"AAAAHHHH!!!" They charged, shouting, cursing, and screaming. In that moment, they forgot about plans and tactics, charging blindly at their foe.

The leader, Josh, charged with the intention of slamming Aron with his shield. However, Aron smirked at his pitiful attempt and swiftly extended his greataxe's length by holding it from the knob. With the lower tip of the blade, he grabbed Josh's shield like a hook, pulling him forward and causing him to lose balance.

Lost in anger, Josh didn't realize that his shield was hooked by the greataxe until it was too late. He missed his strike and stumbled past Aron without landing a hit. An arrow flew past Aron, missing him completely. With a decent distance, Aron gazed at the archer and sighed inwardly.

His attention was then caught by an iron greatsword from the side, wielded by a fighter aiming for a side strike. Aron easily blocked the attack with his black greataxe, but he felt that the fighter possessed decent strength.

"Oh!... Not bad. But... not enough."

He swiftly flipped his greataxe in a half-circle, effectively disarming the fighter. The fighter froze in shock, unable to believe how easily he had lost his weapon. He stared at his empty hands for a moment before a kick to the face snapped him out of his stupor, sending him rolling on the ground.

"Losing your weapon in a fight is a death sentence," Aron lectured in a teaching tone. He then noticed the iron greatsword in his hands and felt something strange about it.

"This sword is heavy! But how?" Aron questioned.

The reason for Aron's confusion is that the iron greatsword was smaller in size than his black one, and logically, it should have been lighter. Aron could raise the two black weapons with both hands, but the iron one required both hands just to hold it effectively.

"Hmm? Why?... could it be?"

Aron glanced at the fighter, who had just stood back up, and then looked at his greataxe for a second before deciding to try something.

"Hey! You there! Catch!" he shouted, throwing the greataxe at the fighter.

"!!!" The fighter didn't have time to think. He instinctively reached out to grab the greataxe, but as soon as he laid hands on it, both he and the greataxe fell to the ground.

"Heh?... What the?" The greataxe was so heavy that the fighter couldn't raise or move it even an inch.

Aron raised his eyebrows in disbelief. He honestly hadn't expected this outcome, but it led him to wonder, "Are these two black weapons special in some way? But how?"

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden change in the air behind him. He turned around and saw the female rogue leaping from a branch to a tree. Aron held the iron greatsword in two hands and prepared for a strike as she approached.

Cling. Cling.

Suddenly, Aron heard the sound of chains nearby. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw some chains wrapped around his weapon. He followed the chains with his eyes and saw the leader, Josh, holding a mace in his right hand. The mace was a magical weapon with a chain attached, allowing its length to be adjusted at the user's will.

Aron didn't have much time to admire the weapon as the rogue descended upon him. He used her arm to shield his face, but she managed to pierce his forearm with her daggers. Before Aron could react, she quickly jumped back, creating some distance between them. Aron dropped the iron greatsword and took a step forward, but he fell to his knees as an arrow pierced his ankle, despite wearing iron boots.

In a blink of an eye, Aron found himself surrounded by earth magic, forming a dome around him. Inside the dome, the ground beneath him glowed with runes before fire burst forth, engulfing him. The flames danced around him within the earth dome, leaving him no chance to escape, or so they thought.

The group relaxed for a bit, letting their guard down. Josh, the leader, began berating his companions.

"Damnit!... Finally!... Hey! You," he pointed at the fighter. "Are you stupid or what? How could you let him take your weapon so easily?... And you!"

He shifted his gaze to the rogue. "Have your senses turned numb? How could you not sense that he was hiding in that bush? And you, girl, use your damn magic! Not only did you fail to cast support spells on us, but he also destroyed your magic with ease! What kind of shit spell is that? If it weren't for my actions, you would never have had a chance to trap him. Fucking amateurs! You should all pray that I don't fire you the moment we set foot in town."

Josh vented his frustration on his companions, angry at how easily Aron had sown fear and chaos among them. Yet, deep inside, Josh still felt fear. Aron emitted a terrifying aura, and Josh was certain he would die if he fought him. However, seeing Aron trapped and seemingly burning alive inside the earth dome brought him a sense of relief.

The group members shuddered at their leader's words. They gritted their teeth and clenched their fists, cursing him inwardly. They were all frustrated and tired of how Josh treated them, but they knew they couldn't do anything about it. The mage, in particular, felt helpless. This was her first task, and she couldn't afford to anger the leader further.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"How long will this take?" Josh's angry voice shook the mage girl.

"F-Few minutes, Boss!" she hesitated to answer at first.

"You! Use your skills to check if he's dead." Josh ordered the rogue to utilize one of her abilities.

…

Inside the earth's dome.

Fire surrounded Aron's body like a protective cover or cloak, and he felt comfortable and relaxed.

"Hmmm... Warm... belong... Fire is home?" His mind became hazy as he let his instincts guide him. Aron opened his mouth and started absorbing the fire inside him, and as he did, multiple system messages appeared.

[Your primal instincts are awakened]

[Information about your race has been detected.]

[Primal skill detected]

[Skill: Dragon Breath]

…

"Hmm?! Hey boss, I can't detect any life inside," the rogue spoke as she placed her ear against the dome.

Josh, the leader, smiled and nodded. "Good. You, mage! Prepare to cancel your spell," he ordered.

Crack. Crack.

"Heh?" The rogue heard a cracking sound coming from inside the dome. She focused her senses, trying to figure out what it was. Unfortunately...

Crack. BOOM!

A hand wrapped in flames suddenly emerged from inside. The hand swiftly grabbed the rogue's face, covering her mouth.

"Hmmm!!!" The female rogue wanted to scream and call for help, but she felt something extremely hot entering her mouth, melting her from the inside.

"!!!" The group was shocked to witness one of their members burning from within as fire exploded outward. The woman fell to the ground motionless, unable to even scream, as her throat and everything inside her had completely melted.

The fighter, who was closest to her, saw the flaming hand quickly retracting into the dome, snapping out of his shock. He ran toward the rogue to check on her, but she was already dead.

"Grrr!..." From inside the dome, a low growl mixed with the crackling of fire could be heard. The fighter glanced at the hole caused by the flaming hand and saw only darkness. He felt drawn to it and kept gazing into the darkness until two flaming crimson eyes flashed toward him. In the next second, he saw a bright red light rising from the bottom, stopping just under the two flaming eyes. The red light grew brighter and brighter until...

BOOOOM!.

"What?!"

"Hiiii!"

A massive burst of red flames obliterated everything in its path. Nothing remained of the two unfortunate group members, not even their ashes.

ROAAAR!

A mighty roar from the beast inside the dome shook the ground, sending terror into the hearts of men.

The crimson flames vanished in an instant, leaving only black charcoal marks in their place. No trees, rocks, grass, or even the ashes of the two group members were left behind.

A man emerged from the darkness of the dome, his eyes blazing with crimson fire, flames wrapping around his fists, melting the iron greatsword. Only half of it remained, as drops of liquid metal left a trail behind.

Aron gazed at the remaining members of the group, their faces as pale as the dead and their bodies shaking from fear. The mage girl fell to her knees, mumbling something constantly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Nice try, but too bad it didn't work against me. I am Fire, and Fire is a part of me. Now..." His deep voice resonated throughout the area as he displayed a predatory smile before making his move.

"...It's my turn."

As if that were the trigger for Josh and the archer to feel like their lives would end if they didn't kill the man in front of them, Josh took a defensive position and clenched his fist, hiding behind his shield, ready to withstand any hits. The archer, on the other hand, prepared his strongest magical arrow. He took a stance, nocked the arrow, and drew back the bowstring.

"Annoying!"

"Heh?" The archer widened his eyes in shock as he saw a molten half-iron sword flying toward him at incredible speed. He didn't have time to react as the sword pierced his chest, causing him to drop dead instantly.

'...How did he survive that?... Shit! No time to think; I need to get out of here!' After witnessing all his group members getting killed, only the mage girl remained, though she was in a terrible state. Josh desperately tried to think of a way to escape and regroup with his men in town. Surely this man couldn't take on an entire squad of well-trained mercenaries. However, Josh's immediate concern was simply reaching the town in the first place.

Aron disappeared, leaving behind a trail of flames. In an instant, he reappeared behind the mage girl.

"!!!" Before the girl could plead for her life, Aron struck her on the neck, rendering her unconscious.

"Only you," Aron said, flashing a smile as he gazed at Josh, who was hiding behind his shield. Aron slammed his fists together, causing the red flame to grow bigger and brighter. Then he dashed toward Josh.

The impact of Aron's flaming fist against the shield was far stronger than Josh could handle. He fell to one knee, dropped his mace, and held the shield with both hands, desperately trying to withstand the barrage of hits.

"....HAHAHAHA... More! Give me more FUN... I'm just getting started... HAHAHAH~" Aron laughed like a maniac as he relentlessly punished the steel shield. Aron was having fun, and his thirst for battle was being fulfilled.

Crack Crack.

"I-Impo... Impossible!!" Josh's eyes widened as he witnessed the cracks forming on his shield. The realization hit him hard, and he was utterly shocked that the enchanted shield, designed to increase its defense, couldn't even last a few seconds.

Aron prepared to strike again, his flaming fist growing in size and intensity

BOOOM!.

The shield shattered into countless pieces. Time seemed to slow down for Josh as he saw the flaming fist coming toward his face. He couldn't move, react, or even scream.

THUMP.

Aron's fist connected with Josh's face, sending him flying through the air. The impact was so strong that Josh crashed into a tree, leaving a visible dent on the trunk.

"Tsk... Too bad I was having fun," Aron clicked his tongue, his interest in the fight disappeared the moment he broke the shield.

"Anyway, I have important things to do; Raum should be back soon."

Aron walked over to where Josh lay unconscious, raised his flaming hand, and...

SLAP!.

"Wake up, fool! I have some questions for you," Aron demanded, his voice carrying a mix of authority and menace.

Josh immediately woke up upon feeling the burn mark on his face; the scent of his own burnt flesh terrified him to the core. His survival instincts kicked in, and he began pleading for his life, desperate to escape the clutches of this monster.

"P-Please spare me! I was wrong. If you let me go, I promise..." Josh stammered, and honestly, he just wanted to get back to town and rally all of his men and get revenge on Aron.

"Shhh... It's fine. You just need to answer a few questions," Aron interrupted, his tone momentarily softer, causing Josh to relax slightly. If answering just a few questions can save his life, he can do that.

"..But!" This word sent a shiver down Josh's spine. As Aron placed his flaming hand on Josh's head, locking eyes with his crimson gaze, Josh couldn't help but hold his breath, preparing for what came next.

"I'll burn a piece of your flesh each time you lie to me, delay your answer, or try to play for time. Understood?" Aron threatened with a gentle yet terrifying smile for Josh. He didn't wait for him to respond; if he's smart, he'll know what's best for him.

"Good. Now what do you know about certain people with Rat tattoos?"