Lucien lay unconscious on the floor, having lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man called out to someone. Almost immediately, another man of similar age entered the room and greeted him respectfully.
"Master Adonis."
Adonis acknowledged the greeting with a quiet hum.
"Get the healer and have him treated,"he ordered.
"Yes, Master."
"Master, may I speak freely?"
Adonis turned his gaze toward the man."Hmm? What is it?"
"Master, do you still have any use for Liam Hunter? It seems to me he no longer wishes to live. If he remains like this, we won't be able to make use of him for other tasks."
This middle-aged man was one of Adonis's Shadow Guards, and he had witnessed everything that had transpired earlier.
"Yes. We still have work for him."
Adonis paused, then asked,
"Austin, do you know why I killed his lover?"
"No, Master."
"That woman and Liam were planning to run away from Paradise. Do you understand what that means? For them to escape, they would first have to break the blood contract—which would require killing me. So, of course, I eliminated a threat to my life."
"But Master, why did you spare Liam? If he was planning to flee, shouldn't we have killed him?
"Yes, that would have been the logical choice. But don't forget—he is the last successor of the Raven Shroud family. Even though his parents are dead and his relatives sold him into slavery, the family's hidden treasure remains. The others know nothing of it. Only Liam might hold the secret. That's why I killed his woman and hollowed him out from within—so he wouldn't resist much when we extract the information from him. Besides, there's another reason: the crowds love watching him in the arena. Wouldn't it be a waste to kill him now?"
"Yes, Master. I understand. And what of the new product?"
The middle-aged man glanced at Lucien's motionless form and smirked.
"What's the point of killing him after saving him from death's grasp? Prepare him for the arena. Who knows? He might just surprise us."
Then, Austin vanished with Lucien in tow. Before leaving, he bowed deeply to Adonis one final time.
–––––
Inside a dimly lit prison cell, Lucien sat slumped against the cold wall, slowly regaining consciousness.
As his senses returned, he realized he was trapped in a desolate dungeon. The only source of light was a single flickering candle, casting eerie shadows across the stone floor.
Around him were other cells, each separated by thick, glass-like barriers—transparent yet harder than steel, ensuring no prisoner could escape unseen.
The design was deliberate—each captive could see the others, a cruel reminder of their shared fate, yet none could break free.
Even if someone miraculously escaped, the blood contracts binding them would make tracking them down effortless.
"I didn't expect to lose my left arm… That bastard! If I stay alive… someday, I'll kill him. I'll have my revenge." Lucian's voice was a low, venomous growl
Cutting off my arm was unnecessary. I would've signed the contract if they'd just given me a warning. After all, life is more precious than losing freedom. If I stay alive, I might still reclaim it one day.
"Strange… I don't feel any pain. Did they heal me?"
Though his arm was gone, the wound had been treated—no throbbing ache, just a phantom weight where his limb should have been.
"I need to get out of here. But first, I have to learn about this place."
His mind raced.
I don't even know where I am. What the hell should I do?
That was the biggest problem now—he was trapped in this place, surrounded by strangers speaking a language he doesn't understand. And yet…
A memory flickered.
Last time, before everything went dark… I could understand that bastard's words.
"Could it be because of the contract?"
He frowned, turning the thought over.
I need to test this. See if I really understand them now.
Lucien glanced to his right—and froze.
There, in the next cell, was the same handsome man who had brought him here.
Rage flared in his chest.
If not for him, I wouldn't be here.But just as quickly, doubt crept in. Or was he forced to do it?
Gritting his teeth, Lucien called out
"Hey, bastard! Can you hear me?"
Silence.
"You foreign son of a bitch! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be trapped here! And now you're ignoring me? I swear, I'll beat the life out of you—"
"I'm sorry."
The reply came softly—and Lucien understood him this time.
Wait… Can he understand me now?
Testing, he growled," Can
you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I can."
"Then why the hell did you do it?"
"What?"
"Why did you bring me here?"
The words slipped from Lucien's mouth before he could stop them.
"I thought you already knew. I'm just like you… trapped. A slave."
"So you're saying that old bastard told you to bring me here?"
"Yes," the man said quietly. "The moment he found you drifting in the ocean, your fate was sealed."
Lucien clenched his fists, then loosened them slightly.
"Why didn't you let me eat back then?"
This time, the man actually smiled.
"You really are a strange one. In a situation like this, you're thinking about food? Back then, I didn't have enough money to pay for two people. And why should I feed someone I didn't even know?"
Yeah… I guess it was a ridiculous question. Who would even think about food in a situation like this?
"Why are you smiling?" he asked suddenly. "I thought you were sad."
His smile faltered.
"It's my habit," he said at last. "I can't stop smiling when I talk to someone. Even when I'm sad… even when it hurts, the smile just stays."
"Oh… was that your wife?"
He paused, his eyes distant, as though the question had reached a part of him he kept locked away.
"No. She was my lover," he said softly.
"I loved her more than anything. When I first became a slave, she was enslaved too. We shared the same fate—both sold off by our own relatives. At first, we were just friends. Then… we began to support each other. And before long, we fell in love."
His voice grew heavy.
"But fate was cruel to us. That bastard took a liking to her… made her his personal servant… and for two years, he tormented her. And I… I couldn't do a damn thing."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Lucien murmured.
Tears welled in his eyes as he went on.
"At first, she was strong—stronger than I could ever be. But as the days passed, her spirit began to fade. I promised her that I'd free us both and that we'd live happily afterward. I knew it wasn't simple—no, it was almost impossible—but I told her anyway, just to give her a little hope."
His voice broke.
"But little by little, she lost all her will to live. In the end… all she wanted was to die. But the binding contract wouldn't let her take her own life. And now… at least she's gone. I can only pray she's found some peace on the other side."
"Don't you want to get your revenge?"
The man paused for a moment, clenched his fists, then said,
"Yes… I want revenge. And I'll do anything for it."
"Then do you know how to break the binding contract and escape from here?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. To break the binding contract, you have to kill the contractor. But it's not as easy as you think. He's always surrounded by numerous Shadow Guards, each far stronger than normal people — because all of them are awakened."
"Awakened?"
"You don't know about awakening? Now that I think about it… you didn't even know our language before. The slave contract lets you understand and speak it because of magic spells. Are you an outsider?"
So magic really does exist in this world, huh?I guess it's possible, judging by how they treated me earlier… but still, it sounds unreal. Feels like I've fallen into a fantasy novel.
Lucien spoke up,
"Can you explain this awakening thing… and what you mean by outsider?"
The man looked at him and nodded,
"Sure. Usually, when a person surpasses their human limits and can wield the power of various elements on their own, we call them 'Awakened.' Normally, a person can control only one element. But some can control two or even three."
"These people are at the very peak of power. There are different types of elements — fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and light. There are also rare ones, like space and darkness. These are extremely rare and are usually possessed only by geniuses from prestigious families and clans when they awaken."
"Are you also awakened?"
He sighed.
"Yes, I am. I may not look that strong now, but before I was enslaved, I was powerful. I can control both fire and wind. My father was a strong fire-element user, and my mother was a wind-element user. I simply inherited their powers."
His tone darkened.
"But betrayal… it always comes from those closest to you. After my parents died in an 'accident,' I trusted my uncle and aunt — my only close relatives. And what did they do?"
He slammed his fist against the wall, so hard that blood started dripping from his knuckles.
"They were the ones who caused my parents' deaths. After gaining my trust, they stabbed me in the back and accused me of killing them. The court trials were all a farce. They were in it together. I was a victim of conspiracy."
"And in the end, the judge sentenced me to become a slave of Paradise — the biggest slave organisation in the world."
The man paused, his gaze drifting into the middle distance before he shook himself slightly and offered Lucien a faint, humorless chuckle.
"Sorry," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "I got distracted for a moment."
Lucien waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it."
"Thanks." The man blinked, refocusing.
"Where was I? Ah yes - I explained what Awakening means, didn't I? Now, when someone comes from another world entirely, we call them an Outsider. But there's a catch - if an Outsider wants to survive in this world, they need permission from the Protector first. Enter without approval, and the world's energy will annihilate your soul on the spot."
A cold shiver traced Lucien's spine. "You're saying my soul could be destroyed if I don't have this Protector's permission?"
"Exactly. Though..." The man studied Lucien with renewed interest. "The fact you're still breathing means you must already have approval. No one crosses the world barrier without it."
Lucien absorbed this silently. If the man spoke truth, then somehow his permission had been granted - though he certainly didn't remember petitioning any mystical "Protector." Perhaps they'd approved him unknowingly? Either way, he wasn't about to complain about still having a soul.
"Hmm... I understand," Lucien said slowly. "But tell me - can I return to my own world?"
The man nodded. "Once you reach the Elemental Master stage."
"Elemental Master?"
"It's the fifth stage on the path to becoming Veilborn."
"Veilborn?" Lucien echoed blankly. "What's that?"
A dry laugh escaped the man's lips. "You really don't know anything about this world, do you? Looks like I'll have to start from the beginning, then."