Contract

Roland quickly confirmed and the chains crumbled into dust. The man arrived in front of Roland, in rage swung his sword.

Just as the sword was about land, it stopped. The man glanced down and saw an ice piercing out of his chest. His skin around the wound started freezing, the ice quickly spread to the rest of his body and froze him stiff, turning him into an ice sculpture.

The girl had shot an ice from her hand the moment it was free. Her body slumped down, she was both physically and mentally exhausted.

Roland recovered from his shock, he took a robe and covered the girl up before freeing her from the rest of the restraints.

"Thank you" the girl said softly.

"It's no trouble" Roland was also exhausted and in pain. 

For some strange reason he felt good, adrenaline coursing through his veins. On the down side, his face and back were in pain but it currently didn't register much in his mind. 

Earlier he had been backhand-slapped on the face and sent crashing into a wall. Roland knew that if he removed his restrains he could heal but if he did that it might bring him trouble so he had no choice but to bear it.

*sob*

"Ahh" The girl suddenly hugged Roland and began to sob. She tried to be quiet but she couldn't, in the quiet room her muffled cries were very loud.

Listening to her cry's, Roland felt bad that he didn't help earlier and hugged her tighter.

"Thanks again" After a few minutes of crying, the girl spoke up.

"Are you also a captive?" The girl was stunned for a moment.

'These people imprisoned this headsome kid, what monsters.' The girl frowned.

Roland was wearing the guards robe but underneath that, the girl could see Roland's tattered clothes that every captive wore.

"Yes, I am.", Roland's answer caused the girl's eyes to open wide.

"How did you destroy the restraints? I can't even leave a scratch on it! Since you can move around, does that mean you can leave this place whenever you want?" The girl started bombarding Roland with questions, she seemed to forget her troubles as soon as hope was seen.

Roland thought about it, he also didn't know how the mysterious system works. The likes of strong people like this girl or the scary old man couldn't even scratch it but he can more or less destroy it or abrorb as the system puts it, and I can do so with relative ease.

Previously when he was locked up in a cage, he saw the expressions of the others when they thought he had removed his restraints.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." the girl said when she saw Roland remaining silent.

"I don't know how it happens as well, it just happens when I think about it. As for getting out, I'm also not sure on how to get out, if I knew how, I would have left a long time ago. *sigh*" Roland said with a deep sigh. 

"Besides your pretty strong, couldn't you just force your way out?" Roland asked, he still didn't understand the 'mechanics' behind this world but he told himself that he'd learn.

'Besides I have the powerful system with me, once it starts working I'm sure to get a golden finger and I'll lay waste to this place', Roland thought.

"It's not that simple! I'm strong, yes but there are guards that are stronger than me and they aren't few in numbers." The girl shook her head.

At this moment, Roland was able to get a proper glimpse at the girl.

The girl looked to be around fifteen. She had shoulder length hair, bright-red eyes and a face so pretty that Roland thought was divine. 

Her lip was busted open, two black-eye, and her nose was bloody.

'No wonder those guys were so determined, she's beautiful', Even with those injuries, Roland had to admit that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Oddly enough though, Roland felt like he'd seen her before but was not sure where.

"If you knew the way out, do you think you'd be able to bring us out?" the girl suddenly asked.

"There is a small chance" After some thought Roland answered honestly, he wasn't sure either as multiple factors needed to be taken into consideration.

At this moment Roland got a bad feeling, it was getting late. This meant that the day was almost over and the guards were going to start delivering the meals.

"Damn it! I have to go. The guards are gonna start delivering the meals so I have to go back to my room." Roland said. 

Roland felt the girl's body begin to tremble again. She wrapped her legs around his body and hugged him tighter. She lowered her head and sheepishly said,"Please don't leave me."

Roland remained silent, he couldn't react to this situation. He had never had a girl hug him, much less like this. The girl asked, "Can you bring me along? I promise not to cause trouble."

'What the hell! Is she serious, no I can't bring you with me, also why is she hugging me like this.' Roland didn't know what consequences would be if they were caught.

Roland hesitated and asked, "What would happen if they found you with me?" 

"My guess is they'd first do some investigation, since I'm more powerful than you, they'd think that I'm the culprit and torture me to death" the girl said in a low voice, Roland's senses told him she was lying.

'As if these people are that rational! If they find you with me, I'm dead as well.' Roland became resolute.

'Damn it! But who's to say I can trust her? She might use me and dispose of me when I'm of no use to her later!' Roland, 'rationally' thought about it.

Roland slowly removed the girl's arm around him and whispered, "...I'm sorry but I don't think I can help you."

Because of his recent near death experience, Roland started valuing his life even more.

The girl's body trembled significantly when she heard Roland's words. In a voice filled with desperation, the girl said, "Please don't abandone me, I'll do anything, I'll even give you my body. "

Roland suddenly stopped. Temptation was an extremely seductive mistress. Roland had an extremely weak will, his strong resolute started to crumble.

The girl took this chance and hugged Roland even tighter, Roland felt the warm curves on his body.

'What an offer! Don't be swayed, c'mon have character!' Roland tried to fight the devil in his heart but he knew that it was a losing battle.

Seeing Roland remaining silent, the girl gritted her teeth and said,"How about we establish an equality contract, so I won't betray you!" 

"What is that?" Roland took this chance to abandon his fight with his inner devil.

The contract in this world was a unique spiritual rule that required two voluntary parties. The party who violated would be subjected to considerable backfire and punishments.

Roland's thoughts were in chaos but he didn't have the luxury to think about it so he swiftly agreed before grabbing the two swords and dragging her with him.

Roland quickly recalled the rout and followed the rout back. Along the way, he saw a few guards that were carrying trays of 'food'. luckily non of them were in his way so it was smooth sailing.

The two quickly made it to the locker/staffroom. After checking if it was clear, Roland dragged the girl inside. 

The tunnel Roland had dug was in the ceiling, at the back of the room, just above a few lockers. It wasn't properly hidden but it would need someone to focus on it to properly spot it.

"Can you fit in the tunnel?" Roland asked as he quickly used a locker to climb into the tunnel.

"I'll try" The girl got onto the locker and casually jumped into the tunnel. She fidgited and squeezed into the tunnel. 

She was a tight fit so Roland did his thing and increased the tunnels size....

[Absorbing Fabric Substance, system booting process at 5.04%]

[Absorbing Fabric Substance, system booting process at 5.14%]

[Absorbing Fabric Substance, system booting process at 5.24%]

....

They made their way back, along the way Roland used the system to increase the size of the tunnel. Roland quickly exited the tunnel and returned to his dark cell. He was glad he made it back in time but...

Just as he turned around to help the girl he heard the door being unlocked.

"Wait! someone's coming! stay there!" Roland frantically whisprerd, he quickly took off the robe and threw it in the tunnel and ran to the bed.

The door opened and a guard holding a tray of food appeared.

"Eat"

A familiar deep, emotionless and slow voice sounded from the guard. 

Roland looked at the uninviting 'food' and started eating, his heart was still racing from the adrenaline but he gradually calmed down.

"Can I save some for when I get hungry at night?" Roland asked after some thought.

"No, Eat" the voice sounded harsher this time, the person sounded annoyed. 

"If things go as planned, we'll be able to break you and a few others out on the day of the auction. Here." the guard suddenly whispered when he took Roland's tray, he passed Roland a piece of bread and swiftly left.

'Is that old man really that persistent? he should know that I won't tell him a Damn thing! Or is this guy acting on his own?'

'If so then who is this guy and what is his motive? I'm sure I told him that I didn't know how to remove these restraints! Does he actually want to help me?'

Despise the free lunch! This was a law Roland lived by. There is no such thing as a free lunch, it usually involves a trick or a hidden obligation. Roland held the bread and dismissed those thoughts.

"Oh yeah, let me help you out." Roland remembered the girl and helped her out.

"Oh yeah, I think they are listening to us, so try to whisper and keep your voice low." Roland remembered and warned.

"Oh ok. Your cell is dark as well?" The girl commented. Suddenly a soft blue light appeared on the girls hand and illuminated the room. 

'I really need to quickly start the system!' Roland felt jealous when he saw that. To him or people like him, such a thing like magic was a must.

'Also this girl is amazing.' The injuries on the girl's face had magically healed considerably and seeing here beautiful face in the dark getting lit up, dazed Roland for a moment.

"Here" Roland passed the bread to the girl. The girl tried rejecting but Roland didn't take no for an answer.

The girl lowered here head. In her life, kind people were few in numbers. She smiled and whispered, "Thank you!" 

"You know, you don't act like your a kid" the girl joked while looking at Roland. 

She sat closer to Roland and wanted to say something but didn't. Roland saw this and mustered up the courage and asked, "Do you want a hug?"

'Please don't think I'm weird also please don't kill me!' Roland thought. In his head he was still thinking about the offer the girl made earlier but he didn't know how to bring it up.

The girl nodded and got close, she was only wearing the robe and nothing underneath, so when she hugged Roland, he could feel a bit more then he should have.

The girl's body trembled a bit.

'She scared! But I'm only comforting here!' Roland convinced himself as he hugged her tighter.

Before the awkward silent could settle in the girls voice sounded, "About the contract!"

Once individuals signned an equality contract, it would be impossible for one party to remove it, regardless of strength. 

Suddenly another source of light appeared in the room and a glistening scroll like paper appeared out of thin air. After the girl explained a few things, Roland bit his thumb and drew blood, and signed the contract.

The contract dissapeared soon after, and Roland felt something move in his soul and mind but he couldn't tell what, but he felt a special connection to the girl.

The two lay on the bed and hugged. There was only one blanket so they had to share, luckily the room was warm. The light slowly dimmed and Roland felt his emotions rising, but he quickly distracted himself.