Red Mist Rebirth: The Rise of Victor Lionheart

Chapter 8: Flames and Bone

Victor Lionheart was still roaming the wilderness, hunting monsters without the faintest clue that his earlier display of power had already gone viral. But even if he knew, he wouldn't have batted an eye. To him, exposure was inevitable—and even welcome. Fame meant less trouble, fewer interruptions, and faster access to the resources and allies he needed.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the ground shifted.

A massive scorpion-like beast leapt at him from behind a ruined boulder, its venomous tail glinting with icy frost as it lashed toward him.

Victor didn't flinch.

With a casual flick, his staff lit up. A massive beam of searing flame—two meters wide—blasted from its tip and swallowed the creature whole. Within a heartbeat, the monster was reduced to a fine pile of ash that blew away in the wind.

His signature spell, Scorching Ray, had already reached level 5. With its upgraded range of 500 meters and the added special effect—Burn—any enemy struck by the spell would spontaneously ignite from within. Without purification magic, combustion was inevitable.

And thanks to his Lord of the Elements talent and its 100x damage amplification, even elite monsters couldn't last a fraction of a second.

Behind him, a trembling goblin scout clutched a broken wooden stick.

This was one of Victor's summons—his Goblin Scout:

[Goblin Scout]

Level: 15

Grade: Normal

Strength: 12

Constitution: 8

Agility: 22

Intelligence: 1

Talent: None

Skill: Run

The goblin, despite its cowardice, had one job—run ahead and lure monsters back. With a higher speed than Victor, it was the perfect bait.

Victor himself had now reached Level 15—an impressive feat, considering that post-Level 50 progression took years per level. And once players hit Level 20, they gained access to caves—dungeons filled with increasingly dangerous monsters and boss fights. Near the ruined city of Silverglen, Victor knew of one such place—the Flame Cavern—a dungeon teeming with fire-type monsters and ruled by a Fire Demon.

He wasn't strong enough yet to challenge it, but he was getting closer.

Dungeons had another danger: if left unchecked for too long, monsters within would eventually invade the surface. One such incident had once wiped out an entire city. With no one brave or strong enough to challenge the cave for half a year, the monsters surged out. The dungeon boss followed and conquered the entire city, leaving rivers of blood and five million corpses in its wake.

Victor clenched his fist. As long as he was alive, such a tragedy wouldn't repeat itself.

His thoughts were interrupted as the goblin sprinted back, panting and wide-eyed.

"Master! A big one! Up ahead!"

Victor's eyes gleamed. "A boss monster?"

"Y-yes, Master!"

"Then go scout further. See if any others are nearby."

The goblin didn't hesitate and dashed back behind Victor, scanning the area.

Victor advanced.

Soon, a towering figure emerged—an armored skeleton nearly three meters tall, its eyes burning with a crimson soulfire. The air chilled.

[Enraged Undead General]

Level: 18

Grade: Dark Gold (Elite Rank Order: Normal, Elite, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold, Diamond)

Strength: 145

Constitution: 153

Agility: 132

Intelligence: 1

Talent: Bone Rebirth

Skills: Undead Sweep, Giant Swing, Filth Slash, Miasma

Victor's eyes narrowed. A Dark Gold-grade monster—dangerous beyond belief. If this creature made its way to Silverglen, it could slaughter the city single-handedly.

And the "Enraged" prefix meant it was in a berserker state—faster, stronger, and more aggressive than usual.

The undead general saw Victor. The red glow in its skull pulsed.

Then it vanished.

It was so fast that Victor couldn't track it. With 132 agility, its speed rivaled second-tier professionals at Level 50. Victor, with only 15 agility, had no hope of reacting.

"CLANG!"

The monster's massive sword smashed into Victor's Rock Shield, cleaving a deep gouge through its hardened stone, nearly diamond-hard. But Victor's mastery of elemental magic surged. In an instant, the shield regenerated, flawless once more.

Victor narrowed his eyes. "My turn."

He raised his staff and released a blazing Scorching Ray. The crimson beam struck the skeleton's chest, and the Burn effect triggered.

The Undead General's armor began to combust.

Black smoke curled up.

Flames burst from within its bones.

And Victor took his first step toward conquering death itself.