pain of chains

When morning came, Ajax, who had been unconscious all night, finally woke up. He tried to sit up, but quickly realized he was chained to the bed. His legs felt like they'd been through a marathon—weak and unresponsive, as if he'd climbed a mountain for hours non-stop.

He looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was, but there was no one around. The room didn't feel right—it definitely wasn't a man's room, and it didn't look like a guest room either. Something was off. As he puzzled over it, he called out, "Ceil, where am I?"

Ceil's voice came back, clearly irritated, "You're in your bedroom."

Ajax blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Ceil, still annoyed, clarified, "I mean, you're in your mistress's room."

Ajax was now even more confused. Mistress? How could he have a mistress when he didn't even have a girlfriend or wife? And why was Ceil being so cryptic?

"Stop with the vague answers and just tell me what happened! Where exactly am I?" he demanded.

Ceil let out a frustrated snort. "You're still in the Abyss."

"Still in the Abyss? Didn't I win?" Ajax asked, bewildered.

"No, you didn't win. When you fired that last attack, it got deflected, knocked you out, and then someone dragged you here," Ceil answered, sounding even more annoyed.

"Okay, so can we escape from here?" Ajax asked, hoping for some good news.

"No escape," Ceil retorted. "All your spells are locked up, your magic nerve system is seriously damaged from overusing Chaos Void energy, and it's going to take time to recover before you can even think about activating space manipulation spells to get out of here."

Ajax sighed, feeling the weight of his situation. "So, I can't use any power from now on?"

Ceil softened slightly, "No, you can still use your power, just not like before. But to get out of the Abyss, you need your Chaos energy to teleport out of here."

Ajax thought for a moment. "So, you're telling me that until I recover enough to use Chaos energy, I have to stay here, right?"

Ceil responded, "Yes."

Ajax continued, "So, that means I'm stuck here, and I can't rely on the advantage I had with Chaos energy over the other gods?"

Ceil, sensing Ajax's discouragement, tried to comfort him. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Ajax. You're the most powerful young god I've ever recorded in my database. As per my creator, you're strong in every perspective. Even without Chaos Void Space energy, you can still use Universe energy as a substitute."

Ajax, confused, asked, "Universe energy? How am I supposed to use that? I don't even know what it is. If I told someone to go eat that guy's butt, could I make it happen?"

Ceil, in a contrary tone, replied, "Well, technically, you could with mind control, but let's not go there. By Universe energy, I mean the God mana stored in your body. It can be used as a substitute for your Chaos energy."

Ajax, still curious, asked, "So, how much energy-storing capacity do I have?"

Ceil responded, "Your mana storage capacity is about a million units."

When Ajax heard "a million," he wanted to jump for joy. He tried, but the chains held him down, so he sank back onto the bed and asked, "Does that mean I'm more powerful than others?"

Ceil confirmed, "Yes, you are. But in some cases, the origin of a god also matters." Ceil wanted to elaborate, but Ajax cut it off.

"Okay, okay, so I'm the strongest in mana storage. Can you do anything to release me from these chains?" Ajax asked, almost begging.

Ceil, with an apologetic tone, said, "No, I can't. Your mana circulation has been stopped by those chains binding you."

Ajax groaned. "Is there no way out of this? And why the hell is my whole body in pain like I've been smashed against a rock over and over?"

Ceil retorted, "Why do I have to explain everything to you?" leaving Ajax without a proper answer.

Then a man with white hair, dark skin, and faint red marks on his face entered the room. He wasn't particularly handsome, but his body was well-built, with muscles that stood out on his arms. Approaching Ajax, he said, "Sir, sorry for being late. I am your servant, Lobo, here to report to you. From now on, whatever problems or needs you have, just tell me." He tilted his head, knelt to the ground, and spoke these words loudly and clearly.

Ajax was caught off guard. He never imagined he'd have a servant in this situation. He had resigned himself to being a woman's plaything, planning to either escape when she discarded him or once he regained enough Chaos energy to teleport away. But now, faced with this muscled and not-so-attractive man claiming to be his servant, Ajax felt a strange mix of disappointment and relief. Sure, he would have preferred a beautiful woman as a servant, but he hadn't expected any kind of personal attendant at all.

Trying to take advantage of the situation, Ajax asked, "Can you release me from these chains?"

Lobo responded, "Yes, my lord, but why do you need to be released from them?"

Ajax, growing impatient, replied, "To free myself! Quick, release me!"

Lobo, still kneeling on the ground, looked puzzled and asked, "Why would anyone want to do that? You don't know, master, but there are people out there who would give their lives to receive this kind of treatment from the lady."

Ajax's initial fear—that he was just a woman's plaything—was now confirmed by Lobo. He began to have a hard time imagining just how unattractive his "wife" or mistress might be, if this was the kind of servant she provided him. The whole situation was becoming increasingly surreal, and Ajax wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.