After he cast the spell, a dark green flame erupted, enveloping Mav’s entire body. He barely had a second to test it, so expanding the flame wasn’t an option. Instead, he scraped the sharp rock against the flame covering his palm. Rather than cutting into his skin or injuring him, the rock chipped away as if it had been ground against solid concrete.

Just as quickly as the flame appeared, it vanished. He examined his palm closely. "Not even a scratch. I couldn’t even feel it," he thought, a mixture of relief and excitement bubbling inside him.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more he could do to test it. He tried punching a tree several times, but instead of obliterating the bark, as his other skill had done, it left only a few deep marks. His fist remained unscathed, feeling as if it had been encased in impenetrable stone.

The sun was still low; too early to head back. Mav continued his routine—pushups, curl-ups, running—using the familiar burn in his muscles to clear his mind.

But as he ran, a thought stopped him in his tracks. "Wait a minute," he realized. "There’s one more skill I haven’t tried yet."

He opened his status box and scrolled down until he found what he was looking for:

Skill Name: Dark Red Nuke (Maximum) lvl. 1/120

Description: Summons a volatile dark red flame that ignites into a powerful explosion within a wide radius upon the caster's command, incinerating everything within its reach with intense heat and explosive force.

Manacost: 120

Cooldown: 120 seconds

He glanced at his mana—117/120. "Thirty-six minutes," he noted, resuming his run to let his mana recover.

When his mana was fully restored, he returned to the usual rock, climbing it as he let the weight of his thoughts settle in.

If I use this, I’ll deplete all my mana again, he reasoned with himself. But I’ve already pushed my limits multiple times—before healing Mom, and especially yesterday. Surely, my body is used to it now.

Despite his rationalizing, uncertainty gnawed at him. The skill’s description was intense—far more dangerous than anything he’d tried before. He didn’t even know how strong the explosion would be or how far it would reach.

His mother’s voice echoed in his mind, soft yet firm, urging caution. "Don’t push yourself too far," she’d said. Her worried eyes haunted him now, guilt gnawing at his resolve. He knew he was crossing a line, but the pull of the unknown was too strong to resist.

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

"Forgive me, Mom," he thought, "But I just need to know what I’m capable of."

"If I mess up, I’ll just run again," he decided, recalling the last time he’d sprinted back with nearly no mana left.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Mav muttered, slapping both his cheeks to shake off any remaining hesitation.

But he didn’t want to waste the opportunity. He could only use this skill once today, and the mana cost would drain him completely. An idea—a reckless one—sparked in his mind. With a determined nod, he began walking, not back toward the village, but deeper into the forest.

The trees grew denser as he walked, their shadows casting long, eerie patterns on the ground. Soon, he reached a small creek.

“This is the farthest I’ve ever gone in this forest,” he murmured. “If I cross this, I’m stepping into the unknown.”

He jumped across, his feet landing on unfamiliar ground. As he ventured further, he marked each tree he passed with the small knife he’d brought, ensuring he wouldn’t get lost. Every step quickened his heartbeat.

Suddenly, he stopped. In the distance, he noticed some movement. Instinctively, he hid behind a nearby tree, straining his eyes to make out the shapes. He could barely see anything from this distance, but an idea struck him.

He peeked out, focusing on the movements, then whispered, “Dark Yellow Transcendence.” For a brief moment, his vision zoomed in on the target. What he saw made his heart skip a beat—it was a pack of Gray Wolves, feasting on the body of a dead Giant Boar.

His pulse quickened, pounding in his ears as he quickly ducked back behind the tree. Every few moments, he peeked out to observe the wolves, then hid again. His mind raced with anticipation.

He glanced at his mana—119/120 after using the skill. “Twelve minutes,” he whispered, feeling every second stretch into an eternity. The tension mounted as he continuously checked the wolves’ movements and his mana. Finally, it ticked back up to 120/120.

Mav’s heart pounded even harder now, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Every instinct screamed at him to stop, to turn back. The weight of his choice pressed heavily on him now. But he had already made up his mind.

After a few more peeks to ensure the wolves were still there, he forced himself to calm down. He placed a hand over his chest, controlling his breathing, and closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, with a final deep breath, he extended his right arm toward the pack. His voice shook as he whispered, “Dark Red Nuke.”

The explosion that followed was deafening. A dark red fireball erupted, consuming everything in its path. The blast was so powerful that even from a distance, the shockwave made Mav’s ears ring, his hair whipped by the force of the explosion. Dust, rock, and splinters flew in every direction, forcing him to take cover behind the tree once more.

When the dust settled and the air cleared, Mav peeked out again. Where the wolves had been was now a massive, smoldering crater. Nothing was left—not a single tree, not a blade of grass, and certainly no sign of the wolves.

Mav stood in awe, feeling the residual heat from the explosion on his skin. The forest around him was eerily silent, as if nature itself was stunned by the destruction. The power he unleashed both thrilled and terrified him. "This... this is what I'm capable of?" he whispered, trembling slightly.