Chapter 2

I woke up with a jolt and was immediately held down by ropes around my hands and legs. I struggled for a while against the rope, but it was of no use. Something in the room was preventing me from unleashing my beastly power, so I would just have to wait until my capturer showed up. The sweat on my body was steadily increasing and the thick wool that I had around my shoulders was growing heavier and heavier as it absorbed my sweat. Even if my capturer let me go, I would make sure to strangle him first. Then it hit me, 'Why am I still alive' I thought to myself. I was one hundred percent sure that a mage had stolen me from my homeland and brought me to this atrocious place. Yet, I was still alive. Mages were known to be cruel and unforgiving; they did whatever they wanted just because they could, and everyone was a testing experiment to them. Nothing felt off about me other than the inability to use my power. I laughed very quietly to myself thinking 'So the experiment must be that to see if they can cancel other powers.' Even with this small amount of information, it did nothing to change the situation I was in.

"So, you grabbed a man who could improve his physical power and tested him with a new technique, what blasphemy." I grumbled to myself.

"It's not quite as blasphemous as you make it out to be." a voice said behind the thick oak door as the knob started to turn.

"You see, mages cannot test their powers on other mages, or they would be punished under the law, so I tested on a being who is not considered a mage."

As the door opened wider, I finally was able to see this man, his voice sounded young and disrespectful. He was a tall, fair young man who stared at me with shaded blue eyes. By how tall he was, I would have guessed that he was nineteen or twenty but, his face was too young for the body, so he was most likely around eighteen.

"Since you are finally awake, can you tell me if the test is a success." the young man asks.

"Why would I ever give you the information you're looking for, you literally stole me from my world just to conduct a few tests that I never agreed to." I said angrily.

He looked down at a clipboard he had in his hands and started jotting a few things down. The anger started to well inside of me as he started to smile a sly smile.

"Thank you for this very useful information that you have given me but," the young man said. "would you like to continue working with me from this point onward? I am pretty sure that I can compensate you properly."

"Why would I ever work for you? You haven't even told me your name and you take me as very hostile." I said.

"Aren't you though?" the young man said with a smile. "I mean, you were very ready to kill my scouting bird at the very second you spotted it. Oh, and my name, is Smith Weelson."

Going back to his previous question, I wondered as to why he still needed me for anything. He said he was going to compensate me but, that would mean he would have to let me out of the ropes. I smiled to myself and knew that if I agreed to his request, I could get out of these ropes and strangle him.

"Ah, that won't do," Smith started. "the amount of bloodlust that is coming from you in absolutely terrifying. Also, the deal that I offered recently, will be a contract that will always protect me from you, so don't get any fancy ideas."

Sweat continued to roll down my face and the anger inside of me continued to boil. I used Quell Rage so that I could think properly, and I could speak to this mage. Even though my powers were sealed off, for some reason I could still use passive moves. He looked startled as he noticed my face lose its thick wrinkles.

"Alright, I am willing to listen to your contract as long as I am released and not killed because of my power." I say.

Smith still had a startled look on his face and when he noticed that I was waiting for a reply, he cleared his throat and muttered. "So, he can use continuous magic and magic that can make him think properly."

Looking up, he spoke louder and said, "Unfortunately, I cannot protect you from people who would be willing to kill you to test your power but in term of the contract, I simply will need you to be my bodyguard as I cross this vast world. I am personally not among the elites of the mages so if I were to cross the world, I would gain greater insight and increase my magics."

Looking at him with cold eyes, the anger that I had quelled earlier was now coming back. I knew that what he wanted was simple but the way he made bodyguard sound; was like I would become his slave. I did not want to mope around a stupid mage and 'protect' him, I wanted the thrill of battle that only the strong could offer.

"I have no intention of becoming a slave bodyguard for you," I started. "You robbed me from my homeland and you expect me to follow orders while being unable to experience the thrill of a fight." A laugh gurgled in my throat.

"If fighting is what you want," Smith looked at me with very serious eyes. "then staying with me would give you the fight that you are looking for. You would not be my slave as you say, your only job would be to keep me alive. I could care less what you do with your free time while I am increasing my magics."

I looked at him confusion very visible on my face, "Why are you offering me something like this? I am just a man with some magic power."

The man laughed aloud.

"The answer is quite simple; you are among one of the very few men to ever be able to wield magic at will and wield it continuously." Smith said with a gleam in his eyes. "You are one of a kind."