Chapter 204: I Accidentally Ignited the Legendary Golden Flame and Became an SSS Rank Hero?!

The young man cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers, but his eyes weren’t on the Promethean Bowl. Instead, he was staring at Maddy as she neared the entrance of the combat trial room.

"Oh, damn! I forgot to ask her name!" he realized, panic crossing his face. "I didn’t even tell her mine, either! What was I thinking?"

He took a sharp breath, trying to steady himself.

"I guess I have to finish this fast so I can catch up to her. I just hope she doesn’t get disqualified so she’s still there when I’m done!"

The receptionist leaned across the counter, her previous boredom completely gone. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, her eyes tracing the lines of his shoulders.

"There is no need to hurry, handsome," she purred, her voice dripping with a forced sweetness. "A man with your physique should take his time. Why don’t you focus on letting out all that heat on the wood? Or, if you prefer, you can show me that fire in private after my shift ends."

The young man didn’t even blink at her invitation. He didn’t look at her face or the way she was posing. His expression turned sharp and cold, a complete shift from his playful self.

"I’m not interested. Besides, I already have someone I’m looking at. She is the one you just called a failure and told to stop her dream."

The receptionist’s smile froze. Her face turned a blotchy red as she realized he was talking about the girl in the dusty hood.

"Her?" she stammered, her voice losing its silkiness. "But she’s just an F Rank. She’s nothing."

"To you, maybe," the young man snapped, finally looking at the bowl. "But you clearly have no eye for talent. Now, watch closely. I have a trial to get to."

He slammed his hand down onto the Rattan plant wood. He didn’t care about a slow build or a graceful show. He poured his frustration into the wood, wanting the evaluation to end so he could follow Maddy into the dark hallway.

The young man slammed his palm down and let out a roar. It was an absurd, theatrical shout that echoed off every stone in the vast hall.

"HIYAHHHHH!!!"

Maddy, who was halfway through the door, felt a vein pulse in her temple. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into fists beneath her cloak.

"Why is this man so incredibly loud? Oh God..."

But her annoyance was cut short by a sudden, violent change in the air. A massive gust of wind whipped through the corridor, catching her cloak and pulling her hood clean off her head. The draft was so strong it felt like a physical hand pushing against her back.

"Wha- What happened!?"

Maddy turned around, her violet hair whipping around her face. She was worried the man had overexerted himself or caused an accident, but the sight behind her stopped her breath.

The entire Guild hall had fallen into a terrified, worshipful silence. Every adventurer, knight, and heckler stood frozen with their jaws dropped. Even the flirtatious receptionist had fallen backward out of her chair, her face pale with shock.

In the center of the room, the young man stood with his hand still pressed to the wood. He wasn’t just making a fire; he was holding a miniature sun.

The flames did not flicker or smoke. They were a brilliant, blinding Golden Sparkle, roaring upward in a massive pillar that licked the high rafters of the ceiling. The light was so intense that it washed out the colors of every other flame in the room, turning the hall into a cathedral of shimmering gold.

The young man stood frozen, his hand still pressed against the wood. He didn’t look triumphant or proud. Instead, his eyes were wide with a pure, unfiltered panic. He stared at the towering pillar of gold as if it were a monster he had accidentally summoned from the depths of the earth.

"Wait, what?!" he gasped, his voice cracking. "Gold? Why is it gold?! No... did I just ignite a... a Golden Flame of Prometheus!?"

The entire hall fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Adventurers who were previously laughing or bragging dropped their weapons. The mocking whispers died instantly. Everyone in the room knew the legends. A golden flame was not just a sign of power; it was a mark of a person who carried the literal spark of a god.

The receptionist stood up slowly, her hands trembling so hard she dropped her magic stylus. She stared at the pillar of light, her face pale and her mouth hanging open. She checked her reading three times, unable to believe the numbers on her screen.

"Flame Intensity: Level 9," she announced, her voice shaking. "Color of the Flame: Golden Red. Registration confirmed. You are ranked as an SSS Rank adventurer!"

Suddenly, her professional facade shattered. She slammed her hands onto the desk, screaming at the top of her lungs to the entire hall.

"HOLY MOTHERF***ER! THE ETERNAL EMBER! WE’VE GOT AN SSS RANK! OH, THANK GOD, PROMETHEUS—FINALLY!"

The word "SSS Rank" hit the crowd like an explosion. People began to scramble backward, creating a wide circle of empty space around the young man.

The cheering that followed was deafening, mirroring the receptionist’s hysterical joy.

"SSS Rank?! Does that mean another HERO was born today?!" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"The last one was—what, ten years ago? This is history! We’re standing in the middle of history!"

"One person at that rank could wipe out an entire army or slay a mythic monster alone!"

"He is a Hero! A new era has appeared in our city!"

"We are finally able to sleep—there will be someone to stop a Demon Lord!"

"IGNITE OUR HEARTS!"

The crowd began to cheer and pray, their voices rising in a frantic roar. To them, an SSS Rank was not just a title; it was a sign of safety in a world full of monsters. They looked at the young man as if he were a savior sent to stop the Demon Lord.