Everything was darkness.
Darkness everywhere.
There was nothing.
A world without anything, without anyone—a void so absolute that even nothingness itself did not exist as a concept.
And there he was.
That hero drifting through the absence of all things.
Or rather…
Through " ".
A voice called to him.
—Wake up…
He curled up tighter.
It felt really good.
—WAKE UP!
—Mom… let me sleep five more minutes…
—I SAID WAKE UP!
A sharp pain shot straight through his leg.
Froggy woke instantly, violently kicking both feet.
—AHHH! —Froggy screamed.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the same ground as before, with a lizard biting his leg and shaking it back and forth.
—Eh? Hello?
The lizard climbed onto his chest and stared down at him.
Face to face, the two locked eyes.
—MORTAL!
The lizard glared at him with barely restrained fury.
—Do we know each other? —Froggy asked.
—OF COURSE WE DO. I AM THE DESTROYER OF THE SUN.
Froggy tilted his head, still confused.
He only remembered being moments away from getting cooked alive.
—Eh… yeah… don't know you, brother.
—The primordial fire? The master of the true flame?
—Nope. Doesn't ring a bell.
—Perhaps the destroyer of universes? The one and invincible lord of supreme heat?
—OHH, yeah, I think I've heard of that one…
—...
—So what's the lord of fire or whatever doing around here? —Froggy asked casually.
The lizard bit him again.
—AHHH!
He shook his arm wildly trying to fling it off.
—LET GO OF ME!
—NO!
—AT LEAST TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!
The lizard finally released him.
—I am the Absolute Lava Lizard.
—What?
Froggy stared.
It was around twenty centimeters tall.
About the size of a small cat.
Its tail had a tiny flame that was already starting to go out.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Ally Statistics]
Friend Added 1/1 [Maximum Capacity]
[Absolute Lava Lizard Lv.1]
Status: Humiliated
Alignment: Friend [Forced]
[Skills]
Tiny Spark (Damage 5)
Little Roar (Intimidates nearby enemies)
Heat Mode (Can warm tea and other liquids)
—You look… a little different.
The lizard immediately felt the urge to kill him.
—How did you end up like this?
—THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW, MORTAL!
The lizard sat beside Froggy.
Froggy used the moment while it was distracted to sit up and inspect the surroundings.
The dwarves were still unconscious.
The landscape was even more scorched than before, covered in ash.
And—
—WELL?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, HUMAN?!
—I already told you, I don't know!
—You must have done something.
—Maybe I accepted a friend request…
—A what?
—Ah… sorry.
The lizard fell silent.
It stared at the ground.
Then slowly looked back at Froggy.
—You… CURSED ONE!
It suddenly lunged and bit his arm.
—PREPARE FOR MY WRATH!
—HEY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! —Froggy yelled.
He shook his arm violently and tried prying the lizard off.
—STOP MOVING!
—LET GO OF ME!
Without thinking, driven purely by desperation from the pain, Froggy bit the lizard back.
The creature froze.
Then immediately released his arm.
It stepped back two tiny paces.
—Since when do humans bite?
The lizard sounded deeply offended.
—You bit me first! I just returned the favor!
—I see, HUMAN!
It charged again.
—AHHH!
And then they began biting each other, rolling, crashing, and tumbling across the ground for several minutes.
The lizard bit.
Froggy bit back.
They rolled around like lunatics.
Eventually they separated.
Froggy ran toward the dwarves, spotted an axe on the ground, and grabbed it.
—HAHAHA! You won't be able to—
He stopped laughing.
The weapon was far too heavy.
He couldn't lift it.
The lizard seized the chance, stole a fallen dwarf's helmet, awkwardly jammed it onto its head, and charged.
Froggy moved his leg one second before impact.
The lizard was slow.
—YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MOVE!
—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
The battle continued.
Until both collapsed from exhaustion.
Froggy fell first.
The lizard remained attached to his leg, biting and shaking it while Froggy simply accepted his fate.
Eventually the lizard got tired too.
It let go and sat beside Froggy.
Side by side.
Staring into nothing.
Exhausted.
Silence ruled between them.
Until the lizard broke it.
—I cannot believe this…
I was POWERFUL…
A force feared by gods.
Respected by mortals.
They worshiped me!...
Fire itself feared me.
Froggy sighed.
—Now maybe you're good at making tea.
The lizard felt its fury rise again and started standing up.
—Time out. We'll continue later. —Froggy gestured with both hands.
—Fine. —the lizard replied.
It growled.
A tiny five-centimeter flame popped from its mouth.
Then died instantly.
—I have lost everything…
My power…
My size…
Froggy looked at it silently.
A seated lizard.
Round stomach sticking out slightly.
Maybe a little overweight.
Then he spoke.
—Maybe we have something in common.
—What? —The lizard looked at him in disbelief.
—I don't remember it…
But before, I was important too.
Maybe I was powerful.
—Powerful? You?
—Not exactly powerful…
But I had a life, you know?
And now I'm… nothing.
The lizard watched him quietly.
—So…
You lost everything too…
It looked down at the ground.
Froggy nodded.
—That's right…
—I see. —said the lizard.
—Yeah? —Froggy replied hopefully.
—INSIGNIFICANT! WHY WOULD I CARE ABOUT YOUR MISERABLE LIFE?! GIVE ME MY THINGS BACK!
Froggy blinked twice at the sudden burst of rage.
—I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING!
—YOU HAVE TO FIX THIS!
—Who do you think I am? I didn't even know it was you until recently—
The lizard glared murderously, got up, and attacked again.
The battle resumed.
And ended exactly the same as before.
Both of them lying on the ground.
The lizard staggered away from Froggy on its tiny trembling legs.
Then collapsed sideways, exhausted.
Muttering through clenched teeth.
—Stupid… mortal…