Chapter 2 : Archmage

I was so nervous that the sound of me swallowing echoed like thunder.

I had experienced shuffling cards thousands of times while playing Shin B.S.E. but I had never trembled like this before.

What I hoped for was something very small and modest (?).

‘Normally! An A-rank Tanker!’

Just one!

High-ranking Knight, Reclusive Martial Artist, High Priest, Elite Shieldbearer…

Just one of these would be fine.

‘It’s definitely possible!’

So appear! Appear, please!

This wasn’t just a fantasy; there was some basis for this hope.

This game has 1024 Fate Cards, but one of those three was definitely a melee combat card.

‘And the average rank of the three cards is B-rank.’

I was sure of it.

Because I knew there was an unspoken rule for the first card shuffle.

Exactly one melee combat card, guaranteeing an easy playthrough, was destined to appear.

Not many people knew it, but this was the unspoken rule of the first shuffle.

‘Even those God Soft bastards have a minimum conscience to consider beginners.’

The creators of The World Forsaken by God weren’t fools, so they made the first step like this.

Though it didn’t change the fact that they were crazy people who threw a random first profession at you.

The rotation of stars was slowly stopping.

And three unusually glittering cards appeared.

I opened my eyes wide.

Those were the Fate Cards that would decide my destiny.

‘Please! A-rank Tanker!’

Of course, even a usable B-rank wouldn’t be bad.

‘But if an S-rank appeared while it’s at it, I’d be grateful!’

So, what will appear?

What kind of card would this world give to me, who had suddenly possessed an NPC, not even the protagonist?

Whoosh.

The moment the three Fate Cards descended from the night sky and flipped over one by one.

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

[F-rank Fate, ‘Slave Gladiator’ has appeared!]

[D-rank Fate, ‘Third-Rate Stage Actor’ has appeared!]

Damn it!

This crazy rotten game!

“…F and D appeared?”

Is this for real?

As I already mentioned, the average rank of Fate Cards appearing in the first card draw was B-rank.

But now F and D had clearly appeared.

‘Then what on earth is going to appear next?’

Just as I lost my words in this incomprehensible situation.

A deep blue radiance burst forth.

[EX-rank Fate, ‘Archmage’ has appeared!]

“Crazy! I’m insane!”

I tried to throw my mouse but couldn’t.

Because I wasn’t looking at a monitor right now.

It was hard to believe even seeing it with my own eyes.

‘A Transcendental card appeared?’

And ‘Archmage’ at that?

Oh my god.

Good heavens!

It’s known that the probability of an EX-rank Fate Card, the highest rank, appearing is less than 0.01%.

But now it had clearly appeared.

I couldn’t help but be flustered.

‘EX-rank Fate Card, Archmage.’

It was the first time I had ever received this card at the start of a playthrough.

In this unbelievable situation, a thought suddenly struck me.

‘Is it because I’m an NPC, not a player character?’

Perhaps that influenced it.

I had no idea why, but the body my consciousness now inhabited belonged to an NPC named ‘Gilloshian Vald’.

Unlike characters created by players, this guy had a background and lineage as a character.

So, the wizarding talent passed down by the imperial family of the magic empire might have intervened in the selection of the Fate Card.

According to the original setting, the people of the Vald Imperial Family were excellent mages for generations.

Anyway, that’s that.

‘What do I do now?’

I swallowed hard and looked at the three cards.

Of course, my gaze was instinctively fixed on the EX-rank card.

It couldn’t be helped.

That dazzling form, scattering deep blue light in all directions!

‘The ultimate long-range dealer!’

A card that made you feel reverence and respect throughout your body just by looking at it!

‘King of Cards! God of Cards!’

Ka-wang-ka-shin! (Card King Card God!)

Come to think of it, other EX-rank cards would be disappointed.

Anyway, the Archmage was such a tempting card.

The countless memories of playthroughs in my head testified to that.

But…

‘What to do with this?’

I couldn’t easily choose now.

I couldn’t readily pick even an EX-rank card.

Because there was a very serious problem.

The assassins’ blades were still at my neck.

The stinging sensation of truly possibly dying heavily weighed on my entire body.

My problem was this severely brutal situation itself.

If I were a player, I could just die once and revive in the village, but…

It was different now.

If my neck is cut, I die.

Dead NPCs do not revive.

‘I must live!’

Instinct screamed.

Because of it, thoughts and calculations churned wildly in my mind.

To survive.

To avoid that blade.

And my conclusion was…

-I have to abandon the Archmage card. Choosing it means death!

I want to scream my lungs out.

‘How can this be happening?!’

The EX-rank ‘Archmage’ was a card every player yearned for.

But it wasn’t for me right now.

No matter how great, a mage is still a mage.

They’re the most vulnerable long-range dealer among tank, damage, and healer roles!

‘I’m going crazy from the waste of it.’

Any magic requires time for ‘casting.’

According to game settings, time was essential to draw mana from the mana circle surrounding the heart and materialize it externally.

But that fat guy was not afforded that time at all.

Unable to dodge the falling blade, his head would be easily separated from his body.

As long as I was in this guy’s body, I couldn’t avoid it either.

For that reason, the conclusion was that I couldn’t choose the Archmage card.

Sob.

Tears were welling up from the conclusion I had reached myself.

‘My Transcendental card!’

But I had to grit my teeth and tear my gaze away.

In truth, the answer was set from the beginning.

As if mocking me…

‘Slave Gladiator.’

The F-rank Tanker was mischievously sparkling.

Right now, I had to refuse the Transcendental card and choose that trash-tier card.

Only then could I survive here.

There was no other way but ‘that skill,’ the card’s only advantage.

It was truly absurd, but I knew it better than anyone.

[F-rank Fate, ‘Slave Gladiator’ has been selected.]

[Are you sure?]

…I wish I wasn’t.

But I was sure.

Which made the feeling even more awful.

Wow, the day has come where I throw away a Transcendental and pick up trash?

[F-rank Fate, ‘Slave Gladiator’ is being bestowed upon ‘Gilloshian Elodie Vald’!]

The light from the other two cards faded away.

I felt like crying.

Goodbye, Archmage…

Let’s definitely meet again…

Please.

[You have acquired 3 exclusive skills of ‘Slave Gladiator’.]

[May you have good fortune.]

‘I already had good fortune!’

I got the luckiest draw ever, but I couldn’t take it!

In any other game, I wouldn’t know, but this was Shin B.S.E and I knew most of this world.

Pathetically, I did.

‘I didn’t study; I only played this game.’

That’s why, ironically, I could choose ‘Slave Gladiator’ instead of ‘Archmage.’

[In 5 seconds, the game will begin.]

[5.]

[4.]

Of course, I know.

‘From ancient times, a failed character’s best bet is instant deletion.’

But right now, there’s no way to delete the character.

Since I’m directly controlling Gilloshian’s body…

Should I just commit suicide?

I don’t even want to think about that.

[4.]

[3.]

Alright, let’s change my mindset.

‘Even if I’m not the protagonist.’

Even if I’m a good-for-nothing called the imperial family’s disgrace.

As long as I was in Gilloshian’s body, I had to use this situation to survive.

In the original story, this guy died bleeding out here, but I would be different.

I unequivocally declared that this neck would not be severed.

We would survive.

[2.]

[1.]

…But how do I use skills?

Left-click, right-click?

Left hand, right hand?

[0.]

All my worries were useless.

The moment the F-rank Fate Card ‘Slave Gladiator’ was perfectly absorbed into Gilloshian’s body.

[Play has begun.]

I instinctively knew what to do and how to do it.

And everything resumed.

Whoosh!

The blades immediately plunged down as if they had been waiting.

I reflexively reached out my hand.

It was hard to explain, but there was something inside me.

All I had to do was push this unfamiliar thing outwards.

[Survival Skill: Taste for Bondage]

The Slave Gladiator’s exclusive skill unfolded simply.

A certain power, starting from my fingertips, created a faint ripple across my entire body.

And the next moment.

Thud.

Blades pierced me.

The sharp sensation hitting the back of my neck and my lower back was cold and heavy.

Two swords had simultaneously stabbed into my body.

But surprisingly, I didn’t die.

“…Ugh.”

Even though my neck was clearly slashed and my back was stabbed, I was still holding my head up stiffly, grimacing.

In fact, not a single drop of blood was flowing.

It probably looked like time had been reversed.

“What?”

“H-how did that happen?”

I was perfectly fine, to the surprise of the men who had retrieved their swords.

“Ughhhhh!”

I had to suppress the screams that kept escaping, despite my eyes turning bloodshot from the pain.

[Skill use successful.]

[Cannot be used for a while.]

In any case, I was alive now.

Gilloshian’s neck was not severed.

It was thanks to the Slave Gladiator’s skill.

[Survival Skill] Exclusive skill of the Slave Gladiator. If part or all of the body is bound, a fatal attack can be ignored once. Can be used again after 24 hours.

‘Once a day, ignore death-inducing damage.’

This was the effect of ‘Taste for Bondage,’ one of the Slave Gladiator’s exclusive skills.

And it was also why I abandoned a Transcendental card and chose a trash-tier card.

In this situation, bound tightly with a blade at my neck, the Slave Gladiator’s survival skill was more useful than the Archmage’s offensive magic.

So, I chose the F-rank card instead of the EX-rank card, with tears of blood.

Purely to survive!

‘Ugh, huh!’

I’m in a ‘hold on and survive’ meta!

But this was only once a day. This skill’s cooldown was a whopping 24 hours.

Even in the original story, Taste for Bondage couldn’t be used until the next day.

So, this kind of luck-based survival required both luck and time.

‘This is why F-rank is F-rank.’

Now I had to think about what was next.

Those who kidnapped Gilloshian were still surrounding me, and my barely surviving body was still tightly bound.

If they tried to slash me again, my neck would inevitably be severed.

‘I have to move first.’

Before the flustered guys regained their senses, I had to make my move.

I quickly opened my mouth.

And I shrieked.

“Varmilo Dimarque! You scoundrel!”

The guys who had been in disarray from my sudden shout instantly froze.

The old man who had ordered me to be cut frowned.

“Third Prince, how do you know my name…?!”

The player character, whose face was hidden, also looked over with interest.

My heart pounded madly with tension.

But it was a point of no return.

I couldn’t back down now.

I screamed like a madman, raving loudly.

“Do you dare not recognize your master who resides in this body?!”

As someone who knew the entire story of the game, I naturally knew the identities of these people.

“It’s me! Your master!”

“?”

I could spout truly outrageous nonsense convincingly.

“I am Eolem!”

The god they had just worshipped.

“The God of Vengeance! Eolem! I have descended upon this body! You blockheads!”

“Release my bindings immediately! I am in a very foul mood!”

I decided to impersonate the god they served.