The wheels of the carriage rolled over gravel and volcanic ash as Jay sat stiffly, eyes locked to the window. Outside, the scenery transformed from the choking gray haze of the slums to a brutal, bleak beauty. Embergrave lands unfolded like the pages of an ancient book — wind-scoured cliffs, jagged fields of black rock streaked with veins of crimson, as if the earth itself bled fire. Sparse, hardy plants clung to life between the cracks. Smoke rose from fissures in the distance, drifting lazily into the pale sky.
The fortress loomed ahead.
Its walls were carved from dark stone, reinforced with iron braces that glowed faintly as if still smoldering from the forge. Embergrave Manor wasn't a place of comfort. It was a citadel, bristling with defensive spires and jagged battlements. The very air seemed heavier here, thick with the scent of sulfur and something older.
From ash, we rise.
Jay had heard the phrase before. It was carved into the archway leading into the estate, the letters scorched black against the stone.
It felt less like a motto and more like a warning.
As the carriage halted, the door was yanked open. A guard in ember-colored armor gestured sharply. "Out."
Jay obeyed, planting his boots on the ashen earth. Heat radiated from the ground, as if the land itself refused to cool. His gaze swept the courtyard, heart thudding in his chest. Soldiers drilled in tight formations, their weapons gleaming with residual heat. Servants bustled between tasks, eyes downcast. No laughter, no softness — only relentless purpose.
There would be no mercy here.
They wasted no time.
Jay was led directly to the training grounds, a vast expanse of scorched earth ringed by black iron fencing. Columns of fire erupted from stone pylons, casting flickering light over the arena. Warriors in Embergrave armor stood at intervals, maintaining the enchanted barriers that contained the raging energy within.
Veteran trainees sparred in brutal matches. Flames crackled and hissed, shaped into whips and spears, blades of fire clashing against shields of molten rock. One combatant hurled a vortex of flame at his opponent, only to be countered by a slicing gust of wind so sharp it split the firestorm in two.
Jay swallowed hard. His own power felt like a flickering candle compared to these roaring infernos.
Then she arrived.
Lady Selene Embergrave strode into the yard, a presence that drew every eye. She was tall, draped in dark crimson armor lined with charred leather, her hair a deep auburn cascading over her shoulders like liquid flame. Eyes sharp as daggers, lips curled into a faint, predatory smile.
Her gaze pinned Jay in place.
"So this is the stray they've sent me," Selene said, voice smooth and cutting like tempered steel. "I had expected worse."
Jay forced himself to meet her gaze, though his pulse thundered in his ears.
Without breaking eye contact, she raised a hand. Molten lava knuckle-busters radiating flames blossomed on her hand, writhing hungrily. "Lesson one: you survive here, or you burn away."
With a flick of her soul weapon, she launched the fireball past him. It collided with a summoning pylon, activating the arena's mechanism. Glyphs flared to life beneath his feet.
Warning: Trial Arena Activated.
Level Assessment: Inadequate.
Commencing Forced Trial.
The ground beneath him trembled. Jay stood in awe looking at what was now appearing. Jay had never seen this advanced technology like this before only the rich could afford it, and the school he attended in the city was well off but wasn't a top rank school at all leaving much to be desired when it came to equipment for the students, unlike schools in other cities.
In front of him Heat blasted upward as creatures emerged from the depths of an artificial portal, creatures forged of living flame and molten stone. Fire elementals.
Portals are miniature black holes rimmed in glowing energy based on the rank of the portal this is well known, but artificial portals were a different story. The technology behind them wasn't all that known and to have one was incredibly expensive.
Selene tilted her head, regarding Jay like a curious predator. "Show me your worth. Or die."
Jay's breath hitched.
The first elemental lunged, a hulking brute of fire and magma. He raised his arms instinctively, channeling his nascent power. A burst of fire shot forth from his palms — wild, unfocused — but it struck the elemental squarely, staggering it back.
System Notification: Inadequate Control. Energy Leakage: 47%.
"Shut up," Jay growled under his breath.
But the system continued relentlessly in its neutral tone.
Suggestion: Refined focus required. Initiating emergency combat assistance protocol.
"What?"
"Finally, it seems the system seems to want to help after all."
As if obeying some unseen hand, the heat in Jay's veins surged, coursing toward his fingertips. He pivoted, barely dodging a sweep from a second elemental's flaming claws. Sparks singed his cheek, and pain flared bright and sharp.
Desperation clawed at him. His fire was unstable, slipping through his grasp like sand. Another blast erupted from his hands, this time splintering into wild arcs that missed their mark entirely.
Control Level: Low.
Recalibrating…
Jay gritted his teeth. "No time to recalibrate!"
The elemental roared, charging him. Instinct screamed at him to run — but something deeper, something darker, unfurled within his chest. He felt it: a wellspring of power, buried beneath layers of fear and uncertainty.
For a heartbeat, he hesitated.
Then he let it in.
The fire didn't obey him. It became him.
Flames erupted along his staff, swirling into crude and refined flame. With a ragged cry, Jay met the elemental head-on, slamming his flaming staff into its core. Heat and force collided in a deafening crack, and the elemental staggered, fractures spider-webbing across its molten form.
System Assist: Partial Synchronization Detected.
Bloodline Compatibility: 98%.
The words were a distant echo in his mind, nearly drowned out by the roaring inferno of the battle.
But he heard them.
Another elemental lunged from his flank. This time, Jay pivoted smoothly, summoning a whip of fire and lashing it across the creature's molten spine. Sparks flew as it crumbled to slag.
Selene's eyes narrowed, sharp with interest.
"Better," she murmured.
More elementals rose from the portals, their forms flickering with growing intensity. Jay panted, sweat streaming down his face. His heart hammered in his chest like a war drum.
His vision blurred at the edges.
System Notification: Vital Threshold Critical. Combat Endurance: Failing.
Activating Emergency Bloodline Surge.
His body seized — then exploded with renewed vigor. Fire flared brighter around him, wild and untamed, but there was something new beneath the chaos. A rhythm. A pulse.
His pulse.
He was no longer fighting against the fire. He was fighting with it.
Jay launched himself at the largest elemental, ducking beneath a hammering strike and driving his staff, wreathed in searing flame, into the creature's chest. The impact detonated in a burst of heat and light, shattering the elemental into a cascade of ember and ash.
The artificial portal began to close.
Silence settled over the yard, heavy and smoldering.
Selene regarded him coolly, arms crossed. "You may not be a waste of time after all."
Jay's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, chest heaving.
Trial Complete.
System accessing …
Congratulations. System reward: Passive Ability.
New Passive Ability Unlocked: [Scorched Resilience]
Description: User's body has begun adapting to extreme heat exposure. Minor fire damage automatically reduced by 15%. Emotional surges trigger passive energy reinforcement.
Jay's head lolled back, too exhausted to comprehend it fully.
Selene approached, her boots crunching over the scorched earth. She studied him as though he were an interesting specimen rather than a person. "Rest while you can," she said. "Tomorrow, we begin the portal runs."
Then she was gone, leaving him alone beneath the darkening sky.
That night, in the dim confines of his assigned quarters, Jay lay sprawled on a rough cot, every muscle aching, his mind a storm of exhaustion and fractured adrenaline.
The system pulsed in his thoughts like a second heartbeat.
System Elemental Lord - Progress Update
Bloodline: Forbidden ??? | Fire Variant
Status: Unstable (Low)
Tier: ??? (Too weak)
Compatibility: 98%
[Warning: User has not synchronized with core bloodline memory. Recommended.]
Jay exhaled shakily.
Core bloodline memory…?
Another line flickered into existence.
[Traits: Ember Heart]
Description: Heart generates residual fire essence. Prolonged emotional strain may cause flareouts.
Control Level: Low
More data poured in, a tide he could barely process.
New Passive: Scorched Resilience unlocked.
Further bloodline evolution requires combat trials or near-death experiences.
Do you want to proceed with synchronization? [Yes/No]
Jay shut his eyes, letting the information settle. Despite the pain, despite the brutal training, despite Selene's ruthless disdain — a flicker of triumph sparked in his chest.
He was alive.
Not just alive, but changing. Becoming something more.
And tomorrow, he would step into a real portal.
Whatever awaited him on the other side — he would not burn away.
He would rise from the ash.
"Yes"
Host has selected [Yes] beginning synchronization…