After three years of intense training, Flare's body had drastically transformed—his muscles were now perfectly sculpted, reflecting the strength he had built over time. Yet, despite his newfound power, Flare felt there was something unfinished. He decided to return to the adventurers' guild and check his rank, hoping his strength would be recognized.
However, when he reached the reception desk, a bitter piece of news awaited him.
"Sorry, Flare," the receptionist said flatly, "your rank remains the same—F. You haven't met the requirements to move up."
Hearing that, Flare's heart ached. Despite his vastly improved strength, the world still saw him as a lowly adventurer. Without a word, Flare left the guild, deeply disappointed. He decided to abandon the adventurer's life and live simply as a shepherd on the forest's outskirts, enjoying the peace nature had to offer.
But that peace didn't last long.
The next day, while hunting deer in the forest, Flare heard a desperate scream—the voice of a woman calling for help. His adventurer's instincts kicked in immediately. He rushed toward the sound and crouched among the tall grass to observe the situation.
Before him was a horrific scene: a winged girl being dragged by a group of knights under the command of an arrogant prince.
"Hey, filthy girl! Don't look at the prince with that disgusting face!" one of the knights spat, his face filled with contempt.
"Heh, heh... we might as well enjoy her body. After all, she's a slave now. She can't resist," the prince laughed heartily as he began tearing the girl's clothes.
Flare's blood boiled. The anger he hadn't felt in a long time surged back. Without thinking, he grabbed a wooden stick lying next to a tree and walked toward them.
"Hey, you!" Flare yelled furiously. "How dare you attack a woman! If you're true knights, fight me instead!"
The prince and his knights turned, then burst into laughter. To them, Flare, with his muscular body and a wooden sword, looked like a joke.
"Are you serious?" the prince mocked. "Facing us with a wooden sword? Our armor is made of adamantium, the strongest material on this continent!"
But Flare ignored their taunts. He just stepped forward, his eyes filled with determination.
"Sword Technique—Final Slash!"
In an instant, Flare swung his wooden sword with unexpected speed. In a single movement, the clothes and adamantium armor of the knights were sliced as if they were no more than thin paper.
"I'll end this," Flare said coldly, his face expressing uncontrollable fury.
But the prince merely laughed. Arrogantly, he pulled an artifact from his pocket. "Stop right there! Or I'll summon a fire dragon to destroy you!"
From the artifact, a magic circle began to form, and a massive fire dragon emerged, roaring thunderously.
"Hahaha! You're going to die now! This dragon can destroy a nation in an instant!" the prince shouted, confident in his victory.
The dragon unleashed a massive fire blast, scorching everything in its path. A huge explosion shook the forest, burning the trees behind Flare.
However, Flare stood firm, without a trace of panic. As the dust settled, his body remained unscathed, without a single scratch.
"Was that an attack? I was a little surprised, but too lazy to dodge," Flare said calmly, brushing the dust off his shoulder.
The prince gaped in disbelief. "How is this possible? No one can withstand the fire dragon's attack! Who are you?!"
Flare scratched his head, seemingly confused himself. "Me? I just exercise, hunt, practice magic, practice sword techniques, and other things."
Flare looked at the terrified prince with cold eyes. His anger had not subsided, especially after seeing the suffering of the winged girl who had been victimized. But before he could take another step, the fire dragon that the prince had summoned began to rampage. Without control, the massive beast roared even louder, destroying trees with its tail and spewing fire in all directions.
The now-broken control artifact left the dragon in a wild frenzy, attacking indiscriminately. Even the previously arrogant knights were now running for their lives.
"No! That dragon will kill us all!" one of the knights screamed in panic.
The once-confident prince now stood frozen, his face pale with fear. Flare, who had always sought to protect the weak, knew he couldn't let the dragon destroy everything, even though his hatred for the prince still burned.
Flare sighed deeply and looked at the rampaging dragon. "If no one stops it, this entire forest will be destroyed," he thought. He had no choice.
With incredible speed, Flare shot toward the dragon. Each step was so light it seemed his body weighed nothing, despite carrying immense strength. Within seconds, he stood right in front of the beast, staring directly into its eyes filled with rage.
"Dragon, you're not my enemy. I don't want to fight you, but if you keep rampaging, I have no choice," Flare said calmly.
The dragon didn't heed his words. With a loud roar, it opened its massive jaws, preparing an even larger fire blast than before.
"Alright then," Flare took a deep breath, ready to unleash his true power. With one swift motion, he gripped his wooden sword tighter. An aura of power surrounded him, the wind howling through the forest, swirling dust and leaves around him.
"Sword Technique—Sun Slash!"
Flare swung his sword with such speed and precision that a bright light sliced through the air, piercing the dragon's thick skin. The fire blast that had been about to be unleashed stopped immediately, transforming into a hot gust of wind that swept the area without harming anyone.
With one slash, the dragon's body collapsed to the ground. Its final roar echoed before the dragon disappeared into a burst of light, returning to its realm.
Flare stood there, gazing at the remnants of the battle. Though the dragon had vanished, the heavy silence that followed felt overwhelming. He knew the prince and the remaining knights had witnessed his true strength—the strength he had gained from years of relentless training.
Meanwhile, the prince and the surviving knights could only kneel, trembling with fear. They now understood that Flare's power far exceeded anything they could have imagined. The once-arrogant prince could only stare at Flare with deep terror.
Flare then turned, walking toward the winged girl who was still bound. Gently, he untied the ropes that held her.
"Are you alright?" Flare asked softly, his voice much kinder than it had been when facing his enemies.
The girl, though clearly frightened, looked at Flare with immense gratitude. "Thank you... thank you for saving me," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Flare nodded. "You're safe now. They won't hurt you anymore."
But before Flare could leave the area, the trembling prince summoned enough courage to speak. "W-who are you really? How can you... be this strong?"
Flare paused for a moment, looking at the prince with a cold stare.
"I'm just someone who doesn't like seeing injustice," Flare replied briefly before walking away, leaving the prince and his terrified knights behind.
Suddenly, the dragon that Flare had defeated came back to life—but this time, it was only a skeleton, its form reanimated.
The dragon let out a powerful roar, striking fear into the prince and the knights.
A fire blast emerged from the skeletal dragon, heading straight for Flare.