Moonlight Flame

Marie continued her explanation, her voice steady. "The ranking system works as follows: when the crystal circle glows Blue, it signifies an A-Rank Hunter. Red represents a Mythic Ranker. And finally, Black... the rarest of them all, marks an Ethereal Deity."

Back in the present, Ryn found himself walking alongside Mark's group, heading towards their first dungeon hunt together. Mark, the self-proclaimed leader, was an A-Rank hunter, while his two teammates, Beter and Lore, were ranked below him.

Mark turned to Ryn with a confident smirk. "This is Beter, and that's Lore. We've been together for a while now."

Ryn simply nodded, his mind wandering. I don't know what's coming next, but... A small smile curled on his lips. He turned to Stella, who was walking quietly beside him. Gently, he placed his hand atop her head. "You're a brave girl," he said with a warm smile. Stella's eyes widened slightly before she looked away, hiding her blush.

They arrived at the dungeon entrance, a massive, eerie cavern that swallowed the light. Without hesitation, they stepped inside, ready to hunt for monster cores.

A group of small, grotesque creatures with twisted grins emerged from the darkness. Mark and his team lunged forward, attacking in perfect sync. Meanwhile, Ryn stood still, observing. Within moments, the monsters lay defeated, their lifeless bodies littering the ground.

Mark turned toward Stella, who had frozen in place at the sight of the creatures. His expression darkened. "Oh, little weakling, why did you just stand there?" he spat, his voice filled with disdain. "Come collect the stones!" His words lashed out like a whip.

Trembling, Stella quickly responded, "Y-yes, sir..." Her voice wavered as she bent down to gather the stones, tears threatening to spill.

Ryn's hands clenched into fists, a flicker of flames sparking to life around his fingers. His anger flared, but he held himself back. Not yet...

After clearing out the smaller monsters, the group proceeded toward the dungeon boss chamber. At a crossroads, Mark smirked. "Hey Ryn, the dungeon splits here. You take the other path. We'll meet at the boss' lair."

Ryn narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing Mark's hidden intentions. The smirk on Mark's face and the knowing glances exchanged between his teammates were enough to confirm it. They're planning something.

"Alright," Ryn replied nonchalantly. But before he left, he knelt down beside Stella and whispered, "If you're in danger, just call my name—say 'Big Brother, help.'"

Stella looked up at him, her eyes brimming with emotion. She gave him a small, trusting smile. "Okay... Big Bro."

As Ryn traversed the tunnel, he encountered a horde of massive orcs wielding bloodstained axes. He cracked his neck and grinned. "Let's start the party, guys."

Meanwhile, in Mark's path, the group reached the boss chamber. Stella remained quiet, her body tense. Mark and his teammates exchanged sinister glances. Lore smirked. "I have an idea..." she said with a twisted grin. Without warning, she shoved Stella forward.

"Pray for this monster, little baby," she sneered.

Mark and Beter laughed. "Brilliant! If it eats her first, we can strike at its weak point!"

Stella's breath hitched, tears rolling down her cheeks as a colossal demonic beast emerged from the shadows, its oppressive aura freezing the air. She trembled violently. I don't want to die... I don't want to die! Her mind screamed.

As the monster raised its claw to strike, she found her voice. "Big Brother... help!"

In the blink of an eye, a streak of flames sliced through the darkness. Before the monster's claw could touch Stella, Ryn stood before her, holding her trembling form in his arms. His presence radiated pure, unbridled fury.

Stella had lost consciousness from fear, unaware of what had just transpired.

Ryn turned to Mark's group, his voice like a chilling whisper. "Who did this?"

Mark scoffed, regaining his composure. "Relax, Ryn. She was just too weak. Not our fault."

Ryn's eyes glowed with rage. "I'll ask one more time... Who. Did. This?"

Lore stepped forward with an arrogant grin. "It was me, you bug. Got a problem with that?" She barely finished speaking before Ryn vanished. In an instant, he reappeared in the same spot—holding Lore's severed head.

Mark and Beter stood frozen in horror, unable to comprehend what had happened.

"You... you third-rate bastard!" Mark roared. "Beter, kill him!"

Beter charged, sword raised high. But Ryn didn't move. As Beter swung, Ryn simply extended his hand, grabbing Beter's face. Flames erupted, engulfing Beter completely. He screamed, thrashing as his body was incinerated into ashes.

Mark's entire body trembled. His mind raced. He killed them... so easily...

"You think you can get away with this?!" Mark howled. He activated his divine ice magic, forming a massive ice axe and swinging it down toward Ryn.

But Ryn was gone.

Behind Mark, the boss monster's head rolled onto the ground, its remains smoldering. Mark turned, eyes wide in terror, as Ryn crushed Lore's head in his grasp.

Mark collapsed to his knees, paralyzed with fear. "You... you monster..."

Ryn's voice was quiet but sharp as a blade. "Don't take my beast out of my body you morons.."

Mark's fear turned to rage. "You bastard!" He launched his strongest ice attack, but in an instant, Ryn shattered it with a burst of flames. Before Mark could react, Ryn engulfed him in fire.

As Mark's body was reduced to nothing but ashes, Ryn turned away, carrying Stella in his arms. Without looking back, he left the dungeon.

Hours later, Stella awoke to the smell of roasting fish. She saw Ryn sitting by a small fire, silently preparing their meal. The sky had darkened, stars twinkling above them.

"Where... where am I?" she asked, her voice small.

Ryn didn't look at her. "You're free now."

Stella's eyes welled with tears, but instead of sadness, a warm relief washed over her. Without another word, she clung to Ryn's arm, smiling softly. "Thank you... Big Brother."

Under the starlit sky, the two shared a silent understanding—one of trust, of protection, and of a newfound bond that no flame could ever extinguish.