Placement Exam-!

The first battlefield experience after becoming a player!

Cindy was thoroughly satisfied with her current champion composition.

A composition consisting entirely of shieldbearers.

After checking the shop’s roster, Cindy smiled once more.

“Shieldbearers!”

Then, another shieldbearer stepped into Cindy’s champion waiting room.

“That’s already three!”

From the very start, she had spent gold refreshing the shop and hiring nothing but shieldbearers, and before she knew it, she had met the requirements for champion enhancement.

By gathering three champions of the same grade, same cost, and same synergy, one could spend gold to enhance a single champion’s grade.

The champions not chosen would have their contracts terminated without even a gold refund, but the performance boost from champion enhancement was well worth the price.

【-3G】

▶ Terminating contracts with Shieldbearer ‘Franche’ and Shieldbearer ‘Yuta’ to enhance Shieldbearer ‘Bolik.’

Bolik (★★) – 3G

– Shieldbearer

– Health: 350/350

– Mana: 40/100

– Silver Blessing (★★): Gain a shield that absorbs 100 damage for 6 seconds. When the shield is destroyed, deal 100 magic damage to attacking enemies.

“Oh, I feel stronger!”

Through champion enhancement, the skill’s effect had increased, and even comparing health alone, it had risen by 140.

Factoring in the unlisted combat capabilities, it was an incredible transformation that made it hard to believe he was a 1-Cost champion.

Thanks to the early completion of a 2-star champion, the subsequent battles ended in victory as well.

In fact, in the previous round, she had even leveled up to secure space for additional shieldbearers.

“Utterly crushed!”

Cindy nodded with satisfaction.

The smile never left her face.

The other amateur players and monsters were powerless before her shieldbearers.

Cindy absolutely adored shieldbearers.

The reason was simple.

Swords were frightening, and everything else lacked style.

A shield that blocks every attack!

That alone was what could move her heart.

And the battlefield was the perfect place for shieldbearers to shine.

“A shieldbearer!”

After the battle ended, Cindy checked the shop and paid without hesitation.

The newly hired champion from the refreshed shop was the 3-Cost Steel shieldbearer ‘Para.’

“Hello, Miss.”

“Para, nice to see you!”

Para was her exclusively contracted Original champion and the assistant her mother had assigned to her.

Para (★)

– Steel

– Shieldbearer

– Health: 250/250

– Mana: 10/90

– Steel Bond (★): Creates a chain connecting Para to the enemy with the highest current health, dealing 80 magic damage to enemy champions along the path. If an ally, grants 80 shield instead. The shield lasts for 4 seconds.

– Combat Talent (Original): Deals 200% additional damage on critical hits.

Despite being merely a 3-Cost champion, there was a reason she had been chosen as an assistant over other competitors.

“What round is it now?”

Para also worked as a player in her spare time, and possessed sufficient knowledge to serve as Cindy’s assistant.

Of course, being a shieldbearer was also one of the biggest reasons.

“I’ve met five so far!”

“Then the next would be the Stone Turtle hunt.”

“Huh? We just hunted the Stone Turtle.”

“Then it’s Round 3-1.”

“Um… probably?”

“Hiring me means your level is 5, and your forces… have come together quite nicely?”

Para wore an expression of surprise.

She never imagined that the troublesome Miss Cindy could conduct herself so competently as a player.

It was disappointing that she insisted on shieldbearers exclusively, but her preferences needed to be respected.

“What items do you have?”

“A staff! Here, take it.”

[Para(★) has equipped Wand of Mana]

【Wand of Mana】

– Spell Power +15

She had only asked, yet Cindy went ahead and equipped it. It seemed she had no interest in anything that wasn’t a shield.

Para wasn’t flustered. This was typical Miss Cindy behavior.

“Don’t you have one more?”

“No, I don’t.”

Hunting a Stone Turtle guarantees one item drop.

Including the hunt round and Shared Selection Round in the first stage, that meant at least two items had been obtained so far.

Miss Cindy’s eyes flickered nervously, as if hiding something.

“Miss, did you perhaps have a shield…”

“No! I absolutely do NOT have a Steel Shield!”

Just as expected.

If she was hiding something, it was definitely a shield-type item.

A pathological obsession with shields.

That was Miss Cindy’s sole flaw.

‘What combination formulas were there again…’

A combination formula using Steel Shield and Wand of Mana.

A single item combination formula came to mind in Para’s head.

The Core Item that had left her astounded when she first saw its abilities.

And conveniently, all the materials were now assembled.

Now she just needed to persuade the Miss…

Three years had already passed since her first meeting with Miss Cindy, so this much wasn’t difficult.

“Miss. I’ll show you how to make an even more magnificent shield.”

“An even more magnificent shield?”

Cindy’s eyes lit up brightly.

After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out an item she had been hiding in her player inventory.

【Steel Shield】

– Defense +15

“You know how to combine items, right?”

“O-Of course! What do you take me for!”

She had definitely forgotten. If she had known, she would have combined the items long ago.

“Of course, there’s no way Miss Cindy wouldn’t know!”

“Exactly! I’ll show you right now!”

Despite Miss Cindy’s confident declaration that she would demonstrate immediately, it took a full minute before the items were combined.

‘If I had a combination formula like this, I would have ranked up ages ago…’

The Core Item created by combining Steel Shield and Wand of Mana.

【Rune Barrier】

– Steel Shield + Wand of Mana

– Defense +20, Spell Power +20

– When equipped, grants immunity to status ailments and immunity to skill damage.

The ‘Rune Barrier’ possessed abilities outrageous enough to break the heart of Para, who was a player herself.

‘As expected of a 1-tier item.’

Item combination formulas discovered in ruins. The 1-tier combination formulas, treated as something beyond national treasures, possessed performance on an entirely different level from other items.

“Miss…”

With little time left before the battle began, Para had talked Cindy into it.

“I’m just lending it to you! You have to give it back.”

Vwoomm-!

Upon equipping the Rune Barrier, runic letters imbued with invisible power rose above her shield.

Dong- dong-!

The bell signaling the start of battle.

She had spent considerable time on item combination, but fortunately managed to make it in time for the preparation phase.

The opponent in Round 3-1 had a mage-centric composition. Being a Placement Exam, she hadn’t expected much, but their skill level was surprisingly decent.

‘Textbook approach. Deck power is solid, and they’re better than expected.’

Fwoosh-

‘Oh- Regenerating Flame?’

The opponent even possessed a Core Item.

Regenerating Flame, classified as a 4-tier item.

A combination formula with decent versatility that occasionally appeared even in high tiers.

Of course, regardless of the opponent’s skill level, the battle was entirely one-sided.

“Break their formation!”

<<Single Point Breakthrough(★)>>

Moves to the farthest enemy, dealing 50 physical damage to all enemies along the path.

Boom-!

“The wicked shall pay for their sins!”

<<Silver Blessing(★★)>>

Gain a shield that absorbs 100 damage for 6 seconds. When the shield is destroyed, deal 100 magic damage to attacking enemies.

Vwoomm-!

The other champions shouted their lines without hesitation each time they used a skill.

‘Probably lines Miss Cindy requested.’

Para couldn’t bring herself to voice such embarrassing words aloud, so she tried to use her skill quietly.

But then a voice full of expectation reached her mind.

“Para! Shout your line!”

Phew-

She couldn’t let down Miss Cindy’s expectations, but…

Para couldn’t easily bring herself to speak.

Her face flushed red as she shouted her pre-prepared line in an awkward voice.

“W-We are the indomitable vanguard…”

“Uu- that’s not good enough!”

It seemed she hadn’t quite met Miss Cindy’s standards.

Nevertheless, the skill activated without fail.

<<Steel Bond(★)>>

Creates a chain connecting Para to the enemy with the highest current health, dealing *96 magic damage to enemy champions along the path. If an ally, grants *96 shield instead. The shield lasts for 4 seconds.

Shrrk-!

The target was a 2-star mage champion equipped with ‘Blazing Flame.’

Clank- clank-!

The silver chain whipped across the battlefield like a serpent.

“Kuhak-“

As the silver serpent swept past, the enemy champions, already having taken damage multiple times, couldn’t withstand the damage and collapsed.

“Thank you!”

The allied champions along the path were enveloped in powerful shields.

A single skill from Para had turned the tide of the battlefield, and the battle concluded in victory without taking any further damage.

“That was awesome-“

Perhaps pleased with the battle, Cindy commended her champions for their efforts.

“You did well too!”

“Ah, thank you!”

Among them was the 2-star shieldbearer ‘Bolik.’

Perhaps unaccustomed to praise, his face turned red.

Cindy’s outstanding appearance also contributed to this.

‘She’s grown up well.’

Among players, there were many rude individuals who looked down on champions and treated them with disrespect.

Players who didn’t understand that players and champions existed in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Such ignorant players were typically clustered in the lower Bronze tiers.

Rumors circulated among champions as well.

Which players were good and which were bad—such information was shared quietly through each champion’s own information network.

They had no idea how much of a disadvantage it was for a player to have a bad reputation when it came to Original Contracts.

No, some might not even be aware of the existence of Original champions.

Original Contracts.

This was a crucial system not only for players but for champions as well.

Every time her contracted Miss Cindy achieved good results, rewards were also given to the Original champion.

Massive rewards that couldn’t simply be converted to gold.

‘It was thanks to the Miss’s preferences that I was able to form an exclusive contract.’

“Para, there are no shieldbearers in the shop! Can I spend money?”

After the battle, Cindy checked the refreshed shop with a pout.

It seemed no shieldbearers had appeared in this shop rotation.

Cindy wanted to spend gold refreshing the shop to recruit more shieldbearers.

“Miss, how much gold do you have right now?”

“Um… I have 7 gold now!”

Since she earned 7 gold from the previous round, that meant she had no gold before.

Para thought for a moment.

‘Considering this is a Placement Exam, it should be fine to let the Miss do as she pleases. She needs to experience real combat anyway.’

There was no need to teach her everything about the battlefield from A to Z.

The Miss would dislike it, and it wouldn’t help improve her skills anyway.

“Then how about you try it your way this once?”

“Alright! Then I’m spending money!”

Considering the outrageous combination formulas Miss Cindy possessed, it would be difficult for her to lose.

There was an insurmountable gap that couldn’t be overturned by luck and placement alone.

After all, Miss Cindy was…

“Aah- Nothing showed up!”

Judging by the tantrum coming from beside her, it seemed things hadn’t gone as planned despite spending gold.

‘With the Rune Barrier already completed, there are no more variables.’

Well, it wasn’t a big deal.

Dong- dong- dong-

And so, the preparation phase passed without any significant changes.

Round 3-2.

The first match in this battlefield.

The battle with player 6 had begun.