Somewhere on the world called Earth, one person walked through the city streets with unruly red hair and eyes like molten gold. A bag of chips crinkled in his hand with every step. This was 19-year-old Damien Cross—a charming, goofy, food-loving loner with a sharp mind and a temper that burned hotter than most. Not someone you'd want to catch on a bad day.
Munching a chip, Damien muttered to himself, deep in thought. "What am I even gonna do today? Maybe hit the arcade... Nah. Maybe try that new ramen spot... but I should save money. Should probably clean the apartment. Ugh."
He sighed, crunching into another chip. "Man, I hate adulting."
The city buzzed around him as he walked, towering buildings and honking cars forming a backdrop to his musings. He turned a corner near a neighborhood park and saw kids playing catch on the sidewalk, their laughter ringing out like little bursts of joy.
"Yo, did you guys do that math homework?" one of the kids asked as he caught the ball.
"Nah, math sucks," said another. "I'd rather play catch than think about algebra."
"School's so boring lately," a third said. "I just wanna be out here forever."
"Same," the first replied, tossing the ball with a grin. "But Mrs. Harrison says if I don't get my grades up, I can't go on the field trip."
The ball bounced from one kid to another, each throw a little wild.
"Next throw's mine!" one shouted.
"You always say that!"
Damien smirked as he passed, overhearing their chaotic opinions about school and who deserved the next throw. Their carefree voices stirred something in him.
"Guess it was easier being a kid," he muttered. "Even if school was hell."
But then—
The ball slipped through a kid's hands and rolled into the street.
"I'll get it!" the boy shouted, darting after it.
Damien's eyes widened. A truck was barreling down the road, swerving around cars, tires screaming.
The driver leaned on the horn. BEEEEEPPPPP!
The truck blasted through the city street, cutting off cars, blowing past red lights.
"MOVE!" Damien barked, but the kid hadn't heard him.
Instinct kicked in. He dropped the chips and sprinted.
Damien's thoughts raced.
No time. Can't let him die. Gotta move faster. Faster! Dammit, legs—don't you dare slow down!
The wind roared in his ears as he bolted.
The truck honked again. BEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP!
Come on, come on, almost there! Just a little more! Damien's eyes locked on the child.
He dove forward, arms outstretched. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he roared.
He reached the kid, shoved him clear—
CRASH.
A sharp impact. The world turned upside down.
Everything went black.
A few minutes later—maybe seconds, maybe eternity—Damien stirred.
His eyes blinked open slowly. Vision blurry. No pain. No sound. Just... nothing.
He sat up, breath shaky.
"Where the hell...?"
Around him stretched an endless void—black, cold, silent.
Is this a dream? A coma? Did I get hit that hard?
He stood up, his footsteps silent on the invisible surface beneath him.
Nothing here... just darkness. Not even stars. Just empty.
"Okay, think. I remember the truck... the kid... I got to him... then—"
FLASH.
Images exploded in his mind: the truck's blinding lights, the crushing force, the moment his body collided with metal.
Damien's breath caught.
"...I died."
He clenched his fists. Heat bubbled beneath his skin—anger, disbelief, frustration.
"HELLO!!!" he yelled, voice echoing off unseen walls. "Anyone?! Where am I?!"
Only silence responded.
This can't be it. No light at the end of the tunnel? No pearly gates? Just black nothing?
He paced, muttering.
"This is insane. I save one kid and I get tossed into the void? What kind of cosmic joke is this?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm not just gonna float here. There's gotta be something—someone."
As if summoned by his fury, a distant glimmer sparked ahead.
A light—tiny at first—then rapidly growing.
What is that? Damien's brow furrowed.
The light expanded, swirling and pulsing like a star caught in a storm.
Waves of heat radiated outward.
The light twisted, formed shapes, then flames—spirals of fire dancing outward like tendrils.
Damien instinctively took a step back. "Okay, now we're getting dramatic."
Is that a portal? Or... am I about to be incinerated?
The light surged forward, becoming a brilliant inferno rushing at him like a tidal wave.
"Whoa, WHOA—what the hell is that?!" Damien shouted.
He shielded his face with his arms, bracing for impact—
—but there was no pain. No burning.
He lowered his arms slowly. The black void was gone.
Now he stood in a breathtaking realm of fire—volcanic peaks in the distance, rivers of molten lava glowing beneath a smoky sky. Fire spirits floated lazily like embers in the air. The warmth here wasn't harsh—it embraced him like an old friend.
"What... just happened?"
He turned around, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Am I in... hell? Did I mess up that bad?"
At the center of the domain rose a grand obsidian staircase, glowing softly at the edges with ember light. At the top, on a massive throne that pulsed with heat and power, sat a woman who defied logic.
Her eyes burned molten red with golden flecks. Her hair cascaded like flowing fire, dancing between red, orange, and gold. Her skin shimmered with a golden-amber glow, radiant like smoldering coals. Her gown flickered and shifted like ever-burning flame woven with obsidian silk, runes glowing softly along its trim.
She watched him with an amused expression, head resting in one hand.
"Hello, my little flame," she said, voice smooth and crackling like firewood in a hearth.
Damien blinked. "…Who... who are you?"
The woman smiled, standing with majestic grace.
"Me? I am Ignara. Goddess of the Eternal Flame. And welcome... to my personal domain."
Damien's jaw tightened.
Goddess? Eternal Flame? What in the name of spicy jalapeño chips is going on?!
He looked around again. This place… it's beautiful, but I have no idea what's real anymore. Am I dead? Am I dreaming? Am I on fire and hallucinating in a hospital?
He turned back to her, mouth dry. "...What do you mean, your domain? Why am I here?"
Ignara's eyes gleamed.
Ignara looked down at Damien from her throne, her ember-glow eyes glinting mischievously. She giggled—a warm, melodic sound with a flicker of danger. "No, this is real, my little temper flame."
Damien stiffened, eyes narrowing. "You can hear my thoughts?"
Ignara's smile widened. "I can hear the sparks dancing in your head, yes."
He folded his arms, visibly annoyed. "Okay... why am I here? And are you really a goddess?"
Ignara leaned forward slightly, her tone playful. "Why yes, I am a goddess. The Goddess of Eternal Flame, to be precise. Everything you see here is real. And you, Damien Cross, are being offered a second chance at life."
His eyes widened. "A second chance?"
The words hit like thunder. A second chance? Why me? I'm just some hot-headed guy who eats too many chips and barely knows what to do with his life.
"I'm not important," he muttered. "Why me?"
Ignara giggled again, which only annoyed him more.
"What's so funny?" he snapped.
Ignara stood, her voice shifting to something deeper, more resonant. "You saved a child, knowing it would kill you. That moment... that flame of yours—it caught my attention."
Damien narrowed his eyes. "Okay, but how am I supposed to survive in some new world without any skills or powers?"
She began descending the stairs. Each step she took sent a pulse of heat rippling through the air. Her aura brightened with every motion, the air shimmering with intensity. The entire realm seemed to breathe in time with her.
Damien staggered slightly under the pressure of her divine presence.
What the hell is happening right now? She's glowing like the sun. And why do I feel like my bones are vibrating?
Now she stood before him, radiant and commanding. Her voice was soft, but every word ignited something inside him.
"I will give you a power you can't imagine," she said.
He glared at her cautiously. "What kind of power?"
The world around them shivered.
The floating embers froze in the air.
The flames stopped flickering.
The very heat held its breath.
Ignara raised a hand to her chest, eyes still locked with his—fierce, but strangely... tender.
Damien stepped back. "Wait... what are you doing?"
Without a word, she plunged her fingers into her own chest.
Damien gasped. "What the hell?!"
No blood spilled. No flesh tore. Instead, her golden skin split like melting metal, glowing brighter and brighter. Cracks of divine light spiderwebbed out from her chest. The very air crackled with the sound of reality warping.
She reached deep into herself, and then pulled something out.
A sliver of flame.
A jagged, shifting shard—like a dagger of living fire. It pulsed and twisted with life, flickering between molten gold, deep crimson, solar white, and shadowy black at the edges. Glass, lava, lightning, all fused together. It screamed and sang, a chorus of creation and destruction.
Damien collapsed to his knees—not from pain, but from the sheer presence of it.
What is this?! I can't move... it's like I'm staring into the first fire ever born...
His hands trembled as he tried to rise. "W-what... what is that? What's... happening to me?"
Ignara stepped forward, holding the shard aloft.
"This is no blessing," she said. "This is my flame—raw and untamed. It has burned angels, devoured kings... and now, it chooses you."
The shard floated from her palm, hovering slowly toward Damien's chest.
"This is the Sliver of my God Flame," she whispered.
Damien tried to move, but couldn't. He watched in frozen awe as the shard came closer...
...and then it struck.
Like a meteor.
Fire erupted from his chest, his back, his eyes, his mouth. A corona of divine flame consumed him. But it didn't kill him.
It rebuilt him.
His body cracked, shifted, reforged under the weight of pure divine power. The transformation was agony and ecstasy all at once.
What's happening?! It hurts... but I've never felt more alive!
The last thing he heard before everything went white was Ignara's voice:
"From this moment on, Damien Cross... the world will never again know peace where you walk."
Minutes passed.
The flame that engulfed Damien burst skyward like a beacon, splitting clouds, shaking the heavens. The ground cracked and burned where he had stood. Smoke and ash swirled violently.
When it cleared, a figure stood in the epicenter.
A silhouette first—then more.
It was Damien.
Flames coiled around his body like living serpents. His hair had deepened to crimson, fire-kissed at the ends. His eyes glowed like twin suns—crimson and gold.
Heat radiated off him in waves. The very air bent in his presence.
Ignara watched with a rare smile.
He's changed... the Embercore Flameheart accepted him. Good. This world has no idea what it's invited.
Damien looked down at his body. His hands trembled, then steadied.
This power... it's like nothing I've ever felt. It's like I'm finally complete.
He opened his palm. A flame danced to life.
Ignara's eyes gleamed. "How do you feel, my little temper flame?"
Damien turned to her, grinning.
"I feel... amazing. Light. Like I've finally woken up."
The flame in his hand grew brighter.
This is me. The real me. And I like it.
Ignara stepped closer. "Good. Let that fire guide you."
Suddenly, a flaming screen materialized in front of him—suspended in midair, written in shifting, fiery script.
Damien raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell is this now?"
Is this... a tutorial screen? Status window? Like some kind of game?
He leaned in to read it, flamelight reflecting in his eyes.
[SYSTEM WARNING...]
[ERROR: BALANCE SYSTEM DETECTED UNCLASSIFIED CORE. FORCING STATS TO RE-CALIBRATE...]
[WARNING: DAMAGE OUTPUT EXCEEDS RECOMMENDED WORLD LIMITS.]
Damien blinked, startled, as a loud hum vibrated through the air. A red, flaming screen burst into existence before him, covered in sharp, angular script that auto-translated into something more legible.
He stared at it, confused.
"What the hell...? Did I break the universe or something?"
Unclassified core? Recalibrating stats? What does that even mean? Damien rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting across the flickering text.
A second, more structured flaming screen materialized in front of him. This one was cleaner, organized—like a classic isekai-style RPG status window.
He leaned in to read.
Name: Damien Cross
Age: 19
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Level: 1
Class: Overpowered Fire Mage
Titles:
Flameborn of Ignara
Ashbringer
Reincarnated Anomaly
Godflame Vessel
Enemy of World Balance
He Who Burns Paths
Health Points (HP): MAX
Magic Points (MP): MAX
Strength: MAX
Agility: MAX
Endurance: MAX
Mana Core: Embercore Flameheart
Luck: MAX
Charm: Irresistible (according to Ignara)
Normal Skills:
Appraisal – Instantly assess the stats, strengths, and weaknesses of creatures, items, and people.
Danger Sense (EX) – Grants an almost precognitive awareness of immediate threats, allowing split-second reactions.
Enhanced Reflexes – Greatly improves reaction time and coordination in battle.
Flame Resistance MAX – Complete immunity to fire damage, natural or magical.
Pain Resistance MAX – Nullifies nearly all physical pain, enabling uninterrupted combat.
Night Vision – See clearly in total darkness.
Enhanced Vision MAX – Sharpened sight that detects motion, magical fluctuations, and invisible entities.
Ability Skills:
Flame Adaptation – Automatically adjusts the body to extreme heat environments and volatile energy fields.
Flame Overdrive – Temporarily boosts all physical and magical stats at the cost of gradual mana depletion.
Battle High – Increases combat prowess as adrenaline rises, compounding with each attack taken or landed.
Ember Dash – A high-speed flame-powered dash, leaving a burning trail that damages enemies.
Magic – Fire:
Fireball – A fast-casting, explosive orb of concentrated fire. Basic but scalable.
Flame Lance – A piercing spear of focused flame, capable of punching through steel and magical barriers.
Inferno Wave – A wide arc of blazing fire that incinerates anything in its path.
Blazing Wings – Summons wings of fire, enabling flight and midair combat.
Hell's Roar – Unleashes a deafening blast of fire and sound, stunning and burning enemies in all directions.
Fire Clone – Creates a flaming double that mimics Damien's movements and can explode on command.
Unique Skills:
Phoenix Rebirth – Upon receiving fatal damage, automatically resurrects Damien with restored health and increased stats. Usable once per day.
Firestorm Incarnate (Battle Mode) – Transforms Damien into a walking inferno, drastically boosting power and speed for a limited time.
Flame Sovereign Domain – A large-scale domain spell that turns the battlefield into Damien's fire-fueled realm, amplifying all flame abilities.
Crimson Judgment – Calls down a celestial beam of divine fire, judged based on the target's sins and intent.
Blazing God Fist – Channels divine fire into a single devastating punch capable of shattering magical defenses and armor alike.
Weapons:
Blazefang (Flame Katana)
Ember Gauntlets
Items:
Fire Goddess's Crystal
1,000,000,000 coins (Ignara's parting gift)
Damien just stood there, mouth half open. "Okay… WHAT?"
This... this can't be right. I'm a walking cheat code! Reincarnated anomaly? Enemy of World Balance? OVERPOWERED FIRE MAGE?!
He scrolled the window with his fingers, flame following his touch.
"This is insane," he muttered. "I've seen power fantasy anime, but this is ridiculous."
Ignara's voice echoed gently behind him. "Do you now understand what you've been given, my little temper flame?"
Damien turned, still overwhelmed. "You... gave me all this?"
Ignara nodded, her smile deep and knowing. "That Flameheart inside you isn't just a gift—it's a challenge. Those powers reflect who you truly are, or who you could become. Whether the world will burn or rise... is up to you."
Damien swallowed hard.
So this is it. I'm going to be sent into a new world, with this... this arsenal of fire. What do I even do with it? What should I be? Hero? Villain? Something else?
He closed the screen with a flick of his wrist, the flames vanishing in sparks.
Guess I'll find out soon enough.
Ignara watched Damien closely, her gaze soft but fierce, like a mother proud of her reckless, powerful child. She saw it in his eyes—the spark, the resolve, the thrill. He was ready.
She tilted her head, lips curling into a warm, mischievous smile. "You look ready, my little temper flame."
Damien looked back at her and smiled, confidence radiating from him like heat. "Yes, my goddess."
Ignara's smile deepened, her voice tinged with reverence and fire. "You'll be going to a world known as Elyndor. A realm of ancient magic, clashing kingdoms, divine mysteries, and untamed power. Show them what an overpowered flame truly is."
Damien's grin widened. "Elyndor, huh? Sounds like the perfect place for me. A whole new world to explore... and test what I can do."
He clenched his fists, feeling the Embercore Flameheart within him pulse like a living star. Let's see what this world has to offer. I'm not just surviving—I'm going to burn my mark into it.
"Good," Ignara said, her tone proud and resolute. "Now... are you ready?"
Damien gave her a sharp nod. "Yes, Goddess. I'm ready."
She raised a hand, fire flickering from her fingertips. "Then go. Good luck in the new world. Show them your power, my little temper flame."
Damien bowed slightly. "Yes, Goddess. Thank you."
With a snap of her fingers, fire surged beneath Damien's feet—and in an instant, he vanished.
Ignara stood silently in her domain, eyes fixed on the space he had just occupied.
A sliver of my divine core, a mortal soul, and a fire that won't go out... Let's see what you become, Damien Cross. The world has no idea what's coming.
A burst of shimmering light erupted deep in a quiet forest, and Damien materialized beneath a towering tree with leaves like emerald glass and bark that shimmered faintly with mana.
Birdsong echoed from the canopy. The air was fresh and alive with the hum of natural magic. Mana threads danced like invisible rivers in the atmosphere, brushing against Damien's skin with playful warmth.
A gentle breeze kissed his face.
Damien opened his eyes slowly, taking in the vast trees, the wildflowers glowing with arcane light, and the distant sound of a waterfall.
He smiled, deeply and freely.
This... this is it. My new beginning. A world of magic. Of chaos. Of power. I'm going to enjoy every second of it.
He took a deep breath. The mana felt clean, wild, and full of opportunity.
"I'm ready," he said aloud, voice steady, eyes sharp with purpose.
And with that, Damien took his first step forward, flame gently flickering at his heels.
To be continued...