Chapter 3: Sid and the Fallen Cards

[Mission Clear!]

[+300 Gold]

[+100 Diamonds]

[+5 Normal Cards]

Letters floated in the air.

Thunk!

Then, I returned to the stage where I first started.

The two who had turned into ghosts also reverted to their original forms.

“Hoho! That was an incredible fight! This friend endured alone in the First Strike! I can hardly believe my eyes! Amazing! Hahaha!”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer laughed, slapping me on the back.

The Priest still looked displeased.

“Hmph. It’s just thanks to your Trait. That First Strike exclusive overpowered Trait. And wasn’t it because we died and you got to monopolize the Potions? Why is everyone praising him so much?”

“Haha! Pay no mind to what that woman says! I was worried since it was only the Starter Support Pack at first, but things are looking bright! Let’s get along from here on, Swordmaster! Swordmaster Sid! Hahaha!”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer dismissed the Priest and spoke cheerfully.

My chest felt tight with emotion.

‘How long had it been since I felt something like this?’

Days spent fighting alone after losing countless companions.

I couldn’t express how grateful I was for a Dwarf Shieldbearer who could smile like this.

“Thank you. But… what is that? That huge thing.”

There was something strange placed in front of us.

Rectangles two meters tall set before the stage.

‘Could those be cards?’

The Dwarf Shieldbearer nodded, glancing at the cards.

“Mm! That’s the reward for clearing the dungeon. Now the users will open them. It’d be nice if the rewards matched you or me!”

“Ah, so items or people can come out of those cards?”

“Right! Sharp as ever! Hahaha!”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer laughed heartily.

So different from the reserved impression at first.

“Hm? It’s over! The rewards are here!”

Then, the voice of a giant returned.

The bespectacled giant also appeared.

“Hang on, I need to wash my hands. Don’t open the cards. Anyway, we need a 4-star hero. Better to collect ten and guarantee the draw. You need a core hero to make progress.”

“Really? If you use ten, it’s guaranteed? That’s generous!”

“Generous, my ass. Half the 4-stars are support characters. These bastards are doing it on purpose. So you keep paying until you pull a 5-star.”

The two giants conversed.

I could barely understand them, but they sounded confident.

If they were gods watching over the battle, they’d be satisfied with the results.

“Oh? What the, ah.”

Suddenly, the bespectacled giant groaned.

The Dwarf Shieldbearer and the Priest flinched.

“What? Is there a problem?”

“All the gear I equipped broke! Wow. How can someone be this unlucky? Can’t even repair it without gold. Why did only the swordsman level up? This is a total cursed character. If it were me, I’d start over. Time to reroll.”

“What?”

“Hoho?”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer and the Priest responded.

“What are they talking about?”

I couldn’t make sense of any of it.

“Still, the swordsman gained six levels. You got an achievement, too. Isn’t that good?”

“That First Strike achievement is nothing. Only streamers do it for the fun of burning money. There are way better achievements later, so why clear this one? The rewards suck.”

The bespectacled giant sighed.

So my achievement was nothing special?

I clenched my fist despite the hurt.

Like the Dwarf Shieldbearer said, this world was beyond my understanding.

“Still, this swordsman’s OP against Goblins, right? Isn’t that good?”

“Are you an idiot? When will you level and amplify a 2-star swordsman? Even with amplification, a 2-star is worse than a 5-star. Just reroll or pay. Only 5-stars matter.”

The two giants kept talking.

I glanced at the Dwarf Shieldbearer.

“Um… What are they talking about? Amplification? And what is ‘paying’?”

“Hmm… Seems they have different ideas on how to train us. There’s something called a metagame in this world. Even I was considered decent once, but now I’m left out. If you don’t follow the metagame, you’re not efficient, or so they say.”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer clicked his tongue and muttered.

Metagame?

Efficiency?

I still didn’t understand, even after hearing it.

“Just say it simply. Why all the beating around the bush?”

The Priest, who’d been listening, cut in.

She pointed at me.

“It means you’re trash. Trash that’s not worth investing in because you’re not efficient. Even if you’ve got an OP Trait, it’ll be useless after the early stage. And you broke all the gear with your so-called survivability! Even my staff!”

The angry Priest shouted.

The Dwarf Shieldbearer stepped between us and tried to calm things down.

“Come now, no need to fight amongst ourselves! That’s going too far, Priest!”

“What? How can I not be pissed? If he just died like usual, we could move on. But since our mighty Swordmaster survived, we’re all being held back! Didn’t I tell you to just die? If you died, that was it! You idiot!”

“Priest!”

“It’s always these incompetent but overly ambitious people that are a problem. Probably thinks he’s amazing. ‘I killed a hundred Goblins alone!’ What a joke.”

The Priest muttered to herself.

‘……’

But I had no idea what to say in response.

‘What had I done wrong?’

‘Why was I being treated this way?’

I didn’t even know how to protest.

The two giants continued their banter.

“Pay? Already?”

“Heh, you think you can play for free? With this team, you’ll have to grind all week just to catch up with the event. Just pay up and clear the event. Otherwise, you’re screwed.”

“Still, isn’t it too expensive? What if you just get junk like before?”

“That’s why you have to clear events. That’s where the good rewards are.”

“Whatever. I’m done. I only thought of playing because the characters looked cute, but this is just a money trap.”

“Wow, intelligence spike much? Fine, let’s open the cards from the rewards. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a 5-star here?”

“Nah, I’m out. You can play your crappy game alone.”

“IQ went up too fast, huh.”

“Let’s just play Ludo or something. Only idiots play games like this.”

‘Were they fighting?’

“Sheesh. Now it’s a mess.”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer sighed.

“Maybe it’s for the best. Luckily.”

The Priest rolled her eyes and grumbled.

“What…is going on? Are the giants fighting each other?”

“Hm? Oh, the users just quit the game. Sometimes this happens. The users call it ‘logging off’ or ‘dropping’ the game.”

“Dropping? And what’s a game?”

“This stage here. Haa… Don’t blame yourself too much. Looks like our user never intended to play long from the start. That’s all. Just that.”

The Dwarf Shieldbearer murmured with a bitter look.

Click!!

Then, the stage went dark.

Only the unopened cards remained, left alone.

The curtain that once showed the giants faded to black.

“Well, the fight was fun, at least. Even if it was all pointless.”

The Priest dusted off her sleeve as she spoke.

I glared at her, feeling my limits.

“What is it you’re so dissatisfied about? That little 4-star? Are you proud to be a 4-star?”

“What’s this? You can get angry too? Not like we’ll ever meet again. Thanks for ending this doomed game early. It was fun while it lasted. Let’s never see each other again. Valkyrie? I’m heading back. To the Plaza!”

Thunk!

With those words, the Priest vanished.

‘Was that some kind of summoning?’

The Dwarf Shieldbearer laughed, slapping my back.

“Don’t worry too much. That’s just how this world is. Some are angry, some are resigned. After you go through this a few times, you’ll get used to it. You did well. Your fight was splendid.”

“I…I’m sorry. It’s my fault, isn’t it?”

“No! Everything here is light. Battle, mistakes, even death. So there’s no need to take it so seriously. You being so sincere only makes me sad. You’ll do fine. I hope we meet again someday.”

“Thank you. I hope we meet again, too.”

“Right. I enjoyed it. Valkyrie! I’ll be going back as well! To the Plaza!”

Thunk!

With those words, the Dwarf Shieldbearer also disappeared.

‘Haa.’

The two of them vanished from the stage.

Bitterness lingered in the air.

I’d won the battle, but lost the war.

That sense of helplessness weighed on me.

“Um…”

But one person hadn’t left.

“L||?”

“Ah, it’s me! Earlier, I just… wanted to thank you. For stepping up for me. I thought I’d just get ground up and abandoned like usual. You know, dying is scarier than being ground up, right? I haven’t died that many times…”

The Apprentice Mage spoke with an awkward look.

‘How terrified must she have been?’

Her eyes were red and swollen.

It was truly sad that someone like her ended up in Valhalla.

“No, it was only natural. Actually, I wanted to ask you something… Ah, never mind. I don’t even know what to ask. Are you heading back too?”

“Ah, yes! If you just call for Valkyrie, you can go to the Plaza. You’re going too, right?”

“I suppose so. I have no idea what to do next anyway.”

I scratched my head as I answered.

***

The Plaza, huh.

The Priest and Dwarf Shieldbearer seemed to have gone there as well.

I’d have to find more information there.

“Still, it was an honor to fight with you. I hope we can meet again in the Plaza.”

“Ah… yes! I’ll be heading back, too! Your fight was amazing! If you meet a good user, you’ll get reevaluated. I’m sure of it!”

“Thank you. I hope the same for you.”

“Hehe. Valkyrie! To the Plaza!”

Thunk!

With that, the Apprentice Mage disappeared.

‘Phew.’

Now I was the only one left on the stage.

A snapped staff, broken by a spear.

A battered shield missing its frame, and a scimitar broken in half.

Their pitiful state mirrored my own.

I touched my forehead and let out a breath.

Valkyrie.

She said if you call for Valkyrie, you’ll go to the Plaza, right?

I should call for her too.

Maybe if I go to this ‘Plaza’, I’ll find a breakthrough.

‘Hm?’

Then, I noticed the cards in front of the stage.

Come to think of it, the giants left them behind.

Curious, I reached out and touched a card.

“Urgh!”

But it didn’t budge.

It was fixed in the air like a solid wall.

“Haa…”

I leaned against the card and let out a sigh.

The Dwarf Shieldbearer had just said it.

That you’ll naturally come to accept things.

That the process of breaking can be painful.

It didn’t even take an hour for my excitement to cool.

It felt like all my hard-earned efforts had been denied.

Thud!

I slammed down on the card I was leaning against.

Damn Valkyrie.

She seemed so rude for some reason.

‘Did she also see me as just a 2-star wandering swordsman?’

‘Is that why I was treated like this?’

My life so far.

The achievements I’d fought so hard for.

All dismissed as ‘2-star’.

My pent-up resentment started to leak out.

Thud!

I slammed the card down again.

I should’ve been suspicious when things were too easy.

After killing so many Demons, I never thought I’d fall for a trap like this.

‘Is this Valhalla?’

Trapping countless heroes and judging them by their standards?

Thud!

I felt humiliated.

No one had ever looked down on me.

Thud!

Not the Emperor who sought to rule the continent.

Thud!

Not even the Demon who tried to deceive the world.

Thud!

I couldn’t accept being treated like this.

‘Phew’

I caught my breath and tried to calm my mind.

Right, let’s start again from scratch.

I’ve overcome worse than this.

Like the Dwarf Shieldbearer said, even if this world is light and shallow, the one who survives to the end is the winner.

I had to endure until then.

“Huh?”

But then I saw a strange light.

It wasn’t the giants coming back.

A glow leaked out from the slanted card.

The card, so sturdy before, seemed to be tilted ever so slightly.

‘Oh?’

A tingle of curiosity sparked.

‘Did I just move it?’

‘Did it shift after I banged on it a few times?’

My heart pounded with a mysterious excitement.

I threw myself at the card.

Thud! Thud! Crack!

[★★★★ Uruk Slayer]

“Oh!”

***

After two or three hits, a flash exploded.

What fell to the floor was a longsword set with a red ruby.

I looked at the writing in the air…

‘A 4-star?’

‘Is this sword a 4-star?’

My heart raced.

I didn’t know how, but I could open the cards.

I couldn’t miss this chance.

Thud! Thud!

I immediately hit the next card.

When my fist didn’t work, I threw my whole body at it.

Thud!

[☆ Healing Potion]

Just like the first time, a Potion dropped.

I opened the next card in turn.

Thud!

[☆ Healing Potion]

Another Potion appeared.

[★ Ragana Tomahawk]

Thunk!

An iron axe fell out.

Well.

I guess they’re not going to give out useful tools so easily.

That was true for the giants, too.

But who cares.

If I can get free gear just by opening cards, there’s no reason not to.

‘Phew’

The last remaining card.

I looked at it and took a breath.

Let something useful come out, I whispered softly.

It was getting fun, like opening a treasure chest.

Thud!

I threw myself at the card.

A light leaked from the tilted edge.

Heart pounding, I hit it again.

Thud! Crack!

“Urgh!”

A golden flash burst out with a heavy shock, knocking me backward.

But…

‘Where was the item?’

No letters floated in the air.

‘Did I get nothing from the last card?’

Rumble…

But then, a low vibration echoed.

It wasn’t the stage itself.

It felt like a strange sound was leaking out of a small gap.

The sound grew bigger and bigger.

Badum!!

“Whoa!”

Startled, I staggered back.

With a loud fanfare, something the size of my palm appeared—a ‘screen’.

‘What was this?’

‘Did it just come from the card?’

I reached out and touched the screen.

Badum!

‘Ah, shit!’

The trumpet sounded again.

The noise seemed to come from inside it.

[War of God: Welcome to Valhalla!]

‘Valhalla?’

Then, a small world spread out before me.

Countless images floated, just like the ‘letters’ the giants used.

‘What?’

But then I saw something strange.

Inside the screen in front of me.

‘Wasn’t there something that looked like me?’

Of course, it wasn’t really me—a dwarf with a head-to-body ratio of one to one—but its gear and appearance matched mine.

The place it stood was identical to the stage where I stood.

‘No way…’

A strange tension filled the air.

‘Was I now, like the giants before, watching ‘myself’?’

‘Was this little screen…’

‘The same ‘curtain’ the giants had used to watch me?’

[Create an account!]

[New users receive 10 cards from the Starter Support Pack!]

Dun-dun!

Words appeared with the sound of drums.

Just the word ‘account’—and the two words, ‘user’ and ‘Support Pack’.

Even I understood what that meant.

‘Haah…!’

It seemed I’d obtained the same power as the giants.