Fire Elemental (Young)
HP: 150,000
MP: 50,000
Strength: 780
Agility: 750
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 500
Wisdom: 500
Charisma: 348
Danger Level: ☠️☠️☠️☠️
Skills:
FLAME AURA (Passive): Naturally increases the surrounding temperature to extreme heights, inflicting burn damage (1 HP per second) on affected targets until they leave the skill's range.
FLAME MANIPULATION (Active): Allows control and manipulation of flames. MP cost depends on complexity and intensity.
A COWARD'S SCREECH (Active, Incomplete): Uses 30 MP to release a screech that deals 15 HP damage to all entities within 5 meters and increases the user's running speed by 5%. (This skill is incomplete and consumes more MP to cast.)
---
Mark flipped through his status screen, his emotions swinging between elation and fury. The first thing he noticed was the bold "2,000" replacing his once-empty EXP bar.
Then his eyes landed on a new skill. Intrigued, he read its description eagerly, only for his excitement to crash into bitter disappointment.
"What the hell do you mean by A Coward's Screech?!" he roared, his flames flaring a sharp crimson, signaling his anger. "I was clearly making a strategic retreat!"
The idea that his panicked scream had been transformed into a skill felt like a cruel joke. But as his eyes flicked to the skill's effects, his flames dimmed to a soft yellow—a sign of reluctant acceptance.
"Fine… It's not completely useless," he muttered. "A skill is a skill, right?"
Closing his status screen with a resigned shake of his head, Mark became acutely aware of his comrade's unblinking gaze.
"Uh… awkward," he thought, his flames flickering orange in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his neck.
---
"Who are you?"
The sudden, cold voice cut through the silence, startling him.
Mark scanned his surroundings, his molten eyes darting over jagged volcanic rocks and steaming geysers. The only thing remotely capable of speech seemed to be the other fire elemental.
"Did you just… speak?" he asked hesitantly, his flames tinged with a curious blue.
The elemental tilted its flaming head, its expression unreadable. Seconds passed before it finally responded.
"Of course I can speak. Can't you?"
Varz blinked, taken aback. "You can talk?"
The elemental's flames brightened to a brilliant orange—signaling irritation. "So you can talk, but I can't? Do you even hear yourself?"
Mark opened his mouth, then closed it again. "… Fair point."
Still, an unsettling thought lingered in his mind: How are we talking if we don't have mouths—or vocal cords?
Before he could spiral into another internal debate, the elemental spoke again.
"Well, who are you?"
Her flames softened to a calm yellow as she waited for his response.
Mark hesitated, his flames dimming in uncertainty. "Uh… My name's too long to say."
The elemental groaned, her flames flaring crimson in frustration. "I didn't ask for your true name, idiot. Just give me a short name."
"My… true name?" Mark asked, his flames shifting to a faint blue, signaling confusion.
The elemental stared at him as if he were the densest being alive. "You don't know what a true name is? It's tied to your soul. If someone knows it, they can control you. Do you want to be a mindless slave?"
"What?!" Mark shouted, his flames blazing in alarm. He suddenly felt a wave of gratitude that he hadn't blurted out his full name earlier.
Sighing in exasperation, the elemental crossed her fiery arms, her flames returning to a neutral orange. "Just give me a short name. That's all I'm asking."
Mark hesitated. His old name, Mark, no longer felt right. He needed something new—something that fit this world. After a moment of contemplation, his flames turned a bold, confident red.
"My name is… Varz."
The elemental, now less agitated, gave a flicker of approval as her flames danced in a calm yellow. "Varz, huh? Strange name. Well, I'm Laha."