It was not yet time to breathe easy.

A few variables still remained.

One of them was the possibility of my HP hitting zero before I could even use a skill.

No deck with enough destructive power to overwhelm my HP would appear before the 3-4 round, so it wouldn’t be an immediate problem.

But the deeper into the battlefield I went, the higher the chances of encountering such variables.

From the 3-5 round onward, other players would have sufficient deck power as well.

Of course, this would all be resolved if I reached 3-star.

The probability of a 3-star champion dying without even using a skill was close to zero.

Though I needed to be cautious, not knowing what items might be in play.

My immediate concern was making sure the bard champions didn’t die before me.

With little spare HP to use for rehiring champions, winning every battle without losses was crucial.

Dong- dong- dong-!

The bell signaling the start of the 3-2 round rang out.

Player 8 / Lv.5 / HP.61

– Bard (4): Whenever a bard uses a skill, allies excluding bards recover 10 mana.

Player 3 / Lv.5 / HP.73 – 2-game losing streak

– Archer (2): Gains 10% additional attack speed for each tile between the archer and the target.

– Slaughterer (2): Slaughterers gain 15% life steal on all damage. Deals 20% additional damage to champions below 40% HP.

The first battle since the deck had taken shape.

“Kraaaah—!”

A Slaughterer champion, face flushed red, let out a war cry and charged at me.

I couldn’t focus entirely on him.

All five enemies were directing their attacks at me.

Slither-!

What arrived before the champion was an arrow loosed by the archer.

Clang-!

I blocked the incoming arrows with my shield and focused on attacking rather than defending.

Taking on all five at once was beyond my capabilities.

Screech-!

An unpleasant metallic screech reached my ears.

The Slaughterer’s sharp blade and hook left deep gouges in my armor.

The scrap armor had looked useless, but it apparently had some defensive value.

My HP dropped as I absorbed the attacks, but I was still fine for now.

As a 2-star champion, my HP was 375—a comfortable margin even if I took a few clean hits.

Boom-!

The impact had disrupted my stance, so I couldn’t land a critical strike.

No stacks accumulated, but my mana continued to build.

<<Decrescendo (★)>>

– Weakens a random enemy for 4 seconds. The weakened enemy’s damage output is reduced by 25%.

Pisate, with a small mana pool, immediately used a skill.

A damage reduction effect.

The skill’s effect wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was simply that a skill had been used.

Every time a bard champion used a skill, my mana filled up, and I—under assault from five enemies—could use my own skill in return.

<<Solid Exoskeleton (★★)>>

Grants a shield that absorbs damage for 10 seconds. The shield is set to 60% of maximum HP.

Vwoomm-!

A thick shield enveloped my body.

With no need to worry about defense, I could focus entirely on attacking.

Boom-!

[Dice of Fortune x1: Attack power and spell power increase by +7.]

Finally, one stack.

<<Rapid Fire (★)>>

Increases attack speed by 50% for 5 seconds.

The enemy archer champion, with full mana, used a skill, but the attack speed increase only filled my mana faster.

Next to use a skill was the Slaughterer champion.

<<Deep Wound (★)>>

Inflicts bleeding on an enemy, dealing 100 physical damage over 10 seconds.

Undeterred by the enemy’s skill activation, I swung my shield.

Boom-!

[Dice of Fortune x2: Attack power and spell power increase by +14.]

During the shield’s duration, I managed to take down one enemy champion.

Clang- clang- clang-!

Still, four remained, and the enemy’s relentless assault threatened to break through my shield.

That was fine.

This deck showed its true worth once the bards started using their skills.

<<Song of Peace (★)>>

Disarms one enemy champion impressed by the song for 3 seconds.

<<Decrescendo (★)>>

Weakens a random enemy for 4 seconds. The weakened enemy’s damage output is reduced by 25%.

Ding-!

<<Guardian’s Performance (★)>>

Grants an 80-point shield to the allied champion with the lowest current HP.

As the bard champions used their skills, my mana rapidly filled.

Thanks to that, just before my shield shattered, I could activate Solid Exoskeleton once more.

<<Solid Exoskeleton (★★)>>

Grants a shield that absorbs damage for 10 seconds. The shield is set to *67% of maximum HP.

Though the enemy’s numbers had dwindled, my shield had grown even thicker.

Even as the enemy champions, brimming with mana, unleashed their skills, they fell short of piercing through.

To make matters worse for them, a skill that would break their will activated.

“Aaaah—”

<<Hymn of Hope (★)>>

Grants 2 seconds of damage immunity to the nearest allied champion, including the caster.

Two seconds of damage immunity.

Bolstered by that effect, I could stride freely across the battlefield without a care.

[Dice of Fortune x3: Attack power and spell power increase by +21.]

[Dice of Fortune x4: Attack power and spell power increase by +28.]

The enemies targeting me had no choice but to attack, even knowing they couldn’t break through, and their attacks once again filled my mana.

<<Solid Exoskeleton (★★)>>

Grants a shield that absorbs damage for 10 seconds. The shield is set to *77% of maximum HP.

Less than 10 seconds had passed since I last used the skill, so the new shield stacked on top of the remaining one.

The shield’s value now exceeded my actual HP.

The result was an overwhelming victory.

【+4G】

▶ Base reward of 4 gold has been granted.

【+1G】

▶ 2-win streak reward of 1 gold has been additionally granted.

*Gold held: 8G

The 3-3 round was much the same.

Having safely navigated the early phase, I activated Solid Exoskeleton and continuously cycled skills to maintain my shield, powered by the bards’ mana pumping.

The Bard shieldbearer deck was a deck that simply could not lose once it survived the early game.

While the opponent’s champions fell one by one and grew weaker, my shield only grew thicker over time.

This was possible because I had the stack-type item Dice of Fortune, and because I was vastly superior to champions of the same cost.

A deck no one else could replicate or even conceive of.

It still had many areas to refine, but with a bit more polishing, it would become a reliable weapon.

Of course, I had no intention of running this deck exclusively.

Every battlefield had different characteristics, different players, and different strategies—one couldn’t cling to the same deck forever.

Still, the Bard shieldbearer deck was undoubtedly the best among decks that utilized only the Dice of Fortune item.

‘Once I acquire other items, I’ll need to think of new decks.’

A deck’s direction always followed its core item.

If I won the gamble and obtained another item combination formula, I could design a new deck to match.

I had countless experiences, and the vast knowledge accumulated from them.

Applying that to the battlefield was not particularly difficult.

【+4G】

▶ Base reward of 4 gold has been granted.

【+1G】

▶ 3-win streak reward of 1 gold has been additionally granted.

*Gold held: 13G

3-4 Shared Selection Round.

My selection priority was fourth.

In terms of HP, that meant I was positioned fourth from the bottom.

Despite my three-win streak, I had lost a significant amount of HP earlier, which allowed me to maintain a high priority.

The selection pool contained various items and champions, including a 3-Cost champion.

But my heart was set on a single option.

I would wait patiently until my turn came.

– Player 1 selected ‘Avatar of the Steel Shieldbearer Argos (★).’

– Player 4 selected ‘Dull Dagger.’

– Player 3 selected ‘Wand of Mana.’

The priority players each chose their options.

I didn’t need to worry about the option I had my eye on disappearing.

After all, no one would pick a 1-Cost champion in the Stage 3 Shared Selection Round.

– Player 8 selected ‘Shieldbearer (★).’

That made eight.

Now, only one step remained.

【+4G】

▶ Base reward of 4 gold has been granted.

【+1G】

▶ 3-win streak reward of 1 gold has been additionally granted.

*Gold held: 18G

As soon as the round ended, I checked the shop.

《LV.5 Shop》

Technician (★) – 1G

Despicable Assassin (★) – 2G

Steel shieldbearer (★) – 2G

A shieldbearer appeared, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the 1-Cost shieldbearer I needed.

The shop’s higher level was partly to blame.

‘Should I reroll?’

I was just one champion short of reaching 3-star, so the temptation was natural.

But there was one thing to keep in mind before spending gold.

I had to account for the gold needed for champion enhancement.

Creating a 2-star champion required 3 gold.

I currently had only one 2-star shieldbearer, so I would need to create two more.

That alone required 6 gold.

Moreover, creating a 3-star champion wasn’t free either.

Even with three 2-star champions in hand, it cost 9 gold to make a 3-star champion.

Tallying up all the required gold…

Even with one 2-star shieldbearer already in my possession, I would need an additional 15 gold to reach 3-star.

I currently held 18 gold.

That gave me exactly one chance to reroll.

Tap- tap-

I toyed with the Dice of Fortune hanging at my waist.

The Bard shieldbearer deck had more elements of luck than any deck I had ever used.

A high-risk deck.

I could have chosen a safer, more conventional deck instead.

I was confident that selecting a different stable deck would have put me in a better position than I was now.

But I couldn’t cling to safe decks forever.

The next battlefield would be a 100+ rated private one, where I would face players far stronger than those I’d encountered so far.

The Placement Exam had taught me one thing.

No matter how safely you built up, it was powerless in the face of overwhelming might.

From item combination formulas to Original champions, and even augmentation bodies.

The battlefield was never a fair fight.

To close the gap, I needed to bet on low odds sometimes.

Like now.

【-2G】

▶ Spent 2 gold to refresh the shop’s offerings.

As carefully as flipping over a face-down card, I checked the refreshed shop.

《LV.5 Shop》

Shieldbearer (★) – 1G

Despicable Slaughterer (★) – 2G

Sun Magician (★) – 2G

The final piece.

Every card I had wished for was now in my hand.

【-1G】

▶ Spent 1 gold to hire Shieldbearer (★).

【-3G】

▶ Terminated contracts with Shieldbearer ‘Dolere’ and Shieldbearer ‘Koru,’ and enhanced Shieldbearer ‘Aoi.’

【-3G】

▶ Terminated contracts with Shieldbearer ‘Fiance’ and Shieldbearer ‘Juta,’ and enhanced Shieldbearer ‘Kiri.’

*Gold held: 9G

If I hadn’t pushed gold acquisition to the extreme using the open port strategy.

If I hadn’t run the 48 Reroll with that gold.

If I hadn’t picked the shieldbearer during the Shared Selection Round.

Every choice I had made converged to bring about the outcome I desired.

【-9G】

▶ Terminated contracts with Shieldbearer ‘Aoi’ and Shieldbearer ‘Kiri,’ and enhanced Shieldbearer ‘Lee Shin.’

*Gold held: 0G

Round 3-5.

A 3-star champion had appeared on the Toros Private battlefield.