“Young master, I propose we retreat,” Simon said. Urging the curious Rohan who was now just an arm's length away from the foreign tower that appeared out of nowhere.

“Calm your balls, Simon. If you’re that afraid you can wait at the carriage,” Rohan said. He took a shot at the prideful knight.

Simon frowned. There was nothing more humiliating for a knight than to be called afraid. “Fear doesn’t exist in a knight, young lord,” he said. “We conquer fear like it’s breakfast.”

“You don’t say,” Rohan replied with a bit of jolly a tone in it. One thing was for sure, the knight behind him didn’t conquer his impatience in proving his knightly self. Rohan’s eyes scanned these murals that covered the walls of this tower. They looked ancient, depicting armies of men going against beasts, weird-looking creatures, and odd-looking humanoids.

“We’re on a schedule, young lord,” Simon said. “It would be wise if we continue our journey as I believe your lord father will be waiting.”

As Rohan had thought, sooner or later, this tedious knight would have brought out his father to make him leave. The grey-haired knight was too easy to read. “Speaking of my father, he would definitely want to know about this strange tower popping out in his land. Wouldn’t you agree, Sir Simon?” he said.

The tedious knight stood there silent, trying his best to hide his frown. He couldn’t refute the remark made by Rohan as he knew better about that lord he served. Lord Dunmer would not like any strange anomaly that may pose a threat to his land like this tower. “Huh, fine. Your words carry reasons, and I shall be of any assistance,” said Simon. His light sigh escaped first, and it wasn’t missed by Rohan.

The young lord smirked and went around the tower. His eyes never left the walls of this tower as every inch of it was decorated by the murals. Each and every one of them was different, then he found what he was looking for.

“The door,” he uttered under his breath. His eyes craned up over the size of the gigantic door. It was like a door for giants that stood at four meters tall. His hand felt over the cold bronze door as the etching on the surface was plainer than he thought. ‘A giant tree?’ Rohan thought.

“Goodness gracious,” Simon said. The moment he laid eyes upon the giant door, he heard a creak. The giant door was opening, prompting Rohan and Simon to retreat their steps. The knight unsheathed his blade, preparing for what was about to come out of that giant door. “Stay back, young lord!”

For once, Rohan paid heed to Simon’s words. He stood behind Simon and gazed at the opening gap that was slowly widening. The unease made his heart thump faster and before he knew it, his hand had already drawn his dagger from the scabbard. Seventeen years of living in a medieval world as a son of a noble did come with a few perks. He wasn’t that talented in the sword like his elder brother, but he did know how to use it.

Then the creak stopped. The giant door was now wide open. And Rohan witnessed the thing inside of the tower. ‘Impossible,’ he thought. The young man walked past the knight and drew closer to the open gate.

“Young lord,” Simon uttered as his hand managed to grab Rohan by the shoulder. “It’s dangerous, young lord. We don’t know what kind of sorcery is this, and we better retreat first.” The knight saw it too. A scene that didn’t make any sense to a medieval person like him.

But Rohan had no intention of going back.

“We can’t,” he said. “As the son of Lord Dunmer, I have the responsibility to ensure the safety of the land of Elad from any threat and . . . Possible future threats.”

Sir Simon narrowed his eyes. “But still, your safety takes priority. You will not leave my side not until I say so,” Simon said.

“Geez, you don’t have to be that clingy,” Rohan said.

“For now, we retreat back to the carriage and gather some provisions,” Simon said, ignoring the remark thrown by the young man. “We also need a few of those strong-looking slaves.”

“I’ll wait here,” Rohan uttered. “And they’re not slaves anymore, Simon. They’re free people just like the rest of us.”

“According to the law, until they’re fit for release by the rescuers, they’re still slaves,” Simon said, putting an end to that discussion. “And don’t you go anywhere, young lord. Stay put, and don’t do anything until I come back.”

Rohan had a carefree look as he shooed Simon away with his hand. He got used to the blunt words of the prideful knight as his lord father definitely knew who was the best person in keeping Rohan in check. ‘Man, I really hate that guy,’ Rohan thought. A thought best kept to himself.

He turned to his back and witnessed it once again, the view behind the bronze doors. “Still can’t believe it,” he uttered under his breath. Inside the tower was a forest of pine trees standing tall. The light in between those trees was just the same as the sunlight above his head. It was a different place as if this whole tower was like a portal or a gateway. Rohan took his steps closer and by chance, he found a shimmering light reminiscent of a rainbow.

‘Interesting,’ he thought. Soon he was just a foot away from the pine forest. Yet his eyes found something more fascinating. It was hard to see from afar, but there was an invisible barrier of some sort that subtly gave out these rainbow-like shimmers. It came and went in an interval and before he knew it, curiosity pulled him over. His fingers touched the barrier and a ripple spread out. The waves rolled visibly in Rohan’s eyes as if a calm surface of the lake broken by a mere touch.

But that wasn’t the strangest thing he saw. As out of nowhere, a text window floated in his sight. ‘What the?…’ he was rendered speechless.

[1-Star Dungeon]

[Would you like to enter?]

Rohan quickly pulled his hand away and stared at the letters that lay in front of him. ‘A dungeon?’ he asked as his eyes craned up over the whole tower. Back in the days when he was still living on Earth, he indulged himself in simple literature like web novels, mangas, and etc. It wasn’t hard for him to realize what kind of thing he was dealing with here. The end of his lips curved into a smirk as finally, something interesting fell on his lap. Rather than being afraid, anxious, or nervous, this one-star dungeon would be his way of relieving boredom in a world barren of modern technology. Books wouldn’t cut it anymore and the pleasure of sex only lasted for a while. But this tower was something else. As if Rohan knew it in the back of his head.

“With this dungeon tower and the floating text window, let’s just hope there’s a game system involved in here,” Rohan said. Wishing his best that something ludicrous would come true. Well, he did reincarnate in a medieval world with its own interesting bits so the possibility for it to happen wasn’t that far.

“But first thing first,” he said, staring at his dagger. “I need a longer weapon.

Much to Simon’s surprise, Rohan caught up to him. “Did you change your mind?” Simon asked.

“Nope,” Rohan said. “You wouldn’t have an extra sword would you?”

“I don’t,” Simon turned to the other knight. “Armin, give the young lord, your sword.”

Armin the other knight that escorted Rohan had a blank look on his face. He never expected to be told as such. There was hesitation for a while, but the young budding knight gave his longsword with no fuss. And it wasn’t only the sword. Armin had to strip himself off from the chain armor that hid beneath his armor plates. It was a cumbersome process, but Rohan demanded the chain armor. In the end, Rohan stood there with a sword in his hand and a chain armor underneath his loose tunic.

A group of four men that consist of Rohan, Sir Simon, and two male slaves embarked on their journey to the tower. Armin was tasked to guard the carriage along with the rest of the slaves. One of them carried the provision in a rug sack slung over his shoulder while the other slave held a long stick in his hand as a means of a weapon. Simon stated that he didn’t trust giving a bladed weapon to a stranger, much less a slave.

“Sorry about this,” Rohan said, walking beside the slave who held a stick. “If I’m in perfect control, I wouldn’t have brought you and your friend along.”

The flustered eyes of the slave hiding in between the messy hairs didn’t know what to say over Rohan’s apology. “Uh . . . Um . . . Sir, I mean, milord, I…” the slave stuttered, not knowing how to respond.

“Relax,” Rohan said, giving a friendly slap at the back of the muscular slave who was taller than him by a head. The slave stood at six feet three, towering over Rohan who was at five feet nine. “You’re not a slave anymore, you’re a freeman, mister?…”

“Hera . . . It’s Herakles, sir,” Herakles said in a low voice.

“Oh, you’re from the western islands,” Rohan said. Yet the name Herakles evoked a few distant memories. Something about a figure not of this world. “You sailed pretty far to get here.”

“Yes, sir. But not of my willingness,” Herakles said with a somber tone. He was just a fisherman, doing his work near the shores of Greco island. But a slave trader fancied him while sailing near those water, and after that, his luck went rotten. He was caught then brought across the sea as a slave.

Rohan felt the shift in the atmosphere as he definitely made a mistake there. “Don’t worry,” Rohan said, patting the slave by his shoulder. “I’ll try my best to find a way to get you back.”

Herakles couldn’t believe what he just heard. His eyes stared in shock at Rohan as his hands quickly grasped Rohan’s hands. “Is this true, sir?” he asked.

Rohan felt the strong grip of this islander. “Since you’re in my care, I’ll try my best,” Rohan said.

To Rohan’s words, Herakles couldn’t hide his smile even under those messy long hair of his. “Thank you, sir, thank you…” Herakles kept repeating this word, shaking Rohan’s hand with vigor.

“Yea, yea, I get it,” Rohan said, trying to slip his hands away from the crushing forces of this big man’s grip. “But first, we need to survive this.” His hands managed to escape and his eyes found the tower.

Rohan stood beside Simon who arrived first.

“You sure about this, young lord?” Simon asked. His eyes stared at the pine forest right across him.

“Of course,” Rohan smiled. “Shall we?”

Not a second too late, Rohan took the first step, catching Simon off guard. The young lord went through the barrier and yet there was no sight of him at the other side. Simon frowned and immediately rallied the slaves.

“On me!” Simon and the two slaves took the plunge and then they were gone.

* * *

Rohan landed on his two feet as the chain mail he wore rattled with a clang. He steadied his balance as if he had been dropped from a height of one meter. While his eyes were quick to survey his surrounding. It was the same pine forest he saw through that barrier and yet behind him, there was no door, no gate, nor any pathway that led back home. ‘Shit, is this a mistake?’ he thought.

Then the text windows came.

[Detecting new User.]

[User’s initiation will begin.]

[Please choose your desired class.]

[Warrior]

[Archer]

[Mage]

[Cleric]

[Rogue]

[Random]

He fell in a daze for a while before snapping back to reality. “Whoa, that really catch me off guard,” he said. “I’ve been expecting this since it did say it’s a dungeon, yet seeing it for myself really felt surreal.”

His eyes went up and down, reading through the shortlist of familiar words. He had a smile on his face. As if he received his all-time favorite birthday gift, and it wasn’t without a reason. This event that had semblance to an RPG game brought back the excitement he once had when playing his first round of Final Fantasy Seven. That game was the reason he fell in love with RPG and getting to taste that feeling of adventure again was immeasurable.

“Now, what should I–” his words cut off as something overshadowed him. Rohan realized where he was and jumped forward immediately. He rolled and turned. His feet found the flat ground as twigs and broken branches snapped under his boots. His eyes saw the appearance of familiar-looking people. The smile he had was gone, replaced by a stern expression.

“What took you so long?” he asked.

“Young lord,” Sir Simon, who was kneeling after the fall, stood back on his feet. Rushing towards Rohan with his metal armor clanging. “Thank goodness, you’re safe. You couldn’t believe how worried I was when—” Simon fell silent as his eyes scattered around the empty air. It seemed he saw the same thing as Rohan.

“Now listen up,” Rohan said. Bringing the attention of Simon and the ex-slaves who were also staring at the air. “The floating text you’re seeing here is an interface called a game system. And before any of you choose the following, listen to my explanation first and think things through.”

“Young lord, you’re telling me you can see this too?” Simon asked.

“I believe anyone who enters here will experience the same thing,” Rohan replied.

“But what kind of sorcery is this? Do you think this is the work of those alchemists up at the Misty Peaks?” Simon said. The knight was quick to point fingers even without evidence. “I’ve heard they dabbled with the evil arts that—”

“—Please stop,” Rohan cut him off. This wasn’t the time to hear a rambling of a misinformed person that only relied on rumors at taverns and brothels. “I can assure you this. Whoever that makes us see this isn’t some human like us.”

“Could it be angels then?” the no-name ex-slave asked as his face brightened by the prospect of talking about angels. “From the stories I’ve heard, angels can do almost anything.”

“Or it could be devils,” Simon chimed in. Bringing the mood down as the ex-slave who was fond of angels had his smile turned upside down.

“Well, whatever it is, we need to choose our class and be ready,” Rohan said.

“Ready for what, sir?” Herakles asked.

Rohan sighed as he hoped his theory wasn’t that off the mark. “If my theory is correct, we need to kill every monster and beast to get out of here,” Rohan said.

“Monsters? You mean the dragons from the Highlands?” Simon asked.

“Well, I hope they’re not,” Rohan said. As to him, the dragons of Highlands were more like wyverns. Big enough like the largest steed as those highlanders were pretty fond of riding their dragons in the sky. “Let’s just be prepared for whatever we are going to see, alright?”

“Now, let’s get back to what I’m supposed to explain…” Rohan started to explain from one class to another. He only touched the general basics of all classes as he still wasn’t sure whether everything was the same like he assumed. “Now, do any of you have any questions?”

“This might be rude of me. But may I ask how do you know all of this, young lord?” Simon questioned. His eyes narrowed. He was a bit skeptical over what this young man was saying. To him, all those gibberish were more or less garbage to his ears.

Rohan stared down at Simon. He had expected a question like that, seeing he was a bit too knowledgeable for a person who shared their first-time experience together.

“How many books you read this year, Simon?” Rohan asked. “Wait, let me rephrase that question. Have you ever read a book this year, Simon?”

The knight fell silent. Not a word could escape his mouth.

“Unlike you, I’ve read all the books in father’s library,” Rohan said. “Twice,” he continued.

“And like they always said, you can’t know something, not until you read,” Rohan said. Pointing at the side of his temple. “So choose your class wisely, and let’s get through this together.”

Rohan turned back to the list and fell deep in his thought. With an opportunity like this, he would welcome the mage class without hesitation. Who wouldn’t want to wield the arcane as that was his first thought of living here, thinking this was a magical plane. Well, it is to some degree a magical plane, yet it wasn’t like he wanted. This whole world was more or less like a low fantasy setting. And now, his dream could be fulfilled. Yet at the same time, something else drew his curiosity. The random option swerved his attention as it made him remember those gachas he used to play. A lucky roulette where one relied on their luck to gain something greater than the norm. He wasn’t the type to use money as he usually went for the free stuff, and now the free stuff was in front of him.

‘Should I?’ he thought.

The random option was calling for him as if whispering in his ears, telling him to choose it over anything else. To be fair, he did have a pretty lucky streak when involving gacha, so he hoped his luck hadn’t run out yet.

‘Fuck it,’ he thought. ‘I’m going for it.’

“I choose random,” he sealed the deal.

[Random generator activated.]

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

He waited as the dots kept spamming in his view. A few seconds later, a few new windows emerged.

[Congratulation. You have obtained a new class.]

[User is now a Slavemancer.]

His eyes went wide, and his mouth spoke before he could think.

“I’m a WHAT?!”