Axel had always noticed when rain would fall from the sky. Since he was a little child, he had always sensed its coming. It always came with a peculiar smell—one that he quite liked.
Now, while chasing Dust over to this place, he had sniffed the peculiar scent of rainfall. His survival actually depended on when it would fall, and he had hoped it would fall sooner.
And when Dust had started to talk and boast, a drizzle had caught his skin. His hope was for it to just fall, and to his expectations, it drizzled—and now, it was falling averagely.
But his actions seemed to have consequences. Dust's enemy seemed to be water because of what it did to him—but what about him? Wasn't he made of fire, and wasn't water the real enemy of flames?
Dust was falling now, shouting. His hands were raised upwards, soon falling down. The sword landed with a
THUD!
Onto the ground—it seemed to fall with a clatter. It was similar to the sound of plates falling and breaking into pieces.
Axel sped to the sword and took it from the ground, gripping it very tightly.
Dust was shouting now, holding his face—pressing it, actually.
Axel seemed to be unaffected by the rain, although the flames all over his body were starting to go away. It seemed like the rain was quenching them, which, apparently, it was doing.
Axel decided he would have to find shelter to avoid anything more serious. He looked at Dust, who was on his knees now, coughing wet sand.
He decided he would ask him who sent him.
"Who do you work for?" Axel asked sternly.
Dust coughed more now. "I work for—, I—"
He paused and raised his head, looking at Axel intently in the eyes.
"You cannot save this realm, and you cannot save Earth. He's stronger than you and, as well, more strategic."
"Who?"
Dust smiled.
"You better give up. You alone can never defeat all the villains coming out of this realm or in this realm. All former superheroes have gone into hiding because of their failures. I'd advise you to do the same."
Axel didn't blink the whole time. Stunned, he couldn't voice a single word as he watched Dust slowly dissolve into the sand. He didn't know if he was dead, but well, he didn't care.
Soon, he was facing back, and instead of walking back to the village for shelter, he walked down the deserted area, snapping his fingers. His flames lit up more, and he was back to his normal self—as Axel, no longer an Inferno Hero.
He could see a tree very far away and decided to go there. He would have flown over, but it was raining, and as he had discovered, he wasn't that good at using his powers near water. That seemed to be his weakness.
Walking towards the tree, he thought about home. Now that his father was dead, he was automatically an orphan. He had an uncle, though, and he guessed he could go there, narrate what happened to his father, and then live there. At least he had a place to stay.
The tree was a few steps away now, and upon reaching it, he stayed beside it, under the branches. He was surprised because the rain didn't meet him again. The tree looked sort of magical to him—like an umbrella, giving him shade.
He had a friend back on Earth, and he wondered what had happened to him. He missed Earth, and it felt like he should go there. But the voice said it was too dangerous.
But well, he was a hero, and his duty was to save people. What was the use of his powers if he couldn't use them to save Earth?
Saving Earth did not, to him, mean staying here and doing nothing. Moreover, he was in his final grades back at home and would be writing his final exams in about five months.
Axel decided he had to go back to Earth.
He stood up and thought about seeing his stats, and
BOOM!
A screen appeared in front of him. It was small at first, but then it became wider.
[Hero profile scanning]
Some letters were scattered on the screen, and then they arranged into:
[Hero profile complete]
[Hero Profile]
Name: [Axel]
Rank: [Amateur] [F]→
Hero Points: 200/500
+200 Added for defeating your first villain.
[Attributes]
Power: 40
Speed: 70
Endurance: 25
Intellect: 65
+2 added for using your brain to defeat Dust instead of just combat.
[Hero Skills]
1. [Active Skill] Power Punch (Rank F) – Throw powerful, tooth-aching punches. (Next Upgrade: 10 more uses required)
2. [Passive Skill] Battle Instinct (Rank F) – Slightly enhances reaction speed in combat. (Next Upgrade: Defeat 3 Elite Enemies)
3. [Unique Ability] ??? (Locked) – (Unlock at Rank C)
[Inventory]
Golden Armor (Rank F) – Makes your flames golden and fierce. Can burn opponents easily.
Inferno sword- Go through your opponents with the similitude of flames.
Basic Combat Suit – Offers minor protection. (Upgradeable at Rank E)
Energy Potion x2 – Restores stamina in battle.
Axel squinted his eyes. He had just three items, and he thought of them as very useful. The most useful one being the Energy Potion. It could be very useful when facing a big villain.
Axel sighed, and that seemed to signal his stats to go away. He was about to sit down again when he heard the voice:
"[Axel, your school is in danger.]"
Axel's eyes widened, and he became alarmed.
"Montre's High?" he asked.
"[A villain by the name Corusca has just escaped to Earth via a portal. He is causing havoc in the school.]"
Axel snapped his fingers, and his body lit up. He was now the Inferno Hero.
"[A portal will open in front of you now. Enter and go save your school. Note: The villain's power is a mixture of bright light and electricity. Now, go save the day!]"
A portal sparked open in front of Axel, and without hesitation, he lunged into it.
WHOOSH!
It was more.