Faithless_reader

In a world where strength determines status, Katsu Blazewood dreams of climbing the ranks and proving himself as a powerful fighter. With his fire abilities, he steps into the dangerous world of rankers—warriors who battle for prestige, wealth, and survival. But just as his journey begins, he’s nearly robbed by bandits, only to be saved by Simon Shepard—a ridiculously strong fighter with no elemental powers but enough brute force to flatten mountains.

Simon sees potential in Katsu but quickly realizes the rookie is reckless, cocky, and in desperate need of guidance. As Katsu fights to rise through the ranks, Simon begrudgingly takes him under his wing, helping him navigate rival rankers, deadly creatures, and the ever-growing threats lurking in the wild forest.

With each battle, Katsu gathers allies, faces unexpected enemies, and discovers that power isn’t just about flames and brute strength—it’s about strategy, determination, and a bit of luck. But as stronger foes emerge and hidden forces begin to move, Katsu will need more than just fire to survive.

His journey has just begun, and the road to the top is anything but easy.

The Stone Mask

Katsu stared at the massive eye beneath them. It was one thing to see a big sea creature, but this? This was terrifying.

Slowly, he turned to Simon, his face screaming one thing:

Simon, ever the calm one, simply raised his hands and started making gestures.

Katsu's eye twitched. Did this guy seriously just remind him that he can't swim in the middle of this?!

Before Katsu could even process his frustration, the water shifted.

Then, from the dark abyss below, a huge, gaping mouth emerged.

The mouth was so big that it actually breached the ocean's surface, rising above like a fortress of flesh. Water cascaded off its jagged teeth like waterfalls.

Katsu barely had time to internally scream for the fourth time today before—

The creature swallowed them whole.

Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the monstrous mouth sank back into the depths.

The ocean rippled as if nothing had happened.

"Ughhh…" Katsu held his head. "Wha—? Huh?"

The air was… fresh? The ground beneath him was dry?

A grassy field stretched around them, the sky above bright and clear. It was like they had just been dropped into another world.

Katsu turned to Simon, completely baffled. "Uh. What just happened? Did we—"

Simon cut him off, answering the question before Katsu even said it out loud.

Simon dusted off his gloves. "Before it could close its mouth, I landed on its tongue and jumped out with full force."

Katsu blinked. "Wait, then how did I—"

Katsu stared at him, trying to process everything.

Katsu sighed in relief—until Simon added:

Simon cracked his knuckles. "It means that thing isn't done with us yet."

Katsu's stomach dropped. "Oh. That's… great."

A deep, distant rumbling echoed through the air. The whole landscape shook.

Katsu gulped. "S-So… what do we do now?"

Simon smirked. "That's up to you."

Katsu hesitated. Every logical part of his brain screamed at him to leave.

But then, another thought crept in.

Sure, it was a stupid idea. It was reckless. It was suicidal.

If he survived this, if he overcame his greatest disadvantage—

Simon raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. "Oh? And why is that?"

Katsu exhaled sharply. "Because if I run away, I'll never improve."

Simon chuckled. "Interesting answer."

Katsu turned to him. "You coming?"

Simon smirked. "Of course. Can't let my party member die just yet."

With that, they both dived back into the ocean.

As they swam downward, the water darkened once again. The massive silhouette of the creature lurked below, waiting.

Simon glanced at Katsu. "So? What's your plan?"

Chapter 9: Burning the Ocean