According to Tweety and Shiro, the best way to "activate my element" was to enter a beginner dungeon. According to me, that was also the best way to die in the first ten minutes.
Still, here we were standing in front of a deserted cave mouth on the outskirts of the forest of Dolern, the air inside coming out was thick with damp moss and other unexplainable scent.
The entrance looked… inviting. If you liked darkness plus weeds and questionable smells.
I gulped.
"So… this is it?"
"Indeed," Tweety said, perched elegantly on my shoulder. "The Dolern Beginner's Dungeon. Its Simple, manageable, perfect for someone as-"
He paused delicately.
"Say it," I said flatly.
"-fragile as you," Tweety finished.
"Thanks," I muttered.
Shiro, in his smaller cat form, sat by my feet, tail flicking.
"The monsters inside are weak. You'll be fine."
"Right. Easy for you to say, Mr. Frostbite Fangs. You're built like a snow tank."
He yawned.
"Just go in. It's not dangerous."
"See, that's exactly what people say before it gets dangerous," I argued. "We could just train outside! Somewhere that doesn't smell like this!"
Neither of them moved.
Tweety sighed.
"John, you must overcome fear to evolve."
"I'd rather evolve with food and sunlight."
Shiro rolled his eyes, padded up to me
and before I could step back, he pushed me.
Hard for a small cat.
"Wha-hey-wait-!"
I stumbled forward, arms flailing, and the next thing I knew, I was tumbling down the stone slope of the cave entrance.
My torch flew out of my hand. So did my dignity.
I landed face-first in the dirt with a very undignified "oof."
From outside, I heard Tweety's calm voice echoing down:
"Excellent entry form."
"Not funny!" I yelled.
A moment later, Shiro padded down the slope effortlessly, completely unbothered. He landed beside me, stretching like he'd just had a pleasant nap.
"There," he said smugly. "You're inside."
I glared at him.
"You pushed me!"
"Fel did that to Mukoda maybe, didn't he?"
"He did! Are you watching the anime too?!"
He flicked his tail innocently.
"It worked for them and for you too," he said, completely ignoring me.
"Yeah!? Because he had fire and plot earth elements! I have nothing!"
Tweety finally flew down, landing gracefully on my shoulder again. His feathers cast a soft golden glow over the damp walls.
"Now, now. We are all here. Shall we begin?"
I picked up my torch and brushed dirt off my clothes.
"Sure. Why not? I'm already emotionally scarred."
Water dripped from the ceiling somewhere in the dark. The stone walls glistened faintly with mineral dust.
For a beginner dungeon, it still felt creepy.
Like "something small and slimy is definitely watching you" creepy.
"Stay alert," Tweety said softly. "Low-rank monsters often roam the first floor."
"Define low-rank," I whispered.
"Usually slimes."
"Slimes," I repeated. "Like, the jiggly kind that dissolves people's clothes or the cute ones from games?"
"Depends on luck."
I sighed.
"Why does my luck always roll for trouble?"
A faint squelch resonates from ahead. Then another.
Shiro's ears perked up.
"They're here."
"...Great."
Two blue, wobbly shapes appeared under the glow of Tweety's light.
They weren't big. About the size of basketballs. But they were moving toward us.
Slowly. Purposefully.
Menacingly… in a very jiggly way.
"Okay, okay," I muttered, tightening my grip on my pan. "I can do this. I've fought worse. Like debt collectors."
Tweety nodded approvingly.
"Show us your resolve, John."
I took a deep breath.
"Right. I just need to hit the-"
The first slime jumped.
Straight onto my face.
"Mmmph!?"
I panicked because it was cold.
Slimes were everywhere.
I staggered around, flailing, while Tweety and Shiro watched calmly.
"Technique could use refinement," Tweety commented.
"Good cardio, though," Shiro added.
I finally pried it off and smacked it with my hand. The slime burst like jelly, leaving behind a single small core that glowed faintly blue.
I stared at it, panting.
"Is it dead?"
"Quite," Tweety said. "Well done."
Shiro nodded.
"A clean hit. For a human."
I glared at him.
"Thanks… I think."
Then I felt a soft heat in my chest. A faint warmth, subtle but real.
My hands tingled again.
I opened my menu. A new notification blinked.
Level Up!
John Avery: + Level 2
Element Affinity: Fire (Beginner) (Unlocked)
I froze.
"Wait-Fire!? I actually got one!?"
Tweety's eyes glimmered proudly.
"Of course. You were destined for flame."
Shiro smirked.
"Figures. Surrounded by hot air all the time."
"Ha-ha," I said dryly. "Very funny."
Still, I couldn't help but grin. Since getting dropped into this world, I'd actually done something on my own.
"Focus John, the training isn't done yet!"
"Okay, okay."
I was still a Level 2 nobody but hey, I finally had a spark. And knowing my luck, that spark would probably start a forest fire later.
Okay. Fire element unlocked.
Feeling pretty good about myself, not gonna lie. That confidence lasted exactly… thirty seconds.
"Alright," I said, holding up my hand like a wannabe wizard. "Time to test my fire power."
Tweety and Shiro both watched expectantly.
"Fire thrower!" I shouted, with all the conviction of a man who'd only ever seen magic on TV.
A small pfft! noise came from my palm.
A tiny flame flickered about the size of a match head.
It hissed weakly for two seconds. Then died.
We all stared at my hand.
"…Did I just summon a lighter?" I muttered.
Tweety coughed politely.
"A very modest start."
"Modest? That wouldn't even toast a marshmallow!"
Shiro tilted his head, looking almost sympathetic.
"Maybe you said it wrong."
"What do you mean 'said it wrong'? It's not a spell!"
Still, I tried again.
"Fire thrower!"
Pfft!
Same sad little spark. Gone in an instant.
At this point, the slimes in front of us were starting to look… amused.
Or maybe that was just me hallucinating out of embarrassment.
Then one of them, bigger than the first wobbled forward, bouncing aggressively.
"Oh no," I said. "They evolve?!"
Tweety flapped up to a rock, wings glowing faintly.
"Focus on your mana, John! More power!"
"I'm trying! I think my mana's on vacation!"
Shiro just sat down, watching like this was prime-time entertainment.
You should probably move."
"Why…oh-"
The slime lunged.
I dodged just barely, rolling onto the cold stone floor. My torch clattered away.
With my hand fire doing nothing but wasting mana, I had only one choice left.
I reached into my item box and pulled out… my frying pan.
"Alright," I said, standing up and holding it like a sword. "Time to improvise."
The next few minutes could only be described as the least graceful battle ever fought in another world.
Slimes everywhere. Me, swinging wildly.
Each hit sounded like someone smacking jelly with a pot lid.
Every time I tried to cast fire again-pfft!-another useless flicker. My mana bar (if I had one) was probably weeping.
From behind, I heard Tweety and Shiro both laughing.
Not polite laughter. Full, uncontrollable laughter.
"His stance- hahaha!" Tweety gasped between cackles.
"Look at him! He's waving it like, like he's scaring birds!" Shiro added, actually rolling on the floor.
"Oh, yeah, laugh it up!" I shouted, smacking another slime with the pan. "Don't mind me! Just out here dying with dignity!"
My arms ached and my breathing burned. My once-perfect pan now had dents the size of small circle.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last slime burst with a wet splot! and dissolved into mana mist.
I dropped to my knees, completely out of breath.
"Victory," I wheezed. "At the cost of my pan."
I managed a weak grin at my familiars.
"See? No problem. Easy…"
Then suddenly, the ground trembled.
From the dark end of the cavern came a deep, wet rumble. The shadows moved and something massive began oozing out.
I stared. "...That's not another slime."
It was huge. Easily three times my height. Its body shimmered a deep blue, pulsing like a heart.
Shiro's tail twitched.
"A Giant Slime," he said calmly. "Probably the king."
"King!?" I squeaked. "Since when do slimes have royalty!?"
Tweety's feathers flared, his tone sharp.
"John! Channel your mana, now!"
"I'm out!" I yelled. "I've got nothing left in the tank! And I'm exhausted!"
"Use what remains!" Tweety shouted. "Push it to your limits! You must strengthen your flame!"
The giant slime bellowed or squelched, I guess and started rolling toward me, shaking the ground.
My instincts screamed at me to run.
My legs refused to move.
"John!" Tweety yelled again.
Alright. Fine. If I was going to die, I was going to die dramatically.
I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, and shouted with everything I had left:
"FIRE THROWER!"
This time, it wasn't a spark.
A roar of flame erupted from my hand, wide, wild, bright. The air cracked with heat. The giant slime shrieked as the fire engulfed it completely.
I could feel the mana drain from my body, every last drop.
And as the flame faded, the only thing I saw was the slime collapsing into ash, leaving behind a huge glowing core.
Then my vision went dark.
When I came to, the first thing I heard was Tweety's voice.
"He's alive. Barely."
Then Shiro's quiet chuckle.
"Told you he had it in him."
I groaned softly, eyes still closed.
"Next time," I muttered weakly, "remind me not to volunteer for Elemental magic experiments."
"Of course," Tweety said pleasantly.
I refused to believe him.
"Are you guys finished eating?"
"No," Shiro said from behind me, currently chewing on something suspiciously raw. "You fell flat and so we hunt."
"It's kinda gross but, I'll cook when I feel my strength come back."
"Yeah and you need to eat something. You'll need your strength. There are still mana disturbances nearby."
"Mana what?"
Before he could answer, a low thud echoed through the trees.
Then another. And another.
Heavy footsteps. Lots of them.
Tweety's feathers ruffled.
"That sound… I know it."
Shiro's ears twitched.
"What is it?"
"Orcs," Tweety said flatly.
I froze mid-bite. "Orcs!? You mean green, ugly, people-sized pigs that carry clubs and bad temper!?"
"Those are the ones," he confirmed.
I immediately started packing up my things. "Cool, then let's not meet them. I've had enough near-death experiences for this day."
But Tweety just stared toward the noise, eyes glimmering.
"Their meat is delicious."
I blinked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Orc meat," Tweety said, already stretching his wings. "Tender. Rich in mana. A rare delicacy. We cannot ignore this opportunity."
Shiro stood up beside him, already shifting into his larger tiger form. His fur bristled, eyes glowing faintly blue.
"I agree. I've heard orc meat tastes even better when cooked."
I pointed between them, panicked.
"Wait, wait, are you both seriously thinking about cooking them!?"
Neither answered.
Instead, Tweety grabbed me with his talon by the collar while Shiro crouched low.
"Hold on, John," Tweety said calmly. "We're going hunting."
"WHAT!???WAIT…NOOOO-!"
Before I could protest further, we were off Shiro darting through the forest like a white blur, Tweety gliding above us in his fiery small-bird form, clutching my shoulder with his claws.
Branches whipped past. My hair felt like it was being styled by wind magic.
All the while, Tweety sounded perfectly composed.
"We'll reach them in a minute. Prepare yourself."
"PREPARE MYSELF!? FOR WHAT? A BUFFET!?"
"Exactly."
I didn't even have the energy to scream anymore.
Soon the forest opened into a clearing and there they were.
A whole group of orcs. Big, ugly, snorting things with crude armor and clubs that looked way too heavy for them.
At least a dozen. Maybe more.
Shiro stopped just at the edge of the clearing, crouched low and silent, muscles rippling under his snowy fur. Tweety's feathers flared with faint gold light.
"Good," Tweety murmured. "Prime cuts."
"Please don't describe them like food!" I hissed.
But before I could say more, something else happened.
A massive surge of energy rolled across the clearing. It was heavy in mana, ancient, and strong enough to make the ground tremble.
Even Tweety froze mid-step.
And then, from the opposite side of the clearing, he appeared.
A gigantic wolf with fur like silver blue, eyes sharp and gold. His mere presence silenced the entire forest.
I knew that face.
I'd seen it before, in the anime, on Mukoda's journey.
Fenrir.
Or rather… Fel himself.
He stepped into the clearing, gaze cutting toward us immediately. His fur rippled as he spoke, voice deep and commanding.
"Phoenix."
Tweety's wings spread wide, firelight reflecting in his eyes.
"Fenrir."
For a long moment, neither moved. The air between them shimmered heat against lightning and wind, fire against storm.
I could practically feel the mana pressure crushing my poor human soul.
I swallowed hard, eyes darting between them.
"Uh… hey, guys? Maybe we could not start an ancient elemental rivalry right now? There are orcs watching."
Neither answered.
They just stood there, two divine beings from myth, glaring at each other like the start of a cooking competition gone horribly wrong.
Somewhere behind them, one orc sneezed nervously.
"Hide behind me, John. This will become ugly."