It's been five days since I woke up in this world—since I was bought as a slave.
So yeah—this obviously isn't a dream or some weird hallucination. I'm not waking up in my apartment or a hospital anytime soon.
And all this time—
'We've been stuck in this damn carriage, being transported...'
Not once were we let out.
The bastards probably think we'd try to run the moment they do—
'Which… yeah, fair. I'd definitely make a run for it if they gave me the chance.'
I let out a frustrated sigh.
"Ugh… This is boring as hell. When are we finally getting there?"
I grumbled, shifting on the uncomfortable wooden floor of the cramped cell.
Then, responding to me—
"I think in two more days… I overheard the guards talking before. Traveling from the slave shop to the capital takes about a week."
The bastard who I beat up before said that.
"...?"
I glanced at him.
He was still tied up.
The kids weren't restraining him anymore, but I hadn't bothered untying the makeshift ropes from his hands and legs either.
Sure, he'd been quiet and cooperative lately... but I still didn't trust him.
Oh, and yeah—we confirmed our destination on the second day of travel.
While setting up camp one night, the guards started chatting, unknowingly spilling information within earshot.
We were headed to Velmont City, the capital of the Vallund Kingdom.
And apparently—according to the bastard and the kids—Velmont was a bustling city, filled with theaters, arenas, and grand festivals.
I let that information settle for a moment before asking—
"Is the Vallund Kingdom strong?"
I turned my gaze toward the bastard and the kids.
They were eating—the kids feeding the bastard since his hands were still bound.
We were only given food twice a day. Fucking cheap bastards...
Anyway, hearing my question—
Swoosh~
They all shook their heads in unison.
"We're just an average kingdom. Not strong, not weak. Nothing special, really. We just have a long history, that's all."
Rai, one of the kids, explained.
"Is that so?"
I muttered, nodding slightly.
Then, I turned my gaze toward the outside of the wooden cell.
The carriage moved steadily forward, flanked by guards, their sharp eyes watching us closely.
Beyond them, other wooden carriages trailed in a long procession—each one nearly identical to ours.
And judging by their designs...
They were carrying slaves too.
'So that guy bought a lot of us, huh…'
I thought to myself.
Which meant—
Either that man with the funny hat planned to resell us all…
Or—
'We're being taken somewhere big. A large entertainment establishment, maybe?'
I sighed, rubbing my temple.
Honestly, there wasn't much I could do about it for now.
So, instead of worrying—
"Whatever."
I just shrugged it off and laid down on the wooden floor.
It's better to rest.
Conserve my strength at the moment.
Let my injuries heal throughout the rest of the journey.
I'll just stay still and see what happens next.
...
...
...
And just like that—two days passed, and we arrived at our destination.
*****
It was early morning—around 5 AM, if I had to guess.
"COME OUT OF THE CELL! DO ANYTHING FUNNY, AND YOU'LL BE IN TROUBLE!"
CREAK—
The guards' voices boomed as they yanked open the wooden cell doors on every carriage.
And as soon as the door of our cell was opened—
"We're finally here..."
Rai mumbled that, his eyes practically shining with anticipation.
He was excited to leave this shitty box.
And I'm obviously the same...
Anyway, behind Rai—
"..."
"..."
The other two kids stood silently, tense but unmoving.
They're shaking slightly, ready to get out.
Meanwhile—
Fwish~
"Ugh… I'm finally free."
Damian—the bastard—sighed in relief as I finally untied the makeshift ropes from his limbs.
Since we had already arrived and the guards were right there, I figured he wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything.
'Not to mention, after getting his face punched in every time he acted up, he's not nearly as hostile anymore.'
And I was right.
Damian didn't even spare me a glance.
"Ugh...!"
Tap—
He simply stretched his stiff arms and walked out of the cell, following Rai and the others.
So after them, I stood up from the wooden floor—
"Finally, time to leave this damn place..."
I muttered, referring to the cramped, shitty wooden carriage.
And without wasting another second—
TAP—
I stepped outside.
...
And there—
"..."
I froze on the spot.
I was speechless.
'The fuck…?'
I cursed in my head.
Because right in front of me—
SWOOOOSH—
A massive coliseum towered over everything!
It was the kind of thing I'd only ever seen in games or history articles—an enormous, ancient structure with towering stone walls, intricate carvings, and rows upon rows of archways.
The sheer scale of it made me feel small, almost insignificant.
And at the very top of it, massive banners flapped against the wind, each one emblazoned with a crest—a golden crown and two crossed swords.
And around me?
There were few tens of people!
Around seventy, roughly counting!
"Huh?"
"Where are we...?"
"I don't feel so good..."
"Wha... What's this?!"
Slaves, like me, stepped out of their carriages one by one, their expressions ranging from fear to awe.
We were all stupefied upon seeing the massive establishment in front of us.
Then, at that moment—
"GET IN THE COLISEUM!!!"
Bam!
"Ugh...?!"
The guards started pushing us, guiding us in the coliseum.
They were all heavily armored so being hit by them hurts as fuck.
So silently—
Tap- tap- tap—
Tap- tap- tap—
Tap- tap- tap—
All of us, the slaves, started heading in the coliseum.
'Once I get the opportunity, I'll beat the shit out of these guys too.'
I thought to myself, bottling in my annoyance at the guards.
Anyway , as I walked, my eyes darted around.
"...?"
I felt something off.
Besides the slaves and the guards, I didn't see anyone else. No townspeople, no merchants going about their daily lives—
Nothing.
The streets were empty.
'Is it because it's still early in the morning?'
That thought crossed my mind, but then it clicked—
'No. They planned this. They moved us at this time on purpose… to prevent us from escaping and blending into the crowds.'
I clenched my jaw.
Smart bastards.
Still, it wasn't long before—
T A P—
We stepped inside the massive coliseum.
And instantly—
"...!"
My breath hitched.
The interior of the coliseum was even grander than I expected.
Vast. Sprawling. Enormous.
I felt like a small ant in the middle of a giant's plate.
The sky stretched vast and open above us, the faint morning ray casting a golden light over the towering stone walls.
Torches lined the perimeter, their flickering flames dancing against the ancient looking stone, adding a sinister glow to the already eerie atmosphere.
And then—
"Huh?"
At the center of it all—
A large wooden platform stood tall.
And there—
"...!"
We all saw a familiar face.
A man with a funny top hat...
The very same bastard who bought us and brought us all here!
TAP—!
He stood on the platform, smiling!
"Heh..."
His expression oozing with fake dignity and showmanship!
Then, after stretching his arms out dramatically and opening his mouth—
"WELCOME TO THE CRIMSON PIT!!!"
His voice boomed across the coliseum.