Rue stood at the scene of her massacre, the air had returned to regular temperatures with her application of flaming aura, helping to heal most of her wounds in the process. The ground was coated in a thick layer of dark ash and the few trees and bushes turned to grey skeletons. The wolf corpses were burned beyond recognition but the three dragon corpses were simply coated in a fine layer of ash.

After her long fight and large mana expenditure Rue was starving, she refused to eat other dragons and the wolf meat was crumbling like charcoal at her touch. She sniffed in the clearing but smelled nothing but smoke, her nostrils tingling with the ash. She would have to go hunting to fill her belly, both to regrow her scales and skin. No growth would be found on an empty stomach.

She would return to the goblin cave, she still remembered the direction, and mark it as her temporary den. Then she would reap the rewards of her battle.

It didn’t take long for her to find the goblin cave again, the outside clearing smelling of fire and death, the charred bodies still lying about. Rue didn’t want to attract any visitors while she was checking her rewards, not that any would likely come to such a place. Even some of the most desperate predators would avoid such a smell of death. But for now, she ignored the carnage and entered the cave.

The cave itself was as empty and black as she remembered and as usual she curled up to receive her rewards.

Ding! For Slaying [Wolf Lv12] x2 In Combat +214xp

Ding! For Slaying a Foe [8] Levels Below Your Own [-8%] xp -17xp

Ding! Total Xp +197xp

……

……

……

Ding! For Slaying [Wolf Lv20] x1 In Combat +286xp

Ding! Total Xp +286xp

Ding! For Slaying [Green Dragon Lv15] x1 In Combat +164xp

Ding! For Slaying a Foe [5] Levels Below Your Own [-5%] xp -8xp

Ding! Total Xp Earned From Combat Encounters +156xp

Ding! For Slaying [Green Dragon Lv18] x1 In Combat +233xp

Ding! For Slaying a Foe [2] Levels Below Your Own [-2%] xp -5xp

Ding! Total Xp Earned From Combat Encounters +228xp

Ding! For Slaying [Green Dragon Lv19] x1 In Combat +259xp

Ding! For Slaying a Foe [1] Levels Below Your Own [-1%] xp -3xp

Ding! Total Xp Earned From Combat Encounters +256xp

Ding! Total Xp Earned From Combat Encounters +1662xp

Ding! Core Level Up +1 [Core Point]

Ding! Ability Unlocked +[Devourer Of Flame]

Devourer Of Flame [1]

You live a life of brutality, the lesson learned, to burn everything in your path with all-consuming flames. Let your desires run free and your flame consume all. Let your enemies fear the incineration of all they know for the mere thought of slighting you. Gain significantly more [Xp] from enemies that burn to death by your [Flames]. Any living matter burned by you will be leached of its [Essence] by your flames. Increases power of fire and fire-based [Skills/Spells] and all their effects within [10] meters by [50%] both beneficial and detrimental. Incur significant penalties when environmental temperatures fall below [50°C].

One…One measly core point for that gruelling fight. She had almost died to those dragons and only one core level. Rue got to her feet and let loose a blast containing all of her rage and fury, it was powerful. The effects of her new skill making the cone of potent dragon fire melt the stone of the cave floor. The temperature of the cave skyrocketed causing the air to shimmer. Rue watched as the stone melted before her, she dipped a claw into it and felt an uncomfortable warmth spread up her claw. With all the heat resistance stacking with her innate resistance she was quite resistant to the heat.

This could only momentarily distract her as the thought of the fight popped back into her mind, ONE core point. She snarled raking her claws across the soft stone and slashing her tail around.

Devourer Of Flame Intelligence Check….Failed [30%]

Rue decided that enough was enough, she leapt out of the cave and past the burning ground. She felt the temperature drop as she left the field of flames and her body became sluggish, her once-powerful stride faltered with fatigue seeping into her body. It got worse for a few seconds until it settled. She looked up and the world was dimmer, less vibrant with her thoughts sluggish.

Why was this happening, fist the stupid encounter with the green dragons and the measly reward for it? Now the skill felt like a double-edged sword, it granted her a huge increase in combat ability but was doing this to her.

Perhaps…

Rue's mind struggled to come up with a solution, the haze of cold and fatigue distracting her mind. Well if it was too cold… she should... warm things up.

Rue activated her flaming aura skill and began to pump her mana out in a rapid flow, what little she had recovered draining at an alarming rate. Considering that she just had a massive increase in the effect of her fire-based skills and their effect on the environment perhaps this was a bit hasty. She pumped mana out too fast and practically exploded in a nova of fire. The heat rushed out from her and even as it restored her strength slowly and the fog faded from her mind she realised she had overdone it. But she simply didn’t care, let it burn. She was angry, and some small part of her mind wondered why she was so angry. It was the cold logical part of her mind, but that as quickly quelled by her rising fury. Overwhelmed like a candle thrown into a firepit.

In that moment she decided she didn’t care, letting lose a magically augmented flame with the intention to see everything burn. It spread like a wave, curling around rocks to splash against the flammable vegetation that was left. Trees and bushes exploded from the heat, anything even remotely flammable burst into brilliant flame, fuelling anything around it to do the same.

Wildfire.

Rue looked out from the clearing near the cave as the fire spread, she usually targeted specific areas and avoided starting forest fires but as she watched the spectacle a serene look spread across her face. The fire was beautiful, its heat cleansing the surroundings, burning it all to ash.

Seeing the fires roaring their rage Rue felt she had contributed enough to this natural disaster and while she would not feed the fire hopefully it would kill a few animals, it might even be a fast way to get Xp since she would be leaving the area soon anyway. Xp?

Well thinking of it like that, perhaps a stroll in the surroundings of her den would be a nice outing. This time she grinned with anticipation, walking into the flames they grew brighter from her mere presence, soon they would become a blaze even she could not stop.

………..

Jasper looked over at the horizon. They had been looking for this dragon for weeks, many beasts had been slain yet none had been their quarry. It was becoming increasingly evident that it had either left the area or hunkered down not leaving its den. He refused to believe that it did not hunt anymore, it was far too greedy and hungry for that.

He still had another week before he would have to call it a lost cause, the incident had already been reported to command back at the city but they had simply instructed him to keep doing what he was doing. Although they made it sound like he wasn’t, the bloody clerks loved to send condescending letters.

It was later that evening when they were about to give up that Quint spotted the glow on the horizon. He had come to Jasper saying there was a light on the horizon, a mere few minutes later he was now seeing it. The sky was glowing orange, in two directions. One in the west, the sun setting and the other in the east and north.

“Shit…”