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Aila wandered through the forest absentmindedly, searching for the trail she had climbed earlier. The mysterious window was no longer hovering before her eyes.

The flames from Phoenix Rebirth had burned everything around her—including her clothes. Fortunately, no one else had been nearby, and her backpack had been left safely on the rocks. She had changed into the spare clothes inside, though they now hung loosely on her smaller, eighteen-year-old body.

She really had regressed.

Even more surprising, the constant pain from her illnesses had completely vanished. Her body felt light, healthy, and brand new.

The forest grew darker with every passing minute. She pulled out her phone to check the time.

Three in the afternoon.

Yet the sky already looked like dusk.

A sudden rustle in the bushes broke the eerie silence.

Then came strange, unsettling noises.

Kekekekeke.

Kyak! Kyak! Kyak!

Aila froze, every muscle tensing. She scanned her surroundings before slowly turning toward the source of the rustling and the bizarre cries.

She could hear nothing but her own ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of her heart.

Then they appeared.

Not one.

Dozens.

Small green creatures, barely three feet tall, emerged from the undergrowth. Their crimson eyes gleamed with malice, and each carried a battered weapon—a rusted knife, a chipped club, or a crude spear. When they grinned at her, rows of jagged fangs stained with dark, dried blood came into view. The foul stench of blood and filth clung to them.

Aila froze.

There was nothing like these creatures on Earth.

The notification she had seen after awakening flashed through her mind.

[Chaos has descended upon the planet.]

It hadn't been a joke.

It was real.

The creatures shrieked and charged.

Aila screamed and forced her legs to move. She barely managed a few steps before panic overtook her. Her foot caught on a thick tree root hidden beneath the leaves.

She crashed face-first into the dirt.

"Ahh!"

She scrambled to her feet, but one of the creatures lunged forward and grabbed her ankle, yanking her back down.

"Let go!"

She kicked wildly, but more of them swarmed over her, pinning her arms and legs to the ground.

Fear threatened to consume her.

I'm going to die.

The thought sent a jolt through her mind.

No.

She had awakened a power.

The skill.

"Fire... no... Flare! Flare!"

The moment the words left her lips, flames burst into existence before her.

The small spark exploded into a blazing stream of fire that shot forward, engulfing the creature poised to stab her.

"Krrreeee!"

The goblin shrieked as it stumbled backward, dropping its weapon while flames devoured its body.

"Kek?"

"Krah?"

The remaining creatures stopped in their tracks.

They stared at their burning companion in stunned confusion.

So did Aila.

What the hell?

Aila had seen the flames of Phoenix Rebirth before—but only within her consciousness while she was dead and being revived.

This...

This was real.

A familiar ding echoed inside her mind, and a translucent window appeared before her eyes.

[You killed a Goblin! +6 XP.]

[Due to the 50% debuff from the Rebirth skill, you receive only 3 XP.]

She snapped out of her daze.

While the goblins were distracted by their burning companion, she scrambled backward, kicking against the ground until her back hit the rough trunk of a tree.

The remaining goblins turned toward her.

This time, they hesitated.

They had seen what she could do.

But they were no less dangerous.

"Kraaaah!"

With a furious shriek, they charged again.

Aila thrust out a trembling hand.

"Flare!"

A burst of fire shot forward, engulfing the charging goblins. Several were swallowed by the flames, their shrieks piercing the forest as they thrashed in agony. Others managed to dive aside at the last second.

The blaze spread to the dry leaves carpeting the forest floor.

Aila's eyes widened.

The fire was spreading.

She didn't know how to stop it. Even though she had a passive skill: Flame Manipulation, she had no idea how to control the flames she had just unleashed.

Panic seized her.

She spun around and ran as fast as she could, the goblins' screams echoing behind her while the forest crackled with growing fire.

She reached a river and didn't hesitate to wade across it. The current tugged at her legs, but she forced herself forward. Only after reaching the opposite bank did she stop to catch her breath and look back.

The forest was still ablaze.

Smoke billowed into the darkening sky as the flames devoured everything in their path. One notification after another appeared before her eyes.

[You killed a Goblin! +4 XP.]

[Due to the 50% debuff from the Rebirth skill, you receive only 2 XP.]

[You killed a Goblin! +7 XP.]

[Due to the 50% debuff from the Rebirth skill, you receive only 3.5 XP.]

[You killed a Goblin Commander! +15 XP.]

[Due to the 50% debuff from the Rebirth skill, you receive only 7.5 XP.]

The messages kept coming.

Dozens of them.

It seemed there had been even more goblins lurking in the forest, and the spreading wildfire had claimed them all.

Then another series of notifications appeared.

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[You have reached Level 5.]

[You obtained 3 SP.]

Aila frowned.

Everything about this felt like a game—from the floating notifications to the status window that appeared before her eyes.

Except this wasn't a game.

People could die here.

She tore her gaze away from the burning forest and looked toward the stretch of woodland beyond the river.

Gone was the absent-minded wandering from earlier.

Now, she moved with deliberate caution, every step measured as she watched and listened for the slightest sign of danger.

****

She wandered through the forest with no destination, having no idea where she was anymore.

Before long, she stumbled upon a pack of gray wolves.

Their bodies were about the same size as ordinary wolves on Earth, but their fangs were unnaturally long, and their claws looked sharp enough to tear through steel.

There was no chance of outrunning them.

Aila raised a trembling hand.

"Flare!"

Fire erupted from her palm, swallowing the charging wolves. Several leaped aside, but the rest were consumed by the flames.

Unfortunately, so was half the forest.

Again.

By the time she finally emerged onto a paved road, she had reached Level 10. Along the way, Flare had leveled up, and she had unlocked a new offensive skill.

She leaned against a roadside barrier, breathing hard. Her lungs burned, and every use of magic seemed to drain what little strength she had left.

"Status Window," she muttered between ragged breaths.

A translucent screen appeared before her.

[Name: Aila Jade Sacramento

Age: 36 (Penalized: 18)

Level: 11

Job: Master of Fire (SS)

Title: Phoenix Descent, Someone Who Lived Again

HP: 50/250

MP: 2/120

XP: 3/400

(Penalized: -50% accumulation | 714:33:26 remaining)

STR: 20 (+15)

AGL: 25 (+15)

VIT: 20 (+15)

INT: 30 (+15)

Free SP: 6

Skills:

• Fire Manipulation (B) Lv. 1 (Passive)

• Phoenix Rebirth (S) Lv. 2

• Flare (D) Lv. 2

• *Fireball (E) Lv. 1]

Aila let out a quiet laugh, bitter enough to mock herself.

Everything that had happened over the past eight hours felt surreal.

Just this morning, she had wanted to die. She had even thrown herself off a cliff, hoping to end it all.

Now...

She had been running through a monster-infested forest, desperately fighting to survive.

Life really was absurd.

She drew a deep breath, only to feel a heavy tightness in her chest. Her gaze drifted back to her status window.

MP: 2/120

So that was why.

She no longer felt the familiar spark that had appeared whenever she cast Flare. It was as though every trace of energy had been wrung from her body, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion that seeped into her bones.

She remained alert, listening for the slightest sound from the forest, but she didn't force herself to stand.

Not yet.

She needed to rest and recover her mana before searching for the nearest town.