Raze's sword ignited once more—not like before. This time, it roared with wild, sentient fire, a blade of crimson wrath that shimmered like the sun bleeding through a storm.

  He gripped the hilt tighter, planting his feet into the scorched earth. Cracks formed beneath him, the ground struggling to contain the raw pressure he radiated. The wind around him howled, flames spiraling like dragons around the sword’s edge.

  "You’ve lived long enough, tree."

  His voice was calm. Deadly.

  Then, with a slow breath and eyes burning like the inferno he wielded—he raised the blade skyward.

  It was no longer just a sword.

  It was a calamity made manifest.

  Raze spun, his body a blur, the fiery sword trailing behind him like a comet’s tail. In a single blink, he was already in motion, his feet barely touching the ground as he moved faster than the eye could follow. The crimson flame of his sword swirled and flared—anticipation building like a storm about to break.

  With a fierce roar, he slashed through the air, his voice a low growl, “Flame Petal!”

  A circle of searing fire exploded from the tip of his sword—bursting out like a blooming flower of destruction. The slash was so fast and powerful that the earth itself trembled, and the flames surged outward, clearing everything in its path. Trees were reduced to ash, the very air scorched as the fire tore through everything in its wake.

  The blaze was so intense, it seemed to melt the very air around it, the heat warping the world as if the earth itself was bowing before the flames. The ground turned to charred earth in a wide circle, the land scorched and barren—no survivor, no obstacle, nothing left in its wake but cinders and smoke.

  As the heat faded, the sword’s flames dimmed, the hilt glowing faintly from the immense power it had unleashed. It was as if Raze had willed the very concept of flame into existence, and with that single swing, he had burned away everything in his path.

  Raze’s body stilled as the flames from his Flame Petal attack died down. The air was thick with smoke, and the remnants of the forest around him lay smoldering, reduced to ash and charred earth. The fire had been so intense, it had consumed everything—the land, the trees, and even the very sword that had unleashed such destruction.

  Raze looked down at his blade, now shattered and melting at the edges. The once brilliant, fiery crimson glow was gone, replaced by blackened steel, the blade now twisted and warped by the sheer heat of its own flames.

  “Guess this sword can’t contain a little heat of mine, huh?” Raze muttered to himself, a dry smirk tugging at his lips. His fingers flexed around the hilt, the only part of the sword that remained intact. He glanced at it for a moment, as if considering the weapon’s fate before casually tossing it aside, the heat of his power having rendered it useless.

  Mira landed gently beside the scorched battlefield, her boots touching down on what was once living earth. Now, only ash and flame-scarred dirt remained.

  "You really overdid it, leader," Mira said, brushing soot from her shoulder as she surveyed the aftermath. She turned her gaze to a pile of still-smoking embers. “Thanks to you… only scorched remains and…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the ashes, a flicker of unease in her eyes.

  Kai stepped forward, resting his massive sword on his shoulder. “Still,” he said with a grin, “you got the job done, as brutal as always.”

  Raze didn’t reply. He just gave a casual shrug, walking ahead as if none of it fazed him.

  Without another word, the three of them stepped through the shimmering light of the gate.

  Mission complete.

  7:30 AM – Brightport

  The sun peeked gently through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the modest room.

  Ryo?

  He was sprawled across the bed like a defeated boss monster, one arm hanging off the edge, drooling slightly on his pillow. His hair stuck up in all directions like he’d just lost a wrestling match with his dreams.

  A soft chime echoed in the silence.

  > [SYSTEM]: Congratulations! You’ve achieved the hidden title: “Sleeping Beauty (Unbothered Variant).” Passive skill unlocked: +20% Comfiness. Warning: Vulnerable to sneak hugs.

  He snored in response.

  Outside, Brightport slowly began to awaken. Inside, Ryo remained dead to the world—blissfully unaware that chaos was brewing elsewhere.

  Ryo was still buried in his blanket at 7:30 AM in Brightport, drooling a little with his limbs spread like he lost a boss fight in his dreams.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  > [SYSTEM]: Target locked... on a pillow. Congratulations, you’ve critically hit REM sleep.

  He grumbled, turned over, and slapped the system window away in his sleep.

  Eventually, he woke up, yawned, and stumbled into the kitchen.

  He cracked some eggs, tossed bacon in the pan, and muttered,

  "Another day, another round of 'don't die.'"

  Just as he plated the food, a cold chime echoed:

  > [SYSTEM WARNING – URGENT]: A hostile organization is targeting C to A-Rank Hunters. Multiple casualties reported. Public mission boards are suspending requests temporarily.

  Ryo stopped mid-bite.

  “…Only C to A-ranks? Heh.”

  He took another big bite of bacon, chewed slowly, then smirked.

  > [SYSTEM]: Why are you smiling? You're B-rank. You're literally in the middle.

  "Exactly," Ryo said, mouth full. “I'm in that sweet spot—important enough to hunt, but annoying enough to regret it.”

  Ryo froze mid-chew, eyes narrowing as a faint prickling sensation crawled over the back of his neck.

  “…System. These people hunting hunters… they only operate inside gates?”

  > [SYSTEM]: Unconfirmed. Data shows most attacks occur inside dungeon zones… but not exclusively. Why?

  “…Because I feel three people in my house.”

  He didn’t shout. He didn’t panic. He just calmly set down his half-eaten plate, eyes scanning the quiet room.

  “They’re armored. Probably A-rank too… damn quiet for intruders.”

  Then, without standing, he gripped his fork tightly and muttered under his breath:

  "Pierce… Caelgula."

  The fork shimmered instantly—metal twisting like liquid under pressure. In a split-second blur, it elongated, coiled, and reformed into a deadly, silver-violet trident. A faint glow of abyssal blue pulsed along the blade’s spine. Coiling around the handle, a beautifully carved Leviathan serpent seemed to come alive, its eyes glowing dimly.

  The air turned heavier.

  > [SYSTEM]: …That’s not regulation cutlery.

  Ryo stood slowly, weapon in hand, a smile curling on his lips.

  “Good morning, uninvited guests.”

  A flicker in the corner. A whisper of a shadow shifting behind the curtain.

  Ryo didn’t hesitate.

  With a sudden flick of his wrist, Caelgula spun through the air like a bolt of silver lightning—its serpent handle coiling in mid-flight, eyes glowing brighter. The moment the weapon struck the first figure’s chest with a sickening crunch, Ryo's voice cut sharply through the room:

  "Calm?."

  The name echoed like a curse.

  In that instant, the trident erupted in a blast of frost, radiating a burst of icy magic that swept out in a jagged shockwave. The temperature in the room plummeted. Frost raced across the wooden floor and counters, creeping like white fire.

  The first intruder was launched back, crashing into the wall, their body splintered with ice—blood blooming like crimson petals within the frozen impact zone.

  The others stumbled back, stunned, as ice crystalized over their boots.

  Ryo walked forward, hand outstretched. Caelgula dematerialized into mist… then reformed in his grip, glowing faintly with residual frost.

  > [SYSTEM]: Fatal wound confirmed. One intruder neutralized. Two remaining… currently rethinking life choices.

  Ryo cracked his neck slowly.

  “Bad choice walking into my kitchen.”

  The two intruders didn’t waste a second.

  One of them glowed faintly—a buff, light coating his body in a shimmer of reinforced mana. His arm shot up, a flurry of throwing knives released from his sleeves. But they multiplied mid-air, turning into a hailstorm of glinting steel aimed at Ryo’s chest.

  The second, in the back, snapped his fingers.

  A hiss. A crackle.

  Hundreds of tiny mechanical spheres shot into the room, whirring with energy, locking on to Ryo like a swarm of angry hornets.

  But Ryo… didn't move from his spot.

  Instead, he spun Caelgula once—then again.

  Then faster.

  In a heartbeat, the trident whirled in both his hands, creating a silvery violet cyclone that deflected everything—blades clinking off like raindrops, balls smashed and frozen mid-air.

  His eyes narrowed.

  Then, in the silence that followed, the air around him shifted.

  It shimmered.

  A sound like glass cracking underwater echoed softly as thousands of tiny ice needles began forming mid-air around him—hovering like a blizzard held in suspense.

  With a sharp pivot, he gracefully spun Caelgula once more, then raised it and pointed it forward like a conductor leading a deadly orchestra.

  "Tinca."

  The name echoed like a judgment.

  The ice needles launched in a relentless wave—fast, sharp, merciless.

  They pierced through armor, through buffs, through pride. The two intruders screamed as the hail tore into them nonstop, puncturing exposed joints and leaving their bodies trembling with cold, blood dotting the frozen floor.

  > [SYSTEM]: Beautiful execution. The pain index for your guests is currently... 87%. Should I offer them hot cocoa or just let them scream?

  Ryo exhaled calmly, Caelgula now glowing faintly blue.

  “Too early for cocoa,” he muttered. “Let’s see if they talk first.”