Surviving in a Damn Fantasy World

Day 1 of being a slave in a massive Coliseum that looks like it belongs in Italian cultural heritage.

As soon as I entered the facility, I got beaten up.

The reason? I opened my eyes in a rude way again.

Damn, this is just how I look.

After that, I was thrown into a dirty, smelly room with other brats like me.

I miss the collapsing shack and the pig slop I used to eat once a day.

Day 2 of being a slave.

Got beaten up again today.

Not by others, but by the brats in the room.

Those bastards… just because I talked back, ten of them kicked me.

Eventually, a janitor found me and dragged me to an individual cell.

Not the one who hit me, but the one who got hit was dragged away.

Apparently, it’s easier to classify that way.

Day 3.

For some reason, I got a proper piece of bread today.

It was damn delicious.

And then I had my first match.

They gave me a cheap dagger and sent me to the Coliseum.

My opponent was a Goblin, a monster I’ve never seen before in this world.

Somehow, I managed to stab it once and caught it.

Day 7.

After lying sick in the individual cell for three days, I woke up to cold water.

I realized that getting hit by a rusty sword could kill you.

Those bastards.

They said I fought well and gave me some half-hearted treatment.

Day 14.

I’ve been fighting Goblins every day.

Apparently, it’s part of the Coliseum’s regular schedule.

It’s somewhat popular.

These crazy medieval savages, watching a brat with a cheap dagger fight a Goblin while laughing.

This world is insane.

Day 21.

I moved from the individual cell to a group dorm.

They said I’ll get training from now on. Will something change?

Day 24.

The training is damn tough, damn it.

Day 37.

No wonder they’ve been training me so hard.

Now, my Goblin opponents have doubled to two.

It’s four times harder, damn it.

Day 72.

There’s one good thing about becoming a popular brat in the Coliseum.

They give me a lot of food.

They give me some unidentifiable meat and bread, and I’m eating it all up.

Day 73.

I got a stomachache. Those bastards.

Day 80.

They’ve been feeding me well, but today’s opponent was a bit bigger.

They said it’s an Ogre with a growth disorder.

Damn, they really brought this thing here.

Day 83.

Today, it’s five Kobolds.

One bit my thigh, but the nasty medicine they gave me here healed it quickly.

Day 85.

No wonder they gave me the medicine so easily.

After taking it, my body started feeling weird.

I keep getting feverish and dizzy, and I feel like I’m going to die.

I don’t remember anything from yesterday.

Day 90.

I’m damn strong now.

Day 125.

I met a man who’s a champion candidate in this Coliseum.

He’s a former knight, and he’s full of himself.

Day 131.

I met him again.

After talking a few times, he said he’d teach me swordsmanship.

Day 143.

This man is a mentor, a mentor!

He gave me some damn delicious soup.

It was the best meal I’ve had since reincarnating into this world.

*

“And now, it’s day 1532.”

I muttered while scratching the wall with a pebble on the ground.

“What are you muttering about?”

“Nothing.”

I answered in a deep voice due to early puberty.

Even after going through puberty twice, it’s still hard to adjust.

“Brat, you’re so rude.”

The man I’m talking to now is Alden, the champion of this Coliseum.

Back then.

Well, about three years ago?

My memory is hazy.

Anyway, we met by chance in the Coliseum’s dormitory.

And as time passed.

Now, he’s training me in his own way.

The Coliseum has its own training schedule, but that’s just torture in disguise. Alden’s training is definitely different.

“So, how’s the progress?”

“It’s damn hard.”

On top of that, a year ago, he started teaching me the Ogre Qi Manipulation Technique, which he uses.

I wonder why he taught me such a precious technique.

“Hey, brat, didn’t you say you felt something?”

“I did.”

“It’s damn fast.”

“I guess.”

He says it’s fast, but honestly, I only feel it very slightly.

Plus, I have to practice the Qi Manipulation Technique secretly, so I don’t have much time.

“Anyway, today I’ll teach you how to use a spear like a pro, so follow me.”

Still, Alden’s martial arts are excellent, so every lesson is satisfying.

Even though I had some professional training in my past life, the martial arts of this world that Alden teaches are definitely superior.

“Ha, this brat learns really fast.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? Am I your friend?”

Thanks to that, I’ve been able to get stronger really quickly.

In a way, is he my life’s savior?

If I hadn’t learned from Alden, it would’ve been really tough to handle the monsters the Coliseum prepared.

“If it were our country, you could’ve become a knight.”

“…”

“Well, it’s gone now.”

Alden is a war slave.

To be precise, he’s a knight who fought to the end to protect his country but was captured when it fell.

He’s a talent on a different level from me, who was dragged here after winning the family breadwinner ranking.

“By the way, be careful. The management seems to be going crazy lately because their popularity is dropping.”

“Yeah, I’ve been feeling that too.”

“It’s been suspicious since they pitted an Ogre against a brat.”

That brat who fought the Ogre was me.

I almost died back then.

“But shouldn’t you be more careful than me?”

“Me?”

“It’s getting tougher.”

Alden is the champion.

He’s been the champion for three years.

With his immense popularity and high expectations, he’s been fighting stronger opponents.

“I’m fine.”

“But you have those restraints.”

On top of that, Alden has restraints on his ankles that suppress his knight’s aura.

I don’t know where they got those, but because of them, Alden fights with a handicap.

“The guys they prepare here are no match for a single sword.”

But he always smiles leisurely and tells me.

“I told you, what’s the best ending for a Gladiator?”

“…Buying yourself?”

“Yeah, brat. I’ve saved up quite a bit of money.”

Usually, Gladiators are slaves and get treated accordingly.

But when you become a champion, things are different.

Alden is wealthy enough to give me delicious soup.

He has some prize money and, more importantly, as a champion, he’s sponsored by nobles.

“If all else fails, getting bought by a high-ranking noble isn’t bad either.”

“But that’s still slavery.”

“You know what? A former knight and long-time Gladiator champion like me has a damn high price.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“At that point, wouldn’t the noble lords take good care of you? Good food, a nice place to sleep.”

Even if the treatment is good, it’s still slavery—I thought.

But it’s still much better than life here.

…Maybe I should just obediently be a slave instead of trying to escape.

This fantasy world seems a bit better than what I originally thought.

People watch Gladiator fights for entertainment, but in a way, it shows that the middle-class citizens in the capital have a decent standard of living to spend money and time on entertainment.

Well, considering this is the kingdom that destroyed Alden’s homeland, it’s not surprising.

It means their national power is strong.

It’s probably the second strongest country after the empire that rules the continent.

“Anyway, I’ll be leaving here soon, so don’t cry when I’m gone.”

“I won’t.”

“Brat, you’re no fun. But keep practicing everything I taught you.”

“Got it. Live well out there.”

Still, since he’s my benefactor, I hope he escapes and lives well.

But…

A few days later.

“An Ogre?”

“Yeah, where did those crazy bastards find it?”

I was shocked by Alden’s words, accompanied by a sneer.

“…Isn’t that a damn dangerous monster?”

“It is. They probably can’t handle it either.”

In my three years at this Coliseum, I’ve seen many monsters.

From basic Goblins, Kobolds, and Ogres to Werewolves and lions as big as houses.

But an Ogre is on a different level.

It’s usually the king of the mountains.

It’s not something someone who can’t even use aura is supposed to fight…

“They cut off one of its wrists as a penalty, so let’s see how well it fights.”

But Alden was as calm and composed as ever.

“…Good luck.”

“Why so serious? Don’t worry, I won’t die. I’ll definitely live freely.”

And so.

Alden, who said things that would surely lead to his death if this were a novel, confidently entered the battle.

“What?”

“He ran away, that crazy monster bastard! He broke his shackles and fled?”

News came that he broke his shackles and ran away from the stage where they had gathered all sorts of nobles for a historic match.

…Those shackles could be broken?

He’s really a monster.

“That bastard!”

“It was the first historic match in so long!”

With the champion gone, the other staff were in a panic.

But I didn’t care.

No, I actually thought it was a good thing.

Running away is better than dying.

I spent a few days alone, hoping he’d live freely, even if he had to cross borders.

“You learned from Alden, right? You’re the new champion candidate!”

Having lost their star champion in an instant, the Coliseum chose me as the new candidate to replace Alden.

And so began the real hell.