“Damn this world.”

It was neither a dream nor an illusion.

I had wondered if a virtual reality game had finally been developed, but if such technology existed, it would have already taken over the gaming market by storm.

A failing game that couldn’t even balance its own mechanics wouldn’t possess such technological prowess.

“Huu-“

I let out a deep sigh.

How did it come to this? There was once a time when I was filled with excitement.

To think I had been pulled into my favorite game!

It was a time brimming with anticipation, confronting the fantastical events I had only ever read about in novels.

Well, most novels feature protagonists hoarding all the fortuitous encounters and living cozy lives with beautiful women, so it wasn’t unreasonable to think that way.

A dreamlike fantasy world.

Magic, dragons, various races, and cities with advanced mechanical engineering reminiscent of steampunk all actually existed here.

But perhaps the problem was that the game was Xtoches^[note].

Reality was not so forgiving.

<Dimensional Battlefield Bronze – 004223 has summoned Mr. Lee Shin. Moving in 10 seconds. Please prepare.>

Flash-!

As the designated time passed, the Device on my wrist emitted a bright light.

A piercingly bright light.

I once tried to endure it without closing my eyes, but it was a foolish act; I was lucky I didn’t go blind.

Only after the light subsided could I look around.

A solitary room with a bland design.

In front was a door that could be opened and closed, but it remained firmly shut as if it had no intention of opening yet.

An all-too-familiar space; this was called the champion waiting room.

‘Could you at least care about the welfare benefits?’

Would it kill them to spruce the place up a bit?

Looking at the desolate space devoid of any decoration or furniture, it was inevitable that my energy would drain away.

The master of this room was surely a cold-hearted person.

“Ah, shit, a Blank again? Hey! Go stand at the very front.”

See? You can gauge the whole situation just by looking at the interior.

A shrill woman’s voice echoed in my head.

A tone dripping with irritation.

There are people who somehow manage to make even the most mundane words sound offensive, aren’t there?

I heard people with low self-esteem usually have sensitive personalities.

Right, as someone with a generous spirit, I should endure it.

“Yes.”

Creak-

With those final words, the closed door opened on its own.

Did that mean she didn’t want to talk anymore? Well, it wasn’t like we were going to fight, so I had no choice but to listen.

After all, I was a diligent worker who followed my superior’s orders to the letter.

Clank- clank-

In my hand, I held a shield I had no memory of grabbing.

A shield that refused to leave my grip, as if it were a natural extension of my body.

It wasn’t too heavy, as it was merely a thin iron plate overlaid on wood.

Thud-

As I took a step, the solid armor hindered my movement.

Cold, hard, and heavy.

The wretched stench of scrap metal made me scowl.

I couldn’t exactly take it off just because it was uncomfortable.

The thick, filthy scrap iron armor, along with the shield, was practically my lifeline.

Stepping out of the champion waiting room, a vast space unfolded before me.

Lines were drawn horizontally and vertically on the ground at regular intervals. Viewed from a distance, it resembled a giant chessboard.

The battlefield.

On the way to the boundary line, I encountered a man holding a bow and a woman gripping a staff.

They were the champions who had arrived first.

We didn’t exchange any words. Our ill-tempered superior was bound to throw a fit otherwise.

Bow.

We simply nodded, exchanging a light greeting.

Since we were in the same line of work, we knew each other’s hardships all too well.

“Is this the place?”

The ground blinked with light as if marking the location. Thanks to this unpleasant display of courtesy, I didn’t mistake where to go.

“It’s the front line.”

I had reached my destination before I knew it. An opaque magic wall blocked my path, hinting that this was the front line of the battlefield.

Vwoomm-

“Get ready!”

How much time had passed since my arrival?

The shrill voice echoed in my head once more.

I’ll prepare just fine on my own, thank you very much.

The irritable voice, combined with the tension of the battlefield, gave me a headache.

Dong- dong-!

A bell tolled from somewhere unseen.

Gugugugung-

The massive wall before me collapsed in an instant.

And what appeared in front of me was a person.

Holding a shield and clad in armor, the figure looked as though I were staring into a mirror.

“Waaaaah-!”

Showing no professional courtesy to a fellow industry worker, the opponent charged at me without so much as a greeting.

I raised my shield to meet his charge, countering the blow.

‘Here it comes!’

Boom-!

‘Keugh-!’

My stomach churned from the sheer force of the impact. I shifted my center of gravity forward as much as possible, enduring the blow to keep from falling.

My tightly clenched molars ached, threatening to crack under the pressure.

Our strengths were evenly matched.

Leveling the playing field so even a weakling like me could fight on equal terms—that was the power of the battlefield.

Thwack-!

The bastard released his grip on the shield and struck my face with his fist.

Because I was wearing a helmet, it didn’t deal significant damage, but the sheer reality of being hit sent a surge of adrenaline through me.

“Fuck- you son of a bitch!”

Vroom-

‘I hit with a shield, you bastard.’

I swung my shield in a wide arc. Startled, the guy hastily raised his own shield, but my motion was just a fraction faster.

Kuack-!

The impact sent him staggering repeatedly. A shieldbearer lowering his shield on the battlefield was a complete novice.

After landing one heavy blow, I gripped my shield firmly with both hands.

Since an exchange of blows had just occurred, it was the guy’s turn next.

This damn battlefield was, in its fairness, designed so that we would trade blows one by one.

‘Try hitting me, punk.’

There seemed to be no gap in the shield wall blocking my upper body.

Bang-!

But at that moment, a gunshot rang out.

‘Ah.’

Perhaps because my arm had been struck, one of the hands supporting my shield went limp. A quick glance revealed a deep dent in the thick metal armor.

The Gunslinger in the opponent’s rear had launched the attack.

‘Let’s fight 1-on-1, you cowardly bastards.’

I was confident I wouldn’t lose if we engaged in close combat, but the damn ranged bastards always attacked cheaply from a distance.

With the shieldbearer blocking my path, approaching them was impossible.

‘Hurry up and kill them for me.’

As if answering my wish, I felt a sudden surge of heat from behind.

Fwoosh-

A red sphere flew past in an instant.

It seemed our Mage lady had cast a Skill.

“Keugh-!”

Whizz-!

Arrows rained down in succession from behind.

An arrow, flying with pinpoint accuracy, struck the guy opposite me squarely in the eye.

“Keheok-“

That must hurt.

One perfectly placed arrow. It was a critical hit.

Bang-

‘This isn’t the time to worry about others.’

Ruthless attacks rained down from both sides.

The guy and I raised our shields and huddled down like turtles.

The guy opposite me lacked patience compared to me; he was the first to dissolve into light and vanish from the battlefield.

“Shieldbearer, charge!”

Perhaps sensing the tide of victory turning in the battlefield, the woman who had sent me here shouted, fully caught up in the excitement.

Her words carried a coercive power.

With only my face shielded, I clenched my teeth and charged toward the Gunslinger bastards.

‘Let me just hit them once.’

Scramble-

“Alright!”

Seeing me push forward through the barrage, the shrill voice rang out once more.

She was completely hyped up, clearly sensing she had the momentum.

‘Please, just one hit.’

How many tiles had I moved like that?

The face of the despicable Gunslinger was right before my eyes.

I gathered every ounce of my strength to swing my shield, channeling all the pent-up frustration I had endured, but.

Bang-!

A gunshot rang out right in front of my face. At the same time, my vision went dark.

‘I was almost there…’

The fired bullet pierced the flimsy shield and penetrated my skull.

Three years since I came to this other world.

On this day, which was akin to an anniversary.

<Lee Shin(★) – 1G>

– Shieldbearer

– Health 0/200

– Skill: None

I, one of the countless 1-Cost Shieldbearers, met my end.