The day I awakened, I thought my life had finally started. The Awakening Hall was loud, crowded, full of nervous laughter and forced confidence. When my name was called, I walked up trying to look calm even though my palms were sweating. The crystal glowed the moment I touched it, brighter than the others before me. The screen flickered, then settled. Rank: S. Ability: Absolute Defense. The entire hall went silent before it exploded into noise. People clapped. Someone shouted. My mother cried. I just stood there staring at the word S like it might disappear if I blinked. An S-Rank. I wasn't special growing up. I wasn't the smartest or the strongest. But in that moment, I felt chosen. Important. Needed.
Joining a top rookie team happened fast after that. They said my ability was rare. Essential. "With you in front, we're untouchable," our leader told me the first day we entered a dungeon together. I believed him. I took every hit. I stepped into every attack. Defense isn't flashy, but I liked knowing that when claws came down or explosions went off, I was the reason everyone else walked away. It hurt sometimes. My ribs cracked more than once. My shield shattered and got repaired so many times I lost count. But they'd clap my back and laugh after clears, and I thought that meant we were building something real. Brotherhood. Trust. I didn't notice how often the praise was about how useful I was, not how valued.
The SSS-Rank dungeon was where it ended. We weren't ready. Anyone with sense would've waited. But pride makes you deaf. The boss adapted to everything we threw at it. Our damage dealers started panicking. The healer ran dry. I stood in front like always, pouring everything into my barrier while the monster's claws tore into it again and again. I felt something break inside my shoulder, then my side. "Ren, hold it!" the leader shouted. I held it. I held it even when my knees buckled. Then I heard him say it—quiet, rushed, desperate. "Seal the gate." At first I thought I misheard. The emergency portal began closing behind me. I turned. They were already on the other side. Our eyes met for half a second. There was guilt there. But not enough. "We can't all die," he said. The gate shut. The dungeon went silent except for the monster breathing behind me. I stood there alone, blood in my mouth, shield split in two. I laughed, but it came out shaky. "So that's all I was," I whispered. "Just something to stand in front." The claw came down, and everything went black.