The forests of Bosco were thick with mist. Birdsong echoed between the trees, faint and melancholic, like a distant memory, but to Kai, it only sounded lonely. He walked the dirt roads with a slow, steady pace, the morning sun barely warming his tattered cloak. His boots were worn from days of walking, and a battered scarf was wrapped around his neck—one of the few gifts he had received from a kindly old merchant weeks ago after helping to ward off a pack of wild beasts. Everywhere he went, trouble seemed to follow.
Helping Along the Way
At a farming village plagued by rogue wolves, Kai stepped in quietly, using his Earth Seismic Sense—a skill that allowed him to feel vibrations in the ground—to track the creatures and Fire Dragon Rush to drive them off. At a mountain town battered by mudslides, he used Stalagmite Rush to stabilize the crumbling hillsides. He never stayed long. Just enough to help. Then he moved on.
Kai wasn't looking for fame or gratitude. Truthfully, he didn't know what he was looking for.
Ignarax... He caught himself thinking about the magma dragon often—his gruff laugh, his booming voice that masked genuine affection, the endless lectures about magic, survival, and strength. There were nights when Kai slept under the open stars and imagined he heard Ignarax's voice again. It made the cold feel a little less sharp. But dreams faded quickly in the real world.
After nearly a month of wandering, Kai arrived at a misty riverside town near Bosco's western border. Beyond that river, somewhere hidden by dense forests and winding roads, lay Fiore—the land of guilds, adventure, and maybe, a new future. Kai lingered at the town's edges, reluctant to cross just yet. He spent the evening helping some villagers reinforce the crumbling walls around their fields, repairing them with quick bursts of earth magic. He thought he'd move on quietly in the morning. He was wrong.
The alarm bells rang just before dawn. Kai jolted awake on the haystack he had collapsed into the night before. Through the window, he saw them: dozens of Vulcans—large, grotesque, fur-covered beasts with gleaming eyes and heavy, smashing fists—charging out of the mist toward the town walls. Shouts of terror rose from the villagers. A handful of poorly armed guards ran to intercept, but it was clear—they were hopelessly outnumbered.
No choice. Kai bolted from the barn, landing on the dirt with a thud. Flames curled around his fists. No hesitation. This wasn't a battle for glory. It was to help the villagers who had given him shelter.
The first wave broke against him like a tidal wave. Kai moved on pure instinct:
"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!!" — blazing twin strikes knocked Vulcans aside.
"Stalagmite Rush!" — stone spears impaled charging beasts.
"Earth Dragon's Roar!" — pulverizing debris flattened others.
His True Sight burned in his eye socket, predicting attacks and glimpsing faint magic threads before they moved. Yet it wasn't enough. The Vulcans adapted, swarming from the sides, using brute force to break into homes, dragging people out screaming. Kai's chest heaved. Gotta stop them…!
The earth cracked under his feet. Kai raised both arms skyward.
"Lava Zone!!" The ground melted in wide circles, turning into fields of molten lava that trapped and burned the slower Vulcans alive. He dashed forward, weaving through the chaos, creating a flame wall to shield villagers running for safety, using Fire Dragon Rush to intercept enemies closing in, and Crater Step to collapse the main road, bottlenecking enemy movements.
Kai fought like a whirlwind—fire, earth, and magma swirling together. But the sheer numbers wore him down. Sweat stung his eyes. His muscles screamed.
Then the Alpha Vulcan arrived—a monstrous creature, twice the size of the others, covered in battle scars, its mouth twisted into a cruel grin. It roared, unleashing a shockwave of magic power that flattened a dozen trees. Kai grimaced. No holding back. He stomped the earth.
"Magma Dragon's Roar!!" The molten blast slammed into the beast, but it charged through, swinging a massive club. Kai sidestepped by inches, feeling the air rip apart beside him. His instincts—sharpened by True Sight—screamed. He countered with Eruption Coil, magma bursting from his arm as he punched directly into the Alpha's gut. The explosion sent it stumbling back, but it wasn't down.
Kai grit his teeth, flames licking from his skin. "One more," he whispered. Drawing in every last shred of magic he could muster, Kai lunged.
"Magma Dragon Slayer Sacred Art: Execution Fang!!" A thin, gleaming arc of magma ripped through the Alpha's chest. The beast took two stumbling steps... then collapsed, its insides boiling.
The battlefield was silent again. Ashes floated on the morning air like snow. Kai dropped to one knee, breathing raggedly. His magic was spent. His body screamed for rest. He didn't even flinch when he heard horses approaching.
The Boscon Knights rode into view, halting at the devastation laid before them. The captain's eyes widened behind his helm. "This... all of this... done by one boy?" A younger knight swallowed hard. "Sir... he's just a kid." "A kid that somehow killed a bunch of monsters," the captain muttered. He dismounted and approached carefully, sword lowered.
Meanwhile, in the village, whispers grew among the survivors. "The Dragon Kid," someone said in awe. "He fought like the dragons of the old stories." "He saved us…" "Or cursed us," an old woman muttered darkly. "Power like that brings trouble." Still, when Kai was led into town under the Knights' guard, the villagers offered him bread, water, whatever thanks they could muster. They owed him their lives.
Kai lay in the infirmary inside the village's chapel, the ceiling spinning above him. Bandages wrapped his arms and torso, more from bruises and exhaustion than serious wounds. Someone had placed a warm blanket over him. He could smell fresh bread nearby, but he didn't have the strength to eat. Through the half-open door, he heard the low murmurs of the Boscon Knights.
"We've confirmed it, Captain," one soldier said, his voice low and grim. "The Vulcan horde wasn't acting naturally. A rogue mage tried a Takeover ritual in the nearby mountains... lost control mid-spell." Another soldier chimed in, "The magic infused one of the Vulcans—an Alpha. Turned it rabid. Made it a rallying point. The rest just… followed the strongest." The captain cursed under his breath. "Fools messing with powers they don't understand. A failed Takeover on a beast that size... it's a wonder the whole border didn't fall." They stood in silence a moment, glancing back toward the chapel. "And if not for that boy," the younger knight said, voice almost reverent, "we would've lost a lot of villages." The captain only nodded grimly.
Kai stirred, pushing himself up slowly. His body ached in ways he hadn't known possible. He called out, hoarse, "Takeover...?" The soldiers jumped slightly, realizing he was awake. One of the knights, kinder-faced than the others, stepped closer. "Takeover magic," he explained. "It lets a mage absorb and transform into another creature—beast, demon, even human traits. But it's risky. If the target resists, or if the caster is too weak…" He gestured vaguely. "It backfires."
Kai nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Magic that lets you become the enemy... but also lose yourself to it. He tucked that knowledge away quietly. It sounded dangerous... and interesting.
The captain approached next, arms crossed. "You," he said, not unkindly. "You're no ordinary mage. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Kai hesitated. He didn't want to lie outright, but telling them about Ignarax and dragons felt weird, as most people just laughed at him when he did. "I trained on my own," he said simply. "I have been traveling for a long time. Heading toward Fiore." "Fiore?" The captain raised an eyebrow. Kai nodded. "I heard they have guilds there. Places that take in mages. ...Maybe a place for someone like me." The knights exchanged glances.
Knights' POV (Internal Thoughts)
Guilds, huh... The captain thought grimly. Bosco has guilds, sure—small ones. Tavern brawlers, monster hunters. But nothing... nothing that could raise a monster like him properly. Or stop him if he ever lost control. He looked at Kai—worn, battered, but alive—and felt a strange twist of respect. A kid... too big for our forest.
The captain finally sighed and clapped a hand onto Kai's shoulder—gently, given the boy's injuries. "You're right. Fiore's your best path. We'll arrange safe passage for you. There's a merchant ship heading there tomorrow." Kai blinked, surprised by the kindness. He nodded gratefully. "Thank you," he said simply. "You've done more than enough for Bosco," the captain said firmly. "Let the next chapter of your story begin across the sea."
Two days later, under a rising sun, Kai stood aboard a small merchant vessel, watching the coastline of Bosco disappear into the fog. The scarf around his neck flapped in the sea breeze.
He didn't know what Fiore held—only that it was a land of guilds, a land of magic. A land where maybe, just maybe... he could find a place to belong. The wind shifted. Kai smiled faintly. I'm coming.