The village of Greenflame was abuzz with rumors. Whispers spread faster than wildfire — stories of three young warriors who had decimated an entire bandit stronghold. As Seol-Yeong, Yoon-Hee, and Hyeon walked through the village, they could feel the weight of curious and awed gazes on them.
At the local inn, the air was thick with excitement. A group of mercenaries huddled around a table, their voices hushed but intense.
"Did you hear? They say a swordsman wielding blue fire cut down the bandit leader in a single strike!"
"And there was a girl who turned men into ice statues! They say she's descended from frost spirits!"
"You're forgetting the barbarian! I heard he crushed three men with his bare hands!"
As the trio entered the inn, all conversation stopped. Heads turned. Eyes widened.
An old mercenary rose slowly from his seat, his eyes narrowing as he studied them. "You three… You're the ones everyone's talking about, aren't you?"
Hyeon grinned. "Maybe. Depends on what they're saying."
The old mercenary chuckled. "It's been a long time since warriors like you showed up. And in the Murim world, names carry weight. People are already giving you titles."
Seol-Yeong raised an eyebrow. "Titles?"
The mercenary nodded. "Aye. Nicknames are common for those who stand above the rest. And you three? You've earned them."
He pointed to Seol-Yeong first. "They're calling you The Azure Flame Monarch — a swordsman whose fire burns hotter than any mortal's, said to wield the power of an ancient manual."
Seol-Yeong blinked, clearly taken aback. "That's… dramatic."
The mercenary just shrugged. "When you burn down a bandit lord with blue fire, you earn a little drama."
Next, he turned to Yoon-Hee. "As for you… they call you The Frost Lotus Empress. Beautiful and deadly — your ice blooms in battle, and none survive your winter's grace."
Yoon-Hee's face colored slightly, but she remained composed. "Empress? Isn't that a bit much?"
The mercenary smiled. "Not to those who saw you fight."
Finally, he looked at Hyeon, grinning. "And you… you've been named The Iron Tempest — a storm of fists and fury, unstoppable and unyielding."
Hyeon threw his head back in laughter. "Now that's a title I can live with!"
The trio exchanged glances, their new names settling heavily on their shoulders. These weren't just titles — they were expectations, a reflection of the power they'd shown and the potential they had yet to reach.
But none of them backed away.
"Looks like we're getting famous," Seol-Yeong said with a small smile.
"Fame means more enemies," Yoon-Hee replied, her eyes gleaming with determination.
"Good," Hyeon said, cracking his knuckles. "Let them come."
And with that, the Azure Flame Monarch, the Frost Lotus Empress, and the Iron Tempest stepped into their new roles — warriors whose names would soon shake the Murim world.