I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I know when to be cautious. I had never heard of Salin or Pantia before, and the fact that it was normal to carry weapons here made me question whether I was still on Earth. People spoke English, which was strange, but I had to focus on survival for now. Whether I was in a dream or an advanced game, one thing was clear: my wounds had hurt.

I couldn't dismiss the possibility that I was in another world entirely, but no matter what the truth was, my priority was to survive. That meant figuring things out and getting out of the trouble I found myself in.

I nodded at Margie, the woman sitting in front of me. "Some people do carry weapons, but not many where I'm from."

I clapped myself on the back for that deflection, and Margie's look of confusion lessened a bit. However, my relief didn't last long as she asked, "And where exactly are you from?"

My mind raced for an answer, but all I could come up with was the truth. "I was born in Vaxholm."

She frowned. "I've never heard of a place like that..."

I let out a sigh. "It's a small place... Now, what does your company do?" I desperately tried to change the subject, and to my immense relief, she seemed to accept the shift.

Margie studied me for a few more seconds before explaining, "Crow's Feast is a mercenary company. We may not be the largest, but all of our members, except trainees, are elite warriors. We take on challenging monster elimination jobs, participate in wars—though that's rare—and similar tasks."

I stared at her in disbelief. Had she just mentioned monsters? No, I needed to stay focused. I quickly regained my composure and asked, "And you want me to join you? To become a soldier?"

She nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. You showed more than a little skill back there, and you wouldn't need much training to fit right into our ranks."

Her words struck a nerve, and I scowled at her. "You think I'm weaker than your warriors!?"

She grinned. "I do, but with a bit of training, you could rival them soon enough."

Something began to brew inside me, pride. This woman clearly had no idea who I was, and it infuriated me that she considered me weaker than her precious soldiers. I would show her something different. Taking a slow breath, I gave her a bloodthirsty smile. "Tell you what, I'll join you on one condition. If any of your warriors can defeat me, I'll join your little company. If they can't, you'll let me leave in peace."

Margie's grin widened. "Oh, I think you'll fit right in. It's a deal, big guy. But shall we get some food first?"

I blinked in surprise, then heard my stomach growl. I covered my embarrassment with a scowl. "Fine, food first then!"

The two guards returned, and I was unshackled from the bed, then led out of the room. They provided me with a pair of loose-fitting pants, which I appreciated, although Margie pouted a bit when I put them on.

We walked through stone hallways until we reached a large room. Long tables filled the space, and many men and women were eating, seated on benches. I garnered some attention as we entered, but most returned to their meals after a few moments of staring.

Food was placed in front of me, and I devoured it eagerly, even savoring the slightly sweet ale. It was a simple meal, but as a man of simple tastes, I enjoyed it immensely.

Margie returned with a grin on her face as I finished eating. "I've found you a few opponents. Are you ready?"

I stood up and brushed the crumbs off my bare chest. "Of course I'm ready. Show me my victims!"

Margie burst into laughter, and I received some angry glares from the soldiers around me, which I ignored. We resumed our journey, and I was led into a large training yard. The ground was packed dirt, and different training areas were set up, including one for lifting heavy weights.

I looked around and grinned. Now, this was more like it! Margie guided me towards a series of raised rings on the ground, reminiscent of wrestling rings.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

A group of soldiers awaited us, saluting Margie as we approached. She returned the salute and nodded at me. "This is the cocky one I told you about, Landrig. Would you and your lads like to show him what is what?"

Landrig was a small man, short, skinny, and wiry. Being small didn't equate to weakness, though. I knew that well, and Landrig was the first person I encountered whom I felt might be dangerous, at least if he had a weapon in hand.

Landrig critically observed me and nodded. "I see. You look pretty strong, stranger." He gestured to a large, bald man standing next to him. "You're up first, Svannig."

The bald man stepped into the ring with a grin, and after a poke from Margie, I did the same. Landrig approached the edge of the ring and spoke. "The rules are simple: Get thrown out of the ring, you lose. Tap the ground, you lose. Lose consciousness, you lose. That's it. Go!"

I blinked at Landrig for a moment, surprised at how quickly he recited the rules and started the fight. But Svannig wasted no time. He charged at me while I was still looking at Landrig, landing a punch on the side of my head. I staggered back a few steps, but this time I was prepared. As Svannig went for another punch, I swiftly sidestepped and evaded him. He looked slightly annoyed, but I bared my bloody teeth at him. "You shouldn't have done that..."

Svannig sneered and lunged at me, seemingly intent on turning this into a wrestling match. However, I had other plans at the moment. As he closed in, I took a step forward, grabbed his neck, and delivered a powerful knee strike to his face. Svannig froze in his tracks, blood spurting from his broken nose, before collapsing to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Silence engulfed the training yard. Landrig stared at me in disbelief, but Margie wore a wide grin. She walked over to Landrig and said, "I think it's time for your next fighter."

Landrig scowled at Margie. "Who is this monster? None of the boys I brought can take him. I didn't bring any of the veterans!"

Margie simply shrugged. "I told you he was strong. It was your mistake to underestimate him. Your next fighter, Landrig!"

He grumbled but called out another name, and a new challenger stepped into the ring. I looked at the man and gestured to him. "Come on, then..."

After five men had been carried out of the ring, Landrig refused to send anyone else my way. Instead, he stepped into the ring himself, approaching me closely with a scowl. "You have some skill, boy, but it's time to show you how vast the world is."

Landrig removed his loose-fitting shirt, revealing a torso rippling with muscles. I whistled. "That's pretty impressive, old man. Ready to get to it, then?"

Landrig grinned viciously. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!"

Margie called out from the side, "Don't break anything, Landrig!"

Landrig appeared annoyed, I just scowled at her, but he reluctantly nodded and locked eyes with me. "It seems I'm only allowed to spank you a little, boy. Come and get it!"

I grinned in response and advanced towards him, throwing jabs his way. He dodged, dodged, and dodged again. When I attempted to grapple him, the small man swiftly landed a heavy punch to my temple. It took me by surprise, as the force behind it seemed far too great for someone of his size. I staggered back, trying to locate Landrig, but he had vanished.

Confused, I furrowed my brow and looked down, only to find Landrig right in front of me, grinning. He swiftly delivered an uppercut to my jaw, and everything went black.

I regained consciousness with a jolt as a bucket of water splashed across my face. I sputtered angrily, then winced as I felt the pain in my jaw. It wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell. I glanced around and spotted Margie holding the bucket, a wide grin on her face. "So, Landrig got the better of you. Now you're mine, Erik, so you better work hard!"

I scowled at her. "How the hell did that small man generate so much power?"

Margie rolled her eyes. "Landrig is a skilled fighter Erik.. and he used a skill."

I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it, closing it instead. "Dammit... Alright, what do you want from me?"

Margie shrugged. "What I want from everyone. I want you to train. The soldiers of Crow's Feast are the strongest in the region, and with some training, I believe you could rise to the top."

I slowly rose to my feet and looked down at her. "A deal is a deal, Margie. I'll join your little company, but be careful. I'm not one to be caged!"

Margie smiled warmly. "Oh, I know, big guy. I have no intention of caging you. I fully intend to unleash you. We just need to find the right target for you first."

I grunted in annoyance but nodded. "Fine. What's next, then?"

Margie gestured towards an area where soldiers were training in formations. "Go and speak with Sergeant Pilkes. He'll get you sorted."

I nodded and, just for the heck of it, saluted Margie. She grinned and returned the salute. Just like that, I had become a part of a mercenary company. I was probably losing my mind or perhaps stranded on another planet, like that movie where the Hulk becomes a gladiator. I didn't know for sure, but one thing was certain: I would punch Landrig through a wall if it was the last thing I did!

Regardless of the circumstances, I had to embrace the fact that I was in a different place. As John F. Kennedy once said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."