Chapter 31: Pyromaniac
"Elise Sauron?"
"Is that the name of that red-haired woman? Indeed, she must be a Sauron. Her red hair makes it obvious. Azalea actually got her guess right."
Lumien fell silent for a few moments as he processed the truth of what he just learned. When he finally recovered, he let out a long sigh. "So I slept with a member of the Sauron family? Is that why she told me to forget everything and pretend we don’t know each other? Because I’m just the son of a measly baron?"
"If our difference in status mattered to her, why would she willingly sleep with me in the first place? And even go so far as to drug me with an aphrodisiac?"
"With her looks and status, she could easily find someone far better than me and certainly doesn’t lack suitors. So, why...?"
"Why did she choose me, even going so far as to use a drug? What exactly is her objective? What is she trying to gain from me? Was it really, as she claimed, a completely random encounter? Or did she deliberately choose me for a reason?"
"What’s the truth... and what’s the lie?"
After a moment, he shook his head, frustrated. "Damn it! Why am I thinking about her again? I should focus on more important matters right now. For instance, how did she become my contracted harem member? How, when, and where was the contract established? And why can’t I remember anything? Elise... she didn’t mention anything about the contract either. She must be clueless about this too. So what the hell is going on?"
No matter how hard he tried to piece things together, racking his brain until his head throbbed, he couldn’t recall anything useful. Instead, all he could clearly remember were the vivid details of last night’s sex, which only made things worse as a tent began to form in his pants.
He grabbed a glass of water, drinking it in an attempt to calm himself down. Afterward, he decided to drop the subject and focus on the system again because he hadn’t finished reading it.
<Affinity Level: 1>
<Class Level: 1>
<Class: Pyromaniac>
<Class Upgrade Requirement: Affinity Level 10 and Class Level 10>
"Holy crap! Class Pyromaniac... does this mean I can control fire now?" Lumien muttered in shock, his mouth hanging open for several seconds. His hands began to sweat, a mix of nervousness and excitement.
He suddenly remembered a conversation back on Earth when his roommates had asked him, "If you could have any elemental power, which would you choose?"
Without hesitation, he’d answered, "Fire," quickly followed by lightning, ice, and a few others. It had been a casual, almost silly discussion—one of those "what-if" scenarios that people tossed around without a second thought.
Who would’ve thought that random wish would turn out to be true?! The first element he gained in this world was exactly fire!
...
"Anyway, how do I cast the magic? If this were a game, after getting a class or job, the first thing to do would be checking the skill list or skill tree," Lumien mused aloud.
Pondering for a moment, Lumien decided to check the system again. He recalled seeing an Abilities section, which had been empty before. Now that he had a Class, maybe something had changed.
<Name: Lumien Ofnir>
<Race: Human>
<Level: 1>
<Strength: 4>
<Agility: 2>
<Intelligence: 1>
<Vitality: 10>
<Stamina: 7>
<Available Stats Points: 6>
<Classes: Pyromaniac>
<Abilities: Press to learn>
<Current Contracted Harem Members: 1>
<Available Contract Harem Members: 2>
"Ah, I was right. It’s different now."
He willed the system to respond, and instantly, a skill tree-like interface materialized before his eyes.
"Heavens," Lumien whispered in awe. "There are so many abilities I can learn just from one class?"
His eyes scanned the list.
"Fireball..."
"Fire Armor..."
"Fire Enchantment..."
"Fire Infusion..."
"Flame Control..."
"....
It took Lumien a few minutes to go through the list, reading each ability carefully.
After meticulously analyzing the skill tree, weighing the pros and cons of each ability, Lumien finally made his decision. Unfortunately, as his Class Level was still at 1, he could only choose one ability for now.
In the end, he picked Fireball.
It was the most common, beginner-friendly spell—a classic choice. But its versatility and simplicity made it the perfect starting point. Whether for combat or practice, Fireball seemed like the perfect choice.
< Fireball >
>Summon and launch a blazing ball of fire at your target.
>Explodes on impact, dealing area-of-effect damage to nearby targets.
"That’s it? I can cast a Fireball now?" Lumien murmured in disbelief, staring at the system notification that confirmed his newly acquired ability. It seemed almost too good to be true. No grueling training sessions, no ancient chants, no dramatic rituals—just a simple notification, and boom, he had the power.
Excitement bubbled up within him, and he couldn’t resist the urge to try it out immediately. Eager to see the spell in action, Lumien left his room and made his way toward the back of the mansion.
A spacious, open area was definitely the safest place for testing out a fireball. He didn’t want to risk setting something—or worse, someone—on fire inside the house.
When he arrived, however, he found the place wasn’t as empty as he’d hoped. A few servants were busy tending to the garden, pruning bushes, and raking fallen leaves. Their presence made him hesitate; the last thing he wanted was to accidentally scorch someone with a rogue fireball. He also planned to keep his newly acquired ability to be a secret for a while.
"It wouldn’t make sense for a sickly kid like me to suddenly be able to cast magic without any guidance," he thought, biting his lip. Even the most talented Awakened needed references or instruction to craft their spells. His sudden leap in power might draw suspicion, or worse, unwanted attention.
He pictured his parents’ reaction. His mother might faint, and his father would likely call for a priest to perform an exorcism, convinced that his son had been possessed by some dark entity.
Lumien shivered at the thought. "Yeah, let’s not give them a reason to freak out."
With a sigh, he turned away and started searching for a more private spot. After wandering for a while, he spotted a small hill off in the distance, still within his family estate property. Curious, he made his way over, climbing up with more effort than he cared to admit. His stamina still wasn’t great, and by the time he reached the top, he was breathing a little heavier than he’d like.
The view below, though, was worth it. Behind the hill was a hidden clearing, far from prying eyes. The ground was uneven, covered in tall, wild grass that swayed gently in the breeze.
As he slid down the grassy hill to reach the bottom, Lumien’s boots skidded slightly, sending him tumbling to a halt near a patch of dense foliage. He dusted himself off, taking a moment to inspect his surroundings.
The sight of the tall grass made him pause. He frowned, glancing around.
"Is this really a good idea?" he muttered to himself. "If I cast a fireball here, won’t it just set all this grass on fire?"
His mind raced as he considered the consequences. A fire here could quickly spread out of control, and he doubted he could explain away such a disaster to the estate’s staff—or his family.
Still, the urge to test his newfound ability was too tempting to resist. He crouched down, plucked a blade of grass, and rolled it between his fingers, as if seeking inspiration.
"Maybe I can start small," he murmured to himself. "A tiny fireball, just enough to see if it works. I’ll aim at that patch of bare soil... or maybe those rocks over there."
After a quick scan of his surroundings, Lumien’s eyes landed on a moderately sized rock about half his height, sitting near the base of the hill. It seemed like the perfect target—solid, unlikely to burn, and far enough from the grass to avoid accidental ignition.
He approached cautiously, giving the area another once-over. Satisfied that no one was around to witness his experiment, he let out a small sigh of relief.
"Alright," he muttered. "What now? Do I have to shout the spell’s name like some anime character? That’d be pretty embarrassing... but hey, that might work, right?"
Resolving to give it a try, Lumien raised his arm, aimed his palm toward the rock at a distance away, and took a deep breath.
"Fireball!" he shouted, his voice echoing slightly. His cheeks were slightly flushed.
Woosh~
The autumn wind rustled through the grass, brushing against his face.
Seconds ticked by. Lumien stood frozen, his arm still outstretched. Nothing happened.
"...Damn, that was embarrassing," he muttered, lowering his hand. He glanced around quickly to make sure no one had seen him. "Thankfully, no one’s watching."
Determined not to give up, he tried again, this time taking a quieter approach.
Fireball!
He chanted the spell silently in his mind, focusing on the rock.
Still, nothing.
Lumien sighed but didn’t let the failure discourage him. Instead, he shifted tactics.
"I recall, in some novels, imagination is the key to cast magic. Alright, think... Fire. Fire is... heat, energy, destruction." He closed his eyes and tried to picture flames. But what came to mind first was a tiny matchstick flame, then the soft glow of a fireplace.
"Damn, this isn’t what I need," he thought, shaking his head. "I want something more intense. Brighter! Rounder! Purer! Denser!"
He paused, trying to summon inspiration. His thoughts wandered, sifting through anything that could match the image he craved. Then, it hit him like a flash of lightning.
The sun!
It was perfect. The sun—a massive, blazing sphere of fire, radiating unimaginable heat and energy, endlessly burning at the center of the solar system. In every sense, it was the ultimate fireball.
A grin spread across his face as the idea took root. He closed his eyes and focused, letting the image of the sun consume his mind. He pictured its fierce brilliance, the way it seared the sky with its golden rays.
He imagined the molten core, churning and roiling with unstoppable energy, its heat capable of obliterating anything in its path.
His breathing deepened as he visualized the raw power of the sun concentrated into something small, something he could hold in his hand.
Lumien’s eyes snapped open abruptly, and for a fleeting moment, a flicker of flame danced in his pupils.
"Fireball!"
A surge of energy exploded through his body, like a wave of molten heat racing from his core. It rushed down his arms and gathered in his palm, where the skin began to radiate warmth. His hand became scorching hot, but oddly, the heat didn’t harm him. Instead, it felt natural, as though his body had gained some kind of fire resistance.
Before his eyes, a ball of fire began to take shape. At first, it was a small spark, but it grew rapidly, swirling and condensing into a perfect sphere.
Lumien stared, awe-struck. The fireball hovered just above his palm, as if waiting for his command. A strange, almost mystical connection seemed to form between him and the sphere of fire.
Seemingly understanding something, he whispered, "Go."
The fireball shot forward with a sudden burst of speed, leaving a faint trail of heat behind. It raced across the clearing, cutting through the air like a comet.
Then it hit the rock.
Boom!
