The Mana Tools: Flaming Bracelets (D-Class) Have Been Unsealed]
Joe's eyes fixated on the glowing bracelets encircling the man's arms. Inscribed with intricate inscriptions, the mana tools exuded power. Out of six inscriptions, only two were active—one glowing faintly on each bracelet.
His hands trembled as vivid memories of the screams from the potion store flashed in his mind, raw and haunting. Despite his efforts to block them out, they persisted.
“How could you do that?” Joe’s voice cracked, his teeth clenched in fury. “You monster! How could you kill so many of them?”
The destruction had been devastating. Although Joe managed to save a few, the store had been overcrowded, and the flames spared no one. Only three survivors huddled behind him—saved purely by their proximity when the man unleashed his infernal attack.
The man smirked darkly. “No, you’re pointing your finger at the wrong person. The one you should blame is yourself.”
“What?” Joe’s voice faltered, his expression bewildered.
“Don’t act all shocked,” the man sneered. “We both know why those people died. If you hadn’t gotten involved, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Shut up!” Joe bellowed. “This is all your fault!”
In a blur, Joe’s figure vanished, leaving trails of darkness in his wake.
[You Have Activated The Skill: (Outsider’s Enhancement)]
[-50 Rank Points To Your Mana Pool]
[Current Mana Pool: 8 395]
[+20 Rank Points To Your Physical Attributes (Total:62)
[+30 Rank Points To Your Mana Attribute (Total: 75)
Joe reappeared on the man’s left side. “Crescent Moon Slash,” he whispered, swinging his blade in a horizontal arc, aiming to decapitate his opponent in a single, decisive strike.
The blade missed by a hair’s breadth. The man ducked just in time, allowing the edge to whistle harmlessly above his head. But Joe’s swing carried more than a physical attack. A crescent-shaped mana slash tore through the air, carving an entire store in half before Joe even realized the extent of his misstep.
“Shit,” Joe muttered as dread took hold.
His heart pounded as he scanned for survivors, praying he hadn’t just caused more deaths. No sounds emerged from the ruined building, suggesting no one had been inside. But the brief moment of hesitation cost him.
The man capitalized on Joe’s distraction, delivering a brutal punch to his unguarded stomach. The blow knocked the air out of Joe’s lungs, a searing heat burning through his core. [Burning Fist] His black blade fell from his grasp as a second uppercut struck his jaw with devastating force, sending him airborne. [Burning Fist]
Joe’s body spiraled uncontrollably through the sky. Before he could recover, an orb of flames engulfed him, searing his skin and tearing a scream from his throat. [Fireball] Moments later, he crashed into the ground, a fair distance away.
[The Black Sheep Has Reduced Fire's Effectiveness]
[The Black Sheep Is Adapting To The Element Of Fire]
Joe barely registered the notifications as his vision blurred, and his body radiated with pain. Were it not for the Black Sheep and his mana shielding him, he would’ve been ash.
“You know, kid,” the man sneered, “not many people pick a fight with one of Mikey’s top three fighters. You’ve got guts—if not outright stupidity. Most people run the moment they hear the name Stan the Bonfire.”
Joe forced himself to lift his head, but ash blurred his vision. He could still see Stan’s hands flickering with flames as the man grinned.
From the corner of his ear, Joe caught a frantic voice—a desperate plea. “Hurry up! Take all my blades, and don’t you dare leave a single one behind!”
It came from inside the Swordsmith store. People were still inside, alive, despite the chaos.
“Oh?” Stan’s gaze shifted briefly toward the building.
Joe’s heart sank. “Don’t—”
An orange glow gathered at Stan’s fingertip, condensing into a fiery orb.
[Stan Has Activated The Skill: (Flame Control)]
[The Mana Tools: Flaming Bracelets Have Enhanced Stan’s Flame Control]
“Don’t do it!” Joe shouted, panic lacing his words.
Stan’s grin widened. [Stan Has Activated the 'Branch Skill' (Fireblast)]
Boom!
The orb collided with the store, erupting into an inferno. The screams of those trapped inside rose in agony before fading into silence. Joe watched helplessly as the Mana Signatures of the people inside blinked out of existence.
Stan chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with malice. “You hear that? That’s the sound of fire. Fire is a beautiful thing, you know—it’s pure entertainment!”
Joe clenched his fists, his body trembling. A sadistic smile played across Stan’s face as his laughter echoed amidst the carnage.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
A surge of mana erupted from Joe, and the confident smirk on Stan’s face began to fade. The mana climbed higher, intensifying with each passing second, an overwhelming presence that seemed without limit.
[-300 Rank Points Have Been Deducted From Your Mana Pool]
[Current Mana Pool:8 095]
Joe rose to his feet, his entire form cloaked in a shroud of darkness. A glowing light materialized in his right hand, solidifying into a dagger that fit perfectly into his palm. He gripped the weapon tightly, his piercing glare locking onto Stan. The pain that had wracked his body moments ago no longer mattered. One singular thought consumed him.
I'll kill him.
Stan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No, that’s insane! How can a single kid possess that much mana? It’s impossible!” He staggered backward, his earlier confidence crumbling into fear.
“Apologize!” Joe’s voice boomed, commanding and unrelenting.
Stan flinched, visibly shaken, he took another step back, struggling to regain his composure. His eyes remained wide, panic etched across his face.
[The Mana Tool: Scorching Dagger (C-Class) Has Been Unsealed]
[1 Seal Has Been Removed]
[+15 Rank Points Have Been Added To The Scorching Dagger]
[-25 Rank Points To Your Mana Pool Rank Points]
[Current Mana Pool:8 070]
The dagger’s glow radiated a deep, fiery red, blending with the dark mana swirling around Joe. The resulting contrast painted an ominous, vivid aura that seemed to pulse with malice.
“You’re not going to apologize?” Joe’s steps were slow and deliberate as he advanced toward Stan.
Stan’s hands ignited, flames wrapping around them in a desperate display of power.
[Stan Has Activated The Skill (Flame Control)]
[The Mana Tools: Flame Bracelets Have Enhanced Stan’s Flame Control]
“Stay back! Stay back!” Stan shouted, his voice trembling.
[Stan Has Activated The 'Branch Skill' (Fireball)]
[Stan Has Activated The 'Branch Skill' (Fireball)]
[Stan Has Activated The 'Branch Skill' (Fireball)]
[Stan Has Activated The 'Branch Skill' (Fireball)]
A barrage of fireballs erupted from Stan’s hands, hurtling toward Joe in rapid succession.
Joe’s pace never faltered. Each step forward was steady, precise, and unwavering. Flames erupted from his dagger in response.
[You Have Activated The Scorching Dagger's Skill (Flame Severing)]
[Mana Tool: Scorching Dagger Flame Strenghth And Speed (Total:315)]
One by one, Joe slashed through the fireballs with surgical precision. Each strike cleaved the fiery projectiles cleanly in half, scattering their flames harmlessly to the sides.
Stan watched in disbelief as his attacks were rendered useless. “No... stay back!” he screamed, his voice laced with desperation.
The flames around Stan’s hands grew larger and more unstable, engulfing his arms in searing heat.
[The Mana Tools: Flaming Bracelets Are Struggling To Maintain The Mana Overload]
[The Flaming Bracelets Can No Longer Enhance Stan’s Flame Control]
Stan’s next attacks were erratic, the orbs of fire large but uneven, each one conjured at great cost. Without the bracelets to stabilize his power, the flames burned his arms with every attempt.
Yet he didn’t stop. His desperation outweighed his pain, and he continued to hurl fire at Joe with everything he had.
It was futile.
Joe cut through every single orb with the same cold precision, his dagger blazing as it carved through the onslaught. Not a single attack reached him.
Stan’s breath hitched, his movements faltering. He knew then, with absolute certainty.
There was no stopping him.
[You Have Activated The Skill: (Outsider’s Enhancement)]
[+120 Rank Points To Your Physical Attributes (Total:162)]
[+180 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes (Total:225])
Joe appeared in front of Stan in a single, lightning-fast step. His fist drove into Stan’s gut with unrelenting force, sending blood spewing from his mouth as he collapsed to his knees. Clutching his stomach, Stan struggled to suppress the pain that wracked his body.
“Apologize! Apologize for what you’ve done!” Joe’s voice boomed, filled with raw fury.
Stan raised his trembling head, his horrified eyes locking onto Joe’s. But as he gazed into them, he didn’t see a man.
He saw a monster.
“I’m sorr—”
Before Stan could finish, Joe’s fist came crashing down on his skull, slamming his head against the rocky ground. Blood trickled from a fresh wound on Stan’s forehead as he fought to lift his head again.
Joe stared down at him, his voice cold and unwavering. “That was wrong of me. I shouldn’t ask you to apologize. What I want... is for you to scream.”
“What?” Stan croaked, barely able to comprehend.
“That’s right. I want you to scream the same way they did! Wouldn’t that be... entertainment?”
“Please, I won’t do it again, I promise! I’ll even take you to Mikey—he’s the reason we—”
“Ignite.”
Joe’s single word cut Stan off, his tone like an executioner’s decree. Flames erupted violently from the Scorching Dagger, engulfing Stan in an inferno.
Stan’s screams tore through the air, echoing across the entire town.
Joe watched with a chilling detachment, a smile creeping onto his face.
Stan thrashed and rolled in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames. The searing heat intensified, burning through his very essence. Yet through the fire and agony, one image remained burned into his mind—Joe’s unrelenting smile.
As the inferno consumed him, Stan’s screams began to fade. His final thoughts were a desperate warning.
"Watch out, Mikey! This kid is not normal. I can see it in his eyes... this kid’s flames will devour everything. You have to kill him, or...."
Stan’s cries ceased, his body reduced to ash, scattered by the wind.
[You Have Slain A Human Native]
[+12,000 Rank Points]
[Rank Up Progress: 11[12,000/40,000 Rank Points Required]
Joe’s mana dissipated, his smile vanished, and the Scorching Dagger disappeared from his hand. His body gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, his head hanging low.
[The Mana Tool: Scorching Dagger Has Been Added To Your nventory]
Tears welled up in Joe’s eyes. The stoic mask he had worn during the fight shattered, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.
The weight of the screams, the guilt, the destruction—it all bore down on him like an unbearable burden. His heart felt like it was being torn apart.
It hurt. Everything hurt so much.
“You can’t stop.”
A warm presence wrapped around Joe, holding him in a gentle embrace. He didn’t need to turn around to recognize the voice.
“I know it hurts,” Shelly said softly, her voice trembling. “I know it does, but you can’t stop. Not yet. You’ll find your family, won’t you?”
“But Shelly...” Joe’s voice cracked, his tears flowing freely.
“You can’t stop, Joe. Even if you resent yourself. Even if you want to die.” Her arms tightened around him. “Someone once told me... you carry the hatred, you carry the resentment, and you keep pushing forward.”
Joe felt her tears drip onto his shoulder, her presence a comforting warmth amidst his turmoil.
Five minutes passed in silence before Joe finally regained his composure. By then, they had separated, and Shelly sat a few steps away, watching him quietly.
He finished wiping his tears and managed to mutter, “Thanks...”
Shelly smiled warmly. “I’m just returning the favor. You’re doing all right?”
Joe exhaled deeply, his determination returning. “I’ll be okay. I just want one thing... Can you help me? Help me destroy this Mikey bastard and all his little friends!”
A flicker of memory crossed Shelly’s mind—a memory of John, the kid she saw earlier, his tears and fear was so vivid. Only a monster could force child to do such a thing.
“Let’s do it!” she said with a firm nod.
They bumped fists in a gesture of solidarity. In that moment, everything was decided.
Joe and Shelly would bring down Mikey, no matter the cost—even if it meant turning the entire town upside down.