Five million Alliance credits.

Avince stared at his phone, its blue light casting harsh shadows across his face in the darkness. Five million for a single Ignis Core. His fingers drummed against his thigh, matching the frantic beating of his heart. With every other material already gathered, the potion was tantalizingly close, yet impossibly far.

The Alliance Trading Center's website showed multiple listings, most from merchants based in Ignis—the volcanic region he'd visited with his father. Memories flashed through his mind: heat waves shimmering above black rock, his father's steady summons, the thrill of fighting powerful enemies together. His ability had found one of the dungeons in that same area. He was sure of it.

Avince ran a hand through his tangled hair, letting out a slow breath. Five million exceeded his entire net worth. Even if he sold every last drop of Emberhorn Resin, every Fireleaf he'd collected—hell, even if he added the sunbloom to the mix—he wouldn't come close.

"Ridiculous," he muttered, the word heavy in the quiet room.

He switched off his phone, forcing himself to think rationally. Two paths lay before him:

The first option was to wait. He could continue farming C-rank dungeons and then sell the materials—perhaps even find a seller who wouldn’t question how he had obtained them. He could store everything in his space until he found the right deal. It was the safe choice, the smart choice—the one his parents would have approved of. But with next semester's schedule looming, how long would that really take?

Or take the dangerous path. Get the Ignis Core now, fix his body's deterioration immediately. The risk was clear: death in a dungeon meant soul damage, which could make his magic even more unstable. Failure would leave him worse than before.

He paused a bit to consider. Lately, he had been one-shotting powerful enemies—even C-rank monsters. The Burning Treants had fallen like kindling before his ice magic. The Desert Anaconda, which should have a natural resistance to lightning, had died from a single concentrated strike. None had posed a real challenge. His power had grown; he could feel it thrumming beneath his skin. Could a B-rank monster even withstand a full barrage of his spells?

He had never fought a B-rank enemy before, and alone at that. The idea was reckless. Dangerous. He remembered what their B-rank guide, Kai, had said: "The gap between C-rank and B-rank is not a small bottleneck—it's a chasm." But the memory of his recent victories burned brighter than that warning.

The possibility sang in his blood, a siren call he couldn't ignore. If he could find a weaker B-rank dungeon, one where he could grab an Ignis Core and escape before things got too dangerous... The plan began to form in his mind, each piece falling into place like the components of a spell.

His mind made up, Avince activated his ability, nudging it with specific intent. The familiar sensation of his power awakening spread through him, like cool water flowing through his veins.

Find the weakest dungeon that contains monsters that drop Ignis Cores.

At first, he instinctively searched for C-rank dungeons, just as he had before—knowing deep down that it wouldn’t work. He had already confirmed that Ignis Cores didn’t appear in dungeons of that level. So, reluctantly, he pushed his ability further, expanding his search.

Find the weakest B-rank dungeon.

It took longer than usual, as if his ability was sifting through countless possibilities. Then—there it was.

A familiar, searing heat flooded his senses—the burning air, the shifting magma flows, the oppressive weight of a dungeon steeped in fire mana. The place was nearly identical to the first volcanic dungeon he had entered. But something about it made the hair on his neck stand up.

It was weaker than the first one, but only barely.

Before proceeding, he stopped his ability and did what he should have done first—research.

Pulling up his phone again, he searched through dungeon records, cross-referencing the terrain, mana signature, and general layout his ability had shown him. The blue light reflected in his eyes as he dove deeper. After three hours, his neck cramping from the hunched position, he found it.

It was a known B-rank dungeon, classified as high-risk. The monsters inside were mainly humanoid lava creatures, similar to the Living Armors he had fought alongside his father, but instead of metal, these were forged from molten rock and raw fire mana, their bodies hardened by volcanic minerals. The description warned of their ability to regenerate from most injuries—their cores needed to be completely shattered for a true kill.

According to records, the standard creatures inside were middle C-rank, but the boss was a solid mid B-rank—far stronger than anything Avince had faced alone. Reports spoke of an entire low B-rank team being wiped out, retreating with severe burns and massive injuries.

More importantly, the records confirmed what he needed to know:

Ignis Cores did not drop from regular monsters.

They only came from mutated variants—monsters with irregular growths of fire mana, far more powerful than their normal counterparts. These mutations were rare, occurring in perhaps one out of every thousand monsters, and were invariably more dangerous than their standard counterparts.

That meant fighting every monster he encountered would be pointless. He needed to use his ability to find a mutated one, kill it, then use his ability again to find an exit portal and leave without engaging the boss. Quick, clean, efficient.

It was a solid plan. At least, that's what he told himself as he checked his equipment one final time, including a spare fire cloak his father had brought him from Ignis, stored safely in his space.

Satisfied, Avince reached for his amulet. Its smooth surface was cool against his palm, its enchantments humming softly, providing him with a constant stream of mana. He activated his ability once more, feeling the familiar surge of power.

His vision blurred, the mana around him twisted—

And he stepped into the volcanic depths.

The heat hit him immediately, like a physical blow. He quickly retrieved the cloak from his storage and donned it.

A wave of scorching air rolled over him, as if he had stepped straight into an active volcano. The temperature surpassed what he had experienced before, even compared to the other fire-based dungeons he had just endured. Thick black smoke drifted through the air, rising from molten rivers that snaked between jagged obsidian formations. The ground beneath his feet was a mixture of cracked stone and solidified lava, each step radiating heat that seeped through even his fire-resistant cloak.

Avince focused his ability, probing deeper into the dungeon. Instead of mapping the entire place, he concentrated on his goal—finding a mutated monster. But something wasn't right. His ability felt sluggish, resistant, like casting a spell underwater. It was harder to use here compared to previous dungeons. Was it because this was a higher-ranked dungeon?

Still, he pushed through the resistance. He felt the flow of mana shift, subtle distortions in the fabric of the dungeon itself. Several middle C-rank monsters roamed nearby, their presence like burning brands in his awareness, but he ignored them. He needed the right one.

Minutes passed as he walked carefully, avoiding unnecessary fights. The heat intensified the deeper he went, and sweat began to soak through his clothes despite his fire-resistant cloak. Eventually—

There.

A disturbance in the fire mana. A presence denser than the others, a conflagration compared to their flames. It was deeper in the dungeon, separated from the usual clusters of monsters, standing alone on the edge of a lava flow. The mana signature was unlike anything he'd sensed before.

A mutated variant.

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Perfect.

Or so he thought.

Avince moved toward the target, his steps measured and precise. He kept his movements swift but careful, trying to suppress his mana signature. As he got closer, he caught sight of his target, and his confidence wavered for the first time.

It was humanoid, but that's where any resemblance to the standard lava creatures ended. Standing roughly three meters tall, its body was composed of hardened volcanic rock interwoven with glowing rivers of molten lava. Unlike the others, this one had sharp, jagged protrusions along its arms and shoulders, crystalline formations that pulsed with inner fire. Its chest housed not one, but multiple cores, all pulsing with intense, concentrated fire mana that made the air shimmer.

Avince's instincts screamed at him—that's it. This was the one. But it was also far more powerful than he'd anticipated. The records had mentioned mutations, but this... this was something else entirely.

No hesitation. You can't afford to doubt now.

He raised his hand, transforming it into silver, gathering mana until the air around him crackled with frozen energy. The first spell needed to count.

"Ice Lance."

A massive spear of frozen mana materialized and shot forward with incredible speed, larger and more powerful than any he'd cast before. It pierced straight through the monster's chest, but instead of falling, the creature roared, its molten body flaring even hotter. The ice lance melted almost instantly, steam hissing from the wound as it slowly sealed itself.

It didn't die instantly.

That was new. And very, very bad.

The creature turned its head toward him, its molten eyes locking onto his position. In that instant, Avince grasped the sheer strength of his opponent—this wasn't just any monster. It was an early B-rank creature, nearly as powerful as the dungeon’s boss. He had walked straight into the strongest enemy he had ever faced alone.

"Fine," Avince clicked his tongue, pushing down his rising panic. He didn't need it to be instant, nor fast. He just needed to win.

A burst of chilling energy exploded from his palm, coating the monster's molten body in rapidly forming layers of ice. Steam erupted as the elements clashed, but Avince didn't let up. He poured more mana into the spell, forcing the temperature lower and lower.

The monster roared, the sound shaking loose stones from the ceiling. It charged forward with shocking speed, its massive form leaving trails of molten rock in its wake. Avince barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as a massive fist crashed into the ground where he'd been standing.

He followed up with another Ice Lance, targeting what he thought was the main core. The spear struck true and the monster stumbled. The wound began healing slowly, molten rock flowing like blood to seal the breach.

The air around them had become a battleground of extreme temperatures, steam and smoke making it difficult to see. Avince's lungs burned with every breath, struggling against the intense heat.

Gritting his teeth, he switched tactics. Lightning crackled at his fingertips before surging forward in a blinding arc. The bolt struck the monster's shoulder, sending sparks dancing across its fiery form. It flinched, but its molten veins glowed even brighter, as if absorbing the energy from its surroundings.

Not enough.

Avince twisted his hand, sending a pulse of water magic straight into its chest, hoping to cool its core. The liquid sizzled on impact, evaporating into a cloud of steam that momentarily obscured the battlefield. He followed up by slamming his foot into the ground, channeling his mana into the earth. The soil beneath the monster turned to sludge, dragging its heavy form down.

For a moment, it faltered—one foot sinking as it struggled to pull itself free. Avince seized the opportunity, conjuring a thick wall of ice around its legs, trying to freeze it in place.

Then, with a guttural roar, the creature exploded outward. Flames surged, shattering the ice and solidifying the ground once more. The monster's charred flesh twisted, its wounds sealing before his eyes.

Avince exhaled sharply. Every attack, every spell—nothing stuck.

The heat around him intensified, the very air shimmering from the creature's burning presence. His mana reserves were draining fast, and the monster wasn't slowing down.

Each attack from the monster came closer than the last, its movements becoming more precise as it learned Avince's patterns. A swing of its arm sent a wave of lava toward him. He blocked with an earth wall, but the wall disintegrated almost instantly, forcing him to cast a water barrier that sizzled against the heat.

His mana was getting used rapidly. The constant high-power spells, the maintaining of his protective barriers, the amount of focus he needed to predict the monster's movements—it was all taking its toll. Sweat poured down his face, his breathing became harder and harder.

The creature seemed to sense his weakening state. It pressed its advantage, its attacks becoming more aggressive. A blast of concentrated fire caught Avince's left side, burning through his cloak. The pain was immediate and intense, but he forced himself to keep moving.

He followed up with a barrage of attacks, seamlessly weaving ice and water magic together. A spear of ice shot forward, piercing deep into the monster’s molten body, and before it could recover, a jet of high-pressure water blasted into the wound, hissing violently as steam erupted into the air. The rapid cooling fractured the hardened lava, creating weak points that he immediately exploited with another ice lance. The monster roared in pain, its molten form struggling against the relentless assault. With each strike, its movements grew more sluggish, the cold seeping into its core, forcing it to fight against its own solidifying body.

But something was wrong. With each wound that closed, the monster's cores pulsed brighter. Its movements, though slower, carried more weight, more presence. The air around it began to shimmer with increasing intensity.

No time to waste. He needed to end this now, before the monster recovered completely..

Avince gathered his remaining mana for one final attack. Ice magic swirled around him, dropping the temperature so low that even the nearby lava flows began to cool. The monster charged forward, its body blazing like a miniature sun.

Avince transformed his hand one last time before casting a spell.

For a brief moment, a memory surfaced—his mother’s voice guiding him through his early training. He had been so focused on mastering ice magic back then, eager to push his limits. She had taught him this spell, warning him of its intensity, of the absolute stillness it could bring.

"Absolute Zero!"

The spell, one he had rarely used due to its immense mana cost, consumed every last drop of his energy to instantly lower the temperature to its absolute limit. A surge of frozen power erupted from his hands.

For a moment, everything stopped. The air itself seemed to freeze, crystals of ice forming and shattering in the same instant. The monster's charge faltered, its blazing form dimming as frost spread across its body like a creeping plague. Avince watched, heart pounding, as the creature's molten veins began to dim one by one.

Ice crept over its limbs with ruthless efficiency, locking them in place. The monster's thunderous roar turned weak, almost pitiful, as frost sealed its mouth. Its multiple cores flickered like dying embers, struggling against the encroaching cold. Deep cracks formed across its surface, a web of fractures spreading with each passing second. Steam hissed from the rapid cooling, and for the first time since the battle began, the oppressive heat from the monster began to fade.

Avince exhaled, chest heaving, allowing himself a small smile. The spell had worked better than he'd dared to hope. He could see it in the way the creature's glow had dimmed to almost nothing, in how its struggles grew weaker with each passing moment. Just a little more...

Then came the sound—a deep, resonating crack that shook the very air.

The ice exploded outward in a devastating shower of fragments. Flames burst forth from the monster's body, roaring back with renewed fury. The creature tore free of its icy prison with terrifying ease, its body blazing brighter than ever before.

It wasn't enough.

The creature's multiple cores flared simultaneously as if coming back to life, releasing a wave of heat that shattered the remaining ice and sent Avince flying backward. He slammed into a wall, his head cracking against the stone. Through blurry vision, he saw the monster approach.

This... this was a mid B-rank power. Equal to the dungeon's boss.

As the creature's burning fist descended, Avince felt a strange sensation. Death. It had been a while since he had last died in a dungeon—except for Althiel dispersing his soul. But this felt different. He could feel his soul taking actual damage, and in those final moments, as his consciousness faded, he sensed something else—his soul pulsing with new strength as the amulet worked to heal its wounds.

Then darkness took him, and he knew no more.

When he awoke later in his room, his soul ached, but at least he was alive. I'm fine, he told himself, though the lingering pain suggested otherwise. He had much to think about. The potion would have to wait. The real issue was that his soul felt strange—resonating oddly, as if something had shifted—and his mana was becoming even harder to control.

As he sat up, his eyes fell on his hand, where his mithril-coated ring should have been gleaming with its usual soft glow. Instead, a jagged crack ran through its surface, the once-active enchantment now utterly lifeless. With the enchantments, that thing was worth nearly a quarter million. Now? Just a broken ring.

He groaned. "That’s a quarter million down the drain

But before he could dwell on it further, the doorbell rang.

Who could that be? Avince muttered, pushing himself up. Then, he remembered—the Lightning Clan was supposed to send someone to teach him.

He made his way downstairs and opened the door, only to freeze in surprise. There were two people standing outside with what looked like their whole belongings in tow. One of them was familiar.

"Erica?" Avince asked, his brow furrowing.

Erica gave a shy wave. "Hi."

Beside her stood another young woman roughly around the same age as them, her black hair framing a fierce glare. Avince turned to her, his curiosity piqued.

"And you are?" he asked.

The girl crossed her arms, seemingly annoyed. "Katarina Surge. I'm supposed to teach you... somehow."