Volume 1, Chapter 4 – Oasis, and the Remains

Now, in the scorching, uninhabited wilderness, clusters of orange-red flowers bloom one after another.

Each about a hundred meters in diameter and dozens of meters tall, these fiery blossoms don’t all bloom simultaneously but rather in a clear sequence. If any birds were passing by, they would surely notice that before these colossal flame flowers erupt, a small black dot first appears on the ground. After a brief pause, the massive fiery blossom unfolds.

To describe such a scene, the closest comparison would be bombs dropped by a bomber—except the explosions come slower, and each blast covers a slightly larger area.

The one responsible for all this is Fia, who now wanders the wilderness alone. As for how she manages to release these fiery blossoms one by one, it’s the result of relentless experimentation.

An hour ago, after the catastrophe comparable to a nuclear explosion, Fia adopted a mindset of “since there’s no one around anyway, I might as well experiment to my heart’s content.” She wanted to figure out what exactly caused the difference between her magic when facing the Knight Commander and when casting it remotely. By her third attempt, she realized the key lay in her focus.

During her first encounter with the Knight Commander, she had cast the spell in a panic. Not only was the range of the flames small, but there was also no trace of the terrifying silver nebula. But an hour ago, when she cast the spell with full concentration, the difference in power became apparent.

Fundamentally, it was the same spell—just with varying degrees of potency.

This was the conclusion Fia reached as she walked and bombarded her surroundings.

“Completely different from how stories portray it.”

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In tales with magical settings, there are usually rules like “spells require incantations” or “a magical medium—such as a wand, orb, or spellbook—must be used.” Yet now, she could cast spells without chanting or any medium. A mere thought was enough to make explosions erupt at designated spots.

Though so far, she only had access to fire magic, and the casting range was limited, it was more than enough for self-defense.

As she set her next explosion targets—shrubs and small rocks—Fia casually waved her hand.

At a glance, she looked utterly disheveled: her face was smeared with sand, and her already tattered dress had been reduced to rags barely clinging to her body after her high-speed sprint. Yet, Fia felt nothing but joy. Mastering something entirely new—especially magic, a concept straight out of fantasy—filled her with exhilaration.

Even though she still didn’t understand why she could use magic or how it worked, it didn’t stop her from humming cheerfully as she walked. Of course, to an outsider, the sight of a little girl casually creating massive explosions while skipping along would be nothing short of horrifying.

“But then again, if this is magic, shouldn’t there be something like mana? I don’t feel any mana at all. Do people in this world cast spells without it?”

Aside from the slight dizziness she felt after casting that terrifying nuclear-level spell, she hadn’t experienced any exhaustion. It was as if her magic reserves were infinite.

As she spoke, Fia set off another explosion five hundred meters away. Without summoning the silver nebula, her maximum range was five hundred meters. Beyond that, the silver nebula would appear, planting a miniature sun on the earth that could melt rock into lava and crystallize the surroundings.

Additionally, the maximum diameter of her standard flame explosions was also five hundred meters, while the minimum could be as small as a flicker on her fingertip or a palm-sized fireball she could toss—extremely convenient.

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As for why she was causing destruction while walking, the answer was twofold: to avoid getting lost and to familiarize herself with her new “toy.” In this unfamiliar world, magic might be her lifeline, so she had to master it thoroughly—though perhaps her priority should be finding proper clothing first.

Honestly, if there were people around, Fia would’ve long since hidden herself somewhere. Walking around in rags was unbearably embarrassing. And thanks to her proper upbringing, she was too self-conscious to even glance down and check if her underwear had a bear pattern, forcing her to keep her gaze rigidly forward.

“Ugh, who knows how long it’ll take to get out of here—huh?”

Mid-sentence, Fia froze.

Not far ahead, a crooked little hut came into view. Severely weathered, half its roof had already collapsed, as if it might crumble into ruins at any moment.

“There’s a hut in a place like this?! Am I seeing things?!”

Her voice shrill with excitement, Fia dismissed the fireball she’d been about to detonate and sprinted toward the hut—though she deliberately held back her speed. During her race against the nuclear blast’s shockwave earlier, she’d noticed her speed was absurdly fast, to the point of creating sonic booms. If she ran at full speed now, the already fragile hut would undoubtedly shatter instantly.

In just a few breaths, Fia reached the hut at a cheetah’s pace.

Just as she’d seen from afar, the hut was in ruins. The wooden door was long gone, leaving only heavily weathered walls and a doorframe. Inside, the floor was littered with rubble and wood splinters. Aside from a skeletal figure curled in the corner, the only furnishings were what might’ve been a bed and a table.

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Either a traveler who’d met the same fate as her or a recluse who’d lived here, Fia guessed. Without water or due to some drastic environmental change, they’d had no choice but to wait for death.

“Sorry. I’ll bury you properly later—consider it a fair trade.”

Clasping her small hands together, Fia bowed slightly toward the remains in the corner.

Then, she began searching the hut for anything useful—checking drawers, under the bed, and even the skeletal figure’s clothing pockets. Disrespectful to the dead? Perhaps, but the living took priority. As for why she wasn’t frightened by the corpse, Fia figured it was either because she’d seen plenty of death in her past life or because magic had subconsciously strengthened her mental resilience. Either way, she felt not a shred of fear.

A normal girl would’ve screamed and bolted by now.

“Is this all? No water or food… Well, that makes sense. If there’d been any, they wouldn’t have died here.”

All the remains left her was a book, a heavily weathered map, and a silver dagger embedded with gemstones. Additionally, Fia found a hooded cloak in one of the drawers. Its sunproof and windproof fabric was excellent, perfect for covering what her rag dress couldn’t.

“The Secret History of Witches? Strange title… cough cough.”

Dust billowed as she flipped through the book, triggering a coughing fit. Waving away the particles, she skimmed the contents under the dim light.

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“History of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom? Oh! I can read this world’s language just fine. This must be a book on world history—I’ll read it properly later. The map’s more important right now. Even though it’s weathered, the key parts are intact. Let’s see… These yellowish-brown areas must be the wasteland. The triangle… Could this be the hut I’m in now? Then human settlements aren’t far at all!”

Though the map’s scale had eroded away, the distances alone suggested a human city wasn’t far—and it was nestled within a green expanse, distinct from the wasteland’s yellow markings. That had to be a forest.

Forest meant wild fruits, game, and—most importantly—water.

She was finally leaving the wasteland.

Long live civilization!

Hope flared in Fia’s heart. She bowed deeply once more to the skeletal figure in the corner, then slowly backed out of the hut.

“Even if you couldn’t leave this hut, senior, I’ll carry on your will and escape this wasteland in your place. Rest in peace—may there be a place for you in heaven.”

Once at a safe distance, Fia took a deep breath and raised her right hand, palm aimed at the hut.

With a pillar of fire roaring skyward, the hut vanished from the barren wasteland. For a fleeting moment, Fia thought she heard a voice thanking her—but with no one around, she quickly dismissed it as her imagination.