Summoner's Second Chance

Chapter 42

How long has he been in there? How much time had passed? Trace do not know. He could not, and did not need to know. The moment the magic-sapping contraption was attached to his arm, he focused all of his effort in diminishing their power. With his knowledge, he was able to slow down the current going out of him into the stone. Even so, he can only last for so long until his focus breaks.

As he kept on disrupting the contraption's magic-sapping effect, Trace's ear caught the sounds of metals hitting each other. He slowly opened his eyes, his eyes already more than adjusted with the room's lack of light. "I suppose it is time I made my escape." Standing up, Trace approached the metal bars confining him. He put both hands on the metal bar, and closed his eyes. "I need to hurry."

Releasing the spell he put on himself, he finally could feel how the device drained his magic. A grunt escaped his lips, but it did not stop him from doing what he had to do. He focused his magic to his palm, making it glow orange. The metal bars that seems sturdy enough to contain a large beast slowly melted under his palm. He managed to take off one bar, soon another, and after a few more minutes of enduring the device's power, he was finally able to cut off enough so he could break free.

Trace stepped out of the cage. He turned his head to the other victims. They have been sucked dry of their magic, and what remains of them are nothing but skin and bones. Trace closed his eyes, and turned to the door. "I am sorry..."

Passing through empty hallways and many doors, Trace finally found himself in front of the mansion's front door. The sound of battle just outside the mansion was a big help for him, leading him all the way there. A smile forms on his lips as he took several steps to the door, but a presence seemingly appearing out of nowhere stopped him. "You are one resilient human being, do you know that?"

Trace turned to the voice and saw the heir of the Venomblood family, Jaster Venomblood. A deep furrow formed on his forehead as he closely observed Jaster's movement. Jaster shrugged his shoulders, and chuckled. "Why do you look at me so? I am here not to fight you, only to warn you." Jaster put both of his hands behind him as he walked to his right. "And I assure you, you would want to hear what me and my mother had cooked for this country."

Blood started to rush into Trace's head. He wanted to cut off Jaster's tongue before he could speak, but he knew he is at a disadvantage. The bracelet on his arm is still sapping his magic, and excessively using them will only kill him. He had to subside his rage for the sake of tomorrow. He let out a long sigh, and started to relax a little.

Jaster snorted in amusement as he saw Trace began to calm down, and closed his eyes. "I do not know if the miasma here is starting to affect your memories or not, but let me tell you something. Listen carefully, because I will only say this once." A wicked smile appeared on his face as he slowly pulled the sleeve of his coat, revealing a bracelet with almost the same design as the one on Trace's arm. The one on his arm was of different kind though. Instead of sapping the host of their magic, it boosted it.

Trace's face contorts in anger, and he once again wanted to kill the man in front of him. The temptation became unbearable, and he finally lunged at Jaster, his fist curled tightly into a ball. With a laugh, Jaster swiped his arm across him, and pushed Trace back, throwing him across the room like a rag doll. "I thought you were smarter than that, Trace Redfate." Trace pushed himself from the ground. His back stung because of his landing, and he thanked his lucky star for not hitting any pillars or wall.

Trace looked at the bracelet on Jaster's arm, and then at him. "You... do you know what you are wearing?" Jaster's wicked smile became wider as he laughed. He spread his arms to the side, and looked up to the ceiling. "Why, of course! With this device the Prophet gave us, we are invincible!" "Do you know the cost of using that thing?!" Jaster lowered his head to look at Trace, and nodded. "I do."