James stirred awake as sunlight poured through the small window of his new room. The bed was softer than he expected, but his mind was still groggy, processing the events from the day before. He blinked a few times, trying to shake off the disorientation. The quiet room stood in stark contrast to the chaotic events that had led him here, being attacked by a Rank C monster, getting saved by a witch, and then agreeing to a soul pact that bound him to her service.

He pushed himself up, sitting at the edge of the bed, and ran a hand through his spiky red hair, feeling the tingling magic still lingering on the symbols etched on the back of his hand. They glowed faintly, a constant reminder of the pact he had made. The whole situation still felt unreal, he had gone from being a nobody to being magically bound to a witch in a matter of hours.

James sighed, staring at his reflection in a small mirror near the door. He barely recognized himself. The same freckles dotted his now toned face, but the once-round features had sharpened into something more heroic. His muscles, once soft from years of a sedentary lifestyle, now bulged beneath the simple tunic he wore. He flexed his arm half-heartedly, but his mind wasn’t on his new physique, it was on the woman who had saved his life.

Elysia Rayne, the powerful witch who had offered him a choice: serve her and live, or try to survive on his own and die. He didn’t regret his choice, but the weight of it was starting to settle in. He had no idea what kind of tasks she’d expect from him, but judging by her no-nonsense attitude, it wasn’t going to be easy.

With a groan, James stood up and stretched. He had to face the day, no matter what it brought. As he shuffled toward the door, he could already hear the soft clinking of dishes and the sound of water running. He pushed open the door and stepped into the cottage’s main room.

What he saw left him wide-eyed with amazement.

The kitchen was a whirl of magical activity. Plates and cups floated through the air, setting themselves on the table as if invisible hands were moving them. A kettle was already on the boil, suspended midair over the stove, and ingredients were chopping themselves on a cutting board. The whole scene looked like something out of a fairytale.

And standing in the middle of it all, with her usual calm, was Cosmo, Elysia’s familiar, a galaxy-colored cat with shimmering fur that looked like it was plucked from the stars themselves. He floated lazily just above the ground, watching the kitchen work with a quiet, amused air.

“Good morning, young man,” Cosmo greeted him in his British-accented voice, his bright eyes meeting James’s. “I trust you slept well?”

James blinked, still a little dazed from the scene in front of him. “Uh, yeah… yeah, I guess I did.”

“Good,” Cosmo replied, sounding almost indifferent. “You’ll need all the rest you can get. Today marks the beginning of your training under Mistress Elysia. And trust me, you’ll need every bit of strength you can muster to survive her methods.”

James frowned. “That… doesn’t sound promising.”

Cosmo’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “It wasn’t meant to.”

Just then, Elysia entered the room, her presence commanding as usual. She wore a feminine purple dress with lace accents, and her purple hair, tied back loosely, seemed to shimmer faintly in the soft morning light. The small symbols on her hand, identical to James’s, glowed faintly as well.

Without a word, she waved her hand, and two cups of tea floated to the table, landing softly in front of them. She sat down, giving James a glance that was somewhere between amusement and expectation.

“Drink up,” she said, her tone brisk but not unkind. “You’ll need your strength.”

James hesitated but took the cup, sipping the hot tea. He could feel the warmth spreading through his body, and it was strangely calming.

“I’ve been thinking about our… arrangement,” James started, trying to gauge her reaction.

“Good,” Elysia replied, cutting straight to the point. “You’re bound to me now, and I expect you to follow through with your end of the pact.”

James nodded, feeling the weight of the symbols on his hand. “So, what exactly do you want from me?”

Elysia sipped her tea, her eyes steady on him. “For now, I expect you to train. You have potential, but you’re reckless and lack control. That’s dangerous, for both you and me.”

James swallowed hard. He had seen what a lack of control could do. The memory of nearly burning himself with his own fire magic was still fresh in his mind. “Right… magic training, then?”

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Elysia nodded. “We’ll start after breakfast. But understand this, magic is not about power. It’s about control. If you can’t master your magic, it will destroy you.”

James bit his lip, feeling the tension build in his chest. He had always dreamed of being powerful, of mastering the elements, but he hadn’t thought about how much responsibility came with it.

“Understood,” he muttered, though the knot of nervousness in his stomach didn’t ease.

Elysia stood up, finishing her tea with a single graceful motion. “Good. Now, let’s see what you’re made of.”

Elysia led James outside the cottage and into a wide-open clearing that stretched behind the house. The area had clearly been designed for magical training, it was a combination of a serene forest backdrop and a mystical battlefield. Runic symbols were etched into the ground in concentric circles, faintly glowing with magical energy. Floating around the perimeter were wooden dummies and magical targets, each enchanted to move and react to spells. The air here felt thick with power, the kind of place where magic practically hummed beneath the surface.

James glanced around, feeling a mix of awe and nervousness. This wasn’t the kind of training ground he was used to imagining in games, it felt real. The field seemed to pulse with life, as if the magic of the land itself was waiting for him to fail, or succeed.

Elysia strode forward, the hem of her elegant purple dress brushing against the grass as she surveyed the area. She turned back to James, her eyes sharp behind her red glasses. “This is where you’ll learn to control your magic,” she said, her tone firm. “But don’t expect this to be easy. You’ve been gifted with fire and lightning magic, both powerful and dangerous. If you can’t control them, you’ll be more of a threat to yourself than any monster could ever be.”

James nodded, swallowing hard. The way she spoke, so calm and certain, it filled him with both a sense of security and a lot of pressure. He’d always imagined magic being something exciting, something fun. Now, standing here in the training grounds with Elysia watching him like a hawk, it felt like an impossible task.

Elysia gestured toward the floating targets in the distance. “We’ll start with the basics. You’re going to summon fire magic and hit one of those targets. Focus your energy into a controlled flame. Nothing too large. Just a simple fireball.”

James flexed his hands, feeling the familiar tingling of magic running through his veins. The symbols on his hand pulsed softly, responding to the magic within him. He took a deep breath and tried to remember what Elysia had said earlier, magic wasn’t just about power, it was about control.

“Alright, I can do this,” he muttered under his breath.

He raised his hand and concentrated, imagining a small, controlled flame forming in his palm. The energy began to build, warm and familiar, crackling at the tips of his fingers. For a brief moment, he felt like he had it under control. The flame sparked to life, glowing brightly in his hand.

But then, as if responding to his own excitement, the flame surged. It grew rapidly, expanding far beyond what James had intended. The small fireball became a roaring blaze, spilling out of his hand and launching itself toward the nearest target in an uncontrolled burst of fire.

The target exploded on impact, sending a cloud of smoke and ash into the air. The other targets wobbled, reacting to the intense heat. James stared at his hand in shock, his heart racing. “Whoa…”

Elysia raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “That was not ‘simple’ fire magic. That was reckless fire magic.”

James rubbed the back of his neck, feeling sheepish. “Yeah… I kinda got carried away there.”

Elysia sighed and waved her hand, summoning a gust of wind that cleared away the smoke. “This is exactly what I mean, James. You have power, but no control. If that had been in close quarters, you’d have burned down half the forest, or worse, yourself.”

James groaned, feeling the weight of her words. He hadn’t meant to let the fire get out of control, but the rush of magic had been overwhelming. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with nothing but a cup.

“Okay, okay,” James said, holding up his hands. “I get it. Control. I’ll focus on control.”

“Good,” Elysia replied, her tone softening slightly. “We’ll try again. This time, focus on channeling your magic, not unleashing it all at once. Think of it like a stream, not a flood. You’re not trying to overpower your enemy, you’re trying to hit them precisely.”

James nodded, taking a deep breath. He felt the magic inside him respond, ready to be called upon again. This time, he was determined to keep it small, manageable. He raised his hand once more, summoning the warmth of fire to his palm. The flame flickered to life, smaller this time, and he concentrated on keeping it steady.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the fireball toward the next target. It hit dead center, igniting the wooden dummy in a controlled burst. James grinned, feeling a surge of pride. “Yes! Nailed it!”

Before he could celebrate too much, the target wobbled and collapsed in a pile of smoldering embers. James winced, his excitement fizzling. “Well, almost nailed it.”

Elysia watched him with a slight smile, her arms crossed. “Better. But you’ll need a lot more practice before you can call that ‘control.’”

James shrugged, still feeling like he’d made some progress. “Hey, at least I didn’t blow anything up this time.”

“You’ll need to learn to control not just the fire but your own emotions,” Elysia said, stepping forward. “Your magic responds to you. If you’re overconfident or reckless, it will act accordingly. But if you can remain calm and focused, your spells will follow suit.”

James nodded, taking her words seriously. He was starting to understand, magic wasn’t just about summoning cool powers. It was about mastering himself as much as it was about mastering the elements.

Elysia gestured to the training field again. “Now that you’ve had a taste of fire magic, let’s see how you handle lightning.”

James’s eyes widened. Lightning. If fire had been hard to control, what would lightning be like? He braced himself, knowing this was going to be even more intense.

As he readied himself for the next challenge, Cosmo, who had been watching from the sidelines, stretched lazily and yawned. “Do try not to electrocute yourself, James. Mistress Elysia wouldn’t be too pleased if her new servant became a charred pile of ash.”

James shot him a look. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Cosmo.”