Joseph looked towards white with a hand raised, “Stay!”

The darkened man watched as Joseph hurtled towards him, the ground crumbling underneath his footsteps. ‘I was right to use reinforcement magic. This boy is clearly skilled in the use of its magic. From his inhuman speed, it would only make sense that his strength would be too.’

Joseph ran towards the boss, but not with his full speed. ‘I have to stay in control, no matter what. I'm not going to use my full strength and risk losing control. White has beaten me plenty of times because I tried to overpower her and lost my balance.’

Joseph and the boss collided for only a second before the boss threw him to the side. Joseph had gone in for a tackle, but it had been diverted, his own momentum used against him.

Picking himself up out of the mud, Joseph looked around, “What just happened? I'm positive I grabbed you.”

The Boss smiled, “that you did, boy. Again!”

This time Joseph charged right up in front of him but stopped, jumping to the side. Joseph then threw a heavy right hand to the Boss’s side. Again it came as a surprise when Joseph was picking himself up out of the mud.

“I saw what happened that time. You grabbed my arm and threw me with it. How did you get so strong?” Though they had only locked arms twice Joseph could tell there was something different about the Boss.

“You're not the only one who can use reinforcement magic, boy.”

‘re-in-force-ment what?’ Joseph quelled his thoughts, getting back to the task at hand. This time Joseph got low to the ground before taking off.

The Boss stepped back unsure what Joseph was about to do. ‘Why on Terra is he running so low to the ground?’

Joseph ran so low to the ground he might have looked like he was on all fours. He reached out for the Bosses leg but he sidestepped him, causing Joseph grab to miss. That was when the boss felt his legs come out from under him. Joseph had swung his leg wide in response to his missed grab, knocking the Boss off his feet.

With one hand Joseph reached out grabbing Boss by the throat and slamming him into the ground.

A sense of anger flared up in the boss causing his body to move on its own. ‘This boy is more skilled and reinforcement magic than I thought. let's see just how skilled he is’

Joseph held the Boss by the throat when suddenly a spike of earth protruded from the ground threatening to skewer him. The earth sank into Joseph's chest ripping through the muscle and contacting the bone, throwing Joseph back.

The darkened man had watched the earth stab through the boy's chest. “Lord, please forgive me for what I have done.” The boss rushed towards the boy with shame on his face, “Men we need a healer now!” As the boss approached, the boy sat up looking at his chest. ‘He is alive?’

Once upright Joseph was able to look at the wound in his chest. He took off his used leather armor to confirm the depth of it. ‘It doesn't seem to be too deep. Good, this should heal just fine.’ Looking up from his wound Joseph saw the boss running towards him. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “Stop!”

The Boss was surprised at the young boy's sudden shout. only understanding why the young boy had done it after he saw a giant wolf only feet away from his side. The boy dashed in front of the boss, catching the wolf by the head. Unable to stop the full force of the wolf, the boy slid back, causing the Boss to ricochet off the boy's large back.

While sliding back, and even when coming to a stop, Joseph held his head close to White's to let her know he was fine. Joseph then winced in pain due to the wound in his chest. White pushed the hand covering his wound out of the way and began licking it.

As the boss made his way back to the boy, his men rushed and surrounded them. “Boy, it seems I must apologize to you and your great wolf. No matter the circumstances, that is my fault. I overestimated your reinforcement magic and attacked too strongly, please forgive me.”

Joseph pet White as she was licking his chest while he spoke, “You keep saying that. Reinforcement magic, what is that?”

All the men looked at each other with surprise, including the boss. He thought for a moment before speaking, “You must not know the word for it boy. Reinforcement magic is the power you were using to strengthen your body. Another effect of reinforcement magic is that it increases your strength. Surely you understand what it is now? That is how you were exerting your monstrous power.”

Joseph stopped petting white, only focusing on the Boss. “I wasn't using any power to strengthen my body. I can't, I didn't know such a power exists. Can you teach me to use it?”

The Boss spoke to himself trying to make sense of the situation, “you didn't use reinforcement magic but how is that possible? To have your level of strength without reinforcement magic? No, I'm looking at this the wrong way. for your skin to be able to be penetrated by that attack with such a high level of reinforcement magic wouldn't have been possible. My assessment of you was right, it's just you weren't using reinforcement magic.”

Then something came to Joseph's mind, ‘that's right!’ “Boss, I was wrong. I think I can use what you call reinforcement magic.”

The Boss looks at the boy with a disappointed look on his face. “Ah, of course. I guess it would be insane for you to have such strength without magic. Please, show me what you are talking about.”

Joseph looked to white who was still licking his chest, “Can you go get me a stick White?”

The men that surrounded them began to murmur.

“The boy wants a stick, why?”

“Maybe he is more injured than he looks.”

“The Boss must have hit him harder than he realized.”

“Does he believe himself to be a sorcerer?”

“Ba haha, that's it. he must have only heard about magic from one of his bedtime stories. He thinks he needs a wand to use it!”

The Boss looks towards his men, “That's enough out of y'all. He may not look it but I doubt that any man here could stand toe to toe with him in a duel of strength. Let us give the boy the benefit of doubt ”

It didn't take long before white dropped his stick and Joseph's hand. Joseph held the stick to the Boss, “This is my magic.”

They all waited silently but nothing happened. the men began to laugh before the boss gave them a glare, silencing them. “Boy, nothing is happening. What did you mean to show me?”

Joseph looked at the Boss smiling, “Try and break this stick”

Finally one of the men had had enough. “Boss this is ridiculous, he is just a boy!” The man drew his sword swinging it towards the stick and slicing it in half, or so he thought.

His sword had been knocked out of his hand by an unseen force. Looking at the boy the man was about ready to attack him, but the boss placed a hand on the man's shoulder to stop him.

“Look.” The boss spoke firmly, gesturing towards the stick.

It was untouched, unscratched, and unbroken.