[ Journeyman's Possible Routes: ]
1. Dual Leveling in the Apocalypse
2. Heaven's Descent
3. Rebirth: Dual Cultivator
4. Combat Slave Harem
5. Re: Vampire and Dragon
I stared at the sudden screen flashing before my eyes, utterly stunned.
"This... this couldn't be real."
All around me was pitch-black darkness. I couldn't feel my body. Couldn't sense the ground beneath my feet. Nothing.
Only emptiness... and a strange chill clinging to my soul.
And that chill... it was getting colder with every passing second.
From the way things felt, I knew it instinctively: if I didn't choose one of these routes soon, I'd be swallowed by this eternal void.
Frozen in an endless slumber. Or worse—something far below Hell.
But what shocked me even more... these were the exact titles of the novels I had been reading recently.
So this was it. I'd been chosen.
As a Dimensional Journeyman.
Someone who could travel between worlds.
Between 2D... 3D... maybe even 4D didn't matter anymore.
The impossible was becoming reality.
But if I wanted a proper head start, I needed to choose carefully.
And I knew exactly which one I had to choose.
Without hesitation, I clicked—
Combat Slave Harem!
It was the one I'd been feeling strangely drawn to.
Mostly because of the heaven-defying luck the protagonist had.
I wanted his luck, his cheat ability, and loyal women like his.
But a part of me knew… I wasn't guaranteed the same luck.
I might not get his Aspect. His powers. His fate.
That thought made me tense.
And then, my screen shifted.
Your Aspect: [Loading...]
My vision suddenly snapped back.
But something felt... off.
My body felt strange. Too light, too exposed.
I looked down and froze.
I was nearly naked. Just a thin strip of cloth covered my groin, barely hiding anything.
"What the actual—?!"
Before I could even react, a roar of cheers erupted all around me.
Voices echoed in an unknown tongue, though I strangely understood them.
Excited. Wild. Almost hungry.
I looked up.
I was in the center of a colossal arena where pillars of dark stone, banners with unfamiliar emblems, and thousands of people watching me from the stands.
The cheers were for me?
No, not for me. For the spectacle.
And that's when it hit me:
Aspect: [ Sword Slave ]
Status:
[ Name: Vahn Necrotis ]
[ Species: Human ]
[ True Name: — ]
[ Rank: Journeyman ]
[ Soul Cores: None ]
[ Traits: Envy, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ]
[ Aspect: Sword Slave ]
– Sword Slave: Among slaves, Sword Slaves are the most wretched. Tools of war, bound to obey, destined to bleed.
---
I stared at the status window, cold sweat running down my spine.
Sword Slave?
That sounded... depressing as hell.
Not to mention I had no Soul Cores. No abilities. No clue what the hell I was doing.
I turned my gaze across the arena, toward my opponent.
A massive, scarred man stood at the other end, gripping a battle-worn axe in one hand. His chest was bare, muscles rippling like a barbarian from hell.
He gave off the aura of a primal hunter; someone who'd killed men for enjoyment.
While I?
I stood like a trembling lamb, half-naked and confused.
"Just who the hell arranged this match-up?" I muttered bitterly. "This isn't fair."
The crowd's cheering only grew louder. They were thirsty for blood.
My blood of course.
"What should I do…?"
My eyes dropped to the sword in my hand. It was made of plain steel, unadorned, slightly heavier than I expected.
It was my only means of defense.
Back when I read these stories, I always imagined what it would feel like to hold a weapon, to stand in the arena, to fight for survival.
But now that I'm here, now that the cold weight of steel rests in my trembling grip, I'm terrified.
This isn't thrilling at all.
It's suffocating.
Still... if I want to live, I have to fight.
I have to survive this.
Only then... maybe then... I can reach something better.
If I remember right, the protagonist in Combat Slave Harem also started like this.
He was also a Sword Slave. A nameless warrior thrown into the pit.
But he had silver hair, born from a fallen noble bloodline.
That's not me.
Still, maybe this is the start of the story.
Maybe I am near him.
Maybe—just maybe—I can steal his chances.
His luck.
His fate.
And Make all mine.
So today—I cannot die.
No matter what it takes.
"Begin!"
The merciless command echoed across the arena.
The arena roared, but in my ears, it was muffled like I was underwater, detached from reality.
The burly axe-wielder cracked his neck, lips curling in a grin. He wasn't in a hurry. No, he was enjoying the fear rolling off me like scent to a beast.
I gritted my teeth and raised the sword, the point wobbling slightly. My knees wanted to buckle, but I locked them straight.
And then suddenly, he charged.
The man they called Hercules barreled toward me like a raging warhorse, each step shaking the ground beneath us.
I turned and ran.
Naturally, booing erupted from the crowd like a tidal wave:
"Coward!"
"Loser!"
"Spineless bastard!"
I didn't care. My only instinct was to survive.
Clutching the sword tightly, I scanned the perimeter, desperately searching for an exit.
But there was none.
The arena was sealed shut, like a cage only meant for slaughter.
My heart thudded violently, the pressure of death tightening around my chest.
"Haha… How long are you gonna run, boy?" Hercules mocked, his deep voice filled with cruel amusement.
"Those little legs won't carry you far."
I pushed myself harder, every muscle screaming as I sprinted.
But—
"Too slow."
The axe came swinging down behind me, its force splitting the air like thunder.
The chill of death crept up my spine. More intense,
And then, something changed.
With a ding, a sudden notification blinked in front of my eyes.
[ Trait: The Omniscient Viewpoint – Activated ]
My vision flickered.
Suddenly, my perspective shifted. I was no longer inside my body. I was watching from above, like a ghost observing from a third-person view.
I could see everything.
The axe.
Its trajectory.
The exact spot on my back where it was about to strike.
The milliseconds before impact.
Time slowed like a crawl.
The world slowed to a near halt.
It was as if I had been gifted the eyes of a god.