Mav sat on a large rock deep inside the forest, where the dappled sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting flickering shadows across his face. The earthy scent of moss and damp leaves filled the air, grounding him in this familiar place. The light caught his silver hair, making it shimmer like threads of moonlight, and his sharp blue eyes locked onto the dark flame dancing in his palm. Though it had only been a few weeks since he'd recovered under Emily's care, the forest now seemed to pulse with new energy, mirroring the curiosity and determination that burned within him.
Emily had resumed tending to their vegetable garden, while Nacht had returned to his old routine of selling their produce in the capital. With both his parents occupied, Mav found himself with plenty of free time. This time, though, he wasn't just exercising his body—he was exploring the depths of his newfound powers.
The village chief had informed the other villagers of Emily's miraculous recovery, carefully omitting any mention of Mav's role in it. Mav was relieved by this. He wasn't ready to reveal his abilities just yet—not when he didn't fully understand them himself. Only he, Emily, Nacht, and the village chief knew the truth, and Mav intended to keep it that way, at least for now.
When Emily learned about the altercation between Nacht and Mav that night, her anger had been swift and intense. She scolded them both for their recklessness, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and frustration. "Did you both realize the consequences of your actions?" she had cried, her eyes blazing with the same fire that had once fueled her recovery.
Nacht, guilt-ridden, had immediately promised to bring a blue flame user from the capital to heal Mav's injury. Mav had protested, insisting he could heal himself, but the memory of the strain that had knocked him unconscious lingered like a dark shadow. Emily and Nacht were unyielding, their concern for him outweighing his own stubbornness. In time, Emily forgave them, understanding that their actions had stemmed from love, particularly Mav's willingness to go to such lengths for her. Yet, she made him swear never to use his powers again—a promise he agreed to outwardly but had no intention of keeping.
His parents had pressed him to explain how he'd managed to heal Emily when all the other flame users had failed. Mav had only revealed that his dark flame affinity had something to do with it, carefully avoiding the full truth. He couldn't bring himself to admit that his discovery had been an accident, born from an outburst of frustration and desperation. Thankfully, his parents didn't pry further, though they repeated their warning: no more using his abilities.
But here he was again, in the forest, under the pretense of rebuilding his strength after all that time spent resting. The real reason, though, was to push the limits of his powers.
Mav took a deep breath and murmured, "Display status." A translucent screen appeared before him, showing his current mana: 120/120. He scrolled down to his skills, his eyes narrowing as he found what he was looking for:
Skill Name: Yellow Enhancement (Basic) lvl. 1/5
Description: Summons a small yellow flame that enhances a targeted body part, limited to the size of the flame.
Duration: 1 second
Manacost: 5 per second used
Cooldown: 120 seconds
"I've looked at this before, and it's still terrible," Mav thought, grimacing. "A 1-second duration with that kind of mana cost and a cooldown that long? It's practically useless."
He cast Dark Ascension on his hand, a dark flame materializing in his palm. Closing his eyes, Mav braced himself for the pain he knew would come with his next move. He gritted his teeth, the cool breeze doing little to calm the nervous energy coursing through him.
"Alright, here goes nothing," he muttered. Mav casted Yellow Enhancement, watching as the yellow flame intertwined with the dark one.
A familiar prompt appeared in his vision:
Different Flame Type Detected.
Detecting Flame Type...
Yellow Flame Detected.
Dark Flame and Yellow Flame in Contact.
Dark Ascension Prerequisites Met.
Activate Dark Ascension?
Yes or No?
Mav inhaled deeply, steeling himself. He knew what was coming, but there was no turning back now. After a few seconds, he pressed "Yes."
Initiating Dark Ascension...
Combining Yellow Flame and Dark Flame...
High Affinity For Dark Flame Detected. Applying Privileges...
Privileges Applied.
Low Affinity For Yellow Flame Detected. Applying Penalties...
The pain surged through him, sharper this time, but Mav was in better shape now. He bit down on the agony, his knees buckling as he collapsed onto the rock. The world blurred around him, but he kept his focus, forcing himself to endure. Through the haze of pain, he clung to one thought: this was the key to something greater.
Finally, the torment began to recede, leaving him gasping for breath. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and a new prompt appeared before him:
Dark Ascension Successful.
Combination Successful.
New Skill Acquired: Dark Yellow Transcendence.
"Dark Yellow Transcendence? I wonder what that does," he muttered, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes.
He quickly navigated to his skill list and selected the new ability.
Skill Name: Dark Yellow Transcendence (Maximum) lvl. 1/120
Description: Envelops one's entire body in a dark yellow flame, uniformly enhancing one's physical capabilities to the combined strength of 1200 humans.
Duration: 1 second
Manacost: 1 per second used
Cooldown: 120 seconds
"It sounds powerful, but that duration... Maybe it will increase when I level it up? But how?" he wondered, staring intently at the skill description. "What are the conditions for leveling it?"
For now, he pushed the questions aside, eager to test his new power. "Well, at least the mana cost is low. I won't pass out from using it this time," he reasoned.
Jumping down from the rock, Mav scanned the area, spotting a massive tree nearby. He approached it, taking a moment to size it up. The tree was sturdy, its bark thick and unyielding. If he mistimed the activation, he could seriously injure himself.
"Okay, let's practice the timing first," he decided. Mav stepped back, closing his eyes as he visualized the sequence. He threw punches at the air, syncing the motion with the imagined activation of his skill. Over and over, he repeated the process, driving the movement into his muscle memory until he felt ready.
Facing the tree once more, Mav wiped the sweat from his brow, the cool wind sending a shiver down his spine. He twisted his body into position, fist clenched, ready to strike.
"Let's do this," he muttered. "First comes Rock, Jan, Ken, Gu—" In a swift motion, he launched his fist towards the tree, his heart pounding in his chest.