Chapter 15:Flame Of Water
Night fell upon the ruined camp, the cold wind brushing against Kai's face as he moved toward the abandoned building at the edge of the zone. His breath was steady, but his mind raced.
As he stepped inside, his gaze locked onto a figure standing beside a massive, snarling Lycan wolf.
It was Baek Jung.
Kai watched as Baek raised a hand, a flicker of crimson fire igniting at his fingertips.
"Flame of Order."
The moment the skill was cast, the Lycan in midair burned into ashes, its agonized screeches fading into nothing.
Kai's eyes widened.
The raw power…
Baek turned toward him.
"You're here."
Kai nodded, still in awe of what he just saw.
Baek reached into his inventory, pulling out a weapon. Without a word, he tossed it toward Kai.
Kai caught it instinctively.
A system notification flashed before him.
Weapon Acquired: Dagger of Zorthrah (Rank B).
Effect: When equipped, 10% of damage dealt regenerates HP. Maximum healing: 70% of damage dealt.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…This is…"
Before he could process it further, Baek raised his hand again.
A blazing light illuminated the dark space.
Kai's gaze snapped toward the source—
A man tied to a chair, his mouth gagged.
Kai stiffened.
Baek spoke, voice calm yet commanding.
"Kill him."
Kai's breath hitched.
"…What?"
Baek smirked.
"You want power, don't you? Then prove you're willing to take it."
Kai's hands clenched into fists.
Baek stepped forward, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. His voice lowered to a whisper.
"If you hesitate, the people around you will die."
Kai's heart pounded.
Baek snapped his fingers. The ropes around the man burned away, freeing him.
The man coughed, glaring at Baek.
"I don't know what kind of twisted game you're playing, but you bast—"
CRACK!
Kai's foot slammed into the man's chest, sending him crashing into the wall.
Blood splattered against the concrete.
The man wheezed.
"What… the hell…?"
Kai's expression remained unreadable as the system scanned the man's status.
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Rank: A
Class: Unique Soulbinder
Kai's eyes narrowed.
This man… was no ordinary prisoner.
Jinhyuk spat blood and sneered.
"You think I'm some easy target?"
He dodged as Kai lunged forward, but a thin cut appeared on his arm.**
"Tch… that hurts."
Kai tossed his dagger forward—Jinhyuk dodged.
But when he turned back—
Kai was already in front of him.
"Shit—!"
Before he could react, Kai's knee slammed into his ribs.
CRASH!
Jinhyuk collided with the wall again, coughing violently.
Yet, he smirked.
From the pile of corpse, the Lycan's corpse suddenly twitched.
Kai's eyes widened as the lycan reformed, standing once again.
More wolves emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing.
Kai exhaled sharply.
"What kind of skill is this…?"
Jinhyuk patted the Lycan's head, grinning.
"You thought I was weak? You fool."
He raised his hand.
"Kill him."
The Lycans rushed Kai.
He slashed and destroyed them, but their bodies wiggled and reformed, attacking again.
An endless cycle.
Jinhyuk laughed.
"Well, well…"
He turned to Baek.
"What's your goal here, huh? You think I'd die this easily?"
Baek remained silent, smirking.
Annoyed, Jinhyuk commanded the wolves to attack Baek.
But before they could reach him—
A dagger sliced through the air.
BOOM!
The wolf's body exploded against the wall.
Jinhyuk whipped his head back to Kai.
He froze.
Kai stood, surrounded by crackling lightning.
With every step forward—his body flickered.
Jinhyuk's breath caught.
"What the…?"
In an instant—
Kai vanished.
A powerful kick struck Jinhyuk's gut, launching him backward.
"GAH!"
Blood splattered from his mouth.
He scrambled to his feet, trying to command his Lycans—
But he stopped.
Because they were all gone.
Their bodies lay cut into pieces.
Jinhyuk's face twisted in terror.
"What… what are you?!"
Kai walked forward.
His eyes were cold.
"Please, I—"
Kai grabbed Jinhyuk, throwing him into the air.
Jinhyuk couldn't even scream as his body spun.
Kai's dagger glowed.
Slash.
Slash.
Slashing him into death.
System notifications flashed—
HP regeneration activated.
HP regeneration activated.
HP regeneration activated.
Kai kept slashing.
Jinhyuk's limbs tore apart.
His body fell in pieces.
The system pinged.
Hostile Awakened Defeated.
New Skill Acquired: Soul Bind (Lv.1).
Description: Control the souls of the living or dead.
Kai's breathing was heavy.
He silently shoved the dagger into his inventory.
From behind, Baek clapped.
"Good job."
His smirk widened.
"I knew you were special, Kai."
Kai's fists clenched.
His eyes—filled with tears—stared at Baek.
The air was silent.
Then, he finally spoke.
"Who… are you, really?"
The air crackled with tension as Kai and Baek stared at each other.
Baek's voice was calm.
"You need power to—"
SHINK!
Kai thrust his dagger forward—aiming straight for Baek's face.
Baek tilted his head, dodging effortlessly. His smirk fade.
"What are you trying to do?"
Kai didn't answer.
Lightning surged around him. His body flickered—then vanished.
Baek's eyes narrowed.
A second later, Kai reappeared at his side, both daggers poised to strike.
Baek dodged again, his movements impossibly smooth.
Then, he reached out with one hand—
GRAB!
Kai was caught mid-air.
"Brat, know your place."
Baek's other hand ignited with flames, ready to incinerate Kai—
But before he could strike—
BOOM!
A massive stone fist blasted Baek from behind, sending him flying across the battlefield.
"What the hell—?!"
Baek's body crashed into the ground. As he lifted his head, his eyes widened in shock.
Kai stood tall, lightning crackling around his body.
And beside him—
A towering golem, its stone eyes glowing with life.
Baek chuckled, clapping his hands.
"You adapted to Soul Bind this fast? Impressive."
His grin widened.
"Then let's see if you can handle more."
Baek's flames surged, consuming his body until his very form turned into living fire.
His eyes burned like embers.
"Come take my power."
FWOOSH!
Kai vanished again, moving at Extreme Speed with his golem as backup.
Baek launched a fiery blast, but the golem blocked it with its massive arms.
The stone arms shattered—then instantly regenerated.
Baek clicked his tongue.
"Annoying."
He raised both hands, flames flickering out—then suddenly—
The fire disappeared.
[The day before,]
Kai sat on a broken wooden crate, wiping blood from his dagger. Around him,scattered corpses of infencted awakeneds lay motionless. The aftermath of the battle left a lingering tension in the air.
Nearby, Jiwook leaned against a ruined wall, bandaging his arm. He glanced at Kai.
"You alright kid?"
Kai nodded, still focused on cleaning his weapons. After a moment, he asked:
"jiwook… what do you know about Baek?"
Jiwook's hands froze for a second before continuing his bandaging.
"Baek, huh?"
He let out a small sigh.
"That guy… he's not normal."
Kai's interest piqued. He set his dagger down.
"What do you mean?"
Jiwook scratched his head, then turned to Kai with a serious expression.
"Baek is a Unique Awakened. One of the few who don't follow the normal rules of the system."
Kai's brows furrowed.
"Unique?"
Jiwook nodded.
"Yeah. You has fight those elemental awakenings, right? Those people are known awakened with just one each elemental skill like—fire, water, lightning, earth… but Baek?"
He sighed, shaking his head.
"He wasn't just any elemental awakened. He nickname was known as the Flame of Order."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"Flame of Order…?"
Jiwook's gaze turned distant, as if recalling a memory.
"I fought him once."
"Once."
Kai leaned forward, intrigued.
Jiwook chuckled bitterly.
"I thought I stood a chance. I was wrong."
Kai waited, sensing there was more to the story.
Jiwook finally continued:
"Baek's biggest secret wasn't just his Flame."
His expression darkened.
"It was that he didn't just have one elemental skill."
Kai's breath caught.
Jiwook looked at him, his eyes serious.
"Baek didn't just control fire. He had another element hidden."
Kai clenched his fists.
"What element?"
Jiwook exhaled.
Then, he muttered a word.
Kai's eyes widened.
Baek—the man who wielded flames powerful enough to burn an entire battlefield to ash—
[present]
Kai stood, staring at Baek—his entire body shifting from flame to water.
Baek smirked as the water swirled around him.
"Surprised?"
Kai didn't answer.
He simply tightened his grip on his weapon.
Baek's smile widened.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"If you think you can handle fire, then let's see how you deal with this."
He lifted a hand—
And spikes of water launched toward Kai at terrifying speed.
Kai barely dodged, but one cut his arm, drawing blood.
Baek lashed out with a water whip, wrapping it around Kai's wrist.
Kai tried to slice it off, but the water reformed instantly.
Then—his body froze.
Blood seeped into the water.
Kai's eyes widened in realization.
Baek wasn't just binding him.
He was controlling his body through his own blood.
Baek smirked.
"You underestimated me, kid."
Kai struggled, but he couldn't move.
Then—
BOOM!
His golem attacked Baek, forcing him back.
Baek clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Annoying bastard."
But when he turned back—
Kai was already in front of him.
Baek's instincts screamed—he tried to dodge—
But Kai's speed had increased.
A thin cut appeared on Baek's face.
He touched the wound, then grinned.
"Amazing."
Then, he raised both hands—one covered in fire, the other in water.
Kai's eyes widened.
Baek clapped his hands together.
"Mist of Fortune."
A thick mist spread across the battlefield, blinding everything.
Kai cursed.
Then—tiny spikes formed within the mist, raining down like needles.
Each one sliced into Kai's skin.
Baek's voice echoed through the fog.
"What now, kid? Where's your miracle?"
Kai's vision blurred as blood dripped from his wounds.
Baek stepped forward, forming a sword of water in his hands.
"Come on, chosen one. Prove me wrong."
He raised the blade—
But then, Kai smiled.
Blood trickled from his lips.
Baek paused.
"What the hell are you smirking at—?"
Then—
Lightning surged through the mist.
Baek's eyes widened in horror.
The entire mist turned into a thunderstorm.
Baek tried to escape—but when he moved—
His feet wouldn't budge.
He looked down.
His legs were bound to the ground by Kai's earth creation skill.
Kai's smile widened.
"Die, damn bastard."
BOOM!
Lightning rained down like divine punishment.
Baek screamed as the bolts struck him again and again.
He collapsed to his knees, paralyzed.
Kai walked forward, step by step.
Baek groaned, trying to lift himself up—
BAM!
Kai's kick slammed into his face, launching him into the wall.
Baek coughed blood, his body restrained by earth once again.
Kai stood over him.
Baek laughed weakly.
"Ah....Finally… die."
Kai pulled out his dagger.
Baek looked up at him, smiling through the pain.
"Now kill me, kid. Kill me and take my power."
Kai raised the blade—
Then stopped.
The dagger hovered just above Baek's heart.
Baek's eyes flickered open.
"Why did you stop?"
Kai stared at him.
Then, he spoke.
"I'm not some madman hungry for power."
Baek's eyes widened slightly.
Kai continued.
"Even if I could steal power from the people I kill… it's still wrong."
Baek exhaled sharply.
Then—he broke free from the binds, grabbed Kai's hand, and forced the dagger into his own chest.
Kai gasped, stepping back.
Baek coughed blood, his HP dropping to near zero.
Still, he smiled.
"You're wrong kid."
He reached out, placing a bloodied hand on his chest.
"If you're the chosen one… promise me."
His grip tightened.
"Save humanity."
Kai's breath hitched.
The system pinged.
Hostile Awakened Defeated.
New Skill Acquired: Water Creation (Lv.1).
New Skill Acquired: Flame Creation (Lv.1).
As the window closed, Kai's eyes filled with tears.
His fist slammed into the wall.
"Why… why…?"
He clenched his jaw, wiping his tears away.
Then, he remembered Baek's words.
"Save humanity… chosen one…"
The words echoed in his mind.
And then, a single question haunted him—
"Chosen… for what?"