Travis perched on the roof, his legs dangling over the edge as he mulled over his next move. The village stretched out below him, quiet and dark under the moonlight, but leaving wasn’t an option—not yet. Heading out without a map or even the faintest idea of the terrain would be suicide. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and let out a slow breath.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his Status. The glowing interface hovered before him, illuminating his face in pale light. His lips curled into a faint smile as he studied the details.
---
Name: Travis Blackthorn
Age: 17
Level: 40
Stats:
Strength: 1/10
Speed: 1/10
Flexibility: 1/10
Stamina: 1/10
Luck: 1/10
Mana: ???/???
[Innate Abilities]
Pain Catalyst
Adapt
[Skills]
Blinding Step
Reflex
Forge
Absorb
Shift
Cut
---
“What the fuck?” Travis muttered, his brow furrowing. “I didn’t even learn most of these. Why are they here?” He leaned back slightly, confusion etched across his face. After a moment, he shrugged. “Oh well, that doesn’t matter. Still… sucks that I lost the book. Xavier’s going to kill me, but he’d probably understand. I hope.”
What Travis didn’t realize was that the book—the one he’d clung to as his lifeline—had been utterly obliterated the moment he stepped out of the coliseum. Its destruction was an enigma, one shrouded in mystery, and for now, it would remain that way.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
His stomach growled loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced down at himself, sighing at the sight of his bare skin. Naked and hungry—not exactly a great combination. “Fantastic,” he muttered. “Two things I never thought I’d deal with at the same time.”
Resolving to find something to wear, he leapt off the roof in one smooth motion. His bare feet touched the ground with a soft thud, and he activated his Mana Sense, casting an invisible net around him to feel for any nearby presences. The village roads were eerily quiet, the kind of silence that only came long past midnight. He walked cautiously, his eyes darting to the shadows, fully expecting no one to be around.
Then he froze. A flicker of movement brushed the edge of his Mana Sense, and he ducked into the nearest alley. Pressing his back against the cold stone wall, he held his breath as a guard passed by, spear in hand. The man’s footsteps echoed faintly on the cobblestones, slow and deliberate, before fading into the distance.
Travis exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Okay, this isn’t working. I need clothes.” His gaze flicked upward, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips. “Time to raid some laundry lines.”
He scaled the walls quickly, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, scanning for any signs of hanging laundry. Despite his best efforts, each line he found was either empty or too risky to approach. After what felt like an eternity of fruitless searching, he crouched on the edge of a roof, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“Great,” he muttered. “I look and act like a total creep right now. Just what I needed. If some girl spots me like this…” He groaned, running a hand through his hair. The mental image alone was enough to make him cringe. Still, he had no choice but to keep searching—time wasn’t on his side.
The creak of the door behind him startled Travis. He turned sharply, ready to bolt, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Oh, you’re that kid from the coliseum,” the man said as he stepped out into the cool night air. His gaze swept over Travis and paused when he realized the young man was completely naked. “I’m sure you need a place to stay, don’t you? Come inside. I’ll get you something to wear.”
Travis froze, his instincts flaring. He couldn’t sense this man’s Mana, not even a flicker. That alone made him uneasy. The idea of walking into the house of someone who practically didn’t exist in the way he understood unnerved him.
Still, the reality of his situation left him no room to argue. Naked and exposed, he didn’t have much of a choice. Reluctantly, he stepped inside, glancing over his shoulder as the man closed the door behind him.
“Let me grab you some clothes,” the man said casually. “People around here tend to have a fear of giant snakes.”
Travis blinked, caught off guard. He looked down at himself and then back at the man, trying to gauge if he was serious.
' Did he just compliment my meat? ' he thought, feeling equal parts proud and creeped out.
Moments later, the man returned with a set of clothes that fit surprisingly well. Travis pulled them on and offered a quick, sincere thanks.
“So, what’s your name?” Travis asked as he adjusted the clothes.
“Oh, my bad. I’m Evan Everhart,” the man replied, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you, Travis. I really enjoyed your fights—well, except the final one that obviously didn’t happen. You must be starving, huh? I’ve got some leftovers from yesterday’s dinner. Let me heat them up for you.”
Travis nodded, his stomach growling in agreement. “Thanks, Evan. I really appreciate it.”
As Evan disappeared into the kitchen, Travis settled at the dining table. The silence pressed in on him, making him restless. He resisted the urge to fidget, wishing he could pull out his phone and scroll through TikTok.
' Guess this is the social media detox I’ve been putting off, ' he thought dryly.
Evan soon returned with steaming plates of food and set them down in front of Travis, along with his own serving. The scent was intoxicating, and Travis didn’t bother to check if the food was poisoned or tampered with. He was far too hungry to care.
He devoured the meal like a man starved, barely pausing to breathe. His appetite surprised even himself as he polished off five plates in less than ten minutes.
“Ahh, man,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Thank you for that. You don’t know how much I needed it.”
“Don’t sweat it, kid,” Evan said, watching him with a faint smile. “You know, I’m really surprised you even made it out of that place.”
Travis blinked, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean surprised? I thought all you had to do was pay off your debt or serve your sentence to leave.”
“That’s true,” Evan said, leaning forward slightly. “But don’t forget—that place is also a slave prison. Most of the people there aren’t just criminals; they’re slaves. That’s why they have collars. The ones without collars are just regular prisoners.”
Travis frowned. “I never wore a collar, so I was just a regular prisoner, right?”
Evan nodded but hesitated before speaking. “Yes… but the thing is, no one ever comes out of that place. Whether you’re a slave or a regular prisoner, once you go in, you’re there forever. That’s common knowledge around here.”
Travis stared at him, stunned. “What? Are you serious? Then how—”
Evan gave him a knowing look but said nothing more, leaving Travis to sit in the silence of his own spiraling thoughts.
TO BE CONTINUED