"Every night, I have the same dream."
Within a very cramped space with metal bars covering all four sides, a young man muttered quietly as he blankly stared at the many passersby.
He had white and black hair, the length nearly reaching his shoulders.
His skin was pale—white as snow.
His hands and feet were tightly bound, shackled by thick metallic constraints that his feeble body could never break out of, no matter how hard he tried. His thin body was draped in rags, with an appearance filthier than even a pauper’s.
Despite that, a certain fierceness could be seen in his expression.
It was wild—untamed.
Not the kind one would expect from a mere slave.
"You’re talking to yourself again..." One of the others in the cage said as they glared at him, likely hoping he would fall silent.
The others took this as their cue to also let out their thoughts on the matter.
"Be quiet."
"If the Masters find you talking, we could get in trouble."
"You never learn, do you? This is why you have all those scars. You might not care about them, but injuries reduce your market value..."
Naturally, the young man ignored them all.
He didn’t care.
Instead, he set his gaze beyond the cage, beyond the uncaring masses who walked on the roadside, and cast his sight on the bright purple sky high above.
Memories began to stir in his head.
"The same dream... of everyone and everything I loved getting destroyed right before my very eyes." He whispered, emotions flickering in his absent expression.
"My name was Rey. Alongside my high school classmates, I got transported to another world. I wasn’t the Hero... just a nameless extra. But I somehow managed to outdo everyone due to my Doppel Skill, becoming the one who saved the day and liberated my world."
The other slaves were quiet.
They listened to his gibberish with mocking gazes.
Some even rolled their eyes.
"But—"
All of a sudden, the young man’s gaze became darker—flashing with such immense cruelty that it cannot be described.
Overflowing bloodlust and rage seeped from his eyes, turning them bloodshot.
The grating sounds that his teeth made echoed ominously within the cage, and his body shuddered with sheer anger and hatred that it felt unreal.
Unfathomable!
This mere slave... the vitriol he displayed was otherworldly.
"—They were all taken away from me!" He screamed. "My wife... my children... my entire world... they all burned... because of THEM!"
Under the fearful gazes of the slaves, he tightly held the bars of the cage and growled.
"Those beings! They sneered as they slaughtered everyone! All for what? Because I saved a world that was bound for destruction? Bullshit! They took everything away from me, and while I’m not sure why I’m still alive, I’ll have my revenge for sure!"
After releasing his pent-up rage, he finally snapped out of it, almost as if waking up from a deep trance. He fell silent, looking around him, and then staring at both of his hands with a complex expression.
"But first... I need to find out what happened to all of my Skills and Titles."
These other slaves didn’t know it, but all the nonsense this person actually said was true. In his former world, he was indeed revered as its savior. Even though he started off as a mere extra, he actually liberated his reality from destruction.
He was undoubtedly the strongest, wielding all manner of Skills and Titles.
"What happened to all my SSS Tier Skills? Hell, I’d even settle for an S Rank Skill at this point? I can’t feel any Mana, though there is certainly a strange energy around me. This is strange... Too strange."
His gaze turned even more solemn as he fell deeper into contemplation.
’I definitely died back then. I was powerless to stop them, and they killed me after they were done taking away my family... yet here I am. Not only am I alive, but it seems I have been transported to yet another world.’
Even at that, shouldn’t he have his System? His Skills?
’Where is my [Doppel] Skill, at the very least?!’ He couldn’t help but be stunned. ’Did I lose everything after I died? Where exactly is this place? Why am I still alive? There are so many unanswered questions, but two things are certain...’
Despite all the swirling emotions within him, forming a myriad expression on his face, his heart was actually as tranquil as a still river.
He was calm.
’Firstly, regardless of the current situation... I am still alive. For that alone, I should count myself fortunate. As for the second thing, it appears I have been reincarnated into the body of a lowly slave.’
To go from being the most invincible person in the world to being of the lowest cadre in society— anyone would naturally be distraught.
But this young man was calm.
He assessed his situation with cold logic, refusing to be swayed by all the internal and external stimuli for even a moment.
’A strange new world. I have no Skills or Titles. I am a powerless slave with no advantage or leverage whatsoever...’ No one had to tell him that this was the worst possible scenario a man like him could ever find himself in.
Yet he was rejoicing.
He was glad.
"Hahaha! At least I’m not dead!" He grinned wildly, rising to his feet despite how his weak legs wobbled as a result of malnutrition and pains borne from his fresh injuries.
’As long as I’m still alive, I can have my revenge on those bastards who destroyed my world!’
That’s right!
This was Rey—Rey Skylar!
Savior of H’Trae, the Singularity who managed to gather all six SSS Tier Skills and broke the bounds of fate, restoring order to his world, defeating the dragons, and finally setting all to order.
Regardless of the circumstances, that had not changed.
’First, I simply have to find a way out of here...’ He slowly walked closer to the metal bars, but was stopped after hearing a whipping sound crack in the air.
"You again? How many times have I told you to sit still? You keep causing me trouble, you cursed thing! Looks like I’ll have to punish you again!" The man in charge of watching over the cage snapped at him, his eyes burning with annoyance.
Actually, it had been a few days since Rey regained his consciousness in this strange new world.
However, back then, his thoughts were all jumbled up.
This was the first time he was gaining clarity, yet after a moment, he quickly pieced everything together and understood his predicament.
It was quite bad.
But nothing had gone too far out of his control yet.
"You there! Distinguished gentleman with the red hat." He ignored the grumbles of the servant and called the attention of one of the passersby.
The man stopped and stared at him for a moment. "You’re talking to me?"
"Yes!" Rey beamed brightly at the man before bowing with courtesy. "Not only can I read and write, but I am also very skilled in battle. My value has been diminished to the minimum due to my injuries and problematic behaviors, so I’m sure you can get me for cheap."
"E-eh...?"
The man in the hat was stunned by the audacity of this slave.
Despite his body smeared in filth and his emaciated build seeming worthless, there was something about this slave that stood out. He had the aura of a warrior, with eyes shining with unfathomable depths.
’This kid...’ The man reflected silently.
"Buy me, sir. This will be a purchase you look back on fondly. I guarantee i—!"
"Silence!"
CRACK!
A whip lashed towards him, striking his face and hand, but he remained unmoved.
It was like the pain didn’t register.
Even as blood flowed from the top of his head down the rest of his body, his eyes remained wide open, not blinking for even a fraction of a moment. He simply kept staring at the man, his body tough as a monolith and his expression firm as a mountain.
His lips moved, uttering the same word.
"Buy me."
"I said shut up your—!"
"Hahahaha!" All of a sudden, laughter erupted in the air, and another person stepped into the fray. He had a slim, elegant build, wearing a luxurious outfit that stood out compared to the other people present.
"I was just taking a walk, yet I was able to witness such an interesting sight..." The man twirled his mustache, his scrutinizing gaze resting on Rey for a moment.
"G-good sir... I apologize for the commotion. It’s just that—"
"No need, no need." He waved dismissively at the now sullen slave-keeper with one hand, his grin widening instead as he pointed at Rey with increased amusement. "There’s no need for further violence. I will be purchasing this slave."
The moment he heard this, Rey’s inner smile broadened.
’Success!’
From the start, he never had the red-hat pauper in mind. He had already spotted this dignified gentleman from the corner of his eye and chose to put on a loud performance to draw his attention towards him.
Even though he ended up looking like a circus monkey and even suffered injuries because of it, he had no regrets whatsoever.
After all, he had escaped his current situation and would now be leaving the cage.
This was the first step.
’Next...’ He stared at his purchaser and new master with an eerie glint flashing inconspicuously in his dull gray eyes. ’I will find a way to fully escape my slave status. I will regain my former powers, no, even transcend them. Once I exceed my past life’s strength, I will seek them out... those beings responsible for the death of my world...’
His emotions soared.
He licked his lips and chuckled quietly, his body trembling with anticipation.
"... And I will have my REVENGE!"
[A/N: This is the sequel to An Extra’s POV. You don’t need to read the first book to understand and enjoy this book. However, events of the first book will be spoiled here, so be warned. Still, I’m sure you’ll like this book (both old and new readers), so sit back and enjoy.]