Chapter 44: When the Past Throws a Punch
"I haven't really used the fire rune that much."
Marcus stared at the flickering flame in his palm, watching how it curled and danced like a living thing. The warmth pulsed against his skin, steady and alive. He furrowed his brow, trying to recall how the other students had wielded their fire runes—launching projectiles and reinforcing weapons. He wasn't sure he could replicate all that, but maybe there was something he could adapt.
"Well... guess I can just copy my explosive jets ability."
He huffed, and the flames beneath his boots surged to life, roaring into vibrant columns. A brief flicker of heat swept up his legs.
"Flaming Jets!"
He shouted, and the fire exploded beneath him, launching him forward through the dungeon corridor in a fiery glide. The propulsion was rougher and less intense than his usual explosive jets, but this variant burned less mana and was perfect for a long, straight hallway like this one. The tunnel whooshed by around him, lit by the orange glow of his spell.
He inhaled, then exhaled in rhythm, adjusting his posture as if riding a snowboard down a steep slope. He bent his knees slightly, finding his balance, picturing the fire as a board under his feet and the blackstone floor as a field of fresh snow.
"Now this is what you call fun!"
He grinned wide, a laugh bursting from him—free and boyish—as if he were a kid snowboarding for the first time. The dungeon wind tugged at his clothes, and the walls blurred past. Then, ahead in the dim corridor, something appeared—motionless, silent, waiting.