Kindling the Flame

The morning light crept through the blinds, casting faint stripes across the room. Sienna was still asleep beside me, her breathing slow and steady, her face soft and peaceful in the dim glow. I stared at the ceiling, thoughts churning like embers refusing to die out. Yesterday had been a test—a brutal one—but it wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.

I couldn't let myself get comfortable. I had a mission.

Carefully, I slid out of bed, grabbing my mask from the nightstand. As soon as it was secure over my face, the weight of responsibility settled in again. Mr. Fox was back.

I arrived at Station 47 with a clearer head. No distractions, no doubts. Just a goal. I needed to rank up my Firefighter Job to A-Rank. That meant one thing: progress. But progress wasn't simple. Chief Ryan was the only A-Rank firefighter here, and though I had the Destroy skill, I wasn't going to use it on him. He was a good man—a leader who deserved better than being reduced to a stepping stone.

So, what did that leave me with?

Rank-Up Quests.

I'd only encountered one since getting this system, but they always appeared during pivotal events. The problem was that quest like these were extremely rare and they didn't just fall into your lap—you had to be ready for them. And readiness meant skills.

Copying skills was an option, sure, but they'd only come in at Level 1. That wasn't enough. I needed something stronger. I needed Absorb.

I scanned the station with fresh intent. Faces I'd seen yesterday blurred into the background, but then my eyes landed on someone—someone familiar.

Logan Pierce.

The B-Rank firefighter I'd scanned back in the truck. Yesterday, I hadn't gotten a good look at him thanks to the suit, but now, standing there in casual gear, he stood out. Tall, solid build, with a kind of easy confidence that made people naturally drift toward him. My Team Coordination skill whispered at the edges of my mind—this guy was a pillar here. The glue that kept things running smoothly, like a big brother everyone could rely on.

I checked his skills again:

Advanced Fire Suppression (Lv. 5) – Enhances the efficiency and speed of extinguishing fires, including handling chemical and electrical fires.

Rescue Tactics (Lv. 4) – Increases effectiveness in complex rescue operations, such as navigating through unstable structures and high-risk environments.

Hazard Assessment (Lv. 4) – Allows quick evaluation of potential dangers, predicting flashover points and structural weaknesses during a fire.

Heat Resistance (Lv. 5) – Significantly reduces the impact of extreme temperatures, allowing for prolonged exposure in high-heat zones without performance degradation.

Rapid Deployment (Lv. 3) – Improves gear-up speed and movement efficiency when transitioning from transport to active fire zones.

Hazard Assessment. That's the one I needed.

I approached him as casually as I could, masking my intent behind genuine curiosity. Logan looked up from where he was checking some gear, his face lighting up with an easy smile.

"Well, if it isn't the rookie himself—Mr. Fox," he greeted, wiping his hands on a rag. "You settling in alright?"

"Trying to," I replied, keeping my tone even. "Actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you. I had some trouble during the last fire—couldn't really read the situation well. Thought maybe you could teach me how to identify danger better. Y'know, spot the signs before things get out of hand."

Logan tilted his head slightly, considering. Then he grinned. "You're in luck. I've got some time, and we don't exactly get swamped with fires around here."

That made me pause. "Really?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, standing up straight. "Believe it or not, the fire we fought yesterday was the first one assigned to this station in four months."

Four months. That hit harder than I expected.

It made sense, though. When your job is assigned by the system, there's no traditional hiring process unless someone's been fired—or worse. That meant there were often more workers than needed. Some professions, like firefighting, ended up with an abundance of people and not enough incidents to go around.

For me, that was a problem. No fires meant no skill growth. No events. No Rank-Up Quests.

I glanced at Logan again. There was something... off. His smile was there, but it didn't reach his eyes. A flicker of frustration? Disappointment? I couldn't tell. But before I could dwell on it, he clapped his hands together.

"Alright, Mr. Fox. Let's get to it."

The system chimed in my head.

[Would you like to use Absorb on Logan Pierce for skill: Hazard Assessment?]

[Yes] / [No]

I selected Yes without hesitation.

As Logan talked me through the basics of hazard assessment—identifying weak structural points, predicting flashover risks, reading smoke patterns—I listened closely. Not just to his words, but to the way his skills worked. The system did the rest, seamlessly integrating the knowledge as if it had always been mine.

Hours passed in a blur of drills, demonstrations, and quick lessons. By the time the day was winding down, I felt it—the shift.

[Skill Absorption Successful!]

Hazard Assessment (Lv. 3) Acquired.

It wasn't at Logan's full level, but Level 3 was solid. I could feel the difference already, like my instincts had been sharpened.

I was about to thank him when the station's alarms blared to life.

Red lights flashed, sirens screaming through the building.

Logan's easygoing expression vanished, replaced by sharp focus.

"A fire," he muttered, grabbing his gear without missing a beat.

But my mind was racing.

A fire? Two days in a row?

That didn't make sense. Not here. Not when fires were this rare.

Something was off.

And I was going to find out what.

[SYSTEM INTERFACE]

Name: Mr. Fox (Reynard Vale)

Job Title: Jobmaster (Rank SSS)

Active Portfolio: Construction Worker Portfolio (A-Rank)

Endurance Boost (Lv. 9)

Heavy Lifting (Lv. 8)

Material Efficiency (Lv. 5)

Team Coordination (Lv. 6)

Structural Reinforcement (Lv. 7)

Precision Engineering (Lv. 6)

Fast Assembly (Lv. 2)

On-Sight Adaptability (Lv. 2)

Workforce Command (Lv. 2)

Visible Job Skills:

Strategist (Lv. 4) – Improves planning and problem-solving abilities

Fire Suppression (Lv. 3) – Enhances effectiveness in controlling and extinguishing fires

Rescue Operations (Lv. 3) – Improves efficiency in locating and saving individuals in emergencies

Heat Resistance (Lv. 3) – Significantly reduces the impact of extreme temperatures on performance

Thermal Perception (Lv. 1): Grants the ability to sense temperature variations through walls and debris, identifying hidden fire sources or trapped victims.

Hazard Assessment (Lv. 3) – Allows quick evaluation of potential dangers, predicting flashover points and structural weaknesses during a fire.

Jobs:

Construction Worker (A-Rank) — Active in Portfolio

Firefighter (C-Rank) 

Special Skill:

Scan, Absorb, Destroy

Cooldown:

Skill Copy (20h 04m)

Available Rewards:

[3 Construction Worker Skill Keys]