“Hello, handsome.” Elrianthe said.

Mitta, held by Carl and Taygeer, was recovering from being knocked out by a wall with the assistance of a piece of wood. Jim searched his pockets, looking for anything that could still be used against them. He had already taken the weapon from him and handed it to Alison, standing by Elrianthe's side.

“What's going on here?” Asked a confused Mitta, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Shut your mouth.” Retorted Elrianthe.

Her advantage over Mitta was overwhelming at the moment, but she wouldn't tempt fate. The point of showing the mage that he had no control over what was happening was crucial. Searching his pockets was going to make him realize that they could do whatever they wanted with him, which should have a significant impact on his weak character.

'I wonder how quickly he'll shit himself.' She thought, recalling what Jim had said earlier about Mitta.

He was young and inexperienced. He was kicked out of the house for proving useless to the family. Gaz took him on the team when they were looking for someone with magical abilities, and Mitta caught on. He was not the thuggish type like the rest. He covered up his fear and insecurity behind a fake mask of a confident guy. Although everyone knew that when the time came, he would be the first to flee, Elrianthe wanted to take advantage of that.

“Jim. Jim! Explain to me...”

*Slap*

Mitta was slapped in the face by Jim.

“Miss Elrianthe told you to shut your mouth!” Shouted Jim.

“Now listen carefully, tomatohead.” She began. “You've kept me here for six months, and when my patience ran out, I decided to put things in order here. I will repay each of you equally, but first, we must establish a proper hierarchy.”

“You're scr... AAaa!”

Before he had time to finish, Taygeer snapped a few fingers in the hand he was holding. Mitta began to howl in pain as Taygeer began kneading and bending them. This was not a pleasant activity for him.

“You have two choices, tomatohead. Either you voluntarily come under my control, like the rest of them, or you face a long and slow death in agony. What do you say?” She asked, knowing that it had nothing to do with voluntariness, but perhaps she could hide her true intentions from the rest.

If Elrianthe had been able to read minds, she would now have witnessed the horror that was playing out in the young mage's head. Mitta was unable to formulate even a single rational thought in his mind, which was consumed by fear and pain. Wailing and moaning were all that could come out of his mouth.

“Pathetic.” Mumbled Elrianthe under her breath. “Alison, you...”

*Bang, Bang, Bang*

Everyone heard banging on the front door.

“It's Matt. He must have come back from patrol. The door is locked, but now they'll know something's going on inside.” Explained Jim, who had earlier bolted the door.

“Fuck. Too bad we don't have more time. Alison, heal him.” Elrianthe said.

< Domination >

[ Using < Domination > successfully ]

[ The < Domination > skill reaches level 3. It is now possible to use the skill on two targets simultaneously. Cost 100 points of magic per target ]

[ Successful acquisition of a new puppet ]

[ Mitta Hermet Level 5 ]

[ Control: 60% ]

[ +25xp ]

[ New Task ]

[ Achieve the maximum number of puppets for your current class 6/10 ]

[ Reward: immediate level increase ]

[ Achievement completed ]

[ High-five - you have taken control of the minds of five sentient humanoids ]

[ Reward: random skill for your current class ]

[ Received skill < Silent suggestion > ]

'Oh shit, this window spam again.' She thought.

After dismissing all the messages that appeared before her eyes, she crossed her arms under her chest, thinking heavily about her next move.

*Bang, Bang*

The banging on the door, combined with muffled shouts, continued relentlessly.

“Duncan came too.” Informed Carl from the hallway. “Matt must have called him.”

“My lady.” Alison approached. “We can't fight two thugs at the same time. If they're as strong as Jim said, even if they're outnumbered, we could lose this.”

“I know, Alison. We have to separate them somehow. Mitta.” She turned to the mage, who was massaging his healed fingers. “It's time for you to prove you're worth something.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Outside, Matt, holding a massive stone in his hand, pounded on the front door.

“Fuck, what the fuck are they doing in there!” He shouted.

“I don't know, Matt. What the hell did they lock the door for?” Duncan wondered.

“Shit. It's too bad Gaz has already gone.”

“Why do we need Gaz? Would he magically open the door?” Duncan asked dumbfounded. “You know he wouldn't do anything more than we would.”

“Yeah, but maybe he knows some other entrance.” Matt replied.

“We might not have buried the one leading to the chambers. I said that a second entrance would be useful.”

“Now it's too late.”

Behind the door, something suddenly began to happen. After unlocking the entrance, the door opened and Mitta showed up to the guards.

“Fuck, what the fuck are you doing you idiot?” Growled an angry Matt.

“Sorry, Matt. You have to help us. The slaves attacked Jim downstairs!” Wheezed a terrified Mitta. “I locked the door so no one could escape.”

“If you had called me instead of blocking the door, we would have solved your problem a long time ago, you cunt! Let's go!” Matt shouted.

The three went inside and with a swift pace headed for the main room.

“Jim and Carl are downstairs, but I don't know what's going on with them. Should we leave someone behind?” Asked Mitta.

“You guys stay.” Duncan said. “I'll go downstairs, and you guys guard the passage just in case.”

“Okay, go.” Matt replied.

Walking down the corridor toward the dungeons, Duncan drew his short sword. He was an archer, but his main weapon wouldn't do much in the narrow corridors, where an ambush might be waiting around every corner.

'Finally, I'll show you that I can do something, too.' Duncan thought.

He had always been standing in the shadow of Matt, who was the strongest right after the group leader. Matt's skill gave him an advantage over anyone who was at an equal or lower level. Duncan thought this was unfair. Matt should not be judged by his skill alone but by his combat experience. Duncan was a seasoned old fighter and former soldier, while Matt in his eyes was just a youngster who liked to beat up the weak.

“It's always just Matt and Matt... As if I can't do anything better.” Mumbled Duncan under his breath.

He opened the door and hesitated when he saw the stairs leading down.

“It's too quiet. Don't tell me they died...” He said to himself in disbelief.

He clenched his hand more tightly on the grip of his sword and carefully began to walk down, trying not to make a sound. Another door stood in his way - the entrance to the dungeons where all the slaves were kept. Carl and Jim should have been behind them, but were they still alive? He didn't hear any screams or sounds of battle.

“Here goes nothing.” He muttered to himself, then kicked in the door, bursting inside.

He looked around carefully, searching for opponents or the bodies of his comrades, but found nothing.

“Huh? There's nothing here.” He said in disbelief, turning toward the exit.

Placing down his weapon, he ran nimbly up the stairs and grabbed the door handle.

“You're not going to make me a fo- What? Locked?” He asked himself, surprised when the door didn't move, despite his attempts to open it. “Fuck...”

Duncan was cut off from the rest.

Meanwhile, in the main hall...

“Tell me, how could slaves chained and sitting in cells attack Carl and Jim?” Matt asked, staring curiously at Mitta.

“None of your fucking business.” Elrianthe replied, walking out of the side door, followed by Alison and Taygeer.

'Haha. Now that just made me sound like a boss.'

At the same moment, Jim emerged from the hallway leading to the front door, and Carl, who had locked Duncan in the dungeon, also appeared in the main room.

“Duncan locked up.” Carl informed.

“Door bolted.” Added Jim.

Elrianthe smiled and sat down in a bookcase chair, intent on displaying her confidence.

“Do you understand the situation, or do you need me to explain?” She asked sinisterly, glancing at Matt.

“Of course. Wicked elven tricks. If someone had to organize all this, I would bet on you. But your luck is out. I won't be fooled, elven bitch!” Matt replied.

The atmosphere became tense. Mitta moved closer to Carl, but they both knew they could not defeat Matt alone.

“Watch your mouth, Matt.” Said Carl, which surprised not only Matt but also Elrianthe.

“And you what? Did you fall in love during your adventures down there? Or did you have a crush on her from the beginning?” Matt sneered.

“None of what you're thinking. I'm simply warning you of the consequences.” Carl replied calmly.

“Traitors end up worse!” Shouted Matt, drawing his sword.

Matt jumped back, securing himself against a surprise attack. He was well aware that he would have to face many opponents at once.

[ < Master's Doping > was used on Taygeer ]

“You have 15 minutes.” Declared Elrianthe, turning to Taygeer.

Taygeer, Carl, and Mitta were facing Matt. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an easy win, but Matt still had the advantage. His < Brute > skill ensured his dominance over weaker or equal opponents. His stats increased depending on his opponent, giving him a distinct advantage in combat.

Combat experience and fencing skills were irrelevant when Matt could always be stronger, faster, and more durable.

The sides clashed, and an open exchange of blows began on the battlefield. Carl dropped out of the fight early on, when, after a counterattack, Matt cut through his sword and eliminated him from further confrontation with a powerful kick. Mitta, using his fire magic, tried to harass Matt with unexpected attacks, but due to the fact that they were inside a building, he had to take into account his surroundings. This severely limited his options, and his magic quickly ran out on useless attacks that Matt could easily dodge. Taygeer, thanks to Elrianthe's skills, was able to match Matt, but not for long. His conditioning and inexperience quickly took their toll.

'It doesn't look good.' Elrianthe thought, anxiously watching the fight.

As the combatants stepped away from each other for a moment, Elrianthe stood up and began her applause.

“A very exciting display of skills.” She began. “This was to be expected from the strongest member of the team, right after the leader. But as you have managed to notice, everyone here is on my side, and you were left alone, without the support of a mate.”

Matt looked at Elrianthe out of the corner of his eye, keeping his main attention on the three opponents. He wondered where this monologue was going, but there was only one answer - she wanted to convince him to switch sides, just as the rest had done.

“I am not in favor of pointless bloodshed.” Elrianthe continued. “I have no such need. Instead, I want to offer you a simple solution. You are a good fighter, and I need such people. Join me.”

Matt started laughing, not believing what he had just heard.

“I neither think of serving an elven whore.” He replied loudly.

Elrianthe sighed, wondering why everyone had to insult her. Seeing no way to resolve the conflict peacefully, she decided to change her approach.

“And so you will be.” She replied.

< Daze >

Matt wobbled, momentarily losing his balance.

“Taygeer.” Elrianthe called out, and the cat-man dashed toward Matt in a split second, knocking him out.