Switch Mode

Join Our Discord Server to Be Notified of Releases

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World Chapter 3

Colosseum

It had been quite some time since Alden escaped.

 

So…

 

“Hey!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“How long have I been in here?”
“S-Six years and 214 days…!”
“Damn, that’s a long time.”

 

Right, it had been about three years since Alden’s escape.

Time sure flew by.

 

“Good work.”

 

I lightly patted the back of the young gladiator, who stood at attention, and left the training grounds.

 

In this country, you’re considered an adult at 16.
Does that mean I’ve been stuck here since I was a snot-nosed kid until adulthood?

 

What a lousy feeling.

 

I guess I can understand how Alden, the runaway gladiator, felt.

 

It had been some time since I went from being a champion candidate to becoming the champion, but my desire to leave hadn’t changed.

 

With that, I passed through the corridor with a sour expression and entered the private room designated for me. I sat on the bed.

 

Hah…”

 

After confirming that no one was around, I started practicing the Aura technique Alden had taught me.

 

The air here wasn’t great, but the place was brimming with energy.

 

Contrary to the suffocating environment where ventilation was poor, there was an overwhelming vitality—pure life energy.

 

This was a place where gladiators lived, fighting for their lives daily. I absorbed the life force radiating from them and built up my Aura.

 

After a short session of practice, I opened my eyes and grabbed the wooden training dagger on the desk.

 

Then…

 

Swoosh—

 

I infused the gathered energy into the dagger.

 

Crack—

The wood cracked immediately.

 

“…Still no good.”

 

I could channel the energy, but my skill in imbuing it into objects was still lacking.

 

And being in this isolated space meant there was no one I could ask for guidance.

 

I wasn’t even sure if I was doing it correctly.

 

Still…

 

I enveloped my entire body in energy.

This exhilarating sensation was always uplifting.

 

It had been about three years since Alden escaped.

 

During that time, I had endured a hellish schedule without missing a single day of Aura practice.

 

Always in secret.
Someday, in case of the worst, I planned to escape, just like Alden did.

 

At least I was better off than Alden.
I didn’t have to wear the restraints he once bore.

 

And so, that day, after completing my Aura training…

 

“Hey, Champion.”

 

While taking a stroll near the training grounds, one of the Colosseum staff members called out to me.

 

“What is it?”
“Here, your schedule’s been finalized.”

 

The staff handed me a timetable printed on one of the cheap papers mass-produced by the Magic Tower.

 

As usual, it was filled with an intense schedule.

 

Now, intermediate monsters like orcs and werewolves were the bare minimum, with matches against other gladiators also on the list.

 

And at the end of the week, there was always the highlight match.

 

This week’s opponent…

 

“…Is this for real?”

 

…Had me wondering.
Was it finally my turn?

 

[The King of the Mountain]

 

“Yeah, the higher-ups have high expectations, so do well.”

 

…I’d been wondering when this would come up.

 

Since Alden escaped, the Colosseum had spent three years agonizing over how to stage a match to defeat the ogre.

 

The ogre was a top-tier, large monster.

The cost of containment facilities and feeding it must’ve been enormous.

 

Even hosting occasional event matches between monsters couldn’t justify the expenses.

 

“Seriously? Not even Alden could beat this thing…”

 

However.

Isn’t it too much for me to take down?

 

Even as the current champion, I didn’t think I could defeat Alden if there were two of me.

 

If Alden had chosen to run from this ogre, then I was certain it was far beyond my ability.

 

But…

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of other gladiators backing you up.”

 

The staff member replied as if it were no big deal.

 

…So it’s going to be a raid-style battle?
Well, with enough high-ranking gladiators, it might be possible.

 

Even so…

 

“All right, understood.”

 

I could feel it—this place was nearing its end.
These lunatics never learn, do they?

 

Using high-ranking gladiators as cannon fodder to draw the ogre’s attention…
Unbelievable.

 

“Don’t even think about running away like that guy.”
“Yes.”

 

It seemed I needed to prepare for my own end as well.

 

**

 

Time passed.
A week later.

 

As scheduled, I headed out to the Colosseum to participate in the highlight match of the week.

 

“Woooooaaahhh!!”
“Champion!”

 

The stands, which were usually two-thirds full, were completely packed today.

Considering the nature of the match, they must have worked hard to promote it.

 

Well, after Alden’s escape, the Colosseum had seen a significant drop in spectators.

This was their chance to erase that stain from three years ago.

 

[And now, presenting the Champion!]

 

The announcer’s voice boomed through a small loudspeaker.

 

“Kyaaaah!”
“Over here! Look this way!”

 

The crowd’s cheers were deafening, a cacophony of excitement filling the air.

 

This scene, this sound…
It annoyed me every time I saw and heard it.

 

What the hell are they so happy about?

 

Still, it’s a relief.

 

[And the opponent… the eternal tyrant of this Colosseum! The King of the Mountain!]

 

It would be the last time I’d have to listen to that announcement.

 

There it was.

 

Across the vast Colosseum, behind iron bars and bound tightly in chains, stood the ogre, glaring outside with wild, fiery eyes.

 

…The pressure was immense. It was about three times the size of an average person.

 

I’d seen it from afar once before, but facing it directly like this sent shivers down my spine.

 

Now I understood why the mighty Alden chose to flee.

 

[And joining the event today, the pride of our Colosseum: the elite gladiators!]

 

As the ogre’s imposing figure loomed, the announcer’s voice rang out again.

 

“Woooaaah!!”
“Yeahhh!!”

 

Doors to other cages opened, and high-ranking gladiators armed with various weapons poured out.

 

Like me, they wore minimal armor—probably to make the bloodshed more visible for the audience’s enjoyment.

 

Even against an ogre, they had us dressed like this.
What madness.

 

[The match of the century begins now!]

 

Honestly?
Honestly, it felt doable.

 

After all…

 

“Let’s go, everyone!”
“Bind it with ropes!”

 

The high-ranking gladiators here were exceptional.

 

Gladiators in this place risked their lives fighting monsters and training daily.
To rise to the rank of elite among them was proof of their strength.

 

That said, it wouldn’t be an easy victory. I was prepared to lose at least an arm in the process.

 

[The ogre is unleashed!]

 

The ogre broke free of its restraints.

 

“Attack!”
“I’ll take its head!”

 

The excited gladiators charged at it.

 

I tightened my grip on my sword and ran toward the ogre alongside the others.

 

[The Champion is on the move!]

 

Hearing the announcer’s animated commentary, I glanced up at the sky—or rather, at the towering stands that always looked down on us like the heavens.

 

One jump wouldn’t be enough to clear that height.

 

If only I knew exactly how Alden escaped, I could have used it as a guide. But since I didn’t, I’d have to figure out my own way.

 

Hah…”

 

I began circulating my Aura within, compressing it to the extreme, just shy of release.

 

“Don’t even think about running?”

 

Yeah, screw that.

 

It might be a bit early, but this was what I’d been preparing for.

 

[Finally! The Champion and the ogre are about to clash!]

 

The announcer’s voice roared as I charged toward the ogre with all my might.

 

One day, I’ll stick a blade in that announcer too.

The thought that I couldn’t do it today was my only regret.

 

Blame-

 

I kick the ground and run.

 

Since I’m circulating the aura, I jumped to the height of the Ogre’s shoulders in one go.

 

[W-What! The Champion… flew!?]

 

“Graaahhh—!!”

 

As I reached eye level with the ogre, it let out an ear-splitting roar.

 

The sound alone froze my body in place.
…So this was the fear I’d heard about in advance—an innate terror evoked by the cries of powerful monsters.

 

But with Aura, things are different.

 

I quickly circulated my energy, breaking free of the paralysis, and landed on the ogre’s shoulder.

 

Then…

 

“Hup.”

 

I focused all the Aura in my body into my legs, compressing it as I’d practiced countless times before, and leapt toward the sky.

 

[W-Wait… what?]

 

With the announcer’s bewildered exclamation trailing behind me, my body shot upwards, heading toward the stands.

 

[Hey, hey, you bastard—!]

 

In front of the audience section, I spotted a strange barrier.
They must have installed it as a precaution after Alden’s escape.

 

But…

 

Crack-crack-crunch—!

A barrier like that was nothing my sword couldn’t rip apart.

 

I slashed through it and landed squarely in the audience area.

 

“W-What…!”
“Kyaaaaah—!”

 

The spectators, who always looked down at me from above, now screamed in panic and scrambled from their seats.

 

Hah…”

 

…The Aura expenditure was greater than I expected.
Could I still make it out of the Colosseum?

 

I knew this was a wealthy city, but I had no idea about its layout.

After all, I’d arrived here blindfolded, and outings were never permitted for gladiators.

 

Still, I had to try.

I sprinted across the stands, heading straight for the exit where most of the crowd was fleeing.

 

There, at the largest opening,

I saw my chance.

 

But just as I prepared to leap—

 

“Stop him!”
“Block the way!”

 

Colosseum guards and a few bold spectators rushed to block the entrance.

…Around twenty of them.

 

Some of them emanated an unmistakable energy.

They were Aura users too.

Breaking through would be difficult, and even if I managed, I doubted I’d escape unscathed.

 

If that’s the case…

 

I adjusted my plan and shifted direction.

 

I didn’t want to resort to this, but I had no choice now.

 

I quickly scanned the area for a suitable target.
Someone weak and valuable in this arena.

 

There—her.

 

The girl in the expensive dress.

I kicked off the ground and sprinted toward her with all my might.

 

“Miss!”
“Get back!”

 

Two men, likely her bodyguards, drew their swords and stepped forward to block me.

 

But I was desperate too.

 

Using brute force, I barreled through.
Walking the line between life and death was something I was well accustomed to.

 

“You bastard…!”

 

They didn’t panic; in fact, they responded with deadly precision, swinging their swords sharply to take my life.

 

Whoosh—Shing—

 

A thrust from the front, a slash from the side.

 

The two blades came at me with precision, and judging by the faint energy they emitted, they were Aura users as well.

 

…Was Aura this common?

 

I must’ve targeted a young lady from a very prominent family.

 

Well, good. She’s worth taking as a hostage then.

 

Clang!!

 

I deflected the thrusting sword, and as the other blade came low for my neck, I bent my body back sharply, narrowly dodging it.

 

It was a hair’s breadth—any slower, and my throat would’ve been slit.

 

But I was confident.
My heightened senses, a side effect of a drug I’d once been forced to take, ensured I wouldn’t miss.

 

“…!”
“Miss!”

 

With the two bodyguards momentarily neutralized, I lunged forward.

 

“Everyone, stay still!”

 

I pressed the sharp, Champion-exclusive sword against the neck of the girl with flowing golden hair.

 

“You… you bastard…!”
“Do you even know who you’re messing with!?”

 

Judging by the chaos around me, I’d chosen well.

 

“Don’t care. Open the way!”

 

…Never in my life did I think I’d resort to such a desperate hostage situation.

 

Once I escaped, they’d undoubtedly send a pursuit team after me.

 

And since the girl I’d taken hostage was clearly nobility, the chase would be far more intense than I had anticipated.

 

Still, I was confident in my ability to evade them and cover my tracks.
Magic was a wild card, but I’d figure it out when the time came.

 

But then…

 

“Don’t kill him. Subdue him.”

 

The girl I held hostage said something strange.

 

Don’t kill him?

 

In that instant, a chilling sensation swept through me, sharpening all my senses.
I moved to press the blade closer to her neck when—

 

Boom!

 

A powerful force slammed into me, throwing my body into the audience seats with bone-crushing impact.

 

“How dare you.”

 

The voice that followed was old, gravelly, and commanding.

 

“Gah!”

 

My vision spun as pain coursed through my body.

What just hit me?

 

Shing.

 

Before I could recover, the two men who had been guarding the girl pointed their swords at my throat.

 

“We are deeply sorry, Miss…”
“Please forgive us.”

 

Their eyes burned with rage as they apologized to the girl, ready to kill me on the spot.

And then, standing next to the girl, I saw him—the old man who must have been the one to strike me down.

 

…So, this was it.

 

Maybe I should have just fought the ogre, even if it meant losing a limb.

Or maybe trying to cut through the twenty guards earlier would’ve been the better choice.

 

Well, none of it mattered now.

 

“No regrets in death, right?”

 

This was the end.

 

…What a pathetic conclusion.

Wasn’t this the same as when I’d failed to escape the slave market?

 

Overwhelmed by sheer power, confronted by an impossible wall.

A sensation I hadn’t known in my previous life.

 

Perhaps this was always how it was meant to end—arrogantly overestimating my meager abilities.

 

As I braced myself for the inevitable, a voice broke through my thoughts.

 

“I want to keep him.”

“…Miss?”

 

With a single sentence from the girl, the entire atmosphere shifted.

 

“Hey, you.”

 

The girl, whom I hadn’t taken a good look at earlier because she simply seemed like an easy target, turned her strange glowing red eyes on me.

 

“Do you want to be my dog?”

 

Or…

 

“Do you want to die?”

 

The answer was obvious.

 

Be Notified of Releases on Our Discord

Join Our Discord Server to Be Notified of Releases

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World

Surviving in a Damned Fantasy World, 망할 판타지 세상에서 살아남기
Score 7
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
The world I was reincarnated in was too f*cked up to be a fantasy world.

Comment

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset