"Hey—new guy. Wake up."
A rough shake dragged Shane out of unconsciousness, and the moment he came to, a sharp pain spread through his entire body, as if every bone had been broken and hastily pieced back together.
"Don't shake him so hard—his face looks off!"
Shane forced his eyes open, his vision blurry at first before slowly clearing, revealing cold iron bars in front of him and a faint torchlight flickering through the gaps, casting dim shadows across a cramped, suffocating cell.
"Where… am I…?" he asked hoarsely, his throat dry and burning.
"This is the Tower of Paradise," a calm voice replied.
Shane turned his head and saw a boy with short blue hair and a red tattoo beneath his eye crouching nearby, his expression steady despite the oppressive surroundings.
"We were taken by a dark guild," the boy continued after a brief pause, his tone quiet but firm. "…And now, we're slaves."
"…Slaves?" Shane repeated, momentarily stunned, as if the word didn't quite register.
But when he looked around, the reality hit him instantly—children filled the cell, all thin, pale, and hollow-eyed, their bodies frail from hunger, their expressions empty as if hope had long since faded.
His gaze slowly dropped to himself.
Same clothes.
Same condition.
And worse—his body had shrunk, his arms thin, his hands small and childish.
"…I really got isekai'd…" he muttered under his breath.
Before he could think further, a furious shout suddenly exploded from outside.
"What's that noise?!"
CLANG!
A metal rod slammed violently against the bars, the harsh sound echoing through the cell and instantly silencing everyone.
The children reacted without hesitation, quickly retreating to the walls and lowering their heads, blending into the shadows like they had done this countless times before.
Shane followed instinctively, dragging his weak body toward the wall and leaning against the cold stone, the chill seeping into his back and making him shiver.
His body felt unbearably weak, like it hadn't eaten in days, and even the smallest movement made his head spin.
"Relax," the blue-haired boy whispered as he shifted slightly closer. "As long as you don't attract attention, you'll be fine. When the overseer's in a bad mood, he drags people out… but today, we got lucky."
He paused briefly before adding, "My name is Jellal Fernandes."
"…Shane," he replied.
Not far away, a red-haired girl stood quietly, her posture straight and her gaze sharp despite her age—Erza Scarlet.
The atmosphere soon fell silent again, leaving only the faint sound of chains and distant sobs echoing through the prison.
Shane lowered his gaze slightly, then looked forward.
A book floated in the empty air before him, plain and faintly glowing, yet completely unnoticed by anyone else.
"…Only I can see this."
His expression gradually steadied.
A cheat.
Something he had brought with him.
That alone explained why he wasn't panicking, even in this situation.
Because he knew very well what being a slave meant.
Not servants.
Not workers.
But expendable tools.
If sold, they might last a little longer.
If used for labor… then it was nothing more than a slow death.
"…Doesn't matter."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"I'm getting out of here."
As the thought formed, the book slowly opened.
Name: ShaneStrength: E-Endurance: E-Agility: E-Magic: E-Luck: EX
"…Figures."
Every stat was pathetic, except for that one abnormal line.
But Shane didn't dwell on it.
What mattered was what came next.
The page turned on its own.
[Trial: Food, Shelter, Companion]
"…That simple?"
He quickly noticed that two of the conditions were already completed.
Shelter—this prison barely counted, but it still qualified.
Companion—
His gaze shifted slightly toward Jellal.
"…That counts?"
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or stay silent, but he didn't think too much about it.
Only one condition remained.
Food.
He looked around.
Nothing.
Just cold stone and iron bars.
"…Seriously?"
As if responding to his thoughts, a sharp pain suddenly twisted in his stomach, and the hunger he had been ignoring surged violently, making his vision darken and his body tremble uncontrollably.
"…Damn…"
"Here."
A hand suddenly reached out from the side, holding half a piece of black bread.
Shane didn't even look at who it was, his body moving on instinct as he grabbed it.
"…Thanks."
The bread was cold, hard, and nearly tasteless, forcing him to tear it apart slowly and swallow it bit by bit, but even so, each bite brought a faint sense of relief to his starving body.
Then—
"…?"
His vision shifted.
A mountain appeared before him.
Massive. Endless.
Pressing down like it would crush everything beneath it.
[Trial Complete]
[Summoning…]
The world suddenly twisted, and the prison around him dissolved into nothingness, replaced by a vast and barren land stretching endlessly in all directions.
And in front of him—
A towering mountain stood, ancient and unmoving, as if it had existed since the beginning of time.
"…What is this…"
[Summoning Complete]
[Class: Archer]
The scene shattered instantly.
The prison returned.
The darkness. The smell. The silence.
Everything was exactly the same.
But Shane knew—
Something had changed.
Inside his mind, a dark golden card floated quietly.
On it, a figure stood with a bow drawn, aiming toward the sky.
Silent.
Unyielding.