[As promised, your bonus chapter!]
James stepped out of the door, his face set in a calm, unreadable expression. Or at least, that's what he hoped it looked like. Inside, his nerves were a tangled mess.
He was still trying to process everything that had just happened in the room behind him.
The soft rustling of his clothes as he moved and the distant creaks of the massive mansion were the only sounds accompanying him… until he looked up and saw Edward, the head butler.
The old man stood there like a statue, his posture perfect, his grey hair neatly combed back, and his sharp uniform so pristine it could probably be used as a mirror.
But what stood out most was the smirk. It wasn't wide or obvious—no, it was subtle. Just the tiniest curl of his lips.
It wasn't the smugness of someone who would openly mock him, no. It was far worse.
It was the subtle, 'I know exactly what you've been up to' smirk of someone who had seen far too much in their lifetime and found everything amusing.
James felt heat creep up his neck. 'Was this guy psychic or just very good at reading people? Either way, it was annoying.' But James refused to let it show.
He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "Send a new set of maid clothes to this room," he said, his tone firm and commanding.
Edward's smirk widened just a fraction, and for a brief second, James considered if it was possible to demote a butler.
James turned away and started walking down the hallway, his steps echoing in the vast, quiet space.
He kept his chin up, his gaze forward, trying to project the image of someone who had everything under control. But as he moved farther from the door, a problem hit him like a slap to the face.
'Where am I even going?'
The mansion was massive. It was like someone had taken the idea of a house and decided to multiply it tenfold just to show off.
Hallways twisted and turned in every direction, lined with doors that all looked the same.
Paintings of stern looking ancestors lined the walls, their eyes seemingly following him as he walked.
It was a maze. And James, lacking the memories of the body's previous owner, was hopelessly lost. This mansion might as well be a dungeon crawler map without the mini map!
He froze mid step, his jaw tightening as he cursed under his breath. 'This is ridiculous. I'm not about to wander aimlessly like some idiot.'
Pivoting sharply, he turned to face Edward again, who had, unsurprisingly, followed him like a silent shadow.
"Aren't you going to escort me?" James asked, narrowing his eyes in a way that he hoped looked authoritative. The truth? He just didn't want to admit he had no idea where he was going.
Edward's smirk grew ever so slightly, but he nodded. "Of course, my lord."
The butler began leading him through the winding hallways, his footsteps nearly silent despite the polished marble floors.
James followed him through the mansion, pretending to study his surroundings with disinterest while secretly trying to memorize the layout.
He couldn't help but notice how unnecessarily luxurious everything was—marble floors, intricate carvings on the walls, and chandeliers so large they looked like they could crush someone if they so much as sneezed on them.
As they turned yet another corner, James's ears caught something strange. It was faint at first, like distant fireworks, but as they got closer, the sounds grew louder and sharper.
BOOM! BOOM! Each one was like a mini explosion, rattling through the air.
James frowned, his curiosity piqued. 'Is someone firing a cannon in the yard? Or maybe this world has guns?' The thought excited him.
If they did, maybe he could get his hands on some advanced technology!
The closer they got, the louder the sounds became. By the time they reached the yard, the blasts were deafening, like a symphony of explosions reverberating off the walls.
Edward stopped and gestured towards the large open doors leading outside. "The young Miss Kaela awaits, my lord."
James raised an eyebrow but stepped forward, pushing open the doors with a faint creak. The moment he entered, he froze.
The yard was enormous, more like a small battlefield than a garden. And in the centre of it, two figures were locked in a vicious fight.
One of them was a young woman who couldn't have been more than twenty. Her movements were as fluid as water yet as deadly as a storm.
Her long blue hair flowed like a waterfall as she moved, her piercing blue eyes blazing with determination.
She was stunning, but James barely had time to appreciate her beauty because of what she was doing.
She was fighting an older man—Master Yevan, if James remembered correctly—with a body built like a fortress and movements that betrayed his size.
But what caught James completely off guard wasn't their appearance—it was the way they were fighting.
The explosive sounds he'd heard earlier weren't cannons or guns. They were the result of their bodies colliding!
Every punch, every block, every kick sent shockwaves rippling through the air, creating cracks in the stone ground beneath their feet.
James stood rooted to the spot, his mouth slightly open. What in the actual hell…?
Kaela was fast—no, lightning fast. She moved like a blur, her strikes precise and relentless. Yevan, despite his bulk, countered her attacks with incredible strength and agility.
They moved like seasoned warriors, their skill levels so high that James wondered if he was watching a live-action anime fight.
And just when James thought it couldn't get any crazier, it did.
A sudden burst of light erupted around both fighters, so bright that James instinctively shielded his eyes.
The air crackled with energy, humming like an overcharged powerline. When the light finally faded, James lowered his arm cautiously.
Both Kaela and Yevan stood several feet apart now, but something had changed. In their hands, they each held a weapon.
Kaela's weapon was a sleek, glowing blue sword that seemed almost alive, shimmering like liquid ice. Yevan held a massive hammer that looked like it could level a mountain.
James's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know much about this world yet, but the aura radiating from those weapons was absolutely terrifying. It pressed down on him, making the air feel heavy and suffocating.
The sheer power emanating from those two weapons was unbelievable!
His legs refused to move, his mind racing to process what he was witnessing. 'This is insane! These people are monsters! What kind of world have I stepped into?'
_____
Power stone Goal!
20 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
50 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
100 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.