《Cursed Draw》


 Chapter One: Go Fish!

    For all the Tropes I¡¯ve loved¡­..and several I haven¡¯t.


    Part One: The Dead Man¡¯s Hand


    Before the ancients ascended from this world of ours they bequeathed it to humanity¡¯s care.


    At least, they had hoped to. But the world was chaotic. Wild and dangerous. The land and seas


    shifted without cease, Monsters great and small reached levels of power no man could hope to


    Challenge. So, in their ingenuity, the ancients left a fraction of their Immeasurable strength and


    inconceivable control for mankind. A tool with which to shape the land, tame the sea, and defy


    even the mightiest of creatures.


    A simple thing. A tiny thing. Yet, it is one within which all reality may be witnessed and bent to humanity¡¯s will.


    The Humble card.


    -Mysteries of the Deck. Book One Foreword.


    True Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Player: Alabaster ''Alley'' Roe


    Dealer: Silver Bracelet


    Rank: 12th [Aspirant]


    Resonances: Water, Beast, Pressure


    Library: 45 Cards


    Chapter One: Go Fish!


    Alabaster


    The beast burst out of the rushing river with an audible slap. The water split and rushed back together as it was displaced by its enormous bulk. Somewhere between an eel and a dragon, the creature was about as wide as two adult men side by side and many times as long.


    A massive bladed hook running to a chain of nigh unbreakable CoreSteel protruded through the creature¡¯s cheek. It was a MuckDwell River Dragon, a descendant of the great serpentine dragon TerraNulis. The myth said it had formed this river with its passage in centuries past.


    The beast began to thrash wildly. Its strength was great enough to rip trees from the shoreline, which is why Alabaster ¡°Alley¡± Roe had run the CoreSteel chain around a jagged boulder that was half underground. He still needed to act quickly. It might not be able to break the chain, but the MuckDwell Dragon would tear the boulder loose given enough time.


    Alley burst from his hiding place among the reeds. His black hair shone almost blue in the bright mid-morning sun. The young man raised his left arm to activate his dealer.


    His was the most common type¨C a simple silver bracelet with two little gems called vials embedded on the top of his forearm. The gems seemed red but were, in fact, clear, filling while he slept with the vibrant red glow of his own life energy. As a twelfth-rank deck, the lowest, Alley¡¯s dealer only had two such gems. They would take a whole day each to refill, vastly limiting his ability to manifest powerful cards. Many cards require the energy from one or more vials to play, while others would simply not manifest for a dealer below a certain rank. Soon enough, however, he would be able to rank up his dealer anyway. Besides, it may be weak, but a Deck was a Deck, and Alley¡¯s was about to become one MuckDwell River Dragon stronger.


    With a mental push, he called his hand into existence. Five ethereal cards appeared, hovering before him. These were just reflections of the true cards themselves. Those were safely contained within a pocket reality the dealer generated. These were linked to the cards. When Alley chose to play one, it would release the power of the true card¡ªmanifesting the creature, spell, or relic contained within the card into reality. Unlike the cards in his hand, these manifestations were almost as real as he was. They could and did interact with the world around them.


    Each of the floating cards showed an image of what could be manifested, accompanied by the card¡¯s name, how great its Power was, and how deep its Vitality went. Finally, a set of three runes at the bottom of the card denoted the card¡¯s resonances. Many cards also held special abilities beyond these stats, even some in Alley''s current hand. However, this information was only revealed on the projections of spells. Relics and Creatures never displayed their effects. Learning how to activate these abilities, or when they would activate themselves, was part of mastering a deck.


    Alley understood every card he owned. He had gotten this deck two years ago, on his fifteenth birthday. It was a gift his mother had brought back to the island as part of her haul of prizes for being the Regional Champion. Since then, he had devoted every minute of downtime he had to filling his deck. Alley didn''t have enough copies of any single card to evolve anything in his Library but that didn''t mean he couldn''t work towards it. Alley would be seventeen in a month, just in time for the all-island championships.


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    His mother had taken him to the event every year since he was eight. This, however, would be the first time he was old enough to compete. With the fall storms closing in, Alley didn''t have many chores around his parents'' homestead, and he intended to use every second of that free time to strengthen his library before the tournament.


    When he first received it, Alley was disappointed that his deck held different resonances from his mother¡¯s own ¡®King of Rushing Waters¡¯ Deck. They were still both fundamentally Water-Beast decks, something Alley had become grateful for. The dealer artifacts themselves set the resonances not the cards in the library, even having two of three resonances match was a stroke of luck. The difference still made things tricky for him. His mother¡¯s deck could also use Earth cards without penalty, as that was its third resonance. While it was unusual to see two elemental resonances in one deck, it wasn''t unheard of.


    The third resonance of Alley¡¯s ¡®Aegis of the Fisher Lord¡¯ was pressure. Usually, that would be fine. Pressure was arguably a stronger resonance than Earth. The problem stemmed from getting cards of that type. Out here on the ominously named Cursed Isle, there wasn¡¯t anywhere near enough industry to produce Pressure Cards. Most pressure effects were captured phenomena produced by volcanoes, tectonic shifts, and, of course, the deep ocean depths. None of these options were safely or even feasibly available to Alley. The artificial means to create Pressure resonance were, if anything, even less at hand. He couldn¡¯t afford the trip to somewhere that could make them, let alone the cards themselves.


    That meant that for the teen to strengthen his deck, he would need to rely on Water cards, Beast cards, and, of course, cards without any resonance at all.


    This Muckdwell¡¯s third resonance was Dragon. The first two were Water and Beast. So once it was slain and its essence transfigured into a card, Alley would have no issues playing it. You could manifest cards that didn¡¯t share any Resonances with your deck, but their cost in vials would be doubled. If they had no cost, it would be increased to one. This didn¡¯t apply to cards without Resonance. Those cost what they cost, and if you owned them, you could use them. It was rare, though, that a resonance-free card wasn¡¯t overshadowed by its Resonance-fueled counterparts. Rarer still was it to find Resonance-free cards cheap enough for a boy from this backwater to afford. Everyone could use them, after all, so demand was always high.


    Alley examined his hand. Even knowing the deck as well as he did, he still needed to be careful. In an official challenge, if he played a card, it would automatically be replaced with a new draw at the end of the current phase. As he was hunting a giant Dragon-Eel, he was not in an official challenge. There were no phases or turns. His hand would still replenish with new draws after playing a card, but it would take thirty seconds per card he played.


    The five-card hand contained One Lobster Trap relic, a Reed Stalker Creature, The Jar of Eastern Wind spell, and two copies of his Abominable Flounder creature card.


    Not exactly a powerhouse draw. But it would have to do. Flicking his hand in the direction of where he wanted the creature to manifest, Alley called out, ¡°Abominable Flounder!¡± It wasn¡¯t a true fish, so it had no issues swimming in the air when called forth. Today though Alley wanted it to manifest in the water.


    One of the copies of the Water-Beast card vanished from before him. The monstrous fish appeared in reality where he had gestured.


    Deck: Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Abominable Flounder


    Resonances: Water, Beast, Scalekin


    No Cost


    Power: 1400


    Vitality: 1


    Roughly the size of a man, the abominable flounder was a common threat to unwary swimmers in the waters around Cursed Isle. The creature had massive fangs protruding a disproportionate amount from its seemingly too-small mouth. Manifesting in the water, the creature almost seemed identical to the real thing. But the glowing symbols above its head would always be a giveaway.


    Decent enough stats for an unevolved, no-cost card. They weren¡¯t much compared to the river dragon¡¯s, though. While he would not be able to see its stats until it was defeated and made into a card, Alley was confident the MuckDwell dragon¡¯s power was at least two thousand.


    So if it and the Flounder fought, his card would be defeated. Only possessing one Vitality, the fish would be destroyed after losing a single clash. Good thing there wasn¡¯t going to be a fight. Five seconds after it manifested, the Abominable flounder would be able to attack. This was far faster than the whole turn a creature would have to wait in a challenge bout. With the river beast struggling against the hook, anything Alley manifested should be able to assault it with impunity.


    A ghostly chain appeared across the Reed Stalker, and another on the second Abominable Flounder card still in his hand. Without some sort of additional effect, Alley wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest another creature card for at least thirty seconds. Or if he had been in a challenge, not until his next turn. That meant his only options were the Lobster Trap and Jar of Eastern Winds. Both were good cards, but useless here. The Lobster Trap would interfere with manifested creatures, which didn''t do much good as the dragon was really here. While the Jar spell allowed him to select which creature of his an enemy monster attacked, he only controlled one creature at the moment.


    A loud crack split the air, causing Alley to jump. The boulder had begun to come apart, with the indestructible chain splintering stone under the dragon¡¯s thrashing. Water sprayed into the air each time the creature flailed its serpentine body. Alley wiped droplets from his face. Within moments of leaving the reeds, his woolen clothes and hair were saturated.


    ''Well, there really is nothing for it,'' Alley thought to himself.


    "Abominable Flounder!" The declaration selected the creature, and the name of its attack popped as if from nowhere into Alley''s head. You needed to say the correct attack name or the creature wouldn''t begin its assault. It was a safety measure the decks enforced. Supposedly, before this adaptation, accidental deaths from manifested creatures had been a common occurrence.


    "River Fang!"


    The fish surged forward in mimicry of how it swam in life. Covering the distance in a blink, the beast punched its oversized fangs into the dragon¡¯s flank.


    Alley had been expecting the creature to scream and redouble its efforts to escape.


    Instead, it had coiled up its serpentine form. Then, with an explosion of movement, it violently launched the Flounder into the air. This alone wouldn¡¯t have been a problem; the fish would splash unharmed into the water. The Muckdwell River Dragon, it seemed, was not in the mood to let that happen. With an almost casual movement, the beast flicked its tail out of the water and split the Abominable Flounder in two.


    The fish exploded into shards of blue light, which streamed through the air back into the dealer on Alley''s arm.


    When the light cleared, the dragon stopped thrashing entirely. Instead, its eyes, the size of Alley¡¯s face, narrowed, looking down at the boy, almost as if the creature knew the source of its torment.


    ''Well, that''s not good.''

 Chapter Two: Deck Building

    Chapter 2: Deck Building


    Alabaster


    Alley kept one eye on the floating cards as he ran. His options were limited, as he


    couldn¡¯t simply abandon the shore and flee inland. Not only would that mean giving up on adding the MuckDwell River Dragon to his deck. It would mean letting the monster escape with his coresteel chain still attached to it. Well not his, his father¡¯s. The chain was a rare item and worth more than his family made in most years. Alley could not allow it to be lost. Especially as he hadn¡¯t strictly speaking gotten permission for the chain¡¯s use today.


    No. He had to both stay alive and keep the dragon¡¯s attention. Until he was allowed to manifest another creature or his next card draw happened that meant running around the bank of the river like a lunatic. Quickly realizing it couldn''t bite at him effectively the creature had instead opted to flick its massive tail at Alabaster.


    It had been twenty seconds since he played the flounder. If he could just hold out for ten more seconds he would be back in business.


    Alley hurled himself into a dive. Skidding face first on his chest and arms across the muddy bank. The dragon¡¯s tail lashed inches above his head. The spray of water accompanying the monster¡¯s attack struck Alabaster with enough force to slice his skin.


    It hurt and he winced, but deck building was often dangerous or painful. He wouldn¡¯t have been much of a player if he couldn¡¯t handle a little pain. What''s more, if he had let the pain paralyze him he would have very shortly been dead.


    Panting, bleeding, and covered in mud, Alley pushed himself back to his feet. After another three steps, a new card appeared among the ethereal hand hovering before him. RiverRush SnapJaw. He manifested it instantly. Normally Alley would take care to specify where he manifested a creature. There was no time for that now. Instead, he gestured wildly over his shoulder. The Card vanished from his hand, and the ghostly chains appeared on the creature cards still in his hand once more.


    He didn¡¯t need to look at the SnapJaw to know what it''s stats were.


    The horse-sized turtle Alley had manifested couldn¡¯t hope to challenge the river dragon, but that wasn¡¯t why he had manifested it. With three vitality it could be defeated three times before being sent to Alabaster''s crypt. That meant the turtle could buy him time.


    Even without a command, it would try to keep itself between Alley and any incoming threats. All creature cards behaved that way. They would even defend themselves if attacked as well.


    Seeing the dragon had gone after the turtle in his peripheral vision, Alley spun to face the monster. It was instantly clear to him that two things had gone wrong with his plan. The first while a poor result was manageable, The MuckDwell River Dragon was not a card and this was not a challenge. It could attack as many times as it wanted, as quickly as it was able.


    Wrapping its eel-like tail around the RiverRush SnapJaw. The beast flung Alley¡¯s creature towards its maw. With shocking dexterity, it snapped the turtle out of the air. The dragon¡¯s massive jaws descended on the flailing turtle. It then proceeded to rend the SnapJaw between its gnashing razor teeth.


    Three Vitality became two, then one, and then the turtle exploded into fragments of blue light. Creatures getting destroyed was all a part of the plan. Even if this had been quicker than he¡¯d hoped Alabaster wasn¡¯t concerned. The second issue however was a disaster. Whilst attacking the turtle the dragon had torn free of the hook in its mouth. The monster had lost a chunk of its cheek in the process. It was oozing blood of a deep purple shade. But it was free. Free to launch itself at Alley. Which it promptly did with horrifying speed.


    Still on the riverbank, Alley was easily in range of the monster¡¯s lunge. He tried to hurl himself out of the way, but as he moved Alley¡¯s feet slid out from under him. He landed awkwardly on his elbow, his feet splayed out in front of him. From the river, death rushed toward the boy. The enormous mouth of the dragon bore down on him like an endless dark tunnel.


    There were still twenty seconds until he could play another creature, an eternity. The spell and relic cards in his hand were still useless. There was only one card Alabaster could play. This one was proverbial.


    ¡°Buckler Ring!¡± He screamed in desperation.


    The sole magic item linked to his deck activated. The ring appeared on his finger and a dome of red energy, large enough to fully protect him from the front appeared. Three feet in front of Alley.


    It had always struck him as odd that the gem set in the ring, which presumably held the magic, was blue. While the attack-negating shield projected by it was red. This, however, was not the time to worry about it.


    The dragon¡¯s bite collided with the dome and bounced off. It couldn¡¯t hurt the creature, no matter the force it had been traveling at. But it did confuse the monster for just a moment. Alley had not wasted his chance. The moment the energy shield appeared he had begun scrambling to his feet. Retreating up the bank he planned his next move.


    ¡°Use every resource¡± he panted to himself. ¡°Examine every option.¡± It was his mother¡¯s mantra and had been drilled into him since he first picked up a card.


    Changing direction Alabaster sprinted for the chained boulder. He reached it with eleven seconds until he would draw or could manifest again. And the dragon snapping at his heels. The next draw wasn¡¯t important. If he could survive the eleven seconds, Alley had everything he needed.


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    As the dome of energy dissipated, the ring vanished from his finger. The enchanted item was extremely useful but would require a full day sitting in his deck¡¯s storage before he could activate it again.


    The end of the chain still dangled uselessly into the river. The chunk of bloody dragon flesh hanging from the hook darkened the water around it. Alley couldn¡¯t pull the chain back in time to use the hook, but he could hide behind the rock at least. Maybe not exactly the ¡®use of every resource¡¯ he had intended. But if it worked it worked. This time thankfully. It worked.


    Having scrambled over the boulder, Alley flung himself back to the muddy ground. It was dryer back here by the boulder, and the impact would no doubt leave some bruises.


    Still, it saved him. The rock wasn¡¯t much cover but the Dragon was smart enough not to smash its face into geographical outcroppings. So it had pulled back its strike, the monster instead seeking to raise its serpentine head over the rock. Slithering forward it paused again as it crossed the rock. The dragon had fully left the water. While able to move around outside the river it was far less nimble. Its massive weight and fishlike scales prevented it from moving like an oversized snake. The dragon¡¯s tail whip was also no longer available to it, as it needed its back half to slither across the ground.


    For the second time that morning, Alabaster launched himself from his hands and knees into a sprint. His face had turned red, and he was sweating profusely. Yet when he spun around to face the river dragon again a smile was plastered on his face.


    ¡°Reed Stalker¡± he declared just as the chains across the card vanished. He had also drawn. The card he pulled ¡®Land of Rivers¡¯ was a powerful ongoing spell. It would physically transform the land around him while active. Sadly its other effect was to increase the power of all creatures that held both resonances, Water and Beast.


    As the MuckDwell had those two along with ¡®Dragon¡¯ it would gain just as much advantage as anything in Alley¡¯s deck. The creature he had just manifested ¡®Reed Stalker¡¯ would get no benefit at all. Unique among all the creatures in his deck the stalker held no water resonance. It was a beast creature at least though, which meant Alabaster could play it without cost. Since his deck¡¯s resonances were Water, Beast, and Pressure.


    The Reed Stalker was also the smallest creature he owned. Smallest but among the most powerful.


    The stalker manifested in between Alley and the river dragon. The huge monster undulated side to side as it drove towards him. The light cleared and the stalker fully formed. It was a large blue and green-furred cat with strangely short whiskers. Standing about half the height of a tall child.


    The creature¡¯s power and vitality hovered over its head, but after less than a second the power number blurred and became ¡®2100¡¯.


    The Reed Stalker might not initially seem like a good fit for his deck. But aware of its special effect, Alley had spent weeks hunting down the two he owned. For each water resonance creature in the owner¡¯s crypt, the Reed Stalker gained two hundred power. With no time to spare Alley gave the order for the Reed Stalker to attack.


    ¡°Blurring pounce!¡±


    The Reed Stalker bent its legs, its claws and fangs began to glow, and it leaped forward with such speed Alley could barely keep track of it. The dragon and the cat collided a moment later. Their power was evidently equal as both creatures were slain. The dragon was disemboweled. Causing it to spasm and let out a pitiful roar, before collapsing onto the bank. Still, it had managed to snap its massive jaws down on the back half of the lionkin. The Stalker exploded into blue light and returned to Alley¡¯s crypt just like his other creatures.


    With a whoop of joy, Alabaster dismissed his hand. The ethereal card images return to the miniature reality their originals dwelled in. He was still panting. His whole body ached with exhaustion. His arms and face stung with cuts and scrapes he had barely registered. None of that mattered now. The dragon was dead, it¡¯s card his to claim.


    The elation he felt at the successful hunt buoyed his tired limbs as he carefully approached the corpse of the dragon.


    Alley kept on his toes. He was confident the monster was dead, and yet it never paid to be reckless. Picking up a rock half the size of his fist he threw it at the dragon¡¯s open eye. There was a sickly squelching sound as the stone met the iris. The monster didn¡¯t even blink. Letting out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding Alley strode forward with more confidence.


    Once he reached the massive eel creature Alley placed his dealer; the silver bracelet on his wrist against the monster¡¯s corpse.


    Instantly his dealer grew hot. There was a rush in Alabaster¡¯s ears, and for a few seconds, the world was replaced with an endless white light. When his vision returned the MuckDwell RiverDragon¡¯s body was glowing. Filled with the same blue light that appeared when a creature card was destroyed. Moments later three orbs of glowing colour rose from the corpse. The dragon¡¯s resonances. Cerulean for the water resonance, Tan for the Beast resonance, and finally a shimmering gold for the resonance of dragons.


    The orbs hovered in place for a moment before colliding with each other. The resonances pushed against one another for long seconds, before finally they merged. What this produced was not another colored orb, but a hovering ghostly version of the MuckDwell River Dragon.


    Above its head the numbers and icons of a card.


    This image vanished shortly. Leaving behind a single card lying atop the corpse of the dragon. Reaching down Alley plucked up the still-warm creation. He could tell from the details visible on the card that the dragon required the sacrifice of a single vial. Not the best value, but it still had more powerful base stats than anything presently in his deck. Besides he had no idea what abilities it could unlock should he manage to evolve it.


    Alabaster spent another few seconds admiring the fruits of his labor, before mentally claiming the card. It vanished from his hand into the pocket reality of his collection. ¡®So convenient¡¯. He sometimes wished you could store things like food and tools in that other realm. But alas no. The dealer could only store cards and certain enchanted items that were linked to the deck.


    Sitting down atop the body of the river dragon. Alley inspected himself for injury while he caught his breath. His first urge was to instantly cram the new card into his deck, but he knew that was wrong. His mother had taught him that almost all of the best decks stuck to the forty-five-card minimum. Finding a place for the eel beast would mean taking something else out.


    He was mentally running through his options when a sudden jerk of motion snapped the reverie. Somehow the Muckdwell¡¯s corpse was moving! Alley looked up and what he saw caused his mouth to hang open in shock.


    A second MuckDwell River Dragon had emerged from the depths of the river, no doubt drawn by the blood of its kin. The newly arrived monster had its jaws locked around the first dragon¡¯s tail and was dragging the body that Alley currently sat on into the river.


    The boy cursed himself. He absolutely should have been prepared for this possibility. The whole reason he was out here today was that the river dragons were migrating east towards the open ocean for their mating cycle. They only passed by Cursed Isle once every five years, but when they did it was in numbers.


    This was precisely why he had been told time and time again to never go deck building alone. How once you created a card your dealer would need an hour before it would allow you to manifest again. About the dangers of unpredictable monsters.


    All excellent points. Which was why Alley had not gone deck building alone.

 Chapter Three: The Big Game Hunter

    Take for example our so-called lesser cousins. The Trials Deck, and the players that wield them are to be respected, and treated as dangerous foes. While yes these players cannot alter reality around them, contained as they are to affecting themselves and their equipment. And yes their library size and ability to gain new cards are both severely limited. But consider this. The player of a Trials Deck may only be challenged by another Trials Deck wielder. So should you find yourself threatened by one of these ''lesser cousins'' know that your most common defense will not save you.


    -Mysteries of the Deck. Book one. -The arrogance of the player.


    Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Player: Darius Knots


    Dealer: Metal Bar Piercing Top Of Left Ear


    Rank: 11th [Blooded]


    Resonance: Pursuit


    Library: 20 Cards


    Chapter 3: The Big Game Hunter


    Alabaster


    Alabaster jumped from the dragon''s body. This time he actually landed on his feet. The soft muddy bank sank beneath his boots lessening the impact.


    Ahead of him, breaking from the long reeds that had been concealing Alley minutes before, was a boy about his own age dressed in hunter¡¯s leathers. His hair was a dull red ponytail. His skin was a sun-tanned brown. He was shorter than Alabaster but significantly broader. His name was Darius, and for six months out of every year, he was Alley¡¯s best friend.


    In one hand Darius carried a harpoon of jagged bone. His Trials Deck hand hovered around the other arm. Smaller and less prominent than a True Deck, the hand of a Trials Deck was never in front of its player¡¯s face.


    The two boys shared a grin as they passed each other. Alley dashed back towards the boulder and his father¡¯s chain. Darius engaged the dragon. Alabaster knew his friend would be alright by himself, but he still wanted to help. Without his deck that meant he needed a weapon. He grabbed a hold of the coresteel chain and began to drag it back to him. There had been no time to retrieve the hook with the first dragon. That was no longer the case.


    He heard Darius shout his battle cry. Something in his native tongue of the North East. It meant nothing to Alley. While he wished he¡¯d had more time to rest first, Alabaster was determined, and within moments he had grasped the iron hook at the end of the chain.


    Coresteel was light for its strength, but the hook and chain together were still too heavy to throw effectively. He hadn¡¯t intended to use the chain as a weapon today.


    Alabaster glanced back at his friend. Darius had pierced the dragon¡¯s neck with a throw of his harpoon. While the beast was bleeding with the weapon embedded in its flesh. The dragon was very much alive, and very much trying to snap its enormous jaws shut on Alley¡¯s friend. Darius had no doubt increased his own strength with a card before hurling the harpoon. But now he was struggling to recover his spear without being bitten in half for the trouble.


    Alabaster blinked. The chain was too heavy for him to throw effectively.


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    Bursting back into action Alley hurried to undo the latch that held the almost unbreakable chain in place.


    His wet fingers fumbled the device, but after a few moments the latch was undone and the chain was free of the boulder.


    Hook in one hand, chain in the other dragging behind him Alley dashed towards Darius. As a child, he had complained that his mother made him run as much as she did. He couldn''t understand what that had to do with winning challenge matches.


    He understood now.


    Waiting until his friend had successfully dodged one of the MuckDwell¡¯s attacks so that he could get distracted without dying. Alley called his friend¡¯s name.


    ¡°Darius! Take!¡±


    The pair had worked together their whole lives and found that in the midst of combat the more succinct you could communicate the better. As such they had developed a sort of shorthand. It wasn¡¯t exactly a code language, but it did sometimes come across to other people as baffling.


    The red-headed boy flicked his eyes in Alley¡¯s direction. Almost without thought, he thrust his hand out to take the hook. Alabaster didn¡¯t so much pass the chained weapon as drop it as he sprinted past, confident his friend would catch it.


    His confidence was well-placed. Darius snatched the hook out of the air, already activating another card. ¡°Dawnshot!¡± he yelled. Causing one of the small cards hovering around his arm to vanish. While Alley couldn¡¯t see it, he knew the Dawnshot card would also cause his friend¡¯s eyes to fill with yellow light. Obviously, the card had some other effect too. It likely has something to do with ranged attacks or accuracy. Alabaster wasn¡¯t sure exactly what.


    Trials Deck- Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Dawn Shot Resonance- Pursuit


    The Player''s next ranged attack cannot be dodged. Only Blocked, Stopped, or Negated.


    The dark-haired boy held the end of his father¡¯s chain tight. As Darius spun and then flung the hook end of the coresteel chain. The dragon attempted to whip its head out of the way, but the large hook seemed to change direction mid-flight. Allowing it to tear into the dragon''s eye and become snagged there. The roar the dragon let loose shook both boys on a physical level. As though the sheer volume of the sound caused the world around it to vibrate.


    Having never stopped running, Alley leaped into the air. The chain going taught in his grasp he swung out over the water. Using the dragon like some bloody thrashing version of the rope swing behind his house.


    Not wishing to have its eye torn out, the beast leaned towards Alabaster. Arresting his swing and sending him tumbling into the water. Exactly as he''d planned.


    While Alley was diving beneath the water in an attempt to keep himself safe. Darius had been given the opportunity he had been waiting for. Leaping from the bank he slammed into the neck of the turning dragon. Grasping his spear he held himself aloft. There was a slight tearing of flesh, but the weapon held firm. Darius could now once again activate the Harpoon Rain Card in his hand.


    ¡°Harpoon Rain¡±


    Trials Deck- Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Harpoon Rain Resonance- Pursuit


    Requires a Spear or Javelin type weapon


    Create two copies of the Player''s weapon on either side of the original.


    Copies will mirror the speed and trajectory of the original for fifteen seconds before vanishing.


    It was unusable unless he was holding some sort of spear or javelin. Unevolved as it was, the card only created two copies of the bone spear once it left his hand. It would however create them next to the original. Letting go of the harpoon he felt the magic of the card activate. As he fell into the water he saw the second and third copies of the spear appear. Piercing the dragon twice more.


    The creature was dead, it simply didn¡¯t know it yet. Throat and neck pierced by the savage barbed spears, its blood had already begun to impede its ability to breathe.


    Thrashing about half blind, and choking on its own bodily fluids the second River Dragon met its end. Alley had already pulled himself back on the bank. After diving towards the riverbed he swam back towards land. Assuming it would be a lot safer than sharing the water with a dragon. A sound theory, but inaccurate in this case. With its final spasmodic thrash, the dragon¡¯s tail smashed into the still-swimming Darius launching him out of the river with the force of a Clash Ram Alpha. The boy¡¯s wild scream was the only warning Alley got before his friend collided with him.


    With a wicked ¡®THUD!¡¯ the world went black.

 Chapter Four: Considerations on The Thaw Princess

    Chapter 4: Considerations on The Thaw Princess


    Alabaster


    Alley awoke a few seconds later. His head was spinning, and his limbs felt like they were made of pudding. Darius was already pulling himself off of Alley, and getting to his feet. A moment later Alley joined him. Looking upon each other''s filthy and bloody state, both boys quickly burst into laughter. The combination of amusement at each other¡¯s muddy and bloody appearances, the adrenaline coursing through their veins, and the sheer joy at still being alive was all too much. So they laughed and clasped hands in celebration.


    ¡°There is an entire riverbank here, and you hit me!?¡± Panted Alley with amused incredulity.


    His friend shrugged, also sucking in deep breaths.


    ¡°You were supposed to catch me.¡± Darius joked in return.


    From there the two teens worked on getting the river dragon corpses entirely onto the bank. It would be some time before Alley could turn the second dragon into a card, but he could help his friend move the monsters, and then help him carve them up.


    Like many creatures possessing resonances, the river dragon organs could be used for all sorts of creations and medicines. Hunters by trade the Knots family which Darius belonged to made their living acquiring such organs.


    Grabbing a sack they had left behind in the reeds. The boys got to work hacking open the scaled creatures.


    By the time they had removed the heart, fangs, and the fist-sized cerulean water gem that the monsters had instead of gills. Alabaster was able to create the second card.


    It was around lunchtime at this point, and the boys opted to head back home so they could bathe and eat. Before meeting back up again for an evening hunt.


    Passing through the wall of reeds the pair made their way further inland. Disturbing frogs and insects along the way. Cursed Isle was a grim place. All jagged rocks and dark woods. Frequently cold and wet. It still managed a somber sort of beauty in the early autumn sun. The center of the island was dominated by a pair of small grey mountains. The valley between them held the sole village on the isle and Alley¡¯s home. The uncreatively named Valeton. Getting back to the village would take the better part of an hour. Slightly more if Alley detoured to drop Darius off first, which he would.


    While his friend¡¯s family stayed on the island for the colder months. They did so in their own little shack village out in the woods. It was near enough to the village that they could interact easily enough, but not so close as to put off the villagers with the stench of slaughtered monsters.


    ¡°Your family is going to the All Isles festival again this year right?¡± Darius asked. He seemed oddly coy for once. Very much at odds with his usual boisterous nature.


    ¡°Yeah obviously.¡° Alley said, looking at his friend sideways. ¡° I¡¯m finally allowed to enter the All Isles tournament this year. I would have to be dead not to go.¡±


    Darius scratched the back of his head. And his reply was slow in coming.


    ¡°Yeah but¡­it¡¯s not just your mother and you going right?¡±


    Alabaster stopped walking. A mischievous smile slowly spread across his face, as an inkling of where this was going entered his mind.


    ¡°Yeah, I think my dad is coming too. He likes the markets at the festival.¡± Alley said with feigned ignorance. He knew for certain Darius was not asking about Alabaster¡¯s father.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the red-headed boy to realize he was being played with, but it didn¡¯t make his embarrassment seem any less prominent. Growing flustered he stumbled his words a little but managed to ask directly.


    ¡° I..you know. I was thinking of asking your sister to the dance on the second night of the festival.¡±


    Even though he knew it was coming Alley laughed incredulously.


    ¡°Hecatia has been the All Isles Thaw Princess for three years running! Are you crazy?¡±


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    Darius blushed but pushed on.


    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t. She won it twice.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! She won that first year too! They only took it off her because it was creepy that a fifteen-year-old girl had gotten so many votes in a beauty contest.¡±


    Darius went silent at that. Playing with his dealer; The small metal bar that pierced the top of his left ear.


    ¡° So you''re saying I don¡¯t have a chance?¡±


    Alley shook his head in amused disbelief at the whole exchange.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying if you wanted a chance you needed to be working on it weeks or even months ago. Do you know how many letters she gets from the other four river islands?¡± Darius raised an eyebrow as they started walking again.


    ¡° What, like love letters?¡± He said. Embarrassment gave way to amusement at the idea.


    ¡°Ohhh yeah. Believe me every week she gets at least three letters. Usually on scented paper, or accompanied by dried flowers. Sometimes even jewelry.¡±


    Darius snorted.


    ¡°Okay, I do seem a little out of my depth here.¡± He conceded. ¡°But maybe I can win her over with my down-home enthusiasm.¡±


    Alley laughed. ¡°So you are going then?¡± He assumed the Knots family would be at the All Isles festival, as they tended to have a stockpile of wares to sell during it. Not always though. Some years the hunts didn¡¯t go well, and Darius¡¯ family had to just tighten their belts and be poor and hungry for the winter.


    The times that happened Alley¡¯s mother and father would help the Knots. Just as the Hunter family would help the Roe¡¯s with materials, and resonance-filled organs when their bounty was great.


    ¡°Yeah we are gonna be there, we are bringing five boats worth of stuff.¡±


    Alabaster Blanched. That was a lot of material ....a lot of dead monster. Especially given there were only five members of the Knots family to transport it all.


    Seeing his friend¡¯s reaction he elaborated. ¡° Dad is building a big barge to store it all, we will just be using the river boats to transport it from the barge to the big docks at Casari. If it works my parents could handle the whole cargo themselves.¡±


    Alley nodded his understanding. ¡°Hopefully we travel upriver with you guys again this year. I¡¯ve never been on a barge.¡±


    From there they chatted idly about previous years they had gone to the festival. Darius also confessed that if they did end up hosting the Roe family on their barge. The days of travel were where he intended to attempt to win over Hecatia.


    Picking their way through the woods the pair of boys eventually hit the man-made


    clearing that played host to the collection of shacks the Knots clan inhabited.


    Darius¡¯ twin younger siblings were the only members of the clan visible. The ten-year-old boy and girl were in the process of skinning a boar the size of a wagon. The beast was strung up with chains on a large iron scaffolding at the center of the tiny settlement. Alley¡¯s father had helped the Knots family build the thing, and it served its purpose well. Able to hold up even huge monsters while they were harvested.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tonight I guess.¡± Said Alabaster as he exchanged waves with the Knots twins.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll talk to my parents about some bait ideas, and meet you near the docks.¡± Alley nodded.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± The two boys had decided they would camp out tonight in hopes of hunting an Abyss King Kraken. The enormous tentacled beasts occasionally entered the bay past Cursed Isle to hunt the MuckDwell River Dragons as they migrated into the ocean. Neither Alabaster nor Darius were quite sure of the best place to watch from. But they had narrowed it down to either the Eastern Cliffs or they could make the hour trip off the island to the cape of the bay. The plan was to assess how dangerous sailing Alley¡¯s little skff across the water would be when the sun was down, and go from there.


    Turning away from the clearing Alley heard Darius call out to his siblings.


    ¡° Hey MuckRunners¡± he insulted them. It was in the way of older brothers, where they thought it was somehow affectionate.


    ¡°Where are Mum and Dad?¡±


    Alley was too far away to make out the squealed reply.


    He strode back through the woods with the comfort of someone who had spent seventeen years living on this little island. There was the occasional encounter with a monster or dangerous animal among the trees of Cursed Isle. But it was uncommon, especially this close to both the Knots settlement and Valeton.


    Alley was more concerned that the dried mud and blood on him might ruin his clothes than the possibility he could run into something dangerous.


    It only took him another fifteen minutes to make it to the edge of the gnarled woods. He could already smell the smoke coming from his village. There was always some cookout or bonfire event happening in Valeton. With the exception of Alley and his mother, every person in the village had a passion for cooking. Or at least a passion for showing off their own family¡¯s ¡®secret¡¯ recipes.


    Alabaster blinked as he made his way up the foothills to the village. It was about half a mile between woods and the settlement at the valley entrance. As he had done hundreds of times Alley hopped over a fallen tree and started up the path that had been forged by generations of villager feet. He blinked again, eyes starting to water.


    It was the smoke. It lacked the sweet scents of roasting meat, and the strange clean smell of burning pine. It was far thicker and more acrid than the smoke produced by even the biggest bonfires, or the worst burned meat.


    For the fourth time that morning, Alabaster broke into a sprint.

 Chapter Five: Where Theres Smoke

    Chapter 5: Where There''s Smoke


    Alabaster


    The scene that greeted Alabaster at the top of the foothills had been plucked directly from his nightmares. Valeton had been obliterated. Where once had stood a collection of fifteen houses and three stores. Now stood¡­nothing. The destruction was strangely varied. Here a house flattened as though by some gigantic force, there one destroyed by a blazing inferno. Alley made his way to the village center in a daze. The little stage and the bonfire he had thought he¡¯d been smelling were drowned in mud. This area had played host to countless parties, and innumerable addresses from Valeton¡¯s mayor. They had always been the same, mumbled words about the harvest, the weather, and trade with the other four river islands. Usually followed by some congratulations or another for Alley¡¯s mother. Arcadia Roe was the Regional Champion and Valeton¡¯s pride.


    The Square would never host such events again. Not only was it covered in several feet of mud. It looked as though the sliding earth had hit the area like a tidal wave. Destroying several houses along with the village center. It honestly reminded Alley of when his mother played her Flooding Torrent and Earth Wave spell combination. That was of course impossible. His mother would never manifest battle-orientated cards near the village. Let alone one of her most powerfully destructive plays while in the town.


    The first body Alabaster found was his uncle. Tertian was the man''s name, he had been the older brother of Alley''s dad.


    The man''s body from the waist down was missing. Gone as though it had never existed at all. There wasn''t even blood or spilled internal organs. So absolute was the annihilation that the man was simply torso and then ash.


    Alley felt his stomach drop. He had liked his uncle well enough. There was too much of an age gap to have truly gotten along, but the gray-haired man had been both generous and funny.


    Uncle Tertian had technically owned a True Deck like Alley''s or his mother''s. However, calling it one was practically an insult to his Mother¡¯s ¡®King Of Rushing Waters¡¯ deck, and even to Alley''s own ¡®Aegis Of The Fisher Lord¡¯.


    The Deck Alley¡¯s uncle had owned was a Cursed Deck. As punishment for being used in some horrific atrocity generations in the past, the Deck had been all but ruined.


    While a cursed deck was still a rare and valuable artifact, it was more like a collector''s piece.


    With the curse in place, the Deck could not manifest cards outside of a challenge. Meaning while you could still fight another player, that was all you could do with it.


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    On top of that limitation, the library of a Cursed Deck had a minimum of 90 cards. That might sound good to an absolute rookie Player. But more was not always more. Such a huge library utterly destroyed any chance of consistent strategies, or even drawing the cards you wanted at all.


    A sudden memory of Uncle Tertian making the joke ¡°It can¡¯t be Cursed Isle without at least one Cursed Deck.¡± Well past the point of it being even remotely amusing made him smile sadly. He had never even known where the man had gotten it from. A Cursed Deck might be nearly useless, but they were far rarer than True or Trials Decks.


    Alley was about to reverently close his uncle''s eyes when he heard the sound of shifting rubble coming from the direction of his own home.


    A surge of fear and hope cut through his daze. He needed to check on his family home. His mother, his father, his sister. Alabaster didn''t know what cataclysm had befallen Valeton, but solving the mystery meant nothing next to making sure those three people were safe.


    It didn''t take long to get to his house. Like everyone else in the village, the Roe family lived in a two-story house of dark wood, and pale stone. Behind it was a small pond Alley''s mother had created years ago. Overlooking the pond was a single tree with a rope swing attached.


    The fact that Alley could see the tree and the rope from here struck him as odd. That shouldn''t be right, the house should block his view.


    The house had been destroyed so utterly that it made the ruination throughout the town seem mild by comparison.


    Despite Alley¡¯s surety that his mother would never manifest dangerous cards here, it was clear to see this was the epicenter of the destruction. Even the wave of mud seemed like it had emanated from Alabaster''s home.


    His home. What had been a building was now just splinters and dust.


    Alley blinked several times. He was in shock, and couldn''t truly make sense of what he was seeing. This was all impossible. His mother was one of the most powerful players around. She was an Eighth Ranked Player! Nothing and no one should have been able to threaten Valeton, let alone his family.


    Alley¡¯s breath caught in his throat at a flash of light in his peripheral vision. Was it his parents? His sister? No. A figure he hadn''t noticed crouched among the ruins of his home. Before them hovered three resonance orbs. One a cerulean water resonance, the next the shining gold of the dragons. The final resonance was one Alley had never seen before. It was a shifting ball of rainbows. One moment dark as pitch, the next shining with pink, or yellow light.


    Despite the mystery resonance they still behaved normally. Swirling around and colliding. In a few moments, the orb would explode into light leaving behind the ghostly image that collapsed into a card.


    Alley didn''t recognize the figure. They were about his height with blonde hair and clad in the armored robes of a southern cleric.


    He couldn''t see their front as they faced away from Alabaster. But he was instantly sure they were not a resident of Valeton.


    When the combined resonance orb exploded. Alley realized with horror that he did however recognise the apparition the orb had left behind.


    "That''s Impossible, you can''t make cards out of people," Alley whispered, as his whole world fell apart.

 Chapter Six: The Killer

    Chapter 6: The Killer


    Alabaster


    Alabaster stared at the ghostly form of his sister. Her face and hair had been given a luminous quality. The girl who had always been famous for her looks had been perfected somehow. Almost as if the idea of her ultimate self had supplanted the reality of her.


    As with the creation of any card her power and vitality hovered above her head. But Alley didn¡¯t even glance at them.


    Her dark hair flowed like spilled ink in water, as the ghostly form of Hecatia Roe turned and smiled a sad farewell to her brother.


    "No!" He screamed when she vanished a moment later.


    The figure who was crouching over what Alley now realized was his sister¡¯s body reached out and plucked something from her corpse. ¡®Her card¡¯. The thought came to Alabaster unbidden, cutting through his disjointed mind with painful clarity.


    The figure held the card up to his face, inspecting it.


    "Tsk" The figure made a disappointed sound and tossed the card aside. The flat item fluttered randomly about as it fell to the ground.


    Alley couldn¡¯t help but follow the card''s path with his eyes as it landed near a second body.


    She was covered in splinters and dust, her upper body and head so brutalized even her own son would struggle to recognize her. He did though, there could be no question who the body belonged to. In all of Valeton, there was only one person who had blue hair.


    Arcadia Roe; his mother.


    Alley¡¯s breaths came quickly, but no matter how many he took in his chest felt tight and empty as though he was holding his breath. All but Hyperventilating trying to pull open his shirt for more air. In his panicked state, the task was impossible thanks to the coresteel chain he had wrapped around his torso after the fishing was done.


    Seeing his sister dead had been a devastating blow, but it hadn''t shaken Alley the same way seeing his mother¡¯s mangled form was shaking him now.


    Alabaster¡¯s mother was the regional champion; she held an eighth-rank deck with unique spells and legendary monsters. She was the strongest person Alley had ever known, she couldn''t be dead.


    Yet that was the reality of the situation. His mother, sister, and uncle were dead, his father was unaccounted for, and the village he had lived his entire life in had been converted to ash, splinters, and mud.


    Unable to process its own grief, Alley''s mind took the only route it could to stay sane. It flooded the boy with a rage so profound it blotted out the darkness of his thoughts and made the edges of his vision shake.


    "You did this "


    Alabaster stated as shock and despair gave way to rage. It wasn''t a question. Even if it wasn''t the case, he needed it to be true. Needed to be able to lash out at someone, needed to destroy something. This horrid reality that his life had suddenly become demanded it.


    "I did," replied the figure, seemingly noticing Alley for the first time.


    He stood and turned, revealing the killer to be only a little older than Alabaster. He was a handsome blonde boy, with hair that fell just past his eyebrows. His clothes really did resemble those of the southern priest caste, but lacked the holy insignias that adorned those men.


    This stranger was clearly a monster. If he had the power to defeat Alley¡¯s mother his deck had to be unimaginably strong. Yet Alley didn¡¯t back down, this might be his only opportunity to avenge his family. The Blonde teen had just created a card. Outside of a Challenge match, he would be unable to manifest any cards for an hour or more. An hour was a very long time to lack defenses when someone was trying to kill you.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you did this,¡± hissed Alley through gritted teeth. ¡°But it is the last decision you are ever going to make.¡±


    The stranger''s eyes flicked to the bracelet on Alabaster''s wrist, just as the last Roe child activated his Deck.


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    The ethereal form of the five random cards Alley was dealt from his Deck appeared in front of him. It almost didn''t matter what his hand was. Any creature would do, so long as it could attack this boy.


    With the ease of long practice, Alley inspected his hand while also watching his enemy through the translucent cards.


    The hand was a healthy mix of monster and spell cards.


    DockSide Gull, Washed Away, Pack Shark, RiverRush SnapJaw, Tidal Cage.


    ¡°Tidal Cage!¡± Alley activated the spell card as soon as he saw it.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Resonances:Water, Pressure


    Spell


    No Cost


    [Play Only During Your Turn]


    Target Creature cannot attack or defend for two turns.


    When a Challenge was declared both Decks fueled the magic of the battle. This was what allowed a Deck to still take part in a Challenge whilst awaiting the hour after creating a card. There were other reasons too. The two artifacts working together would prevent either Deck from burning out from overuse. It also meant the nature of how spell and relic cards acted was different. As the opposing Deck wasn¡¯t going to aid in the destruction of itself or its wielder. There were all sorts of restrictions about how spells worked, what they could target, when they could be used, and how they could hurt the opposing player.


    Outside of a Challenge Spells and Relics acted closer to how they were originally intended. Usually too much greater effectiveness.


    The card vanished from Alabaster¡¯s hand, and the spell began its effect. A sphere of water the size of a small room enveloped the stranger. The tidal cage was a pressure spell and did more than create an area of water. The liquid pushed in on you from all directions with enough force to keep the target locked in place.


    A savage smile crossed Alabaster¡¯s face. This murderer might be powerful, but if he couldn¡¯t hold his breath for two minutes he was about to have a very bad time. And if he could Alley would be ready for him.


    ¡°Pack Shark¡± he declared, manifesting the creature from his hand.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Resonances: Water, Beast, Scalekin


    Power: 1500


    Vitality: 1


    When Pack Shark is Manifested Reveal the top two cards of your Library. Put any copies of ''Pack Shark'' or ''Pack Shark Alpha'' revealed this way to your hand.


    Send any other Cards revealed this way to the bottom of your Library


    The predatory fish was huge. Its massive maw hung open in an expression that always struck Alley as looking like a goofy grin. In truth, there was nothing funny about the monster. A vicious hunter that swarmed the leviathans of the deep sea, forcing them near the surface with pack tactics before ripping them apart.


    Once the shark had manifested fully, its stats hovered above its head. The beast began to swim about in the air, circling the imprisoned boy. Half a second after that the Pack Shark¡¯s ability activated. The ethereal image of two cards appeared in front of Alabaster. Separate from his hand these two were revealed cards, and visible to both him and his opponent. Though Alley doubted the murderer could make them out through the Tidal Cage.


    ¡®Pack Shark Alpha, Feeding Frenzy¡¯


    Not Bad. Per Pack Shark¡¯s effect, Alley would lose the Feeding Frenzy spell to the bottom of his Library, but it was well worth it to add Pack Shark Alpha to his hand. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t play the Alpha, and as soon as the creature card entered his hand translucent chains covered it, just as they did the other cards Alabaster couldn¡¯t play yet.


    From within his watery prison, the stranger tilted his head and then smirked. While the man looked serene and suspended in the sphere of water, Alley knew it would buy him enough time to flood the wreckage of the village with creatures. While the manifested monsters couldn¡¯t attack the boy through Tidal Cage, once the spell ended they would tear him apart.


    On some level, Alley knew it was not to be. If a meager no-cost spell like Tidal Cage was enough to contain this man, he would never have been able to defeat Arcadia in the first place.


    Bubbles left the blonde boy¡¯s mouth, as he grunted in effort. A moment later, a blinding flash of golden light and a pair of flaming wings sprouted from the boy¡¯s back. A halo of similar flame appeared above his head.


    Neither manifestation appeared affected by the water surrounding them. Quite the opposite. As the flaming wings spread out from the boy¡¯s back the Tidal prison seemed to dissolve around him. The magical water didn¡¯t even bubble or boil. Simply converting directly to steam as the flaming wings passed through it. The wings seemed to grow spreading wider and wider until the tips pierced the edges of the sphere. The moment they did, the construct collapsed.


    The blonde teen and the water both dropped to the ground with a loud splash. Leaving the boy¡¯s clothes, and hair hanging limply, and a wide puddle on the ground.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground the killer surged forward, leaping back into the air. Alley was so shocked he almost didn¡¯t react at all. He couldn''t understand how the stranger had broken free. Even linked items shouldn¡¯t be able to activate so soon after creating a card.


    ¡°Geh¡­Pack Shark, Rending Bite!¡± shouted Alley.


    The scalekin card which had already been moving to intercept sped up swimming through the air as fast as any shark cut through the ocean.


    Just as the monster was bearing down on him the stranger tilted his wings and turned in mid-air. The Pack Shark surged past its target harmlessly.


    Before it could come around for another pass the blonde boy was flying at Alabaster. He couldn¡¯t believe how fast this boy could move, let alone his ability to fly. In the air, like he was Washed away wouldn¡¯t affect the stranger, and there wasn¡¯t time to activate the spell anyway. Still, Alley was the son of a regional champion. He wasn¡¯t defenseless even without his Cards.


    As the blonde teen closed the final few feet between them Alabaster grasped the meathook he had been fishing with from his belt and swung it up to plunge into the killer¡¯s side.


    With contemptuous ease the murderer knocked the hook aside with one hand, simultaneously slamming the palm of his other into Alley¡¯s chest. Alabaster was hurled backward. Barely managing to keep his feet the teen skidded through the mud, catching himself with a single lowered hand.


    Still standing or not, it was too late. The killer had met his goal having softly spoken three words when they collided which now caused both the Pack Shark and the ethereal cards before Alley to disappear.


    ¡°I Challenge you.¡±

 Chapter Seven: An Unwinnable Challenge Part One

    We call them dealers but it is an insufficient explanation.Yes, they store and deal with our cards. But in truth, these devices we dub dealers are mirrors of us. Displaying our inner strength on the outside for all the world to see. We call it a deck rank, but that too is a misnomer. Truly the rank belongs to the player. Not the cards.


    -Mysteries of the Deck. Book one. Considerations on the Dealer.


    Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    True Deck


    Player: Soren Creed


    Dealer: [Artifact] Heaven''s Wings


    Resonances: Divinity, Creation, Wrath


    Rank: 5th [Walking God]


    Library: 45 Cards


    Linked Items: Eternity''s Grail, Key Of The Heavens, Extinction


    Chapter 7: An Unwinnable Challenge Part One


    Alabaster


    Alabaster let out a short howl of frustration. After a Challenge had been declared by one Deck wielder to another the magic of both artifacts shut off for five minutes, or until the Challenged party had accepted. Should they decline, the block on both decks would continue for another ten minutes.


    Alley still didn¡¯t understand how they worked but the flaming wings on the boy¡¯s back vanished at the same time as the cards Alabaster had manifested did.


    Out here with no one else around, there was no reason for either boy to observe the formality of an official Challenge, yet the stranger did anyway.


    ¡°Soren Creed,¡± he said, face dripping with water, eyes dripping with arrogance. ¡° Blood of The Limitless Martyr, Fifth Rank¡±. Alley¡¯s heart sank even further. The amount of life essence a person had to cultivate to get all the way to fifth rank was utterly inhuman. The highest-ranked person Alley had ever seen had been 7th, and he was a giant shape-shifting crab.


    Each rank of a deck had its own unique requirements to reach, but they all involved growing the strength of one¡¯s own life essence. This didn¡¯t always mean physical power, but there was no way Alabaster could hope to even hurt someone with that much essence inside them. Not without his Deck at least. But if he wanted to use his deck he needed to accept the Challenge which apparently meant facing a fifth-rank Deck. He believed it, Soren had defeated Arcadia Roe the most powerful player for hundreds of miles in any direction. A woman Alley had only ever seen lose to the aforementioned giant shape-shifting crab.


    There was no world in which a fifth-ranked Deck lost to a twelfth-ranked one, but Alley had more faith in his cards than his meathook. He had trained with his family and Darius'' his whole life. Alabaster knew he wasn¡¯t short on skills in a fight, but they wouldn¡¯t help. That level of life essence meant the blonde boy could bleed out every drop of blood in his body, and suffer nothing more than a headache.


    Alley could always decline the Challenge and run, should decline the challenge and run. Even if this Creed person was an overflowing well of life, he might not have the ability to chase Alabaster down. Especially as his wings seemed to be tied to his Deck somehow. All it would mean was letting the man who wiped his entire village off the map walk away unscathed.


    Noticing he still gripped the hook hard enough to turn his knuckles white Alley hooked it to his belt again and responded.


    ¡°Alabaster Roe, Aegis Of The Fisher Lord, Twelfth Rank.¡± He said through gritted teeth. ¡° and I accept.¡±


    Less than a second after the words had left Alley¡¯s mouth a beam of translucent blue light fired from his bracer. It was met by a similar beam emanating from a strange burning amulet that had appeared on Soren¡¯s chest.


    Where the two lances of energy collided a wall of the same incorporeal energy sprang up from the ground. As with every Challenge, the barrier was just under ten feet high, and just over thirty-five feet across. When it hit these dimensions the wall split, rising up in a rectangular shape around the two boys.


    Within five seconds the Challenge arena had arisen. In total, it was a roughly eighty-foot-long hollow rectangle of translucent blue light, split in the middle by a barrier, one boy on either side.


    Creatures, spells, and the effects of relics could cross the inner wall, but not the outer ones. Players couldn¡¯t cross either.


    ¡°Alabaster Roe?¡± Asked the blonde boy idly. ¡°Are you another of Arcadia¡¯s children?¡± Alley didn¡¯t respond, but the other boy went on anyway.


    ¡°Despite her weak rank, your mother was a real talent. I was disappointed your sister didn¡¯t even have a deck, I thought she still might make a good card.¡± He wrinkled his nose for a second as he searched for the words. ¡° You know as if she might have inherited some of that skill anyway. I was wrong.¡±


    Alley muttered something the other boy couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°What''s that?¡± he asked, tilting his head.


    ¡°I said,¡± Alley hissed. ¡° I am going to kill you.¡±


    The blonde boy smirked and brushed some wet hair out of his face.


    ¡°Well you had best be about it then I suppose, since your rank is lower you go first.¡± The way he had said lower dripped with mockery.


    Making no effort to calm himself, Alley held up his bracer. The ante function activated on its own, as it did every Challenge.


    A random card was selected by the dealer and projected for both players to see. It was the card Alley risked as part of the Challenge. In a few moments, his enemy¡¯s dealer would do the same. Whoever lost the match would lose the card from their Deck to their opponent.


    Normally Alley paid extremely close attention to whatever card he was risking, but today he found he didn¡¯t care. He would either kill Soren and lock his whole Deck for five years. Or he would die and lose the entirety of his.


    Still, he glanced at his deck projection. Any other day he would have winced, It was one of his rarest and most powerful cards.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Coal To Diamonds


    Resonances: Pressure


    Spell


    Cost: 1 Vial


    [Play only during your turn and outside of the Battle Phase]


    Evolve all Creatures in play under your control to their next Version.


    [Effect lasts one hour or the remainder of the Challenge]


    A few seconds later the same process repeated from Soren¡¯s Deck. This Alley did pay close attention to. Any information he could glean about his opponent before the match started was valuable. Another instinct instilled in him by his mother, even through the shock and rage some habits were too deeply ingrained to ignore.


    Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    Constructed Crusader


    Resonances: Divinity, Wrath, Mechkin


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Power: 3500


    Vitality: 1


    He gaped at the creature card, thirty-five hundred power was monstrously high. That thing could hack down a MuckDwell Dragon with ease. ¡®It doesn''t matter.¡¯ Alley reminded himself. ¡®It''s not even in play, it''s just in the library, I go first I can take control of the match.¡¯


    There was a short delay in which the players had a chance to inspect the ante card and prepare themselves. It was less than a minute, but Alley couldn¡¯t stop himself from pacing. He was beyond caring about the difference in ranks, beyond caring about the danger to his own life. He had this one chance to hurt the person who had taken everything from him, and he was restless to begin.


    For his part Soren remained dead still, radiating an arrogant calm.


    Alley let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding when his hand was finally dealt, and the images of the cards appeared in front of him.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡®Enraged Glaive fish, Shelled Defense, RiverRush Scuttler, Abominable Flounder, DockSide Gull¡¯


    Angry as he was, his first instinct was to play the Glaive Fish as it was easily the most powerful and aggressive card in his hand. That wasn¡¯t the right play, he knew it wasn¡¯t. Revenge would come with winning, and winning wasn¡¯t going to happen if he didn¡¯t play every move correctly.


    ¡°RiverRush Scuttler¡± He declared, gesturing directly in front of himself.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    RiverRush Scuttler


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


    As though adapting to the aggression Alley was feeling, the Deck manifested his wolf-sized crab right up against the barrier between his field and Creed''s.


    It was only then that Alabaster saw, and finally understood what he was up against.


    At the same time that the hands of both players were being dealt their respective Dealers were activating the final touches to come fully alive.


    For Alabaster, this meant two blood-red gems appeared on his silver bracer. Soren on the other hand all but transformed. On his chest the burning icon appeared, followed briefly by his flaming wings, and halo, finally his green eyes became the same orange glow of the flames.


    But all of that was nothing compared to the boy¡¯s vials. They hung behind him in the air like a curtain of glowing jewels. One hundred and twenty-eight Vials, minus whatever he had used in his battle with Arcadia. It was still an astonishing number, blotting Alley¡¯s view of his destroyed home behind Soren. With that kind of essence on hand, there might not be a single free card in the blonde boy¡¯s deck.


    With a mental push, Alley ended the first creation phase of his turn. Instantly a new card appeared in his hand to replace the RiverRush Scuttler. ¡®Land of Rivers¡¯ A strong draw. He would play it in just a moment. Creature cards couldn¡¯t attack on the first turn they were manifested, so he skipped the war phase.


    The Scuttler was a weak card power-wise, but it had two vitality. This meant as an opening turn play it was solid as it should survive long enough to support other monsters and effects that Alley would be playing in the following turns. If it didn¡¯t it would have in theory cost Soren spells or abilities that would be better served elsewhere.


    In his second creation phase; the last phase before his turn ended Alley activated the Land of Rivers spell card he had drawn.


    ¡°The Land Of Rivers¡±


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    The Land Of Rivers


    Resonances: Water


    Land Manipulation Spell- Continuous


    No Cost


    While this spell remains in play Creature that have both the Water and Beast Resonances gain 200 Power


    When the spell activated and the Card vanished from his hand the Arena began to change. Lush green grass, far more vibrant than anything that grew on Cursed Isle, sprouted at random points around the muddy Arena. Mere seconds later These same areas rose from the ground, creating rocky green outcroppings. In turn, water began to flow as though from nowhere, rushing from atop the outcrops and splashing down onto the Arena in tiny waterfalls. From there the liquid flowed across the Arena saturating the ground and the shoes of both players.


    The power of Alley¡¯s RiverRush Scuttler rose to 1100.


    ¡° I end my turn¡± He hissed at the Creed boy and drew his final card of the turn.


    ¡®Lobster Trap.¡¯


    Soren looked at the crab monster for a long moment before letting out a sigh. ¡° I suppose two exciting battles in one day would be too much to ask this far from civilization. ¡°


    Alabaster didn¡¯t respond, but he could feel his teeth locking together. The sheer callousness of his opponent¡¯s words was infuriating. How could he speak like that? As though the utter destruction of everything and almost everyone Alley had ever known somehow owed him entertainment.


    ¡° Really I should be grateful I won¡¯t be stuck crushing ants all day, Beacon Of Benevleonce.¡±


    Seven of the vials behind the boy vanished, and the Monster manifested above Soren¡¯s head. It was a huge angelic being with no facial features, just glowing eyes. From the being beams of light fired out congealing into the form of a glowing sword, which the Monster took up.


    Deck- Blood Of the Limitless Martyr


    Beacon Of Benevolence


    Resonances: Divinity, Creation, Sky


    Cost: 7 Vials


    Power: 6500


    Vitality: 3


    When Beacon Of Benevolence is Manifested you may choose any two Creature Cards in your Library and add them to your hand.


    Discard one card when this effect resolves


    As always the Power and vitality were visible above the head of the Creature, but its effect was not revealed. However, as the ability activated Soren was all too happy to explain what the creature did.


    ¡°Benevolence here allows me to select two creatures from my Library and add them to my hand at the cost of discarding a card in my hand.¡±


    Creed¡¯s eyes shone blue as he accessed his Library. Unlike the Hand, effects that interact with your full Library only happen in the vision of the person playing them.


    ¡°You might enjoy that.¡± He muttered before making his choices.


    ¡°At least one of us should have some fun in this Challenge.¡±


    Alley doubted there was much of a chance of that.


    Soren chose another card from his hand to discard, causing it to vanish in a flash of blue light. Sent to the crypt.


    Unable to attack, he too skipped his War phase.


    That reminded Alley of what he had last drawn and a little glimmer of hope sparked in his chest. He had faith in his Deck, had faith in his plays and card combinations. It didn¡¯t matter how strong his enemy was, this Challenge had just begun, and the initiative was still his.


    In his second creation Phase, Soren cocked his head as though struck by an idea. Yet he didn¡¯t play anything, ending his turn with a dismissive wave of his hand.


    Alabaster spent a few seconds glaring up at the massive winged being hovering above the Arena. Its power might be enormous, but it was still just a monster as vulnerable as any other. Besides he had trained against his mother¡¯s TerraNullis card, which was far more powerful than this angelic Creature.


    ¡° I play Lobster Trap and Activate its ability¡± He declared. The Card vanished from his hand, creating a large wooden structure to his left.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Lobster Trap


    Resonances: Water


    Relic


    No Cost


    During your Creation Phase each turn you may select a Creature that was Manifested since your last turn. The chosen Creature gains status [Can Not Attack].


    Until the start of your next turn


    Upon its activation the trap glowed bright blue and Chains similar to those that crossed an unplayable Card appeared running from the limbs of Beacon of Benevolence to the ground of the Arena.


    Alley¡¯s opponent made a little ¡°tch¡± of annoyance. ¡°Stall tactics?¡± he asked, shaking his head.


    ¡° Why waste both our time?¡±


    Alabaster was beginning to wonder if his opponent was simply trying to bait him. No one could truly be so blase about a Challenge, no matter the disparity in rank. As such he simply refused to respond to Creed and went about the rest of his turn. Manifesting his DockSide Gull Alley was disappointed he wouldn''t be able to activate its effect this turn. He was still confident it was the right play.


    If Soren was annoyed by stalling, then Alley would stall all day.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    Dockside Gull


    Resonances: Water, Featherkin, Sky


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 1


    For each Dockside Gull in play [Including this one] this Creature gains 100 Power.


    If a Creature with the Water Resonance is destroyed while Dockside Gull is in play you search your Library for up to two copies of Dockside Gull and Manifest them.


    While the Gull¡¯s power obviously increased a second after it manifested, Alabaster opted not to explain what it did. That would just make the small bird into a target.


    Ending his Creation Phase Alley drew two new Cards. It was both his copies of ¡®Pack Shark Alpha,¡¯


    The Roe son was too well trained to show an outward reaction his opponent could read, but he was annoyed by the draw. ¡®Where were you when I had a Pack Shark out?¡¯


    Still, his own annoyance was nothing compared to the palpable irritation radiating Creed when Alley decided to take his time during the War Phase. It was strange to him that someone with so much power had such thin composure. ¡®Why was he in such a hurry?¡¯


    So naturally Alley did his best to exacerbate the issue. Umming and erring as though he was considering attacking with RiverRush Scuttler, despite them both knowing the crab stood no chance of harming the winged monster on Soren¡¯s side of the field.


    He would just be wasting one of his creature¡¯s vitality. While there was some appeal to that as getting the crab destroyed would activate the gull¡¯s effect, for that to work he needed Soren to attack the Scuttler on his own turn. It was simply far too obvious a trap, and when it didn¡¯t work Alley would be in a worse position. No, playing defensively till he could create an opening was his best bet. Especially since his Lobster Trap would continue to slow down Creed¡¯s attack. With luck, the blonde boy might grow so impatient that he would begin to make mistakes.


    Alley took his time on his second Creation Phase too. Not that he had anything to play then either. He couldn¡¯t manifest another monster and the Shelled Defense Spell Card in his hand could only be played during the enemy''s turn. There were of course time limits on each phase, but Alley had been playing his whole life. He knew how long he had to work with, and pushed each phase just short of their maximum allotted time.


    Alabaster¡¯s plan to frustrate his opponent was working. Sadly there are some walls no amount of intangible advantages can breach. The gap in power between a twelfth rank Deck and a fifth rank Deck was one such wall.


    Soren glared at Alley through the barrier of the Arena. His face remained sour as he began his turn, beginning Alabaster¡¯s annihilation.


    ¡°First¡± he sneered


    ¡°I judge your pathetic relic and spell unworthy of wasting any more of my time. Divine Judgement.¡±


    Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    Divine Judgement


    Resonances: Divinity


    Spell


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Destroy two non-Creature Cards.


    Another vial vanished from behind Creed. Another drop in the ocean of his stored life essence. As always Alley couldn¡¯t see what the card did upon its activation. It was however made clear extremely quickly. A massive beam the size of Alabaster¡¯s entire side of the arena descended from the sky blotting out his vision with overwhelming blue light. For a second Alley was sure his end had come, that this spell would wipe him from existence. He screamed he couldn¡¯t help it. Yet when the light faded it was only his lobster trap and land of rivers cards that had been destroyed.


    The chains on Beacon Of Benevolence remained, and would till Alley¡¯s next turn. But the lush outcroppings The Land Of Rivers had manifested vanished, taking the flowing streams with them. Though the water that had already flooded the ground of the arena remained. The RiverRush Scuttler¡¯s power returned to its normal 900.


    The spell effect resolved Creed moved on to manifesting his next creature.


    The moment he said the words Alley¡¯s blood ran cold.


    ¡°Next I call forth The Queen Of Rushing Waters.¡± He said, irritation giving way to sadistic amusement.


    ¡®THE WHAT!?¡¯ Came Alley¡¯s shocked thought.

 Chapter Eight: An Unwinnable Challenge Part Two

    Chapter 8: An Unwinnable Challenge -Part Two


    Alabaster


    The card vanished from Soren¡¯s hand, but rather than a beam of blue light it was red. This indicated his deck didn''t share any resonances with the card he manifested. That meant its cost doubled, and a staggering number of Vials vanished from behind Creed. Alabaster wasn''t sure of the exact number, but it was somewhere near twenty.


    If Alley had tried to manifest that card he would have burned his deck out and destroyed the artifact. He may have even died.


    For once it actually seemed like a sizable dent had been made in the stored life essence. The blonde boy didn''t seem to care. His expression of sudden mirth didn''t even flicker as the cost was paid.


    First, the water that lay across the arena began to congregate, pooling together on Soren¡¯s field. Next the muddy ground below them dried out with alarming speed, as the water was pulled from the earth into the ever-growing pool. Finally, a spring burst from the ground beneath the arena, spraying oddly clear water across both players and their Creatures.


    With this explosion of water came a figure that Alley would never forget if he lived to be three hundred. A scenario that was becoming less and less likely with each passing second.


    Crowned with her mark as the Regional Champion, blue hair trailing behind her in a breeze Alley couldn¡¯t feel. Simultaneously beautiful and the most horrific thing he had ever seen.


    It was his mother. Arcadia Roe, All-Island champion, Deep River Champion. Wielder of ¡®The King of Rushing Waters¡¯ Deck, and owner of the legendary dragon Card TerraNulis.


    Like the image of his sister before her card was formed, it was his mother but ever so slightly different. She was younger, more otherworldly. She almost looked like Alabaster¡¯s earliest memories of her. Those hazy half-recalled images had always filled him with warmth.


    She was not filling him with warmth now, quite the opposite. Alley had thought his anger would protect him from further shock, but his blood turned to ice at the sight


    Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    Arcadia Roe, The Queen Of Rushing Waters


    Resonances: Water, Human, Dragon


    Cost: 10 Vials


    Power: 22000


    Vitality: 4


    Unique


    Cost: 10 Vials


    Power: 22000


    Vitality: 4


    When The Queen of Rushing waters attacks you may search your Library for a Relic or Land Manipulation Spell Card and play it.


    Alley¡¯s eyes locked with that of the Card. The image of Arcadia looked back at her son tears welling up in her eyes even as her posture and expression didn¡¯t change. Remaining perfectly imperious.


    ¡°I love you,¡± He said to her drawing a single barking laugh from Soren. Alley didn¡¯t care, this was his farewell. A moment he needed before he could steel himself to finish the Challenge. Exhaling he looked back to his opponent.


    ¡°You done?¡±


    The blonde boy scratched his chin for a moment. ¡°Actually no.¡±


    During his second Creation Phase Soren activated another spell card.


    ¡°The Hand Of Fate.¡± He said as the card activated and a giant hand flanked by angelic wings rose from the ground on his side of the field. It was close to the barrier, between Creed¡¯s Creatures and Alley. `` should put a stop to any more annoyances you can slow me down with.¡±


    Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    Resonance: Divinity


    Spell


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Until the start of your next turn your opponents may not target your Creatures with Spells, Relics, or Creature effects that require a selected target.


    The boy didn¡¯t elaborate, but it was fairly obvious to Alabaster he had activated some sort of effect negation.


    From there it was Alley¡¯s turn again. Immediately the chains binding the angelic Beacon of Benevolence vanished into blue light and faded away.


    Bad news, but nothing compared to the danger represented by Arcadia Roe. Her power and vitality were astoundingly high, ludicrously high. Regional Champion or not it didn¡¯t make sense to Alabaster how the woman who had made him breakfast every morning, tended him while he was sick, fussed with his sister over his hair and fashion choices could possess this level of godlike power.


    He also didn¡¯t understand the resonance runes above her head. Water made sense, but Dragon? The third he didn¡¯t recognize but it was the same color as the strange resonance orb that had hovered above his sister¡¯s body. The resonance of humanity? It had to be, Alley had never heard of such a thing before. He hadn¡¯t even known humans had resonance. Was it the same as life essence?


    ¡®Focus!¡¯ he chided himself.


    Re-Examining his hand Alley tried to plan. Tried to think of a way around what he was up against.


    ¡®Use every advantage, every challenge is just a puzzle to be solved.¡¯


    His mother¡¯s words were so often repeated. They had never let him down before, but he had never faced anything like this before. Had anyone ever faced something like this before?


    He couldn¡¯t use his Buckler Ring, which meant all he had to work with was ¡®Enraged Glaive Fish, Abominable Flounder, Shelled Defence, and two Pack Shark Alphas¡¯.


    There was nothing for it. He had no choice but to play cards and hope to draw some solutions to the monstrous field Soren had in play. Repressing a sigh he manifested one of his Pack Shark Alphas. Technically the Glaive Fish was stronger but it had no choice but to attack every turn it was able. A massive detriment.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher lord


    Resonances: Water, Beast, Scalekin


    No Cost


    Power: 1800


    Vitality: 1


    This Card gains 500 power for each Pack Shark In play [Not including Pack Shark Alpha]


    Pack Sharks you Manifest may attack the turn they are Manifested. [Not including Pack Shark Alpha]


    The huge shark Manifested swimming through the air. With some luck, Alley would be able to increase its Power enough to do some damage. Today however had been the least lucky morning in his entire life, so Alley didn¡¯t hold out much hope for that to work. Still, there were powerful cards in his Deck. Not as powerful as those in front of him of course, but maybe if he could put together a hand that synergized better he might have a chance.


    At the start of his War Phase Alley redrew to fill his hand, another DockSide Gull. Which again wasn¡¯t a bad draw, but did little for him right now. He couldn¡¯t even play it this turn, nor could he attack into the Creatures he was standing across from. It would be a waste of his own Cards, where if he left them as is Alley¡¯s Cards could somewhat defend him.


    Mind trying to calculate the odds of drawing something that could regain control of the board he ended his turn.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Said Soren stretching as though it had been him held back by Alley¡¯s cards, and the restrictions of a Challenge had been on him rather than his Cards.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡° I skip my Creation Phase,¡± he said with a predatory bent to his tone. ¡°And begin my War phase., Beacon of Benevolence, Blade of the Hopeful¡± He gestured at the Pack Shark Alpha and the huge being hovering over the Arena descended, its ethereal blue blade raised to strike. As they had not attacked in the last turn Alley had the option to lend his other Creatures to the Pack Shark¡¯s defense. He declined, it would just get them destroyed too.


    Uselessly the Pack Shark Alpha tried to drive at its assailant, meeting nothing but blade as the two monsters collided above the Arena¡¯s inner barrier.


    The shark exploded into shards of blue light and was sent to Alley¡¯s crypt. After winning a clash a Creature gets a chance to attack the opposing player. Alley readied himself as the angelic monster floated towards him with deceptive speed.


    There were a lot of skills one had to practice to be a good player. Deck tactics, prediction, odds calculation, ability to spot fine details while things exploded around you. But before any of those mattered a Player had to master the most fundamental of skills; Not getting hit.


    Alley had oddly fond memories of the training he had been forced to do before he had ever been allowed to hold a Dealer. Running weird obstacle courses of his father¡¯s design. Having to sprint back and forth in a pretend Arena as his whole family and often the Knots clan too hurled whatever they could find at him, and as always running. So much running. Running through the woods, running through cave systems. Climbing the mountains above Valeton and then running across their uneven rocks.


    Alabaster had never been anywhere near as strong as his friend Darius, but his reflexes were a finely tuned instrument. The Beacon of Benevolence swung its huge glowing blade in a backhanded arc that would strike Alley across the waist if he had allowed it. Instead, the dark-haired boy launched himself forward into a knee slide. Now that the mud had dried there was a lot more friction than he would have preferred, but bending backwards painfully he managed to avoid the flashing blue blade.


    Still on his knees, Alley activated the effect of DockSide Gull. When Pack Shark Alpha had been destroyed the gull in play had begun to glow blue indicating it had an effect that could or would activate now. This was how most players discovered the effects of their new cards.


    Alabaster¡¯s eyes glowed blue as his vision was replaced by the empty chamber within his dealer. Walls of endless energy similar to the blue light of the Arena surrounded him. It even made up the floor though he had no issue standing upon what seemed like surging light. Before him sat his Deck in its truest form. A small stack of blue and deep green-backed cards. Separating into individual cards that flew about as though carried by a twirling wind. Slowly they ordered themselves, each individual card hovering still in the air before him. Among these another copy of DockSide Gull glowed the same blue as the one on the field. Unfortunately having drawn one Alley could only manifest a single DockSide Gull, not both. The second was in his hand now, not his deck. Out of reach of the card¡¯s ability. Still, he mentally reached out and selected the glowing gull, at which point reality reasserted itself.


    The new DockSide Gull entered play.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    DockSide Gull


    Resonances:Water, Featherkin, Sky


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 1


    For each DockSide Gull in play [Including this one] this car gains 100 power


    When a Creature with Water Resonance is destroyed you may search your Library for up to two DockSide Gull Creature Cards and Manifest them


    Instantly the numbers above both gulls blurred changing becoming 1100.


    ¡°Tch¡± came the annoyed noise from Creed. Alley still hadn¡¯t gotten a read on the boy. One moment he seemed desperate to be away from here, doing anything but fighting a Challenge against Alley.


    The next he was playfully mocking his opponent, and enjoying his role as torturer.


    As Alley climbed to his feet his opponent gestured at the River Rush Scuttler. ¡° Arcadia, Terraform.¡±


    The image of Alley¡¯s mother looked at her son sadly for a moment before tilting her head ever so slightly. The way she did when she noticed one of her children had been attempting a particularly clever trick. Next, she stared at the ground, not in the same depressed manner, but as though she could see something there, something worth examining.


    Finally, The Queen Of Rushing Waters raised a single arm straight into the air. Above her, the mid-mourning sky went from the soft and pleasant sun to covered in storm clouds so dark they were almost black. Lightning surged inside the clouds, followed by loud thunderclaps. Within the dark clouds, something huge moved.


    ¡°Well now that is an interesting ability,¡± said Soren, whose eyes had begun to glow blue. ¡°Powerful¡±


    ¡°Land manipulation and Relic cards huh? I know just the thing.¡±


    Raising a hand the blonde boy made some sort of library-based decision. ¡°Heaven¡¯s Mirror¡±.


    Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr


    Heaven''s Mirror


    Resonances: Divinity, Creation, Wrath


    Relic


    Once Per turn when a Creature you control attacks you may activate Heaven''s Mirror. When Heaven''s mirror is activated your attacking Creature''s Power is multiplied by the number of Creatures in the Enemy Library that share one or more Resonances with the attacking Creature.


    From his Library the Card manifested costing Creed yet another Vial.


    A winged Mirror about the size of a person took its place beside its controller. ¡°I activate Heaven¡¯s Mirror,¡± said the blonde boy. His eyes had lit up with excitement. ¡°You and I are about to witness something very special.¡±


    Alley was focussed on the rolling storm above him, and the writhing serpentine figure he was beginning to make out within the clouds when lightning flashed. He glanced at Soren as the boy went on.


    ¡°A mortal woman will for just a moment touch the realm of the gods, the realm of the ascended ancients. Your mother is about to hold the power to shape the world in her hands, and she is going to use it to destroy you.¡±


    The mirror turned to face Arcadia. The image of her front appeared in the glass, despite the woman being turned in the complete opposite direction. Alley¡¯s mother began to glow, as did the mirror, as did Alabaster¡¯s dealer.


    Upon the mirror the symbol for water resonance appeared over the image of Arcadia, and then one after the other the relic spat out the image of cards from Alley¡¯s Deck. Fifteen of them in total. For each one after the first Arcadia¡¯s power jumped dramatically. While nothing changed outwardly as her power grew the world around her seemed to somehow change, to curve in around her. As though all of reality was nothing but a stage for Alley¡¯s mother.


    When finally the number stopped growing Alabaster believed it could be. All existence a mere preamble to her arrival.


    ¡®330000¡¯ Power. Greater than heroes of legend, greater than monsters of myth, or mighty elemental spirits, just as the blonde boy had said his mother had entered the realm of the gods.


    Meeting Alley¡¯s gaze once more something else had changed. The relic of sorrow still plastered her face, her eyes red-rimmed, her cheeks puffy and wet. And yet¡­.some combination of determination and mischief shined from her eyes. It reminded Alley of how she had looked in a challenge just before she did something she thought was clever.


    He didn¡¯t have time to ponder what it meant as Arcadia brought her arm down gesturing towards Alley¡¯s River Rush Scuttler.


    Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord


    RiverRush Scuttler


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


    From the clouds emerged a dark-scaled serpentine dragon of shocking size.


    ¡°TerraNulis¡± he whispered. Alley had never seen the monster manifested before. But he knew what It was. The Father of River Dragons, the beast that had carved out the very river Cursed Isle sat at the edge of.


    The most powerful card in his mother¡¯s deck.


    Its bright eyes shone as it loomed down over the Arena. Its head almost as large as Alley¡¯s entire half of the field. He had thought the Beacon of Benevolence to be a large creature. It, like the boys was an insect to the dragon. Who¡¯s form was so immense that even as it surged down from the sky like a striking snake. Suddenly it dawned on him. His mother had not Manifested the dragon in the traditional sense, this was merely her attack!


    Alley wasn¡¯t sure what sort of interaction would happen when the attack of a 330000 power creature met a 900 power creature, but per standard challenge interaction it would still only take one vitality off of the defeated monster.


    The problem was that even if the defending monster survived, so long as it was defeated the attacking creature would be given an opportunity to attack the opposing player.


    Watching the dragon¡¯s enormous form bearing down on his side of the arena, Alley wasn¡¯t sure he could even get out of the way of it attacking the scuttler, let alone when it was targeting him directly.


    The dark-haired teen had no choice but to try, so he turned and sprinted headlong toward the back barricade. Colliding with it was going to hurt, but given the alternative, he did his best to ignore the instinct to slow down.


    His sole concession to safety was a last-minute turn so his shoulder and back collided with the wall of energy rather than head-on.


    It still hurt, especially as the collision drove his elbow into his own ribs. Forcing a ¡°Gyeh!¡± Noise out from him along with most of his breath.


    The sight that greeted him upon completing the spin was one that filled him with equal parts awe and horror.


    TerraNullis was a bare split second from its collision with the crab creature. The gigantic dragon didn¡¯t even bother to open its mouth. Simply driving its building-sized head directly into the River Rush Scuttler. So huge was the dragon¡¯s serpentine bulk that even here as far from the monster¡¯s target as he could force himself, Alley could have reached out and touched the dragon with only a few steps.


    TerraNullis smashed into the ground as though the crab wasn''t there at all. The sound the impact generated was like the end of the world, like one of the moons had fallen to earth, or like a mountain collapsed around him.


    The moment the dragon collided with the crab the lesser monster¡¯s vitality dropped to one, yet the attack didn¡¯t end. The mythical dragon continued to drive downwards, where its scaled form struck the earth something strange happened. The ground didn¡¯t simply smash aside or down under the great pressure. It changed, running like water, a vertical river of dark earth the dragon swam down through.


    It took the scuttler with it as it descended. Having already been defeated during this attack the crab monster should be invulnerable to more damage, but that defense was a function of the deck. Something Alley was learning to be less inviolable than he had believed.


    Shielding his face with a hand against the spray of liquid earth at the dragon¡¯s passing, Alley continued to push himself as far back into the barrier as he could.


    Something was happening as his deck tried to hold back the unbelievable power of TerraNullis. The silver bracelet that was Alley¡¯s dealer began to glow, not the shining blue of manifestation, or even the red glow of a card he didn¡¯t share resonance with, but the orange glow of metal deforming under great heat.


    Within seconds the bracer went from uncomfortable, to painful in the extreme.


    Gritting his teeth against the burning agony, Alley tried to remove the dealer. Even as he did it buckled and twisted against his arm.


    The first cracks appeared in the vials, the life essence leaking out like a red mist, the silver itself began to split, causing a brief flash of blue light, followed by the physical form of Alley¡¯s cards launched into the air as though hurled in great handfuls. He was so distracted by the rain of cards fluttering down around him that he didn''t notice the ground collapsing beneath him till he was already plummeting into the darkness beneath the earth.

 Chapter Nine: High-Low

    Chapter 9: High-Low


    Alabaster


    Beneath Alley¡¯s feet, the ground collapsed. The most solid thing in his life, the earth his family home had stood upon for generations, fell away like wet paper. Beside and below him the serpentine form of the gigantic dragon continued to surge down for a moment before disappearing in a blaze of blue light.


    His left arm burning, his head spinning with the sudden loss of footing the dark-haired boy tumbled downwards. The gouge left in the ground by the now vanished dragon was huge, but even it couldn¡¯t account for the vastness of the space below him. A grand chasm of gray stone spread out below the falling boy.


    If he¡¯d had time to consider it he would have been amazed at the unique rock formations, the stone road cut by human hands, and the strange glowing purple moss that sparked and burst into brightly colored flames at the touch of invading sunlight. All just below the home he had been born in.


    Without conscious thought Alley reacted, grasping the hook from his belt with both hands he desperately tried to find some sort of purchase in the walls of the chasm as they rushed past. Whatever magical effect TerraNullis exerted on the earth still held some sway as the hook sank into the rock like it had been plunged into mud.


    While he couldn¡¯t fully arrest his fall, Alley slowed dramatically. His hands gripped the hook close to his chest with all the strength his upper body could muster.


    The fall had become a sort of skid down into the darkness. It was still dangerous, and definitely still going to end painfully, but Alley had started to believe he might actually survive the fall.


    The last of the magic fled.


    Where the toes of his boots had met viscous resistance, they skittered across the smooth stone, where the hook had dragged through rock like mud, it ripped out of Alley¡¯s grip with the sudden jarring motion of metal striking a hard object with intense force.


    Boy and hook bouncing off the wall screaming into the unknown.


    Alley never actually went unconscious, though after he collided with the first rocky outcropping he wished he had. The second and the third probably saved his life, at the cost of breaking one of his arms, dislocating his jaw, and breaking three toes.


    Once the fall ended he lay there, in the dark as clumps of earth rained down around him, a crumpled broken heap for what felt like days. Though in truth it was probably less than ten minutes, the pain in his body, and the pain in his heart making every second feel like an age.


    Alley was more durable than someone without a deck at all. The act of manifesting even zero-cost cards required one to train their internal energy like a muscle. He was however still just twelfth rank, an aspirant. At best this meant his bones had become a little hardier and his wounds healed a little faster. He was not in the conversation with a being like Creed who likely would have brushed off a fall like this. If he hadn''t simply used his wings to gracefully glide down.


    The thought that his enemy might be just a few moments away roused Alley to action. He couldn''t just lay here while death could be bearing down on him at any moment. With a noise somewhere between a sob and a groan he forced himself to his feet. As he did his jaw popped back into place drawing another pained wince from the boy.


    Alley shot his gaze up towards where he had fallen from. While he was relieved to see he was unpursued, his eyes still went wide with surprise at the sight. Alley stood in an area of dappled sunlight at the bottom of a vast underground canyon.


    He had realized when he was falling that this was some sort of cavern, but he had been too busy trying to survive to appreciate the scale and majesty of the subterranean space. Sheer walls of the same gray stone as the mountains above Valeton bracketed him in, Strange purple fungus he had never seen before that emitted a their own dull glow grew here and there. If he had felt surprised looking up when his gaze fell Alley¡¯s recently injured jaw hung open in shock.


    He was standing on a cobblestone road. It paved the entire width of the canyon floor. Behind him, it ran off into the darkness further than he could see. Ahead he could make out some sort of structure faintly lit by the glowing fungus.


    ¡°What is going on!?¡± He yelled out into the darkness. This morning had started just like every other, he had eaten with his sister and mother and had shared a few words with his father while the man worked on an iron stove for the Argonsons on the other side of the village.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Now¡­.now his family was gone and Alley was trapped deep under the ground on some ancient road no one even knew was here.


    This was not how life worked, this was not how anything worked. With an irritated ¡®humpf¡¯ noise he sat back down, trying to clear his thoughts and take stock of his situation. Just like he had been taught, just like he had practiced his whole life.


    ¡®Use every resource.¡¯ Now he just needed to figure out what if any resources he had. The process took far longer than it should have, Alley¡¯s movements slowed by his injured arm, and his wits dulled by pain and shock.


    His dealer was destroyed, he found the shards of it scattered about near where he had landed. Alley had hoped to find some of his cards that may have fluttered down after him, but no his deck ¡®Aegis Of The Fisher Lord¡¯ was gone. That idea caused a little prong of pain in his chest. Normally it might have hurt more, but even the loss of something as valuable as a deck had become a minor tragedy compared to the cavalcade of horrors the last hour had been.


    He still had his coresteel chain, the metal links wrapped around his abdomen may have even absorbed some of the impact of the fall. He found the accompanying hook not far away. That made him feel a little better, it might be a minor thing but at least some of Alley¡¯s possessions weren¡¯t broken. Reattaching it to his belt, he continued his search of the area around his landing site.


    After a few more minutes of scrounging around the boy spotted his Buckler ring glinting in the darkness. The little magic item wouldn¡¯t be useful till tomorrow, and in terms of getting out of an underground chasm would likely not be useful at all. Alley still snatched it up and stuffed it in his pocket with gusto. You didn¡¯t abandon items that could be linked to decks unless you absolutely had to. Besides if the extra weight of a ring was enough to make the difference he would never be getting out of here.


    With the exception of his cards, which he could no longer manifest, and a couple of dragon organs in a sack, Alley had found everything that he had brought back to Valeton with him. It wasn¡¯t much. Especially compared to what he had set out this morning with, but that wasn¡¯t worth thinking about. He could rage and mourn later, for now, he had to survive.


    Examining his options was a grimly brief process. The canyon walls were practically smooth till well past the point where Alley could throw his hook and chain. Even if he could get the iron hook to catch on something, attempting a climb right now was not a high-percentage play. Alley had broken bones twice before in his seventeen years and he was confident he recognized the signs. His left arm was broken, and judging from his inability to move his toes on his right foot so were they.


    So that left what? Investigate the structure ahead of him and hope more options open up. Not exactly a promising idea, but he reminded himself plenty of players had been saved by a last-second lucky draw. The key was you still had to be in the game for when that draw came. With that in mind, he concocted the barest bones of a plan.


    Alley knew he could make fire. If he struck the gray rock with his iron hook at the right angle he could get sparks. It wouldn¡¯t be easy with just one hand, but he could do it. Fire would mean more light and more light meant more information. The problem was he didn¡¯t have anything to burn. So he would limp over to the building, investigate it for things he could make a fire or torch out of, and then reassess his situation.


    Waiting wasn¡¯t going to do him any good, so Alley set off towards the large blocky silhouette he could make out further down the canyon. He kept his left arm close to his body, and his fight foot walking only on his heel. It was awkward and slow going, but he was able to make out the structure better much sooner than he¡¯d anticipated.


    What he had first assumed to be the building itself was in fact a large gateway carved of that same gray stone. The gate in question was a thick construction of wood and iron, or at least it had been once. Now the term gate was perhaps a little too generous a term, while it didn¡¯t hang open exactly. The wear to its form was so great Alley would be able to pass through one of several holes in it with nothing more than a bending of his knees. He made a note that if he didn¡¯t find something better he could use his hook to tear chunks off the rotting wood to burn.


    Passing through the gateway a strange sensation passed over Alley. As though he was standing close to a lightning resonance gem. It made the hairs on his arms stand straight, and his skin goosebump.


    Perhaps five seconds after the feeling departed a series of twenty-four purple flames burst into life around him. Each sat in a bowl atop a man-sized column of strange black rock that seemed to glisten as though wet. The strange flickering light revealed a scene of long-dead horror.


    Alley stood in a courtyard below a tall gothic castle that had clearly played host to a battle of some sort. Dozens, no hundreds of armored and armed skeletons faced the castle in various states of destruction. Some remained standing, their massive rusted armor holding them upright. Others had been shattered beyond recognition, masses of bone powder with the odd bone recognizable as human here or there.


    Then there were the beasts. Somehow slain in the midst of surging out of the castle. The skeletons of huge chimeric monsters clogged the open gateway from the courtyard to the castle proper. Here the skull of a lion, there the skeletal wings of a mountain drake.


    The site of the ancient battle and the still-working mystical lighting system was just another shock to add to the pile. It was reaching a point where Alley would almost be more shocked if something normal happened.


    ¡°Yeah okay¡± he sighed. Before starting to pick his way through the army of dead men.

 Chapter Ten: Chains In The Dark

    The Cursed Deck is something strange and-


    Mysteries of the Deck. Book Three Curses and Dooms -Contents torn out.


    Chapter 10: Chains In The Dark


    The place didn¡¯t smell as bad as Alley had feared. There might be hundreds of corpses, but they were well past the point of decomposition. The place didn¡¯t really smell like anything except for cold stone and dust.


    Moving through the courtyard with Alley¡¯s injuries took a long time. The ground was littered with bone fragments and rusted armor. Given how he had to walk so as not to put pressure on his broken toes, maintaining his footing meant moving with great care.


    Even more so once he got to the second gate. Crammed with the massive skeletons of monstrous beasts, Alley found the entrance rather on the spiky side. Spiky and claustrophobic he tried to squeeze between the dead monsters without brushing his injured arm against anything. He got through the gateway but not without having to stop three times as his arm painfully pressed or caught on some piece of bone or rusted beast armor.


    Another strange surge of lightning essence flowed over him and yet more ornate purple flamed torches ignited within the castle.


    It was instantly clear despite the foreboding outside, and the horrific battle scene. This castle was closer to a pleasure palace than a true fortress.


    The room he had entered was large, marble-covered, and circular. Three staircases, each larger across than a wagon lead to what he assumed were different wings of the castle.


    The purple burning torches lined the railing of each of the opulent stairwells, with another larger brazier burning at the center of the circular room. Bathing the stone and marble in flickering surreal light, that seemed to accentuate each shadow.


    Creepy or not for the moment light had ceased to be an issue, but Alley still had no way to get the clearly magical torches out of their fastenings. Even if he could he didn¡¯t know if the purple flames would continue to burn once removed. If he was going to explore the area around the castle for a way back above ground he needed something he could both carry and burn. Two working arms would also be nice, but he could only play the cards he was dealt.


    Each stairway was topped by a huge door similar to a small version of the ominous gate he had just passed through. These were in a much better state of repair, and not clogged with skeletal beasts. In fact, it struck Alley as odd that the dead monsters were only crowded around the gate itself. There wasn''t a single body in the circular room. Nor signs of struggle or mobilization.


    It was as though some arbitrary line just past the gate was the agreed-upon edge of the battle, and no fighting would take place past that point. It reminded Alley of the arena that was created when a challenge began, except it was on the scale of a siege.


    While the castle and its former inhabitants were certainly an interesting mystery, this line of thought wasn''t going to help him survive.


    What Alley needed to be doing was searching the castle. Despite the subterranean structure''s obvious age, it must contain something useful.


    A way to bind his arm or toes, a map of the surroundings, and climbing equipment. The magic running the lights still worked, maybe he would get really lucky and there would be a powered Transiteration sigil. That was the sort of thing only people who built palaces could afford. But this was a palace of sorts. So¡­..maybe?


    He had no idea where such a thing would send him.


    ¡®But anything has to be better than spending all day with team skeleton down here.¡¯


    The teen resolved that if the castle provided a means to get back above ground be it mundane, or mystical. He was going to take it.


    Each grandiose staircase and the ominous dark iron door looked much the same as the next, so Alley decided to just try the center option as he figured that was where the important things would be more likely to be.


    With one last glance around the marbled room, he shuffled up the stairs. As with crossing the ground, he had to keep his right foot at an angle to avoid agitating his broken toes. Thankfully the bones had not broken his skin or anything like that, but each time weight was put on the front half of his foot some combination of pain and the strangely awful sensation of bones moving when they shouldn''t surged through him.


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    Up close the iron and wood door was in a worse state of repair than he had first thought. While it lacked the rotten wood of the outside gate the door was covered in rust. Initially, Alley hoped this would mean the door would be easy to open. Quite the opposite in fact, the rusted lock mechanism was jammed solid and refused any attempt by the boy to shift.


    It turned out not to matter, as when he frustratedly gave the ring on the front of the door a final tug. The entire construction of wood and iron came toppling forward like a card stood on its end and allowed to fall.


    With a cry of shock, Alley hurled himself to the side narrowly avoiding the falling door. Which hit the staircase with an echoing slam before sliding down the stairs in a series of loud thumps.


    Landing hadn¡¯t been the most pleasant experience of his life. Leaning on the nearby railing Alley panted while the pain shooting through him from both his jarred broken arm, and his landed on broken toes ever so slowly subsided.


    He wasn''t sure exactly how long he stood there collecting himself, but even from here he could see the room beyond was if anything even stranger than the one he was standing in.


    No smokeless purple fire here. Whatever was lighting the room beyond the doorway seemed to come from everywhere at once. A strange teal haze somehow revealed the room and blurred its details. It reminded Alley of peering into the waters of the bay on particularly clear days when the ocean would become like a green-tinted mirror.


    He was trying to get a better look at what he thought was a humanoid figure without actually entering the haze when the sound of metal rattling and then clacking onto the stone floor.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He called out suspiciously. Alley had no idea what kind of subterranean monsters might make their home in an ancient ruin like this. The cave system was obviously extensive, and the thought that he might not be alone down here made the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stand straight.


    While he didn''t consider himself easily shaken he was in no condition to fight some predatory creature deep beneath the earth.


    Drawing his hook with his good arm Alley held his breath listening for any further sounds of movement. None came, and after about thirty seconds he began breathing again. During that time the teal haze of the next room hadn''t changed or moved in any way.


    ¡°Not gas." He muttered, before stepping through the doorway.


    Once he was within the confines of the next room the blurring of his vision ceased, though the room remained lit by an unearthly pale green color, seemingly without source.


    ¡°Oh skeletons, that''s refreshing,¡± he said with a shake of his head.


    The room was long and square. Filled with long benches like one might find in a temple. In fact, Alley was fairly certain he had entered a cathedral of some sort. The far end of the room was dominated by a large altar, surrounded on all sides by human skeletons in positions of worship. There were around thirty of the figures, with all but the largest laid out on the ground faces to the floor arms extended.


    The looming figure Alley had been able to almost make out from outside the haze was another body, though he first took it for a statue.


    Like the men and beasts in the courtyard, this figure somehow kept its feet despite lacking skin, organs, or the animating force of life itself. The standing body was clad in a huge set of baroque plate armor. It was covered in all manner of arcane-looking runes Alley didn¡¯t recognize.So extensive was the metal armor that had the figure not been carrying its helmet under its arm he may not have noticed its skeletal nature at all. The other hand rested on a blocky sword of slightly ludicrous proportions.


    As he approached Alley saw that directly behind the figure was a small set of stairs leading up the altar on the far side of the room. Despite the nature of its surroundings there really wasn¡¯t much to the altar itself. It was a large flat raised platform maybe five feet off the ground atop it stood four statues of gargoyle-like figures, each around the size of a toddler. The statues held a length of metal chain in each hand. It seemed as though they were supposed to link together in the center, but the chain was broken at several points. The breaks caused it to hang limp the hands of the statues where once the chain must have been taught.


    What was especially strange to Alley was that there wasn¡¯t any rust or other signs of decay. The metal links practically shone in the gloom.


    There in the center of the altar, surrounded by broken links of chain sat a stack of cards. They were in their true form, small enough that he could carry the whole thing in one hand. It was too big of a stack to be a library, and Alley couldn¡¯t see anything he recognized as a dealer with it. Still, a stack of cards was an absolute treasure, and if he could find a deck somewhere in the castle they might prove to be his key to escaping the underground. If Alley could manifest cards again, getting out of here could quickly become a trivial matter.


    On the other hand, it was a stack of cards on a dark stone altar, in a secret castle, surrounded by the bodies of people that seemed to have died in the midst of worshiping the cards. So while he was more than a little interested, Alley decided to proceed with caution.


    He spent the next five minutes walking around the Altar. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was looking for, traps he supposed, or some sign that grabbing the stack of cards would activate some long-dormant magic of terrible design.


    When nothing happened or caught his eye the dark-haired boy proceeded to poke each of the gargoyle statues in turn with his hook. For good measure, he poked the big armored skeleton too.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He said with a sigh. No one come to life and attack me, okay?¡± Neither the statues nor the corpses replied, which was probably for the best.


    Holstering the hook on his belt, Alley strode up the stairs and reached down to grab the pile of cards.

 Chapter Eleven: Crown Of The Cursed King

    Chapter 11:Crown Of The Cursed King


    Alabaster


    So as it turned out Alley¡¯s suspicion about triggering some ancient magic atop the altar had been correct, and the moment he touched the stack of cards he wished he had followed that instinct.


    The teal haze that saturated the room seemed to rush towards him from all directions, leaving nothing but darkness in its wake. If he could have the boy would have dropped the cards, he tried but his body refused to obey. The greenish light flowed into the deck, which began to not only glow but transform. Their backs changing from blank brown to an ethereal gray. The image of a goblet seemingly made of a crowned skull appeared. ¡®Custom card backs.¡¯ He pondered in awe. You didn¡¯t see that every day. There were craftsmen out there who could customize a deck in this sort of manner for you, but it was a slow, costly process that added nothing to a Deck¡¯s effectiveness. Most people couldn¡¯t afford this kind of addition, and wouldn¡¯t spend the money on it even if they could.


    Once the images on the back of the cards completed themselves the cards vanished completely, but Alley did not regain the ability to move. The chains held by the gargoyles on the other hand did gain that capacity, filling with that same teal glow and snaking towards the boy with oddly organic movements. He redoubled his efforts to escape the invisible bondage, but it was useless. The younger Roe child couldn¡¯t even manage a sound when the chains flowed not just around his feet but into them!


    While the chains seemed to lose their corporality passing through leather boots and flesh without leaving a mark, the invasive feeling of the metal links passing into him, and up his legs would have been enough to make him wretch if he could.


    A second set of the animated links leaped up, driving into his hands the same way the first two had his feet. He saw and felt another pair drive into his chest and back simultaneously. The first pair of chains finished disappearing just as the final pair wound their way up his body, his neck, before plunging into his eyes.


    They brought with them a flood of visions, stealing Alley¡¯s sight and searing his brain.


    First were flashes of war. Alley could see the formations of men and beasts clashing, taste the smoke and blood in the air, and even feel the vibrations as thousands of beings of all shapes and sizes collided in vicious combat.


    One side seemed to gain an edge until the dead men and monsters on one side began to rise again.


    A figure he couldn¡¯t quite make out strode between the lines of reviving men. Somehow he knew the figure was a player wielding a Deck of stupendous power. Suddenly the vision changed and Alley was no longer witnessing a battle. Where he had been almost choking on the hot smoke now the air was cold, crisp, and rushing past him. He was witnessing the very castle his body stood in, but it was¡­falling? The massive structure of dark stone plummeted from a sky so clear and blue it made the land beneath it seem barren.


    Next, he felt the spray of sea air and witnessed two figures fighting a challenge on the beach. Like before he couldn¡¯t quite make out their features, but the sense of power that radiated from them was almost overwhelming. If Alley hadn¡¯t been in some sort of ethereal limbo his knees would have buckled just from their presence. When one played a card the sense of threat that washed over him made him want to flee, to hurl himself to the ground in obeisance. By merely manifesting their decks these two changed the world. With each play or draw mountains rose, and seas drained, empires collapsed, only to be replaced by their destroyers. Jungles and woods burned to the ground, only to rise again stronger.


    These weren¡¯t men his instincts screamed. The two figures battling on the beach were nothing short of gods.


    The nature of the vision changed. Alley was once more on the altar, but the skeletal figures about him cavorted and celebrated, manically going from whispered prayer to rapturous cheers and applause, back to prayer, before finally rushing him from all sides. Alley opened his mouth to scream but what poured out was an endless darkness that consumed the skeletons, before turning to devour the boy himself.


    When Alley came to he found himself collapsed on the altar in a pool of dried bile spread out from his mouth. His head throbbed, and he felt like he hadn¡¯t slept in days. With a groan, Alley sat up. He was quietly relieved to see the skeletons were all exactly where he had left them, faces down unmoving. He couldn¡¯t say the same for the cards, the gargoyle statues, or the chains. All had vanished.


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    Wiping his mouth Alley felt his eyes go wide in shock. Replacing his clothes a strangely archaic tunic of dark silk, topped by a ragged black cloak of far rougher material had appeared. That would have been bizarre enough on its own to surprise him, but the realization that he¡¯d brought his broken left arm to his face without pain was if anything more stunning.


    His injuries were gone, just gone. Outside the ache in his head, there wasn¡¯t even pain or stiffness. It was like he had never been hurt at all.


    While that certainly seemed like a good thing, given what he had seen and was surrounded by Alley couldn¡¯t help but feel something sinister was at work. In every story, he had ever heard of hidden castles, and long-dormant magics almost always led to some danger or another. Even when they initially seemed like a boon.


    Still, he really had no one to blame but himself for this latest development. He had been the one who walked onto an obviously magical altar to secure a mysterious stack of ancient cards. In hindsight, his meager attempts to check the thing were woefully inadequate. That thought was as obviously true as it was frustrating. It never felt good when something went wrong and you only had yourself to blame.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on with my life?!¡± He yelled out into the darkness. Which oddly was not dark at all. When the teal haze had fled it had left behind the darkness of an unlit cave. Now while the world appeared to Alley in strange gray tones the cathedral around him was perfectly visible.


    While his clothes were different he noted with relief that his hook and non-freakishly alive chain were on the altar next to him. The Roe boy took a minute to collect the pair of items and return them to where they belonged. The hook at his belt, the chain wrapped around his abdomen.


    It was getting harder and harder to stay calm and think logically, but Alley did his best.


    He was fairly certain he had just bonded with a new deck. Without time and experimentation, there really wasn''t a way to prove it, but the suspicion felt true.


    If he knew the names of the cards or the deck he could find out with ease. Manifesting a card or accessing the tiny reality one stored their library, collection, and linked items in required knowing names. There were other ways, of course, certain spells and magical items could trigger an unknown dealer. As best he could tell there weren''t any such items down here. Well¡­ there might be, Alley had yet to explore most of the castle.


    If he was honest with himself it was a tempting proposition. While Alley was rattled by the magical invasion he had experienced, he felt fine, better than when he had come in here. It made him hunger to find out what other secrets the place held, but as the old saying went.


    ¡®Once outplayed, twice watchful.¡¯ He would be stupid not to take this opportunity to leave. Healed as the boy had become climbing back up the way he fell shouldn¡¯t be all that dangerous. Exhausting and slow, but likely no more deadly than scaling the mountains above his home.


    He would be foolish to keep delving into the castle. It had probably been here for a thousand years, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Alley had ample opportunity to come back with supplies, equipment, and help. Darius would lose his mind at the chance to explore something like this.


    ¡®It isn¡¯t like anyone else is going to find it and loot the place.¡¯ He thought with a grim smile. There wasn¡¯t anyone left in Valeton to find the place.


    Running a hand through his hair, Alley resolved to at least inspect the chasm again, and leave if he could. After which he would absolutely be coming back once he was ready. What else was he going to do? That thought stopped him in his tracks. There had been so much going on he hadn¡¯t even considered his future. What was he going to do at all? For a second he felt panic rise before his mind began to unspool the problem. Despite all the shock, the pain, the mystical visions of apocalyptic power. Alabaster Roe was more than anything else a being of logic. Whether he wanted to or not his brain knew he had to keep going, keep waking up, feeding himself, and living his life regardless of tragedy. Join up with the Knots family he supposed, they would absolutely take him in if he turned up on their doorstep. But what then?


    ¡°Find and kill Soren Creed.¡± He said aloud with a sardonic laugh. Hadn¡¯t he just been thinking of himself as logical? He may as well claim he was going to write his name across the sun. One didn¡¯t kill a walking god, he had learned that the hard way. During their challenge, Alley hadn¡¯t even been able to launch an attack let alone put a dent in the other boy¡¯s overwhelming life essence.


    No, he had to focus on what was in front of him. He was not trapped exactly, but still stranded in an ancient magical castle deep under the ground, magical chains had entered his body, and very well might still be there. These were the things he should be putting his mind towards. Not fantasies of gaining enough power to take his revenge.


    So Alley made his way past the huge skeletal knight, the praying bodies, and the empty plinths. He was almost out of the cathedral room when a voice like whiskey-soaked gravel murmured past his ear.


    ¡°Crown Of The Cursed King.¡±

 Chapter Twelve: A Puzzling Encounter Part One

    Chapter 12: A Puzzling Encounter Part One


    Alabaster


    Alley spun about, his hook practically leaping into his hand. Nothing had changed and no one was there.


    ¡°Of course there''s nothing. Why would things start making sense now?¡± He muttered. The words had been as clear as day, as clear as his sight now was in the darkness. ¡®Crown Of The Cursed King.¡¯ It had the ring of a deck title about it. If it was the name of the cards he had found, all he would need to do was repeat the words and he would gain access to the deck. But what if he was wrong? What if it was some magical activation command? With how things had been going it could do anything. It had to be one of those or at least something like that. Alley was quite sure he hadn¡¯t been down here long enough to go mad.


    On the other hand, did it really matter? His family was dead, and his home and village were destroyed. With so little left to lose he decided it was worth trusting his gut.


    ¡°Crown Of The Cursed King,¡± Alabaster said aloud with all the confidence he could muster. Nothing happened. He glanced around the cathedral room once more and waited. A minute later and still nothing had happened. The newly minted orphan had expected a little more than that. This castle had activated all manner of magic just from his presence. Saying the words the place had seemingly provided him with, only to get no result was rather disheartening.


    ¡°Fine!¡± he called out to the building around him. ¡° Good. I should just climb out of here anyway.¡± Once more the castle did not respond. ¡®Wishful thinking¡¯ He chided himself. ¡®This place has already miraculously healed my wounds. I was being ridiculous. Thinking I had randomly stumbled onto some ancient deck or sinister magic. How lucky do you think you are?¡¯


    He turned once more to enter the marble staircase room. It was gone. In its place was what looked like an empty ballroom, but with natural cave walls, and a ceiling of stalactites. The doorway was gone, the cavernous room more like an extension of the cathedral than a separate part of the structure.


    Nothing lit the strange room, yet once again Alley found his sight unimpeded. The center of this strange hall was empty, noticeably so. Especially as the area near the walls was crowded with tables and chairs of countless styles, sizes, and construction materials. Some were broken, most were simply dust-covered.


    The far end of the enormous hall was covered in darkness his newfound vision couldn¡¯t penetrate. Alley wasn¡¯t sure if the shadows he could see were simply out of range of the strange dark vision he had awakened with. Or if the darkness was simply so deep no vision, magically enhanced or otherwise could penetrate it. Considering the implications Alley hoped for the former.


    Seeing no other choice he cautiously advanced into the cavernous room. The hard soles of his newly acquired but perfectly fitting leather boots echoed as they slapped against the glossy black tiling of the floor. It reminded him of the marble in the room that was supposed to be here, feeling and sounding much the same to walk on.


    He was nearing the halfway point of the ballroom when a series of lines in the shape of a challenge arena lit up along the floor around him. As with any arena, the lines of energy quickly rose to form ethereal barricades separating the two halves of the arena, and blocking one¡¯s ability to leave it,


    As everything in this castle seemed to either glow teal or purple the flowing energy was not the pure blue of a normal challenge arena. It was teal.


    Alley didn¡¯t say anything, didn¡¯t spin around, and try to escape. He simply let a long nasal exhale of frustration and waited to see what new insanity this place had in store for him.


    The casual reaction was only partially contrived. He had always been taught to stay relaxed when competing or in danger. You reacted faster when you weren¡¯t tensed up, your stamina also lasted longer. Alley had been too overwhelmed to heed the advice up until now. By this point, however, he was genuinely beginning to grow numb to all of this. It had probably been less than an hour ago that he had been fighting a challenge against the most powerful being he had ever seen, now he was trapped in a secret underground castle that seemed to change at will and had apparently fallen from the sky without suffering any damage. The boy was simply running out of surprise to feel.


    It wasn¡¯t a long wait. No sooner had the Arena completed itself than the darkness at the end room began to roil and shift before a huge portion of it coalesced into a single figure several times the height of a man.


    The figure lacked features or detail, but only briefly. Alley watched as it quickly resolved into a massive demonic dog monster. Its fur was fine enough to seem invisible, its skin a glossy black over horrifically defined muscles. Strangest of all the beast had a second jaw hanging open beneath its first.


    Once it had fully formed it simply stood there, blasts of hot breath visibly puffing out of each mouth as its huge chest pumped air. Taking a step back to get a better view, Alley lifted his gaze above the dog-thing¡¯s monstrous head. As expected it was a manifested card.


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Greater Shade Hound


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Resonances: Shadow, Pursuit, Wolfkin


    Cost: 2 Vials


    Power: 2700


    Vitality: 1


    If Greater Shade Hound defeats an enemy Creature it inflicts 2 Vitality damage.


    Twenty-seven hundred power. Reasonably strong card, though it impressed him a lot less than it would have this morning. The runes representing the monster¡¯s resonances took him a few seconds to recognize. ¡°Pursuit.¡± That one he knew well, Darius¡¯ Prince Of The Dawn Hunt was entirely Pursuit cards. ¡°Wolfkin, and¡­..Void? No, Shadow.¡±


    He was beginning to wonder if he should inspect the strange greenish arena barrier for a way out when another creature manifested, this one on Alley¡¯s side of the area.


    It was the skeleton of a short human, dressed in rags and holding a shovel.


    Nine hundred power was hardly impressive, but the two vitality was alright. As always he couldn¡¯t see the effect of the monster, but he was hopeful that it had one. Otherwise, the card was kind of just bad. If anything the resonance runes were even less familiar, but it was still a written language Alley understood and could figure out.


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Cursed Grave Digger


    Resonances: Undeath, Curse, Abomination


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


    When Cursed Grave Digger enters the Crypt from in play send the top five cards of your Library to your Crypt.


    ¡®Undeath, Curse, Abomination.¡¯ He had never even heard of a card with any of these resonances. He wasn¡¯t really sure how one killed an undead creature in the first place, but apparently, it could be done. The proof was standing right next to him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alley called to the still roiling darkness. ¡° Do I get a hand too?¡±


    From the impenetrable mass of a shadow, a skeletal arm large enough to crush the Shade hound¡¯s skull emerged. The huge appendage made an almost casual wave in Alley¡¯s direction, before vanishing back into the darkness.


    A few seconds later five cards appeared before the dark-haired boy. This was not a true challenge, that much was clear from the manifested monsters on either side of the field. Was he being forced to take part in some sort of puzzle or test? His mother had set him challenges like this. Usually, the goal was to defeat the creature on the opposing side of the field within one turn.


    If this was a puzzle it was one in which he was severely lacking information. What cards were in his library to draw? Did he even have a library to draw from? Until he started playing cards there was no way to know. But if this was a puzzle he could hardly just start playing things, his hand would be what it was for a reason.


    ¡®Okay, So what do I know?¡¯ It seemed fairly clear that he was supposed to find a way to defeat the Shade Hound. Beyond that, not much. There were three creatures in his hand, none with anywhere near 2700 power.


    ¡®Endless Horde 0 Power 1 vitality Undeath-Zombie-Hunger ¡®Skeletal Cavalry 1900 Power 1 Vitality Undeath-Abomination-Curse¡¯, ¡®Shade Lurker 500 Power 1 Vitality Shadow-Curse-Horror¡¯


    They likely had some sort of effect each, but he would need to trigger them to know for sure what they were. That wasn¡¯t the case for the two spell cards he held. Like all spells these cards went into explicit detail. If this was anything like the card puzzles his mother had set him when he was little he might be able to figure out the rough abilities of his monsters, and perhaps even the solution to the puzzle itself from the context the spells provided.


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    City Of The Doomed And Rotten


    Resonances: Undeath, Zombie


    Land Manipulation Spell-Continuous


    No Cost


    While this Card remains in play all Creature in both players Crypts gain the Zombie and Undeath Resonances


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Danse Macabre


    Resonance: Shadow, Curse


    Play only during your turn.


    Destroy one friendly Creature in play. If you do another Creature you control may attack as normal the first turn it has been Manifested.


    He pondered the two spells carefully. One a land manipulation spell like The Land of Rivers in Alley¡¯s lost Aegis Of The Fisher Lord deck. But this one altered the resonances of already destroyed monsters. At first glance it seemed a fairly useless card, but with the right cards. to combo it, Alley was sure ¡®The City of The Doomed and Rotten¡¯ as it was called could be extremely powerful.


    The second Spell ¡®Danse Macabre¡¯ was a lot more obviously useful. It allowed him to sacrifice a creature he had in play to let a creature he had just manifested attack. Situational, but potentially extremely powerful. It did not however help him overcome the 2700 power of the massive monster standing on the other side of the arena.


    ¡°Do I get some time to think?¡± Alabaster asked, eyes searching the shifting shadows for some response. After about a minute of the darkness not replying and the arm not re-emerging, he concluded if there had been a time limit something negative would have happened by now.


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m taking that as a yes.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen:A Puzzling Encounter Part Two

    Each deck. Be they true decks, trials decks, or yes even cursed decks are naught but paths to walk the halls of power. The challenges to receive this power may vary from deck to deck, but without fail they fall into one of two tracks that define the growth of the player. The track of the summoner, and the track of the enhancer.


    Mysteries of the Deck Book One


    Chapter 13:A Puzzling Encounter Part Two


    Alabaster


    Alley took his sweet time considering every card available. His own glacial pace reminded him of the challenge he had fought not so long ago, but he forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. These memories were too fresh and too painful to dwell on right now. Besides the boy doubted this opponent if there even was an opponent would be frustrated by stalling.


    While there were certainly things Alley could infer from the state of the field and his own hand without more knowledge about the creature cards he held and controlled there was going to be a degree of guesswork.


    The creature he already controlled


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Cursed Grave Digger


    Resonances: Undeath, Curse, Abomination


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


    When Cursed Grave Digger enters the Crypt from in play send the top five cards of your Library to your Crypt.


    Likely had some sort of effect regarding the crypt, It had to with a name like that. The Undeath resonance surely utilized lots of crypt manipulation effects. Especially when he considered the land spell he held. Why would it do what it did if not for other effects to combine it with?


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    City Of The Doomed And Rotten


    Resonances: Undeath, Zombie


    Land Manipulation Spell-Continuous


    No Cost


    While this Card remains in play all Creature in both players Crypts gain the Zombie and Undeath Resonances


    The gravedigger which stood a little closer to Alley than he was comfortable with already had the Undeath resonance, so did almost his entire hand. That meant the puzzle must require him to have zombies in his crypt.  ¡®Zombies¡­¡¯ There was only one card in hand that already had the zombie resonance. Was that perhaps a clue?


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Danse Macabre


    Resonance: Shadow, Curse


    Play only during your turn.


    Destroy one friendly Creature in play. If you do another Creature you control may attack as normal the first turn it has been Manifested.


    It seemed fairly obvious from the Spells


    in his hand that he was supposed to sacrifice Cursed Gravedigger to let one of the creatures he didn¡¯t already control attack this turn. So really the puzzle just boiled down to which one.


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    ¡®Endless Horde 0 Power 1 vitality Undeath-Zombie-Hunger ¡®Skeletal Cavalry 1900 Power 1 Vitality Undeath-Abomination-Curse¡¯, ¡®Shade Lurker 500 Power 1 Vitality Shadow-Curse-Horror¡¯


    It seemed pretty obvious to Alley that he was supposed to pick the least intuitive option. That wasn¡¯t good enough, not for him. A smart player did his utmost to reduce the amount of luck he needed to win.


    ¡° Can I see my crypt?¡± He asked after he was done pondering the creature cards. A single finger from the gigantic skeletal hand protruded from the curtain of darkness a moment later. A small round table about the height of Alley¡¯s knees skidded across the black tiled floor from the outer edge of the room. The little piece of furniture which appeared to be made of bone passed into the arena without issue, coming to rest in front of Alley. Atop it sat three cards that had somehow remained unmoved during the table¡¯s passage. It was three copies of the same card, that he leaned down to inspect.


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Tomb Beetle


    No Cost


    Power: 650


    Vitality: 1


    Tomb Beetle is a Swarm Card. [There is no Limit to number of copies one may hold in their Library]


    Not exactly the strongest of creatures, but that didn¡¯t matter the things were in his crypt anyway. Straightening back up he grinned at the wall of darkness. ¡®Alright, I think I''ve got it.¡¯


    ¡°We will start with The City of the Doomed and Rotten.¡± He declared with a flourish.


    Once the card left his hand haphazard wooden buildings that stank strongly of decay appeared around the edges of both sides of the arena. It left Alley standing in the center of a grim little street, but more importantly, the three beetle cards on the table glowed teal for a moment before displaying two new runes each. One representing Zombie, the other Undeath.


    Next, it was time for the moment of truth. Once he had manifested a monster Alley would be committed, if he had guessed wrong he would fail the puzzle.


    ¡°Endless Horde.¡±


    At the declaration the projection of the card vanished, the monster appearing on the other side of the gravedigger. The creature was certainly undead, a rotting corpse somehow brought back to life. What surprised him was that it was just one. ¡®Not very endless or hordelike.¡¯


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Endless Horde


    Resonance: Undeath, Zombie, Hunger


    No Cost


    Power: 0


    Vitality 1


    While Endless Horde is in play it gains 800 Power for each Creature with the Zombie Resonance in both Crypts


    He needn¡¯t have worried. A few seconds later three extra zombies manifested one after the other around the first. With each new animated body, the power listed above the swarming monsters grew by eight hundred. He¡¯d been right, the creature¡¯s power was tied to the number of zombies in his crypt. There were now three Zombie creatures in it, and the Endless Horde had gained power for each one.


    Keeping his face neutral as he had been taught Alley nevertheless celebrated internally.


    ¡°And one last thing before I end my creation phase. I cast¡­.. Dance Macabray? Dansie Macarbie? Uhh, this thing.¡± He gestured helplessly at the image of the card.


    A low rumbling laugh echoed through the challenge hall, followed by that same gravely voice he had heard before.


    ¡°Danse Macabre.¡± The voice corrected, tone split with mirth.


    ¡®If you say so.¡¯ Thought Alley looking at the strangely named card.


    ¡°I cast Danse Macabre, destroying Cursed Gravedigger and granting the effect to Endless Horde.¡±


    The gravedigger skeleton fell to pieces and burst into teal light that flowed into Alley¡¯s ragged cloak. From there its card appeared on the table, and the effect of The City of the Doomed and Rotten applied to it, The two extra resonance runes appearing on the gravedigger card. A moment after they did another zombie was added to the growing horde, along with another 800 power. Bringing the Zombie-horde monster¡¯s total to 3200, more than enough to defeat the Greater Shade Hound. Alley gave a little fist pump in celebration. ¡° I begin my war phase.¡± He went on, getting a little excited knowing he had solved the puzzle. Unsurprisingly the cards he had played did not replace themselves like they would in a real challenge. It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Endless Horde.¡± Alley paused for a second so the name of its attack could enter his mind. ¡°Overrun!¡±


    At the command, the glowing zombies surged forward as one to attack the Greater Shade Hound. The massive beast tried to fight back, but the group of zombies swarmed it from all directions, tearing the massive dog beast to shreds like pack sharks attacking a whale.


    It exploded into light which also flowed across the arena into the cloak.


    ¡°That was pretty easy. If I had been familiar with the creature cards it would have been complete child¡¯s play.¡± It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to antagonize the owner of the gigantic hand, but Alley really had nothing left to lose. It brought out his snarky side.


    That same booming laugh echoed out from the curtain of shadow.


    ¡°You are almost an adult and only at the edge of an emboldened. I had feared there was something wrong with you.¡±


    Emboldened, rank eleven. He was on the cusp of reaching rank eleven? Well, it was about time Alley got some good news. Though it being delivered in a mocking tone by a disembodied voice wasn¡¯t exactly ideal.


    ¡°I have been focusing on mind and reflex over just life essence,¡± replied Alabaster defensively.


    ¡°You mean you are poor?¡± replied the gravelly voice. ¡°Well, no shame in that I suppose.¡±


    Alley was about to defend himself further when the room around him exploded into that same teal light.


    Alley found himself exactly where he had been standing, in the doorway between the entrance hall, and the cathedral room. There was no sign of the cavernous challenge hall. ¡®Except there is.¡¯ The boy thought, looking down at the dark clothes that had appeared over the top of his own.


    This castle was obviously drenched in magic. The living chains, the automated braziers, his mystic healing, and even the slow decay of the corpses were all proof of that. That did not however explain what had just happened. Entering the hall, and solving the puzzle hadn¡¯t been anything like the visions the chains had shown him either. No, Alley was sure there was a much more mundane explanation.


    Something he was wearing was a dealer, and he had not actually gone anywhere. That decrepit challenge hall had been where the dealer stored its cards. When he had thought he was waking into a new room he was really having a new reality imposed over his senses. Exactly the same as if he played a card that searches his library or if he was examining his collection. Alley had never heard of a pocket reality of that size before, but the place could only store cards and linked deck items.


    Taking a few steps forward he sat down at the top of the marble stairs in the purple lit room.


    If his suspicions were correct it would be fairly easy to tell. All dealers, even those of a trials deck obeyed a set of certain commands that allowed the wielder to manage their collection.


    First he tried raising his left arm like he would have with the silver bracelet from ¡®Aegis Of The Fisher Lord.¡¯ Nothing happened, but that didn¡¯t mean Alley was wrong. If he was wearing a dealer it may have some other requirement to activate his hand.


    ¡®Okay okay let''s try something a little more universal.¡¯


    For the other commands he needed to know the name of the deck in question, but that was more than a little self explanatory.


    ¡° Crown Of The Cursed King: Full Library.¡±


    This attempt was much more successful.


    Crown Of The Cursed King


    Cursed Deck


    Player: Alabaster ''Alley'' Roe


    Dealer:[Artifact] Cloak Of The Bloodless One


    Rank:12th Aspirant


    Resonances: Undeath, Curse, Shadow


    Library: 90 Cards

 Chapter Fourteen: That Which Remains

    The enhancer or as we have come to know them the trials deck. Is more common, more limited in scope, and potentially more dangerous to the wielder. Each Trials Deck is capable of holding only a single resonance, like any deck this resonance cannot be changed after the deck¡¯s initial creation. Unlike the summoner or true deck. This single resonance is not balanced by a second and third, meaning that as the wielder grows in power that resonance begins to change the wielder in far more specific, and far less predictable ways.


    -Mysteries of The Deck Book One


    Chapter 14: That Which Remains


    Darius


    Darius Knots sat at the end of the little warf Alley¡¯s skiff was tied to. His feet dangling above the dark waters of Cursed Isle¡¯s Eastern bay, his spear leaned against his shoulder. The silhouette he cast in the light of the setting sun made him look like nothing so much as a slumped old fisherman.


    The red-headed boy was growing bored and restless. It wasn¡¯t like Alley to be late for anything, Granted there were all manner of threats to one''s time in Valeton. From old folks needing help, and bored relatives wanting to tell you the same stories a hundred times over, to community roof raisings and other activities that you might be obligated to assist in if you were nearby. It was enough to make Darius glad his family home was outside the town.


    Letting out a long sigh he resolved to wait another fifteen minutes and then go looking for his friend. In the meantime, he tried to read the water and gauge if it would be safe to cross the bay in the skiff. It looked alright to him, but Darius was really more of a land hunter. All this ocean stuff was Alley¡¯s domain. Sure he could hitch a sail and work a riverboat but stuff like reading the tides and plotting a course came much easier to his friend, and as much as he hated to admit it his younger siblings.


    The fifteen minutes in question felt disproportionately long, to the point he had to employ one of the breathing techniques he used for stalking prey. The rhythmic movement of his chest was intended to keep him from making noise on the hunt but had the added advantage of calming him down and filling him with a sense of patience. Coping with boredom while still paying attention to his surroundings was absolutely a top three skill any hunter needed.


    The tiny dock was well maintained despite only ever being used by Alley and his sister. That was typical of the Roes. The card-playing family had a real chip on their shoulders about doing things the right way. Which apparently meant working hard to keep anything they used ever in good order. The Knots family was a little more gung ho except when it came to their livelihoods. They serviced and maintained their hunting equipment with an obsessiveness that rivaled anything the Roes did. Maybe that was why the two families were so close. A shared philosophy about excessive maintenance and preparation.


    With a little flourish, Darius leaped to his feet causing the wooden boards beneath him to groan.


    ¡®Huh. Maybe not so well maintained after all.¡¯


    The thought made Darius smile. He knew once Alley found out the relatively minor detail would infuriate him. There was a very good chance his friend would be back here in the morning, hammer and nails in hand looking to replace the board. That''s if he didn¡¯t cancel the night hunt entirely to fix it instead.


    Ancient bone spear still on his shoulder Darius trotted back up the warf to the sloping bank it was attached to. Even it was relatively well maintained, the worn path heading up the slope was debris-free, and the long wet grass around it ended at an obviously man-cut point at the path¡¯s edge.


    Here on the western side of Cursed Isle, the ground was far less marshy, but the path still went almost directly from the water¡¯s edge into the forest that ringed the island¡¯s coastline.


    ¡°Alley!¡± He called out into the increasingly dark woods. ¡°Alley! Where the hell are you?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Shouting into the woods at night was generally not a good idea but the number of monsters on Cursed Isle was quite low and most of them knew better go anywhere near a Knots. The dark also was only a limited problem for someone with a Pursuit resonance trials deck anyway. At such a low rank the deck only strengthened his body a little beyond a regular person; it did however give him the ability to see perfectly for almost thirty feet in near-pitch darkness. The light of the moon and stars would be more than enough for Darius to navigate by.


    The red-headed teen may have been striding through the woods with a casual saunter, but his efforts at searching were at least a little systematic. He actively worked his way back toward Valeton, checking various points he knew might delay someone. A fallen tree that was home to overly aggressive ants, then the lair of a hibernating Clash Bear, the abandoned beaver dam that was sometimes used as a bridge, but was getting closer and closer to collapse.


    He even checked his family¡¯s own homestead, creeping inside so as not to wake the twins. In hushed voices, his parents confirmed they hadn¡¯t seen Alley, nor heard anything from the woods nearby. Biding his mother and father farewell the red-headed boy quietly left the main house and resumed his trek towards the island¡¯s sole settlement.


    It was weird his friend hadn¡¯t shown up, even stranger was the lack of light or noise coming from Valeton. As he got closer and closer to the village Darius should have seen or heard something.


    It was the smell that first clued him in. The village had stopped burning hours ago but the stench of the smoke still lingered on the breeze. Instantly he knew something was very wrong. This wasn¡¯t the scent of a village bonfire fire, this was the brutish and wet smell of utter destruction gone stale.


    Dropping into a crouch the hunter began a quiet roundabout approach to the village that would keep him close to the foothills around it and theory outside the sight line of anyone still occupying the place.


    When the village came into view the red-headed boy¡¯s breath caught. He had been expecting damage of some sort but not this. It looked like Valeton had been the site of a localized cyclone. Earth and buildings had been torn apart or tossed around, ash floated in the air and his enhanced eyes had no trouble picking out bodies amongst the rubble.


    Abandoning any attempts at stealth Darius began to dash through the village calling out the names of anyone he could think of who lived here. It was a futile endeavor, he knew that even before he began running. But what else could the hunter do but search and pray someone had been left alive?


    Ignoring the intense nausea he was feeling Darius made the obvious choice and headed towards the Roe family home. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care about the other villagers, far from it. He would absolutely risk life and limb to save any one of them at the slightest sign they might still live. It was just that if there was any chance Alley or his family were still alive and he missed the opportunity to help Darius would never forgive himself.


    The headlong search through the ruined township initially yielded nothing but tragedy. Corpses, ruined homes, destroyed land, and dead animals.


    ¡°Someone fought a challenge here.¡± It was the only explanation that made any sense, though if it was true the combatants involved must have been using decks of a monstrously high rank to wreak this kind of destruction. The Knots or the Roes could probably wipe out Valetone without too much difficulty, but not like this. The annihilation was on an elemental scale.


    Finally reaching the ancestral home of his friend Darius slowed his pace to a cautious walk. The damage here was different again. Not only had the house been reduced to splinters, a chasm of shocking depth had somehow been torn into the ground in front of the former cottage.


    Across the other side of the yawning depth, Darius could make out a figure routing around in the ruins of the Roe home. With his enhanced sight everything was in clear shadowless focus but rendered in black and white. While the sun was down color was alien to the red-headed boy.


    The figure faced away from him, down on all fours, dressed in a long ratty cloak of a strangely archaic style.


    The figure seemingly found whatever they were looking for as Darius padded around the chasm. They stood and inspected a card, the hood of the cloak flaring out in the nighttime breeze to reveal.


    ¡°Alley?¡± He called heart racing with hope that the boy who was practically his brother had somehow survived this cataclysm.


    Darius¡¯ friend turned to face him fully, tossing back his hood to reveal his face and messy dark hair. A small amount of the tension that had been quickly becoming a crushing weight on the hunter¡¯s shoulders eased.


    ¡°That''s what they call me.¡± He replies sadly meeting his friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°Though I guess there aren¡¯t any they left.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen: Prayer ( BUHBUHBUH-BONUS CHAPTER)

    Chapter 15: Prayer


    Alabaster


    Alley could see his friend was desperate to ask what had happened but was holding himself back. The dark-haired boy appreciated Darius¡¯ rare expression of tact. Though he supposed there really was nothing to say. He could relay the events, talk about the stranger that had come and destroyed everything, killed his family, and left Alley utterly impotent in a challenge. None of that could convey the depth of pain, the horror, the confusion.


    That was before he got into the surreal events he could barely process in the dark castle below their feet. No, Alley needed more time to process things before he could begin to explain the new reality he found himself in.


    After maybe an hour of experimentation with his new dealer the dark-haired boy had hauled himself slowly up the chasm. That had taken another two hours, a lot of skin from his fingers, and far too much concentration to truly sort his thoughts out in any meaningful way. Upon clambering back out of the earth his mind had been dominated by a single near-obsessive idea. He had to find the one piece of his family that Soren had left behind. The card made from the body of Alley¡¯s sister; Hecatia Roe. The idea that the wind might have taken the card had filled him with panic that Alley hadn¡¯t even waited for his limbs to stop feeling like jelly before he began a frantic search around the area where his challenge had been fought.


    He had thankfully found the card eventually, trapped by the wind against a piece of wood that Alley recognized as the beam that had supported the roof above his bed.


    After inspecting it in the moonlight he had pulled the card into his dealer''s storage space. Only to immediately find Darius there calling out to him. It had all been such an avalanche of events that had never truly slowed down until now.


    He would eventually tell his friend every gory detail but for the moment Alley needed some time in his own head before he attempted to relay anything. So instead of talking the pair of boys got to work in near silence giving the annihilated village one more thorough search for survivors. Doubtless, there would be things that they could salvage from Alley or other people¡¯s homes, but that could wait until morning. While Darius could see perfectly in the near total darkness Alley had no such ability.


    He was able to create a torch out of debris and light it with a patch of smoldering grass, but it was was fickle thing throwing inconsistent light in a small circle around the boys.


    Using the torch to get back to the Knots homestead was already going to be a challenging enough prospect let alone any kind of true salvage effort.


    It turned out Alley was wrong on that front, his own lifetime spent on the island combined with his friend¡¯s similar experience and ability to see in the dark made the trip simplicity itself.


    About halfway from the village to the homestead Alley began to open up, slowly relating what had happened since they parted in the woods earlier that day. Even having lived the events he was telling the dark-haired boy found himself almost incredulous at his own words. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Darius thought he had simply lost his mind.


    While the hunter was visibly shocked at his friend¡¯s mention of humans being turned into cards. It was the mention of facing someone at the fifth rank and surviving that caused him to stop dead in his tracks.


    ¡°You fought a walking god?¡± he said using the more archaic term.


    ¡°No¡± Alley replied flatly. ¡° I definitely wouldn¡¯t call it a fight.¡±


    That drew a wince from Darius ¡°Well we are talking about a near-mythical rank here. You survived at least, that''s pretty good.¡±


    Alley knew his friend was trying his best to be considerate but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to be consoled. That wasn¡¯t Darius¡¯ fault and so he did his best to avoid responding in clipped tones, even if the urge to rant and rave was more than a little present inside him.


    Taking a little breath to steady himself Alley tried his best to approach this with the same casual and adventurous energy the pair of boys always shared. It was of course impossible to truly hide his feelings behind a facade of normalcy. The tragedy was too recent, his pain too raw.


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    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it myself, but if you think that¡¯s insane wait till you hear what happened when the challenge ended and the ground tore open.¡±


    The two teen boys crept past the woodline into the knots'' homestead. Alley had already abandoned his makeshift torch and they moved in silence so as not to wake anyone sleeping. By this late hour not only the twins but Darius¡¯ parents would likely have retired. They wouldn¡¯t object to Alley spending the night even without permission first so it was really an effort to be polite.


    Knowing their son would be returning from a night hunt the Knots¡¯ had left a single oil lantern burning above the doorway to the long hall that housed the various bedrooms of the family.


    It cast a small circle of warm light that was large enough to at least outline the tool benches, wood piles, skinning apparatus, and the other obstacles littering the homestead''s yard.


    With the synergy of long association, the boys entered the house. Darius opened the door in increments to avoid it making noise, whilst Alley reached up and retrieved the lantern. Which he promptly extinguished, and hung his hook in its stead.


    On the hunt or even while traveling Alley knew the Knots family had a whole system of sleeping in watches. Here in their half-year home, this was not the case. The building hummed with the quietly pregnant air of a sleeping family, occasionally broken by an occasional rumble from the dogs or grunting snore from Darius¡¯ father elsewhere in the building.


    The doorway opened to a large family hall dimly lit by a still smoldering hearth fire built into a large cast iron device in the center of the room.


    The two teens shared a nod and Darius crept off to his room. For Alley''s part, he made his way to a large sofa bed in front of the fire. The ludicrously massive hunting dog called Atex that the Knots family kept already lay atop the sofa, but it raised its head and obediently if begrudgingly slid off the couch as Alley approached. It drew a small smile from the teen. The old mut was better trained than the twins.


    Removing his shirt and settling into the sofa Alley rapped his tattered cloak around himself and idly patted the dog that had immediately laid back down on the floor beside him. With his free and strangely recovered arm the boy summoned the single card from his collection that he had found in the ruins of his home.


    No Assigned Deck


    Hecatia Roe, Thaw Princess


    Unique


    Resonances: Human, Bloom, Charm


    No Cost


    Power:700


    Vitality: 1


    Inspecting the image he quietly swore to himself that he would evolve the Hecatia Roe card to be as powerful as it possibly could be. Even if it didn''t share a single resonance with his new deck.


    It was nothing, less than nothing yet Alley felt he owed his sister that much at the very least. One day someone might see the greatest version of the card and coo over it just as men and women from far and wide had fawned over her in life.


    Dismissing the card he continued to stroke the dog and did his best to hold back tears as memories of his family assailed him.


    Alley hadn''t seen any sign of his father, and while he knew the most likely scenario was that the man was dead somewhere under the wreckage of Valeton. He still couldn''t help but offer a little prayer of protection to all the ancients and every one of the gods both alive or dead he could think of. ¡°Please let some unexpected turn have taken him away before Soren arrived. I know that it''s stupid, I know but please.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much of a prayer lacking the ritual words and ceremony that were said to be necessary to get heavenly attention. Alley was no priest; he didn''t know those words or actions. His dealer didn¡¯t even hold any sort of Divine resonance, the first step for most on such a journey. In fact, he thought sadly it could be argued quite the opposite.


    Alley¡¯s new deck was by any measure an unholy and profane thing, reveling in its own horrifying nature. If any gods were paying attention he doubted they would be inclined to do favors for the person wielding it.


    ¡°The Crown Of The Cursed King.¡± He mused aloud not adding any commands which would summon cards or allow him to view the dealer¡¯s storage space. The words promoted the briefest of glances from Atex, before seeing it wasn¡¯t being ordered to do anything and lowering its shaggy head once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry boy¡± he whispered softly to the dog. ¡° Nothing you need to concern yourself with.¡±


    Before going back to his silent considerations on his deck. The thing might be profane, it might have trapped him and locked away his ability to manifest cards outside of a challenge. But the cards within its Library were of such rarity, such ancient uniqueness, such power. That maybe just maybe with a little ingenuity and a lot of luck Alley could use it to perform his own miracles. No gods required.


    ¡°That''s the Spirit.¡± Rumbled the whiskey-soaked gravel voice he had spoken to in the hidden castle.

 Chapter Sixteen: Wreckage

    It wouldn¡¯t very well be a curse if you could just get a new Deck now would it?


    -Mysteries Of The Deck Book Six


    Chapter 16: Wreckage


    Alabaster


    The voice didn¡¯t speak again that night. Something Alley was more than a little grateful for, in fact after its disembodied words he had quietly demanded it leave him alone with his grief. Alley had no way to know the reason it opted to obey him and hopefully, it wasn''t now biding its time to avenge the disrespect. He didn¡¯t have the energy to care.


    At some point, while he lay staring at the dying embers of the hearth fire, sleep overtook Alley. What followed could hardly be called restful as his subconscious desperately tried to process the insanity of the last twenty-four hours. His dreams were like those of a man deep in fever, a cavalcade of implausible scenarios, images, and people assaulted his mind.


    When the Twins came rampaging into the hall before the sun had even risen he was almost grateful for the excuse to get up.


    ¡°Cousin Alley!¡±


    The midair shriek was just enough warning for Alley to snap his eyes open and his arms up in time to intercept the flying Kamran; The brown-haired boy of the Knots twins. Unfortunately, Korshea was only a half step behind her brother, and she he did not intercept.


    ¡°Cousin Alley!¡±


    The cry was repeated by the slightly more feminine of the two mops of brown hair assaulting him. Atex that crafty old hound was nowhere to be found having wisely headed outside before the twins even began to stir.


    Having been slammed back into the couch by the one-two tackle of the Knots twins, Alley had no choice but to engage in the impromptu wrestling match that immediately broke out. The wins were at least four years away from having Trials Decks of their own but they were still strong for their age, cunning, and shockingly difficult to hold down. Eventually, he was able to overpower the pair but it was more difficult than it had been last time, and that had been more difficult than the time before that.


    It made Alley smile to see that even apocalyptic levels of destruction a few scant miles away hadn¡¯t changed a thing inside the Knots'' long hall. His second home remained just as full of rambunctious life as it had ever been.


    The dark-haired boy had just finished pinning both twins when the husky voice of Artunis; Darius¡¯ mother drew his attention up from the struggling kids. The matron of the Knots family was a tall, lean muscular woman of brown hair in her middle years. The deeply tanned skin her children didn¡¯t quite share revealed her heritage from the south-east.


    ¡°Morning Alley. I assume your parents know you slept here?¡± She asked without concern.


    Alley¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times as his mind froze at the simple question. Eventually, he took a few stuttering breaths, tears he hadn¡¯t let himself shed the night before welling up in his eyes.


    ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t think they do.¡±


    The Knots twins shared a glance and instantly switched to their best behavior as a concerned look crossed their mother¡¯s face.


    ¡° Maybe you should tell me what happened.¡± She said gently.


    A little while later Alley sat at the large round dining table while all five members of the Knots family crowded around him. Directly across from the last Roe sat Leshy the red and white-haired father of the clan. He was shorter than his wife but in terms of bulk when you looked at the man it was obvious why his kids were so damn strong.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Alley relayed the story of what had happened the previous night in greater detail than he had to his friend on the trip from Valeton. Leaving nothing out and stopping only to answer questions or offer clarification. When his explanation reached his successful conquering of the puzzle match in the castle Alley took a deep steadying breath and called forth the physical form of his newly acquired deck.


    ¡°Crown Of The Cursed King: Manifest.¡±


    The stack of ninety cards that appeared in his hand seemed normal for a few seconds. Instantly Artunis gasped realizing at the size of the deck what she was looking at. The rest of her family reacted much the same a few seconds later when Alley placed his Library on the table in front of him. As soon as the cards left his hand they changed, whereas a True or trials deck would continue to behave normally when separated from their owners. These cards turned translucent and began to glow red.


    ¡°Not just a name then,¡± said Darius¡¯ father gravely. ¡° You have been linked to a cursed deck.¡±


    A few questions and breakfast later the family are gearing up and getting dressed with an efficiency Alley could never match if he hadn¡¯t slept in his clothes.


    The six of them spent the day scouring Valeton. It was grim work as they dug out and stacked the bodies of the villagers. Several times throughout the process the twins were sent to get food for the group or on some made-up errand so that children could be given a break from the horror.


    Ever practical the Knots did their best to salvage anything they could potentially use or sell. Alley didn¡¯t resent it and quickly began to do the same. Keeping an eye out for any tools or items he thought might benefit him.


    If Alley still had the ability to manifest creatures and spells they would probably have been done in a few quick hours. Locked as his new Cursed Deck was the time the sun was nearly setting by the time much of the village had been divided into three piles. One the Knots were keeping, a smaller one for Alley, and one made from the two dozen or so villagers who had once dwelled in the town. These included Alley¡¯s mother and sister but still the fate of his father remained a mystery. There was no way to know he wasn¡¯t simply buried deeper than the group had dug, but Alley still felt an ember of hope flicker torturously to life in his chest.


    While Alley, Darius, and the twins secured a couple of hand wagons and worked on ferrying the piles of salvaged goods back to the Knots homestead. The adults got to work constructing individual funeral pyres. It would have been far easier to simply stack wooden debris around the pile of bodies, or start a single huge bonfire to feed the corpses into that. Leshy Knots didn¡¯t do things that way, and never would. When a person died they deserved a grave of their own. Even one made of fire.


    By the time Alley returned to the ruined village the hillside beyond was lit up like a field of stars with each of the funeral pyres. The Knots parents both possessed Trials Decks and were at the tenth Rank; Infused in the old terminology. This meant not only were they faster and stronger than anyone without a deck could ever hope to be, they also had access to cards which increased these attributes even further.


    Without the pair of adults here, the salvage efforts would have taken days, and the process of setting up the pyres would be far from complete. Leshy and Artunis had left Alley¡¯s mother and sister unlit so that he could have a chance to light the fires himself and pay one last round of respects to the women who had meant so much to him.


    Bringing himself to light the stacked wood beneath the bodies of his family was harder than Alley imagined. Harder than climbing back out of the chasm had been, harder than proving to his parents that he was ready for a Deck, harder than anything he had ever done before. Still, when Darius¡¯ father offered him a burning torch Alley took it.


    One slow step at a time he forced his way to the makeshift pyres like he was wading against a river. The heat of the flaming brand in his hand was a mirror to the hot tears that ran down his otherwise neutral face.


    Starting with his sister Alley murmured thoughts and promises to the lifeless form as the fire slowly consumed her. He talked about shared memories and things he wished he had said while she was alive, he repeated his promise to evolve her card as far as it could possibly go and swore new ones that he would recover their mother¡¯s card and discover the fate of their father.


    Once Hecatia¡¯s form was fully obscured by the flames he moved onto his mother¡¯s pyre with the same torturous slowness. Lighting this wood pile Alley repeated the process. Talking of good times the family had shared, challenges they had overcome, and making promises to the spirits he doubted that he could keep.


    Alley wasn¡¯t sure how long he spent talking to his mother and sister, but when he began his descent down the hill bearing the pyres the moon was already high above. To Alley¡¯s surprise the Patron and Matron of the Knots family were both seated in respectful silence at the foot of the hill.


    ¡®Had they waited there this whole time?¡¯ Alley couldn¡¯t quite believe it, but he supposed they were both friends of his and family processing their own grief. They were also hunters by trade, a profession that required patience on a grand scale.


    Still, he felt more than a little grateful as he rejoined the pair of adults. The trip back to the Knots homestead was a somber affair in which no one spoke a word that wasn¡¯t required for navigating the forest. What greeted Alley when they arrived was almost the exact opposite.

 Chapter Seventeen: A Step On The Path

    The path of the summoner and the path of the enhancer are both divided into twelve ranks. However, as the changes wrought on the body of the wielder are so dramatically different between the paths these ranks or ¡®forms¡¯ as the ancients dubbed them bear separate titles.


    These titles are as follows.


    Summoner Rank Twelve: Aspirant


    Enhancer Rank Twelve: Unblooded


    Summoner Rank Eleven: Emboldened


    Enhancer Rank Eleven: Bloodied


    Summoner Rank 10: Lesser Embued


    Enhancer-


    Remainder of page too faded to read.


    -Mysteries of the Deck Book One


    Chapter 17: A Step On The Path


    Darius


    While Alley and his parents finalized the funerals for the folk of Valeton Darius had been left in charge of organizing a wake of sorts. His twin younger siblings were clearly overtired from their efforts salvaging the village. Lacking any other manpower he put them to work helping to prepare for dinner.


    Assisting him in carving chunks off the huge boar, chopping vegetables, or getting the large outdoor bonfire going the MuckRunners as he called the pair of ten-year-olds complained the entire time. Knowing they would never disrespect Alley¡¯s loss by doing it in front of him Darius let them vent.


    Skewering the various cuts of meat onto an iron cooking apparatus Darius left the meat hanging over the budding bonfire while he fetched the oak barrel holding his parent¡¯s supply of whiskey. After confirming the twins still had the process of pig cooking well in hand. The red-headed teen headed back to his room to fetch his Tambura. It wouldn''t feel appropriate to mourn or celebrate the lost lives of the villagers without the somber wails the long-necked string instrument produced.


    Darius would soon need to add a spicy rub to the quickly crisping pig meat, but for now, he had time to move the table and chairs outside.


    In the light of the increasingly huge bonfire, the Knots family and their near-adopted son would feast, drink, and trade stories about the Roe family and the other deceased villagers. This was what the Knots family always did after a tragedy. The tradition, like his Tambura, was leftover shards of culture his father had brought from the homeland.


    Though having been there several times Darius knew the funeral feast was only vaguely similar to the rituals performed in the FrostWing Lands, more like traditional flavor added to local custom.


    He felt a little callous thinking it but Darius was quietly grateful they didn''t observe something similar for the traditions of his mother''s ancestral home. After a horrific event like the one that had befallen Valeton, they would have been praying, fasting, and performing rites for months at least.


    Eventually, the three siblings slid the iron hook device they had skewered the meat on out of the fire. At which point the hound Atex who was far too well trained to steal raw meat, but more than happy to beg for cooked scraps made a miraculous appearance.


    ¡°Hold off old man,¡± said Darius with a smile at the mutt. ¡° You will get plenty later.¡±


    Normally he would pat the retired hunting dog but that was probably bad form while he was adding spices to meat. A process that was slowed down by the twins¡¯ attempts to steal hunks of meat, or complain about how they were starving to death.


    ¡°You two are worse than the dog.¡±


    While he didn¡¯t voice it even Darius was starting to get impatient by the time his parents and friend returned. He¡¯d had to add extra fuel to the bonfire twice, and the boar he had cooked had long since gone cold. Still, when the trio appeared at the edge of the homestead all three Knots siblings greeted them with somber respect.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Darius could tell Alley had been crying not that he blamed the boy. If he was being honest he was surprised his friend had held things together as well as he had. Darius was sad about the loss of the Roe family, quietly distraught in fact. But the rest of the Valeton villagers? They fell firmly into the category of acquaintances for him. He would miss them but not a one was a major figure in his life. That was not the case for Alley.


    The dark-haired boy lived on Cursed Isle year round, only leaving when his family took a trading trip to a nearby river isle, or to attend a festival where Alley¡¯s mother would defend her regional title. Darius couldn¡¯t imagine how his friend must feel. To have lost almost everyone he had ever known in the space of a day.


    It wasn¡¯t long after they had returned that the pseudo-feast began. Clamoring around the table the warmth of the fire, the good food, the somewhat weak whiskey. It all combined to thaw the awkward and mournful atmosphere. Soon enough the family air returned as the Knots and Alley took turns sharing stories about the deceased. Even the twins took a turn each, though the food and quarter cup of whiskey they shared put the exhausted ten-year-olds to sleep in short order.


    A state they surprisingly managed to maintain once Darius began to play his Tambura, his only real outlet for the pain he was feeling. He sharply missed the Roe''s, especially Hecatia. Or was he sad for himself that he would never have the chance to woo her? ¡®No.¡¯ Darius had been a hunter his whole life, survivors guilt was an old friend for the seventeen-year-old boy and he recognized it as the source of his self-deprecating thoughts.


    Picking up speed with his fingers he used the large long-necked lyre to send deep wails out into the forest around the homestead, haunting and beautiful Darius had always loved the instrument, like his Deck it had been passed down to him by his grandmother and always reminded him of the barbaric old woman.


    As is the nature of parties big or small the energy infects the attendees with joviality must inevitably ebb. The wake of Valeton was no different, the bonfire burned low, the plates and sleeping children were taken inside, scraps were given to Atex, the cups of whiskey exchanged for sweetened coffee and the conversation slowly turned from the past to the future.


    ¡°So.¡± Said Leshy matter of factly ¡° when are you two leaving?¡±


    Alley shot Darius a questioning glance at that and the red-haired boy shrugged helplessly in return, he had no idea what his dad was talking about.


    The older man noticed the confusion of the teens and sat back taking a long sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to pressure you boys or anything¡± he went on when the two of them offered no more response than to stare at him with identically blank expressions.


    ¡°But we assumed that Alley would want some sort of revenge or closure right?¡±


    ¡°That''s what I had thought.¡± Added Artunis as she brought out a shuttered lantern and what Darius recognized as the rolled-up oiled leather his family used to make maps.


    ¡°Well of course.¡± Replied Alley scratching the back of his head a little awkwardly.


    ¡°But¡± he started to reply before Darius'' mother continued.


    ¡°And naturally as Darius is your spirit brother he has no choice but to assist you.¡±


    Darius felt his jaw hang open in surprise. Yes of course he had been thinking about revenge and had spent most of the preparations for the little feast fantasizing about the level of power he and Alley would have to reach. The dungeons and ruins they would have to delve in search of rare cards, the tournaments they would have to attend and win, the legendary monsters they would have to hunt. All would be necessary to have a hope of avenging themselves on a Fifth Rank wielding a True Deck.


    It was the stuff of tales, the sort of thing every boy who had ever seen a deck dreamed about.


    He had been fully expecting to have to make arguments for the next few days to both Alley and his parents that such a quest was the only course of action.


    ¡°It really is the only course of action.¡± went on Darius¡¯ father.


    ¡°Will you be able to manage without him?¡± Asked Alley, clearly warming to the idea.


    ¡®Stop being polite you ass¡¯ Darius silently willed at his friend.


    ¡°Once Leshy gets off his ass and finishes our barge we can.¡± Replied Darius¡¯ mother with a smile.


    ¡°And like dad said I''m your spirit brother.¡± Chimed in Darius. Pushing to have the matter settled in the affirmative before some additional calamity, or fickle parent ruined his chance at a truly grand adventure.


    The red-haired boy''s words drew a quizzical look from Alley. But Leshy, ignoring the playful jibe from his wife nodded and voiced his agreement.


    ¡°The twins will be more than enough help, and it''s true. Those rituals when you were young might have just been a kooky bonding experience to the Roe¡¯s but they mean a lot to us.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t mean-¡± stammered Alley, but Darius¡¯ father held up a hand for silence and Alley cut himself off.


    ¡°If you wish to pursue this man, and this path the Knots clan will gladly support you, and Darius has no choice but to aid you.¡± He grinned then. ¡°Not that I think he minds too much.¡±


    ¡®Mind?¡¯ Internally Darius was jumping for joy.


    ¡°So Alley. Do you plan on hunting for revenge?¡±


    The dark-haired boy looked around the table, eyes shining with gratitude and maybe just a tiny bit of hope.


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter Eighteen: And Then There Were Fifteen.

    Chapter 18: And Then There Were Fifteen.


    Alabaster


    Alley was honestly taken aback. He had always been close to the Knots, but the level of support left him flabbergasted. They were offering to send their eldest son on a journey from which he likely would never return almost casually. All because of a few silly words they had shared over cups of eel venom-derived alcohol when Alley was five.


    No, that wasn''t quite right. The ritual might matter to Leshy Knots but Alley thought it had more to do with the closeness the two families had built over decades than the strange code of honor the hunters lived by.


    ¡°Now.¡± Said Darius¡¯ mother. ¡°Let''s get a look at that Deck you dug out of the ground.¡±


    Alley nodded and summoned his entire remaining collection of cards, spreading them out on the table in front of him. It was a summoning, not a manifestation, Alley couldn¡¯t do that anymore he thought to himself with a pang of regret.


    With the larger Library size and the few cards he had managed to salvage from his original collection Alley ironically now owned more cards than he ever had before. The problem was not just the curse lock on the Deck but that he needed ninety cards to even use The Crown Of The Cursed King in a challenge match.


    To make matters worse. Of the ninety cards that had already come with the library eleven had rotted beyond usability, a whopping twenty-two were too costly in life essence vials for Alley to play should he draw them, and weirdly eight of the cards were blank. He explained all of this as he allowed the Knots family to inspect his collection.


    Alley wouldn¡¯t normally have been so trusting as to reveal all of his cards, especially when he wasn¡¯t even familiar with them himself yet. But as far as the last Roe was concerned Darius and his family were beyond suspicion. Besides, all of this was nothing new. The Roes helped the Knots and the Knots helped the Roes. By keeping the other family fully up to date their assistance could only be enhanced.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± said Artunis. ¡° As good as they are, the cost of a lot of these cards would kill you if you try to manifest them.¡±


    At that Alley offered a helpless shrug. He knew that but neither had the cards to replace them nor the option to get a different deck. While he had been doing his best not to think about it the moment he had touched The Cursed Deck it had locked to him. It was his Deck now and to the best of his knowledge, there wasn¡¯t anything anyone could do to change that. Maybe if he somehow survived another attack worth 330000 Power it would destroy his Dealer again. It was a funny idea though he didn¡¯t struggle to hold back a smile as he responded.


    ¡° So how do I grow my life essence when I can¡¯t use my Deck?¡± Alley knew technically all the training he had done since first getting a Deck of his own had been growing his life essence. The problem was he couldn¡¯t access any of that power until he achieved lower ranks with his Dealer. Each rank came with its own set of challenges to advance past. At rank twelve Alley needed to win roughly six challenges.


    ¡°That is a simple fix, simple but far from easy.¡± Answered Leshy slowly whilst inspecting a card. ¡° What is this Resonance? ¡° He asked his wife. ¡° I recognize Undeath and Shadow.¡±


    ¡°Curse¡± She supplies absently whilst also examining the pulsing red cards laid out on the table.


    ¡°So your three are Shadow, Curse, and Undeath?¡± Darius¡¯ father asks Alley who nodded. ¡° And your dealer is that Cloak?¡±


    The dark-haired boy looked down at the ratty black cloak and weird archaic clothes that had replaced his own. ¡° uhh yeah I think so.¡±


    ¡°And you said it had just appeared on you after the Deck claimed you?¡± Alley wasn¡¯t aware that was what you called chains magically coming to life and surging into him.


    ¡°That''s right.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The gray-haired man glanced at his wife ¡°That has the feel of an Artifact dealer to it, I think.¡±


    ¡°It does¡± Artunis replied without looking up; she was in the process of sorting Alley¡¯s collection into separate piles based on some criteria she hadn¡¯t shared.


    ¡°So it might have some sort of ability?¡± Asked Darius, his eyes shining with excitement.


    ¡°It might¡± Agreed Leshy. ¡°But artifacts can be dangerous as well, there is often some sort of cost associated with activating its effect. So I can only suggest caution until you know what it does.¡±


    Alley was still watching Darius¡¯ mother. He was fairly certain the piles she was making were based on how useful she thought the cards would be relative to their cost, and of course if he could actually play them.


    ¡°I''ll try to be careful but I don¡¯t even know if it has an ability or how to go about activating it if it does. But that doesn¡¯t help with my card problem.¡±


    Finishing her sorting process Artunis suddenly unrolled a map made of some sort of oiled seabeast skin on the table.


    ¡°Undead.¡± Said Leshy his eyes shining in almost the exact same way Darius had moments before.


    As traveling hunters the Knots family made its living seeking out resonance heavy monsters and animals. The organs and meat were valued for the creation of magic items, strengthening one¡¯s body, and of course sometimes just because they tasted good. Many such beasts also grew a resonance crystal inside themselves which allowed the creatures to exhibit mystical abilities and were essential in the creation of spell cards.


    While undead monsters might contain such a jewel if they had grown one prior to their death and subsequent resurrection. They did not have harvestable organs or edible meat. In a career where every hunt could be vital to the family¡¯s success, the Knots could not afford to waste effort and risk their lives fighting dead things.


    So over the years, Artunis had kept detailed maps of areas near their usual hunting grounds that should be avoided. Avoided because undead for one reason or another could be found there. Undead monsters might be different from living ones in almost every way but if you killed one a Dealer could still make it into a card just like anything else that wasn¡¯t a human.


    The four of them poured over the maps long into the night going over plans for Alley and Darius to grow. The Knots parents were both Rank Ten, with Darius¡¯ grandmother having been the strongest in generations reaching the ninth rank, what they sometimes call a Transfigured. Even Arcadia herself, the regional champion had only been rank eight.


    If the pair of boys were going to get revenge and to Alley more importantly recover the card of his mother the two of them would need to blow right past that level of advancement.


    To start the pair would need to fill the gaps in Alley¡¯s Deck, ideally with weaker cards that he could actually manifest. After that, he could work on replacing the cards that were too expensive to use and winning enough Challenge matches to unlock the next rank.


    For Darius who was already rank eleven unlocking more power meant evolving five of his cards. Either those already in his Deck or new cards he collected along the way. Which could be monstrously difficult or utter child¡¯s play depending on how difficult it was to obtain additional copies of his cards.


    Once the pair reached the tenth rank that was when things would start to get complicated. Most people even accomplished warriors or hunters like Darius¡¯ parents never made it further than that. Still, Alley wasn¡¯t too worried, he could cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, filling out nineteen empty card slots would be challenging enough.


    It wasn¡¯t much but Alley felt himself once more overwhelmed by gratitude when Leshy retreated into the hall and returned with four Resonance-free True Deck cards he had picked up over his travels. Having really no choice in the matter, Alley immediately added all four cards to his deck. That left fifteen to go before he could use his Cursed Deck in a challenge match. It was a long way, but gaining almost a quarter of the cards he needed in mere minutes buoyed his spirits significantly.


    Most were on the weak side as was the case with almost all cards that didn¡¯t have a resonance. There was one however that drew Alley¡¯s attention both for its potential and because he had no idea how such a card was even created in the first place.


    ¡°Fierce Negotiations¡± He murmured to himself inspecting the card after profusely thanking the Knots for what felt like the fiftieth time that night.


    ¡°It¡¯s soft synergy, but this might actually work pretty well for me."


    Deck- Crown Of The Cursed King


    Fierce Negotiations


    No Resonance


    Additional Cost: Send the top to cards from your Library to your Crypt.


    Each Player selects a Card in their Hand. Selected Card is sent to the opposing player''s hand and may be used by that player as per normal.


    [Traded Card is sent to the Crypt of its original owner if sent to the Crypt for any reason]

 Chapter Nineteen: Preparations

    Ahh the Oceans this adventurous soul has spent many a night watching the stars from aboard a floating vessel, but it was not my dear reader. Until I endeavored to write this book, that I came to truly understand the myriad wonders of the endless deep. By the time you finish the tome you hold I promise you will understand them all as well. This seminal work which I am proud to say is one part technical manual of greater than encyclopedic quality and one part log of my own adventures so grand they stretch credulity.


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, Forward


    Chapter 19: Preparations


    Alabaster


    While the Knots family had been feverishly preparing for the All Isles Festival since their arrival on Cursed Isle this year. They could however spare a day or two devoted to helping the pair of boys on their journey. After lots of back and forth, it had eventually been decided that Alley and Darius would make for a swamp to the southeast.


    Overland it would be a journey of several weeks but using Alley¡¯s skiff they could head out onto the ocean. If they hugged the coast it should still be a safe trip whilst cutting their travel time in half at least.


    The locals near their destination apparently called the place Rakino; Bad day in the tongue their ancestors spoke. The swamp was a bit of a mystery. While not an actual threat to the towns nearby, something in its depths routinely spat out swarms of weak undead and had for as long as anyone could remember.


    It sounded almost perfect for Alley¡¯s needs though he doubted they would find much in the way of Trials cards with the Pursuit resonance for Darius. In general, a Trials deck was the purview of people. Temples, schools, military fortresses, and hunting lodges. These were the types of places they would need to visit to strengthen Darius¡¯ Library. In some ways, it was a far scarier prospect than hunting dead things past the edge of civilization for Alley¡¯s.


    There was one such hunting lodge on a tiny Island marked on the map almost dead east of the Rakino swamp. It was pretty far out in the ocean, but not such a distance that he feared his skiff wouldn¡¯t be up to it. Such a trip likely meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it to the All Isles Festival and his best chance to quickly rack up six wins and overcome rank twelve.


    Alley had been weighing this up in his mind, going over the details again and again as he did not want to miss the festival. Yet the details didn¡¯t change. With his own Deck Curse Locked, Alley would struggle to fight back against someone threatening him with a True Deck until he could touch them and initiate a Challenge Match.


    They hadn¡¯t discussed it yet, but Alley was sure both he and Darius realized the truth of the matter. Yes, the last surviving Roe could train his body and his techniques for fighting people and monsters, but if the pair of them ran into someone with bad intentions and the ability to change reality around him he would need Darius to help him close that gap more often than he wouldn¡¯t. They were going to have to figure out a whole set of new strategies.


    These were the thoughts that whirled around Alley¡¯s mind as he prepared and filled a series of Meat Casks to keep fish, pork, and MuckDwell River Dragon meat fresh during the journey ahead. He tried to think of it as planning, but the truth was he was simply going over the same information again and again as excitement and anxiety made war over their tiny philosophical differences inside him.


    Preparing food, tools, weapons, extra clothes, rope, sail canvas, ship maintenance supplies, and anything else they could think of that would reasonably fit on Alley¡¯s boat and conceivably come in handy. Was an effort of two days for the entire family. Alley felt guilty monopolizing the labor of the Knots Clan, but with autumn having already started, if he was going to make this journey before storms made the seas south of Cursed Isle far too dangerous the pair of them needed to be on their way sooner rather than later.


    It was strange every moment of preparation over the two days felt to Alley like it dragged as his hunger to depart grew. Occasionally in the times when he worked alone, he would whisper questions trying to prompt the strange voice he had heard to respond to him. If nothing else so that he could prove to himself that he wasn¡¯t crazy, that he had indeed heard it directing him to where his sister¡¯s card lay and again when he was trying to sleep the first night staying with the Knots.


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    The outcome was far from confirmation of his sanity. As whatever the entity that had communicated with him was, it didn¡¯t make a peep.


    Pushing the idea of his unstable mental state aside as best he could, Alley tried to simply bask in the hectic yet warm nature of the Knots homestead. He was sure there was no one quite like the family of monster hunters.


    While he had been anxious to depart during every moment of preparation when the time to leave finally came. Alley found himself dragging his feet. The entire Knots family had come to see their son and pseudo-son off, packing the rickety little wharf that played host to Alley¡¯s skiff. The boat itself wasn¡¯t exactly intended for long journeys but it was the only ocean-going vessel on the Island that wasn¡¯t directly tied to the continued survival of the Knots family.


    Alley and Darius tossed their packs of personal supplies onto the ship and turned to say their final goodbyes.


    When they did, the view of Cursed Isle¡¯s steep vibrantly green hills broken by the occasional boulder of jutting grey stone and smatterings of light airy woodland made the breath catch in Alley¡¯s throat.


    ¡®I¡¯m never going to see this place again.¡¯ The thought came unbidden and filled him with a strange sense of longing. It just felt true.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid¡± came the deep whiskey-soaked voice that only he could hear. ¡°Of course, you will be back. You think you can catch up to that priest without using my Library? Pah!¡±


    ¡®Now you talk to me.¡¯ Alley¡¯s frustration only grew when he realized he had missed something being said to him by Leshy and now the Knots family was looking at him expectantly.


    ¡°Uhh sorry just overwhelmed by emotion for a second.¡± he covered for the distraction. It wasn¡¯t even really a lie, he was feeling a little overwhelmed.


    ¡°Can you say that again?¡±


    ¡°I said ¡° grinned the older man ¡° That we will carry a message about what happened here to the All Isles festival, and have marked on some of your maps where we expect to be and when over the next two years so if you are nearby don¡¯t be strangers.¡±


    Alley smiled thanked the man, and assured Leshy they would, whilst Darius dolled out hugs and words with his mother and siblings. Eventually, there wasn¡¯t much left to say, Artunis reminded Alley to keep his bladed hook and CoreSteel chain close, and Darius not to leave his Ice Serpent scale cloak lying around as both items were prime bait for thieves and could easily save either boy¡¯s life in an emergency.


    ¡°Yes Mom¡±


    ¡°Yes Mrs knots¡± they replied in unison with the tone of teenagers the world over being reminded of something more than once.


    After that, there was nothing for it but to make the small leap to the boat and cast off. They had tried to keep the boat somewhat light despite the plethora of tools and supplies. It had been a partial success but his skiff which Alley thought of as ¡®The Bay Runner¡¯ still sat lower in the water than he had ever seen it. He hoped the tiny ship could still maintain the speed it had been built for.


    Setting sail the boys quickly fell into an easy rhythm. They had been working together their entire lives, and taking this boat out for various short trips for the past five years. Despite being the far worldlier of the two Darius left navigation duties to Alley. The dark-haired boy didn¡¯t mind, there was something about naval travel that just didn¡¯t click with his friend. You could rely on him to find his way out of a forest or a cave with almost supernatural accuracy, but put him on water and he just had no idea where he was going.


    ¡°You think we''ll ever see Cursed Isle again?¡± Asked Alley as he worked the rudder and his friend did his best to keep the single sail filled with wind.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Darius with a glance over his shoulder at Alley. ¡° I hadn¡¯t really thought about it but I guess not. I don¡¯t think my parents have any reason to winter here now.¡±


    The pair maneuvered out into the bay in a mild zig pattern intended to keep the wind at their backs. Once they crossed the headlands out onto the Silver Sea they would turn dead south and follow the coastline. It was far faster than the river travel Alley was accustomed to and if the weather held within three days he would have gone further from his home than he had his entire life up until this point.


    Initially, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to feel scared or excited by that idea. But it was clear in his every movement that Darius was excited to have finally dragged his best friend off on an adventure like he had been talking about for years. The energy from the red-headed boy slowly shifted the balance inside Alley towards excitement and wonder.


    Yes, there had been tragedy he still hadn¡¯t fully processed, yes he was maybe going mad, and yes the quest he had set for himself was probably impossible. In this moment with the salty wind blowing his wild hair, his own little boat stocked and shored up, his best friend idly talking about nonsense. None of the challenges Alley had faced or would face mattered. There was an impossibly large world out there and it was about to open up for him in ways he could scarcely imagine.

 Chapter Twenty: Swell

    The Golden Sea, The Silver Sea, The Jade Sea, The Turquoise Sea, The Devouring Ocean, The Ocean of Shadows. These and the other yet unformed or unfound seas are each a treasure trove in their own unique ways. We tend to think of the ocean as a source of Water Resonances which of course it is. Yet in those mysterious depths, one can find relics, creatures, and treasures both natural and created bearing all manner of Resonances and Resonance crystals.


    This adventurous writer has personally seen the creation of numerous oceanic Cards and artifacts with Pressure, Shadow, Beast, Pursuit, Abyss, Tectonic, Life, Bloom, or even Lava Resonances.


    And all of that is before we begin to think about the countless sunken vessels and their cargoes.


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, Forward


    Chapter 20: Swell


    Alabaster


    The Silver Sea deserved its name. As was often the case with seas across the world it was named after the color it seemed to turn at sunrise.


    As the pair of boys had started their journey at mid-morning the Silver Sea just looked like a sea. Maybe a little on the greyer side than the water in hotter climates, but Alley had no frame of reference for those.


    The dark-haired boy didn¡¯t really need to consult the little lodestone compass he had drilled into the bench he worked the rudder at the back of the Bay Runner from. After crossing the choppy water of the headlands out onto the sea proper the boys had swung the vessel south. From there all they really needed to do for a few days was keep the mainland in sight and to the west.


    Alley still glanced at the plate-sized stone compass from time to time, just to be sure.


    This close to Cursed Isle the coast of the mainland wasn''t too different to what he was used to.


    Tall cliffs made of the same gray stone that jutted from the ground on his home island. Atop them, he could make out familiar pine forests.


    He wondered if Darius¡¯ Pursuit-infused eyes could make them out better. Whilst a True Deck which his Crown Of The Cursed King still technically was could eventually grant incredible power to one''s body, a Trials Deck like Prince Of The Dawn Hunt was far more quick acting and specialized in the changes it wrought. According to the few books available in Valeton a Trials Deck was far more dangerous to control the growth of as well.


    Driving the skiff south remained a simple matter, fun in fact for the next several hours. The sun wasn¡¯t strong exactly but reflecting off the waves it heated the boat enough that neither boy needed their cloaks. Curse Locked as it was he didn¡¯t mind folding the ratty cloth dealer up and stowing it in a little chest secured under the bench. He couldn¡¯t Manifest anything anyway.


    The tiny ship wasn¡¯t quite as nimble as he was used to but Alley still found it simple to control, especially with his friend working the sail for him. Of course, he could manipulate the sail from a pulley next to the rudder but it was a lot less efficient, not to mention splitting his attention and energy. It would make a simple task into one that required some timing and forethought.


    As things stood they were able to mostly chase the wind and even launch the boat off of waves for brief stints of air time. It probably wasn¡¯t something they should do to the vessel, but it was just too much fun. Coaxing whoops and laughs out of both of them as they clung to the tiny ship mid-flight.


    Having already discussed how the boys were going to approach the trip southeast they both kept their eyes peeled for little bays, beaches, or ways up the sheer cliff sides. While Alley could probably scale one with his bladed hook the plan wasn''t to abandon the boat but to find a place where they could moor it.


    While spending the night on the sort of open sea was hardly out of the question, the Knots family had explained it could occasionally become very dangerous for such a small vessel away from shore after dark.


    The pair¡¯s search for a place to overnight the ship became a significantly less simple prospect when the sun was about two hours past its zenith.


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    ¡°Is that what I think It is?¡± said Darius, gesturing at a swelling formation in the water between the skiff and the cliffy shoreline.


    At first, Alley wasn¡¯t sure what his friend was talking about, he could see the swell but he wasn¡¯t sure what Darius thought it was. Setting the rudder¡¯s lock so they didn''t veer wildly off course, Alley grabbed the sail rigging line for stability and leaped onto the railing for a better view.


    After a few seconds of squinting he nodded. ¡° Yeah,¡± He called back cheerfully. ¡° I¡¯m pretty sure it is.¡±


    From beneath the waves, the familiar coils of a MuckDwell River Dragon surged to the surface. While the serpentine water dragon was certainly large enough to easily threaten the skiff. It was hundreds of yards away at least and seemingly focussed on heading unerringly south. Alley doubted it even noticed them when its head rhythmically broke the surface.


    ¡°Kind of majestic ¡° Alley said, watching the monster.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn into a gawking bumpkin just because we are off Cursed Isle¡± Teased Darius in return. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you have never seen a MuckDwell before we killed two of them just the other day.¡±


    Alley rolled his eyes. Darius had been traveling the world since he could walk he couldn¡¯t understand what all this meant for his friend.


    A few minutes later another dragon surfaced, then another, and another. The pair of boys shared a look. The dragons were all heading in the same direction, a stream of monstrous river beasts tearing south at speeds far greater than the boat could manage.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking maybe we head a little further out to sea.¡± Said Alley. His cheer at seeing the Dragon migrating through the waves had noticeably dampened.


    ¡°Yeeeaaah.¡± Agreed Darius making a ¡®yikes¡¯ face. While none of the dozens of dragons seemed to pay them the least bit of attention both boys made their weapons ready as the skiff veered away from the river of churning white water the serpentine monsters were creating.


    Alley unwound the CoreSteel chain from around the mast and attached it to the base of his bladed hook. For his part, Darius did something similar. At the front of the tiny ship built into the tip of its bow was a hand-turned chain winch. The chain in question was made of wrought iron, making it both heavier and weaker than Alley¡¯s CoreSteel. But then it was just metal, not the result of working a natural wonder. More importantly, it allowed Darius to use his spear like a harpoon and still recover the heirloom.


    If their luck held the pair of boys wouldn¡¯t need their weapons, sadly their luck did not in fact hold.


    A few miles ahead the lead dragons in the school began to turn, veering away from the coastline just as the Bay Runner had. That alone might not have been too significant of a problem. The moment the boys spotted the change they began to turn the ship and raise the sails. It might cost them a few hours, but they could just stop the ship and wait for the stream of dragons to pass harmlessly by.


    As much fun as driving the skiff through the stream might be, Alley wasn¡¯t stupid. He might enjoy dodging the surging heads and coiling bodies, coaxing as much speed and maneuverability as he could from the skiff to burst through the dragon-made rapids. That was just not the sort of thing one did on the first day of their journey if they could help it. Not if they wanted to reach the intended or any other destination at least.


    ¡°Guess we are waiting.¡± Said Darius shaking his head. Maybe half a second later the stream of dragons to their west exploded into wild movement scattering in all directions, including directly at the stopping skiff.


    ¡°Or not.¡± he finished lamely, which drew a snort of amusement from Alley.


    The boys wasted no time reversing their decision to raise the sail, getting the tiny boat moving at something resembling speed again. Clutching the rudder with whitening knuckles Alley found himself living out what he had just been imagining. Desperately driving the ship between the erratic coils of the MuckDwell dragons, while white salty spray from the creatures movements bucketed down on the boys.


    Breath speeding up, pupils dilating, he shouted orders to Darius, as he tried to both control the skiff and predict the movements of what felt like dozens of dragons. As always reality and imagination were very different things. Yet as he desperately tried to keep his boat from being dashed to pieces in the living river Alley realized he had been right about one thing. This was really fun.


    Upon first seeing the River dragons making their way south near the coastline the boys had talked it over and assumed this was part of the monster''s mating migration pattern. It made sense but did not explain the sudden erratic breaking of formation which appeared to be happening at several points further south as well.


    ¡° What the hell is going on?!¡± Yelled Alley as the entire sea around them churned.


    He didn¡¯t need to wait long for an answer. From beneath the wildly kicking waves something far larger than a MuckDwell River Dragon emerged, multiple somethings.


    Pitch black tentacled monsters Alley had never seen but recognized by description. Huge octopus-like creatures but only possessing four tentacles, their bulbous central bodies sporting enormous dark gems where a regular octopus would have eyes.


    ¡°Uhh that.¡± Offered Darius unhelpfully as the four Abyss King Krakens they could see began their assault on the migrating dragons. ¡°I thought these things didn¡¯t surface during the day¡± continued the red-haired boy, shouting to be heard over the increasingly savage waters around them.


    Everything Alley had read suggested the same thing but apparently, the deep sea krakens had made an exception this afternoon.


    ¡°Well. ¡° Alley called back. ¡°I guess they do.¡±

 Chapter Twenty One: From The Abyss

    And as I looked upon it I was forced to ask myself. What is a king to a god?


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 21: From The Abyss


    Darius


    Darius had fully anticipated the journey he and Alley were taking to be a grand adventure, an epic quest featuring mysterious locales, mighty monsters, and beautiful women. So he wasn¡¯t upset to be clinging to what was essentially a dingy¡¯s older brother while eel-shaped dragons and the megafauna answer to calamari battled it out around him.


    It¡¯s just that by his count they had started this journey a mere five hours earlier and most adventures tended to wait a little longer before they surrounded you with dozens of warring sea monsters.


    The River dragons outnumbered the four Krakens at least ten to one, but they seemed to prefer fleeing. Only engaging the tentacled monsters when they had no other choice.


    Darius supposed he couldn''t blame them. The Abyss King Krakens weren''t called ¡®kings¡¯ for no reason, they were monstrously powerful creatures. This was precisely why the boys had planned to hunt one of the octopus-like monsters and that was when Alley could actually Manifest things to aid the hunt.


    Ducking under the swinging beam of the sail Darius worked the rigging at Alley''s commands while the dark-haired boy desperately worked the rudder to drive them around, between and in one case over the warring monsters. Riding a huge wave caused by a rolling mass of at least three dragons grappling with one of the enormous Kraken. The skiff was able to launch over a pair of the fleeing serpents.


    Behind him, Darius could hear Alley whooping in excitement. His voice filled with the joy that could only be found in these moments where life and death were half in your own hands and half the purview of fickle gods. Before he knew it Darius was adding his own joyful hollering to the shouts of his friend.


    Around the little ship, something changed. Where moments ago the surging dragons and hunting krakens were creating a living river of ever-shifting rapids now the water had become oddly still.  No, that wasn''t quite right. It was more like the direction of the currents had suddenly reversed. The Krakens had seemingly vanished and the ship along with the dragons on either side of it. Came to a juddering halt.


    ¡°Wha?!¡± Shouted Alley as the boat began to drag backward against the wind.  Looking behind them the boys experienced a shared moment of silent horror. The sea behind had fallen away into a whirlpool of utterly ludicrous width and depth, easily large enough to swallow Valeton three times over. It looked to Darius as though some divine being had poked a hole in the bottom of the ocean.


    He was more than a little disappointed to see it honestly wasn¡¯t that far from the truth of the matter. Hundreds of feet below at the center of the watery vortex was a fifth Kraken. While technically the same species as the Abyss Kings that had fled before it, this particular tentacled beast stole the word ¡®Monster¡¯ from every other creature present. It was called an Abyss God Kraken; An Abyss King that had grown so old and bloated with Water and Pressure Resonances that it could manipulate the very ocean around it.


    Simultaneously both boys let out a long resigned sigh as the front of the boat began to rise into the air. The Bay Runner, like dozens of the MuckDwell Dragons, was being dragged into the walls of the vortex.


    ¡°Oh, what the fuck is going on with my life!?¡± Yelled Alley, drawing a grim laugh from Darius before the boys exploded into the action of desperately trying to survive.


    Tipped Practically vertically the little skiff was pulled sideways around the lip of the whirlpool.


    The boat along with most of the dragons had been caught by the very edge of the Resonance fueled vortex. Several MuckDwells were not so lucky.


    Raising one enormous tentacle the Abyss God plunged the appendage into the spinning wall of water around it. Ripping a River Dragon out of the whirlpool it slammed the squirming serpent down with contemptuous ease. Eliciting an audible crack  the creature''s spine was broken by the force of the swing. Tentacle and Dragon returned below the bulk of the kraken presumably so the monster could feed.


    ¡°Harpoon!¡± Screamed Alley over the roaring water.


    Darius Who had already come to the same conclusion was dodging his own falling supplies as he used the railing and rigging to climb to the tip of the bow. As he did he activated his Deck. Darius¡¯ dealer grew warm as it summoned little images of four cards down near his left hand. Normally you wouldn¡¯t feel the difference but with the whipping wind and water chilling his skin, the little bar in his ear felt strangely hot.


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    Grabbing a hold of the harpoon winch the red-headed boy pulled himself up into the temporary ledge created by the ship¡¯s tilt.  Now all he had to do was unlock the winch, find a Dragon in the water that had a good chance of escaping the edge of the vortex, and harpoon it. All while not falling to a grizzly doom.  What could be simpler?


    Darius glanced down at the hovering cards quickly taking note of what he had. Knowing what was in your hand at a moment¡¯s notice was an important part of mastering one¡¯s Deck. Everyone knew that. ¡®Primal Forge, Hunter¡¯s Intuition, The Final Thrust, Display The Trophies.¡¯


    ¡°Hunter¡¯s Intuition¡± He declared activating the card.


    Trials Deck- Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Hunter''s Intuition


    Resonance: Pursuit


    Select up to five targets in view. For the next three minutes gain the ability to predict the general movements of the selected targets


    [This only applies to general movements. Hunter''s Intuition cannot predict smaller movements like dodges, attacks, or blocks.]


    There were dozens of the serpentine dragons struggling just beneath the surface of the swirling waters. All Darius could do was try his best and hope one of the five he picked was going to make it. If not, well at least those five had been eliminated from the multitude he had to pick from.


    Before his eyes future trails of the five dragons unfolded like dotted lines on a map, but across the canvas of reality.


    Darius wouldn¡¯t have long to make his choice and land the throw, with each rotation around the whirlpool the boat made, the deeper its back end tilted over the lip. Soon they would be sucked into the vortex propper and there would be nothing either of them could do to save themselves.


    Unlocking the winch he tracked the movement lines and made ready to throw his ancient bone spear.


    ¡°There!¡± He hissed. The ship made another half-pass around whirlpool and Darius unleashed his heirloom harpoon. The chain of the unlocked winch rattled as its length unspooled behind the spear.  Exactly as his Hunter¡¯s Intuition Card had predicted Darius¡¯ target moved into the path of the barbed weapon.


    Pursuit was an excellent Resonance for a hunter. It held all sorts of speed and utility Cards that assisted in tracking prey or surviving the far wilderness. With rare exception though it didn¡¯t do much for you in the way of stopping power. While his Deck would easily give Darius the ability to find a monster or outmaneuver it.  Actually puncturing the thick hides and firm scales of your average monster was another matter altogether.


    So when the unerringly thrown spear punched into the fleeing River Dragon it did so based off of both the disproportionate penetrative ability of the heirloom weapon and good old fashioned Knots muscle.


    Instantly the iron chain pulled taught buckling the winch and arresting the boat¡¯s backward movement. At least for a few moments, where a second before the dragon had been about to fully escape the whirling vortex. Now its struggles were insufficient, Darius could see its movement line shift from fleeing into the sea, to being dragged into the walls of the whirlpool. When that became reality The Bay Runner would go with it.


    ¡°Shit¡± Darius swore.  Looking down at his hand he knew what he would find.


    ¡®Primal Forge, The Final Thrust, Display The Trophies.¡¯  All useless here. Primal Forge would temporarily transform his spear if he¡¯d still been holding it. Final Thrust was a card for melee execution strikes and Display The Trophies required him to have recently slain something. It would be another twenty seconds or so before he drew a replacement for Hunter¡¯s Intuition. By that time there was a very good chance they would be worse than doomed.


    For what he hoped wasn¡¯t the last time Darius wished his friend could still Manifest Cards. While they had long committed to the friendly rivalry of best friends. A rivalry that Darius had always been a half step behind in, higher rank or not. The fact of the matter was a True Deck was almost always superior to a Trials Deck. Gaining the edge was nice and all but Alley being locked down was far from how he wanted to get ahead. Especially as it might very well be the difference between them living and dying.


    Swinging back and forth the boat shunted back a few feet practically dangling over the edge of the vortex. The dragon was struggling but the weight of the skiff would soon prove too much if the winch didn¡¯t snap off first.  On either side of the creature, MuckDwells lucky enough not to be harpooned were cresting the final edge of the vortex and escaping. If he could somehow harpoon one of them as well the ship might be saved.


    Darius turned to call for Alley¡¯s hook just in time to see the weapon whip through the air in an oddly curved arc past him. The red-headed boy blinked, that was a hell of a throw, and while Alley wasn¡¯t in bad shape or anything it should have been well out of the range of his arm.


    Should have been but wasn¡¯t. Soaring through the air with significant force and even greater accuracy the hook and CoreSteel chain continued their curved path catching one of the serpentine dragons by the jaw just as its head crested the water.


    Darius could have made that throw, but even he had to admit it was impressive in the extreme. Especially coming from Alley who had always been more of a ¡®duck, dip, dive, and dodge.¡¯ kind of fighter.  Oh well every Knots knew better than to question a good thing, and he was happy to ask about it later.


    For now, both Darius and Alley broke into laughing cheers as the hooked dragons managed to overcome the edge of the whirlpool and pull the skiff to relative safety. It was likely really bad for the structure of the ship, they had lost almost all of their supplies, and both boys were sore and saturated. Yet they were still alive and still afloat, so they laughed.

 Chapter Twenty Two: Wind

    It is this adventurous soul¡¯s firm opinion that should you choose to brave the Silver Sea, bring a crew of oarsmen with you. The winds there are as fickle as they are strong.


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 22: Wind


    Alabaster


    Alley felt bad that one of their rescuers had to die, he really did. There just wasn¡¯t much choice in the matter. Hooked to the ship¡¯s mast the struggling dragon would eventually tear the ship apart.


    The MuckDwell which Darius harpooned had eventually twisted free of the embedded weapon leaving scales and flesh behind as it swam away. Both boys had needed to work together pulling against the chain to stop the monster from ripping the winch away entirely, before the spear had finally slipped free.


    Getting a hook out of a mouth was a very different proposition. The pair of dragons had already dragged them far enough off course that Alley could no longer see land. So rather than spend the rest of the quickly waning sunlight trying to wrangle the creature while praying the mast didn''t break. They had simply thrown Darius¡¯ spear into where the back of its head met its neck, waited a few minutes for the spasming to stop, and then dragged the floating corpse over to the little ship.


    Neither boy wanted to spend too long with the body of a dragon attached to the skiff. Not with it bleeding into the water and attracting who knew what? The Silver Sea had already been more than happy to produce horrific monsters that ate the MuckDwells. There was no reason to risk a second round.


    Still, with their supplies devastated and the amount of damage The Bay Runner had taken still unknown they could hardly pass up the resources the slain dragon represented. Even just its meat might prove vital with how the pork and fish barrels had plummeted off the deck. Working as quickly as they could, the pair used Darius¡¯ spear and a long belt knife to hack a rough path to the Water Resonance crystal inside the dragon.


    Usually, they would have removed several organs but lacking the time or storage capacity the crystal and some rough-hewn flesh from the monster¡¯s flank would have to do. As soon as the crystal was cut out the dragon began to sink. Which was Alley''s cue to get the hook out. Already having been working at it the tool popped easily out of the slack draconic jaw.


    Alley had also taken the time to turn the Dragon''s corpse into a card. It was virtually unplayable for him but there was no reason not to add a Muck Dwell River Dragon to his collection¡­.again.


    Letting the corpse vanish from sight the pair of boys finally had some time to take stock in a meaningful way.


    ¡°Well.¡± Called Alley while hanging over the edge of the stern. ¡° The rudder is shattered.¡±


    ¡°Shattered?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡±


    ¡°That is worse than broken?¡±


    ¡° A lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Sooo we steer how?¡±


    Righting himself, Alley shrugged. ¡° The Sail I guess. I¡¯ve never done it, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s impossible. We just have to kind of¡­¡± He made a loose square with his hands and tilted it back and forth. ¡°Manage when we catch the wind.¡± Alley finished without a whole lot of certainty.


    ¡°One More question?¡± Inquired Darius.


    ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Where the hell are we?¡±


    That Alley didn¡¯t have a precise answer for but seeing as they had not been smashed into the cliffs of the mainland it stood to reason wherever they were it was east of where they had started.


    Which meant they wanted to go West, South and West.


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    Unfortunately, the wind who in the end had the ultimate say in the matter wanted to drive them South and East. They could always just raise the sail and drop the anchor while they waited for the wind to change but with the sun setting soon Alley did not want the skiff to be sitting idly in the water. It felt far too vulnerable, especially with the supposedly nocturnal krakens having already demonstrated their willingness to break the surface not so far from here.


    On the other hand, leaving their direction up to the elemental force would send them even more drastically off course in no time. Left at an impasse the boys resorted to the only logical way to resolve the issues.


    ¡°Sword, Hammer, Canvas,¡± Both boys said simultaneously, as they shook their fists at each other in time with the words. After seven draws Darius¡¯ play of Sword eventually Defeated Alley¡¯s choice of Canvas.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Said the red-headed boy. ¡° With the wind it is.¡±


    Unfurling the sail once more the pair of boys organized their food for the evening. They had departed Cursed Isle with a small stove that made cooking aboard the ship both simple and less of a risk. This item was among those that were no longer in their possession. So it was time to get creative, as he always said Alley would do his best to use every resource.


    He had already confirmed his dealer was still secure in the chest locked to the deck beneath the bench he¡¯d previously manned the rudder from. That Alley concluded was about to change. Once it was empty the iron inner layer would allow them to use the little box as a firepit.


    He didn''t have somewhere better to store the ratty old cloak, so Alley supposed he would just wear it. The moment he had the thought the dark cloth appeared over the top of his fisherman''s wool. His silver bracelet had never done that.


    ¡°I guess this is just my new normal¡± He muttered to himself.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Enquired Darius from across the deck.


    ¡°Nothing, here help me get this chest free.¡±


    After several hours of trying to manage the sail to drive them west rather than southeast. The boys concluded that ¡®Sword, Hammer, Canvas¡¯ had potentially let them down and they should just drift until more favorable winds presented themselves. While drifting would still send them off course it would be a lot slower and neither boy was particularly comfortable with the skiff being stationary at night.


    Despite its earlier failure they played ¡®Sword, Hammer, Canvas¡¯ again to determine who would cook. This time Alley took the victory after only three draws. Forced to cook Darius got to work carving up the massive dragon steaks into more manageable fillets that he could roast over their impromptu fire pit.


    Climbing atop the mast, Alley did his best not to look at his friend as his legs dangled from his little perch. If Darius was cooking Alley would act as a sentry, so he wanted to preserve his night sight. Once the red-headed boy was finished with his task it only made sense that the one of them with Pursuit Resonance pumping through their veins did most of the watching. For now, though Alley took the job as seriously as he could.


    ¡° That was a hell of a throw,¡± Said Darius from below. ¡° When you hooked that dragon at the last second.¡±


    Alley froze in place at that, his friend was a lot more right than he knew. As little as a few days earlier Alley wouldn¡¯t have even attempted that throw, wouldn¡¯t have attempted it today if not for the rumbling voice only he could hear. It had been insisting he do it with a fury that had seemed to border on panic.


    Even as he had spun his body to whip the hook and chain out Alley had not expected to actually hit the MuckDwell. It wasn¡¯t the difficulty of maintaining accuracy as the boat had tilted vertically and bucked wildly. It wasn¡¯t even timing the throw to hit the dragon as its head broke the surface. While both of those things were significant challenges to overcome, the Roes had been fishers of one sort or another for generations. Manipulating his bladed hook was second nature to the dark-haired boy.


    No, the issue had simply been one of power and distance. The throw had been near the limit of Darius¡¯ range. Alley should not have been able to send the hook that far, he simply wasn¡¯t strong enough...or hadn¡¯t been strong enough. If he had increased his rank that would be one thing, but the source of this unexpected power was a mystery.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not really sure how I did that,¡± admitted Alley after a few seconds of silence. He hadn¡¯t told anyone that the voice that had tested him in the castle below Cursed Isle had seemingly followed him. It seemed pretty likely the voice and his newfound strength were somehow connected. A musing that Alley couldn¡¯t actually share with his friend.


    It wasn¡¯t that he thought Darius wouldn¡¯t believe he was hearing a disembodied voice. Alley just wanted to find out more information about this phenomenon before he started spreading around that he was experiencing it. A little confirmation it wasn¡¯t all in his head would also go a long way to getting him to open up on the subject.


    ¡°Maybe your new Deck made you stronger?¡± Suggested Darius, clearly having been thinking the range should have been beyond Alley as well.


    ¡°I guess, but True Decks aren¡¯t like Trials Decks. The Resonances counteract each other and stop them from changing the way our bodies develop. Instead, it grows our natural talents and the physical attributes we work on as we rank up.¡±


    Alley could hear the eye roll in Darius¡¯ voice as he replied, the eldest Knots boy had never been one to tolerate a lecture on Resonance effects or anything else for that matter.


    ¡°Yeah, I know how it works. We both get harder to kill but you get to pick your powers and I don¡¯t¡±


    That was a massive oversimplification but correct in a general sense Alley knew.


    ¡°Besides ¡° Darius went on ¡°You don¡¯t have a True Deck anymore. Who knows how a Cursed Deck works?¡±

 Chapter Twenty Three: A Generous Deity

    Fall to your knees, worship me, obey me and I will feed you power like a mother bird feeds her chick.


    - The Book Of Creeds


    Chapter 23: A Generous Deity


    Soren


    Soren Creed¡¯s eyes came slowly open, the ice of the mountaintop around him attempting to keep them frozen shut. He was unsure exactly how long he had been meditating but it was long enough that a sheen of ice had built up all over his seated body. The layer cracked and fell away as he stirred.


    Before him on the ground lay his Dealer, The artifact amulet known as Heaven¡¯s Wings, Soren had removed it from his chest as had he left it in the Dealer¡¯s internal fire would have kept his body at a warm comfortable temperature. Utterly defeating the purpose of meditating in such an inhospitable place.


    Not that the cold was an actual danger to him. Having already attained the fifth rank the nineteen-year-old had one hand on the pillar of divinity and was well past being threatened by something like the weather. He still felt the cold though, and that was precisely the reason he was up here.


    Not bothering to reach down, Soren simply willed Heaven¡¯s Wings to return to him and the amulet instantly took its place embedded in the flesh above his heart. Whole once more the blonde boy stepped forward.


    The tiny plateau he had made the site of his meditations was little better than a ledge jutting from a rock face about two hundred feet below the summit of Mount Tethes. The only mountain in the Northern Muck Lands that actually deserved the name.


    Green and vibrant below the snowline, the fertile little country stretched out before him. The locals of the Muck Lands called the place something else but Muck really did describe it. There was just so much swamp. Swamp, huge rivers connected by hundreds of tiny waterways, the occasional island, and then more swamp. Soren understood that further north there was solid farmland as well kept healthy and fertilized by the swampland he was overlooking now.


    After the disappointment that had been Cursed Isle Soren had begun to consider he had erred in coming here. The River Island region represented the strongest of the Muck Landers and he had already slain and remade their defending champion. The card was powerful enough but if it was the best he could hope for from this region the entire trip had been a waste of time.


    Still, when he had tortured his body and cleared his mind the former priest had begun to feel the tug once more. That strange feeling he had been following the past few years that he knew was his god communicating across the skeins of reality with him. At least one more person he was looking for could be found here. Unlike his own god, Soren was an extremely generous deity, he had made the trip north to find the power he could use to Bless one of his high priests. The Queen Of Rushing Waters was a good start to empowering the man¡¯s Deck, but a start was all it was.


    Continuing to grow in power and gaining one of the final four ranks required Soren to cultivate worshipers amongst so many other things. It was not a requirement that he used his own valuable time to give those worshippers the strength that he had. Most gods including Soren¡¯s own offered things like cryptic knowledge or challenging quests for those who wished to grow in power. Soren Creed on the other hand just went out and got you what you needed. So long as you obeyed he would shower you with the ability to achieve what he wanted and so much more.


    Traditional logic said that Soren should be devoting his time purely to crossing those last final barriers and entering the realm of a true god but he loved his followers. He wanted those who put their life in his hands to flourish and stand above all others, most importantly he wanted them to survive the coming end of the world. If that meant creating that power himself and simply giving it to his priests and paladins so be it. Soren was only nineteen, he had time.


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    Stepping out off of the ledge the blonde southerner waited a second before activating his wings. The wind whipped through Soren''s robes as he fell, it eased but didn¡¯t cease as the flaming angelic wings burst from his back and he came to a gentle stop hovering in the air. Ignoring the pull of the wind he focussed on the pull of his god¡¯s will.


    It wasn¡¯t as clear as when he was meditating, whilst he had sat with a clear mind he could practically see the path unfolding in front of him, a golden beam of light striking down from the heavens and burning a golden road into the earth for him to follow. Eyes open and flying through the air he had to settle for a tug in vaguely the right direction.


    With a slight flap of his wings, Soren took off soaring high enough over the Muck Lands that nothing native should even see him, let alone be able to slow his progress. The wings twitched and moved as he flew but they didn¡¯t have to actually flap to keep him aloft. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how they worked but work they did. Some sort of manipulation of Wind and Heat Resonances if he was forced to guess.


    Soren might not understand the science behind how his wings functioned but his control of them was immaculate. The Heaven¡¯s Wings artifact Dealer had been bonded to the boy since before he could walk and had been allowing him to fly before his first full word. Soaring over a marshland in the open sky was beyond simple for him.


    Not that it would matter if he did crash. Even from thousands of feet in the air the sheer amount of life essence flowing through Soren¡¯s veins meant his body would heal the injuries such a fall inflicted before he even felt the pain. The prevention of injury would technically slow down his Vials refilling for a few days and likely ruin his robes but the idea intrigued him.


    Not only would such a fall be easily the most exciting event to happen to him since arriving in this god-empty land, but he was on a pilgrimage of sorts after all. Granted it was a proxy pilgrimage to fulfill the prayers of one of his high priests not a spiritual journey of his own. It still felt wrong to not use his feet much on such an endeavor. Who ever heard of a pilgrim who made his journey by casually flitting among the clouds?


    With a wry smile, he deactivated the wings and allowed himself to fall. Despite knowing he would be unharmed, Soren felt his pulse rise as his body accelerated toward the swampland below. There was nothing quite like the feeling of death approaching, of riding that edge where skill and luck were all that separated one from oblivion. As powerful as he had grown so young Soren knew such a thrill would be a rare delicacy for him. At times like these, he could trick his still mortal body into simulating such feelings.


    Crashing into the murky waters, Soren''s form struck the bottom a few seconds later. As predicted the pain had been too brief for him to even truly register it. ¡®Oh well.¡¯ Such a sensation would present itself when he next fought a real opponent. They were out there, just not here in the Muck Lands. He wouldn¡¯t let such a desire distract him from his duties as an almost divine being. As sacrifices went it was minor.


    Taking one last moment to savor the surge of the fall-induced adrenaline flowing through his body the former priest kicked off of the thick mud and allowed himself to break the surface.


    This was only appropriate after all, he thought to himself as he swam to the shore. His rank was known as a ¡®Walking God¡¯ anyway. He should probably start acting like it at least some of the time.


    Grasping ahold of a low-hanging branch from what looked like a Spruce tree Soren hauled himself easily from the water, and shook wet blonde hair from his face. That at least still felt human annoyingly so in fact. Maybe he would miss it when it was gone like he did his fear but he doubted it.


    It didn¡¯t really matter where the nearest town was. Soren had no need for supplies as it would take years for his fifth-rank body to starve. He could and would still eat, of course, there was no reason to deprive himself of yet another pleasure in life. He also didn¡¯t need to replace his ruined robes to survive, but like the food he wanted to have nice clothes. Even if he occasionally ruined them by throwing himself from the sky.


    Still, in spite of all of that, he set off to the east in search of a town he had seen from the air. It was fairly out of his way if the tugging of the god¡¯s will was anything to go by, but that didn¡¯t matter. The town would have things he wanted and he had time to spare.

 Chapter Twenty Four: A small misunderstanding.

    Despite the myriad beasts of its depths, its icy storms, and fickle winds  I would call The Silver Sea the least dangerous among those I visited as part of my exhaustive research for this tome.


    Do I hear you ponder why oh dear reader? The answer is simply the nature of its people. You will never encounter a pirate on The Silver Sea and mores the pity I say.


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 24: A small misunderstanding.


    Alabaster


    Alley¡¯s standard for what he considered  ¡®eventful¡¯ had undergone some fairly significant adjustments of late. Even so, when he looked back at how the second morning of his journey had unfolded it really was the only word that fit.


    ¡®Wait, the second day? Had it really only been twenty-four hours since he left Cursed Isle.¡¯


    They had departed mid-morning, then there had been the migrating Muck Dwell dragons, the krakens, the really big Kraken, then drifting through the night as the two of them alternated sleeping and keeping watch, The way the sea had lit up shining silver all around them at first light,  now this.  Yep, just a single day.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on with my life?¡±


    ¡°Shhhhh¡± came Darius¡¯ hissed response.


    Alley chided himself and nodded.


    Despite having virtually no control of the Bay Runner the tiny ship had managed to beach itself on a crescent-shaped Island Alley was increasingly convinced was where they had planned to go after he had filled his Deck in the Rakino swamp. That should have been a good thing, except that the flag flying above the settlement at the center of the crescent depicted a Clash Ram Skull with three spears piercing it.


    Even if Alley was right and this island was once home to the Silver Sea Deep Hunters league, It did not belong to them anymore. That was the flag of the Shattered Hull Raiders; a famously vicious coalition of pirates that even someone who had traveled as little as Alley had heard of.


    So the pair found themselves creeping up a beach consisting of a thin layer of jagged gray rocks over gray mud doing its best sand impersonation.


    Being sneaky is by nature almost always slow going and this was no different. Having taken a roundabout route inland, by the time the boys stood before an open and unguarded wooden gate that broke up a tall palisade of the same¡­oak? That surrounded the town.


    With a little luck the pirates would have long since departed and whoever did live here just hadn¡¯t bothered to get the flag down off the high pole. Of course, if Alley¡¯s recent luck was anything to go by it would probably be the secret fortress of the Shattered Hull¡¯s overall leader and he was about to creep into a town full of monstrously powerful, monstrously immorale raiders.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t Luck, It''s Doom.¡± Came the quarry deep voice from nowhere.


    ¡®And what the hell does that mean?!¡¯ He thought furiously back. But if the disembodied being Alley was starting to think of as ¡®The Cursed King¡¯ had any further insights, It didn¡¯t share them.


    A group of Deck-wielding marauders did not in fact leap out once they entered the town.  No one jumped out, no one did anything. There would have had to have been people for that.


    At least three times the size of Valeton the town wasn¡¯t big exactly but it showed signs of long and recent habitation. It also showed signs of a short and brutal battle. Alley might not be a hunter like his friend but he could read basic signs. That skill was wholly unnecessary here. The devastation within the town¡¯s walls was all too familiar, someone had come through here with a True Deck and wreaked all sorts of havoc.


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    It wasn¡¯t quite on the level of destruction visited upon Alley¡¯s tiny village, but any kingdom in the world would still lay a Curse Lock on the Deck used in a heartbeat. Best he could tell every last doorway in the entire town had been battered down by some immense force. Not the door, the doorways. Each and every one they passed was a gaping hole in the front of the buildings adorned by a mess of splinters, or spilling over with the remains of the shattered lives within.


    Everywhere there were signs the locals had fought back; Shattered harpoons, and other more improvised weapons, even the occasional broken sword. No bodies though which Alley thought was more than a little strange. Why would raiders take the enemy slain with them?


    Wordlessly Alley pulled his bladed hook from his belt and unlooped the CoreSteel chain from around his stomach a few times until the attached hook had enough slack to be usable. Readying his spear was a much simpler process for Darius, he just drew it from the loops it sat in on his back.


    If anything the signs of conflict intensified as they approached the one stone building in the settlement. Older, larger, and more carefully built the structure was a circular hall supporting a bulbous dome of limestone green. It didn¡¯t have windows but the hall possessed an oddly large number of doors. They seemed to sprout from its rounded sides every few feet, for what Alley could only assume was ritual purpose.


    ¡°Not a great place for a last stand.¡± Said Darius, though the density of dried blood,  broken or discarded weapons and damage to the outside of the stone structure clearly showed it was where the locals had made one.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking they didn¡¯t have much choice.¡± Replied Alley gravley.


    ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡±


    Above each of the many entrances was an intricately wrought frieze depicting variations on the same theme; A man with a spear battling some kind of enormous sea beast. The monster in question was different in each example, but the human figure and the oceans behind them were virtually identical.


    Past what had to be the hall of the Silver Sea Deep Hunters League. They could make out the tall masts of at least one presumably docked ship. There was noise coming from that direction too. The repeated ringing of a heavy bell was signaling¡­.something to whoever was down there.


    That seemed like the next logical thing to investigate but before they had the chance a man wearing the strangest suit of armor Alley had ever seen appeared.


    He was clearly well past fifty with short white-blonde hair over a stern face and a stiffly waxed blonde mustache.


    The armor was absurdly bulky, impractically so. It was covered in weird bronze tubes over thick iron and seemed to encase the man from neck to toe. Despite the suit''s strange appearance, it must do something special, as a small Cerulean water crystal sat in its chest


    Plate, one shoulder bore a Pressure crystal of deep green, and the other the shifting blue and white of a sky crystal. Either this man had an ego the size of TerraNullis itself, or his armor did something very interesting indeed.


    At the same moment, Alley took in the device gripped in the man''s armored hands. It was an odd tubular thing with a series of tiny deep green Pressure crystals running its length. At the end was the head of what had to be the smallest spear anyone had ever crafted.


    ¡®Pressure crystals¡­¡¯


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Karak!¡±


    Both boys swore in their native tongues, as the man raised what Alley now realized was a projectile weapon.


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive you perfidious pirate gits!¡± The strangely armored man roared, activating the weapon.


    Alley and Darius dived in opposite directions as the little metal spear launched at them with air-rippling force. From the ground, both boys stared in shock as the little spear converted the walkway they had been standing on into a small crater.


    Shaking off his surprise, Alley shouted ¡°Rush!¡± Which was precisely what they did, surging to their feet the boys rushed the elderly man. He attempted to both duck back inside the stone doorway and reload the Pressure Launcher simultaneously. The man¡¯s bulky armor hindered his efforts and while he made it inside, it was while being tackled by both boys.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t pirates!¡± Insisted Alley as the three of them fell into a large sparsely furnished hall. The old man¡¯s only response was a sort of manic grin as he hissed.


    ¡°I challenge you.¡±


    The magic of the man¡¯s Dealer, whatever it was activated. An arm on each boy it wouldn¡¯t matter what kind of deck he held, the challenge would begin. His left which had been awkwardly trying to push Alley off sparked with red lightning that drew a scream of pain from the old man.¡¯ Well,¡¯ Alley thought. ¡®That answers that question.¡¯ The strangely armored hunter wielded a Trials Deck.


    ¡°Say no-¡± The dark-haired boy tried to tell his friend, but it was too late. Darius responded in a way that seemed automatic, or instinctual.


    ¡°I accept.¡±

 Chapter Twenty Five: The End Of The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League

    Chapter 25: The End Of The  Silver Sea Deep Hunters League


    Darius


    Blue light exploded from the old man¡¯s form in the beginning of a familiar process. Darius knew the light would solidify into a circular arena with walls of energy ten feet tall, but first, it flung Alley like a man skipping a stone. Sending him tumbling and skidding across the hall. Confident that his friend was fine Darius had to repress a smirk at the loud and quickly cut off yelp Alley let out.


    That same force lifted Darius from the old man and gently deposited him standing on one side of the circular arena that was now forming.


    Approximately thirty feet away the heavily armored man was moved the same way, coming to rest on his feet just before the glowing blue outer wall. An inner barrier of blue light instantly rose to separate them, but it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°You¡¯re friend¡¯s Truey can¡¯t help him in here. When I¡¯m done with you, beating him will be like swatting a fly.¡±


    Darius felt his face go blank as he replied ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The hall¡± Grunted the old man ¡° Is protected against manifestation, didn¡¯t your captain warn you before he sent you in here to die?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a pirate you senile coot.¡± Darius snapped.


    ¡°Riiiiiiight.¡± Came the disbelieving reply.


    The old Man pulled another little spear from his waist and reloaded the launcher.


    ¡°Stradivarius Bron, Pride Of The Abyss Walker. Tenth Rank.¡±


    Darius cracked his neck and gestured with his bone spear at the old man.


    ¡° Darius Knots, Prince Of The Dawn Hunt. Eleventh Rank.¡±


    ¡°Knots¡­.Dawn Hunt.¡± Murmured the old man squinting a little in Darius¡¯ direction. Honestly, the red-headed boy felt like it was the first time the oddly armored man actually saw him.


    ¡°Not Leshy¡¯s boy?¡± He asked slowly.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Darius rolling his eyes. ¡° that''s my dad, and my mom is Artunis¡±


    The old man paused and lowered his Pressure weapon a little.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sad to see you having fallen in with these Shattered Hull scum.¡±


    Darius pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.


    ¡°We. Are. Not. With. The. Pirates.¡± he replied putting extreme emphasis on every word.


    ¡°Ohhh!¡± Said the old man with a genial smile. ¡° Why didn¡¯t you say so? In that case, I yield.¡±


    To Darius¡¯ utter shock, the blue light all around them vanished in an instant.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you could do that eh?¡± Said the old man in his far north-westerner accent. ¡°If someone yields before the ante is selected, the Dealers assume you meant to do a practice Challenge instead, and cancels the whole thing.¡±


    Recovering from his surprise Darius finally got a proper look at the hall they found themselves in. It was a large oddly sparse circular hall. The walls of which were lined with statues of heroic-looking men, mostly with beards. There were the many doorways, and one staircase of stone so smooth it practically shone. Alley sat waiting impatiently on the second to bottom step.  The floor was a strange sort of seastone inlaid with runic symbols Darius didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°That was qui-¡± Started Alley before pausing in surprise.


    ¡°He canceled the Challenge cause he knows my parents.¡± Said Darius with a shrug. This made his dark-haired friend blink a few times.


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    ¡° You can cancel a Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Apparently.¡±


    The exchange brought a snort of amusement from the elderly man. With a series of clanks, he walked his bulky armor over to Alley, who stepped aside to grant passage up the stairs. Still clanking away he began his ascent and for the first time, Darius realized just how decrepit the man really was.


    He had been putting on a good show whilst fighting what he thought were pirates, but now that the threat had passed Stradivarius seemed to almost deflate. With that huge tube and crystal bedecked armor covering him, it was impossible to tell if the man was hurt or just old.


    ¡°Come on you two¡± Grunted Stradivarius over his shoulder. ¡°If you aren¡¯t a pair of sackless raiders, tell me what you are doing here?¡±


    In the upper level of the structure, form gave way to function, where the hall below was all open space and intricate carvings. The upstairs was clearly a place where people lived, or at least had lived. At least half of the twelve personal quarters had been converted into grizzly shrines of sorts. Each with a man obviously and brutally killed in combat, but had now been laid out on their respective beds in fragile imitations of peace.


    The center of what Stradivarius confirmed was the hall of The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League, was ostensibly a kitchen. It played host to an armory, a dining table of gnarled dark wood, and a set of tables and iron apparatus the purpose of which Darius knew intimately. This was where the league made their trophies, trophies that had been proudly displayed on the walls of the personal quarters. Skulls of huge sea beats that dominated walls, spines, and bones carved into various items. They had no Resonance, but every hunter knew the magic of carving a trophy or knickknack out of slain prey.


    The boys sat at the dining table and communicated silently while the old man got to work making the three of them some tea.  Gesturing with his head Alley raised and lowered both eyebrows. ¡®You trust him?¡¯  Darius nodded in response, he did trust the old man. There was a sort of aggressive gregariousness to him that Darius knew appealed to his parents, all of their friends were like that in one way or another.


    An assessment the red-headed boy was forced to immediately reconsider when he saw what Stradivarius was adding to steaming tea.


    ¡®Milk?¡¯ he mouthed to Alley, eyes going wide with confusion. Alley shrugged and looked equally bewildered.


    ¡®No idea.¡¯ He mouthed back.


    The old man had already slipped off his heavy iron gloves, but otherwise, he remained covered in the bulky suit. Even as he passed out the warm wooden mugs and sat down in a chair that creaked but managed to hold up. Taking a sip of the drink Darius had to admit it wasn¡¯t bad, but calling it ¡®tea¡¯ seemed like a little bit of a stretch.


    The trio traded stories. Darius and Alley somewhat abashedly relaying how they had come to the island they now knew was called Tolldomha. The old hunter seemed suitably impressed at their escape from the Abyss God Kraken but chastised them with great amusement about their attempts to steer The Bay Runner with just the sail. Apparently, they were lucky not to have ended up just going around in circles.


    When Stradivarius launched into several tales about Darius'' parents he listened intently, though he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling the old man was avoiding talking about what happened here. It was still nice, even if the story about his previous visit to this island twelve years ago was full of the embarrassing moments every story about childhood seems to be made of.


    Darius tried to remember what the hunter described. A grand hunt for the Albino Monarch leviathan, the festival to celebrate the venture, and the ways his mother and father had distinguished themselves bravely during the hunt itself. None of it was familiar in the slightest, but he had also been five at the time, and it was one of countless events like it he had been to since infancy.


    It was Alley who finally forced the issue, politely but firmly pushing to find out what had happened here.  At the questioning, the older man played with his mustache quietly for a little while before responding. His words were stilted and his tone grave when he did.


    ¡°They arrived a few days ago flying a peace flag. We knew they were pirates but..¡± the old man paused and smiled sadly. ¡° The Deep Hunters have never judged a person based on their jobs, so long as you follow our rules while on Tolldomha it isn¡¯t really our business.¡±


    Darius didn¡¯t consider himself to be the sharpest spear on the rack or anything but you had to be pretty stupid not to see where the story was going. The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League and the township they ruled had opened their doors to a large galley that belonged to the Shattered Hull Raiders; the pirates had played at friendliness before turning on their hosts that very night.


    ¡°We were arrogant, I see that now.¡± Said Stradivarius who had switched to brandy without offering the boys any.  ¡°All eight of us had Trials Decks, while their entire crew of almost a hundred only had a single True and a single Trials Deck.¡±


    Darius and Alley shared a look. Even accounting for the aid of the deckless and the ability of a True Deck to create its own little army. Eight deep sea hunters armed with Trials Decks should have been more than enough to fend off an attack.


    Seeing the silent exchange the old hunter nodded. ¡° I see what you boys are thinking, we thought the same. I want to say they caught us by surprise and granted they did, but truthfully lads the crew was simply willing to die to keep a barrier between us and their Deck Wielders.¡±


    He shrugged helplessly. ¡° You have a True Deck,¡± he said to Alley. ¡° You know, if you can''t get close to a Truey they will beat you with monsters or magic eventually. ¡°


    Darius hadn¡¯t noticed but he¡¯d begun to play with the little metal bar through his ear that was his Dealer.


    ¡°So you and the townspeople tried to fight your way back here because the floor blocks Manifestation.¡± Finished Darius for him. That all made sense, and he had seen signs of such a conflict throughout the town. There was one thing that was still bothering him though.


    ¡°But why did the pirates take literally everyone? They didn¡¯t even leave bodies behind?¡±

 Chapter Twenty Six: Proxies

    Chapter 26: Proxies


    Alabaster


    The old man let out a long sigh and pushed his chair back from the table. Slowly rising he eventually responded.


    ¡°If you wait about five minutes for that bell to stop ringing they will show you.¡± As he said it Stadivarius pointed towards a large pair of double doors which he began stomping over to.


    ¡°I uhh guess we follow again.¡± Said Alley quietly.


    Darius shrugged in response but both boys rose and followed the elder. When the doors were flung open Alley wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting to see. It certainly hadn¡¯t been the airy balcony overlooking the bay of the crescent island that greeted him.


    It seemed the coastal side of The Deep Hunter hall opened almost directly onto the water. Below the balcony was an enormous ¡®S¡¯ shaped pier; the town¡¯s only one, that extended hundreds of feet out into the sea.


    Every few dozen feet or so Alley could make out strange metal cages large enough to hold five people each. They hung from huge chains connected to a lever apparatus that presumably lowered them.


    The cages couldn¡¯t have been a recent edition, so the Deep Hunters must have used them for something. Lower themselves or bait to the ocean floor maybe? It had to be something like that as there were at least twenty of them.


    The whole area was lit by a combination of the huge moon¡¯s reflection on the water supplemented by braziers on high poles near each cage, along with what seemed like a bonfire from atop the deck of a massive galley docked on the outer curve of the ¡®S¡¯.


    The same flag bearing the icon of a Clash Ram skull pierced by three spears that marked the empty town flew atop the highest mast of the ship and was accompanied by the enormous swinging bell they had been hearing.


    Alley¡¯s breath caught when he noticed the nine cages closest to the vessel were occupied., and definitely not by hunters gearing up for a deep sea expedition.


    ¡°Darius¡± Alley all but hissed.


    ¡°I see them.¡± Came the flat reply.


    The mystery of the missing townsfolk may have been solved, but it had been replaced by the far more scary and pressing. ¡®Why the hell are the Shattered Hull Raiders putting people in diving cages?¡¯


    ¡°What is this!?¡± Alley asked spinning about to look at Stradivarius. There was anger in his voice though he knew the old man wasn¡¯t to blame. The already defeated edge to the way he spoke, the slouch to his shoulders. All of it annoyed Alley more than it should, but the last deep hunter didn¡¯t have time to feel beaten with his people still alive out there.


    Stradivarius spat in disgust before he replied.


    ¡°The captain will come out with the crew and give a big speech about it soon. He¡¯s feeding them to a Card in order to cross the mountain.¡±


    Alley blinked a few times.


    ¡°Cross the mountain¡­You mean get past rank nine?¡±


    Alley¡¯s mother had spoken about the process of reaching the eighth rank to him only on rare occasions and when she had it was only sparse detail. Even among the strong, skilled, or well-funded, very few people made it past Rank nine or even attempted the process.


    ¡°Did you say feeding a Card?¡± Asked Darius who had been leaning over the edge of the balcony¡¯s railing, but now rejoined the other two.


    ¡° I did.¡± said the old man sadly. ¡° The mountain is different for a True Deck but it''s still difficult to cross. You have to evolve a unique card to its final form.¡±


    Alley didn¡¯t need to see his own face to know he shared a look of bewilderment with Darius.


    ¡°Which is done how exactly?¡± Asked Alley as he considered the idea. You could hardly get copies of a unique card, but he knew it was possible somehow. His Mother¡¯s TerraNullis had been both unique and fully evolved.


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    ¡°That depends. The card gives you a quest somehow and it grows as you complete it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Darius with a frown.¡± And this captain¡¯s quest is to what? To feed the Card a bunch of people?¡±


    The old man rubbed his face tiredly. ¡° I didn¡¯t get a chance to interview the man, but the Card in question is a big shark and the man¡¯s speech mentions how many days in a row they have done this.¡±


    At the shared questioning looks from the boys he elaborated. ¡° Tonight will be seventy-seven.¡±


    Alley was stunned; He could understand the desire to grow in rank, but there were lines a person shouldn''t cross. Capturing an innocent town that had offered you nothing but hospitality was past that point for Alley. To then brutally sacrifice them for personal gain virtually spat on the concept of morality in its entirety.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Said the dark-haired boy. ¡° Is the craziest shit I have ever heard.¡± Beside him, Darius was smirking and had already begun to stretch out his limbs and roll his shoulders. ¡° And I¡¯m not letting it happen.¡±


    Stradivarius guffawed at Alley¡¯s declaration but his eyes shone even as he tried to gainsay the boy.


    ¡°There are at least thirty regular crew left, not that they matter much. But both the captain and his mate are rank nine, do you really think your Truey will make more of a difference than my entire hunters league?¡±


    Alley grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, and Darius let out a little snort.


    ¡°I uhh use a Cursed Deck.¡±


    The old man blanched at that. ¡° What in the hells could a kid your age have done to get cursed already?¡±


    Alley rolled his eyes at the man. ¡° I found it in a magic castle, I didn¡¯t know it was Cursed when I took it.¡±


    ¡°Riiiiiiight¡± The hunter¡¯s disbelief annoyed Alley a little but he didn¡¯t care enough to press the issue and there really wasn¡¯t time.


    ¡°Look It doesn¡¯t matter if the two of you can get me to the captain, I can Challenge him.¡±


    Stradivarius scratched his chin considering the words of the youth in front of him.


    ¡°Now are there any True Deck cards here?¡± Alley Pressed. ¡°Any at all I don¡¯t care what they do, or cost, or even what Resonance they are. I just need some cards to fill the empty slots in my library.¡±


    ¡°Careful lad you will get Resonance poisoning that way¡±


    ¡®Resonance poisoning?¡¯


    Alley filled that away for later. Right now he didn¡¯t have the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Some of the men had the occasional True Card lying around, but can you beat him with a bunch of cursed draws stuffed into your deck?¡±


    Alley grinned viciously. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the man, but if I can¡¯t play around a few cards I can¡¯t use I¡¯m not Arcadia Roe¡¯s son.¡±


    The old man repeated the name as though searching his mind for its owner.


    ¡°Arcadia..Ohh the MuckLands regional champion?¡±


    ¡°Deep River Country¡± Alley corrected the commonly used name for his homeland flatly. ¡°Now show me where I can find these Cards and get ready, I don¡¯t think we have much time.¡±


    Out on the galley, the bell had stopped ringing.


    Alley tore his way through the rooms belonging to the deceased hunters. He felt more than a little disrespectful rifling through and carelessly tossing aside the belongings of dead men but he hoped they would forgive his rudeness as it was in the service of saving lives. He was already stealing from them so he supposed it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    It thankfully hadn¡¯t taken long to fill the remaining fourteen slots in his deck. The Cards were practically useless, or even unplayable with the increased cost from not harmonizing with his Dealer. He hadn¡¯t expected to find cards for Undeath, Shadow, or Curse. They were rare Resonances to the point of being nearly mythical, and he still wasn¡¯t quite sure how one made Cards out of something that was already dead.


    Alley was just going to have to live up to his claims and play around a huge number of cursed draws in his Deck. For once the increased Library minimum might actually work in his favor by diluting the chances he would draw useless garbage.


    When he headed back downstairs Alley found the other two in the large ornate hall waiting for him. Stradivarius¡¯ armor was now complete with a bulbous helmet featuring a strange and surely not overly protective glass window at the front. On the other hand, Darius¡¯ preparations had included placing his backpack against one of the stone walls and nothing else.


    ¡°Find what you need?¡± Asked The old hunter; As he spoke the Sky and Pressure crystals on his armor glowed and his voice came out booming and distorted.


    ¡°It will do. You two ready¡±


    ¡°Always.¡± Said Darius before giving his spear a little flourish and bringing it to rest on his shoulder. With his other hand, the boy called forth the little card images of his first draw.


    Through the little window, Stradivarius grinned.


    ¡°A giant shark, an evil pirate lord, a sword-wielding fish monster, and terrified civilians in need of saving. Fair play lads, if The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League has to die, let the last member go out with a grand hunt instead of rotting to death of brandy and dark thoughts!¡± Declared the old man with ear-deafening ferocity


    ¡°Sword-wielding fish monster?¡± Asked Alley with a raised eyebrow. This was the first anyone had mentioned that to him.

 Chapter Twenty Seven: Strategic Mastery

    An extra two or three? Perhaps had you brought another four of five hundred it would matter.


    -The Book Of Creeds


    Chapter 27: Strategic Mastery


    Alabaster


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Said Darius. As the Trio strode towards the front entrance of the Hunters League hall. Easily the most heavily armored Stradivarius took the lead.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking about the Trials Deck wielder, at Rank Nine weird things happen to your body.¡±


    Alley shot his friend a quizzical look while they moved and the old Hunter made some minor adjustments to his Pressure launcher.


    ¡°Like I said, don''t worry about it. We will handle the first mate.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alley replied with a nod. He knew his friend was right, they were about to battle their way through dozens of pirates and Manifested creatures. He needed to focus on his role and leave the rest up to the other two.


    ¡°Did you two come up with a plan?¡±


    ¡°We did.¡± Replied Darius with a wry grin.


    ¡°The Plan is just run right at them isn¡¯t it?¡±  Asked Alley already knowing the answer.


    Still smiling, his redheaded friend explained. ¡° Well it¡¯s not like we are stalking something in the woods, they are just over near the end of that pier.¡±


    Alley let out a long sigh but didn¡¯t argue the point.


    Exiting the hall the trio strode into the flickering light of the town¡¯s dock. It was a cool night but in a pleasantly crisp cloudless way. Not the bone-seeping cold of winter but an electrifying chill that made one feel especially awake.


    The three of them moved onto the pier which was wider than it had appeared from the balcony, at least fifteen feet across. That wasn¡¯t ideal as Alley realistically needed to stay behind the pair of Trials Deck users until a reasonable path presented itself. If they could be circled around that became dramatically more difficult.


    Alley was no slouch in a fight, as a Deck Wielder even a one on the twelfth rank he was a little stronger than your average person of similar build. Even more so of late, it had seemed since the encounter with the krakens, but compared to being able to Manifest cards like the other two? There was no question who made the softest target.


    The group of pirates were gathered in front of their docked galley in a loose crowd. There might be more aboard the vessel Alley couldn''t see, but he didn¡¯t think so. The thirty or so men and women might be well short of what the ship could support but the number matched with Stradivarius¡¯ story about the pirates taking significant losses.


    Standing with a single foot atop the prow of the galley, long black hair, and an even longer cloak flowing in the wind behind, sword in hand and Card images floating in front of them.  Stood the captain addressing his warriors. As much as he hated to admit it, Alley thought the man cut quite the dynamic figure, very¡­ captainy.


    ¡°Twenty-three more nights my friends, and our long struggle will be over!¡± It seemed they had come in mid-way through the man¡¯s speech. It occurred to Alley that he probably didn¡¯t want to give a speech every night. The pirate was just killing time as he worked through his deck to draw the unique card in question.


    It was obvious from the way he would pause and then play something before continuing. Alley couldn¡¯t make them out well from this distance and angle but a gaggle of Manifested creatures was slowly appearing behind the man.


    ¡°Twenty-three more nights and we can return to The Combine, heads held high as we stride into The Shattered Hull upper echelon!¡±


    The crowd of pirates gave a half-hearted cheer which Alley suspected was more out of obligation than anything else. If he had to guess they had heard some variation of this speech quite a few times.


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    That is except for one figure dancing about enthusiastically at the front of the crowd.


    ¡°Yes! Hurry! Feed the god!¡± It shrieked up at the captain figure. The voice was shrill and oddly feminine; Completely at odds with the¡­person¡¯s? Appearance. This must be the fish monster that had been mentioned earlier. They looked like a bipedal piranha with braided silver hair, if anything they reminded Alley of his old ¡®Abominable Flounder¡¯ Card.


    ¡°Patience Siendra.¡± Admonished the captain ¡° I will draw him sooner or later, and then we can continue the banquet.¡±


    Alley wasn¡¯t really concerned with the man¡¯s speech or what percentage of his followers it managed to entertain. The important thing was that the crowd of pirates was facing away from the trio¡¯s approach. The captain would eventually see them as they made their way jogging along the pier but until he did they could use the speech as a distraction to get as close as possible.


    ¡°COME AND HAVE A GO IF YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE HARD ENOUGH!!¡± The Sky and Pressure crystals on Stradivarius¡¯ armor glowed as his voice boomed out across the bay. The old man had obviously drawn a lot more Resonance from the crystals than he had inside the hall, as it was many times louder.


    From deeper inland a flock of birds broke into screeches and took flight. To a man, the crowd of pirates turned to face the trio. There was a moment of stunned stillness before a jeering roar came back in response and the crowd broke into a ragged charge without even waiting for the order.


    Alley repressed another sigh. As much as he¡¯d like to he really couldn¡¯t blame anyone other than himself.


    ¡®This is what I get for leaving the strategy up to Darius and a guy I only just met.¡¯


    There was nothing for it now, Alley had already loosened the chain around him far enough that he could throw it if need be. It meant keeping the loose portion of the chain tucked into his belt to avoid tripping himself up but the hook was in about as versatile a state as it was going to get.


    The group of pirates was armed with a motley assortment of weapons that matched the hodgepodge nature of their clothes or armor. Most had melee weapons of some sort or another but several were armed with bows. These last began launching arrows in their direction, but it was far too early to bother. To a one the arrows fell short, falling harmlessly onto the wooden pier or plunging into the dark water around the ¡®S¡¯ shaped pier.


    The same could not be said for Stradivarius¡¯ Pressure Launcher, deep green crystals glowing in the darkness of the night before it hurled a spear forward with frightening speed and air-rippling force. A couple of the more aware raiders hurled themselves to the ground or off the sides of the pier. The first four or so who didn¡¯t instantly had a terrible time as the Resonance-fueled projectile punched through one after the other.


    After that all bets were off as Alley and the two hunters broke into a charge. Stadivarius was slow in his bulky armor but once he got going he seemed all but impossible to stop. With Darius two steps behind supporting the man with his spear they were about as effective as a wedge of two could possibly hope to be.


    Alley was intimately familiar with Darius¡¯ Deck and fighting style but had never seen a Trials Deck fueled by Pressure resonance before and it was quite a sight.


    ¡°Frequency Of The Colossus!¡± Called the old man in between harsh laughs distorted by his suit. If Alley hadn¡¯t realized it was a Card activation due to the unusual words he would have known a second later when Stradivarius¡¯ body began projecting rapid pulses of force. Each one stopped men or attacks and let out a booming yet somehow barely audible thrum as it did.


    Alley was far from helpless, whirling the bladed hook and chain above his head before whipping it out over the pair in front of him to strike at some pirate or another that managed to find a favorable angle of attack. Yet he felt a little inadequate at the destruction wreaked by the two Trials Deck users.


    His whole life he had considered the enhancement decks lesser to the power of a True Deck. They might not be able to manipulate reality, but Alley was starting to think he had been underestimating Trials Decks. An opinion that only intensified when Darius Activated his ¡®Harpoon Rain¡¯ Card.


    It was clearly intended as a ranged card as the potential to hurt yourself with the Manifested weapon copies was extremely high if you hadn¡¯t practiced fighting with one spear in hand and two floating alongside you to an obsessive degree.


    Alley had been there last winter when Darius had begun practicing with all three to an obsessive degree. It had made the boy a lot less fun to hang out with for practically the entire season. Now it had made him into a whirlwind of destruction that carved through men and women like a Resonance-powered food dicer.


    Alley had to respect the way the pirates continued to hurl themselves with swords or improvised weapons at the advancing trio. It was costing them lives at an astounding rate, but they came on anyway. Maybe respect wasn¡¯t the right word. Be aware of their weirdly suicidal fanaticism and account for it might be more accurate.


    He supposed it might make sense that they wanted to close the distance with the Pressure launcher but he couldn¡¯t understand why so few were fleeing or throwing themselves off the pier given the horrific number of casualties.


    The archers at least seemed to be acting like normal non-berzerk people, having moved onto the galley to pepper shots at the trio. Against the movement of the boys and the Resonance-fueled armor of Stradivarius, the arrows proved even less effective than the suicidal charge of the crowd.


    This was all the easy part Alley knew. Behind the collapsing pirate assault came a gaggle of Manifested sea beasts swimming through the air above the pier their Resonace runes and stats floating above them.


    Finally getting a chance to reload his Pressure Launcher the old hunter boomed at the boys through his armor''s ability. ¡°This is where the fun really starts lads.¡±


    Alley took a steadying breath and looked out at the six charging Manfested Creatures.


    ¡®Pack shark, Cunning Octupi, some sort of swimming lizard I don¡¯t know, Abyss Prince baby Kraken,uhhh mer-guy with a trident?, Glaive Fish.¡¯


    From there he shot a look at the caged people who had begun to call out what he thought was encouragement. This was their last hope to survive the night and Alabaster Roe had absolutely no intention of letting the captured people down. He had been utterly powerless to save Valeton, he would not be powerless here.

 Chapter Twenty Eight: The Corsair

    ¡°FEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD!!!!¡±


    -Ranek Pho¡¯s final thought.


    Chapter 28: The Corsair


    Karieto


    Captain Nestix Karieto let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Once again he hadn¡¯t given the order, and once again it hadn¡¯t mattered. His crew had charged off and gotten most of themselves all but annihilated. He didn¡¯t really care if they lived or died but after the fiasco that had been defeating the Deep Hunters League, he had been left with barely enough men and women to actually crew his ship.


    Karieto was well below that threshold now, and it was more than a little frustrating that he was going to have to abandon his beloved ¡®Slaughter Maiden¡¯ in favor of a much smaller vessel. There really wasn¡¯t much choice in the matter now though was there?


    ¡°I told you this would happen.¡± Came the grumbling declaration from behind him.


    It was Vesti, his first mate and master of ranged combat. It was a role that had once meant Vesti directed the archery and siege weapons from The Slaughter Maiden¡¯s deck. Now he mostly shepherded the few remaining sane members of the crew. People tended to assume Siendra was his first mate, but no she was just his enforcer.


    ¡°I am aware.¡± The captain replied flatly without turning.


    The most frustrating part was technically the madness that infected the crew was his fault. Karieto¡¯s understanding of the process taking place was admittedly only surface level but from what he had read by agreeing to serve him his crew had somehow opened themselves up to the Resonances of his Deck. That by itself was no issue, it was only after he had begun working towards evolving the Card that had won him his captainship that things had started to go wrong.


    Evolving a normal Card could be challenging but it was always a relatively simple matter. Find Monsters of the same species and a similar temperament or preferred environment, kill them, add the power of their Resonances to the existing Card. Repeat the process a few times and there you had it, an evolved card.


    Evolving a unique card was something far more convoluted. That was if you could trigger your unique Card to begin the process in the first place. Karieto still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he had done to start his own, though he had a few theories. All of that was if you even got your hands on a Unique Card in the first place, and it was still the easy portion.


    ¡°So.¡± Prompted the first mate. ¡°What are we going to do? Skeleton crew the Maiden home and-¡±


    The Captain cut him off. ¡°We aren¡¯t going home Ves. I want you to take the other archers and find something small enough on this stupid Island that we can still crew it. ¡°


    Karieto narrowed his eyes as his loose line of Manifested monsters slammed into the Trio of Trials users. At least he assumed that''s what they were. Each of the three men was a little too fast, or a little too strong, or a little too projecting Waves of Pressure Resonance to not hold Decks. They hadn¡¯t Manifested anything whilst killing their way through the crew, so he felt confident there weren¡¯t any True Decks present.


    Vesti went silent for a long moment and when he finally replied his voice was resigned.


    ¡°It was a good run Nest, we almost fed that thing for a hundred nights straight but it''s over, The Greed Resonance was just too much¡± He finished helplessly.


    Again Vesti was right. The overwhelming Greed Resonance that poured from his evolving Ranek Pho Card had essentially turned most of his crew into some combination of cannibals or paranoid psychotics. The only members who remained unaffected were Karieto himself, Vesti, and maybe five of the older crew.


    Even Siendra¡¯s Trials Deck hadn¡¯t protected her mind from the effects of the Card. It just didn¡¯t matter that much as she had been a bloodthirsty lunatic ever since reaching Rank nine and becoming a Demi-human. The only real difference was she rambled about the Card being a god now.


    Did any of that really matter though? Of course not,there were places where he could hire a pirate for less per month than it cost for a loaf of bread. He just needed to keep the streak going.


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    ¡°It isn¡¯t over¡± He felt rather than saw the mate stiffen in surprise.


    ¡°After tonight we will have fed Ranek Pho to satiation, at night, in the water for seventy-eight nights. Seventy-eight!¡±


    ¡°I know but¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say Vesti, you have your orders, go execute them.¡±


    Below his Abyss Prince Kraken card had been simultaneously impaled by the red-headed boy¡¯s spear, and the Deep hunter''s harpoon launcher. The Creature exploded into blue light which flowed back into his sword.


    The Monsters were performing better than the crazed crew had but it still felt like nothing more than a short term delaying action. Naturally that would change as he drew stronger cards and recycled his weaker Creatures over and over again. In fact one might see his victory as simply a matter of time, he certainly did.


    Once that victory came he would feed the townsfolk in the repurposed diving cages to Ranek Pho. Annoyingly those same townsfolk had started up screaming and hurling themselves against the bars again. From there he would take his remaining crew in a smaller vessel and continue his quest.


    Karieto was too close to the hundred-night mark to stop now. Ranek didn¡¯t actually care if it was fed people or some other sort of meat so long as between sun up and sun down the Card was able to eat its fill. It was just many times easier to capture people and put them in the water than to consistently hunt sea beasts every single day.


    Still, he could probably manage one or two more nights off hunted food. As long as he found another settlement in that time that didn¡¯t have any Decks to defend itself. It was certainly possible; The Silver Sea played home to many such Deckless towns and villages.


    Another stream of blue light flew into his cutlass as his Rabid Mer was hooked by a chain and dragged into a stabbing spear.


    ¡°Captaaaaaiiiiiinnnnn¡± Came Siendra¡¯s whining cry. ¡°Can I go play yet?¡±


    That drew a snort of amusement from Karieto. She was a good little guard dog¡­guard fish? In spite of being perhaps the least sane member of his crew surviving or otherwise, Siendra did what she was told to the point of obsessiveness. The fact that he had told her to stay near the galley would hold her faster than the cages held his unwilling sacrifices.


    ¡°Soon.¡± He cooed back down at her. Karieto had no doubt that once she joined the fray things would quickly and violently turn out in his favor. The problem was she would probably destroy most of the pier, very quickly. That was fine by itself but if the cages fell they would very quickly sink beyond the range of where he could Manifest. If that happened his seventy-seven-day streak would be broken and he would need to start the process again if he ever wanted to ¡®cross the mountain.¡¯


    ¡°Puh-leeaaasee¡± She begged.


    ¡°Just¡­just hold on.¡± He grunted and turned his attention back to the images of his Hand floating before him.


    ¡°Discerning Taste¡± He declared, activating the spell.


    Karieto discarded his MuckDwell River Dragon. ¡°Piece of crap¡± he muttered, wondering not for the first time why he had bothered putting the obviously bad-value dragon in his deck in the first place.


    At least he could use it to fuel things like Discerning Taste. Greed Resonance cards were like that, many of them required a discard or some other sort of non-vial cost. Not Ranek Pho, of course, Karieto¡¯s ultimate creature was both a powerhouse and a consistent source of fuel for some of the other Greed Cards in his Deck.


    The first card he drew was another Glaive Fish Which Karieto almost Manifested immediately. It was a strong, free Card. That would however be a supremely rookie move to make. Getting excited and playing a Card before other Draws had Resolved, or playing Draw effects out of order had been the defeat of many a bad Player.


    A slow smile crossed the captain''s features. He would have absolutely hated himself had he played the Glaive Fish and needed to wait thirty agonizing seconds.


    ¡°Siendra,¡± He said with a quick look around to make sure Vesti and the other archers were clear.


    ¡°Uh-huh?¡± She asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°Go play¡±


    She let out a little shriek of pleasure and activated every card in her hand one after the other.


    ¡°Feeding Frenzy, Wave Edge Blade, Flashing Scales, Taste For Blood!¡± Siendra screamed the last Card¡¯s name and hurled herself forward sprinting down the wooden planks as the enhancements began to take effect.


    He didn¡¯t need to see it to know her eyes would have gone completely black due to the Feeding Frenzy Card, her large Dadao sword was glowing as Water Resonance visibly coalesced around the weapon¡¯s blade. She all but vanished as the last two Cards activated. With both Flashing Scales and Taste For Blood activated even he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with her speed. Of course, he was this fast all the time, not just for the short intervals allowed by Enhancement Cards.


    Karieto let out a little amused snort as he watched his enforcer get to work. Still running she had spun a full rotation to unleash a slash of her blade without losing more than a half-step of momentum. The gathered Water Resonance fired in a visible line at the advancing trio, and it seemed to drag the ocean behind it as it flew. Rather than the slashing energy attack it appeared to be Wave Edge Blade forced the nearby water into a rising wave of tremendous force that used the Resonance slash as a guide.


    Watching the planks of the pier get contemptuously ripped from their bearings by the surging water Karieto reminded himself that time was presently his enemy if he wanted to keep his streak going and actually reach the target of feeding Ranek Pho for one hundred unbroken nights.


    ¡°Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder,¡± He said Manifesting the Monster. It could of course swim through the air like any Manifested Creature, but the impossibly huge shark wanted to be in the water. So that is where Karieto sent it as Three of the vials stored along the blade of his cutlass emptied.

 Chapter Twenty Nine: Feeding Time

    Chapter 29: Feeding Time


    Alabaster


    The Roe family had been fishers of one sort or another for generations. Yes, Alley¡¯s mother had been the regional champion, and yes his father was a metal worker of rare skill by standards of the Deep River Country. None of that changed how they put food on the table, most of the time on the isolated backwater that was Cursed Isle.


    Then there had been Alley¡¯s grandparents. They had not been known for their craftsmanship or card playing. They had made their living entirely from the river and sea for something like forty years. The end result of all this was there were two things every Roe could be relied on to do well. Manipulate the bladed hook and swim. Even Hecatia who had been more of a sew dresses, and tend gardens kind of girl was better than decent at both.


    When the pier was suddenly hit by a fucking tidal wave Alley found himself extremely grateful for both skills. It wasn¡¯t really a tidal wave Alley knew, but it was still a fifteen-foot-high swell of surging water that had come from practically nowhere.


    Without a thought Alley hurled himself to his right, whipping his hook and chain combo up at one of the occupied diving cages. He had already wrapped part of the chain around one of his hands. So when the hook looped around the cage¡¯s bars the chain pulled taught and Alley swung out over the dark water like he had Manifested his old rope swing from home.


    As his arcing path took him around the rushing water, Alley saw Darius avoid the wave by simply diving into the water beneath the pier. Unfortunately, the much older, much more heavily armored Stradivarius didn¡¯t have time to get out of the way. This drew a wince from Alley; As when the Resonance-fueled wave passed it took the old hunter, the Manifested monsters, and about twenty feet of Piertop with it.


    While the dark-haired boy was worried for the old man a much more immediate concern was his own survival. Yes, he had avoided the wave but now his swing was bringing him back onto the remaining nearby pier and directly into the path of the charging fish lady.


    Alley hit the wood running, fist white-knuckling around the CoreSteel chain he took only three steps before launching himself back into the air avoiding a slice that would have separated his upper and lower body. He flashed a ¡®yikes¡¯ smile as the taut chain took him up and away from the surging Trials Deck Wielder. The last Roe grabbed ahold of the diving cage as he swung around it again.


    With a little scramble of movement, he climbed atop the diving apparatus. Inside was what looked like a family unit of two adults and three children.


    ¡°Hi¡± Said Alley, filling his face and voice with cheer in the hopes of seeming reassuring. ¡° Just sit tight and we will have you out in no time.¡± The group still cringed away from him but Alley didn¡¯t take it personally.


    He quickly got to work freeing his hook and inspecting the cage¡¯s lock. He only had time to confirm the door to the cage at the front had a little metal lock keeping it shut before his attention was stolen by a mass of shining blue light beneath the surface of the water. Once it finished Manifesting the waves went dark again hiding the monster, Alley Still whatever the creature was it was huge. More than half the length of the hundred-plus foot galley, and almost as wide as the ships deck across.


    Stradivarius had mentioned a giant Unique Shark Card but Alley hadn¡¯t realized the old man had meant this giant. All the more reason he needed to get to the captain and Challenge the man. The monster in the water was going to be a problem, as was the fish woman. Still, the crew and the other Manifested creatures were gone, and the path was basically clear to the galley and the long-haired man standing atop its prow.


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    Alley wanted to take advantage of the thirty-odd-second window before the pirate leader could Manifest another card. There was however the small matter of the fish lady sending the cages into the waters below if he dashed off to Challenge the captain. With the woman charging towards the lever at the base of the wooden pole the cage hung from Alley felt like there really was only one choice to make.


    If the deep hunter had waited until the three of them had gotten closer before making their presence known, Alley was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. Repressing a sigh he span the hook over his head a few times and whipped it down at the fish lady. She made a little hop backward avoiding the attack and he quickly yanked the weapon back so he could try again.


    ¡°Hey! You!¡± He called in a friendly manner. ¡° Could you do me a favor and just fuck off?¡±


    To his surprise, she burst into giggles that seemed far too girlish for her form. That didn¡¯t mean she would acquiesce though, quite the opposite.


    Shooting Alley a raised eyebrow grin she held the sword in front of herself and began to coalesce Water Resonance around the weapon again. Whatever the Card was she had activated hadn¡¯t run out of time or uses yet. Narrowing his eyes, Alley began to spin up his chain again. With a little bit of luck and some good timing, he could maybe knock her harmonic attack aside.


    Seeing what he was intending, her grin widened.


    ¡° Okay! Let''s play¡± she called cheerfully up at him.


    The stand-off never got a chance to resolve. While the dark-haired boy and the fish lady with braided hair stared at each other, the enormous monster beneath the waves made its presence more than known.


    A huge Dorsal fin almost as large as Alley was tall drove through the water and then drove through the pier. Planks and splinters exploded in all directions as the shark cut through the structure like it didn¡¯t exist.


    The diving cages were hanging from their own support poles thankfully separate from what was supporting the quickly collapsing pier. That wouldn¡¯t offer anything resembling protection for him or the various townsfolk trapped in the cages once the monster¡¯s attention was actually on them. For now, though it forced the woman to throw herself out of the way of the advancing Scalekin.


    Something she did by almost casually leaping over the monster¡¯s fin to lightly land on a chunk of still-supported wood.


    ¡®I have got to get to a higher rank.¡¯


    The huge fish suddenly cut to the side obliterating one of the support poles and sending a group of five or so people plummeting into the depths. From within the cage he was perched on, Alley could hear screams and sobs at the horrific sight.


    ¡°You are going to be okay!¡± He called at his feet. Then was immediately shown as a potential liar when the slice of water Resonance cut through the air followed a half second behind by another enormous wave. The surging water only just clipped the cage, sending it swinging and hopefully not crushing anyone inside. Had the fish woman been aiming directly at them Alley was sure it would have knocked the support pole over, but it hadn¡¯t.


    Looking over he saw a familiar red-headed figure atop the same roughly ten by ten-foot chunk of pier the fish lady occupied. Dripping wet and pressing his bone spear against the woman¡¯s sword in a contest of strength.


    Alley had never been more glad to see his friend. It made his hopes reignite, with the other Trials Deck user occupied he had a real chance to reach the galley. If he could initiate a Challenge the massive shark and anything else the captain had Manifested would go right back into the man¡¯s deck.


    Something that needed to happen sooner rather than later the dark-haired boy realized with a wince as the Water monster obliterated yet more pier and sent another cage screaming into the depths and presumably the shark¡¯s maw.


    ¡°Yeah okay.¡± He said with a sigh


    Holding onto the cage with one hand Alley attached his hook to his belt and took a series of deep breaths intended to expand his lungs.


    Then with as little trepidation as he could manage Alley executed a straight dive into the dark waters.

 Chapter Thirty: Dawn Hunt Vs Crashing Wave -Part One

    ¡°Beating a higher rank? It isn¡¯t easy, they are usually stronger, usually faster, and always more durable. Assuming the gap between you is within reason it can be done, but you need to get them off balance any way you can and keep them that way¡±


    -Leshy Knots talking with his son post training.


    Chapter 30: Dawn Hunt Vs Crashing Wave -Part One


    Darius


    Darius had only just managed to save the cage Alley was atop. Bursting from the water he had found himself on a small platform that had once been part of the large pier. Instantly he saw the Demi-Human and the gathering Water Resonance around her two-handed blade. She was preparing to launch another wave at¡­Darius followed her gaze, at Alley and scared townsfolk he was perched above for some reason.


    ¡®Well, that''s no good.¡¯


    Being Demi-Human the lady was rank nine, so he knew she was going to be crazy strong. That meant if Darius was going to stop the woman from killing his friend he would have to deflect the blade with near-perfect timing.


    ¡®Yeah screw that.¡¯ he thought to himself before attempting the far simpler, far more obvious solution. Darius ran at the woman, dropped into a light crouch at the last second, and did his very best to ram his spear through her chest.


    Having spotted Darius from her peripheral vision the demi-human half turned to face him bringing her blade down to block his thrust with the flat of the weapon. A slash of blue Resonance still fired from the sword but it was an awkward addition to the block and only vaguely in Alley¡¯s direction.


    That was good. What was less of a positive was just how right Darius found himself when it came to the Demi-human¡¯s strength. While she wasn¡¯t about to shatter his spear the fish-woman had no issue pushing him back. Something he allowed without resistance; Darius wasn¡¯t about to win a contest of power with a rank nine, and his spear and height advantage meant he wanted distance anyway.


    Shoved skidding across the wet planks Darius adjusted his footing so as not to fall over. The red-headed boy fully expected his opponent to immediately follow up, it''s what he would have done. Instead, she froze, eyes tracking something over his shoulder. Blinking in surprise she let out a joyous little giggle.


    ¡°Your friend just dived into the water.¡± said the Demi-Human


    ¡°Yeah and?¡± Asked Darius.


    ¡°He is sacrificing himself to the god!¡± She exclaimed with a gesture to the Stats and Resonance runes that floated above the huge dorsal fin of the shark monster.


    ¡°God?¡± Scoffed Darius. ¡°That thing is just a big fish.¡± He knew he was being unfair, it wasn¡¯t just a big fish. It was a very big fish, in fact, if Darius had to describe the oddly fat shark he had seen with his Pursuit-infused eyes in a single word it could only be ¡®Ginormagantuan¡¯.


    ¡°Alley is a fisherman, he¡¯ll be fine. In fact, he¡¯s gonna clean and gut that thing.¡± He went on intentionally goading her.


    Darius had never encountered ¡®killing intent¡¯ and he had been all over the world with his family. He was almost certain it was just nonsense, old hunters and soldiers spouted to add a little extra spice to their stories.


    The feeling he suddenly got from the woman made him reassess. Her girlish cheer had vanished utterly, replaced by a desire to kill him that was definitely palpable.


    ¡°I''m going to shred you!¡±


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    Her left hand was practically shaking with fury when she flicked it up to see the tiny images of her redrawn Cards. As with before she played her entire hand¡­or at least she tried to.


    ¡°Cyclonic Crash, Flashing sca-¡±


    Darius already knew the four Cards he held, he had memorized his hand whilst still under the water. Primal Forge, Dawn Shot, Brood Queen¡¯s Venom, Scent The Blood.


    The split-second advantage of not having to check his Cards along with not ranting in anger, gave Darius the chance to interrupt her.


    ¡°Dawnshot!¡± He shouted at the same time as he hurled his bone spear at the woman¡¯s chest.


    The Card activated and Darius¡¯ eyes briefly glowed golden as the weapon left his fingers.


    The Demi-Human slipped to the side in a blur of motion, only to find the spear had shifted trajectories to meet her at the new location. Eyes going wide in surprise she brought the two-handed sword down to block the projectile.


    To her credit, the demi-human''s reflexes were clearly a finely tuned instrument. Darius wouldn¡¯t have been able to make that block had he been caught off guard like she was. That didn¡¯t matter to him though. The hunter had never intended the undodgeable attack to do more than keep his opponent in place for a second. Darius dashed forward exploding into a leap to cover the last few feet he simultaneously slammed his left knee into her jaw and snatched the deflected spear out of the air.


    ¡°Primal Forge: Cleavers¡± He declared without hesitation the moment he felt the weapon touch his hand.


    Darius¡¯ bone spear seemed to melt and flow like water congealing into a pair of jagged bone cleavers. With one blade in each hand, Darius landed and brought the two blades down slamming into her collarbone on either side. He had hoped to practically take her head from her shoulders with the move, but he should have known killing a rank nine wouldn¡¯t be so easy.


    While the cleavers punched through her scales, the life essence flowing through her veins meant her flesh resisted the damage, both pushing against his attacks and trying to heal the wound. Letting out an indignant shriek the demi-human lashed out with a short kick to Darius¡¯ midsection.


    The air rushed out of the boy as he was hurled from the platform by the force of the blow. Crashing into the water Darius fought to right himself and hold onto the pair of cleavers. For maybe the millionth time since they had changed he found himself grateful for his eye¡¯s ability to see in the dark. The cold salt water stung his vision but keeping his eyes open meant he was quickly able to scramble up onto a larger portion of the remaining pier.


    Back on the little ten-by-ten platform the fish woman occupied Darius could see steam rising from demi-human¡¯s wounds as at least two of the vials inside her emptied to flood the damaged portion of flesh with even more life essence. The same process would take place should Darius get sufficiently wounded, though there was no question which one of them could endure it happening more times.


    In fact, if he thought about it the boy wasn¡¯t even sure he had enough to survive an injury like the one he had inflicted. His own flesh wouldn¡¯t fight a blade anywhere near as much as hers had either. Sucking in air as water dripped down his face Darius noticed he wasn¡¯t the only one panting.


    Watching each other the pair readied themselves for the next clash. Darius could see Water-Resonance flowing around her arms now, some sort of effect to do with the Card she had managed to activate already.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t very good at this.¡± He called with a little smile. Rage flickered across her face again and she let out a wordless scream culminating in using another Card. ¡°RIPTIDE STEP!!¡± The woman roared and took off sprinting towards him. Rather than dive into the water separating them her booted feet glowed with Resonance as she ran across the waves.


    ¡®So far so good.¡¯ Darius thought to himself at the headlong charge. Demi-Humans he knew had a tendency to be easy to goad. Well, that or just be madder than a ShadeWing Rider. It was why most people who used Trials Decks, his own mother included, never even tried to ¡®Cross The Mountain.¡¯ Reaching Rank Nine with a Trials Deck was actually considerably easier than doing it with a True Deck. The problem was that it changed you in bizarre ways, body and mind.


    Many people who committed to growing their power and reached the status of a Demi-Human changed so much that they just plain forgot that they had intended it to be a temporary state of affairs. From there they usually abandoned the search for Rank Eight and simply pursued whatever mad goals their harmonized minds now believed to be important.


    ¡°Flashing Scales¡± Declared the woman who instantly doubled in speed. Darius had never fought someone like this before. A person who would just play their entire hand and rush at you like you owed them money. All in all, it wasn¡¯t a bad strategy, but anyone who couldn¡¯t adapt would struggle against a hunter from the Knots clan.


    Kicking off the water the Demi-Human launched herself high into the air, well above the pier Darius stood upon. Expecting some sort of huge slash the redhead danced backward and brought his bone cleavers in front of himself in a crossed guard. He managed to avoid the chopping overhead strike the woman launched down at him.


    Unfortunately, the Water resonance flowing around her arms surged down the weapon and struck the pier at Darius¡¯ feet. Unleashing the built-up ¡®Cyclonic Crash¡¯ attack in the form of a slicing Resonance whirlwind that lifted the hunter from his feet.

 Chapter Thirty One: Dawn Hunt Vs Crashing Wave -Part Two

    "One trick is to target their vitals even more than you normally would. The throat, the eyes, arteries, anything you can think of to trigger their Vials emptying quickly.¡±


    -Leshy Knots speaking to his eldest son


    Chapter 31: Dawn Hunt Vs Crashing Wave -Part Two


    Darius


    Darius was sent flying backward as the whirling blue Resonance sliced open dozens of light cuts all over him. The cleavers his spear had become and crossed forearms bore the brunt of it, slashed repeatedly as though with a whip.


    The portion of the pier the combatants were on now was a lot larger than the one they had started on. Large enough that it was wood that met Darius¡¯ back as he came crashing down, not water.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t very good at this.¡± Said the Demi-Human in a snarky imitation of what the hunter had said to her moments before. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he regained his feet, Darius let out a little laugh.


    ¡°Okay okay, I deserved that.¡± He went on as one of the four vials inside him emptied to close the shallow cuts. Well most of them, it was only one Vial after all. It did however stop his bleeding and turned being covered in slashes to being covered in scratches.


    ¡°What you deserve.¡± She hissed. ¡° Is to be fed to the god!¡± With that, the fish woman was charging yet again. It seemed to be her only actual tactic; play every card she could and then try to crush the other player beneath a savage charge. Even for a Demi-Human, it struck Darius as a little¡­basic. Not that he had time to be making internal critiques. The woman was still under the effects of the ¡®Flashing Scales¡¯ Card and moving with blurring speed.


    Still fast didn¡¯t mean unpredictable, if she was going to run at him in a straight line three times in a row Darius could hardly let her get away with it. Even animals tried different things. Without the time to check his hand, Darius was still working with Brood Queen¡¯s Venom, and Scent The Blood. Another minute and a half of his spear¡¯s transformation would be enough. It would have to be enough.


    Shaking off an internal shudder at the thought of using the Card, Darius activated ¡°Brood Queen¡¯s Venom!¡±


    Trials Deck: Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Brood Queen''s Venom


    Resonance: Pursuit


    When Brood Queen''s Venom is activated the player who did so gains the following effects for 1 minute 30 seconds.


    Multiply saliva production by 10


    Player''s Saliva is now [Exhaustion Venom:Potency 2] To anyone other than the player.


    Instantly his mouth filled and then overflowed with green-tinged drool that sizzled and popped upon contact with anything that wasn¡¯t him. This was easily his least favorite Card of all twenty in his Library. The stupid thing always left him covered in his own drool, but it was just too effective to easily replace.


    Feeling gross at doing it he spat a spray of venom at the girl¡¯s face. There was no blocking the liquid and she was forced to close her eyes against the acrid pop. Darius was a little surprised that she didn¡¯t halt her charge, rather trying to clear her face one-handed whilst still sprinting.


    Easily slipping to the side he hacked a line of flesh from her scaled back as she passed.


    Perhaps he should have followed up more, but Darius had a plan. Step one: Coat his cleavers in the contact venom. It was a weird sensation but the red-headed boy scraped the drool from his chin and cheeks with the short bone cleavers his spear had become.


    It gave the Demi-Human the chance to recover but her troubles had only just begun. Darius did a quick calculation in his head. She was rank nine, sixteen internal Vials against a potency of two from his venom. He would need to tag her eight times with the venom to put her to sleep with the venom, but four would be enough to start slowing her down.


    Surging forward he brought the cleavers down in a cross slash similar to the one he had landed on her earlier. Those rank nine reflexes easily blocked both cleavers, but not the flicking motion that sent drops of venom flying at her already pink eyes. The fish woman stumbled back releasing her blade with one hand to swat them out of the air.


    Not giving her a chance to recover Darius once again spat at her face. The fish woman twisted out of the way, but it left her open to attack with the envenomed cleavers again. In an instant, he had delivered a flurry of strikes. They were light, barely forceful enough to break her Harmonized skin. That was all the hunter needed from them though, break the skin and deliver the venom.


    One on the shoulder, one across the abdomen, one on the elbow.


    Still drooling like the time he¡¯d gotten into his parent¡¯s whiskey barrel at age seven Darius grinned. The effect would start to slow her down now. He only had a few minutes before her body cleared the venom but if Darius could hit her four more times the venom would make her all but immobile. It was only a matter of time now.


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    ¡°Hydrochains!¡±


    The shout didn¡¯t come from the demi-human but from the captain aboard the galley.


    ¡®Right. Him.¡¯ Darius hadn¡¯t really wondered why the Demi-Human hadn¡¯t made an attempt to challenge him. He assumed she wanted the space to use her water walking Card and rush tactics. Even if she had, Darius wouldn¡¯t have accepted as the Arena would have trapped him. She could have just attacked the pier and left him swimming in a contained area. Now he realized she had fought without a Challenge so the man with the True Deck could interfere at will.


    Knowing he was about to be hit with a spell the hunter burst into motion, trying to clear whatever zone the effect targeted.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t that kind of spell and Darius quickly found his legs pushing against congealing Water Resonance. Realizing he would soon be locked immobile the red-head boy made sure he was at least facing the Demi-human before the watery chains fully formed.


    The envenomed weapons and spit had taken their toll. Darius could clearly see his opponent had slowed considerably. Unfortunately that only brought her down to roughly his own normal speed.


    Given that his legs were presently being locked to the pier by flowing chains of water he would need her to be a lot slower than that if he wanted a chance to survive the water spell¡¯s duration.


    Sparing the briefest of moments to flick his eyes to his hand Darius noted the Dawn Shot, and Primal Forge he had played earlier had been replaced, though he was still waiting on a new Card after Brood Queen¡¯s Venom.


    Speaking of Brood Queen¡¯s Venom. Darius had drawn the other copy of the Card he kept in his deck no help there, he was already dripping acrid venom down his front. The other Hunter¡¯s Intuition wasn¡¯t a whole lot better since he already knew what she was going to do.


    The demi-Human Charged one more time and Darius pulled the oldest trick in the book.


    ¡°Dawn Shot¡± He declared through venomous drool.


    At the same moment, Darius hurled one of the bone cleavers at the woman. No Card activated and his eyes didn¡¯t glow. After all, you had to have a Card in hand in order to play it. The fish lady didn¡¯t know any of that though. She skidded to a halt bringing her sword up to guard against a projectile she thought she couldn¡¯t dodge. Knocking the flying weapon aside she snarled and began to surge towards him once more.


    The Trick had only bought Darius a few seconds, but that was all he needed for Primal Forge to wear off. The Deflected cleaver that now lay a few feet behind the Demi-Human launched itself with unerring straightness at its twin, seeking to reform into the Ancient Spear.


    Aiming this sort of thing was a tricky business so the returning blade cut through the woman¡¯s side rather than her spine as he had intended. It still drew a howl of pain from her lips and sent the fish woman stumbling forward. Right into a thrust from the still reforming spear.


    Blood burst from her mouth and the sword slipped from her fingers. Still, the woman was rank nine she wouldn¡¯t die easy. With a roar, she shoved the spear away and all but collapsed as she stumbled back. The steam of closing wounds rose from her, but it was thin and almost clear. Sure signs she was running low on Life Essence.


    Darius still couldn¡¯t pursue but for the first time, the Demi-human retreated more than a few steps. Badly wounded, swordless, and wary, she retreated more than halfway along the chunk of the pier that had become their impromptu arena. Intent on letting the Hydrochains buy her some time to recover, or worse the captain to Manifest something further to help her. Darius couldn¡¯t allow any of that.


    ¡°The god¡± She mumbled, pleaded even. ¡° The god will devour you, and make Karieto so so strong.¡± She giggled through bloody teeth at him. ¡° You will see! He will be lord of the Shattered Hull and no one will hurt us again!¡±


    The red-headed boy couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for the girl. Whatever madness the process of Harmonization had inflicted on her mind had somehow left her both powerful and pathetic. He met her eyes with his own sad gaze. He always felt pity for the prey, but it hadn¡¯t stopped him a single time since he was four years old.


    ¡°Scent The Blood!¡±


    Trials Deck: Prince Of The Dawn Hunt


    Scent The Blood


    Resonance: Pursuit


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Activate Scent The Blood only when there is a visible target within 100 feet who is both bleeding and currently possess 10% or less of their maximum Life Essence.


    The Player gains the ability to smell the target''s location anywhere within 300 feet.


    While within 50 feet of the target player''s movements towards the target are tripled in speed.


    Darius felt one of the two still full Vials inside his spirit empty to fuel the effect of the card. It was a similar sensation to the healing effect but a lot less painful. With a snarl, the hunter jerked one side of his body towards the Demi-Human. Instantly he felt the movement accelerate past normal human limitations and knew the whiplash of this was going to hurt. Holding onto his bone spear till the very apex of his arm¡¯s blurred extension. When he released the spear the increased torque launched the weapon like a ballista.


    The spear took the fish woman in the solar plexus, just a few inches lower than the still-closing wound of his earlier thrust. Rank Nine durability or not the spear¡¯s head still punched right out her back.


    Mouth gulping like the fish creature she was, the other Trials wielder collapsed onto the pier. Collapsed and bled her last, he knew this from the way her now dead form rejected the Harmonization. Blue Water Resonance poured from the woman¡¯s¡­no the girl¡¯s form. He could see it now that the transformation to Demi-Human was being undone. She had once been an athletic girl a few years Darius¡¯ junior. The red of her braided hair reminded him so much of his own she could have been a fourth Knots sibling.


    As the last of the Resonance faded away a strange glass bottle seemingly smoothed by an extended time in the ocean appeared on her chest. It was the girl¡¯s Dealer, locked and useless now that she was dead. It would stay that way for at least five years. Eventually, someone would be able to access her collection again, but it wasn¡¯t going to be soon.


    Shaking his head the hunter spat on the pier in disgust the saliva sizzled on the damp wood. His own family had a strict policy about understanding the dangers of a Deck before owning one. Someone had an utterly opposite philosophy, someone who had fed that girl Resonance and Life Essence all the way up to rank nine well before an age where her own personality could hope to survive the Demi-Human transformation.


    Cracking his neck and rolling his right shoulder Darius realized he had been right, the whiplash from the unnaturally accelerated spear throw had hurt like a bitch.

 Chapter Thirty Two: Last Hunt Of The Abyss Walker

    Chapter 32: Last Hunt Of The Abyss Walker


    Alabaster


    The waters of the Silver Sea were cold, dark, and familiar. Diving below the surface, Alley opened his eyes despite the salt sting of it. It was too dark to make anything out in detail but he could at least keep track of the shark or anything else Manifested in the water by the glow of their Power, Vitality, and Resonance runes floating above the creatures.


    With a kick of his legs, Alley kept the dive going, driving himself further under the water. It might seem counterintuitive to have done this but it wasn¡¯t a real shark. It was a Manifestation, there was nothing stopping the enormous fish from swimming through the air and attacking Alley atop the pier. That meant as strange as it seemed the safest path to the galley was one where the pirate captain couldn¡¯t see him and thus couldn¡¯t target him. Of course, the man¡¯s Manifested creatures would still actively try to defend him but they would be far less effective without direct commands.


    It was down there circling the pier in the dark, a monstrous dark shape surging through the water with appalling speed despite its bulk. ¡®6500 power, 4 Vitality,¡¯ This thing was a monster in every sense of the word. It could sink ships, it could shatter structures and it could easily bite Alley¡¯s skip in half. It¡­was turning towards him. Alley raised both eyebrows and swam harder.


    It occurred to him that perhaps being under the water was not the best way to sneak up on a rank nine with a Water Deck. They were called ¡®greater imbued¡¯ for a reason they were imbued with not just Life Essence but Resonance as well. The man on the galley likely had some special connection to the water that allowed him to easily track Alley¡¯s movements.


    Alley was a good swimmer, exceptional even by some standards. Human standards, those were human standards. The huge and oddly fat shark closed the gap between them with such speed that Alley knew for certain there was no chance he could get out of the water in time, to dodge effectively.


    ¡®Maybe if I time this just right, I can surge for the surface and make it miss me.¡¯ Alley glanced over his shoulder to see the monster opening its impossibly wide jaws.


    ¡®Oh fuck it.¡¯ Alley twisted in the water to face his onrushing doom.


    ¡°Bughhlllerrrr Riiggnnn!¡±


    It cost him a chunk of the breath in his lungs and he swallowed a mouthful of saltwater but the ring appeared on Alley¡¯s finger. Followed a fraction of a second later by the red dome the ring projected.  Between the light of the monster¡¯s stats and that of the energy Alley got his first good look at the enormous shark monster, or at least its teeth as the creature¡¯s attempt to swallow Alley was foiled by the Buckler Ring¡¯s barrier.


    The dark-haired boy didn¡¯t have time to inspect the monster even if he wanted to. He needed to make use of the brief disorientation caused by slamming into a sudden barrier that could neither hurt you nor be broken no matter how hard the collision.


    Getting away from the shark really wasn¡¯t on the cards so Alley¡¯s best option would be to get past the Manifested Creature¡¯s mouth, hook onto somewhere it couldn¡¯t twist to reach, and then hope he could somehow inflict four Vitality damage against something that¡¯s diet probably included Krakens.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a plan, especially with the way his lungs were beginning to burn. Still, Alley felt it had better odds than simply trying to swim away, and with a little bit of luck maybe further resources he could explore might present themselves-


    ¡°GET AWAY FROM THAT APPETIZER YOU POPINJAY¡± Boomed a familiar voice that was somehow less distorted under the water. A loud thrum passed through the water followed by something small and traveling at extreme speed.


    ¡°IT''S TIME FOR THE MAIN COURSE¡±


    One of the Pressure launched spears plunged into the shark¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t enough damage to actually take away one of the creature¡¯s vitality.  It certainly got the thing¡¯s attention though. Displaying a strange amount of autonomy the gigantic monster turned towards this new threat. Not expecting to get another chance, Alley headed for the surface. As he did he caught a lingering view of Stradivarius.


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    Alley felt his eyes go wide at the sight. This was not a slow old man in strange clunky armor. What he was looking at was an angel with a shining halo of resonance crystals that flew through the water with astounding speed and grace. It was now very clear what the strange armor was for.


    Another thrum of Pressure passed through the water as a second spear from the launcher drove into the shark monster. This one did manage to take a VItality off of the creature bringing it down to three.


    Alley broke the surface, he took a quick gasping breath and immediately dived again. The teen boy was torn. His first instinct was to grab his hook and try to help the old Deep Hunter somehow. The thing was that it just wasn¡¯t a logical move. Stradivarius had a real chance to defeat the Manifested creature, but not if he was trying to protect Alley. Even worse was if Alley helped he wouldn¡¯t be keeping up his end of the plan.


    ¡®Got to get to the galley¡¯ He reminded himself. All he had to do was get a single finger on the Pirate Captain and the trio had essentially won. Even if Alley couldn''t defeat the man, while he was trapped in a Challenge Darius and hopefully Stradivarius could get the remaining townsfolk free without resistance.


    Alley kept himself a few feet below the surface of the water so he could keep an eye on the conflict below. For one horrific moment, Alley thought the man was about to be swallowed whole but he activated a Card which¡­.Increased his weight? Or the downward force on himself at least.


    ¡°CRUSH OF THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN!¡±


    The Deep Hunter plummeted away from the shark so suddenly it didn¡¯t seem to notice. Chomping down on nothing but empty water and being hit with another Pressure launched spear in the stomach for its troubles. Alley almost cheered when the monster¡¯s Vitality dropped to two. Of course, he didn¡¯t have time for that so he just kept pumping his arms and legs swimming for the ship with ferocious gusto.


    Whether another example of the unique Card¡¯s strange autonomy or under a command Alley couldn¡¯t hear the shark did something very unexpected. It twisted away from Stradivarius and retreated straight up.  Dismissing the increased weight effect the old hunter surged after the monster, reloading his Pressure launcher as he did.


    For the first time since it was Manifested the enormous monster took advantage of not being a real fish and exploded out of the water. Not wanting to have a giant flying shark descend on him by surprise, Alley switched to a backstroke to keep track of the creature. Swimming through the air as though it had never left the water the oddly fat shark opened its enormous jaws, turned sideways, and tore into one of the cages full of people.


    If the blood and death weren¡¯t terrifying enough the monster¡¯s Vitality instantly reset to four.


    ¡®Oh shit!¡¯ Alley thought to himself. ¡®I really need to get to that pirate.¡¯


    With a shake of its head to clear the cage remnants off its maw, the shark dove back down into the water. With supernatural accuracy, it descended jaws wide onto the Deep Hunter. In the midst of pursuing the monster he had overextended himself and had no time to react. Shortsword-sized teeth closing to pin the man half inside its mouth the shark continued its dive into the depths and out of Alley¡¯s view.


    Approaching the stern of the galley he hoped the old man¡¯s water armor would hold long enough for him to get aboard and start the Challenge. On some level, though Alley knew it wasn¡¯t true, this was the last hunt of The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League.  Righting himself so his upper half was above the water Alley grabbed his hook and chain off his belt.


    There was a trick for what Alley was about to do and he quickly reviewed it in his mind. ¡®Hips and legs out wide, and in front of him almost like he was sitting pump the legs in an alternating rhythm.¡¯


    Rising up the technique kept him surprisingly stable as Alley swung the chain over his head. A few seconds of that to build up momentum and he sent it flashing toward the back of the huge wooden ship. The ¡®Slaughter Maiden¡¯ If the name embossed in bronze on the back was anything to go by.


    Alley heard the hook strike him and began to pull. After a few handlengths of dragging the chain, he felt it snag on the railing above him. Pulling harder Alley brought his legs to the wood of the ship¡¯s hull and began his award vertical walk towards the deck.

 Chapter Thirty Three: The Galley

    Chapter 33: The Galley


    Alabaster


    Alley had hoped for a chance to take a few breaths and maybe take his soaking wet cloak off after he scrambled over the side of the galley¡¯s railing. He got the opportunity for neither as even before his feet hit the deck of the ship a hail of darts launched from a Manifested frogman¡¯s blow gun flew at him.


    Alley got a glimpse of the creature''s stats as he threw himself flat against the wooden planks of the deck.


    ¡®1800 power, 1 Vitality, Water, Venom, Pursuit¡¯


    Turning his rise into a sprint, Alley rushed for the monster. It stood just below one of the huge sails on the lowered deck. The creature was a little shorter than Alley, though its abdomen was much wider, and its spindly limbs were much longer.


    He had been a little too busy trying not to get eaten to notice while in the water but his cloak didn¡¯t seem to actually weigh anything more while wet. The garment was thin, but he should have noticed some loss of maneuverability. He hadn¡¯t in the water and he wasn¡¯t while charging the frog man. Come to think of it, did the cloak weigh anything at all? Alley threw himself into a knee slide to avoid another volley of the darts and reminded himself to focus.


    His hook was still latched to the ship¡¯s railing but the chain looped around his belt had plenty of slack. Surging to his feet again Alley grabbed the chain as he ran. When the frog creature raised its blow gun again he whipped the length of CoreSteel out to knock the creature¡¯s primitive weapon aside.


    It let out a series of agitated croaks when the blowgun was sent flying. Alley didn¡¯t give the monster a chance to recover, grabbing the chain with both hands; He made a chain loop and slipped it over the monster¡¯s head as he dashed past. Yanking the creature off its feet, Alley stomped one foot down on the chain and pulled against it with his whole body. The croaking turned desperate as the monster fought the chain, but after only a few seconds its Vitality dropped to zero and the creature vanished in an explosion of blue light.


    As always the light turned into a beam and returned to the owner''s Dealer. In this particular case that was a jeweled cutlass held to the side and slightly behind the long-haired pirate captain, who was in the midst of charging down the center of the galley barely fifteen feet away from Alley.


    The captain had made the wise move to discard his heavy coat before beginning his assault. It made Alley feel extra stupid for diving into the water whilst wearing his own.


    The charging man was fast. Really fast, Darius running something down while empowered by Pursuit cards fast. Alley tried to whip the chain at the man in the same manner as he had the frog monster, but the pirate was simply too fast. The pirate captain didn¡¯t even try to dodge, Alley just plain missed. Eyes wide with surprise the teen barely managed to get a length of the chain in the way of a cutting slash.


    While the chain held, Alley didn''t; he wasn''t vivisected but the force of the blow launched him off his feet and slammed him into the ship railing. Alley let out a grunt and then groaned in pain.


    ¡®That was one-handed¡­.I really need to get a rank or two already.¡¯


    The way the man had so easily sent Alley flying made him wonder about his encounter with Soren. The other boy was 5th rank and yet it wasn¡¯t like he had simply run over and ripped Alley¡¯s head off. Why not? Something to ponder when he wasn¡¯t fighting for his life with a man who was willfully sacrificing an entire town.


    Scrambling to his feet and grabbing his hook as he did Alley made ready for another attack. It didn¡¯t come, at least not right away. The long-haired raider was watching something taking place on the pier.


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    ¡°Hyrdochains!¡± He declared and a card vanished from in front of him. Whatever Darius was doing out there it was going well enough that the captain felt the need to intervene. It wasn¡¯t much of a chance but Alley didn¡¯t think he was going to get another one. Flinging the hook at the man¡¯s face Alley came in behind the projectile, hoping to use the distraction of the flying weapon to cover his advance.


    Alley considered himself a fairly strategic person, especially compared to his best friend. His inherited mantra had always been ¡®Use every resource.¡¯ The problem was that was easy to do in a Challenge, and almost impossible to do on an unfamiliar ship with an extremely strong and fast opponent presently threatening your life and the life of your friends.


    So throw something at the man and following it was what he was left with. It went better than Alley had predicted but not by much. With contemptuous ease, the raider leader¡¯s cutlass flashed and knocked the hook aside. The plan was a little better than running directly at the man, Alley had hoped to pass the man and tangle him in the CoreSteel much as he had the frog thing.


    Instead, the pirate reached out and slapped the running Alley with an open palm. The world span and Alley found himself lying on the deck unable to hear anything but the ringing in his ears. The boy blinked a few times trying to recover his wits. Above him, the long-haired man was getting angry about something. Alley couldn¡¯t tell what over the ringing but the raider was definitely ranting.


    ¡®Either Darius has beaten that girl, or the old man destroyed the shark monster.¡¯ Alley thought to himself in groggy cheerfulness. That had to be it, what other reason could there be?


    ¡®Well, I really have to live up to my end of the deal now.¡¯


    The man tilted his head inspecting his cards and walking with a little swagger towards the railing. Whatever it was he was about to do, Alley needed to stop it. With an effort of will he forced himself to his feet. Still woozy he stumbled towards the man, who faced Alley with a look of contempt.


    ¡®Okay objective one: get the guy¡¯s attention so he doesn¡¯t kill Darius or whatever. Complete. Objective two: Survive.¡¯


    ¡°Your friend just took something very valuable to me.¡± He said with obvious anger.


    ¡®Darius killed the girl. That has to be it.¡¯


    Alley paused and offered the man his best shit-eating grin.


    ¡°Play stupid games and win stupid prizes I guess,¡± replied Alley, still smiling.


    ¡°Oh, you think it¡¯s funny that I had to watch almost my entire crew die do you?¡± The look of contempt was quickly being supplanted with a weird shining-eyed fervor.


    ¡°Maybe not funny.¡± Said Alley with a shrug. ¡° more like deserved?¡±


    The captain blinked a few times and then smiled perhaps the least friendly grin of all time. With exaggerated slowness, he pressed the tip of his cutlass into the deck till even the curved sword could stand on its own.


    ¡®Alright this is working now I just need to-¡¯. The Captain was on him in a flash sweeping Alley¡¯s legs out from beneath him with a kick. Before the boy could hit the deck again the raider caught him by the hair suspending Alley with a jolt.


    ¡®Oww¡¯


    Outwardly Alley hissed then yelped as he was thrown sliding across the deck by his hair. Getting tossed around like a chew toy in the clutches of the Knots family hound was getting old very quickly. Fortunately, the Pirate was once again on Alley before he could react, shoving the boy down with a bone-creaking press of his booted foot. Everything was going perfectly according to his quickly improvised plan.


    Grasping the man¡¯s calf in a desperate attempt to relieve some of the pressure Alley winced as the downward force only increased.


    ¡°Well, I¡± Said the captain, bending slightly to look Alley in the eyes. ¡° Think it¡¯s deserved that I crush your chest into a bloody pulp and then watch Ranek Pho Devour! Your little red-headed friend.¡±


    Alley gritted his teeth against the pain. He knew a Card command when he heard one, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize the pirate was sending the shark monster to attack Darius.


    ¡°He¡¯s still trapped by my Hydrochains, easy prey.¡± The man taunted. ¡° Ranek will explode up from beneath him and swallow him whole along with a chunk of the pier, then I will continue the feast. Do you have something cute to say about that?¡±


    Alley¡¯s gritted teeth turned right back into that ¡®shit-eating grin¡¯.


    ¡° I do, but I don¡¯t think you are going to like it very much.¡± Alley wheezed out, tightening his grip on the man¡¯s leg.


    ¡° I Challenge you.¡±

 Chapter 34: Only A Game

    Forging a Relic Card is simple enough once a non-living item be it natural or man-made accumulates a certain amount of Resonance Inside it. Someone with a True Deck can channel that  Resonance into a sort of copy. This becomes the Relic Card. A spell on the other hand is a little bit more complex.


    -Mysteries of the Deck Book 2, The Creation of True Cards


    Chapter 34: Only A Game


    Alabaster


    The pirate stared down at Alley in disbelief as the blue light of his creatures and spells Demanifesting flowed into the cutlass.


    Alley knew what the man must be thinking. ¡®If he can Challenge me, why didn¡¯t he manifest anything.¡¯ Rather than let the man ponder it out Alley just offered the answer.


    ¡°Cursed,¡± He said with a wink up at the raider.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Nope¡±


    Alley winced as the man increased the downward pressure of his boot.


    ¡°And why should I risk a Challenge against a weird Deck when I can just kill you?¡±


    ¡°My Enhancer killed yours in what four minutes?¡± Alley grunted out. ¡° You think you can survive ten minutes with your Deck Locked?¡±


    The long-haired man gave Alley one last little stomp for good measure before turning to walk back over to this sword.


    ¡°I accept,¡± He said without looking back at Alley. Smart of him to accept after separating a little. Had he remained standing over Alley the energy of the Arena would have forced him to his own side. Alley¡¯s own recent experience in the hall of The Silver Sea Deep Hunters League was a good reminder you wanted to avoid that.


    A lance of Blue energy fired out from the sword meeting a similar beam of teal light that came from Alley¡¯s cloak.  The fact that his half of the forming arena of energy was teal rather than a normal blue was strange. Yet it paled in comparison to the oddness of what was happening to Alley himself.


    The moment the man had agreed to the Challenge Alley¡¯s eyes flared with pale blue light and his perspective on the world shifted. He could see everything around him perfectly all of a sudden. The shadows were still there, he could see them but it was like they had ceased to matter. It was the same as when he had been able to see in the castle under the ground without any light sources.


    On top of this, he could feel¡­something on top of his head something cold, heavy, and metal. Yet when he reached up there was nothing there, his hands passed through the air without any resistance. Paradoxically a moment later when he slicked his wet hair back out of his face the¡­nothing held his hair in place.


    ¡®Okay. Sure why not, it''s called Crown Of The Cursed King. I guess there is an invisible crown?¡¯


    ¡°Alabaster Roe, Crown Of The Cursed King, Rank Twelve¡± Alley called across the quickly forming energy barriers.


    Taking off his coat and tossing it aside the raider leader let out a snort and looked at Alley as if to say ¡®Seriously?¡¯


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Nestix Karieto, Greed Of the Hungry Corsair, Rank Nine.¡±


    The Arena was now complete so the dealers began to glow again as the Ante mechanic activated. As with any Challenge, a randomly selected Card from each Library would be risked by both players. Alley doubted either of them would have much use for a Card belonging to the other, but they could at least trade them. Besides Alley was far more interested in learning anything he could about Karieto¡¯s deck before the Challenge began in earnest.


    Alley was unclear what the Relic did, but he was confident it had some power to it if it cost a Vial.


    At the same time, Alley¡¯s Vials appeared floating in the air above his head. He had been wondering how they would appear and his answer had come by way of a feeling rather than sight. Even without looking up he just knew they were there.


    ¡®Part of the crown maybe?¡¯


    From Alley¡¯s cloak came the projected image of his Ante card.


    A powerful search card he would much rather have drawn than revealed. Still, as the weaker rank Alley would go first which was almost always an advantage. After the utter shutout he had experienced against Soren Alley had to admit he was a little bit rattled. Yes, he had talked big when Darius and the deep hunter had asked him if he could play with so many cursed draws in his Deck. Now that the possibility was right here in front of him it was kind of scary.


    ¡®There is no way this guy is anywhere near Soren Creed¡¯s level. Breathe, do your best to figure out what every card does, use every resource, and have fun with it.¡¯


    The last piece of advice he gave himself wasn¡¯t just fluffy nonsense. In a Challenge even a higher rank person could be defeated by a single powerful attack if they couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time. Being tense would only slow down his reactions and wear him out faster. No, if Alley wanted to perform at his peak he needed to be relaxed. The easiest way to do that was to treat the match like a game and enjoy himself.


    Alley¡¯s hand dealt, creating a series of five images in front of him.


    Danse Macabre, Grave Caller, Wraith Master, Withered One, Split The Seas.


    While Alley still didn¡¯t know what most of the Creatures in his Library did this felt like a fairly strong hand to start with. Danse Macabre was a powerful spell card that would allow one of his creatures to attack the same turn it was Manifested. Split The Seas was a card he would have traded his right hand for back when he still wielded Aegis Of The Fisher Lord. It was a Water and Pressure Resonance spell that could destroy everything in play. It was utterly useless to him now. It would normally cost two Vials to play, as Crown Of The Cursed King didn¡¯t share a single Resonance with the spell Card it would cost twice Alley¡¯s total Vials to play.


    He had inspected the Cards he could play extensively while the Knots family had been helping him prepare for the journey. The problem was without another True Deck to run practice Challenges against he had to wait until the real thing to figure it out. That was if he could of course. Some Cards were extremely unintuitive.


    That being said, someone had built this Deck. It had a plan behind it, it had synergy. Even if he couldn¡¯t see exactly what the Creature and Relics did. The Resonances, the puzzle in the castle, and even the names of the Monsters were strong clues.  The Crown Of The Cursed King was a Deck that relied at least somewhat on Crypt manipulation.


    ¡°Are you going to take a turn or not?¡± Called Karieto irritably.


    ¡®Everyone is always so impatient.¡¯


    Alley intended to Manifest a Creature in his first Creation Phase, he was simply trying to figure out which one.  Grave Caller: No Cost, 1200 Power, 1 Vitality.  Wraith Master: 2 Vials Cost, 1800 Power, 1 Vitality. The wraith Card must have some sort of powerful effect to cost two Vials with such weak stats.  Finally was Withered One: No cost, 800 Power, 1 Vitality.


    ¡®Alright, alright. I think I¡¯ll hold the Wraith Master until later.  I wouldn¡¯t want it to be a Crypt effect and waste the Vials so early.¡¯That left Grave Caller and Withered One.


    Across the barrier the pirate leader was resting his hands on the hilt of his sword, the blade tip down against the deck. The blade was lit by the red glow of twelve full Vials embedded in it, with another four empty ones visible near the cutlass¡¯ pommel. The pirate wouldn¡¯t have to be anywhere near as conservative with his Life essence as Alley was already playing.


    ¡°Alright, for my first Creation Phase I Manifest Grave Caller¡±

 Chapter thirty Five: Cursed King Vs Hungry Corsair

    ¡° Each individual Card you play draws you another Card at the end of that Phase, even when you end your turn. However, it is important to remember you always end the turn with a full hand. If you have too many you discard down, if you have too few you draw to replace the missing cards. Cards played in your second Creation Phase are replaced this way.¡±


    -Arcadia Roe, Teaching her son


    Chapter 35:  Cursed King Vs Hungry Corsair


    Alabaster


    Chains appeared on the other Creature Cards and Grave Caller Manifested in a burst of teal light between Alley and the mid-point barrier. It was a spindly thing taller by a head than Alley, in ornate robes of black and teal. It might have been a human being once but that was long before it was a card. The figure standing here now, with stats hovering above its head, had glowing yellow eyes and pale skin that was almost blue.


    As soon as the light of Manifestation faded the Creature raised a gem-tipped wand from within its robe above its head.


    The wand glowed and Alley watched as two cards were revealed to both players and then exploded into teal light.


    ¡®It sent them to Crypt.¡¯


    It was a Grave Caller after all, so that was hardly surprising. The dark-haired boy tongued his cheek as he inspected the Cards that had been sent to the Crypt. The first was Chase The Wind, a sky spell he had found among the belongings of the Deep Hunters League.  He had to admit he was happy to have the spell sent to the Crypt so he didn¡¯t draw it later.


    The second Card sent to the Crypt was a powerful and costly Creature; Necrotic Fiend 3 Vials, 4500 Power, 2 Vitality. Undeath, Curse, Maleficarum. Despite sharing Resonances with his Deck the Monster was too much for Alley to Manifest normally. With a little luck, he might draw into one of the Spells in his Library that could Manifest the Creature from the Crypt and avoid paying the Vial cost.


    While he was checking the Card images Alley noticed something unusual out of the corner of his eye. The Grave Caller was still holding its wand above its head. Almost as if¡­


    ¡°I uhh Activate the second half of Grave Caller¡¯s ability.¡± He said with an unsure tilt of his head. The Grave Caller span the wand in a lazy circle and the images of the two Cards reappeared in front of him.


    Trying to keep a stoic expression, Alley nevertheless let out a little fist pump when he realized his intuition had been correct. There was a second half to the Creature¡¯s effect. The elation he felt quickly faded when he realized he had no choice but to select the spell. Chase The Wind returned to Alley¡¯s hand, prompting a little nasal exhale from him. ¡®Oh well.¡¯ He would redraw from playing the Grave Caller at the end of the phase, which would take his hand to six Cards. If things stayed that way at the end of the turn he would need to discard back down to his maximum hand size of five. Chase The Wind which only affected Sky Resonance Creatures and would cost him a Vial would be returning to the Crypt then.


    With a mental push, Alley ended his first Creation Phase, the card he had played was replaced with Grimoire Of The Doomed Scholar; A free Relic card that appeared to be a huge book. ¡®Grimoire means book I guess?¡¯ He knew that much, he just didn¡¯t know what the Relic did.


    As it was the first turn of the Challenge Alley¡¯s War Phase was skipped and in his second Creation Phase, the final Phase of his turn Alley opted to risk it and play the Relic he had drawn. It likely meant that he wouldn¡¯t get to discard the spell he couldn¡¯t use but that really didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Grimoire Of The Doomed Scholar¡± He declared with a confidence he wasn¡¯t feeling.


    ¡®No hidden cost. No hidden cost.¡¯ Alley silently willed as the Relic appeared in the crook of his arm. Fortunately, no detrimental secondary cost he wasn¡¯t aware of activated, in fact, nothing happened at all.


    Alley could feel the Manifested book, but it still seemed weightless, like he was holding the item¡¯s reflection. Knowing nothing about the Card other than its lack of cost and its Curse Resonance Alley awkwardly waited another few seconds for something to happen, before lamely ending his turn, drawing back up to replace the Grimoire. The new Card was Cursed Grave Digger.


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    ¡®I know that one at least.¡¯


    Far more comfortable with his Greed Of The Hungry Corsair Karieto immediately began to play Cards as soon as his Creation Phase started.


    ¡°GoldFish¡± He declared Manifesting the Creature. ¡° I Activate its effect.¡±  The fish card that Manifested was about the size of a man¡¯s head and covered in shining scales of metallic gold. It looked¡­well like a regular goldfish just bigger and plated in gold.


    The fish shone brighter for a moment as its effect was activated. It¡¯s Vitality dropped from 2 to 1 and the pirate drew an extra card. Despite the exceedingly low Power Alley had to admit that it wasn¡¯t a bad little Creature.


    A small smile crossed Karieto¡¯s face as he saw what he drew.


    ¡°Next I activate Discerning taste.¡±


    Watching the pirate discard and then draw two more cards Alley couldn¡¯t help but feel his own turn one had been a little lacking. Especially as Karieto wasn¡¯t done yet, redrawing when his Creation Phase ended the raider captain met Alley¡¯s eyes.


    ¡° You should have just let me crush your chest in¡±


    Alley kept his features neutral, but it was obvious to him that his opponent was happy with what he had drawn. Despite the aggressive words, what the pirate proceeded to play was more set up. Well-timed set up admittedly, in Karieto¡¯s second Creation Phase before he would need to discard back down to five cards he made them into a resource instead.


    ¡°Treasures Of The Deep¡±


    The pirate¡¯s eyes glowed blue as his vision was replaced with his Library. Alley waited expecting Karieto to instantly play whatever Relic he dug out, but no. The Shattered Hull captain simply ended his turn after adding the card to his hand.


    At the start of his turn, the ornate book resting in the crook of Alley¡¯s arm glowed and flew open of its own accord.


    ¡®Now we¡¯re talking. Please be useful.¡¯


    The relic was quite useful indeed. An additional card was added to Alley¡¯s hand. Lesser Shade Hound: No Cost, 1000 Power, 1 Vitality, Shadow, Pursuit, Wolfkin.


    Immediately after the Monster was added to his hand, the top two cards of his Library were sent to his Crypt.  The first Final Malediction was an extremely powerful spell that allowed him to return his Crypt to the field or his hand. It also cost three Vials, putting it outside the range of what Alley could afford anyway.


    ¡®Okay. Not too bad.¡¯


    The next card sent to his Crypt was the reasonably powerful Skeletal Cavalry. That was a bit more of a loss than a spell he couldn''t afford but at least now he had a decent idea what the Relic book he was holding did.


    Giving his hand a quick glance, Alley got to work starting his turn.


    Danse Macabre, Wraith Master, Withered One, Chase The Wind, Cursed Grave Digger, Lesser Shade Hound.


    ¡°Lesser Shade Hound¡± He declared using his Manifestation for the turn.


    Moving onto the War Phase Alley redrew. It was another cursed draw. Enchanted Grove; an ongoing land manipulation spell that helped Creatures with Bloom and Life Resonances.


    ¡®Useless¡¯


    There was no point in him bemoaning it so Alley focussed on what he could control.


    ¡° I activate Lesser shade hound¡¯s effect.¡± He said basically under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Called back Karieto


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like the monster had an ability he could activate at the moment. Well, it had been worth a try at least.


    ¡°Grave Caller ¡° The Deck supplied the attack command for the Creature to his mind. It was an odd feeling having the words just pop in. Almost like remembering a sudden important task you had forgotten, only for it to surge to the forefront of your mind out of nowhere.


    ¡°Wraith Bolt¡± As he said it the dark-haired boy gestured towards the Gold Fish.


    ¡°I activated Gold Fish¡¯s ability¡± Declared the pirate quickly before Alley¡¯s monster could attack.


    The vitality of the fish Creature dropped to zero destroying it and drawing Karieto another card.


    Suddenly finding itself without a target the Grave Caller turned its gaze onto the pirate himself. With a flick of its wand, a ball of Undeath Resonance in the form of a chattering skull was sent hurtling toward the pirate.


    Karieto took a single casual step to his left and the Grave Caller¡¯s attack missed him entirely. While it was nice that the pirate¡¯s board was cleared the intense flow of Cards through the man¡¯s hand was a concern.  Especially as Alley didn¡¯t have good follow-up play. Skipping his second Creation Phase Alley discarded Chase The Wind and ended his turn.

 Chapter Thirty Six: Safe To Go Back In The Water (BONUS CHAPTER)

    Chapter 36: Safe To Go Back In The Water


    Alabaster


    Alley had a bad feeling about this turn. The pirate captain Nestix Karieto had been a lot more productive in his first turn than Alley had been in two. That was the problem with using a Cursed Deck, especially one crammed with additional useless Cards. You struggled to draw your combos, or anything useful at all it seemed like.


    ¡°I play. Wait those are custom Card backs. What the fuck? You customized a Cursed Deck?¡± Demanded Karieto seemingly out of nowhere.


    Alley couldn¡¯t help but look a little sheepish at that.


    ¡°I swear it was like that when I found it.¡± It was kind of an embarrassing concept, that he would be so utterly vain as to pay to have a Cursed Deck customized.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡± Replied the captain dubiously. ¡°Well, it will look better among my trinkets after I kill you at least, Treasured Hunter!¡±


    Another Vial within the sword blade went dark as the Creature was manifested.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Treasured Hunter


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Power: 2100


    Vitality: 2


    Once Per turn you may sacrifice 1 Vitality from a friendly Creature in play. If you do draw one Card, Treasured Hunter then gains 200 Power for each Card in your Hand until the end of the turn.


    Alley had never seen one before but based on what he knew he was fairly certain he was looking at a lion, only one wearing a suit of finely wrought gold armor. The¡­he decided he was just going to think of it as a lion until he knew otherwise. The lion shook out its main and stretched languidly.


    The man now had eleven Vials left, but it was doubtless worth it, the Treasured Hunter would easily dominate the field as it stood.


    ¡®Hopefully, it doesn¡¯t have some effect as well.¡¯


    Karieto didn¡¯t stop there. In fact, Alley would say the man was pouring it on. Spending a lot of Cards and Vials in an attempt to quickly take control of the Challenge.


    ¡°Golden Migration¡±


    In spite of his intentions to remain stoic Alley couldn¡¯t help but wince at the Spell Card. It was as costly as it was powerful. A swarm of golden fish circled around the pirate in the air before diving in single file into the sword one after the other, vanishing as they hit the blade.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Golden Migration


    Spell


    Cost: 2 Vials


    You may Manifest a second Creature this turn.


    The Creature the raider leader proceeded to play seemed like an odd choice to Alley. He had actually had a copy of it in Aegis Of The Fisher Lord. It was a larger than normal Puffer Fish but still not exactly large. Maybe eighteen inches long. Alley remembered the Card, it got a little stat increase after the first time it took damage.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Puffer Fish


    No cost


    Power: 500


    Vitality: 2


    The first time Puffer Fish loses Vitality it gains 200 Power and 2 Vitality


    Still, the long-haired man wasn¡¯t done. It seemed like he wanted to empty his entire hand.


    ¡®Wish I could empty my hand.¡¯


    ¡°Blood Gem¡± Declared Karieto with a smug little smile. Then he held out his left hand expectantly but only for a second as a moment later at the cost of yet another Vial the strangely colored and seemingly bleeding gem Manifested in his palm.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Blood Gem


    Relic


    Cost: 1 Vial


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    At the beginning of your turn Sacrifice 2 Vitality from Creature you have in play or destroy Blood Gem.


    While Blood Gem is in play your maximum hand size is increased by 1. Creatures you have in play gain 100 Power for each Card in your Hand.


    It soon became abundantly clear what the Relic did. Unable to attack with Creatures just Manifested the pirate ended his turn and drew back up to six cards.


    ¡®So it increases hand size as well as power, the power changed when he redrew his Cards. So the power is 100 for each card in his hand.¡¯


    Alley repressed another sigh, this Challenge was already a pain in the ass. Across the Arena barrier from him was one lion with 2700 Power and one fish with 1100. The Grimoire Of The Doomed Scholar activated again drawing him one of the more powerful Cards in Crown Of The Cursed King that he could actually play. Saoirse, Relentless Banshee. She was both free to play and a Unique Card. While Alley didn¡¯t know what it was, he was confident she had some sort of effect to go along with her 2000 Power.


    The question was did he play her immediately or not? While she would certainly bolster his field the banshee was still weaker than the Treasured Hunter. Alley decided he would hold off on playing her, and switched his focus to the two Cards sent to his Crypt by the Relic he held.


    Cursed Echoes a spell he could have used and Guardian Of The Shallows a turtle monster that he couldn''t.


    ¡°I Manifest Cursed Grave Digger¡±


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Cursed Gravedigger


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


    When Cursed Gravedigger enters the Crypt from in play send the top 5 cards from your Library to your Crypt.


    Karieto didn¡¯t look impressed but Alley didn¡¯t care, the little skeleton was a good card. Ending his Creation Phase Alley redrew and his breath caught. He had drawn a Spell Card he had been wondering about ever since he had first seen it a few days ago, Darkest Reflections.


    ¡®What is Wraith Master¡¯s effect?!¡¯ He questioned, hoping to get the attention of the voice that occasionally spoke in his head. Of course, it didn¡¯t say a single thing now that he demanded it.


    ¡°Grave Caller! Wraith Bolt¡± He said mentally aiming it at the Puffer Fish. The fish would survive the attack, and trigger its ability after losing the clash of monsters but it was still the correct play as far as Alley was concerned.


    The Fish tried to swim at the Grave Caller but the chattering skull of Resonance hurled from the undead monster¡¯s wand collided with the fish knocking it floundering to the ground for a few seconds. Eventually righting itself the fish monster inflated to more than twice its initial size. Its stats increasing to match the growth. After this, the little monster now had 1300 Power and 3 Vitality. That Blood Gem Relic was already proving to be a problem.


    Having won a clash against an opposing monster the Grave Caller launched another Wraith bolt at Karieto himself. Predictably the quick pirate didn¡¯t have any trouble avoiding the attack, but that had never been the point. If Alley was going to stay in this Challenge he needed to start weakening Karito¡¯s side of the field.


    With no more viable attacks and wishing to play his Spell Cards conservatively Alley moved onto ending his turn. Still holding six Cards and not a gem that increased his hand size the dark-haired boy needed to discard back down to five.


    Darkest Reflections, Danse Macabre, Wraith Master, Withered One, Saoirse, Enchanted Grove


    With more malice than he should feel towards an inanimate Card Alley chose Enchanted Grove to send to his Crypt.


    At the start of Karieto¡¯s turn something interesting happened. The Blood Gem floated out of the pirate¡¯s palm and Alley thought he noticed the slightest nod from the man towards the Puffer Fish. Immediately two streams of red Life Essence flowed from the fish into the gem. The fish¡¯s Vitality dropped by two leaving it with only the one. After which the gem simply returned to Karieto¡¯s hand.


    ¡®It has an ongoing cost.¡¯ Mused Alley. It was good to know the otherwise quite powerful Relic had an inbuilt weakness.


    Next, the pirate captain played a second copy of Discerning Taste.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Spell


    No Cost


    Discard one card of your choice. Draw two Cards


    Ending his Creation phase Karieto redrew to replace the spell and his creatures jumped another 100 Power.


    ¡®Fish is 1400. Lion is 2800¡¯


    ¡°Puffer Fish, Spiked Slam!¡± The fish surged towards Alley¡¯s Grave Caller which met it with a Wraith bolt. This time however it glowed with Water Resonance and smashed right through the attack and into the Grave Caller. The Undead monster exploded into teal light and flowed into Alley¡¯s cloak.


    Setting its sights on Alley the Puffer Fish drove towards the dark-haired boy, who swatted it aside with the Relic book he was holding. You could do that, shove or attack Manifested monsters to defend yourself. It would never hurt them during a Challenge but it was one way to defend yourself. While he did Karieto declared another attack. It was a common tactic, launching multiple attacks in as quick succession as possible to make evasion more difficult.


    ¡°Treasured Hunter, Gluttonous Claw!¡±


    The armored lionkin surged forward with astonishing speed, crushing Alley¡¯s Lesser Shade Hound beneath a single haughty swipe of its paw. The little dog monster didn¡¯t even get a chance to try and fight back before it exploded into teal light.


    The sound of two howls came from everywhere at once when the lesser hound was destroyed. From his Library Greater Shade Hound was added to Alley¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t have time to celebrate the activation of his Creature¡¯s effect. He didn¡¯t even have time to process it really. The Treasured Hunter bore down on him with just as much speed as it had the Lesser Shade hound and this thing he could not bat aside with his book.


    Alley faked right then threw himself into a shoulder roll to the left. The arrogantly postured lion monster swatted down nothing but wooden planks. Planks that practically exploded at the attack. Alley climbed back to his feet. He had bruised his shoulder and maybe the side of his head with the roll but it had been well worth it. There was no way he survived getting hit by a 2800 power blow.


    Only able to make a single attack against Alley before being forced back to its own side of the arena, the lion turned about with a flick of its tail and stalked back through the barrier.


    That marked Karieto¡¯s final attack for the turn. However, in his second Creation Phase, he played a horrifyingly familiar monster. Honestly, Alley thought the man was overcommitting but he seemed to be in even more of a rush to finish the Challenge than Soren had been. If the aggressive nature of the Pirate¡¯s plays was anything to go by. Three more Vials emptied and went dark, leaving Karieto with five.


    ¡°Just when you thought you had escaped it.¡± Said the raider with a singularly unfriendly smile. ¡°I Manifest Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder.¡±


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder


    Unique


    Cost: 3 Vials


    Power: 7500


    Vitality: 4


    If Ranek Pho destroys another Creature restore Ranek to full Vitality.

 Chapter Thirty Seven: Cursed King V Hungry Corsair- Finale

    Chapter 37: Cursed King V Hungry Corsair- Finale


    Alabaster


    An enormous ethereal wave of black water rose up behind Karieto. It crashed harmlessly down around the man as the shark Alley really had never hoped to see again emerge from the water. Ranek Pho swam through the air, not stopping to hover above the raider as Alley expected but swimming around and around in a constant circle in the air above Karieto¡¯s side of the field. The monstrous black-skinned shark was too big to fit in the Arena, but truly that was an illusion. No matter what anyone said or did it wouldn¡¯t be able to interact with anything outside of the squared blue lines.


    Alley chewed his lip as his turn started. There were a number of options in front of him, and none of them were looking very appealing.  The Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar activated for what turned out to be the final time of the Challenge.


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar


    Resonance: Curse


    Relic


    No Cost


    At the beginning of your turn Draw a Card then send the top two Cards of your Library to your Crypt.


    After this effect resolves if you have 10 or more Cards in your Crypt destroy Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar.


    Shatter Fish, one of the Cards he had salvaged from the Deep Hunters League was added to Alley¡¯s hand.


    ¡®Great I can pay a Vial for a 1100 Power Creature.¡¯


    Whilst City Of The Doomed And Rotten and its sister Creature Endless Horde were sent to the crypt. A moment later the book in the crook of Alley¡¯s hand began to disintegrate before exploding into the teal light and being sent to his Crypt.


    That meant facing down Karieto¡¯s Treasured Hunter, Puffer Fish, the unique Ranek Pho, and the Blood Gem Relic empowering them all was just Alley¡¯s Cursed Grave Digger, and what he could manage with his hand.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Treasured Hunter


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Power: 2100


    Vitality: 2


    Once Per turn you may sacrifice 1 Vitality from a friendly Creature in play. If you do draw one Card, Treasured Hunter then gains 200 Power for each Card in your Hand until the end of the turn.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Puffer Fish


    No cost


    Power: 500


    Vitality: 2


    The first time Puffer Fish loses Vitality it gains 200 Power and 2 Vitality


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder


    Unique


    Cost: 3 Vials


    Power: 7500


    Vitality: 4


    If Ranek Pho destroys another Creature restore Ranek to full Vitality.


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Blood Gem


    Relic


    Cost: 1 Vial


    At the beginning of your turn Sacrifice 2 Vitality from Creature you have in play or destroy Blood Gem.


    While Blood Gem is in play your maximum hand size is increased by 1. Creatures you have in play gain 100 Power for each Card in your Hand.


    Versus


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Cursed Gravedigger


    No Cost


    Power: 900


    Vitality: 2


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    When Cursed Gravedigger enters the Crypt from in play send the top 5 cards from your Library to your Crypt.


    The seven Cards Alley now held weren¡¯t bad exactly, except the fish it was pretty bad. The problem was the uncertainty of his Creature Cards.


    Darkest Reflections, Danse Macabre, Wraith Master, Withered One, Greater Shade Hound Saoirse, Shatter Fish.


    Alley could burn his two Vials to play Greater Shade Hound and then use Danse Macabre to allow it to attack by sacrificing Cursed Grave Digger just like he had during the puzzle. The problem was the Blood Gem Relic brought the Treasured Hunter up to equal Power with the Greater Shade Hound and that was if the Lionkin didn¡¯t have some effect he wasn¡¯t aware of.


    Alley could do something similar with Saoirse. She was a Unique and likely had some sort of strong ability that might take over the field of play for him. Might being the operative word there. She might also do something that was absolutely no help at all. The Withered One and Wraith Master were both on the weaker side. Especially the Withered One, the monster only had 600 power.  Though Wraith Master Cost 2 Vials for only 1800 Power and 1 Vitality.


    ¡®Still¡­¡¯


    Still chewing his lip, Alley implored the voice he was fairly sure he had been hearing.


    ¡®Please, tell me what Wraith Master does¡­.I¡¯m begging over here.¡¯


    There was no response.


    ¡®Does it combo with Darkest Reflections, please I don¡¯t know what else to say. I can win from here. I''m sure of it, I just need to know. If he kills me my body is useless right?¡¯


    Alley waited for another tense few seconds before hearing what sounded like a cough. Followed by that same whiskey-soaked gravel voice but as though from very far away


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Alley felt his face split right back into that same shit-eating grin.


    ¡®Thank you.¡¯


    Turning his attention back to the Challenge and away from kowtowing to an ethereal voice no one else was aware of.


    ¡° I Manifest Wraith Master!¡±


    Alley blinked as his pair of Vials descended from the invisible crown atop his head. They emptied and then floated over to somehow attach themselves to the hem of his cloak.


    ¡®Just not going to question it.¡¯


    Before him where he had gesture the Wraith Master Appeared. It bore some similarity to the Grave Caller in the manner of its garb, and its pale bluish skin. The Wraith Caller was larger than the other monster had been though, its face that of a grinning demon, and it practically shone with necromantic energy.


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Wraith Master


    Resonances: Undeath, Shadow, Etheric


    Cost: 2 Vials


    Power: 1800


    Vitality: 1


    When Wraith Master is Manifested Banish all Spell Cards From your Crypt. For each Card Banished this way Manifest a Faceless Wraith.


    he grinning creature raised a ball of teal Undeath resonance and Card images began to fly from Alley¡¯s Crypt.


    ¡°What is this shit?¡± Snarled Karieto from across the ship. Alley winked at him and did his best to pretend he knew.


    ¡°The beginning of your end.¡±


    The pirate snorted but Alley could tell the man was at least a little concerned. They both knew it was possible that he had over-extended. While there was nothing wrong with playing aggressively if you tried to finish your enemy quickly and failed you risked burning out of resources. Or worse, committing your strongest Cards into a trap.


    One after the other, every Spell was removed from Alley¡¯s crypt.  Final Malediction, Chase The Wind, Cursed Echoes, Enchanted Grove, Fierce Negotiations.  The images of the five spells vanished leaving in their place five headstones protruding from the wooden deck of the ship.  Sending that same ball of Undeath Resonance down into the ¡®ground¡¯. After which from each grave rose a Faceless Wraith


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Faceless Wraith


    Resonance:Undeath, Shadow, Etheric


    No Cost


    Power: 500


    Vitality: 1


    he grinning creature raised a ball of teal Undeath resonance and Card images began to fly from Alley¡¯s Crypt.


    ¡°What is this shit?¡± Snarled Karieto from across the ship. Alley winked at him and did his best to pretend he knew.


    ¡°The beginning of your end.¡±


    The pirate snorted but Alley could tell the man was at least a little concerned. They both knew it was possible that he had over-extended. While there was nothing wrong with playing aggressively if you tried to finish your enemy quickly and failed you risked burning out of resources. Or worse, committing your strongest Cards into a trap.


    One after the other, every Spell was removed from Alley¡¯s crypt.  Final Malediction, Chase The Wind, Cursed Echoes, Enchanted Grove, Fierce Negotiations.  The images of the five spells vanished leaving in their place five headstones protruding from the wooden deck of the ship.  Sending that same ball of Undeath Resonance down into the ¡®ground¡¯. After which from each grave rose a Faceless Wraith


    Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair


    Avian Assassin


    Linked Item


    Avian Assassin can only be activated while a Creature you control is attacking.


    Upon Activation Avian Assassin attacks a target of your choice as a Creature with a Power of 1000.


    Activate Once per Day/Challenge.


    Appearing with far greater speed than a Manifestation would, the linked item burst into existence already swooping toward Alley. The thing looked like a little Clockwork bird about the size of the Puffer Fish Card. Its gear-driven wings flapped at stupendous speed as it drove a dagger-sized sword it was holding in a tiny humanoid arm between Alley¡¯s ribs.


    Alley hissed in pain as the Linked Item vanished back into Karieto¡¯s dealer.  The wound he could feel was agonizing, but something strange was happening. Alley couldn¡¯t feel any wetness where the sword had punctured him. He didn¡¯t think he was numb or had gone into shock. Also, was his cloak moving around the wounded area? It seemed to immediately begin to bunch and then loosen and then bunch again just below the wound in a rhythmic pattern.


    ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯


    None of what was happening right now seemed good but there wasn¡¯t much Alley could do about it. mid-Challenge.  What he needed to do was end this so he could inspect and treat his wounds. As a twelfth rank, Alley barely healed any faster than a regular human. A True Deck stored its Vials outside the body, and couldn¡¯t access them for self-healing like a Trials Deck. It was the flow of Life Essence around the body of a True Deck wielder that stimulated healing, not the stored Essence.


    Taking a steadying breath, Alley inspected his Crypt, wanting to make sure whatever the Cursed Grave Digger had sent there wouldn¡¯t somehow help him. The grave digger¡¯s effect had added Skeletal Footsoldier, Skull Child, Phantom Keeper, Roots Of Resilience, and Shadeling. Nothing immediately jumped out at him or activated so Alley proceeded with his turn.


    Something really was wrong. Alley felt weak, and his vision seemed to shrink just a little bit.


    He didn¡¯t have to fake the tremor in his voice when he spoke next.


    ¡°I cast Darkest Reflections¡±


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Darkest Reflections


    Resonances: Undeath, Shadow


    Spell


    Additional Cost Banish Four Creature Cards from your Crypt.


    Can only be cast as the first Spell you play in a turn. Must be played during your Creation Phase.


    Until the end of your turn each [Faceless Wraith] you have in play has its Power set to the same Power as the Creature with the highest Power in play.


    As per the Spell¡¯s cost, he removed Skeletal Cavalry, Skeletal Footsoldier, Cursed Grave Digger, and Lesser Shade Hound from his Crypt. Once he did each of the Faceless Wraiths that hovered around the field rose up into the air around the arena. All four of them transforming into white ethereal versions of Ranek Pho, though only their Power changed with the transformation. The Resonances and Vitality hovering above the wraiths stayed as they were.


    ¡°What?!¡± Snapped Karieto, eyes wildly jumping from one humongous ghost shark to the next.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter,¡± Stammered the pirate. ¡°Look at you, you can barely stand, as long as I last the turn you are done.¡±


    Alley smiled at him. ¡° let''s find out¡±


    The Vitality of Karieto¡¯s creatures had become a weakness Alley could exploit. If the Puffer Fish and Treasured Hunter only had one Vitality each Alley would be forced to attack Ranek Pho after defeating the monsters only once, but as both had two Vitality left he could send all four attacks through the weaker monsters.


    ¡°Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour!¡±


    Alley repeated the command four times his voice growing in strength and fury each time. This man had sacrificed half this town and who knew how many other people to the altar of his own power? Alley would stop that here and now.


    ¡°Take a close look you pirate bitch, they are called skills!¡± Came the encouraging voice of Darius from outside the arena.


    Easily smashing their targeted creatures aside, the ghostly sharks assaulted Kareito.  The speedy captain avoided the first massive shark, but the second clipped him in much the same way the true Ranek Pho had clipped Alley. After that, the third and fourth attacks had no issue hitting the pirate. There simply wasn¡¯t room to avoid the transformed wraiths whilst recovering from being tossed against the blue energy barrier.


    Huge jaws closed on the screaming man though unlike the real shark, he wasn¡¯t swallowed. In fact, he passed through the shark, still standing once it had swum on, and circled back around to Alley¡¯s side of the field. The Necromantic energies within the creature still delivered an 8100 Power attack to the Shattered Hull raider. Ripping away flesh, and snapping both arms. Before he could recover the final ghost shark¡¯s jaws snapped down on Karieto with similar results.


    The bloody mess that was left slumped over the ship railing neither resembled the dashing pirate captain nor had enough life essence left to maintain his side of the Challenge. All around Alley, the monsters began to de-manifest, and the Arena collapsed. Inside himself, the dark-haired boy felt a flare as his own flow of essence increased. The victory had brought him closer to improving his rank. Across the failing arena, a card floated from the pirate¡¯s sword into Alley¡¯s cloak before vanishing in a puff of blue light. His rightful winning.


    Still feeling weak Alley stepped toward the pirate who was trying to say something. The boy didn¡¯t care what it was. You weren¡¯t supposed to kill someone you had just defeated in a Challenge. There was even a mystic protection stopping you from doing so. The Curse Lock; If you killed too many people you had defeated the lock mechanism would activate and turn your Deck Cursed. It was the same mechanism that was activated by powerful rulers to Curse Lock the decks of terrible people who didn¡¯t deserve the power.


    The thing was Alley¡¯s Deck had been Cursed long before he had ever laid a hand on it.


    ¡°Siv¡­Silver Hear-¡± The Captain was cut off by Alley¡¯s hook piercing directly between his eyes.

 Chapter Thirty Eight: Bloodless

    Chapter 38: Bloodless


    Alabaster


    Alley blinked a few times as he took a step towards Darius. He intended to fistbump his friend who was standing among a large group of people Alley didn¡¯t recognize. He felt like he should know why they were there but his thoughts were becoming even more sluggish than his movements which had been reduced to a stumbling gait.


    For some reason, Darius looked more than a little worried. That was weird, Alley had beaten the pirate captain. So why was the red-headed boy rushing towards him? It didn¡¯t make sense to Alley.


    ¡®Ahh thats why¡¯ he thought with an oddly detached calm as his legs gave out from under him. As the strange weakness he couldn¡¯t explain dragged him into unconsciousness, Alley''s final thought was about the cloak splayed out by his fall. One of the Vial gems which Alley had only spent mere minutes ago was a quarter full.


    Nine Days earlier


    Alley couldn¡¯t leave, At least not the way he had come in. While he had been completing the strange challenge put to him by the whiskey-voiced, skeletal-armed figure the castle had gone into some sort of lockdown. The front gate was sealed tight with a field of teal-colored energy. Alley had tossed a stray bone at it to test the barrier. When the light had converted the bone to ash Alley decided he probably knew all he needed to about the wall of light and opted to find another way out.


    There was one he had seen earlier but had been holding off on attempting. While the crevasse had seemed unclimbable when he¡¯d checked it earlier, Alley wanted to give it another once over before he inspected the transiteration pad.


    To a boy born at the edge of civilization, a mystic device that could teleport you vast distances was practically the stuff of myth. He had only recognized the thing because the podium they used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the All Isles Festival was a long-dormant one. It had been explained to him that many a king or emperor had them, and even some of the less powerful rich people used them frequently.


    Making his way back through the castle, Alley scoured his memories for any information about how to activate a transiteration device. Either he had forgotten or more likely never known, as the sum total of his knowledge on the subject was that it could be done.


    Before even reaching the high ceilinged circular room that hosted the magical transport method Alley could feel a thrum in the air that made his hair stand on end. The whole castle had a sort of magical vibration to it but this was different. Teal light poured out of the Transiteration room in rhythmic pulses Alley could feel.


    Carefully approaching Alley stopped at the room¡¯s entrance. Inside the doorway the inscribed floor of the Transiteration pad was glowing so bright it reminded the boy of being lost to snow blindness. That wasn¡¯t the strange part, in fact, Alley had peered into the room for several seconds before he even noticed. It was the walls and roof, they were gone. In their place an endless plane of grey dust beneath a black starless sky. Wherever this place was it chilled Alley to the core. Something about the sheer nothingness screamed at his instincts that life did not belong in that place.


    While Alley didn¡¯t know for sure the transiteration pad would take him to that desolate place there was zero chance he would take the risk. He took a careful step back away from the doorway and concluded that he would wait at least until the scene changed¡­if it did.


    Alley needn¡¯t have worried. As he soon discovered the transiteration pad wasn¡¯t sending anything anywhere it was receiving something.


    Now


    Alley awoke in a lot more pain than when he had passed out. He found himself in a small unadorned room, naked and lying atop a single bed. A trio of dark-haired women he thought he recognized from the diving cages fussed over him. The youngest was probably his own age, the eldest in her early forties. Instantly Alley¡¯s cheeks pinked and he covered himself with his hands. While he had absolutely had dreams that started like this¡­the women even had a sort of exotic beauty to them. This was a lot more fun and a lot less embarrassing when it wasn¡¯t real life.


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    ¡°Can someone get me some pants please¡± he croaked through lips dry enough that they split as he spoke. ¡° Water and pants¡± he amended. The trio of women evidently found this uproariously funny but hurried to get him what he asked for.


    Not long later the eldest of three women returned with his pants, she informed him the three of them were just outside and to call them if he needed any help or when he was done getting dressed. Putting the pants on proved to be too much for him to achieve alone.


    The cut in between his ribs had been treated but it still ran deep and pulled painfully at every movement. If Alley had thought that was the worst of it, he was mistaken. His body felt cramped all over and intensely weak, his skin was even paler than usual. It made him think of the skin of his Undead creatures. Not exactly the appearance he wanted to show off in front of mysterious raven-haired women with curves he noticed even while being half dead.


    Forcing himself to stay seated at the edge of the bed despite his head, legs, and stomach all demanding he lie back down Alley made a few attempts to get his pants on. After the third time, he had to stop because he thought he was going to pass out an idea occurred to him.


    The boy had been on the verge of ignoring his embarrassment and calling the women back in to help him when he realized he could just will his cloak on. At a thought, the ratty black cloth appeared on him. Having a Cursed Deck was all-around terrible, but that was certainly a handy trick to have up his sleeve. Alley wondered how it would react if he wrapped something in the cloak or what kind of range the effect had.


    Modesty appropriately defended, he called for the trio of ladies who seemed more than a little perplexed by the appearance of the cloak. They helped him dress and watched as he tried to drown himself with cup after cup of water poured from an earthenware pitcher into a mug of similar make.


    Once he was done the trio began to file out again though the youngest looked around quickly before all but whispering to Alley.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wear that thing, It almost killed you.¡±


    ¡°Wait what thing?¡± Alley tried to reach for the girl but she turned away and was gone before his weak body could do anything about it.


    ¡®She has to mean the cloak right?¡¯ It was the only thing that made any sense, but how could it have almost killed him? If the women who treated him expected Alabaster Roe to just leave it at that and go back to bed they did not know Alabaster Roe. Seeing as they didn¡¯t know him, he supposed he couldn¡¯t really blame them.


    Closing his eyes Alley focussed on the feeling of Life Essence flowing through him. It wasn¡¯t a skill he had ever been particularly good at but he thought he could feel it a tiny bit more clearly. It might be his imagination but with his victory, the first lock inside him had grown closer to opening. Maybe it was like a portcullis gate and he had raised it slightly? If that was the case he had increased the flow if only just.


    Feeling as steady as he thought he was going to get, Alley slowly made his way out of the room. What greeted him were a series of sights, sounds, and smells that made his heart ache with homesickness.


    Alley was in something of a daze but he still recognised the strange festival nature of a town coming together after a calamity. It reminded him of when Uncle Tertian had organized everyone to raise a new roof for the Shellen family after theirs had been destroyed by a particularly violent storm.


    It turned out Alley was in a large house presently being swarmed by townsfolk making whatever repairs they could. Outside the sun was high in the sky and a makeshift street kitchen was visible through the annihilated front of the structure. He could see the red-headed form of Darius leaning against one of the street kitchen¡¯s tables blatantly trying to flirt with a girl who was clearly too busy trying to feed a town at work to pay him any real attention.


    Once upon a time, Alley would have been embarrassed for his friend, that time had long since passed. Now he just thought it was funny.


    ¡°Come on¡± His voice was too hoarse and weak to be heard. Alley took a deep breath and tried again.


    ¡°Come on Darius.¡± Alley called. ¡°The last thing you need is another kid.¡± Darius obviously didn¡¯t have a kid but gauging from the way his friend turned pink and furiously tried to tell the girl that he was in fact not a father. Alley felt his interjection had gone perfectly.

 Chapter 39: Loot(The Galley)

    I dear reader am no slouch. Believe you me my True Deck- The Horizon Chaser¡¯s Stride has been the death of many a gargantuan monster, and just as often the defeat of one honourless cad or another. So when I say I felt powerless before the might of this stranger please know I am more stunned to write those words than you are to read them.


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 39: Loot(The Galley)


    Alabaster


    ¡°You are an asshole,¡± Darius said handing Alley a steaming bowl of fish stew. Alley shot him his best shit-eating grin and then smelled the bowl. The scent was similar to the Brodetto his mother used to make.


    ¡°You were being a nuisance while that girl was trying to work. This town isn¡¯t going to fix itself, you know?¡±


    The two boys were sitting side by side at a counter adjacent to the street kitchen. The fifty or so surviving townsfolk were either hard at work repairing the town, or sitting at similar counters and long tables eating from their own steaming bowls.


    ¡°Yeah, but we are heroes at the moment. We need to take advantage before the glow wears off.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± asked Alley suspiciously.


    ¡°Well you aren¡¯t dead so why not?¡±


    They continued to chat as the two ate and while he had no intentions of ¡®taking advantage¡¯ Alley had to admit that Darius was right the townspeople saw them as heroes. He felt far too weak to endure the sheer number of slaps on the back and bone-crunching handshakes that he received while eating.


    The pair also found themselves on the end of numerous heartfelt thank yous from the women of the settlement. Including from the trio of dark-haired women who had treated Alley¡¯s wounds and before long both boys had goofy smiles plastered across their faces.


    ¡°Oh hey.¡± Said Alley putting down his bowl. ¡°One of the women gave me a sort of cryptic warning about my cloak. Do you know what that was about?¡±


    Darius was holding his bowl to his lips but didn¡¯t let that stop him from responding.


    ¡°MMMM!¡± he said. Eyebrows raised as he clearly remembered something he was supposed to have said but hadn¡¯t.


    The red-headed boy slammed the bowl down and wiped his mouth. ¡°Right yeah, when you passed out on that ship and I came running over that cloak it was¡­.eating you¡±


    ¡°Eating me?!¡±


    ¡°Well, more like it was drinking your blood.¡±


    Alley¡¯s memories of the end of the Challenge against Karietto were hazy, yet he could recall his Dealer behaving strangely after he was stabbed by the mechkin bird. But drinking his blood? It was a lot to take in.  Except that wasn¡¯t true, it should have stunned him, should have left him horrified at the danger represented by the very clothes on his back.


    Instead, Alley just filed it away as one more risk represented by his Dealer. He tried not to think about it and he certainly hadn¡¯t mentioned it to anyone but the Cursed Deck was dangerous in ways he could never have imagined.  The way that thing that had come out of the transiteration pad had taken control of it, had Manifested its Cards into reality as though the Curse Lock meant nothing at all.


    That had been a lot to take in. That had been horrifying and stunning. This news was simply something he had to account for. Besides, even if Alley could separate from the Cursed Deck he knew deep down he wouldn¡¯t. The things he had seen in that dark castle might have shaken him right to his still inactive cores. They had also filled him with an anxious kind of hope, that maybe with this Deck at his disposal, he could one day get revenge on Soren Creed, and more importantly recover the last remnant of his mother.


    ¡®There is a way around the lock. I have no clue where to start looking for it but there is a way.¡¯If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Alley realized his friend was looking at him awaiting a response and had been for a few awkward seconds.


    ¡°I guess I better make sure not to get cut next time.¡± Said Alley with a rueful grin. Both boys knew that it was more of a concern than that but Darius understood his friend well enough to know he was subtly saying to drop it. A fact Alley was more than a little grateful for.


    ¡°So this guy, who I think is the mayor, asked  how they could repay our heroism.¡±


    ¡°And what you asked for a date with his daughter?¡± Said Alley with a laugh.


    ¡°Nah she''s married¡± Darius replied without missing a beat. ¡° So as a consolation, I asked them to go get and repair your boat.¡±


    That was good news, and Alley said as much, though it begged the question.


    ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±


    Darius thought for a second.


    ¡° Uhhh this is the morning of the third day.¡±


    ¡°Third?!¡±


    ¡°You lost a lot of blood.¡± Darius offered with a shrug.


    After they were done eating, Alley had intended to help a little with the reconstruction. He wasn¡¯t a metal worker like his father and uncle had been but Alley had hammered his fair share of nails. The tanned fisherfolk who populated the island simply would not let him. Each and every citizen of the town Alley learned was called Ashton¡¯s lookout would refuse his offers of aid.


    They all sighted the same rules of hospitality and spoke of how their ancestors would look upon them with shame if they allowed the men who had saved them to work. Some of the more pious even looked offended at the suggestion.


    Eventually, Alley and Darius found themselves sitting outside the hall of the deep hunters league fielding all manner of questions from the town¡¯s five remaining children. Evidently having the two ¡® heroes¡¯ keep the children out from underfoot did not break the taboo about letting them work.


    From the bench they were occupying, Alley overlooked the shattered pier that had been the site of their battle with the pirates. It was funny how a little bit of sunlight changed your perspective on a place. In the dark of the night with the moon and torches reflecting off of the water, the place had taken on a sinister visage. Looking at it in the early afternoon sun it was just a broken pier. Granted an exceptionally long one but otherwise there was nothing special or eerie about it.


    ¡°You find anything interesting in the galley?¡± Asked Alley directing his gaze to the ship that sat empty tied to one of the larger pier fragments.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t loot it yet, I''ve been waiting till you woke up.¡±


    Alley frowned and looked at his friend. ¡°And you just let me wander around the town when we could have been ransacking the ship?¡±


    Darius shrugged. ¡° I didn¡¯t want to tax you yet.¡±


    ¡°Screw that! I beat that pirate fair and square, let''s go get his stuff.¡±


    Getting back out to the ship wasn¡¯t challenging but the boys hardly wanted to swim back and forth with loot, so they went back into town and borrowed a dinghy. In spite of the destruction wreaked all throughout Ashton¡¯s Lookout it was a simple request for a settlement that lived on the ocean.


    Rowing back out to the galley took no time at all and the pair tied the dinghy to the same pier fragment as the galley.


    Routing around the ship proved to be fairly disappointing where the boys had been envisioning a pirate¡¯s treasure horde they mostly found supplies required for the running of a ship.  While things like spare planks, tar, backup rigging, and carpentry tools were all useful things. They weren¡¯t exactly the kind of reward one expected after a life-and-death battle.


    Alley was about to call it when he noticed a box that had its own little compartment carved into the wall behind some barrels of spiced meats. Interest piqued; he slipped between the barrels to get a closer look. The box was in a spot that could be easily concealed, but it wasn¡¯t actually hidden at the moment.


    The box in question was a little smaller than the grimoire that Alley had Manifested during his Challenge against Karieto. Sliding it out of its compartment the boy was surprised to find there was no lock. After inspecting the contents for a  few quiet seconds he let out a low whistle.


    If his suspicions were correct this was the sort of reward one expected after winning a battle against an evil pirate captain.


    ¡°Hey Darius¡± Called Alley ¡°You are the worldly one, come tell me if this is what I think it is.¡±


    Stalking over the hunter laughed. ¡°Worldly? You are the one who reads books and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Sure. ¡° Conceded Alley. ¡° but you have been places and seen things.¡±


    The red-headed boy looked dubious at that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking my parents ever took me somewhere that wasn¡¯t a horrible swamp, a dark forest, or a terrifying mountain ''cause they didn¡¯t. But if you think that is a low-tier Card Duster you¡¯re right.¡±

 Chapter Forty: Duster

    He had killed an Abyss God Kraken with a Trials Deck. I simply could not believe what I had seen. Desperate to know more I approached this impossibly powerful stranger. While he refused to answer most of my queries I did learn the name of this inconceivable Trials Deck.


    The Stranger called it ¡®King Of The First Epic¡¯


    -The Audacious Deck Builder''s Guide to: The Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 40: Duster


    Alabaster


    Alley pulled the Duster out of the padded inside of the box. The device itself looked like a small rectangle case about half the size of a boot with a latchable opening at the top. The bottom was studded with tiny Void Resonance gems, with runic script forming a circuit between them.


    When a Card was placed in the Duster the device would activate and over the next twelve hours convert the Card into a powdered form of its component Resonances.  As a lower-tier Duster, this one was limited to weaker Cards and wouldn¡¯t output all that much dust but it was still a valuable find.


    The process destroyed the Card but left you with Resonance that actually held a physical form. That physical form meant the energy could be used for the creation of infused items. Like Alley¡¯s Buckler Ring or the Avian Assassin. They weren¡¯t the only kind of ¡®magic¡¯ item out there but they were the only kind that could go in the three Link slots a Deck held.


    Alley couldn¡¯t spare any Cards right now but he doubted that would be a permanent state of affairs with this device in their possession sooner or later the pair would be able to barter with dust basically anywhere they went.


    That line of thought reminded Alley of something important.


    ¡°Hey, what happened to Karieto?¡± He asked as he attached the Duster by the little loop on its back to his belt.


    ¡°Uhh who?¡±


    Alley let out a little sigh ¡°The Pirate captain.¡± To that, his friend raised an eyebrow


    ¡°You put that hook right between his eyes, he uhh died Alley.¡±


    The dark-haired boy wanted to smack his friend.


    ¡°I know that! I mean afterwards, what happened to his body?¡±


    ¡°Ohh. It fell over the railing. After that, I think it sank.¡±


    ¡°So no one got his dealer?


    Darius froze on the spot like he had just challenged a gorgon to a staring contest.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Shouted the red-headed boy a few seconds later, his voice echoing across the bay loud enough to get attention from townsfolk working near the shoreline.


    ¡°I got the fish-girl¡¯s one but I didn¡¯t even think about the captain¡­sorry¡±


    Alley shook his head but found he wasn¡¯t actually that upset. He had killed the man, so the Deck would be locked for five years anyway. So while selling, trading, or dusting it down the line would have been a nice little windfall it wasn¡¯t like Alley was losing a resource he could use now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, a Duster is a big score anyway.¡± In spite of what he said Alley suspected his friend did indeed worry about it, as when they were leaving Darius slammed a fist into the ship''s railing with enough force to crack the hardwood.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Alley understood his frustration and considered ways they might try to recover the body. It would be a waste of time, he knew that. Even if the boys were lucky enough to recover a suit of the water armor like Stradivarius¡¯ from the Deep Hunters league and that was a big ¡®if. They neither knew how to use the thing nor if the pirate¡¯s body had floated away, sank, or been eaten. No Greed Of The Hungry Corsair was gone and it was better not to dwell on the loss.


    Both boys proceeded to jump off the galley onto the pier fragment, landing in rolls that would have been identical if Darius didn¡¯t have to hold his spear out away from both his body and Alley.


    While the boys did need to replenish their supplies they opted to leave most of what they found behind. It simply wasn¡¯t practical to carry and the townsfolk of Ashton¡¯s Rest had insisted they would provide the boys with more home-cooked food than they could ever hope to transport effectively.


    That sounded a lot better than any of the salted food they had found in barrels on the galley, so the pair returned to the dinghy. Long before they came anywhere near the shore a group of eight men that were obviously waiting for the boys filed down to the edge of the ¡®S¡¯ pier that was still attached to land.


    ¡°They don¡¯t look like they are super happy to see us.¡± Said Alley quizzically. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything offensive while I was out did you?¡±


    Darius squinted as he considered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­think..so¡± Darius replied slowly. ¡° You never know with some of these out-of-the-way towns, but no one has gotten mad at me that I know of.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So any idea what this is about?¡± Alley pressed?


    ¡°No, but the tall guy in the middle, with the glasses, is the mayor.¡±


    Alley quickly inspected the man Darius was describing. He was maybe a little older than Alley¡¯s parents, with short grey hair. The man was tall like Darius had said, but he was also rail thin in a way that was extra evident next to the burly fishermen standing with him.


    As the boys rowed into dock the mayor spoke up. His voice was surprisingly deep for his build and he had an accent that was absolutely not local.


    ¡°Gentlemen, I am afraid I must speak with you urgently.¡±


    ¡® Okay, here we go.¡¯ Alley thought to himself. ¡®This is where the lure sinks and the terrible price for their hospitality, or some task they need us to do rears its ugly head.¡¯


    ¡°First I must humbly apologize.¡±  The mayor dropped to his knees and began kowtowing.


    ¡®Alright. So far so good I guess.¡¯


    ¡°The two of you are heroes who risked your lives to save us from a well-connected pirate whose allies will certainly come for you should they hear of this.¡±


    ¡®Less good.¡¯


    Head pressed to the wood of the pier the mayor continued whilst the two boys looked awkwardly between each other and the tanned group of men, who shuffled about like guilty children. If anything the man¡¯s deep voice and powerful accent made his self-debasement even more embarrassing for the pair.


    ¡°You did all this without any promise of reward, bleeding, almost dying for a town of complete strangers.¡±


    Alley shot a look to Darius that seemed to say ¡®It would be nice if this guy got to the point.¡¯


    In return, the red-headed boy repressed a smile and tried to nod along seriously with the bowing man¡¯s words.


    ¡°After achieving the impossible and saving us all you made a single simple request. A request we, the people of Ashton¡¯s Lookout, should be perfectly suited to assist with.¡±


    It was starting to occur to Alley that the man might be hamming this up. He knew the boys were Deck Wielders, ones powerful enough to defeat a small army of pirates who had conquered his settlement in a single night. So if he was about to deliver bad news to the pair of boys he wanted to soften them up as much as possible lest they turn that same power on the town.


    ¡°Yet when this humble servant of the people gave the order that your vessel should be found and returned to a state better than new. ¡° The tall man who was still bowing gestured with a single arm at the group of men behind him.


    ¡°These men utterly failed.¡±


    Alley massaged his temples for a moment as he absorbed what he was hearing.


    ¡°Look. Just¡­just get up.¡± Said the dark-haired boy. ¡° We aren¡¯t mad or anything, just tell us what happened.¡± With a clear lack of sureness, the older man got to his feet and eyed the boys cautiously.


    ¡°Well,¡± He said, scratching his neck in a very awkward manner. ¡° These men say that when they arrived at the spot they were told your skiff was beached. They found no boat, only a campsite and a few trees that had been hacked up for some reason.¡±


    That made Alley frown which prompted a nervous half step back from the mayor. Alley didn¡¯t really blame the man, even if he was normally a force to be reckoned with spending days in a cage watching the town he led get slowly fed to a monster would leave anyone easily rattled.


    ¡°We never camped there.¡±


    ¡°No¡± Replied the mayor. ¡° Which is why we think someone stole it.¡±

 Chapter Forty One: Ashton’s Lookout

    Resonance Poisoning? It is nothing to me, before my divinity the laws that have kept these pitiful schools safe and ¡®powerful¡¯ for a thousand years mean less than nothing. Continue to feed me your faith and I will show you.


    -The Book Of Creeds


    Chapter 41: Ashton¡¯s Lookout


    Alabaster


    Alley enjoyed his time at Ashton¡¯s Rest. Once the mayor realized he wasn¡¯t going to unleash an army of monsters on the still recovering town he was more than happy to have them stay a few days whilst Alley regained his full strength. To the boy¡¯s eternal gratitude the rigors of running a town undergoing this sort of recovery meant the man didn¡¯t have time for any more kowtowing.


    The theft of Alley¡¯s boat had briefly crushed his spirits. The little skiff had been a gift from his entire family, he had owned it for longer than he had a Deck. It was one of the few relics of his parents and sister he had left¡­or didn¡¯t have he supposed.


    On the other hand the townsfolk had offered to crew one of their own ten man ships and ferry the boys back to the mainland. Alley might miss The Bay Runner, but it would be nice to travel on a sturdier ship with more experienced sailors, who could make significant repairs while still on the ocean.


    Alley had never really been one to mope. Even if he had been, maintaining a sad demeanor while relaxing in a beach town that refused to let him do any work or pay for anything was a challenging prospect. He couldn¡¯t stay here long though. As Alley grew stronger so did his desire to continue their journey once more.


    In his quieter moments Alley knew that gaining the sort of power he would need to defeat Soren Creed was a pipe dream at best. That didn¡¯t mean he was ready to surrender the dream yet and keeping it alive meant throwing himself into the quest for strength with a relentless gusto. It was the only way he could convince himself there was even a chance.


    By the morning of the  second day after he had woken up Alley found himself climbing up the side of the Silver Sea Deep Hunters League hall. Once atop the circular structure he took a moment to admire the glowing silver of the morning sea before starting to run. The dome of the hall was looped by a small stone ledge that was barely large enough to hold Alley at all. It was almost perfect.


    As a child he had hated all the climbing, sprinting, and jumping his parents made him do in the mountains above Valeton. Yet here he was, doing his best to imitate what they had put him through.


    ¡®Life is weird.¡¯  He thought to himself as he looped around the roof gaining speed. Just like running the stone ridges on Cursed Isle one foot out of place would send him tumbling. Unlike the ridges of Cursed Isle Alley was pretty sure he could endure a fall from here without too much injury.


    While Alley ran he schemed, planning out how he would continue his adventure. The boy was hungry for another Challenge, the rush of power he had felt as the first lock within his essence lines had begun to crack felt amazing. Passing out from blood loss had been less pleasant.


    Next time Alley would have to be aware of how the cloak reacted to him getting cut. He assumed that it was some sort of effect that refiled his Vials faster, but Alley was only rank twelve. He could not afford to actually make use of the power. That meant not only could Alley not test is theory, he was going to have to play around the fact that his own Dealer had the potential to kill him.


    None of that really changed course as far as Alley was concerned. He still intended to head to the Rakino swamp and do some study of the Undead there. According to Darius¡¯ parents the monsters that inhabited the swamp were on the weaker side which wasn¡¯t exactly ideal for Deck Building but that was one area Alley would have to take things a little slower. Not only was he still getting used to not being able to Manifest outside of a Challenge, something that had been harder than he thought during the fight with the pirates. But Alley didn¡¯t actually know how one converted an Undead into a Card. If he was lucky you just killed the creature in question and activate the Dealer¡¯s ability to create Cards, just like normal. Everything the boy had read about Undead monsters suggested they couldn¡¯t be killed in the traditional sense, only exorcized or destroyed utterly. So what did you press the dealer against?This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Alley had a good sweat going now and he began to incorporate more complicated movements into the run. Every few laps he would spin as he ran, skidding dangerously close to the lip of the ledge before taking off sprinting in the opposite direction to how he had been running. He wasn¡¯t really sure how long he ran like that around the roof of the hall but the silver glow of the sea had faded and he was breathing heavily when he finished.


    Taking a drink of water from a little metal flask on his belt, Alley let himself rest for a few minutes. Once he felt a little more recovered the boy dropped over the side of the roof, caught the ledge, and started doing pull ups. Alley¡¯s record was six sets of twelve, what he managed today was well short of that. It was a little disappointing that his stamina hadn¡¯t grown after winning the Challenge against Karieto, but he figured that probably had more to do with the massive blood loss.


    Climbing back down the building on shaking arms Alley knew he was far from fully recovered but had concluded he could heal just as well on a ship as he could here. Resolving to leave tomorrow if the townsfolk could manage the boy headed off to find the mayor and express this desire. Somehow he felt confident the overly polite man would be happy to see them go.


    Alley was proven right with such haste he was almost offended. Within minutes of his conversation with the mayor a crew was assembled and one of the ten-man rowing ships was being filled with supplies for a short journey.


    Darius was significantly less excited to leave a town where he didn¡¯t have to pay for anything and curvy raven haired pretended his flirting wasn¡¯t clumsy and inexperienced. However the hunter understood Alley¡¯s desire to get moving once more, and didn¡¯t offer any objections beyond a few sarcastic jokes.


    They departed the next morning before the sea had even begun to glow aboard a fishing vessel called ¡®The Satisfaction.¡¯ It was crewed by volunteers who could either be spared or whose own boats had been damaged in the conflict. The Ship¡¯s owner was a white haired old fisherman named Helado, who took on the role as captain of the impromptu crew. His first mate happened to be his daughter who was about five years the senior of the boys. Something that got a flat glare from Alley turned on Darius, who promptly promised he wouldn¡¯t try his luck with any women until they were back on the mainland.


    The trip was expected to take three days. It was only really one as the crow flies to get back to the mainland, but the people of Ashton¡¯s Lookout wanted to deposit their ¡®heroes¡¯ as close to their goal as possible. Alley was more than happy for the accelerated journey though much to his chagrin getting the sailors to let him pull his weight on the ship was almost as hard as it had been in town.


    Eventually Alley and Darius just started doing things around the ship that needed to be done without asking for permission. Once it was evident no one was going to complain, the pair found it easy to fall into rhythm with the rest of the crew. Granted the townsfolk did most of the actual sailing but the boys were helpful enough that they didn¡¯t feel lazy. Resting in Ashton¡¯s Lookout had been nice but both boys agreed they couldn¡¯t live with themselves if they did nothing while the work of getting them where they wanted to be was being done around them.


    It was only once the sun set that things took a turn for the weird.


    Alley was sitting in a circle of light cast by a deck lamp near the prow of the ship doing his best to study one of the two new maps he had acquired while still in town. It was a roughly done sketch of the coastline around Rakino including rivers and roads though in the poor light he was struggling to tell which was which. Sadly whatever magic let Alley see perfectly in the dark when he was in a Challenge did not extend to more mundane activities.


    The boy was about to give up and go bed down for the night when he spotted a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. Turning his gaze out into the dark waves he swore he saw it again for a split second before it vanished.  Alley frowned and went to roll up his map. The white appeared at the corner of his vision once more. Instead of snapping his head in that same direction again Alley carefully tied and stored his rolled map, pulled the second one out of his cloak and set about pretending to go over it.


    The figure, he was sure it was a figure now didn¡¯t seem any larger than a regular person. Neither did they seem to be moving particularly fast, and yet they were able to maintain pace with the ship.

 Chapter Forty Two: Apparition

    With each rank gained the number of Vials your dealer can access will double. This is why it is important to train one¡¯s body with as much fervor as one¡¯s mind. While it is extremely rare to find someone with more Vials than they have Life Essence to sustain, those Vials will fill regardless of the impact it has on the wielder.


    Chapter 42: Apparition


    Alabaster


    Alley hadn¡¯t yet fully recovered from his Challenge and subsequent massive blood loss. As such he had intended to turn in early especially as he had insisted on helping work the ship. A simple fishing vessel The Satisfaction was still significantly larger than Alley¡¯s skiff. At the center of the deck was a covered area with oiled canvasses acting as walls.  That was where the crew and their passengers would sleep during the short voyage. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable of setups, really just being a series of bed rolls in what was essentially a tent.


    It was roomy enough though, a ship at sea was never truly at rest so its crew never slept all at once. The accommodations were a step up from sleeping directly under the stars on The Bay Runner and the moment the sun went down Alley¡¯s bedroll started calling him.


    He ignored the desire to rest as the mystery of a ghostly pale figure that vanished when he tried to look directly at them seemed a tad more important. Trying to gather some more information Alley watched the crew at work for a little while. None of them reacted when their tasks took their lines of sight in the direction of the figure, nor did it vanish from his peripheral vision.


    ¡®Okay so only I can see them.¡¯


    That meant it probably had something to do with his weird archaic dealer. As tempting as just chalking it up to some more ghostly nonsense and going to eat and sleep was. He couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility that this was something unrelated that his Deck had just allowed him to see. It became something of a game, with Alley doing his best to study the figures without seeming like he was studying them.


    After maybe an hour of this he had come to a few conclusions. First, he was absolutely certain no one else could see the person. Secondly, it was most likely a woman. Alley couldn¡¯t be entirely certain of this as they were at least a hundred yards out from the ship and what he perceived as a long-haired woman in a ghostly dress could just as easily be a long-haired man in ghostly robes.


    Next from the few times he had managed to get something resembling a clean look at the person out on the water, Alley was certain they were both walking directly through waves without any impact. And That when the figure was hiding from him it wasn¡¯t some mystical invisibility. They were just ducking down behind the little peaks of water. Waves might not impact the apparition¡¯s path, but they did a fine job blocking Alley¡¯s view.


    After a while, Darius came walking over with a quizzical look on his Frostlander features.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Asked the red-headed boy. ¡°You didn¡¯t come get dinner, and you have been sitting alone for ages. I thought maybe being back on a fishing boat reminded you of your family or something. ¡°


    The concern from his friend was touching and such a reasonable guess that Alley almost felt guilty that he hadn¡¯t been thinking about his family. Offering a slow smile Alley shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it''s nothing like that. There is one thing but I¡¯m worried you are going to think I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    Darius made a little dubious noise. ¡° It doesn¡¯t matter what it is, I''m not going¡­Is that a girl out there?!¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Alley blinked a few times in surprise. He had expected Darius to be just as oblivious to the pale figure as the rest of the crew.


    Leaning forward he hissed ¡°You can see her?¡±


    Darius¡¯ frown only deepened as he continued to stare over Allley¡¯s shoulder. ¡° yeah but it''s weird I think she is walking on the surface of the water but through the waves?¡±


    Alley had no one to blame but himself, he knew that. He shouldn¡¯t have beaten around the bush and immediately explained as best he could. That didn¡¯t make Darius ending his hour or so of work in an instant any less annoying.  The red-headed boy raised a hand and waved enthusiastically at the girl.


    From out on the water came what Alley could only describe as a mortified shriek. It prompted him to abandon subtly and span directly around to look right at the ghostly figure. She was standing there atop the water, a thin girl about their own age with waist-length white hair. She was wearing a gossamer dress of a design he didn¡¯t recognize. Though he knew the flaring sleeves went out of fashion at least a century ago.


    ¡®Why do I know so much about the history of clothes?... Oh right, Hecatia¡¯ His sister had made it known she would respond favorably to books on the subject and boys from all over had seemed to materialize scrolls and books about fashion out of nowhere.


    The ghostly girl¡¯s eyes were wide in shock and she had both hands clasped over her mouth. Looking between the two boys with a panicked rapidity she suddenly raised her left hand and a familiar sight burst into reality. It was the enormous skeletal arm Alley had seen when he was completing the puzzle inside the castle. The limb was attached to nothing but still swept the ghostly girl up into its grasp before she and it both vanished completely.


    Eyes wide Darius turned to look at Alley.


    ¡°Uhh, do you have an explanation for what that was?¡±


    ¡°Not a very good one,¡± Alley replied with a rueful grin. ¡°But I can try.¡±


    ¡°Yeah..¡± Said Darius. ¡° Go ahead and try.¡±


    About twenty minutes later the boys sat in a corner of the deck tent talking quietly while Alley choked down the greasy and now cold dinner the sailors had provided. Having confirmed with the crew on deck that they hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything strange Darius was now in the process of grilling Alley about the details he had left out of his original story.


    ¡°So then something comes out of the Transiteration pad.¡± Alley had been doing his best to not even think about the encounter let alone talk about it. Now that he had confirmation his mind was not in fact producing hallucinations the time had come to face the truth of things.


    ¡°Something?¡±


    Alley scrunched his face up a little as he struggled to find the words. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to describe it. It was like a man-shaped hole in reality.¡±


    ¡°That sounds horrifying.¡±


    Alley nodded as he chewed on what he hoped was an especially rubbery egg.


    ¡°It was but¡± He swallowed, repressing a shudder.


    ¡°It gets worse. It raised its¡­not-arm and my Dealer activated.¡±


    Darius frowned. ¡°Okay, so what?¡±


    ¡°No no you don¡¯t understand, it started Manifesting the Cards from my deck. My Cursed Deck into reality.


    ¡°What?!¡± Darius exclaimed before Alley shushed him.


    ¡°People are sleeping, Dari.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± He repeated but quieter.


    ¡°Yeah it pulled monsters right out of my deck and they obeyed it, not me.¡±


    ¡°So what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I tried to run. It didn¡¯t go very well¡± Alley replied with a snort.


    ¡°So it caught you?¡±


    Alley nodded and tried to sort his thoughts out a little before he continued. The entire encounter with the being from beyond the transiteration pad had taken a dreamlike quality, along with his other doubts about his sanity had made Alley unsure it had ever even happened.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alley replied. His eyes glowed blue as he searched his collection for a specific Card which he summoned forth to show Darius.


    ¡°He manifested this guy behind me and it grabbed me.¡±


    Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King


    Marcus Lazurius, Sixth Knight Of The Cursed King


    Resonance: Undeath, Curse, Abomination


    Cost: 3 Vials


    Power: 5200


    Vitality: 3


    If Marcus Lazurius is in your Crypt you may Banish 6 other Creature Cards in your Crypt to Manifest him on the field. If Marcus Lazurius is Manifested this way he gains 600 Power and Loses 1 Vitality for the Remainder of the Challenge/day.


    Darius let out a low whistle ¡°Fifty-two hundred power probably no escaping that.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Alley agreed.  ¡°It grabbed me and then... I don¡¯t know.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite true Alley knew what had happened, he just didn¡¯t know how to put the experience into words.  His perspective had been split in half and he had been seeing both out of his own eyes and the non-eyes of the person-shaped¡­thing.


    ¡°I think¡­I think it was possessing me.¡±

 Chapter Forty Three: Not Quite Dry Land

    Two weeks earlier


    Alley Struggled in the grip of the skeletal knight. The Undead monster towered over him at least six and a half feet tall. The thing¡¯s grip was an implacable vice that easily rebuffed every trick Alley could think of to escape. He twisted and alternated directions, he attacked the joints of the creature¡¯s hands. It got him precisely nowhere, the monster was simply too strong.


    Before him advanced the person-shaped gap in reality that had hijacked the Deck he had only just gained. Hijacked and used to its full potential. Alley couldn¡¯t believe it, he had spent over an hour experimenting with the Dealer and Cards and had come to the incontrovertible conclusion that he was saddled with a Cursed Deck now. Honestly, after the way the Deck had seized him, Alley was lucky that he was only rank twelve. This Deck held none of the Resonances he was used to and such a change could cause some serious problems if his body had been further harmonized.


    Still, that was the reality. It was a Cursed Deck and that should mean Manifesting outside of a Challenge was impossible.


    Impossible. After the things he had seen and was seeing today Alley was going to have to give removing that word from his vocabulary some serious consideration. Assuming he survived the next few minutes anyway.


    The dark-haired boy opened his mouth to demand some sort of explanation if nothing else but as soon as he did the world shifted. Nausea exploded through him as Alley¡¯s mind tried and failed to comprehend the way his perspective had changed¡­was changing? He could perceive his own body, feel the cold metal of the skeleton¡¯s armor, the sharp edge of skinless fingers gripping him, and see the advancing being.


    There was more, Alley could also see himself through the ¡®eyes¡¯ for lack of a better word, of the being. He could perceive its non-body like it was his own, feel the warmth of this reality slowly, painfully slowly seep into his extremities after an eternity trapped in a void of his own making.


    ¡®What?!¡¯


    An intense pain blossomed behind Alley¡¯s eyes and he began to scream. The ratty cloak he was wearing began to glow. The boy wearing The Cloak Of The Bloodless One was screaming and struggling as the artifact activated.


    Alley felt a surge of life essence inside himself he didn¡¯t recognize and couldn¡¯t control.


    The spirit within the boy¡¯s dealer was trying to defend him, it made Anaten want to smile.


    ¡®Who?¡¯


    Alley was sure he was losing his mind, the split perspective the way the non-being¡¯s thoughts were cutting off his own. It was like the worst nightmare he had ever had, but worse because Alley was fairly sure he was about to throw up all over himself.


    Suddenly the huge Skeletal hand that had controlled the other side of the field during the puzzle challenge appeared over Alley¡¯s shoulder. With the tap of a casual finger it Demanifested the skeletal knight then interposed itself between Alley and the void figure.


    The boy wanted to run, he really did but his body collapsed out from under him. Leaving Alley staring up at the ornate high ceiling above while the world span around him.


    ¡°Stop this.¡± Came the whiskey-soaked gravel voice. It wasn¡¯t a command¡­more like a plea.


    ¡°And why should I do that?¡± Replied a voice that was not Alley¡¯s but came from his mouth nonetheless.


    ¡°He¡¯s just an Aspirant, your essence will shred him and leave you worse off than you are already.¡±


    Not-Alley made a dismissive noise.


    ¡°He is strong, and from one of the slave bloodlines. I will make do.¡±


    The hand made a desperate ¡®wait¡¯ motion with its palm open.


    ¡°You are back in the world now. There is plenty of Resonance here to sustain you. Please Nat just be patient.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Patient? I have waited an eternity."


    The chains that had seized and entered Alley earlier poured from his chest like a liquid, only to go suddenly rigid, in the shape of a thin person. The skeletal hand moved aside, and the chain being, which was still connected to Alley''s chest stepped forward. It raised one of its pseudo-hands gently towards the ''face'' of the void being.


    Chapter 43: Not Quite Dry Land


    Darius


    Darius sat in stunned silence as Alley finished his tale. Apparently, the huge skeletal arm he had seen hovering over the sea earlier had appeared and defended Alley from some sort of being from beyond.


    The same chains that had flowed into Alley when the Cursed Deck had become his had flowed back out of Alley¡¯s chest into the form of a figure that had pleaded his case. Telling the being that if it seized Alley¡¯s body now they would both die and that it needed to wait for him to become stronger.


    ¡°So It just let you go?¡±


    Alley shook his head. ¡° The hand threw me onto the transiteration pad and the next thing I remember I¡¯m coming to, back in Valeton. ¡°


    It was frankly some scary stuff to hear.  What was more, the chain figure had the same voice as whatever it was that had tested Alley, and now he had been hearing that same voice in his head. He had promised Alley he wouldn¡¯t think his friend had gone mad, which was proving slightly more challenging than Darius had anticipated.


    Assuming Alabaster wasn¡¯t insane from trauma that meant Darius¡¯ friend had been keeping to himself just how much danger he was in. Not only had his Dealer almost killed him but it was starting to sound like there was a spirit inside it that considered Alley¡¯s presence in his own body a temporary state of affairs.


    ¡°So¡­ What are you going to do?¡± Asked Darius, Concern writ large on his features.


    ¡°Do? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t keep that Deck. It might be able to possess you plus there is the whole drinking your blood thing.¡± Alley frowned, putting aside his plate.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just replace a Cursed Deck, even if I could swap it unless I find a Dealer with similar Resonances it can do all sorts of weird things to my body.¡± Darius winced a little.


    ¡°I know, I know but you could always.¡±


    ¡°What?! Just lock it away somewhere and have no Dealer at all? My Life essence wouldn¡¯t even circulate properly  if I did that.¡± he snapped, took a deep breath and added in a quiet voice.  ¡°It would mean giving up and just being a regular person.¡±


    Darius ran a hand through his hair but didn¡¯t press the issue further. He knew there was nothing he could say with any chance of convincing Alley to do that. There was a better chance he could get his friend to give up his hook than his Cards.


    Darius kept an eye out for the weird ghost girl for the rest of the trip but he didn¡¯t see her again.  He did see another stream of migrating MuckDwell dragons but the captain of the fishing vessel gave them a wide berth. Something that was a lot easier to do when in possession of charts that logged the path the monsters were most likely to take and when.


    Otherwise, it proved to be an uneventful few days at sea before they arrived at some nameless cove less than a day''s walk from the township of Rak at the edge of the Rakino swamp.


    It might not have any sign of human habitation or even use but the little cove was certainly a lot more inviting than the sheer gray cliffs further north had been. And besides Darius actually kind of liked traipsing through mud.


    The pair of boys bid the folk of Ashton¡¯s Lookout farewell, promising to visit their little crescent-shaped island again one day soon.


    ¡°So,¡± Said Darius, shooing away a hand-sized dragonfly. ¡° Are you going to congratulate me?¡±


    Alley, who was slightly ahead, shot a quizzical look over his shoulder at his friend.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Darius grinned as he replied. ¡° I didn¡¯t so much as leer at the captain¡¯s daughter that whole trip.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t an accomplishment.¡± Said Alley with an amused snort.


    ¡°The hell it¡¯s not, she was basically topless the entire time, floating about the ropes and masts like some sort of rigging fairy.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a lot like you were leering at her.¡±


    Darius felt his face heat a little, Alley had him there he had to admit.


    ¡°Well¡­I didn''t get caught leering.¡±


    The pair of boys laughed and crested the top of the muddy bank. In the distance, they could see Rak town only a few miles away as the crow flies. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t crows and it was basically all waterlogged marshland between them and the town.  There was a road of sorts that curved near the coast and was only a few hundred muddy yards away. It wouldn¡¯t be a direct route to their destination but both boys agreed it beat continuing through marsh all day.


    ¡°You know.¡± Said Darius as he paused to inspect a pool full of tadpoles. ¡°When I imagined adventuring with you, I thought we would just skip stuff like this by riding a Manifested monster. I know they only last like an hour each, but still.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience my curse causes you,¡± Alley said sarcastically

 Chapter Forty Four: Preparations [Rakino Wetlands]

    King Of The First Epic. I am not one to put over much stock in the names of a Deck. Yes, yes many have an imposing name or scary custom back but these things don¡¯t matter in truth. Yet I confess when he spoke those words I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand straight.


    The Audacious Deck Builders Guide To: Ocean, The Silver Sea


    Chapter 44: Preparations [Rakino Wetlands]


    Alabaster


    The boys arrived at Rak town just as mid became late afternoon. They probably could have arrived a lot earlier and definitely could have arrived a lot cleaner if the pair of boys hadn¡¯t repeatedly stopped to investigate local wildlife, hurled clumps of mud at each other and otherwise pulled harmless pranks.


    The cheerfulness of Alley and Darius quickly showed itself to be very much at odds with the dour township. There were people on the street, but not many and they all kept to themselves. There were open businesses, but the customers went about their business quickly and without chitchat. After growing up in the close knit community of Valeton, and then spending a few days in the hospitality of Ashton¡¯s Lookout the grim air of the town was a little confronting.


    ¡°Is it just me or is something¡­up with this place?¡± Said Alley as they made their way along the muddy main street. The boys had passed a number of hollow-eyed militia in rusted armor, both at the eastern gate they had entered and patrolled the streets. Though Alley thought patrolling was perhaps a generous term, given the way the town¡¯s defenders sat slumped or meandered about with lowered heads.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this last time I was here.¡± Replied Darius with seriousness, which he usually only exhibited on a hunt.


    ¡°Something has gone very wrong.¡± Continued the red-headed boy. ¡° You can see it from the houses.¡±


    ¡°The houses?¡±


    Darius nodded. ¡°There are more houses than there are families to fill them.¡±


    Looking around Alley quickly realized his friend was right. Rak Town was big, easily the second biggest settlement Alley had ever set foot in but at least half of the homes stood empty.  While there was nothing obviously wrong, something had definitely decimated the town¡¯s population, and if Alley had to guess it was within the last few months.


    It made him think about the words of the voice in his cloak. ¡°It''s not Luck It¡¯s Doom.¡±


    Was it somehow possible he was dragging a cloud of bad luck around with him? Ever since he had left Cursed Isle Alley had been thrown from one disaster to another, and the grim vibes he was getting from the half-abandoned town were making Alley think it was about to happen again. It didn¡¯t seem all that plausible, but at some point, he would have to accept it was more than mere coincidence.


    That day was happily not today as the issues the town was experiencing were many months old and purely economic. At least according to the old lady who ran the ¡®inn¡¯ they took rooms at. It was really just the converted front half of a larger wooden house owned and operated by a lonely old widow.


    She was a friendly sort, and under-charged as the business which she had named ¡°The pleasant Afternoon¡± was clearly more of a hobby. It didn¡¯t bother either boy as she was a more than passable cook and an excellent source of history on the area. Apparently, the Rakino swamp had been a source of plentiful and unusually high-quality bog iron. Had being the operative word there. Over the last few years, the swamp had produced less and less, until now finding even a single deposit had become a rare event.


    So rare in fact that the townsfolk who hadn¡¯t simply abandoned the town had become possessive and covetous. Guarding their finds with a jealousy that had fractured the shrinking community. In a roundabout way, this had made the Rakino undead, or ¡°swampizens¡± as the old lady called them, more dangerous than they had been. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It wasn¡¯t that the monsters had gotten any stronger. But with the bog iron deposits drying up the men and women who prospected the swamp had to venture deeper and deeper into the swamp. On top of this with less wealth to go around these prospectors were going out in smaller parties. Finally, with the town¡¯s economy in freefall, they had been reduced to a single elderly Deck Wielder who could hardly be expected to keep the monster population down on his own.


    Having arrived as late as they did the pair of boys had no intention of entering a swamp full of roaming undead today. Instead, they availed themselves of the old lady''s bathing facilities and homely cooking before heading into the town in search of supplies and further information.


    During the voyage back to the mainland the pair had agreed they would Dust Karieto¡¯s Blood Gem Card, as while the boys had some coin, they were far from wealthy, and trading in some Earth and Greed Dust would go a long way towards filling their wallets.  At least that had been the theory. To Alley¡¯s surprise and Darius¡¯s utter annoyance Rak Town didn¡¯t have a Dust Trader anymore.


    If the supplies required to explore the nearby wetlands were on the expensive side, something Alley was increasingly confident was the case. The meager funds in their possession were probably not going to cut it.  From what he had read on the subject that was the paradoxical nature of economics. The less money a town had, the more things there usually cost.


    ¡°Did you catch that old lady¡¯s name?¡± Asked Darius as they explored the grim settlement.


    ¡°Yeah, It was Ilsa. What about it?¡±


    ¡°That.¡± The redheaded boy explained ¡°is a Frostlander name. I wonder if she knows some recipes from the homeland.¡±


    Alley shot Darius his ¡®shit-eating grin¡¯. ¡° We can only hope not.¡±


    The response prompted a punch in the arm from Darius, who proceeded to list at length all the many Frostland meals he felt would change his friend¡¯s mind about their cuisine. Much to Alley¡¯s chagrin, this continued until they eventually found a store that looked like it would fit their needs. The ¡®Iron Monger¡¯s Claim¡¯ was a prospecting supply business though it quite fit Alley¡¯s imagination of how such a store would look. Instead of things like picks, and Resonance or Life Essence fueled digging machines. The warehouse-sized shop was mostly divided between floor space for rafts, dinghies, and tiny barge-like boats, and a pen for little dog-sized pigs.


    ¡°What do you think they are for?¡± Asked Alley before leaning into the pen to pat one of the animals.


    Darius tilted his head and narrowed his eyes as he considered. ¡°I¡± He eventually said. ¡° Have no idea.¡±


    The boys didn¡¯t have to wonder long as a portly middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair, and a clean-shaven face approached. Alley assumed he was the store¡¯s owner. Though from the greeting he gave, the man hadn¡¯t won the position on the strength of his customer service.


    ¡°Oi, you leave the pigs alone! They don¡¯t work less you know their command words anyhow, you steal one, an it will just bite you an run back here.¡±


    The boys shared a quick look before Alley replied. ¡°Well that¡¯s uhh good, but we are new in town and wanted to look at some supplies for exploring the swamps.¡±


    At the words ¡® new in ton¡¯ the man¡¯s demeanor visibly shifted, and he cheerfully introduced himself.


    ¡°Well in that case it''s a pleasure to meet you boys. I¡¯m Ron Monger an this here is my claim.¡±


    The portly owner looked at the boys for an awkward moment with a smile that seemed to say ¡®Do you get it?¡¯ Alley forced a polite laugh at the pun. Darius on the other hand thought it was simultaneously the cleverest and funniest thing he had ever heard.


    The store owner was more than happy to show the boys around the enormous store and explain to them anything they wanted to know about bog iron prospecting. The pigs which were called Pygmy Oresnouts and they used some sort of connection to the Resonance in metal to sniff out the bog iron for their owners. They were also well out of the boy¡¯s price range and not something they were shopping for.


    Once Ron discovered the teens weren¡¯t interested in hunting for iron he cooled off again considerably but didn¡¯t quite return to the rudeness of his original introduction. There was still some profit to be made off of the two of them even if the majority of his products were of no interest to the pair.


    In the end, they couldn¡¯t afford to purchase the knives, maps, resonance flasks, or waterproof bedrolls they wanted. They did however manage to rent a raft they could pole through the wetlands, and purchased some more swamp-friendly boots. Ron¡¯s mood seemed to change at the draw of a card, but the shopkeeper was a good source of information about the topography of the Rakino swamp, and where the Undead were historically found in the greatest numbers.


    The boys left the Iron Monger¡¯s Claim with enough coin for three extra nights of food and board at The pleasant afternoon. If they didn¡¯t find anything in the heart of the swamp and quickly,  Alley knew they were going to have to move on whether this place proved a good source of Cards or not.

 Chapter Forty Five: Morality

    To Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas


    My dear friend, please know that I hold you and the other Heads in the highest esteem. You have been an advisor, a mentor, a rival, and a friend. I know that you have only pursued this course of action as you believe it is our best chance of survival. Once more I implore you to reconsider. The seers of the Void Summoner Guild are certain you will only speed our doom and create something near as dangerous as the chaosbound themselves.  In the spirit of politeness, I will address the nature of your last communication. No, the Void Summoner guild will not add our support or power to your experiments with the Creed children. We will seek our savior with the same techniques and knowledge that has served us safely for a thousand years. In fact, should you refuse to cease this project I will have no choice but to remove The Void Summoner Guild from the Final Peak Alliance. We will retreat to a fastness known only to us and continue our own efforts to find the other side of the void.


    I await your reply with bated breath, though I fear I know what you will have to say.


    Atticus Zheng


    Grand-Summoner


    Chapter 45: Morality


    Soren


    Soren Creed was contemplating the nature of morality. It wasn¡¯t that he was concerned his actions had been somehow incorrect; Soren had attained godhood, if barely; He was no longer subject to questions of right or wrong. Any action he took by virtue of his divinity was morally correct. While that meant he rarely took the time to justify himself before making a decision, looking back at the actions he had taken through a philosophical lens could be a fun exercise.


    That was what he was doing now. Looking back at the last few days of his pilgrimage on foot. It had been a novel experience. Of course, even when he made no effort to avoid the natural obstacles of the area it was far from the authentic pilgrim experience. The mud beneath his feet and the way the plant life fought his steps was mildly interesting, but things like parasitic insects and dangerous wildlife actively fled his presence.


    The family of farmers he had encountered on the outskirts of some little mucklander shanty town had been the sort of rural friendly that one rarely encountered outside of stories.


    Soren had come stalking out of one of the heavily wooded swamps that gave the Mucklands its name onto land that was both surprisingly firm and well-maintained. Now with a little bit of distance from the river table, he was essentially on a plain of wet grass.  The plain was divided up by primitive wooden fences turning it into a series of damp paddocks that played home to packs of geese and those little miniature hut things peasants raised bees in.  At the center of the paddocks was a little cottage of mud walls and a thatch roof.


    ¡®They really love their thatch around here. So primitive.¡¯


    The blonde god hadn¡¯t known whether to think it was quaint or pathetic. Before he had much time to consider the idea he was accosted by a friendly greeting. A middle-aged man of tan complexion and brown hair exited the cottage carrying a covered basket.


    ¡°Ho Stranger.¡± He called before placing the basket on the back of a small cart sitting in the shade of a tree near the building. ¡° You picked the right time to visit, we are about to sit down for lunch!¡±


    Soren tilted his head and watched the man approach like he was inspecting a pinned butterfly.


    ¡°Though from the look of you, I¡¯m thinking you¡¯d like to use the bath house first¡±


    The man whose name was Veltek lived here with his wife and eleven-year-old daughter. The three of them made a living raising animals in the rare piece of solid land. The little family unit was in the midst of preparing to be away for a week so they could attend an event called The ¡®All Isles Festival¡± where they would barter their wares, and enjoy the various festivities, which would include regional tournaments for both True and Trials Decks.


    If Soren had to guess the event was what his god was leading him to. After all, it stood to reason that the most powerful people and Cards in this primitive land would be on display at such a festival. So he had requested to join Veltek and his family on the trip. Marveling at how little Soren ate they had gladly accepted, so long as he wasn¡¯t afraid of a little hard work along the way.


    The god had assured them he wasn¡¯t and that it was the least he could do after they had replaced his robes and shoes. He hadn¡¯t added that what they considered hard work was nothing to his fifth-rank form. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    So after confirming that some neighbors who weren''t going to the festival this year could check in on the flocks while they were gone, the small family and quietly bemused god left the morning after Soren arrived.


    The farmers informed him they would take their wagon to a small dock about three days'' travel away. Once there sometime over the next few days, a barge operated by a family they had dealings with would take them the rest of the way upriver.


    The trip had started off pleasantly enough even if the trio had proven themselves unbearably dull conversationalists. It was a little after the wagon had settled down for the first night in a thicket near the packed dirt the Mucklanders called a road that the trouble started.


    These people might be boring but they were kind and hard-working. So when Veltek had brought out a small idol and led the family in prayers around it Soren was a little bit crushed. He instantly recognized the little statue of Zoen The Fae. A similar if much larger one adorned the back left corner of the Hall of Dead Gods back home in the school of the Heaven-Seekers.


    Not only was Zoen dead and thus unable to answer prayers, but the man had been an utter failure of a god.  Hundreds of years ago he had gone out into the world at only Soren¡¯s own rank and gathered followers from among the uneducated by convincing them a Walking God was the pinnacle of creation and that he was truly divine.


    ¡®Tch¡±


    Even with all the faith he had gathered from fools like this farming family, the man had been unable to cross the boundary to Rank Four and truly begin ascending the pillar of divinity. Soren didn¡¯t remember many of the details of how Zoen The Fae had died almost seven hundred years ago but there was one fact about the dead god¡¯s history that had stuck out to him. He had been slain by a Trials Deck wielder. An end so ignoble it was laughably far from divine.


    Seeing people still worshiping Zoen more than five hundred years after his death was sickening.


    Soren had initiated an exchange of ideas hoping to convince them of the error of their ways. It wasn¡¯t that he wished to win them over to his own faith. The CreedBound had limited use for ones such as these. The idea of people¡¯s faith being sent into the void to feed nothing at all was simply something he couldn¡¯t abide by.


    Crushing the logic behind their beliefs had been simplicity itself. Not only was their cult a scattered remnant of a thing that could hardly keep Muckland farmers well educated but Veltex¡¯s understanding of debate techniques was more than a little lacking. Eventually, the farmer had kindly but firmly stated that his faith was his and his family¡¯s business and no amount of logic even from such a learned young man would ever shift their beliefs.


    That was when Soren had twisted the man¡¯s head so it faced backward. Soren and by extension, the world had no use for the wilfully blind. Moving on to the farmer¡¯s wife and daughter the former priest had attempted once more to make them see sense. It hadn¡¯t worked and by the time the sun had come up, he was alone in the thicket.


    The daughter in particular had stood out in Soren¡¯s mind. She had known he would kill her and had been given a blunt and obvious choice between renouncing the faith of her parents or joining them in the afterlife. Setting her shoulders and taking a deep breath the child had declared she would never abandon her faith.


    Soren didn¡¯t feel bad for killing the girl, but as he sat at the end of the little wharf the farmers had described to him the god resolved that the next time he found himself in such a situation he would take more time with it. While scholars the world over agreed worshiping a dead god was stupid at best and extremely dangerous at worst they didn¡¯t all agree how one should best deal with the deluded.


    They absolutely needed to be stopped lest they infect others with their delusion, but Zheng had written that it could take half a lifetime to break the teachings of a whole one. Perhaps it had been unreasonable for him to expect the farming family to see the light so quickly.


    ¡®If there is a next time I take them with me, at least for a while.¡¯


    He hadn¡¯t been wrong, everyone who had ever placed a hand on the pillar of divinity agreed on that front, and other scholars simply weren¡¯t qualified to comment. He was a god, morality flowed from his divinity into the world. While he wasn¡¯t infallible, when it came to right or wrong in a moral sense Soren couldn¡¯t make mistakes.


    Taking the mule-pulled wagon he had continued the journey. It wasn¡¯t a complicated route to the wharf the family had described to him. In fact, there was only one road so after another day and a half of travel Soren sat at the end of a little dock of rotting wood watching a flock of local birds.


    The brown and white avians swarmed over the old-growth trees that shaded the edges of the wide green river he overlooked. Without taking to the air it was a little difficult to gauge but Soren was fairly certain this was the river that ran the length of the Mucklands and acted as the source of most of the hundreds of smaller rivers and streams that spread throughout this country like veins in a body.


    Soren¡¯s considerations were eventually broken by the approach of a barge crewed by a family of four. He was relatively certain it was the very boat he was waiting for and raised a hand to signal the vessel. Pulling up to the warf a boy of about ten leaped from the barge to tie it off. Moments later an older man with red and white hair came striding over.


    ¡°Veltek couldn¡¯t make it huh?¡± Asked the man glancing around. Soren shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he and his family had a crisis on the road, they asked me to take their wares on to the festival.¡±


    The man nodded and offered a hand to shake.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leshy Knots, and as long as you promise to be less boring to talk to than Veltek we will be happy to have you along.¡±

 Chapter Forty Six: Books

    To Grand Summoner Zheng


    My former friend. It crushes me to hear you once more spurn me and act as though what is a command was a mere request. You and your cowardly seers will hand over what we require for The Creed Project. If you then choose to flee to some far-off fastness and cease to matter in the world we will not stop you. However, The Void Summoner Guild has enjoyed the fruits of the Final Peak Alliance since its inception. You cannot simply wash your hands of us because you were outvoted on a matter you feel passionate about. Hand over the Wings and we will let you go any day you wish, but should you attempt to shirk your responsibilities the alliance will have no choice but to destroy you.


    Please even if you do not trust these experiments you once trusted me. Give us the Wings.


    Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas


    Chapter 46: Books


    Alabaster


    While the prospector¡¯s perspective on the swampland was extremely helpful, Alley couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that there was more going on here. While his knowledge of the Undead mostly came from piecing together scary story fragments, Alley had never heard of naturally occurring Undead. Such a thing very well may exist, but he had a feeling that it would be even rarer than the necromantically raised version of the monster type.


    With that in mind he had insisted they take what was left of the afternoon to do some research on the local history. Alley¡¯s hopes had soared when he realized Rak had a public library. Those same hopes had taken a pretty significant blow when the boys had approached the building and Alley saw a sign hanging on the door that said ¡®Opens when Natasha wakes up¡¯.


    Fortunately this late in the afternoon the surprisingly young librarian was awake. Awake and exceedingly drunk. The woman had initially tried to refuse them entry so she could lock up, presumably to continue drinking unimpeded. The boys had only managed to gain entry by promising to do the woman¡¯s chores for her, and then some.


    This was how Alley found himself sitting at a table in a closed library with half a dozen historical tomes the size of his head laid out in front of him. While he poured over the books a less than enthusiastic Darius was using the head of his spear wrapped in cloth to dust the tops of high shelves. Over at the front desk, Natasha sat drinking the foulest-smelling brandy Alley had ever encountered while she shouted increasingly vague instructions to the redheaded boy.


    Alley wouldn¡¯t exactly call what he was reading interesting but by the time the stars had come out he thought he¡¯d found the likely source of the Undead. Hundreds of years ago a rich woman with an intense passion for both botany and alchemical experimentation had built a mansion out in the swamp. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The books disagreed on what exactly had happened, but some sort of cataclysmic tragedy had swept through the mansion. It had apparently been either a fire, an earthquake, or an alchemic experiment gone wrong. Whatever had happened, everything Alley read suggested the road to the mansion had mysteriously vanished mere days after whatever tragedy had befallen the place.


    That all sounded very much like the kind of place that would spit out Undead to Alley.


    With the librarian long since passed out Darius had redirected his energy into finding treaties on spear techniques. By the time Alley as ready to leave he had found a book and a scroll, both of which the boy stuffed into his backpack.


    ¡°You are just going to take those?¡± Asked Alley with a raised eyebrow.


    Darius shot a quick look at Natasha who was draped over the desk before shrugging.


    ¡°It is a Library¡±


    Alley snorted at the obvious theft, but didn¡¯t protest further. He doubted the librarian would notice or even care if she did. On the other hand the old lady Ilsa cared very much that the boys weren¡¯t on time for dinner, giving them a hearty scolding upon their return. Alley was a little confused why it mattered as she was serving a Frostlander style cold soup anyway.


    Darius managed to placate the woman by speaking to her in Frostlander, which pleased her so much she insisted on making them dessert.


    Planning on collecting their rented raft and heading into the swamp before the sun rose, the boys returned to their separate rooms to get an early night. Laying in the dusty old bed that dominated his rented room, Alley turned the information he had gathered over in his mind. It might all prove to be an utterly useless waste of time but Alley was basically making up hunting Undead as he went and his instincts told him this was a resource he could find value in.


    ¡°You know,¡± said Alley the next morning as the boys used polls to propel and guide their raft. ¡° For a swamp full of Undead this place is a bit¡­¡± Alley made a circular gesture with one hand as he searched for the word ¡°vibrant.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± said Darius looking around¡° Even the name meaning bad day seems weird, this place is almost idyllic.¡±


    It was true. While there were trees and tall reeds enough to obscure the waterways ahead the Rakino swamp possessed a light airiness to it. Especially compared to the massive and ancient trees that turned day to night in the swamps of Alley¡¯s homeland to the north. Colorful insects fluttered between flowers and fruiting vines while equally colorful birds Alley didn¡¯t recognize pursued them.


    ¡°Lotta mosquitoes though.¡± They both agreed in unison.


    Alley¡¯s research suggested the ancient mansion was probably somewhere near the western edge of the swamp¡¯s heart. It was an area people apparently stayed away from due to the high density of undead, the low density of bog iron, and strange plants that somehow caused you to lose your way.


    Both boys had agreed that even if the mansion proved to be elsewhere, that sounded like a good place to start some Deck Building. Of course, they still didn¡¯t know how one created a Card from an Undead creature, but they would play that card when they drew it. For now, finding a group of living dead was challenging enough¡­..Or at least that''s what Alley thought until all around the raft a swarm of rotting men burst from the water.

 Chapter Forty Seven: Swamp Zombies

    Chapter 47: Swamp Zombies


    Darius


    Darius had a lot of respect for Alley¡¯s skills and knowledge. Even with his Deck Curse Locked the dark-haired boy was fast, stronger than he looked, and had a sort of knack for getting out of trouble on the fly. The fact still remained that Alley was presently further from his home island than he had ever been. The boy lacked real-world experience and was certainly no hunter.


    So when six rotting figures burst from the water around the raft Darius was in motion a second or two before Alley even realized what was happening. It wasn¡¯t that Darius had expected this but the way the birdsong and other sounds of the wetlands had tapered off as they polled down this particular waterway had clued him in that something dangerous was nearby.


    With barely a wasted motion Darius tossed his river poll aside and kicked his spear which had been lying across the deck into his now free hands. The weapon was a primitive thing of wood, leather, and bone. Something that belied its penetrative force and durability, it was after all a magical weapon. Not in the way a linked item made with Resonance dust was but the more classical use of materials that had absorbed Resonance from unusual surroundings or had been heavily exposed to Resonance crystals.


    The zombies came at the raft from all directions, pale gray hands clutching at the wooden sides of the flat bottomed vessels. It wasn¡¯t really a very good strategy for getting at the boys as the zombies were extremely vulnerable while they pulled themselves out of the water.


    Without their arms to defend themselves with the monster¡¯s bald or lank-haired heads were easy pickings for Darius¡¯ spear or Alley''s hook. The real danger was that the raft would become destabilized if they couldn¡¯t get the zombies away in short order.


    Forgoing a flourish the redheaded boy got to work, shortening his grip on his spear Darius thrust through the face of a bald zombie before twisting himself and the weapon to hack into the neck of another. Behind him Alley had ripped the throat from one of the monsters with his hook and was presently trying to stomp kick another back down into the water.


    Evidently, zombies didn¡¯t need to breathe as the one Alley had de-throated hauled itself onto the raft and lunged at the dark-haired boy.


    ¡°Back Left!¡± Yelled Darius using the basic combat code the boys had developed as he twirled his spear to take a pair of grasping arms from another of the waterlogged creatures.


    Without a word or a moment of hesitation, Alley reversed his grip on his hook while he spun on the spot, coming around to drive the tip of his hook into the throatless zombie¡¯s temple. This it seemed was enough to stop the undead thing as it collapsed bonelessly onto the deck of the raft. Darius knew the trick to a spinning attack like the one Alley had delivered. Both boys had been taught it at the same time by Darius¡¯ father. It might look like the person who did it had some near-supernatural level of perception to aim their attack blindly like that but it wasn¡¯t the case. Whilst still turning you quickly glanced over your shoulder and adjusted your attacking weapon as you did so.


    On the downside, this had left Alley¡¯s hook stuck in the head, but with only one and three-quarters of a zombie left Darius had no problems dispatching them.


    After recovering their river poles, Alley directed them to stop at a grassy little island without any trees that was barely thirty yards away. Darius was curious about why his friend wanted to pause here given they were on something of a timeframe here. He didn¡¯t bother saying anything though, Alley would tell him what he was scheming sooner rather than later. The dark-haired boy loved to show off how smart he was and wouldn¡¯t be able to resist explaining his thought process. Besides if Alley had some fancy reveal planned Darius didn¡¯t want to step on his toes.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It turned out there was no dazzling display of intellect to be had, Alley just wanted to watch the defeated Undead for a little bit. That proved a more interesting activity than Darius had anticipated. After only a few minutes a strange helix of Undeath Resonance began to flow together from the separate pieces of sliced up zombie. Alley made an interested noise and sat down on the bank, pulling a book and charcoal pencil from his pack to make notes. Darius raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Where did you get that book?¡± The red-headed boy asked already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Like you said it is a library,¡± Said Alley with a grin.


    While his friend made note of what he observed as the six zombies resurrected, Darius made ready to defend the tiny island. The different chunks of zombie were pulled by the Resonance helixes slowly back together. It seemed like the more destroyed the corpses were the longer the process took, but within ten minutes of being slain all six zombies were shambling their way through neck high water towards the pair of boys.


    ¡°You know.¡± Said Daris shaking his head. ¡°These things are kind of a pain in the ass.¡±


    Alley snorted with amusement but didn¡¯t look up from the notes he was taking.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay by yourself?¡± Asked Ally who evidently couldn¡¯t spare thirty hectic seconds to help his friend keep them alive.


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± Replied Darius dismissively, calling forth the four cards that made up a Trials Deck Hand.


    With his deck in the equation, the group of monsters was almost disappointingly easy to deal with. Once they were all dead on the shore of the little grassy island Alley sprang to his feet. Still taking notes he approached the group of vivisected Undead.


    ¡°No Crystals inside them,¡± said the dark-haired boy chewing a lip. ¡°How do you think you get Undeath Resonance Crystals?¡±


    Darius shrugged in response. His parents had never had a use for hunting undead and thus had never taken him hunting the monster type. A fact he quickly relayed to his friend along with a very blatant.


    ¡°I have no fucking idea.¡±


    After a few more minutes of poking and prodding at the slowly resurrecting zombies, Alley wrapped a bit of his creepy cloak around a hand and leaned down to try and turn one of the zombies into a Card. To the shock of both boys not only did it work, but the Dealer¡¯s Card creation effect stopped the resurrection process in its tracks.


    Rather than immediately inspect the Card like Darius expected him to Alley kept watching the remaining group of still reanimating zombies.


    ¡°Come on, let''s get out of here.¡± Said Alley in a tone that told Darius his friend¡¯s experimentation had only just begun.


    Once they were on the move again the boys checked out the card they had created and found it more than a little wanting. Still, Darius supposed it would prove a quick and easy way to evolve a Card for Alley¡¯s own growth, otherwise, he was pretty sure the Creature Card had hardly been worth the meager effort of acquiring it.


    That didn¡¯t seem to deter Alley though, quite the opposite in fact. The dark-haired boy was practically twitching; he was so full of creative energy. As per usual he kept Darius in the dark for all but the first stage of his plan.


    ¡°Okay so it will take an hour for my Dealer¡¯s creation effect to reset, but that''s okay. In the meantime, I want to lead as many of those zombies as I can back to that little island.¡±


    Darius knew there was no point asking, just like he had mused before the boy knew his friend got too much of a kick from revealing his schemes at the ¡®right¡¯ time. The hunter asked anyway.


    ¡°What the hell for?¡±


    The only answer Alley gave was a ¡° You¡¯ll see.¡± While he grinned from ear to ear.


    The hour his Deck was useless had passed at least an hour ago when Alley declared they had gathered up enough undead. It was about fucking time as far as Darius was concerned. Keeping the monsters both following the raft without actually catching it had mostly fallen to the Knots boy. This mostly involved shoving the dead men and women back with his river pole or throwing rocks at their rotting heads if they fell too far behind. It was not a challenging task, at least not initially. Before long the little raft had close to twenty zombies on its heels and herding the monsters had become exponentially more difficult.


    Still, once the swarming horde of dead people had been gathered together Alley grinned once more at Darius.


    "Now for step two, we kill them all...again."

 Chapter Forty Eight: Field Experimentation

    Undeath Resonance naturally seems to move in helices, not balls.


    A ball was still created during the Card creation process.


    Dealer able to interrupt resurrection process by creating a card.


    Could Undead function similar to hive Cards? Zombies at least?


    Journal of Alabaster Roe


    Chapter 48:  Field Experimentation


    Alabaster


    Alley had a plan¡­of sorts, more like an idea or a feeling if he was entirely honest with himself. While it had come as a surprise that turning a zombie into a Card had proven only slightly more complicated than a regular monster, Alley didn¡¯t want to fill his Library with weak common creatures. He would if that was what he needed to in order to have a Deck full of Cards he could actually play but he was certainly hoping to avoid it.


    Watching the pile of zombies and the strange behavior of the Resonance inside them when they were slain had inspired an idea for an experiment with the nature of building his Deck. It was an experiment Alley felt confident would work. Yet even he had to concede there were two potential issues that he should be concerned about.


    The first being that should his plan not work Alley and Darius would need to bid a hasty retreat from the area around the little grassy island lest they end up surrounded by reforming Undead. The second concern which was so immediate it should have been Alley¡¯s first and only worry, was that he had pulled together a swarm of almost thirty of the walking corpses. Every one of which was presently giving its best effort to reach and tear apart the pair of boys.


    ¡°So we need to kill them all and stack them in a big pile before the first one down resurrects.¡±


    Darius who was busy trying to fend off the encroaching monsters with a river pole shot Alley an annoyed look over his shoulder.


    ¡°Hack up thirty zombies and put them all in a neat little pile, in what ten minutes?¡± Asked the red-headed boy in a way that made it abundantly clear it was not a real question.


    ¡°After that, I¡¯ll tie them up with a nice ribbon.¡±


    Alley let out a little laugh at his friend¡¯s faux irritation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say the pile had to be neat but a ribbon would be nice.¡±


    Darius shook his head ruefully while Alley continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover your swap to the spear when we hit the bank of that little island which is in¡­.five, four, three¡± Alley finished his countdown just as the lip of the raft struck mud. At the same moment, both boys dropped their poles. Alley whipped his hook-chain out from his belt in a single drawing motion. The bladed weapon flew past Darius as the hunter repeated his trick of kicking his spear up into his hands. A few winters back he had tried to teach Alley to do the same, but while he was able to not stab himself in the face he had never quite gotten comfortable with the skill.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Alley had his own tricks anyway. With a single smooth motion, he pulled the hook from his belt and flung it into the face of the zombie closest to the back of the raft. Rotting flesh parted easily as the curved blade impacted the monster. Alley had learned his lesson from fighting the zombies earlier in the day and opted to target heads when normally he would aim for necks or arteries.


    The dark-haired boy hoped that one attack would be enough to stop that monster but he didn¡¯t stop to check. With the large group of Undead closing in he didn¡¯t have the time be admiring his own work. The zombies were disappointingly fast, slower than say a warrior but their movements were hardly ¡®shambling¡¯. Fortunately, Alley had accounted for this, beaching the raft on a section of the little island that was particularly muddy.


    Moving through the chest high water already put the Undead horde at a significant mobility disadvantage, now when they climbed onto the island in an attempt to assault the raft they would find it a slippery and uneven affair.


    With a flicking motion Alley yanked the hook back into his hand and proceeded to use it more like a curved machete than the thrown weapon it usually was. On the other side of the raft, Darius had activated his Deck and got to work slaughtering the Undead with astounding efficiency.


    Alley had to admit he forgot sometimes just how dangerous his friend was. Darius liked to act a bit goofy and was easily the least successful flirt Alley had ever seen. None of that changed that he had been hunting some of the most dangerous creatures the world had to offer his entire life. It showed itself clearly in the way he fought the zombies, even after having only fought one small group the hunter had adjusted how he engaged the monster type.


    The zombies might not be slow exactly but neither were they fast compared to the honed reflexes of the two boys. The height and stability advantage of the beached raft, and the fact that the zombies attacked near mindlessly from only two directions and were unarmed quickly turned the encounter into a slaughter.


    Six minutes later when the last zombie was a twitching mass on the ground the pair of boys had only suffered a few scrapes and bruises. Most prominently Alley had a rapidly developing black eye and Darius had a number of welts where his frostscale cloak had blocked an attempted bite from one of the monsters.


    Both boys were breathing hard and covered in a thick layer of sweat from having hacked through rotting people like they had been chopping blocks of wood. Still, Alley insisted they rush to complete his plan.


    ¡°Go go now! Get them into a pile at the top of the bank. ¡°


    Darius let out a sigh but still joined Alley as he leaped off the raft. The slippery bank that had helped them fight the zombies now became an obstacle for the rushing pair. If anything their footing was even more treacherous than it had been for the swarm of monsters as they hadn¡¯t needed to contend with the gore of their own remains.


    The pile was far from perfect or complete and both boys were covered in grime and stagnant blood, but they managed to get a hasty mound of corpses together before the zombies had truly begun to pull themselves together. The strange flows of helical Undeath Resonance were starting to connect the dismembered bodies but as long as he was quick that was all according to plan.


    Still panting Alley rushed to the disgusting mound of slowly writhing corpses mentally activating his Dealer¡¯s ability to create Cards and pressing it into the mound. Immediately the cloak began to glow before the shining teal light flowed from the clothing into the body he was touching the most. If his plan failed a normal Resonance orb would fly into the air and create an image of the single zombie Card.


    If his plan worked something else would happen, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what. Alley had never created a hive Card before and only had a rough idea of how the process was supposed to go. Doing it with a swarm of Undead was even further outside the purvey of his studies.


    ¡°Well that''s a good sign.¡± He said eyes shining with excitement. The light of the normal Undeath Resonance seemed to be a shifting purple similar to the torches that had burned within the buried castle. The helixes linking the corpses however was quickly changing to the same teal light that Alley¡¯s Crown Of The Cursed King seemed so fond of.

 Chapter Forty Nine: Swamp-Rotten Horde

    To Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas


    You would destroy us for access to Heaven''s Wings? We will not fight you over them as the artifact belongs to the alliance, we are merely its present caretakers and we of the Void Summoner Guild seek to break no oaths. I must once again advise caution, however. I know you believe the ¡®blank¡¯ nature of the spirit within makes it safer than other artifact Dealers and perhaps it is. Yet none alive have studied this item more than I and I have concluded that intellect without personality represents its own set of unique dangers.  The courier of this message should have also brought with her my own research notes on Heaven¡¯s wings. I pray they aid you, and that my fears on this and every other matter we have discussed prove to be the unfounded worries of an old man.


    Atticus Zheng


    Grand-Summoner


    Chapter 49: Swamp-Rotten Horde


    Alabaster


    ¡°Wait so its just making all thirty of them into one Card? That is so unfair.¡± Said Darius watching the slower than usual process of Card creation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it with everything.¡± Replied Alley a little sheepishly. ¡°It only works on monsters that are like a herd or a school of fish or something, they are called Hive Cards.¡±


    Darius looked a little dubious at the explanation. ¡° And these guys are a herd?¡±


    Alley shrugged before crouching down to watch the creation of his new Card more closely.


    ¡° I guess so, there is a Card in my Library that is a horde of zombies which gave me the idea.¡±


    Darius stuck the but of his spear into the soft ground and crouched beside his friend.


    ¡°And you can do this like once an hour right?¡±


    Alley shrugged again.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So unfair. Do you know how fucking hard it is to make a Trials Card?¡±


    Alley blinked and stopped fishing in his pack for his notebook. He actually didn¡¯t know how that process was achieved and had never really thought about it. Learning as much as he could about the nature of True Decks had kind of dominated his thoughts over the past few years.


    ¡°Actually, no. How does that work?¡±


    Darius played with the little metal bar that pierced his ear as he searched for a way to explain. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You know how spell frames work?¡±


    Alley nodded. ¡° Sure you store them near something that produces lots of Resonance of the same type as the frame, eventually it fills with the Resonance and then you expose it to some sort of significant event like a war or whatever, and the frame imprints and spits out a few copies of the spell. ¡°


    Darius looked for a moment like his eyes were going to glaze over but he managed to snap himself out of it. ¡° Right, making a Trials Card is sort of the same, my body fills up with Resonance, Pursuit in my case. Then I go do something epic and in theory, a Card will be created. At my rank, I can do that about once every six months.¡±


    Alley winced a little at the explanation, in theory he could create twenty three Cards in a day. Granted Darius could always trade for or buy Cards off of other Trials wielders but they would have to be Pursuit cards for them to be of any use to the boy.


    ¡°And you evolve Cards the same way I do with extra copies?¡±


    Darius scrunched up his face for a second.


    ¡°Thankfully no. I kind of do the same thing I would to make a Card but instead of making one I have to use it while I¡¯m full of Resonance to achieve something¡­¡± The Red-headed boy made a ¡®so-so¡¯ motion with his hand. ¡°Like the same, or conceptually the same at least.¡±


    Alley thought he understood, though the nature of Resonances and Harmonics was such a varied thing he would be a fool to think he had ever grasped it entirely.


    Take for example the pile of zombies, best Alley could tell there was no hive mind or herd mentality between them, yet apparently they harmonized enough to form into a single hive Card. The process was fascinating to watch. As the teal light moved along the helixes of Undeath Resonance it seemed to burn the bridges behind it, pulling the resonance out of each corpse it passed through, and absorbing the helixes connecting the bodies.


    ¡°I gotta tell you Darius, that fucking sucks.¡±


    The red-headed boy snorted with amusement. ¡°Oh, I know. I need to evolve at least one Card to rank up, and I won¡¯t get the chance for at least another month or two.¡± He let out an exaggerated sigh of wistfulness. ¡°Winning Challenges to unlock the next rank was waaaay easier. I literally lined up six guys who thought they could beat me and whooped them one after the other in a single afternoon.¡±


    Alley laughed though he believed it. Darius had always said that was his plan to rank up once he was strong enough; Go to the famously violent town of FrostMaiden¡¯s Fall, find some brawlers, make some bets, and get the challenges. It was honestly a good plan and had apparently worked a treat.


    After about twenty minutes the glow receded, the resonances vanished, and an image of Alley¡¯s newest Card resolved into existence.


    Swamp-Rotten Horde, No cost, 1500 Power, 1 Vitality. Undeath, Hunger, Bloom


    The image vanished leaving behind a single Card atop the pile of slaughtered zombies. Reaching down, Alley snatched it up and showed his new acquisition to Darius.


    ¡°I wonder what it does?¡± Pondered the hunter.


    ¡°No Idea.¡± Replied Alley. ¡°With a bit of luck, I¡¯ll find out next Challenge.¡±


    There was also the possibility that the monster had no effect at all, but Alley doubted it. The picture depicted on the Card, the Resonances, and even the name Swamp-Rotten Horde all suggested that it was the same archetype as the Endless Horde Card Alley already owned. That had an effect, a fairly powerful Crypt ability that synergized well with the Land Manipulation spell City of the Doomed and Rotten and he was almost certain this Card would do something similar.

 Chapter Fifty: Hedge Maze

    Chapter 50: Hedge Maze


    Alabaster


    Alley wasn¡¯t yet ready to head back into town, in fact he was pushing that they keep searching for the hidden manor even if it meant spending the night in the swamp. He was expecting Darius to protest on the grounds of the risk posed by the zombies in the dark. Of course Darius could see in the dark so his warning turned out to be much more mundane.


    ¡°Mosquitoes will eat us alive if we camp out here Alley.¡± He said with surprising seriousness. ¡°Like just cover us in bites.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem like such a big deal to Alley, but he accepted that his friend had experience on his side and agreed to meet him halfway. It was a little past midday, they had plenty of supplies for a few days out here if they needed them. So the hunter agreed that if they could find the mansion before the sun started to set they would spend the night in it, if they couldn¡¯t the pair would head back into town. Apparently, even that was pretty bad form by the standards of your average hunter.


    Two hours later the pair of boys found themselves floating atop a mid-sized pond where three waterways met, staring at a gap in an overgrown wall of densely packed plant¡­of some kind. Alley didn¡¯t recognize or really know how to describe it. A single shrub-type thing that had been allowed or encouraged to grow thick and tall enough to actually prevent passage. It honestly looked like if he managed to scale its fifteen-foot height the top would be able to support his weight.


    It certainly fit the description of a ¡® huge and strange plant¡¯ which along with a greater density of Undead were signs they were closing in on the ruined mansion. However, all of the accounts Alley had read suggested the plants he was looking for caused you to become disorientated and this shrubbery thing wasn¡¯t putting out some sort of hallucinogenic pollen or whatever it was that got you all turned around.


    Still, after weighing their options the boys concluded that while it might not be what they were looking for, it was certainly something and worth at least checking out. After all, the mansion being the source of the swamp¡¯s Undead was just a theory. Whatever that source was, Alley was hungry to find it. Something out here was making the zombies, he was certain of it.


    The idea that a population of Undead had been simply introduced to the Rakino swamp and managed to remain just seemed unlikely to him. Even with their ability to resurrect they simply could not have maintained their numbers. If the records were to be believed the monsters had haunted the swamp for centuries and surely in that time they would have been destroyed by local or passing Deck wielders, or even just burned to ash. Alley hadn¡¯t tested the claim that fire could destroy the Undead yet, but he was confident it would work.


    So whatever out here was raising and releasing zombies Alley wanted to know all about it. While he had no intention of becoming a tower-dwelling necromancer like in so many spooky tales. The idea of potentially utilizing the Undeath Resonance that would start to flow through his veins when he reached rank eleven had been bouncing around in his head. Alley had almost no use for a Card made out of a regular monster, but what if he could raise something he had slain as Undead and make that into a Card?


    ¡°You know you are going first right?¡± Alley said, turning to his friend. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Darius leaned over to get a better look into the shaded interior beyond the strange wall of plant.


    ¡°What happened to Sword, Hammer, Canvas?¡± asked the redheaded boy dubiously.


    ¡°No way, I can¡¯t Manifest, you can still Enhance. So you are sure as fuck going first into creepy places like that.¡±


    ¡°I hate you.¡± Grumbled Darius but there was no venom in his words. The Hunter let out a long nasal exhale and hefted his spear before leaping from the raft onto the small bank of reeds before the opening.


    Stalking into the gap in the organic wall both boys kept their weapons at the ready. What they found was a strange corridor created by another poorly tended plant wall that soon turned sharply into even more of the plant corridors.


    ¡°Oh fuck me!¡± Darius suddenly exclaimed as the boys carefully advanced. ¡° This is a hedge maze.¡±


    Alley gave his friend a questioning look. ¡° I know what a maze is, but what''s a hedge?¡±


    ¡°That.¡± Darius said as he pointed at the strange plant walls. ¡° this type of plant though usually it''s nicer looking and more blocky looking.¡±


    ¡°And we are in a maze made of this stuff?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure, yeah.¡±


    ¡®Plants that disorientate.¡¯ mused Alley before giving his surroundings a closer inspection. If someone made a maze presumably they wanted to protect something, but why make it out of plants? Surely a more secure building material had to be available. When he asked Darius about it the other boy had shrugged and informed him it was really more something rich people made for fun rather than an actual defensive measure.


    Moving through the maze the boys began to encounter the swamp zombies once more. Initially, it was just one or two at a time that were easily dispatched. Feeling conflicted, Alley held off on turning any of the monsters into Cards. The zombies were easy enough to kill and escape before they resurrected and Alley had a feeling he would regret it if he allowed his Deck to lock up for an hour just for a weak zombie Card.


    The deeper they got into the maze, the denser the groups of Undead became. While still not in large enough numbers to truly threaten the pair they were slowly being worn down by the semi-constant assault of the rotting monsters. An issue that would only intensify if they couldn¡¯t find their way to the other side of the maze. The option to retreat was always open as the boys had made sure to mark their path as they progressed, but at this point, neither was willing to let what was essentially an untended garden get the better of them.


    Eventually by a process of marking off dead ends, squeezing through massively overgrown corridors, and trying to follow a single wall as long as they could, the pair of teens made their way to a huge stone staircase rimmed by ornate railing that had been overgrown by some sort of vine. That same vine had since contracted some sort of plant illness, as it was deep into the process of rotting alive, its damp biological smell filling the air.


    At the top of the stairs the maze ended, opening up into a large and strangely well maintained lawn which stood before a huge stone residence.


    ¡°I think we found your swamp manor.¡± Said Darius. His voice was kept a whisper as patrolling that lawn was a monstrosity of bones standing at least ten feet tall. It¡¯s was vaguely human shaped, but had been heavily augmented by metal plating and blades seemingly bolted directly to the bone of the giant.


    ¡°I think you might be onto something there.¡± Said Alley with a grin. He had never been more glad to have listened to his instincts. Whatever this bone creation was, Alley was certain he both wanted it as a Card and probably wouldn¡¯t survive if he let it resurrect.

 Chapter Fifty One: Bone-Golem: Groundskeeper

    Chapter 51: Bone-Golem: Groundskeeper


    Darius


    Darius had to admit he felt a little unprepared. It was not a sensation he was exactly familiar with and he didn¡¯t like it. Darius might seem on the surface like he treated both hunts and fights with the same tongue in cheek, seat of his pants nature he treated everything else but it wasn¡¯t quite true.  What allowed the eldest Knots child to act like that and get away with it was an almost obsessive level of practice and preparation. Even now he drilled with his spear or went on little practice hunts in the early mornings before Alley woke up.


    On top of that was the nature of his spear itself. The weapon was versatility incarnate, effective at multiple ranges including thrown. It was the perfect weapon to harass a foe from a safe distance while still possessing enough stopping power to threaten almost any type of monster or enemy.


    Almost being the operative word there. The huge creature of bone and rusted iron looked like a strong reminder that even his Ancient spear needed organs or flesh it could target. It hadn¡¯t been an issue against the zombies and Darius had overlooked the possibility that when hunting Undead he might encounter something with no active weak spot at all.


    How exactly was one supposed to hurt something like that? A really big hammer maybe? The creature wasn¡¯t anywhere near the largest thing Darius had ever fought, even the MuckDwell Dragons dwarfed the thing. Those were all living beings though, this was ten feet of monster bones mashed into the vague shape of a person and then reanimated. Not to mention the four-foot iron blades extending from its forearms and knees.


    The pair of boys crouched low on the staircase watching the bone-creature stride back and forth on the grassy plateau before the towering columns at the entrance to the ancient-looking mansion. The monster had yet to spot them, and unless Darius missed his guess the thing had a rather small field of vision in general. There might be something there. A potential weakness to exploit.


    ¡°Any thoughts on how we bring that thing down?¡± Asked Darius playing with the little Dealer piercing the top of his ear.


    Alley slowly turned his head to give his friend an incredulous look.


    ¡°Me?!¡± He whisper-yelled. ¡°You are the hunter.¡±


    Darius made a little ¡®pweh¡¯ sound. ¡°I don¡¯t hunt Undead, and you are the one who has the Deck with Undead in it!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Alley hissed back ¡°I¡¯ve had this Deck for like two and a half weeks.¡±


    Darius wasn¡¯t going to admit that his friend had a point, though he did. Especially not when he had the perfect strategy to bait Alley.


    ¡°So you¡­don¡¯t have a plan?¡± Asked Darius raising an eyebrow.  Alley went silent and tongued his cheek for the better part of thirty seconds.


    ¡°I might.¡± He eventually conceded. Darius was all but certain that his friend had simply spent the time he was quiet coming up with something but whatever it was probably beat crouching here all afternoon while they got absolutely mauled by mosquitoes. Something he had actively warned Alley would happen. Being right didn¡¯t make him any less itchy and Darius was keen to get inside the massive building.


    ¡°Well, what is it?¡± Prompted Darius. Alley¡¯s face split into that annoying grin he did when he thought he was being particularly funny or clever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I just need you to get and keep its attention.¡±


    Darius looked at his friend flatly.


    ¡°So your plan is I¡¯m the bait.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The hunter sighed and slipped his pack off.


    ¡°Yeah, Dad likes that plan too.¡±


    Concentrating briefly Darius activated his Deck. The Pursuit Resonance in his Dealer and inside himself wasn¡¯t exactly geared towards defense. It was in the name after all ¡®Pursuit¡¯. Darius honestly thought he was just a tiny bit faster when chasing something than any other time, his mind felt clearer in those moments too.


    Still, he wouldn¡¯t be much of a hunter if he couldn¡¯t mix things up when the situation called for it. He glanced down at the four Card images that hovered near his left hand.


    ¡®Top Of The Food Chain, Bone Tooth Necklace, Dawn Hunter¡¯s Tusk Breaker, Perfect Instinct¡¯


    It was a strong draw and if he had been fighting a person or a monster with fucking organs he would be extremely confident in his ability to win and win quickly. Against this thing, Darius still wasn¡¯t so sure, though the nature of his hand had boosted his confidence a little.


    Top Of The Food Chain and Bone Tooth Necklace probably weren¡¯t going to be much help, as the first Card drove away Predators and the second gave him a boost in power for each creature he had run down in the last day, at present that number was zero.


    ¡®Gotta remember to start charging that in the future.¡¯ He chided himself. It was the last two Cards Darius had drawn where things started to get special.


    Trotting up the stairs surprisingly didn¡¯t attract the attention of the bone monster but the moment Darius set foot in the grass of the lawn plateau it turned towards him. Somehow the stiff mechanical way it reorientated itself was creepy in the extreme. It also reminded Darius of the movements of clockwork Mechkin that was in desperate need of maintenance.


    ¡°Well come on then,¡± Darius called to the monster. ¡° Show me what all the fuss is about.¡±


    The monster exploded into motion at the same time that Darius began to sprint to the right, away from both the monster and the stone stairs Alley still occupied. While its movements were stiff and a little awkward the bone thing¡¯s long legs allowed it to cover ground with deceptive speed.


    Once he had drawn the monster far enough away from the stairs that he felt Alley could do¡­whatever it was he was planning to do Darius let the bone creature almost catch up to him.


    Predictably the monster lunged the last few feet, reaching out in an awkward attempt to stab at Darius with both rusty arm-blades.


    Ducking low the hunter changed directions and easily slipped past the attack, but before he could take advantage of the opening the monster launched into a furry of mechanical thrusts. Darius danced directly backward for two steps as he activated a card.


    ¡°Dawn Hunter¡¯s Tusk Breaker!¡± He declared bending his knees and digging his feet into the ground to halt his backward momentum. It didn¡¯t work as well as he hoped as his boots slipped a little on the damp grass but the Card activated and Darius managed to avoid falling over. Even it once more cost him the opportunity to begin counterattacking.


    While it wasn¡¯t the hammer he thought would be the best option against a monster like this, the Dawn Hunter¡¯s Tusk Breaker had a much better chance of being useful than his spear. Shifting like rushing liquid in his hands the ancient spear rearranged its components into a thick-headed, bone-handled axe almost instantly.


    With this Darius felt confident he could crack and eventually shatter the bones of the monster. He just needed to survive long enough to find another opportunity. Easier said than done. The skeletal monster¡¯s attacks might be jerky and awkward but they were mechanically relentless.


    Hopefully whatever Alley was doing would work soon, but the hunter wasn¡¯t willing to rely on that for now. Besides what could be a better distraction than a genuine attempt to kill the creature?


    Gripping his axe two-handed Darius smashed one of the thrusting blades out of his way. Using the shift in momentum granted by the collision with the bone-monster¡¯s arm blade the red-headed boy launched a huge swing at the chest of the tower creature.


    To his irritation, the bone monster possessed more sense of self-preservation than the zombies he had been fighting this morning. With an audible creak of its joints, the monster brought one of its legs up so the blade on its knee could intercept the axe swing.


    Bone and stone met rusted metal with a clang then shriek as the knee blade was bent out of shape by the far superior [Ancient] Weapon. That was encouraging, the way the monster didn¡¯t react other than to realign its bladed arms and begin its stabbing assault once more.


    Darius¡¯ eyebrows rose sharply and he found himself on the backfoot once more. What a frustrating enemy, it attacked constantly with the arms while leaving the leg blades ready for defense. So even as Darius knocked aside attack after attack he found actually landing something significant on the creature. The axe was just a little too cumbersome to truly take advantage of the brief openings he could create, but the spear likely wouldn¡¯t have the stopping power he needed.


    Darius was working to create a little bit more distance between himself and the monster so that he could make use of his superior agility to attack the monster from more favorable angles when Alley¡¯s plan finally kicked in.


    It was a good thing too as Darius was beginning to consider using ''Perfect Instinct'' the Card he considered his Deck''s ''final emergency measure'' and would cost him far too much life-essence to activate again should they encounter something even more serious inside the mansion.

 Chapter Fifty Two: Tripped Up

    Chapter 52: Tripped Up


    Alabaster


    Alley finished internally counting to six and broke into a sprint. He had been crouched on the stairs while his friend got the attention of the towering¡­Bone-Golem? He had never seen or even heard of a golem made of bone before but if he had to imagine one this is what it would look like.


    Before Darius had even moved at all Alley had been unwinding his chain from around his body. If this was going to work he was going to need every inch of the CoreSteel links he could get.


    Out of the corner of his eye Alley could see his friend fighting the monster and he had to stop himself from pausing his run to watch the display. The speed, accuracy, and power of Darius never ceased to impress him. Granted his friend was being pushed back but for a human teen to be even holding his own against the bladed Bone-Golem seemed like insanity.


    ¡®Okay step one.¡¯ Alley thought to himself as he skidded to a halt at the closest of the stone columns. Finishing the process of unwinding the chain from around himself, Alley looped it around the faded white stone. The blade of the hook slotted into one of the links acting as a lock on the noose of metal now around the column.


    Step one had been the easy part, step two called for him to sort of whip the chain around the monster at multiple points. In theory that would be a lot easier using the hook end, but Alley didn¡¯t have time to secure the chain in a satisfactory way without it. So chain lasso was just going to have to do.


    Alley had less practice with just the chain without the weight of the hook, so it wasn¡¯t quite the extension of his body he was used to but he was still confident he could use the chain as a lasso of sorts. Looking at the surging monstrosity he didn¡¯t think one loop was going to disable the creature enough.


    ¡®Okay, so I can¡¯t let the chain loop more than once per joint.¡¯ If he did the length would reduce too quickly, and the monster wouldn''t be sufficiently impeded.


    That meant getting extremely close to the creature, but so be it. The Monster had its bladed hands full with Darius and his transformed spear anyway. Holding the chain in both hands, Alley took off running again. For perhaps the hundredth time he regretted how much he had resented all the running his parents made him do. They had been absolutely right, surviving in the wider world beyond Cursed Isle meant running. Lots and lots of running.


    Accounting for the way he would skid on the wet grass Alley turned his feet and arrested his momentum, at the same time whipping the chain out two-handed so it wrapped around the monster¡¯s neck, doing a full loop once before the dark-haired boy snatched it out of the air. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A small snag developed in Alley¡¯s impromptu plan; The monster spun to face him almost immediately.  The Bone-Golem¡¯s movements were jerky and mechanical but they weren¡¯t slow. The moment the monster laid its empty eye sockets on the dark-haired boy it launched into a flurry of thrusts with its bladed arms.


    It was just the sort of opening Darius had been waiting for. While Alley hurled himself into a backward dive and then roll, the hunter lunged forward to plant his primitive-looking axe into the golem¡¯s upper back. Naturally, the monster turned and faced the source of this damage, allowing Alley to loop his chain around one of the golem¡¯s knees.  Once more it turned after the CoreSteel pulled tight. This monster had a sort of autonomy to it that the zombies were lacking, but it was still seemingly extremely stupid. Allowing itself to be caught between the two of them and reacting to every attack from either, rather than picking a direction and breaking out.


    ¡®Almost like a machine.¡¯ Mused Alley as he watched bone chips fly from where his friend slammed the axe into the creature¡¯s back again. Despite the Bone-Golem¡¯s power and durability, the tide was clearly turning in their favor. Before long the monster¡¯s movements had become too impeded by the chain to truly fight back.


    Alley had fully expected to have to run back to the pillar and knot the hookless end of the chain, or failing that he thought he would have to maybe pull the chain in an effort to trip the monster up or slow it down. With the way it had sort of just stood there responding to each attack from the boys in turn, such an effort had been unnecessary. Alley had just kept roping the monster up with a chain that even its prodigious strength had no hope of breaking.


    The timing couldn¡¯t have been better, once the monster was practically immobilized Darius brought his axe down in a massive overhead chop onto the gap where the monster¡¯s nose would be if it was alive. Bone fragments hit the air once more, but in far greater numbers as the bone-golem¡¯s skull exploded from the force of the blow. No more than five seconds later the massive hacking axe reverted back to Darius¡¯ spear, which Alley suspected would have had a far harder time actually hurting the monster.


    Panting the boys shared a wordless fist bump before Alley activated his Dealer. The monster had collapsed lifeless onto the wet grass but already Alley could see the shifting purple of Undeath resonance flowing in those tiny helixes between the shattered remains of the skull.


    ¡®Yeah, That is quite enough of that.¡¯


    Pressing his cloak against the corpse Alley let out a little breath he didn¡¯t realize he had begun to hold when the Card creation effect activated.


    ¡°Now.¡± He said as the pair of boys watched the Resonance orbs fuse into the Card image before the Card itself was created. ¡° help me get the chain unwrapped from this thing.¡± Redirecting his gaze down to the chain-wrapped bone monster Darius let out a sigh.


    ¡°Next time can you tangle it up less?¡±


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll just let you get carved up.¡± The boys shared a quick laugh and got to work on the chain after Alley snatched the still warm Card up and drew it into his Dealer¡¯s storage.

 Chapter Fifty Three: The Oathkeeper

    Chapter 53: The Oathkeeper


    Armon


    Deep within Asley Manor Armon¡¯s consciousness stirred. The wraith had been in a form of hibernation in order to preserve the Undeath Resonance in the area. A powerful and fully sentient monster Armon had elected to enter such a state once he had realized Lady Asley could animate almost a hundred zombies for almost ninety years at the cost of keeping him awake for a measly two days.


    The fact that he could feel the tiny spark of his awareness blooming back to full strength and his wraith form flowing into the full body suit of plate armor he had worn in life could only mean one thing. It was the same thing it had meant when he had last awoken three decades before, or the time fifteen years before that, or the time before that, or before that. Someone skilled or clever enough to make it to the manor house itself was trespassing on his lady¡¯s grounds.


    His fusion with the armor was now complete Armon stretched, but it didn¡¯t help. Maybe it was the centuries of being dead, or perhaps it was this his physical form was now made of metal. Either way, Armon had a stiffness to him that no amount of work could loosen.


    If he could frown at himself he would have. There was no point in thinking about irrelevancies like his own personal discomfort. Armon had a job to do and an oath to keep. As was always the case when he awoke Armon found himself in a dark stone tomb that acted as the honorbound crypt for Armon and his brother knights in the service of Lady Asley.


    It lacked the grandiose nature and sprawling carved walls of the Honor¡¯s Rest sepulchure; One of the few places from his life that he could remember clearly. Yet the crypt was a fine shrine to Armon, his brother knights, and the oath they shared to defend this place and its lady.


    A small bust of how each of the three men had appeared in life stood before a standing sarcophagus and each knight¡¯s sword and suit of plate mail hung suspended on a rack in the approximation of a human being. Except of course for Armon¡¯s suit which he was presently inhabiting.


    Approximating a deep breath Armon extended his recently awoken perception along the twisting lines of Undeath Resonance that permeated the ground, the water, and even the air around the manor.


    There was a sizable gap missing from the web of actively woven Resonance that powered the various defensive monsters of Asley Manor. Armon concentrated harder bringing the web into greater focus within the swirling energies that acted as his mind. Someone had destroyed the groundskeeper. Not defeated and then bypassed as had happened on occasion before. If that were the case the web would already be pouring Resonance into the massive bone golem¡¯s body to resurrect the creature. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    No, the monster had been destroyed. If the wraith had to guess that meant someone had turned the groundskeeper into a Card. That was unusual, yes more often than not the people who trespassed within his lady¡¯s domain were Deck wielders. None before had been able to turn an Undead monster into a Card.


    ¡®Their Dealer was designed for Undeath Resonance? How odd.¡¯ It was the only explanation that made sense to the wraith, but he was still surprised by the conclusion. In both his entire life and the centuries since Armon had only ever encountered one Deck with Undeath Resonance, and that was the Lady Asley¡¯s.


    If he could have sighed he would have. Armon knew he should have expected this eventually, it was the impossible and escalating nature of his oath. He was sworn to defend the lady for as long as she lived and despite everything she was most assuredly alive. Honestly, that was the problem; Reality abhorred when a living being interacted with Undeath Resonance, even more so when that being had the Resonance flowing through their Life Essence.


    The unnatural nature of the Resonance of the dead being handled by its very antithesis inevitably built up Doom. The invisible and barely interactable Resonance was considered by many to be the opposite of Luck. The reading Armon had done in life suggested it was more like a gap in the natural order of things that slowly widened until the offending person fell through it.


    He could not separate his lady from the Undeath Resonance, and he could not stop the Doom build-up. The only thing Armon could do was give his all to defeat the threats to his lady as they came. One day the sheer amount of Doom would draw an opponent he had no hope of defeating, or perhaps unleash some natural disaster on the manor. If that day was today the wraith knight would face his destruction with blade in hand and heart light with knowledge he had done all a man could do and more to keep his oath.


    Throwing the cloak that was really an ethereal part of his ghostly form over one shoulder Armon offered a nod to his sleeping brother and stalked up the stone stairs out of the little crypt. As he moved the wraith extended his awareness once more, but this time he added a tiny portion of the Undeath Resonance that fueled him mixed with his own will.


    When the fused Resonance touched the web of energy that connected the Undead defenders, it was absorbed by the greater Resonance system. Though it was no longer connected to Armon he was still aware of the tiny portion of himself. It was riding along the flowing helixes of invisible Resonance throughout the manor.


    Room to room the little spark or resonance carried Armon¡¯s will and command to the numerous undead monsters that were in various states of hibernation within the structure. First, it flowed through the rooms and halls of the first floor, then shot directly to the attic, and out onto the grounds. Next, it took a twisting route back into the manor, eventually entering every room of the huge building and finally the huge greenhouse that dominated the hidden courtyard at the manor¡¯s heart.


    In its journey, the spark of fused Resonance encountered dozens of the monsters it was seeking delivering to each the same simple command.


    ¡°Rise, Rise, and defend your home.¡±

 (BONUS CHAPTER)Chapter Fifty Four: A Brief Experiment

    Is Undeath Resonance truly the opposite of Bloom Resonance? Perhaps it is, the strange way their Resonance orbs repel each other has led many researchers to conclude such. I however am not so sure. Do not magnetic stones repel each other in much the same way? One would not call them natural opposites.


    -"Field" Journal of Lady Clataire Asley


    Chapter 54: A Brief Experiment


    Alabaster


    Having finished wrapping his light but basically unbreakable chain back around himself, Alley made the decision to detach his hook from the chain. Looking up at the mansion before him the dark-haired boy could easily imagine himself tripping over the chain while fighting a zombie or something in a cramped room or corridor in the building. The place might be a towering mansion of stone and wood but it looked to Alley like someone¡¯s home. People¡¯s homes had things like chairs, tables, beds, and knickknacks. All objects that could catch an errant chain at an inopportune moment and cause Alley all sorts of problems.


    No longer breathing hard the pair of boys kept their guards up as they stalked up the wide staircase in between the stone columns that lead what could only be the main entrance.


    It was a rotten double door that must have been quite the sight to behold in hay day. The remnants of fine carvings that Alley thought depicted a flourishing garden adorned the lower half of the old wood, and what was definitely a spread-winged owl at the top.


    Darius narrowed his eyes and started playing with the little piercing in his ear as they approached the door.


    ¡°You think we need to be on the lookout for traps?¡± asked the redheaded boy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Alley replied with a shrug. ¡°This place looks more like a big house than a fortress and who would put traps in a place they intend to live?¡±


    Darius seemed unconvinced. ¡°Maybe the same kind of person who has that thing just strolling around their lawn.¡± The hunter gestured at the remains of the bone golem as he spoke.


    Alley grinned ruefully and had no choice but to concede the point.


    It turned out the old double doors were not in fact trapped, but Alley didn¡¯t regret the wasted minutes they spent checking it. The last time he had been in an ancient structure rage and grief had clouded his judgment and it had almost cost the boy everything. He was more than happy to take things slow and cautious, particularly as the sun would be setting soon.


    While that wouldn¡¯t bother Darius, Alley had no intention of pushing into the dark. Not  when he could probably find a secure room and set up camp there till the morning¡­that was going to mean sleeping in watches.


    ¡®Did I mess up?¡¯ Alley mused to himself, it had seemed like such a grand idea to forge onwards and find this place on their first day out in the swamp. The implication that it would mean a wet uncomfortable night with zombies lumbering around in the dark only now occurred to him.


    Past the double doors was an entrance hall that had probably once been well-lit and inviting. This was very much no longer the case. Lined up against each wall were large clay pots filled with earth. Whatever plant had once occupied them had been utterly subsumed by creeping vines that poured in from a shattered skylight above and covered basically everything from ceiling to floor.  Alley thought he could make out a set of reclined chairs, but it could just as easily have been an unusual growth pattern among the strangling plants. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Rubbing his black eye, Alley let out a little sigh and started picking his way through the plants. There was more than enough room for the boys to advance side by side so they didn¡¯t bother arguing over who went first this time. Both were however more than happy to voice other complaints as they approached an overgrown pair of smaller doorways and what looked like one of those raised cellar doors that opened diagonally downwards.


    ¡°I keep imagining these vines coming to life and strangling us.¡± Said Darius as he carefully picked his feet between the overgrown plant life.


    ¡°Oh I know, me too,¡± replied Alley with a grin. ¡°Every step I take I think I''m seeing the damn things move.¡±


    The door closest to Alley burst open in a manner that was absolutely not imaginary. The skeleton of a man surged out of wielding a pitchfork. While animated dead things were already strange enough, this one took oddity to a new level. Visible in its rib cage was a small glass case filled with dirt. From that dirt, a thorny rose plant had grown up through the skeleton to bloom a pair of flowers from its eye sockets. Like the skeleton, the plant inside it was long dead but refused to accept it. The flowers were wilted and stank of decay, yet they sent out puffs of visible pollen with each of the Undead monster¡¯s movements.


    If anything the vines across the ground were even more of an impediment for the monster than it was the pair of boys. The skeleton tried to come rushing towards Alley thrusting its rusted farm implement, but instead tripped and fell flat on its plant-covered head.


    Alley and Darius shared a brief look of shock before diving on the prone creature. It tried to rise but before it could so much as orient itself the boys had hacked the skeleton and its rosebush passenger to pieces.


    Naturally, the twisting Undeath Resonance began to reassemble the weird skeleton within minutes, just as it had every other monster they had encountered in the Rakino swamp. This time however Alley had almost an entire hour left to go before he could turn the skeleton into a Card.


    ¡°Look at this, ¡° Said Alley pointing at the process. ¡°The Undeath Resonance is working on the plant too.¡±


    ¡°O¡­kay?¡± Replied Darius clearly not understanding or caring.


    ¡°Someone did this, it''s like an experiment and I think it worked.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all,¡± said the ever-practical hunter. ¡° But what are we going to do about the monster?¡±


    Alley considered for a moment before using his hook to separate the skeleton¡¯s foot from its leg. ¡°I have something I want to try, give me a hand with this body.¡±


    Taking care to avoid the weird rose, the pair of boys carried the main portion of the skeleton out across the wet lawn and tossed it down the stairs that led up from the hedge maze. They then hurried back inside to observe the separated foot.


    Not long after they entered the room smaller bone fragments began to slide towards the manor¡¯s entrance, dragged along by the shifting purple Resonance of Undeath.


    The foot however was secured by Alley¡¯s hook chain looped around a pillar at the center of the room the skeleton had originally come from. Initially, the hook had no issue holding the piece of bone it was crammed through, but soon the helixes of Resonance began to grow thicker and thicker. The pull on the chunk of undead growing greater and greater. In less than a minute the foot was floating in the air straining to fly towards its owner with impressive force.


    While Alley had no concern the Resonance could overwhelm his father¡¯s chain, made as it was from metal dug from the very center of the world after being tempered by thousands of years of Pressure and Earth Resonance. The same could not be said for Alley¡¯s hook. It was made from regular old iron.


    As if empowered by Alley¡¯s worry the foot chose that very moment to break free, cracking the hook in half in the process. The thick lines of Resonance dragged the bone out the door with the speed of a bowstring snapping back into place.


    ¡°So what exactly were we trying to prove with that?¡± Asked Darius with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The upper-stress limit of your hook?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Muttered Alley as his face went pink.

 Chapter Fifty Five: The Secret Garden

    Chapter 55: The Secret Garden


    Alabaster


    Earlier in the day Alley had considered whether he had made a mistake by insisting they press on to the mansion. Now that the sun had set and he had spent the last hour fighting a series of running skirmishes through the decrepit old mansion against perpetually resurrecting Undead creatures. Alley could empirically say that yes he had made the wrong call on that one.


    There were a few things going the way of the boys. Namely the strange plant-hybrid Undead were just as imperceptive and dull witted as the more regular Undead outside. The pair of boys had managed to lure around ten of the living dead into a combination library and laboratory where they had trapped the monsters by toppling four of the five bookshelves.


    Alley was confident it wouldn¡¯t keep the skeletal-plant creatures contained for long but it had given him and Darius enough time to lose their pursuers. Now he and Darius were hiding in an attic they had found on the top floor of the crumbling old mansion. The entrance to the attic was a trapdoor that opened downwards into a large parlor room.


    The pair had secured it behind them with Alley¡¯s chain. The CoreSteel would hold against just about anything even if the monsters managed to figure out where they were. If only he could have said the same about his bladed hook. Alley had been treating the tool like it was just as indestructible as the chain it was attached to and it had cost him.


    In theory, Alley should have another two spare hooks that he had packed when this adventure started. Unfortunately, they like so much else the boys had brought with them were either lost to the bottom of the ocean or in the hands of whoever had stolen Alley¡¯s boat.


    After they were confident nothing was following them or lurking in some dark corner of their refuge the pair of boys gave the attic a more in-depth inspection. Honestly, Alley was a little disappointed, it looked like an attic. Any attic anywhere since the dawn of own attic-kind. There were various wooden boxes, that smelled like musty clothes. No less than three desks in various states of disrepair, and a little altar stuffed into another box full of charms and the like. If he had to guess, Alley would say they were seasonal decorations.


    While he wasn¡¯t sure what he had expected, after the various laboratories, the strange plant and insect specimens pinned behind glass or suspended in viscous fluid Alley had seen so far. He certainly hadn¡¯t anticipated it being so mundane up here. Both boys took care to move slowly and talk only when absolutely needed.


    It was hardly an ideal scenario, especially as the whole point of being here was to create cards. Something Alley obviously couldn¡¯t do while hiding like a rat in an attic. Still after fighting their way through the building he was grateful for the chance to rest. Opting to spend the night up here, the boys carefully rolled out their bedrolls and took turns standing watch while the other slept.


    Once his turn began Alley quickly realized sleep was far too strong of a word for what he was doing. Something about trying to rest while a mansion full of tireless monsters stalked about below looking for you was less than conducive to sleep. If Alley had to describe it he would call what he did dozing at best.


    It was during his second round of ¡®sleep¡¯ that Alley was hit in the eye by a single strand-like sunbeam. Blinking a few times the boy quietly groaned and pulled himself out of his bedroll. His sleep had hardly been restful as it was and now he couldn¡¯t even doze past dawn because of a window. Wait¡­Window? Alley hadn¡¯t noticed one the night before. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Bleary as he was the dark-haired boy still took care to move quietly as he traced the the beam of light back to its source. Darius gave him a questioning look, prompting Alley to hold up a single finger; Indicating for his friend to wait a moment.


    He was right, it was a window and had a glass pane and everything. It was just covered in so many layers of grime and dust that it looked like nothing more than a discolored piece of wall. A view from up high might offer some insight into the layout of the mansion or maybe the location of patrolling Undead.


    Either way, Alley judged it worth the cost in water, so he emptied a half-finished flask onto the sleeve of his cloak and started wiping at the glass he had been inspecting. More sunlight poured into the attic as the grime was worked away. The early morning sun was dimmed by the still dirty outside of the window which Alley couldn¡¯t affect, but the light still felt like a slap in the face.


    Stifling a yawn Alley stood there blinking until his eyes eventually adjusted and he could make out the view beyond.


    What it revealed was a walled garden surrounded on all sides by the mansion itself.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ While it wasn¡¯t like the boys had been actively looking for courtyards or anything, they had run all over the mansion and seen nothing even remotely like one.


    While vines and flowering bushes had been allowed to run completely wild throughout the mansion itself, the garden below held the same signs of meticulous care as the uniform-length grass of the outside lawn.


    Six plots of herbs and flowering plants Alley didn¡¯t recognize stood in neat rows on either side of a stone path leading to the strangest building Alley had ever laid eyes on. Considering he had been to a secret castle buried beneath the ground was saying a lot.


    It looked like a cabin or a family home but made almost entirely of opaque glass. Not only would the cost of building such a structure have been astronomical, but Alley had no clue why someone would want to build something like that.


    Without the protections offered by the mansion surrounding it a glass house would surely shatter to pieces in short order. Maybe the glass was like CoreSteel and had been specifically infused with Resonances that made it more durable? Even if that was the case he still didn¡¯t understand why someone would commit to such a huge expense. So they could do what? See through the walls? No, the glass wasn¡¯t even clear enough for that to work.


    Frowning Alley gestured for Darius to join him. The hunter blinked a single time as his harmonized eyes adjusted to the morning light with unnatural ease. ¡®And he says my abilities are unfair.¡¯


    Creeping over and leaning forward to look through the dirty glass Darius quietly asked why he was looking at a garden.


    ¡°That building is made of glass, it has to be special somehow.¡±


    Darius considered that for a moment before agreeing that it probably was.


    ¡°So what?¡± Asked the hunter. ¡°Aren''t we here to hunt Undead anyway, and besides it might be special but I doubt there is treasure or anything in there.¡±


    Alley found he couldn¡¯t disagree with that logic, whatever was in the glass cabin was probably not something its builders felt the need to protect.


    ¡°I want to go down there anyway. I¡¯m almost certain something in this mansion is making new Undead, and that garden is intentionally hidden for a reason.¡±


    Pressing his nose against the glass Darius narrowed his eyes. ¡° Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°look around, if there is a door or gate it¡¯s disguised as part of the wall.¡±


    He didn¡¯t add that he was just really curious to get a closer look at that glass house.


    ¡°Huh? That is weird.¡± Said Darius after a moment. ¡°So you wanna climb down?¡±


    ¡°I do ¡° Confirmed Alley, who was already moving to collect his chain. ¡°Mind breaking the window for me?¡±

 Chapter Fifty Six: The Last Ditch

    Chapter 56:


    The Last Ditch


    Armon


    Armon couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It should be a good thing that none of the linked web of Undead creatures could find the intruders. At least it would be if it meant that they had been chased off but the wraith didn¡¯t believe that''s what had happened.


    They were still here, he could almost taste the doom they were carrying for his lady. But if that was the case where had they gone? Armon had sent his consciousness out to ride among his defenders as they rampaged around the mansion in search of the interlopers.


    All night they had searched fruitlessly, yet Armon¡¯s sense that the pair of young men hadn¡¯t departed remained strong. It made the wraith knight feel anxious about the amount of Resonance he was wasting. While the energy that animated Armon and his dead compatriots would inevitably build back, it took time and even effort from Lady Asley. Should he be too wasteful Armon feared he would leave her without defenders for months or even years while the Resonance re-saturated the area.


    The wraith knight chided himself for worrying about nothing. He could feel the continued density of the Undeath Resonance that had flowed from The Lady. He would need to spend weeks, maybe even months awake before he risked depleting the local Resonance.


    Still, that sense of worry remained, the very paranoia that had made him so effective at his duties in life and beyond was torturing him now.


    Armon had pulled out all the stops, he had called zombies in from the hedge maze to keep watch over each stair landing. He had awoken the backup groundskeeper to patrol the outside of the mansion. He had sent the skeletal militia that made up the more mundane house guard to systematically search each room of the building.


    After the initial flurry of clashes with the interlopers, none of the defenders had seen a thing. With Armon himself standing guard in the study that held the secret entrance to Lady Asley¡¯s personal garden he should be feeling confident that no news was good news¡­For perhaps the hundredth time since reawakening Armon sent his consciousness out to flow through the web of Resonance that connected and allowed him to control the Undead in Lady Asley¡¯s service. Even if the lumbering creatures hadn¡¯t seen anything perhaps he could find some sort of disturbance in the web, like when he had felt the absence of the groundskeeper. Still, there was nothing but room after room of uninterrupted Resonance lines.


    ¡°Where did you two go?¡±


    Sometimes when you pose a question to the universe it deigned to answer immediately. In Armon¡¯s experience when this happened it was never a good thing, especially when you served a woman who built up Doom with every beat of her heart. This morning of course proved to be no exception.


    ¡°THREAT!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°THREAT!¡±


    ¡°THREAT!¡±


    ¡°THREAT!¡±


    The simplest of all the monsters connected to the web that allowed Armon to command the creatures of the manor were sending the one thought they were capable of along the lines of the web.


    In all the centuries since the lady had lost control of her experimentation and killed the household this was the first time these particular defenders had communicated anything. Truth be told they were closer to decorations than anything, little butterflies and moths that like every other denizen of the manor had died centuries ago. They populated the plants within Lady Asley¡¯s personal garden¡­With a surge of panic-driven speed, Armon hurled his consciousness into the form of one of the flying insects. Its tiny pseudo-mind was utterly overwhelmed by his presence and the little creature would now collapse the moment he left its body. Armon didn¡¯t care, in fact, he didn¡¯t even consider it.


    ¡®There¡¯


    The pair of interlopers had gotten into Lady Asley¡¯s garden by climbing down against the garden walls that lead to the attic.


    ¡®The attic of course!.¡¯


    Armon felt like a fool, no one had used the room at the top of the mansion since before the knight had died, it was no wonder it hadn¡¯t occurred to him but he still felt like an idiot for leaving such a gap in his defenses. Inspecting the walls of the garden from within it once couldn¡¯t even make out the attic window so covered was the glass in the grime of centuries, yet apparently, the two boys who were being steadily called to his lady by her Doom build-up had found it.


    This was a disaster by any stretch of the imagination. Armon immediately sent a command to every Undead in the mansion to converge on the lady¡¯s garden and defend her greenhouse. He knew they would take time to reach it, far too much time. Armon himself could stride through the secret passage behind him to attack the pair of trespassers but that was likely a losing proposition.


    These particular interlopers had proven themselves quick and cunning and that was before one considered the fact that the darker-haired boy had a Dealer with Undeath resonance. He was obviously using a Cursed Deck as he hadn¡¯t manifested anything, but he could still interrupt Armon¡¯s own ability to resurrect himself, which would negate one of the few advantages the wraith had.


    In life Armon had been a warrior of rare skill, in death he was fittingly a mere shadow of his former self. Going out there alone would lead to defeat and defeat would lead to being turned into a Card. Not at all a strategy that was worth pursuing. He couldn¡¯t wait for the zombies and skeletons to get here though. The pair of interlopers were presently inspecting the garden but it wouldn¡¯t be long before they entered the greenhouse.


    That left the wraith knight with only one course of action. One that would cost him dearly both in the locally built-up Resonance and his own personal supply. So great in fact was the cost in Resonance that Armon wouldn¡¯t be able to resurrect himself for months afterwards. Should he be defeated, he would simply fade away. That didn¡¯t really matter right now though, as the pair of boys could stop his resurrection in their own way the risk to Amon¡¯s person was an irrelevant concern.


    Abandoning the body of the flying insect Armon flowed down the web, in the blink of an eye coming to rest in the underground shrine he had awoken in less than twenty-four hours before. With an effort of will the wraith tore an enormous chunk from his own ethereal form converting it back into Resonance and pouring it into the still-sleeping wraith forms of his brother knights.


    In almost no time at all they would awaken and fill their suits of armor like Armon filled his, once they did the pair of wraithknights would surge up the stairs from the small crypt right into the hidden garden at the mansion¡¯s heart. All Armon needed to do was buy a little time till his brothers could join him.


    Returning his consciousness to his ¡®body¡¯ the armored wraith activated a lever hidden in a wall torch and set about to do just that.

 2 day delay

    I need to apologise to everyone as the two weekend chapters aren''t going to go up on time this week. I am presently moving house(its a bit of a shock honestly I wasn''t expecting to for another couple weeks.)The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    So anyway I won''t have the time or the internet to get them out.


    Thanks for the patience and next week will be business as usual.


    -Lon


    RhajshszhewisveiaahdvzisvzifveizbsoZvdjrhsiwbsjzaksidvdievzisbaiwvcugwoabdjz9whzcsihzvwiwhshshs

 Chapter Fifty Seven: Honorable Enemy

    Undeath Resonance and in particular Resonance Crystals of this nature are some of the rarest. Most Resonance Crystals aren¡¯t easy to harvest but they are at least intuitive. Pressure Resonance Crystals can be found in places exposed to great force. Beast Crystals grow within various animals and act as a sort of special organ that either grants the creature some ability or replaces the need for a particular organ or biological process. Almost all Resonance Crystals and their corresponding Resonance can be found or acquired in a manner such as these examples suggest.


    Undeath Resonance though? Does it appear in places where great or numerous necromantic works have taken place? Perhaps but I have heard tell that Necromancy is done via the manipulation of existing Resonance much in the manner of other magics. So then which comes first? The Resonance or the Necromancer?


    -¡±Field¡± Journal of Lady Clataire Asley


    Chapter 57: Honorable Enemy


    Alabaster


    Curiosity and caution were making war inside of Alley, the garden he and Darius had climbed down into was beyond immaculately maintained. Row after row of plants he didn¡¯t recognize sat in plots and pots, complete with handwritten signs declaring their names. Alley didn¡¯t recognize any of the names either but they tended to be long and fancy, he wagered if he asked a regular hedge alchemist they would call the herbs and flowers something a little more mundane.


    A big part of him wanted to inspect the plants, take samples, and take the time to sketch them. The issue was that many of the Undead in this place seemed to be weird plant hybrids. Not the sort of thing that encouraged one to get overly close to the local flora.


    Ever since he had left Cursed Isle a sort of scientific curiosity had ignited inside Alley and he resolved that when he had a chance he would at least take the time to sketch the various plants he could see here. Alley would never be an acclaimed artist but he considered himself pretty good at capturing the essence of a subject. His sister had been the better hand at it, but both of them had spent many an hour with pencil or charcoal in hand while the yearly winter storms ravaged Cursed Isle outside.


    When Alley did move on from his remote inspection of the plants Darius was practically hopping from one foot to the other he was so impatient to explore the glass building.


    ¡°Finnnnnnaaallllly¡± Said the redheaded boy with an exaggerated expression of annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going¡± Alley Faux grumbled back as he tucked his notebook away. Truth be told he could sympathize with his friend. There was something about the odd opaque structure that called to him. Like he just knew that he would find some answer to his questions or magnificent loot within.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Before either boy could follow the path through the center of the garden rows a loud rumbling noise filled the hidden courtyard. Looking about the boys spotted the source perhaps a second later. One of the stone walls that formed a box around the area was in the process of swinging open before the section of the wall had even completed its movement a figure that Alley could only describe as an armored knight strode through the opening.


    The figure was taller than Alley though still within the proportions of a human being. Its height was bolstered by a pair of ornate horns that were seemingly forged as a single piece with the helmet that covered the knight¡¯s face. In his hand was a thing longsword that could clearly be used one or two-handed, and behind him flowed a cloak of ghostly blue energy.


    An oddly polite male voice echoed out from the night as he addressed the pair of boys.


    ¡°Greetings adventurous ones, know that Armon of the HonorBound bears you no ill will.¡±


    He pointed with his sword at the two boys as he moved to put himself between them and the glass structure. ¡° I know you are merely the instruments of Doom and likely bear my lady no true malice, but you have trespassed upon ground under my aegis and it will become your graves.¡±


    Alley blinked a few times at the declaration before letting out a sigh and beginning to unwind his now hookless chain.


    ¡°Yeah¡­okay.¡± he said more to the universe than to Darius or the knight. The words were kind of like a little mantra to help him accept the sheer strangeness of what his life had become.


    Darius let out a snort of amusement at his friend¡¯s words. ¡°At least he is something different, I was getting a little sick of zombies and skeletons. The amount of ooze and bone dust i¡¯ve had to clean out of my hair is insane.¡±


    Alley tilted his head considering Darius¡¯ point. ¡°Yeah, I suppose that¡¯s true¡± Then as he felt a little rude talking about the knight as though he wasn¡¯t there, who oddly had not taken this opportunity to attack Alley offered an apology.


    ¡°Sorry, Armon was it? We aren¡¯t trying to be rude or anything. This has just been a really weird day for us.¡±


    The knight merely nodded. ¡° I am unoffended you may retreat or begin whenever it is you feel comfortable with such a decision.¡±


    That made Alley frown, there was just something about what the man had said that made his brain itch. He could understand and appreciate the whole ¡®Honored Enemy¡¯ thing but the way the man had switched from making grandiose threats to offering them as much time as the boys wanted just felt wrong. Besides, he was outnumbered two to one. In a situation like that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to let your opponents have the momentum unless¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s stalling for time!¡± shouted Alley dashing forward to engage. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize from the things the man had said that he was one of the mansion¡¯s defenders. That meant he was either in league with the Undead population or one himself just of the more advanced sort.


    So of course he was willing to give Alley and Darius all the time they wanted. He had probably sent out some inaudible call to the monsters and was awaiting their arrival.


    Alley was unaware Darius had actually not understood his rushed words, but the red-headed boy saw his friend sprinting aggressively towards a man with a sword and really that was all the information he needed to spring into action joining him.

 Chapter Fifty Eight: A Lack Of Vitals

    Bloom Resonance like all Resonances possesses unique properties beyond the mere creation and use of a Card. One must look beyond the surface to find these properties. Bloom, the Resonance to which I have devoted years of study, is usually associated with plant life or the change of seasons from Winter to Spring. Yet as I learned from my time among the Vestra ¡®Witches¡¯* fascinating results can be garnered when one introduces various amounts of Bloom into other Resonances. In particular one can stimulate the growth of Resonance in the air or even Resonance crystals within a being.


    *I resent the term witch that has been applied to these women even if they use it themselves. They are Botanists and alchemists.


    -¡±Field¡± Journal of Lady Clataire Asley


    Chapter 58:  A Lack Of Vitals


    Alabaster


    Alley wasn¡¯t usually the type to throw himself at his enemies, he preferred to use traps or tricks if he was somewhere familiar, or speed and cunning if he wasn¡¯t. Today instead he found himself playing the role of the aggressor, something he would much preferred to have his hook in hand for.


    Within a few strides, Darius had overtaken Alley. When it came to going in straight lines there really was no outrunning a Knots. The dark-haired boy could see his friend had already activated his Dealer, and the images of four little Trials Cards hovered near Darius'' left hand.


    The knight, which upon closer inspection was absolutely an empty suit of armor gripped its sword two handed and stepped forward to meet its attackers. The Blade deflecting Darius¡¯ spear thrust, and slicing towards the Frostlander¡¯s face.


    Both boys split in opposite directions, Alley going left and Darius right as he ducked under the counter swing. Neither boy had discussed how they would approach this enemy, but they had been fighting and hunting together for as long as either could remember. While they had developed a shorthand code for quick communication, more often than not they didn¡¯t need it.


    There were a couple of ways to use a CoreSteel chain alone as a weapon, but most of them weren¡¯t exactly appealing when facing an armored enemy with a sword. Alley could wrap one or both of his arms or fists and use the chain like an improvised shield. He could back up and use it like a whip of sorts, flicking the end of the chain at the knight¡¯s face.


    Both seemed like poor choices, so Alley had chosen option three; Wrap the knight up like he had the bone golem until Darius could deliver a finishing blow. Already having moved to stop the two boys from pincering him, the knight was clearly a more intelligent enemy than the golem had been. Still, he was also only the size of a man, so maybe Alley wouldn¡¯t need a supporting pillar this time to subdue the undead man. He hoped not at least, as there weren¡¯t any handy stone pillars or other objects within the garden he could use as an anchor.


    Both of Alley¡¯s parents had been proponents of some variation or another of the saying ¡® No plan survives contact with the monster¡¯. In Alley''s experience it simply wasn¡¯t true, if a plan fell apart as soon as the action started it simply meant you hadn¡¯t accounted for something. No, as far as the teen was concerned a better saying would be ¡®no plan is so good it shouldn¡¯t be abandoned when the situation changes.¡¯Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    This plan however fell firmly into the category of not surviving first contact. Using a second assault from Darius as cover, Alley whipped his chain out to wrap around the knight¡¯s left arm. It turned out that despite being much smaller than the bone golem the knight¡¯s strength was comparable to the monster¡¯s. With a single jerking motion, the empty suit of armor yanked the chain and hurled Alley who still had most of it wrapped around himself flying across the garden.


    The dark-haired boy let out a less-than-masculine shriek as he was flung but managed to catch himself in a roll as he landed. This plan was going to need some adjusting. The knight was both supernaturally strong and reasonably intelligent. Even as Alley recovered and dashed back into range, the armored undead kept circling and seeking a way past Darius¡¯ spear.


    Evidently the knight considered Darius the greater threat, as while it reacted to Alley¡¯s presense and made sure not to get trapped between the two of them at least eighty percent of the knight¡¯s focus was on the red headed boy at all times.


    ¡®Should I be offended?¡¯ Alley pondered as he made a lasso out of the chain and sent it looping over the knight¡¯s helmet. The figure didn¡¯t react or even seem to notice, which honestly made sense to Alley. Best he could tell they were fighting some sort of ghostly apparition that was animating an empty suit of armor. If that was the case then why would it care about its head? For such a being the head wasn¡¯t more important than any other part of the suit. In fact, for a being like this one, it was probably less important than a limb.


    The lasso wasn¡¯t intended to actually cause the knight problems. Alley needed an anchor for his chain, and now he had one.  Unwinding the last of the chain from around himself Alley began flicking loops of it at the knight. If nothing else he was absolutely going to get in this thing¡¯s way until Darius could land some telling strikes.


    The knight might not be a lumbering oaf like so many of the Undead they had faced but it still wasn¡¯t what you would call graceful. Even now Darius was finding ways around the guarding sword. The problem was that there really wasn¡¯t anything for the hunter to target. A fact he confirmed after activating a card appropriately called.


    ¡°Reveal Vitals!¡±


    It was a good thing Alley¡¯s chain had annoyed the knight enough that it was making efforts to unwrap the CoreSteel from itself as Darius paused for a second when the Card kicked in.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have vitals¡± Called Darius as he jabbed his spear at the Knight¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Well yeah,¡± Alley yelled back with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What exactly were you expecting?¡±


    The armored wraith had switched to a one-handed grip on its sword using the other to periodically pull at the binding chains, or swat at Alley. The boy had only needed one demonstration of the creature¡¯s strength to know he could not allow himself to get hit and keep a healthy awareness of the knight¡¯s movements. More than once Alley had to throw himself into a ridiculous roll or dive to get out of the way, but he managed to get ahold of the chain once more each time.


    ¡°Primal Forge: Maul!¡±


    In his hands Darius¡¯ spear shifted shape, not into a mighty axe this time but what looked like the sort of basic wooden club trolls in children''s stories wielded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Snapped the hunter as he swung the club at the knight¡¯s knee.


    ¡°Sometimes you get lucky.¡±


    Alley had to admit he was right, the boy had lost nothing by playing the Card, and had fortune favored him he might have learned something.


    An ornate stone door next to the glass structure that Alley had initially taken as simply a carved bit of wall pushed open with a slow grind to reveal an unlit stairwell leading down into the earth. From this strange passage, two human-sized figures emerged. Each bore a longsword and clanked as they moved. It was a pair of armored knights with ghostly cloaks of Resonance flowing down their backs. These two didn¡¯t have horns on their helmets, but otherwise, the were all but identical to the knight that had spoken to the boys in both appearance and movement.


    Letting out a sigh Alley started calculating a viable way to respond to this new threat.


    ¡°and sometimes you get really unlucky.¡± Alley shot back with a wry grin.


    ¡°And sometimes you get really unlucky.¡± Darius agreed.

 Chapter Fifty Nine: A Stranger Comes To Town

    Year 1042 Creed Children Spring Batch: Sixth year Report


    Alistaire- Sent up four times. 25% Attraction Rate


    Dashiel- Sent up six times 20% Attraction Rate


    Ellie- Sent up six times 20% Attraction Rate


    Vorn- Sent up 11 times 45% Attraction Rate


    Fera- Sent up 13 times 45% Attraction Rate


    Yve- Sent up 18 times 51% Attraction Rate


    Gwenia- Sent up 30 times 55% Attraction Rate


    Soren- Sent up 72 times 80% Attraction Rate


    -Experiment Log Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas


    Chapter 59:  A Stranger comes To Town


    Soren


    Soren Creed and Atex the hound stared at each other as the barge slowly made its way into dock.


    Soren hadn¡¯t noticed the dog when he had first climbed aboard the Knots family barge as the old beast had been hunkered down in a little blanket nest among the family¡¯s supplies.


    Since becoming aware of Soren Atex had not made use of the bed again. Instead the old hound had spent the three day trip doing its best to keep itself between Soren and the pair of twins.


    The former priest didn¡¯t resent the animal¡¯s behavior, quite the opposite he respected the hound¡¯s innate understanding of its place in the world.


    A sacrifice so that its owners could have a greater chance of safety, truly the beast was a noble being. Of course it was wasting its time, if Soren wanted to kill the Knots family there was nothing the animal or the family could do. And besides, the southerner actually liked the little clan of hunters. They were a well equipped and practically minded group and if they held some inane belief in a god that was long dead they kept it to themselves.


    ¡°You will be happy to see the back of me won¡¯t you?¡± Soren quietly said to the dog. His eyes locked to it¡¯s and a second later this animal was shaking in fear.


    Stepping closer he placed a hand on the dog¡¯s head and ruffled its ears. The old beast continued to shake but refused to give ground even when it pissed itself in fear.


    ¡°Thats a good boy¡± He went on smiling down at the animal. The words were kind, even the tone was friendly but the hound and the god understood each other on a level humans struggled to reach. It knew that the blonde boy could slaughter its entire family on a whim, and very well might if the mood took him.


    On the other side of the barge Leshy Knots was directing his children and wife through the process of preparing to dock. It would likely be a few hours before the Knots clan could tie off their barge and unload their wares, given how many other river vessels crowded around the bay that played host to a series of large straight piers and beyond them a bustling boardwalk.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Medius Island was the place¡¯s name, it was the de facto capital of the Mucklands and the closest thing to civilization Soren had seen since coming to this miserable godless country.


    The enormous river that Soren and the Knots family had traversed to get here had opened up into a lake of even more prodigious size. The Muck landers evidently weren¡¯t overly creative with how they named things, as the dark green lake was called Medius as well.


    The polite thing to do would have been to assist the Knots family unload their barge, the same way he had been working the vessel to cover his passage upriver. This close to an actual city again Soren wasn¡¯t feeling overly patient. While he didn¡¯t regret wandering around the swamps and riverlands on foot or boat for the last few weeks, the rustic novelty of his ¡®pilgrimage¡¯ had long since worn off.


    ¡°Leshy.¡± He called across the barge, prompting the older man to glance over at Soren. ¡° I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    The hunter shot him a friendly grin back. ¡°It was well worth it not to put up with old Veltek.¡±


    Soren smiled back but didn¡¯t mention that no one would ever have to put up with Veltek ever again.


    The walking god had been playing the nature of his own power close to his chest and while his impatience was causing him to show off more than he really should, he wasn¡¯t about to reveal his wings in front of this many people. Instead he took a que from some of the other boats around, several of them had people flying to shore or back out to their vessels by having their Cards carry them.


    Summoning forth his hand with a mental push Soren glanced down at the cards and Manifested his.


    ¡°Beacon Of Benevolence¡±


    Deck- Blood Of the Limitless Martyr


    Beacon Of Benevolence


    Resonances: Divinity, Creation, Sky


    Cost: 7 Vials


    Power: 6500


    Vitality: 3


    When Beacon Of Benevolence is Manifested you may choose any two Creature Cards in your Library and add them to your hand.


    Discard one card when this effect resolves


    Soren declined to activate its ability and simply stood as the enormous angelic creature appeared hovering over the water behind him. It¡¯s shining white wings fluttered gently but the effect on the air around it was rather disproportionate, sending blasts of wind in all directions and knocking more than one of the other flying creatures off course.


    Soren noticed the Knots family were all staring at him in open mouthed silence, the surprise at his sudden manifestation clear on their faces. Before they could recover themselves and do something pointless like question him the Beacon Of Benevolence  reached down and plucked Soren off the deck of the barge and launched high into the air.


    Below the now flying ¡®Walking God¡¯ the large island spread out in his view. Medius Island was almost entirely covered by its city settlement. Already Soren could feel the tugging within his soul that would lead him to the person he was seeking.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that this was the place that actually held someone with a little bit of power. Unlike everywhere else Soren had been in the Muck Lands Medius didn¡¯t look like the shanty town of some vagrant. There were streets, temples, markets, a spell crafter¡¯s guild and other signs of commerce. People were everywhere, bustling about the streets in the morning sun or making preparations for the impending festival. Still it wasn¡¯t until he noticed a Manifested Fish-man carrying a woman¡¯s shopping for her that Soren truly felt like he had returned to civilization.


    Silently commanding the Card presently holding him aloft Soren descended to the street and De-Manifested the Creature. Assuming he didn¡¯t want to commit a series of murders Soren would need money to fund his stay while he figured out exactly who he was hunting, besides after his little pilgrimage it would be nice to enjoy some time in an exotic city before he returned to the south.


    Fortunately despite having brought no coin or writs of promise with him Soren was well prepared to generate money easily enough. Walking over to a store he had spotted from above that bore the hourglass symbol of a Dust Trader, the blonde god summoned forth a Card he had recently acquired from his Dealer¡¯s internal storage.


    Once inside he intended to Dust the Card and see what the local economy was like.

 Chapter Sixty: Interference

    Chapter 60: Interference


    Darius


    ¡®Strategy and tactics are weird.¡¯ Darius thought as he battled for the survival of himself and his best friend. A hunter by trade and the child of hunters who had in turn also been the children of hunters he valued strategy and preparation highly. They were still weird though,  sort of unintuitive.


    In Darius¡¯ peripheral vision, he could see Alley who had abandoned his chain and was presently trying to fend off two of the wraith knights with a rusty pitchfork he had pulled out of one of the garden beds. Trying was probably the operative word there, Alley was getting his ass kicked all over the courtyard.


    The original knight, the one that had spoken to them was still partially tangled in the CoreSteel chain. It was this one that Darius dueled with and why he considered strategy a weird thing.  Alley might still be quick and cunning, but he just wasn¡¯t that dangerous in a melee battle. Between the two of them, Darius was definitely the one better equipped to win against these armored enemies, and that was exactly why Alley was fighting two against one while Darius wasn¡¯t.


    It made sense, you wanted to give your best weapon the best chance of success. It just felt weird to send his less capable friend to handle the more difficult task. That was classic Alabaster Roe though, wasn¡¯t it? The Boy was bossy, inconsiderate, egotistical, and sarcastic. But if he saw something as the right thing to do either morally or tactically Alley went after it, even if it meant putting his body on the line in a big way.


    As though to illustrate the point the rusty pitchfork Alley was defending himself with met its limit and exploded into a hail of splinters as one of the knights smashed its blade into the farm tool.


    As much as his instincts cried out to rush to his friend¡¯s aid, Darius knew the best thing he could do for Alley was defeat his own opponent as quickly as possible.


    Darius flicked a glance at the Card images hovering over his left hand. It took a mere split second and he knew exactly what had replaced Reveal Vitals, and the rest of what he was holding to boot. It was an important skill for a Trials Deck wielder, since even in a Challenge there was no fancy barrier between him and his opponent¡­.Well, there was, but it vanished when the fight began, the point was he rarely had time to examine his hand of Cards in any detail.


    So in one of the most boring activities he had ever forced upon himself, Darius had spent hour upon hour memorizing what every one of his Cards did and what they looked like. It was a skill that paid dividends now, as had he spent any more time looking at the Cards he didn¡¯t think he would have been able to dodge the backhanded swing the ghostly knight launched at his head.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Keeping his feet light Darius danced backwards out of the way, the ancient looking blade slicing past his eyes by less than an inch.


    Darius had to give it to the knight, he wasn¡¯t fast but he was accurate in the extreme. The monster had a good sense of timing, and that was without mentioning the thing¡¯s strength. The Undead knight was stronger than Darius, though not by an insane degree. Once the hunter had reached the next rank he thought he would be roughly as powerful as his opponent.


    ¡®Okay so those are its strengths, but I really need to spot a weakness or two before Alley gets killed.¡¯


    Darius¡¯ hand presently held Brood Queen¡¯s Venom, Primal Forge, Top Of The Food Chain, and The Final Thrust.


    Brood Queen¡¯s Venom was probably useless against a suit of armor animated by a ghost, a fact Darius honestly appreciated. Even the memory of that green venomous ooze flooding out of his mouth was enough to make him shudder. Primal Forge might be useful but Darius had his doubts. The only weapon it could create that would be much use here was the Ancient Maul. The maul was a decent enough club, and alright for battering armor. Still, it wasn¡¯t the crushing force of The TuskBreaker he had used against the Golem.


    Darius didn¡¯t even consider Top Of The Food Chain these weren¡¯t animals, and there would be no intimidating them.  The final Card in his hand however had some potential here, the appropriately named The Final Thrust.


    The Card gave his next thrust attack a lot of additional power and pierced any Resonance-based defenses the enemy might throw between them. The issue was the Card would lock down his hand for a few minutes if he didn¡¯t kill his target with the thrust.


    ¡®Risky.¡¯ Darius really wasn¡¯t sure how Undead worked, and the knight-monster¡¯s lack of vital organs, or organs at all gave him pause. This would all get a lot harder if he suddenly couldn¡¯t use his Deck.


    While he was still weighing his options Darius launched a flurry of thrusts, slamming his spearhead into the knight¡¯s helm and chest repeatedly. The Undead thing¡¯s guard was technically sound but it was just too slow to keep up. The problem was these blows like all the others Darius had already landed just didn¡¯t seem to do anything beyond denting the armor a little.


    ¡°Oh seriously!?¡± Yelled Alley. Darius retreated out of range to see what was happening. A zombie that almost seemed to be made of desiccated vines and tree roots had entered the courtyard from the strange glass building at the garden¡¯s center and was joining the assault on Alley.


    The hunter felt his eyes go wide as he realized it wasn¡¯t just another Undead creature from within the mansion. This monster had the runes for Undeath, Bloom, and Abomination above its head, along with 1400 Power and 2 Vitality.


    ¡°Karak¡± Darius swore aloud. Someone nearby had Manifested that thing.

 Chapter Sixty One: The Final Thrust

    It has cost me a great deal of my own personal wealth along with the entirety of the coin granted to me by those who believe in my research but I have finally acquired a Dealer with both Undeath and Bloom Resonances. While the unlocking of my own Life Essence, and the ability to Manifest are both welcome additions they pale in comparison to what this might mean  for my research.


    -¡±Field¡± Journal of Lady Clataire Asley


    Chapter 61: The Final Thrust


    Darius


    Darius had initially put some distance between himself and the knight he was dueling so he could consider his options. There had to be a way to put this guy away, and before the mounting forces brutalizing Alley managed to finish the job.


    ¡®Come on Darius¡¯ He sneered at himself internally. ¡®You are supposed to be The Prince Of The Dawn hunt! Your ancestors hunted world dragons, and you can''t figure out how to put down an empty suit of armor?¡¯


    Except the suit of armor wasn¡¯t actually empty, was it? There was a being made of Resonance animating it. He could see part of the ghostly being flowing out of the metal suit in the form of an ethereal cloak. Well if there was a weak spot on such a being he supposed that would be it, though it wasn¡¯t going to be as simple as stabbing the knight in the back.


    Resonance wasn¡¯t exactly a physical thing, it could be made physical with a Duster or congealed into a defensive measure like Alley¡¯s Buckler Ring. Otherwise, it was just kind of intangible flowing through the world around you at all times. That ghostly cloak was actually quite a bit like congealed Resonance.


    ¡®Is that what a ghost is?¡¯


    If that was the case then Darius¡¯ instincts about what Card in his hand was actually useful might just be right. There really was only one way to find out for sure, and it wasn¡¯t standing here theory crafting while his friend got killed.


    ¡°Twenty Seconds Alley!¡±  Darius shouted as he burst back into motion.


    ¡°Kay¡± Came the somewhat dubious reply.


    Spear twirling around him Darius launched one more ineffectual flurry of slashes at the head of the knight. They couldn¡¯t hurt the Undead thing, but they did a fine job keeping its sword occupied as Darius pivoted on the spot and reversed the direction of his movement.


    ¡°The Final Thrust!¡± The boy declared activating the Card. Two of the vials inside him emptied to fuel the effect, a feeling Darius was used to but never enjoyed. It reminded him of the sensation of heat leaving his body after he climbed out of a warm bath.


    The Final Thrust was a powerful Card, but Darius had always wished it could combo with DawnShot as The Final Thrust was costly and could miss. In his hands, Darius¡¯ spear grew warm as it played host to congealing Resonance of its own. The dull yellow light of Pursuit Resonance poured from the weapon.


    The knight adjusted to follow after the spinning boy, but its movements were simply a step behind. Darius recognized skill when he saw it, though all the skill in the world wouldn¡¯t help if you simply couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Reversing directions again the hunter juked past the Undead knight, feet skidding as he suddenly arrested his momentum to spin one final time. The redheaded boy turned with his head before his body so that he could catch the quickest of glimpses to adjust his attack before he launched it mid-spin.  It was a tricky technique to utilize but it meant Darius could attempt spinning attacks like this one without truly being blind.


    As he turned the hunter brought his spear up and around, driving his momentum into the already enhanced attack. Spear met ethereal cloak and Darius was proven correct, The Final Thrust annihilated the fluttering Resonance. The moment the spearhead touched it, a disproportionately sized hole appeared in the Resonance. The way it vanished reminded Darius of the way a drop of oil spread when it hit the surface of water. One moment it was the glowing ethereal cape, the next almost half of it was gone.


    Still surging forward the ancient spear struck the knight with an avalanche of force. Where Darius had expected his weapon to punch through the armor, it instead obliterated the knight entirely. It was like the monster exploded from the inside, sending plates of armor flying in all directions.


    Raising an eyebrow the hunter ducked out of the way of Alley¡¯s chain that had been sent flying at him. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The attack had gone better than he had anticipated, a lot better, weird better. Darius tilted his head when the familiar rush of Life Essence didn¡¯t flow down his spear and back into him. That meant he hadn¡¯t killed the knight? If that was the case. Darius glanced down at the Card images floating near his hand. Each of them had a chain icon across them.


    ¡°Oh fuck me!¡± The hunter swore. He had no way to know if the knight had survived and was off gathering more Undead to throw at them, or had been destroyed and didn¡¯t count as a kill by the standards of the Card.


    It was a puzzle Darius didn¡¯t have time to figure out. So he snatched up the CoreSteel chain and sprinted to his friend¡¯s aid. It couldn¡¯t come soon enough, not with yet another Manifested plant zombie stalking out of the glass building.


    Armon


    The wraith was dying again. He could feel it in the way his ethereal form was leaking Resonance from the enormous hole that had been punched through him.  As an undead creature without a true body, Armon¡¯s form was composed entirely of Resonance and it made him uniquely vulnerable to certain shield-destroying attacks. Attacks like the one that had plunged into his back moments earlier.


    Feeling the nature of the blow and the way it dissolved his non-body, Armon had abandoned the armor In that instant, the knight had thought he had no choice but he shouldn¡¯t have bothered. After reawakening his brothers there wasn¡¯t enough left of himself to either self resurrect or heal the damage. By ejecting himself from the physical form all Armon had achieved was a slower slide into oblivion.


    It wasn¡¯t such a bad thing supposed the guardian wraith. He had served his order, his oaths, and his lady with honor and vigor. Even beyond his own death, there was no shame in allowing himself to fade away. Perhaps if there was a further afterlife than this he would go on to that, or rejoin the soul that he was a shadow of.


    Floating invisibly into the greenhouse Armon resolved to at least apologize to the Lady Asley before that next end came. As soon as he was within the confines of the glass structure Armon felt a small surge of Resonance flow into him. Being in The lady¡¯s presence strengthened any Undead, but it wasn¡¯t anywhere enough to save the wraith.


    Lady Clataire Asley had once been a small bookish woman, with a slightly over large nose. Now¡­


    Now she was something glorious and terrible, a fusion of life and death, of birth and rot, of woman and tree. Standing tall enough that her branches were pressed up against the glass of the fifteen-foot-high ceiling, her roots were everywhere in the greenhouse extending out from the central trunk and protruding from the dirt floor.  Deep below those same roots extended out into the swamp.


    Each branch of Lady Asley¡¯s botanical form bore ¡®fruit¡¯ that had blossomed centuries ago, dozens of crystals that glowed the pulsating purple of Undeath Resonance. She had achieved her goal of discovering a sustainable way to grow Undeath Crystals. It had cost the lady and her servants greatly, but she had done it.


    Most striking of all was the woman¡¯s form seemingly growing out of the side of the strange rotten tree¡¯s trunk. She still held the shape of a woman, but that was all. Her form was now made of vines, roots and bark. All except for her eyes, those were the eyes of a person who was both conscious and aware, the irises the same pulsing purple as the crystals.


    All around the greenhouse Armon could feel the forms of Manifested monsters,and he understood what was happening. The lady who was aware of all that took place within her home was preparing her defenses for a final stand.


    The wraith was fairly certain her state of being had long ago driven her mad, but the lady had always indicated to him that she wished to continue living. She might not be able to move or talk anymore, but when Clataire sent a thought along the Resonance lines in the area, her commands or musings came through with extreme clarity.


    That desire to live hadn¡¯t gone anywhere, and neither had Armon¡¯s oaths. The fact that her Doom was only a matter of time was irrelevant. The lady wanted to keep living, and it was his job to make sure it happened. The idea made Armon shudder with shame, how could he allow himself to slide so easily into oblivion with a threat to his Lady at her very doorstep?


    Gathering his will Armon strode closer to the woman he served, his form seeming to become more real the closer he got to the source of the purple light.


    ¡°I am dying,¡± He said as his eyeless gaze met the purple irises of the tree woman.


    ¡° But there is a way I can still serve you, my Lady.¡±


    The slightest of frowns played across the woman¡¯s brow.


    ¡°I know you do not approve of this sort of thing, but my destruction is imminent anyway, so do not try to dissuade me. I merely wanted to let you know it has been a pleasure to serve you these many centuries, and I hope that should the HonorBound contact you about my performance, you will inform them it was most satisfactory.¡±


    Clataire closed her eyes and tears of sap began to flow down the wooden simulacrum of a face.


    Were the lady to use her Dealer to turn Armon¡¯s collapsing form into a Card it would lock down the device for an hour as it cooled off from forcing Resonance into the form of a card. Armon however wasn¡¯t just a mass of Resonance, he was a mass of Resonance that could think and act.


    Placing a spectral hand on one of the roots the wraith knight extended his consciousness along the half undead form of the tree until he found the energy of Lady Asley¡¯s Dealer; the pair of gloves that were buried somewhere inside her tree form.


    With a push of effort that almost cost him the last of his existence, Armon accessed the Dealer and forced himself to flow through its mechanisms without even the slightest resistance to the creation process.


    Lady Asley¡¯s Dealer had not activated and was not locked down for the next hour. Armon¡¯s final plan had worked without a hitch, a thought that gave his fading mind a sense of satisfaction as he was added to the Lady¡¯s Deck.

 Chapter Sixty Two: Battered and Bruised

    Chapter 62: Battered and Bruised


    Alabaster


    Alley wasn¡¯t having a particularly good morning.  He had made the choice to act as the decoy while Darius who could actually play Cards, defeated the largest of the three knights. It had seemed like a good plan in the moment, in fact, it was still a good plan. The issue was that Alley had gotten absolutely battered along the way.


    The pair of ghostly knights were a lot slower than Alley, but they weren¡¯t stupid or clumsy. While there had been no monologue like from the big one, no words at all. The pair of animated suits had used their advantage in numbers and a surprisingly high degree of teamwork to repeatedly box Alley in.  Each time he would juke back out of the trap but it had cost him.


    Already Alley was covered in light cuts from the ghostly knight¡¯s swords. More than once the boy had been able to deflect a strike just enough, or move just slightly far enough out of the way that the rusted blades hadn¡¯t managed to tear his flesh too deeply.


    On top of the injuries from the blades Alley had taken a backhanded gauntlet strike to the same side of his face as his existing black eye. It had swollen the bruise so much that he could barely see out of it now. Then there was the pommel of one of the swords that had been slammed into his shoulder with enough force that his arm had gone limp for the better part of a minute.


    On the upside, he hadn¡¯t needed to use his Buckler Ring to stay alive yet. As his only magical defensive measure, Alley wanted to hang onto it for as long as possible especially since Manifested monsters had begun making their way out of the strange glass structure.


    It was up to two 1400 Power zombies right now, they were easy enough to avoid on their own, but it was more manpower aiding the knights, and Alley couldn¡¯t afford the time to kill them.


    ¡®Hurry up Darius¡¯ he thought as he hurled himself into a backward roll to avoid a combined assault from both ghostly suits of armor.


    ¡°Longest twenty seconds of my life.¡±


    Alley considered himself in good condition for his rank, but he was starting to breathe heavily and if his friend didn¡¯t rejoin him soon he was going to have to start making some aggressive moves, some extremely high-risk aggressive moves. Not the ideal situation to find himself in by any stretch of the imagination.


    ¡°Alley take!¡± The basic instruction was filled with more meaning than it might seem at first. Alley knew Darius wouldn¡¯t have used those specific two words if he was simply telling him to come get something. That exact phrase meant that Darius was making a beeline for his friend and that he was passing him something right this second.


    It was a part of the simple combat language they had developed while hunting the creatures on and around Cursed Isle. The goal of their code had more to do with quick and clear communication in a tense situation, rather than obfuscating their meaning.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Alley turned towards the source of the call and flung a grasping hand out in front of himself. The moment he did Alley¡¯s grip met the cold links of his CoreSteel chain just as the length of metal left Darius¡¯ hand.


    The redheaded boy held his spear one-handed down by his hip as he sprinted past Alley and directly at the encroaching group of two knights and two zombies.


    Without the hook, Alley couldn¡¯t really call his chain a weapon but he still felt a lot better armed now than he had earlier trying to defend himself with an old pitchfork. Plus there was the psychological aspect, as silly as he knew the idea was Alley felt safer and somehow less naked when he had his father¡¯s chain.


    It might have something to do with his sheer familiarity with the length of metal, usually with a hook attached but Alley had been playing with and later practicing with chain since he could walk.


    Deciding to think more about his own psychology at a more opportune moment Alley tied the chain off around his left arm and hurled himself back into the fray.


    The knights were still strong and durable but something had gone out of them. The cohesion that had allowed them to repeatedly box Alley in was simply gone. Even Darius who hadn¡¯t fought the pair up until now, noticed the difference.


    Plunging his spear into the head of one of the 1400 Power zombies the redheaded boy said as much.


    ¡°Is something wrong with these guys? They kind of suck all of a sudden.¡±


    In the midst of wrapping one of the ghostly knights in his chain, Alley called back.


    ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯m thinking maybe when you killed the big one they lost something, but it''s just a guess.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Said Darius as he span on the spot to launch a flurry at the unchained knight


    ¡®Does it?¡¯ Alley wasn¡¯t so sure, but it was the best explanation he could come up with on the fly. Whatever the reason for their sudden incompetence, the pair of boys did their best to take advantage of the situation, working together to topple each knight in turn with the chain.


    After that, it was a simple matter to go get a decorative rock bigger than Alley¡¯s head from the garden and bashing the hollow monsters into oblivion. The first had been sort of challenging as the other knight was still upright, but Alley kept it busy while Darius deployed his superior strength to the ¡®bashing process¡¯.


    Much to Alley¡¯s chagrin neither knight responded to his attempts to make them into Cards. They didn¡¯t resurrect either, but something unusual was definitely going on here. Maybe the knights were some sort of extension of another creature? Alley had no idea of the exact cause but nothing happened when he placed his Dealer against the destroyed suits of armor.


    It was another mystery he was going to have to relegate to solving later as with uncanny synchronicity a new Manifested Bone golem sporting 6000 Power stomped out of the glass structure at the exact moment a group of armored skeletons came pouring through the opening in the courtyard wall that the knight had entered from.


    Taking a half second to assess the pair of threats, Alley made a snap judgment call.


    ¡°The Player first!¡± He yelled and the pair of boys took off sprinting towards the strange glass building and whatever horrors awaited within.

 Chapter Sixty Three: Rain Of Spores

    "With the right Cards and the Life Essence to fuel them, reality could be your plaything.


    Do you understand what that means? What is being invested here? Each and every one of you has the potential to reach The Pillar of Divinity and become gods. Gods!


    Do not be swayed by those among your number who wish to rally behind one of your number as the sects do. Yes, it could result in a god from among you in record time, but the cost is simply not worth it. Those that swore fealty and pledged their faith will have wasted their own potential, one god no matter how grand could be greater than the possible dozens we may source from among you.¡±


    ¡°And how many gods have the Heaven Seekers Guild produced in the last five hundred years?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then how would you of all people have any idea?¡±


    -Grand-Seeker Saimon Rumas attempts to address the ¡®Creed¡¯ children.


    Chapter 63: Rain Of Spores


    Alabaster


    Making it to the glass building before the skeletons engaged the pair of boys was no problem. Neither was juking around the looming bone golem that had emerged from the structure. No, the real problem appeared once the large opaque glass door was slammed shut behind them.


    Evidently whoever in here Manifesting creatures had only sent a small fraction of the monsters they had called forth from their Deck to aid the ghostly knights.


    The single high-ceilinged room that made up the glass structure was oddly bright and hot. Despite being covered floor to roof in enough vines and roots to utterly blot the sun out, a familiar purple light permeated the room. It shone down from strange fruit that grew from a huge tree that utterly dominated the structure.


    In between the boys and the tree was a cohort of ten Manifested Creatures of varied power. The strongest was a strange tree man that stood over seven feet tall and seemed to have bone for bark. The thing sported 3000 power, and runes indicating its Resonances were Undeath, Bloom, and Abomination.


    The weakest being just another swamp zombie with 550 Power. None of the group had more than one vitality which made Alley think whoever was Manifesting these monsters had wanted to avoid spending Vials if they could. While that meant the Creatures were mostly on the weaker side they more than made up for it with numbers.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Uhh Alley.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡±


    ¡°Am I hallucinating or does that tree have a Hand?¡±


    Alley frowned at what was maybe the strangest question he had ever been asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The dark-haired boy shot his gaze up from the group of monsters that had yet to move. Behind them stood the strange tree that was somehow both vibrantly alive and rotting.  Two-thirds of the way up its fifteen-foot trunk extended a figure that looked as though a woman was being grown by the tree. In front of ¡®her¡¯ hovered the images of a five five-card hand.


    ¡®What the fuck is going on with my life?¡¯


    ¡°You know,¡± Alley said with a little sigh. ¡°When I said that pirate feeding people to a Card was the craziest thing I ever heard I really didn¡¯t expect it to get out crazied so soon.¡±


    At the words, Darius barked out a single laugh and exploded into action. He had the right of it, as was so often the case Alley didn¡¯t have time to truly investigate his surroundings. Not whilst yet another inhuman monstrosity was trying to separate his soul from his body.


    ¡®After¡¯ Alley promised himself. He was literally in the presence of a tree that appeared to be growing Undeath crystals and...people? He was absolutely going to go over this place with a fine-toothed comb, but it could wait till he wasn¡¯t being swarmed by inhuman monstrosities especially as the creatures in the garden were probably only a few seconds behind them.


    The sound of breaking glass from behind him informed Alley it was even sooner than that.


    Alley wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of Darius or because of the reinforcements coming in, but the line of Manifested creatures exploded into motion.


    Not looking to get caught in a pincer movement for what felt like the tenth time today, Alley broke into a sprint to catch up to his friend. Stuck with his hookless chain Alley didn¡¯t really have the capacity to quickly destroy the creatures arrayed against them, which meant he was relegated to a more supportive role for the moment.


    Alley believed if you were going to do something you had a responsibility to do it well. So he covered Darius¡¯s advance as best he could; Whipping his chain out to knock aside blows aimed at the redheaded boy¡¯s back or side. Initially things went well, Darius had little trouble carving through the one vitality monsters.


    The tree-woman obviously wasn¡¯t willing to simply accept the destruction of her defenders without retaliation, as she activated a spell card. There were no words but one of the Card images in front of her glowed as it was cast.


    Instantly a cloud of spores began to expand out from the tree, filling the air and choking the boys while the monsters didn¡¯t even seem to notice.


    Coughing and spluttering, both boys were forced into a hasty retreat, right into the waiting arms of a pack of spear and shield wielding skeletons backed up by a towering golem.

 Chapter Sixty Four: Revelation

    Chapter 64: Revelation


    Alabaster


    As it turned out, fighting free of a swarm of Undead on all sides whilst being forced to hold one''s breath was a tricky proposition. The boys tried to effect a retreat of sorts as the room filled with spores but in the confusion of swirling enemies, root-covered ground, and eyes watering from the noxiously thick spore cloud. The pair found themselves backed into a corner.


    On the upside, Alley was glad the poisonous spore cloud didn¡¯t extend quite to where they were. It allowed for a little island of sanity and breath where they could make a stand. A flash of blue light ignited within the poisonous cloud and Alley knew the tree-woman had Manifested something new.


    Still coughing and wiping running eyes the boys made ready to turn back what was likely going to be an onslaught. Alley¡¯s black eye didn¡¯t appreciate the hasty way he cleaned it with the sleeve of his cloak but he rushed through it anyway.


    A weird thing had occurred to the boy but as always he didn¡¯t have time to contemplate it. He had been cut several times today and his cloak had made no effort to drink his blood. From all reports the Artifact had leaped at the chance last time, but now remained just a cloak.


    His first guess was that it had something to do with being in a Challenge, It was yet another thing he would need to add to his journal and test in the future.


    The first creatures to reach the pair of boys were the spear and shield-wielding skeletons. These were genuine monsters, not Manifested Cards but their nature still protected them from inhaling the spores. Well from inhaling anything at all, but the spores were what mattered here.  It was an advantage that allowed the skeletons to attack from within the noxious cloud while remaining mostly obscured. It made counter-attacking a pain and more often than not both boys felt their own strikes bounce off shields.


    Keeping his chain whipping out constantly Alley let his mind race as he tried to think his way out of this. In theory, the spore spell would dissipate sooner rather than later, but if they were forced to stay trapped here in the corner more Undead and more spells would probably be forthcoming.  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°You got anything?¡± Alley said to Darius without looking at him.


    ¡°I can Harpoon Rain, but I can¡¯t see to throw it and the melee version will probably turn you into minced meat.¡±


    Alley had to concede those were good reasons not to use the Card. Still, there had to be a way to deal with this. Every obstacle Alley had ever faced was really just one kind of puzzle or another, and there had only ever been one that didn¡¯t have a solution. What Alley needed was just a little time to observe and consider.


    The Bone-Golem came charging out of the cloud, which was of course the opposite of ¡®time to observe and consider¡¯.


    ¡°Alright, that is quite enough of that.¡± Came a familiar gravelly voice. It wasn¡¯t inside Alley¡¯s head this time though, it was coming from behind him. ¡°The Dead Man¡¯s Hand!¡± declared the voice in such a way that Alley knew it had to be the name of a Card or Linked Item.


    The huge skeletal hand that had so often accompanied that voice swept out from above Alley. With contemptuous ease, the huge limb swatted the golem back into the spore cloud, before continuing its arc far enough to collide with and shatter one of the root-covered glass walls.


    ¡°We should have thought of that.¡± Grunted Darius with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alley agreed as cool air poured into the glass structure and began displacing the spores. It was true, they really should have considered breaking the glass behind them. Alley wasn¡¯t going to be too hard on himself about it though, ¡®smash down the walls around you¡¯ wasn¡¯t the sort of tactic that readily occurred to human beings.


    Darius stormed through the thinning cloud and was out the newly made gap in the wall without a second thought. A little more cautious Alley had taken a second to plan his route, but was about to join his friend in flight when he heard the scream.


    It began as the same whiskey-soaked deep voice, but while the cry of agony never wavered the deep tone and raspyness were somehow stripped out of it after a half second. Leaving it a high-pitched and distinctly feminine scream of pain. Halting his escape, Alley sidestepped a zombie and began looking around for the source of the scream.


    Following the sound Alley didn¡¯t know what he was expecting but the sight that greeted him certainly wasn¡¯t it. Overhead the branches of the huge tree had shifted slightly, just enough that the crystals of Undeath Resonance had converged a little. The combined beams of purple light had formed into something that looked not solid exactly, but more tangible than mere beans of light.


    The ¡®thickened¡¯ Undeath Resonance was pinning a struggling figure to the wall about halfway up the glass structure. The figure was clearly in more than distress, they were in pain. They were also a semi-ethereal teen girl with white hair and white clothes of an archaic style.

 Chapter Sixty Five: The Greenhouse

    Chapter 65: The Greenhouse


    Alabaster


    ¡°Darius!¡± Alley called over his shoulder to his friend who was now outside the glass building. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can leave just yet.¡± Alley had managed to crush the head of one of the spear-armed skeletons. First, he had tripped the creature with his chain and then stomped on its head until it exploded. It would eventually pull itself back together, but for now, Alley was able to arm himself with its spear.


    ¡°You are fucking killing me right now Alley.¡± Came the frustrated yell back. ¡° Harpoon Rain!¡±


    Harpoon Rain


    Resonance: Pursuit


    Requires a spear or javelin type weapon


    Create two copies of the player''s weapon on either side of the original. Copies will mirror the original''s speed and trajectory for fifteen seconds before vanishing.


    His temporary spears created the redheaded hunter turned and began carving his way back into the building he had just fought so hard to escape.


    Hardly the savant of spearwork that his friend was, Alley nevertheless had plenty of practice with the basics of the weapon. He had grown up with the Knots family for half the year, every year. It would be almost impossible to have not picked up something. Still, even armed and no longer being poisoned by the spore cloud Alley knew he could only hold out inside the glass building for so long before being overwhelmed.


    He couldn¡¯t just abandon the now whimpering girl though. Not only was helping her clearly the right thing to do, but Alley was almost certain she was connected to his Deck somehow. It was the same girl he and Darius had seen striding across the waves of The Silver Sea, and more than that all signs pointed to her being the source of the gravelly voice that ever so occasionally spoke to him. She didn¡¯t sound like that now, but she had moments earlier.


    ¡°What is it? And what is that sound?¡± Panted Darius after he utterly annihilated a group of the Plant infected zombies.


    Alley who had slipped deep into thought while looking at the Undeath Crystals sprouting like fruit from the tree, vaguely gestured to the ethereal teen girl who was presently pinned by the beams of Undeath Resonance.


    ¡°Huh?..Oh Shit! Is that the girl from the boat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it is, and we have to save her.¡± Replied Alley almost absentmindedly. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Of..Course we do.¡± Sighed the hunter. ¡° Just tell me what you need.¡±


    ¡°The tree is hurting her, the tree is also playing Cards.¡± Illustrating the point a strange-looking dryad was manifested, its leafy hair hanging limp and dead above what could only be described as rotting bark flesh.


    ¡°If you can get me to the tree I might be able to Challenge it¡­maybe.¡± Even to himself, Alley didn¡¯t sound confident.


    Darius raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t object. Instead he narrowed his eyes and scanned the root covered battlefield.


    ¡°Okay, okay I can make that happen, but stay close.¡±


    As though they could hear and comprehend the words that the boys shared the Undead both ¡®alive¡¯ and Manifested pulled back into a defensive formation to protect the tree-woman.


    ¡°Uh-Huh¡± Said both simultaneously.  If nothing else it was a good sign that Alley¡¯s hastily constructed plan had some merit to it.


    Knowing that waiting wasn¡¯t going to make this any easier, the pair began their assault.  Without any discussion, the boys targeted their attack on the portion of the defensive line that was mostly zombies. While neither slow nor all that shambling, they were easily the weakest link in the chain.


    Especially when compared to the Bone Golem, or the various Undead Faekin that the tree woman had Manifested.


    A few steps behind his hunter friend Alley clutched the spear he was holding in one hand while he prepared himself for a bit of acrobatics.


    ¡°Boost me¡±


    It was a command Darius had already expected so he abandoned the range advantage and ploughed directly into the defenders. Both boys had originally hoped to use their superior agility to cross the distance to the tree without having to fight their way through the almost twenty monsters.


    They still intended to avoid most of the creatures, this new plan just required Darius to bleed a little more to achieve it. A split second before he collided with a zombie the hunter bent and turned his shoulder into the charge. Knowing that was his cue, Alley leaped forward feet hitting Darius¡¯ back. The dark haired boy ran up his friend as the hunter¡¯s momentum was arrested by his collision with the rotting monster.


    Alley¡¯s momentum was not arrested, quite the opposite as he launched off the back of Darius¡¯ shoulders and flew over the defensive line of monsters. The tree and the woman growing out of it rose before him a mere few feet away. He wasn¡¯t sure if he needed to touch the woman directly or if just the trunk would do, but Alley only needed a second or two and it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    \


    Aegis Of Thorns


    Resonance: Bloom


    Land Manipulation Spell


    Cost: 1 Vial


    While this spell remains in play the first attack your opponent makes each turn costs the attacking Creature 1 Vitality. If this effect destroys the attacking Creature the attack is negated.


    A wall of twisting branches with savage thorns the size of shortswords extending out from them exploded from the ground. From floor to ceiling, they extended, forming a nearly impenetrable barrier between Alley and the tree.


    The boy who was still mid-leap felt his eyes go wide, and then squeeze shut as he did his best to prepare himself for the collision. Managing to twist just enough that he avoided being impaled by one of the enormous thorns, Alley still bounced painfully off what he could only describe as a spiky wooden vine.


    Crashing to the ground, Alley tried to quickly recover but found himself being stomped down at by a Manifested rotting dryad thing with 1100 Power and 1 Vitality. Desperately rolling out of the way Alley was struck by a spark of sudden inspiration, unlike all the other interesting ideas that had occurred to him today in the middle of various fights. Alley actually had an opportunity to test his theory here and now.


    Lashing out he grabbed ahold of one of the countless roots that permeated the glass structure¡¯s floor like dark infected veins.


    ¡°I Challenge you?¡±

 Chapter Sixty Six: Reinforcements

    Chapter 66: Reinforcements


    Darius


    ¡°Darius Run!¡±


    Alley didn¡¯t need to tell the hunter twice. While not a part of their combat language, the shout and its intent were both succinct and clear. Considering more than half the creatures that had been trying to swarm him exploded into the blue light of Demanifestation, leaving only the ones that hadn¡¯t been Manifested at all. Darius was pretty sure the plan had worked and Alley had of all things leveled a Challenge at a tree.


    As glad as he was that they had locked down the weird tree-lady¡¯s Deck, Darius now faced an issue he really should have been preparing for the entire time. He and the real Undead were now standing in the middle of what was about to be a Challenge arena.


    That was not good, the combined magic of two Decks wouldn¡¯t tolerate the presence of anyone not involved in the Challenge. If the hunter couldn¡¯t get out of the area before the ethereal blue boundaries rose the magic would forcibly remove him and that would not be pleasant.


    Pumping his legs as fast as they would go Darius headed for the gap in the wall the giant skeletal had created. Now would be a good time for his hand to be holding something that sped him up, and technically it did with ¡®Scent The Blood¡¯ but that Card was only helpful if he was in range of a bleeding and near-death Enemy.


    That left Darius¡¯ only real option as ¡®Run as fast as he fucking could and hope for the best.¡¯ It was a solid plan with a clearly defined objective and it almost worked, almost. Darius was maybe twenty feet from where he had first turned and run from the defensive line of Undead when the arena¡¯s energy barrier rose.


    ¡°Ahh shit¡± He swore in Frostlander.


    A split second later an invisible force slammed into Darius¡¯ from the side, hurling him with the power of some impossible giant. He wasn¡¯t the only one as the seven remaining Undead, including the ten-foot golem were tossed like the toys of an unruly child by the same force.


    Sent hurtling across the room the hunter brought his arms up to protect his face as he flew past the exit he had intended to use and towards the one he was being forced to use.


    The exit in question was also known as a wall made of thick glass which the redheaded boy promptly smashed through. The collision hurt, but Darius barely noticed that pain compared to the lines of fire the shattering glass sliced across his skin. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Tumbling to the grass of the courtyard garden he lay there for a stunned moment, oddly reminded of how he had felt enduring one of the attacks from the demi-human pirate he had fought in Ashton¡¯s Lookout. He could feel the last of his four internal Vials emptying to repair the damage and steam began to rise from his wounds; A sign to anyone around that he was running low on Life Essence.


    As much as he would have liked to just lay there for a few minutes while his body recovered, it became abundantly clear that was not going to happen when three skeletons, two zombies, and the bone golem came hurtling through their own sections of glass wall. Rolling to his feet the hunter managed to avoid being hit by the flying Undead, he couldn¡¯t fully dodge the explosions of glass shards that accompanied the thrown creatures.


    He let out a hiss as one of the shards caught him just under the eye, and a cluster pin cushioned his forearm. Throughout all of it, Darius had never let go of his spear. The Ancient weapon was far too important for something so mundane as nearly dying to get it out of his hands. Not only was the spear an impressive weapon in its own right, but almost half of the Cards in Darius¡¯ Deck required it or a similar weapon to function.


    To the best of his knowledge, the Undead creatures didn¡¯t feel things like pain or shock, but they still needed a moment to reorientate themselves as they clambered to their feet. Darius did not intend to give them that moment.


    Ignoring the pain that threatened to debilitate him Darius exploded into movement while dipping the head of his spear to the ground. The hunter sprinted past the pair of zombies which were on all fours as they righted themselves. Still low and trailing slightly behind him the spearhead sliced through the necks of the rotting creatures like he was towing a harvester and they were the wheat.


    ¡®Okay they will pull themselves together eventually but I have some time to deal with the other fi-¡± The thought trailed off as Darius spotted what had to be dozens of skeletal and zombie monsters swarming into the courtyard from both the wall entrance and by throwing themselves out the window the boys had climbed down earlier.


    Still running he brought the spear forward so he could ram it into the ribcage of one of the still recovering skeletons. The monster wasn¡¯t really harmed by being impaled but Darius had a plan for that. Hefting the impaled Creature on the end of his weapon the hunter drove it with literal bone shattering force into the stone wall of the courtyard.


    With a jerk, he shucked the broken and limp bone monster off of his spear and span to face the quickly filling courtyard. Even if he had all his Vials Darius knew he could only hold out against so many enemies for a brief period especially since the ones that fell would eventually resurrect themselves.


    Backing towards the glass building Darius shouted over his shoulder. ¡° Hey Alley, do you maybe think they will all die if you kill that tree?¡±


    A second later he faintly heard his Soul Brother¡¯s reply.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that too. I¡¯m pretty sure she is the source of the Undeath Resonance but I¡¯m thinking fifty-fifty on whether killing her will kill them.¡±


    Letting out a long nasal exhale Darius resisted the urge to play with his piercing as a small army of monsters arrayed itself before him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the hunter called. ¡° Can you just do me a favor and make this Challenge a quick one?¡±

 Chapter Sixty Seven: The Lady Of The Manor

    Chapter 67: The Lady Of The Manor


    Alabaster


    It had worked, he couldn''t believe it, and it seemed silly in the extreme but Alley could not deny the truth in front of him. He had successfully initiated a Challenge by grabbing the root of a tree.


    A little over half the Undead monsters that populated the glass room had been Manifested Creatures, including the Undead Faekin that had been trying to stomp his head in. These exploded into the classic blue light of manifestation and flowed back into the hands of the woman protruding from the tree trunk.


    Climbing to his feet, Alley locked eyes with the female figure. They were the only part of her that seemed human and alive. Right now they also seemed pretty angry.  That was  alright, Alley wasn''t in the friendliest of moods either.


    ¡°You accept and I''ll kill you¡± he called up at the wooden figure with a savage smile.


    ¡°You decline and I''ll kill you as well unless those other Undead retreat.¡±


    The tree woman''s eyes narrowed and Alley was struck by the woman''s response. It wasn''t a voice in his head per se, more a projection of intent. Somehow her thoughts in their most primal form exploded into his mind.


    ¡°I accept.¡±


    He could feel a strange anticipation behind the thought like she was looking forward to the Challenge. That made sense Alley supposed, it probably got pretty boring being a tree.


    That didn''t justify sending her minions to harass travelers for the last several centuries though. Alley felt sure that he needed to put her down. It was the right thing to do.


    Speaking of doing the right thing he shouted at Darius to run. The redheaded boy was right in the midst of where the Challenge arena would appear. If the arena formed whilst Darius was still inside it, the hunter was going to have a bad time.


    Alley winced as his prediction came true and his friend was sent hurtling through one of the glass walls back out into the courtyard.


    It was probably fine, Darius was a fairly durable guy. Still Alley ignored his opponent to peer through the newly made hole in the wall as best he could from here, until he confirmed that Darius was both moving and had not been crushed by a flying skeleton.


    Reassured of his friend¡¯s immediate survival Alley turned to face the tree that occupied the other side of the arena of blue energy.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Alabaster Roe; Crown Of The Cursed King, Rank Twelve¡± he called up at her.


    ¡°Manners from one that just threatened to kill me? How droll. ¡° Came the alien thoughts projected into his mind. Alley wasn''t sure how she was doing that, or why she had only begun after he initiated a Challenge. Maybe the linking of their Decks to create the Arena allowed it somehow?


    ¡°Lady Clataire Asley; Garden Of The Doomed Maiden, Rank Ten.¡±


    Garden Of The Doomed Maiden? It was certainly appropriate, but that seemed to often be the case. Alley had read the idea that Decks sought out owners that fit them, but he knew it was nonsense. After all, it was common knowledge that the flow of Resonance from the Dealer into its wielder was why Decks and owners were so often alike or linked in some way. That didn''t explain why various sects, factions, and religions he had read or been told about favored certain Resonance types almost to the exclusion of all others.


    ¡®Not important right now Alley.¡¯ He reminded himself and focussed on the task at hand.


    If he could kill the tree lady, and she really was the nexus of the Undead in the swamp maybe the non-manifested monsters would collapse or get some kind of debuff like the knights had.


    In classic Darius form, the hunter essentially shouted Alley¡¯s own thoughts at him from outside the glass room.


    ¡°Hey Alley, do you maybe think they will all die if you kill that tree?¡±


    Shouting over his shoulder whilst still keeping one eye on his opponent Alley replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that too. I¡¯m pretty sure she is the source of the Undeath Resonance but I¡¯m thinking fifty-fifty on whether killing her will kill them.¡±


    There was a breif pause and before Darius implored Alley to finish this one quickly.  Alley who had no idea how many monsters were presently converging on their location intended to do just that.


    Closing his eyes the dark haired boy took a deep breath and made a concious effort to ¡®switch modes¡¯ so to speak.


    ¡®It''s only a game, a really fun one and everything. You don''t need to worry about winning or losing, just play the best you can, read everything you can, and enjoy yourself. Do that and she doesn''t have a chance.¡¯


    After his internal pep talk was over Alley felt the aggression that had been building flow out of him, replaced with the joy of facing a brand new opponent with Cards and strategies he had likely never seen before.


    The savagery that had been in his voice and smile moments before was gone also. He still felt that the only course of action was killing this woman, if nothing else she had to be insane.


    Besides those Resonance Crystals growing from her branches were an incredible haul and he wanted to help the ghost girl pinned to the wall. On top of all of that if he could in fact put an end the Undead menace within Rakino swamp it would help the prospectors range further and safer, which had to help their ailing economy at least a little.


    Perhaps most importantly of all;


    ¡°I gave you the chance to back down. Don''t forget that.¡±


    The sense of disbelief that came across their apparent link was more than palpable.


    ¡°You are shockingly arrogant for a boy of the lowest rank and I hope you haven''t forgotten that your Deck Sprite can''t help while I have her trapped.¡±

 Chapter Sixty Eight: Ante Up

    Chapter 68: Ante Up


    Alabaster


    ¡°Deck Sprite!?¡± The hurt in the ghostly girl''s voice had nothing to do with the beams of Resonance piercing her. If anything the sheer indignity seemed to strengthen her.


    ¡°Who do you think you are calling a Deck Sprite?!¡±


    The impaling Resonance pulsed and the white-haired girl was reduced to whimpering once more.


    ¡°I was wrong, you interlopers have no manners. Invading my home, making threats, stealing my servants, and acting with utter hubris. I am sick of your presence and I am going to end it!¡±


    Alley''s eyes sparkled with excitement, an annoyed opponent was almost always a careless one. That excitement dimmed a little when the Ante effect activated and he saw which Card he was risking.  He was really starting to feel like it was never one of his weaker Cards that got revealed to the opposition. Oh no it was always some pivotal effect that gave the other player insight into some of what he could do.


    The Card in question was Vile Things, a powerful spell that had the ability to fill his board with stat-weak but effect-strong monsters.


    Conversely, the lady of the house¡¯s ante wasn¡¯t anything special, and told him nothing he didn¡¯t already know, considering he had just spent the better part of twenty minutes battling with her Manifested Creatures. Still, at least he had a moment to actually inspect the Card and think a little.


    Alley couldn¡¯t read its effect of course, but gauging from the way creatures with Undeath Resonance tended to behave in play it might interact with the Crypt somehow. As for Bloom and Faekin, Alley had read a little about them but had never actually played against Cards of those types before.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Bloom he knew was to do with spring, plants, and growth. He didn¡¯t have a winter fog bank¡¯s idea what Faekin was though.


    ¡° The Dead Man¡¯s Hand!¡± The cry was pained but still obviously the activation of a Card or linked item, there was something special about the words when someone did that. A power or intent that rang out. It sounded like the sort of thing Alley would have in his deck, but he had never heard of The Dead Man¡¯s Hand before.


    ¡°Ah,¡± He said dryly a moment later when the effect of what had to be a Linked Item was revealed.  Frankly, it probably should have been obvious to him. Above the left shoulder of the girl who was still pinned halfway up the wall a circular portal of Teal energy opened. Alley still didn¡¯t know what kind of Resonance that was, or if it was a Resonance at all but the ethereal energy was certainly somehow associated with his Deck and the Castle he had seized it from.


    From the swirling vortex of see-through energy emerged a skeletal hand and forearm that dwarfed both the girl commanding it and Alley. This particular limb was starting to become an old friend the way it kept showing up in his life.


    With an odd gentleness, the hand reached out and poked the projected image of Lady Asley''s ante Card. There was a spark of purple Resonance as the Undead Card and Obviously, Undead limb came into contact with each other.  From that spark came a ripple that ran across the Card image and¡­.changed it?


    ¡°Have you ever seen a Deck Sprite do that? You Upstart pile of kindling!¡± The girl¡¯s voice was still pained but her fury seemed to give her strength.


    Alley could only guess what a Deck Sprite was and why it was so offensive to be called one. It didn¡¯t really matter right now, not compared to the fact that the ghostly teen had changed an Ante Card. Something that Alley had never even heard of being done, though by this point the word impossible was just gone from his vocabulary.


    Where before had been a Card Alley could use, now hovered one he would be more than ecstatic to win here. If anything he couldn¡¯t have picked a more perfect Card to Ante. Did that mean the white-haired girl could see what was in the other player¡¯s library? There was going to be a long conversation with her once this was over¡­assuming he could stop the girl from vanishing again anyway.


    The image on the Card was a familiar knightly figure which was listed as Unique, and fit the Resonances of his Deck extremely well. As always the question became what did the Card actually do? Alley was practically drooling to find out. That long conversation would also have to include a thank you to the girl after he secured this potential powerhouse of a Card.


    Being the lower rank of the two Players, Alley automatically went first. A state of affairs that was actually starting to annoy him. Granted going first was almost always an advantage but he had held it for the last three Challenges straight.


    ¡®Just once it would be nice to battle someone of my own rank.¡¯ On the upside Lady Asley was lower rank than the pirate captain Karieto had been, though somehow he suspected her strange form might grant her an excess of Life Essence.

 Chapter Sixty Nine: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 1

    Chapter 69: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 1


    Alabaster


    Alley was about to inspect the hovering images of the five Cards that made up his Hand when he felt a wriggling from within his cloak. For the briefest of moments, he thought the tree lady had somehow managed to circumvent the Challenge Arena and snaked one of her roots up his leg.


    Of course, none of them had moved or shown signs that they could so he knew it was a stupid idea.


    Alley felt his eyes go wide with realization as he felt his cloak itself begin to constrict.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t ¡° he hissed as he unceremoniously ripped the garment from around his shoulders and tossed it into one of the corners of the Arena. He half expected the bundled cloth to spring to life and surge towards him, or for his connection to the Deck to vanish.


    Thankfully none of that happened, and in fact Alley pondered the Cloak was only half of the Dealer, or the Dealer¡¯s delivery system or something. He could feel the other half or the true Dealer or whatever it was sitting atop his brow right now. The Crown Of The Cursed King. Still invisible the crown nevertheless cast a sort of shadow in the light of the Resonance crystals.


    ¡°I uhh didn''t know she could do that,¡± Alley said to the tree sheepishly. While he very much appreciated the improved Ante Card, it felt a little rude to just reach out and change what someone else was risking.


    ¡°Just take your turn¡± Came the more than exasperated projection from the tree lady.


    ¡°Right, yep,¡± said Alley with a little laugh as he considered his Cards.


    First was the spell he had gotten from the Knots Family. Fierce Negotiations. Alley had been looking forward to playing that one and he felt his smile widen a little.


    This was a strong opening hand, not a Cursed Draw for once. Saoirse, Chill Of The Grave, Shadeling, and finally Zombie Brute.


    With those four Cards plus the Fierce Negotiations spell this was a hand he felt like he could use to quickly seize control of the Challenge. That would be a nice change too, not running around for his life while he desperately searched for a way off the backfoot.


    ¡°As requested, let''s get things started. I Manifest Saoirse, Relentless Banshee¡±. Once again Alley thanked the stars above that he knew how to pronounce that name, based on the way it was written he could have been guessing for a year and never figured it out.


    Saoirse, Relentless Banshee


    Resonances: Undeath, Curse, Cacophony


    Unique


    No Cost


    Power: 2000


    Vitality: 1


    The first time Saoirse is sent to your Crypt you may send the top five Cards of your Library to your Crypt. If you do Manifest Saoirse in play and lower a Creature in play''s Power by 200.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A strange sobbing that seemed to come from everywhere at once filled the room, then the banshee Manifested along with a moss-covered log upon which she sat. The monster was of all things combing her long grey hair as she sat. She might have been called pretty, but Alley preferred the word terrifying. Pale blue skin that seemed to turn translucent and then back again every few seconds. Her eyes were a milky white flecked with glowing spots of red, red that only grew in intensity when the comb snapped in her hand.


    The banshee let out a shriek of rage that left Alley¡¯s ears ringing in a way that didn¡¯t clear until long after the monster had stood up from the log, and the wood had vanished behind her. The introductions that Unique Cards got always impressed him but some, like this one weren¡¯t exactly comfortable.


    2000 Power. 1 Vitality Good value for a Card that didn¡¯t cost Vials, but nothing special for a Unique.


    ¡®Well if she has an effect it had better be a good one.¡¯


    ¡°Next I activate Fierce Negotiations¡±. A more conservative part of Alley felt like he should hold onto the Card until later in the Challenge, but he was aiming to seize control quickly and that meant playing Cards in order to draw Cards.


    Fierce Negotiations


    No Resonance


    Spell


    No Cost


    Additional Cost: Send the top two Cards in your Library to your Crypt.


    Each player selects a Card in their Hand. The selected Card is sent to the opposing player''s Hand and may be played by them as per normal for the remainder of the Challenge.


    [Traded Card returns to the Crypt of it''s original owner if it is sent to the crypt]


    The spell activated and the sounds of a thriving market filled the air. A pair of women appeared and began to shout at each other in a language Alley didn¡¯t recognize. Automatically a pair of Cards were sent from Alley¡¯s Library to his Crypt. Knowing the way that his Crown Of The Cursed King tended to function he paid special attention to what those Cards actually were.


    The first was a Unique Card he still hadn¡¯t quite figured out. It had weak stats but almost certainly had a combination effect with other Cards.


    Clarence, Supreme Shadeling


    Alley had a regular Shadeling in his hand and paused for a moment to see if the Unique monster activated some sort of effect with the one he was holding when it hit his Crypt. Nothing happened, but that had been a long shot anyway so he wasn¡¯t overly concerned. He would figure out the Card¡¯s synergy eventually.


    The next Card sent to his Crypt was a familiar one. It was Alley¡¯s Greater Shade Hound. A little bit of a loss, but until he had more than two Vials to play with the Creature was bad value anyway. While he would have preferred to have a crypt-based effect activate, or have sent some of the remaining off-Resonance Cards from his Library to his Crypt the spell hadn¡¯t cost him anything he couldn¡¯t afford.


    Once the cost was paid and the sounds and images faded Alley explained.


    ¡°So all you need to know about Fierce Negotiations is that we both pick a card from our hand, and the other player gets that Card till the end of the Challenge. So make sure to give me something strong, okay?¡±


    Obviously she wasn¡¯t going to do that, the tree woman would pick what she considered the weakest Card she had and Alley would do the same. Naturally he gave her the Shadeling and received a Swamp Zombie in return.


    Ending his Creation Phase with Alley reinspected his hand, now that the two Cards he had played were replaced. Chill of The Grave, Zombie Brute, and Swamp Zombie had already been there, but now they were joined by End The Bloodline and City Of The Doomed And Rotten.


    ¡®Spell heavy draw.¡¯ Alley remarked to himself, not that he minded Spells were quite often the lynchpin that held your Deck together or the Catalyst that allowed it to get its strategies rolling.


    Unable to attack on the first turn, Alley moved on to his second Creation phase and activated the Land Manipulation spell.


    ¡°All this plant stuff isn¡¯t really doing it for me, hope you don¡¯t mind if I redecorate a little, City Of The Doomed And Rotten!¡±


    City Of The Doomed And Rotten


    Resonances: Undeath, Zombie


    Land Manipulation Spell-Continuous


    No Cost


    While this Card remains in play all Creatures in both Crypts gain the Undeath and Zombie Resonances.

 Chapter Seventy: Garden of The Doomed Maiden part 2: Botany

    Chapter 70: Garden of The Doomed Maiden part 2: Botany


    Alabaster


    Around the Arena portions of the city sprang into existence. A rotting shack here, a cracked and broken stone path there. It was almost like a street had been plucked by some giant and haphazardly tossed down in a vague line across the Arena.


    Alley wouldn¡¯t get to replace the Land Manipulation spell until his next turn, so he braced himself for the tree woman¡¯s turn to come. If there was one thing Alley appreciated it was a clever strategy or a challenging opponent, and while he hoped the lady Asley wouldn¡¯t disappoint the more pragmatic side of him would prefer it if she did. Better to survive a boring Challenge than to die here in a back-and-forth contest for the ages.


    To the surprise of no one Clataire¡¯s first move was not to summon the Shadeling Alley had sent her with his Fierce Negotiations Card. She did open her turn by Manifesting a monster though, a seemingly much more useful one.


    Nothing was said aloud but once more the words or projected thoughts of the tree woman boomed in his mind. ¡°I Manifest Unearthed Botanist¡±


    The Creature wasn¡¯t a Unique so its introduction wasn¡¯t overly special. There was a burst of blue light, and a zombie dressed in the ragged clothes of a field scientist and clutching a perfectly alive purple root vegetable appeared.


    The Creature didn¡¯t have the stats to stand up to Saoirse with only 1000 Power, but it did have 2 Vitality which wasn¡¯t bad. As always though the real question was what did the monster do? If stats that you could see were all that mattered Alley¡¯s own Crown Of The Cursed King would be a weak piece of garbage. Instead, it was one of the most powerful Decks Alley had ever seen and that was without even understanding what most of his Monsters or Relics did.


    [Unearthed Botanist


    No Cost


    Resonances: Undeath, Zombie, Bloom


    Power:1000


    Vitality:2


    Once per turn, you may send the top Card from both Player¡¯s libraries to their Crypts.]


    ¡°Have you ever tended a garden?¡± Asked the tree woman silently.


    ¡°Uhh kind of, my parents had a vegetable garden, and occasionally my sister would make me help with her flowers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad, everyone should tend a garden at least once in their lives. I think many would  find it a uniquely gratifying experience.¡±  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Al..right?¡± Offered Alley with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°It can be challenging, and for the uninformed a garden¡¯s success or failure can often seem like luck. It isn¡¯t luck but that is beside the point. Even the most ill-knowledged amateur in the art of Blooming can and will eventually find success so long as they keep trying and keep adapting.¡±


    Alley was starting to suspect not having anyone to talk to but zombies and wraiths for however many centuries may have left the woman a little pent up when it came to conversation.


    ¡°You are going to relate this back to some Cards you are playing right? This isn¡¯t just a random mid-challenge conversation about plants, is it? Because I have got to tell you not everyone cares about botany as much as someone in your uhh condition.¡±


    Alley actually found the woman and her part plant, part person, part undead form utterly fascinating, but he was trying to win a Challenge here, being annoying seemed like a far more winning strategy than gushing over how he wanted to sketch her and asking a bunch of questions about how this all happened.


    She didn¡¯t reply to his goading, but he could sense the annoyance emanating from the tree from across the arena.


    ¡°Suffice to say, the speed at which even the most basic of crops, properly tended can grow is often astounding. Obsession Beyond Death!¡±


    She was activating a spell, the image of the Card appeared before Alley as the spell effects began.


    [Obsession Beyond Death


    Resonances: Bloom, Undeath


    Continuous Spell


    No Cost


    When Obsession Beyond Death is played select one Creature you control. The Creature gains the following effect. While Obsession Beyond Death remains in play each time a Card with the Bloom Resonance is sent to a crypt, this Creature gains 500 Power.]


    Alley didn¡¯t need to do any kind of mental arithmetic to figure out what this Card did, it was a spell. It said what it¡¯s effect was right on the image that was displayed before him. It did however offer a fairly strong clue to the effect of the Unearthed Botanist. In the image itself was a version of the same botanist monster.


    He needn¡¯t have bothered, his opponent was more than happy to demonstrate the ability of her zombie and did so immediately after the image of a garden springing up around the now exuberant zombie faded.


    ¡°Go my compatriot, show this boy we don¡¯t need fancy Unique Cards to overpower our foes, our strength only grows.¡±  The ability of the monster activated and the top Card from both of their libraries was sent directly to the Crypt.


    It was a good effect and synergized well with the spell card the tree woman had played but Alley couldn¡¯t help but feel it had been a bit much of an intro from her for such mid-level ability.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡± Said Alley in disbelief as he saw what was ¡®milled¡¯ from the top of his Deck. Enchanted Grove; A continuous spell that buffed Bloom Creatures, not something he wanted to draw, but also one of literally three Cards in his entire ninety Card Cursed Deck that had Bloom Resonance.


    From Astley¡¯s Garden Of The Doomed Maiden, a Rotting Wish Fae was sent to the Crypt, prompting a surge of smug satisfaction to emanate from the tree.


    ¡°When Rotting Wish Fae is sent from my Library to my Crypt it allows me to Search for a Spell With both Bloom and Undeath Resonance.¡± Elaborated the tree woman.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Said Alley raising both eyebrows. ¡° That is probably not good for me.¡±


    All the while the Obsession Beyond Death Spell effect activated, causing a pair of herbs to bloom out of the dirt floor beneath beside the Unearth Botanist. For its part the botanist Zombie excitedly plucked the herbs, one for each Card with Bloom Resonance sent to the Crypt. When it finished its gleeful harvest the zombie¡¯s power had risen to 2000.

 Chapter Seventy One: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 3: Seeds

    Chapter 71: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 3: Seeds


    Alabaster


    Lady Asley all too human eyes glowed blue just like a regular player as she accessed her Library. Alley wasn¡¯t sure what spells exactly she had at her disposal, but ¡®milling¡¯ the Rotting Wish Fae so early into the match and being able to search her Library meant the tree woman was building a lot of momentum.


    Her eyes returning to normal, the woman growing out of the side of a rotting tree completed the search of her Library.


    ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t too busy trying to be funny to pay attention to what I was saying before.¡± Sent the obviously smug Astley. ¡°As now that my botanist is here to fertilize the ground, my garden can begin to grow.¡± Alley very obviously rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t interrupt this time.


    ¡°As with all gardens, mine begins with the act of seeding. Seed Of Death!¡±


    [Seed Of Death


    Spell


    No Cost


    Spell


    No Cost


    Seed Of Death remains in play until it reaches 5 counters or is destroyed by other means.  Each time a Creature Card with the Bloom Resonance Enters the Crypt while Seed Of Death is in Play, place a counter on Seed Of Death. When Seed Of Death reaches 5 counters destroy it and Manifest a Death Elemental. ]


    Alley inspected the Card image that was displayed after Astley played the spell. Once the image faded a skeletal figure in dark robes began to plant a little five-foot by five-foot garden patch on the tree woman¡¯s side of the arena. Having read the Card text Alley knew what the spell did and was honestly kind of curious to let it go off. His own Deck had two copies of Death Elemental in it, and he badly wished to know what their effect was.


    The Unearthed Botanist had only been manifested this turn so it couldn¡¯t attack. As Such Lady Astley moved right past her War phase and onto her second Creation phase. She redrew to replace the Cards she had played but didn¡¯t play anything further.


    Redrawing from the City of The Of Doomed And Rotten he had played at the end of his last turn Alley reassessed his hand. He had drawn into Skeletal Cavalry, which joined Zombie Brute, Swamp Zombie, End The Bloodline, and Chill Of The Grave.  It wasn¡¯t the strongest seeming Hand, but Alley already had a potential path to victory in mind, and with Saoirse and the city in play, he was confident he could put together the pieces he needed to make it happen. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I Manifest Zombie Brute,¡± Alley said simply, after all, he had promised Darius he would try to make this a quick match.


    [Zombie Brute


    Resonances: Undeath, Zombie, Wrath


    No Cost


    Power: 1600


    Vitality:1


    If you control at least two other Creatures with Zombie Resonance, Zombie Brute gains 800 Power and 1 Vitality ]


    Before Alley had a chance to say or do anything further Clataire interjected. ¡°I activate Unearthed Botanist.¡±


    Alley tilted his head and considered ¡®Huh, she can do that every turn.¡¯ He immediately tried to act like he was displeased by her surprise activation of the creature¡¯s effect, though nothing could be further from the truth. He felt like he did a pretty good job faking it, but the initial delay while he contemplated the effect probably proved him a liar.


    From the tree woman¡¯s Library, a Card was ¡®milled¡¯ that thankfully did not activate some special effect this time. It was still one of her Swamp Undead and granted the botanist another 500 power due to its Obsession Beyond Death spell empowering it. Simultaneously a counter was added to her Seeds Of Death spell, drawing it one step closer to Manifesting a monster Alley knew normally cost four Vials.


    From Alley¡¯s Library a very familiar Card was sent to the Crypt. It wasn¡¯t the women¡¯s fault and he knew that but upon seeing Hecatia Roe, Thaw Princess enter the Crypt as though it had been destroyed hardened his heart further. ¡®How dare she even affect that Card?!¡¯ The strange desire to destroy this woman that had been welling up inside him since he had first seen her flared to greater heights.


    [Hecatia Roe


    Resonance: Human, Charm, Bloom


    Unique


    No Cost


    Power: 700


    Vitality:1]


    The moment she entered the Crypt the effect of The City Of The Doomed And Rotten kicked in granting her the Zombie, and Undeath Resonances. As much as that was exactly according to plan it still increased the power of the botanist being a Bloom Card and added a counter to the Seeds Of Death Card. But more than that it made him feel a little sick.


    Hecatia should not be a Zombie now, or ever. Alley wasn¡¯t a high enough rank yet but the day would come when he Evolved her Card and he prayed when it did she would never be subjected to this sort of thing again.


    Moving on to his War Phase Alley couldn¡¯t disguise the grin that crossed his features at his draw. That was against proper playing as he had been taught. You never wanted to give away information about your hand, especially not for free by reacting to a draw.


    He felt his grin widen into something sheepish as he scolded himself. ¡®Amateur hour over here.¡¯


    Oh well it didn¡¯t matter, he had drawn into Rouse The Heroes and that meant Lady Clataire Astley was about to be in very big trouble regardless of her quickly growing side of the field.

 Chapter Seventy Two: Army Of Darkness

    Chapter 72: Army Of Darkness


    Darius


    Darius was a more philosophical soul than he might seem at first glance. He didn¡¯t consider it arrogant to think so, as the boy knew how he usually came across but also knew his own mind. It was just his brain only went to deep places when he was stalking prey or desperately fighting for his life.


    The hunter had talked to Alley about it, prompting his friend to do what he always did when presented with a quandary he couldn¡¯t solve on the spot. Go away, read like seventy books, and come back at it a few days later. He had after doing some research assured Darius that it wasn¡¯t all that unusual. Apparently, when some people were in high-intensity situations their minds just went to odd places.


    A hunt was mostly the opposite of high intensity but that made sense too since he had so much time doing little more than waiting, it would be almost impossible not to think about the nature of life. While his stand in the courtyard had initially sent his mind wandering like usual, but he didn¡¯t have time for that now.


    There turned out to be a lot more Undead in this Mansion that it had seemed like the day before. If Darius had to guess the owner of this place;The bizarre tree lady was also the ruler of the creatures out in the swamp and had used her influence to summon reinforcements, lots and lots of reinforcements.


    Zombies of all shapes and sizes, skeletal warriors armed with various rusty weapons or farming implements, that gods forsaken Golem that had been sent flying through the glass after him, even a pair of monstrous dead Vine-Man monsters Darius didn''t have names for.


    All of it had come pouring into the courtyard and arrayed themselves against a single teen boy with a hand-me-down spear and a dragon-scale cloak that was in dire need of washing.


    If Darius had the time he would have considered himself in trouble, but just as his mind no longer had time for ponderings on existence he no longer had time to even consider his wider situation.


    The hunter¡¯s mind and world had been reduced to nothing more than ¡®duck, spin, dodge, stab, reverse grip, counter, dodge, duck, spin, dash, lunge, play Card¡¯


    Before he had stopped counting the redheaded boy had put the number of enemy combatants at somewhere above forty. That alone would be problem enough but several of these monsters were inhumanly strong or durable. Not to mention that sooner or later everyone that he killed would pull itself back together and rejoin the fight.


    In truth Darius only had two advantages he could call on to keep himself alive; The ability to play Cards, something that was somewhat hamstrung by his lack of Life Essence to call on right now. He could still use about two-thirds of his Deck, but the most powerful enhancements he could draw were beyond his reach.


    The second advantage was something he could almost always call upon to help him out of a tight jam. Superior speed and agility, the only times in his life Darius had ever felt at a speed disadvantage was when sparring with his father or other hunters who had attained even greater ranks. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Moving the fastest he had ever gone the hunter didn¡¯t so much inspect his Hand and make informed decisions as occasionally look at it from his peripheral vision and kind of include it in his instinctually made snap decisions.  Despite his magical and physical edges Darius was starting to accumulate injuries, he hadn¡¯t allowed anything near his vitals but without Vials to rejuvenate him the army of dead things would overwhelm him sooner or later¡­probably sooner.


    He might be able to attempt to break out of the hidden courtyard but Darius was almost certain that ship had sailed, all he could do was keep moving, keep killing and hold out long enough for Alley to beat the tree woman and hope that when he put her down it had some significant effect on the little army currently trying to rip him to pieces.


    Spinning his spear to decapitate a wall of muscle masquerading as a zombie the hunter activated a Card in response to a group of the skeletons and the golem hemming him in.


    ¡°Primal Forge: Sword and Shield¡±


    [Primal Forge


    Resonance: Pursuit


    When Primal Forge is activated if you are holding on of the following weapon combinations you may transform it into another of the listed combinations for 2 minutes.


    Ancient Sword And Shield


    Ancient Spear


    Ancient Cleavers


    Ancient Maul


    Ancient Sling]


    He declared in between panting breaths. It wasn¡¯t Darius¡¯ favorite weapon combination, in fact, he would say it was close to his least favorite. Outdone only by the sling in holding his ire he had nevertheless been forced to drill with versions of everything his Primal Forge could create and it was simply the right choice to keep himself alive right now.


    Flowing like liquid the spear split into two parts and then spread out into the combination of arms. Like all weapons Primal Forge created, they were primitive things: the shield made of light wood adorned with animal skin and feathers for display and a tiny bit of extra protection. The sword¡¯s length was also wooden, even the cutting edge wasn¡¯t a true blade but a section of the wood that was a little wider and studded with sharp angular teeth made of CoreStone.


    Keeping the shield close Darius rushed to meet the golem, while he considered it more dangerous by far than the group of skeletons it was only one monster and a far easier route of escape. Assuming of course that he could get around the creature.


    Even once he had ¡®escaped¡¯ Darius would find himself with only a little bit more room to move. The first set of Undead he had slain hadn¡¯t resurrected themselves yet but the hunter could see the twirling helixes of Resonance doing their work.


    Dropping into a knee slide Darius ducked under a wild swing from the rusty blade that made up one of the golem¡¯s forearms and was back on his feet running before he had even registered the thought to keep moving. Almost instantaneously he was glad he had transformed his spear.


    Using some sort of ambush ability one of the Vine Elementals? Yeah, it was probably some sort of swamp-based Undead-Vine Elemental. Had hidden itself in a vine form scattered across the ground. Once Darius escaped the attempt to box him in the vine monster burst from the garden bed the hunter was charging into assuming its manlike shape in less than a second, just in time to deliver a punch with rock-breaking power.


    Darius brought his shield to bear blocking the attack but it still split his shield down the middle and sent a bone rattling wave of force down his arm. The hunter was sent flying, his back colliding with the back of the still adjusting bone golem.

 Chapter Seventy Three: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 4: Harvest Preparations

    It''s a ritual that has existed since our very first ancestors settled the Frostlands in the time beyond memory. Once upon a time almost every boy and even some women were Soul Brothers. Now though, even the fact that I had one was a rarity. The sea snake from which the venom needed for the ritual just doesn''t exist in the same kind of numbers anymore. It makes me sad that a portion of our culture is fading away son, but one cannot stop these things any more than they can stop the moon from rising. Your grandfather used half of this jar on me and my Soul Brother and told me to use the other half on my eventual son. I wasn¡¯t sure it would ever be something you would need to endure. It is a very painful ritual for a young boy, you know? But watching you and Alley, once I was sure you two weren¡¯t gay I knew you two were a pair of Soul Brothers if I ever saw one. There are all sorts of religious and spiritual connotations, but you want to know about the practical side of things. In a loose sense, it will create a link between your internal Resonance System and his.


    -Leshy Knots answering a question from his eldest son about the nature of Soul Brothers.


    Chapter 73: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 4: Harvest Preparations


    Alabaster


    Alley Roe was doing his very best not to rush. He knew there was a very good chance his best and only remaining friend was fighting for his life outside. He had requested Alley make this a quick challenge and that was precisely what he planned to do.


    It was just the boy couldn¡¯t really rush if he wanted to win, which seeing as the Challenge having an early ending only helped if he was the victor meant he couldn¡¯t make mistakes. So Alley was doing his best to play with aggression but not haste. He absolutely could not afford to miss something he would have otherwise seen, not when he was only a single Card from his planned win condition.


    Moving on to his War Phase Alley refilled the empty slot left in his Hand by playing Zombie Brute. He hadn¡¯t drawn what he needed as it was somewhat ironically a copy of Death Elemental. A Card that cost three Vials to play and was what would be Manifested if Lady Astley¡¯s Seeds Of Death spell Card fully activated.


    While interested in the Card he didn¡¯t possess a way to negate its cost and thus couldn¡¯t play it. So Alley mostly relegated the Elemental to the back of his mind for now and focussed on the other Cards he held and what was in play. On his side of the field stood the 2000 Power 1 Vitality Banshee Saoirse, backed up by the 1600 Power 1 Vitality Zombie Brute.


    In the way of his two Creatures stood one goofy-looking but rapidly powering up Unearthed Botanist, enchanted with the Obsession Beyond Death Card that increased its power by 500 every time a Bloom Resonance Card entered a Crypt. By using its activatable effect the Botanist had already grown to 3000 Power, well outside the range of what his current side of the Arena could challenge.


    His hand was at least a little more promising, holding Chill Of The Grave, Rouse The Heroes, End the Bloodline, Skeletal Cavalry, and the newly drawn Death Elemental.


    Hating that he had to slow-play things, Alley essentially abandoned his turn. His win condition was building, but he needed a field that could keep him alive long enough to draw what he needed. That wasn¡¯t going to happen if he pointlessly threw away the monsters he did control. So despite his promise to Darius to make this one quick he moved on to his final Creation Phase of his turn and discarded the Death Elemental. He wouldn¡¯t get to redraw for it until the next turn but he wanted to keep his Cards flowing as fast as he could regardless.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He could feel his opponent¡¯s sense of superiority at his lack of forward momentum, a sense that dimmed just a little bit after she activated her Botanist¡¯s ability for the third time, and for once it didn¡¯t help her. Instead, it sent the very Card she had Ante¡¯d to her Crypt. A powerful Card and possibly possessing a crypt-related effect that neither of them understood, but certainly not a Bloom Card.


    [Armon, WraithKnight Gaurdian


    Unique


    Cost: 2 Vials


    Power:3300


    Vitality: 3


    Armon may be discarded from your Hand or Banished from your Crypt to Negate an attack]


    From Alley¡¯s Deck was sent Feral Stalker a Lionkin Beast that was a clear relative of the pair of Reed Stalker Cards that had once been a part of his Aegis Of The Fisher Lord. It wasn¡¯t a useful Card for him to draw, and with City Of The Doomed And Rotten in play being sent to the Crypt might even prove to be the most help the Card could provide.


    ¡®I really need to get some more Cards that work with my Resonances.¡¯ He mused to himself as he awaited the rest of Lady Astley¡¯s turn. He was fairly certain she wasn¡¯t actually taking a frustratingly long time to actually act, it was more that with the sounds of combat outside intensifying every second felt agonizing.


    ¡°Now young interloper I want you to bear witness to another unassuming Gardener that gains incredible power from simply tending her crops.¡±


    Alley briefly wondered if the woman was going to play another Unearthed Botanist, but she thankfully didn¡¯t monologue further and just got on with Manifesting the Creature. This one cost her at least one Vial, Alley was sure of it from the way the glow that had started within her wooden hands when the Challenge began dimmed a little. Sadly though that was all he could tell. Where Your average opponent had little choice but to reveal their Vials and thus the cost of their cards the tree woman had all of it hidden under bark and vine.


    ¡®CorpseBlossom Dryad.¡±


    [ CorpseBlossom Dryad


    Cost: 1 Vial


    Power:1100


    Vitality:1


    Once per turn, you may Banish three Creatures with the Undeath Resonance from your Crypt. If you do, you may Manifest an additional Bloom Creature this turn without paying its Vial Cost.]


    What Manifested on the lady¡¯s side of the Arena was a short woman with green skin, and branches growing out of leafy green hair. She would have been beautiful if she wasn¡¯t so clearly dead and rotting.


    ¡°Show him my darling, show him what you can do. I activate the ability of CorpseBlossom Dryad.¡±

 Chapter Seventy Five: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 5: Relentless

    Chapter 74: Garden Of The Doomed Maiden Part 5: Relentless


    Alabaster


    Alley wouldn¡¯t have activated the CorpseBlossom Dryad so soon if he had been lady Astley. The tree woman had used the Creature¡¯s effect as soon as she had Manifested the thing in her first Creation Phase of the turn. Even if you had something monstrous in your Hand the correct play would have been to wait till you had redrawn and done it in the second Creation Phase.


    All of that was instantly clear after his opponent had arrogantly explained the effect of the dryad monster.


    [Cost: 1 Vial


    Power:1100


    Vitality:1


    Once per turn you may Banish three Creatures with the Undeath Resonance from your Crypt. If you do,you may Manifest an additional Bloom Creature this turn without paying its Vial Cost.]


    He figured that the woman just got a little bit excited when she realized she could get one of her ¡®boss¡¯ monsters out onto the field right away. So that is precisely what she did, Banishing Armon, Rotting Wish Fae, and Swamp Zombie from her Crypt Astley Manifested a powerful Unique practically for free.


    ¡°I call forth Malaithe, Lord of The Rotting Woods!¡±


    [Malaithe, Lord Of The Rotten Woods


    Unique


    Resonances: Undeath, Bloom, Faekin


    Cost: 4 Vials


    Power: 4800


    Vitality:3


    When Malaithe destroys another monster in combat you may Manifest a copy of it under your control. The copied Creature''s Resonances are replaced with Bloom and Undeath Resonance.]


    Instantly the creepiest patch of forest Alley had ever seen appeared on Astley¡¯s side of the field. The rotting and desiccated trees blocked out everything else he could see. The Botanist, the dryad, the seed spell, even the tree woman herself were all hidden from view by the copse of grasping woodland.


    There was a sound like wolves whimpering and the trees suddenly parted to reveal a strange Undead man with piercing yellow eyes, a crown bearing antlers, and ornate if rotting robes covered in leaves and feathers. The man himself was obviously some sort of Undead, maybe a lich? Alley wasn¡¯t sure, but it certainly hadn¡¯t been quite human when it had died. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Realizing she was about to start her War Phase, Alley rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck in the manner he had seen Darius do so often. The boy had a feeling this Challenge was going to require some serious dodging on his part. This turn wasn¡¯t so bad as it was just the Botanist, but as powerful as the thing had become he definitely could not allow it to actually hit him.


    In terms of target order, Clataire stuck to traditional wisdom at least, opting to target the most powerful Creature on Alley¡¯s side of the field first and sent the 3000 Power Unearthed Botanist to assault Alley¡¯s 2000 Power Saoirse. For maybe half a second Alley considered activating the Chill Of The Grave spell in his hand, but thought it might hurt his planned path to victory. So instead he tensed up and allowed the clash of monsters to take place without interference.


    In an almost comedic manner, the Unearthed Botanist raised a potted plant and came charging through the center barrier. Letting out a deafening scream Saoirse strode to meet it, but before the banshee could do anything the botanist had smashed her over the head with its ceramic and dirt weapon causing the Banshee¡¯s wail to cut off abruptly and her form to explode into blue light that flowed into the Crypt.


    Turning its gaze on Alley the Undead plant expert charged on swinging another pot plant it had produced from somewhere.


    As powerful as the monster had become thanks to the combination of its own ability and the Obsession Beyond Death spell, its movements were still a bit on the awkward side. Awkward enough that he didn¡¯t have an awful lot of trouble sidestepping the attack, even with the shocking speed the creature displayed.


    Having avoided a swing of the ceramic pot, Alley decided to take an educated gamble. Several of them had worked before and the clues were there in front of him if he could just put them together one more time.


    He thought that he had in fact put them together, Saoirse was a Unique which meant she almost certainly had some sort of special ability. She had Undead and Curse Resonances which suggested some sort of Crypt interaction, and perhaps most of all she was a part of The Crown Of The Cursed King. A Deck that clearly specialized in Crypt manipulation.


    ¡°Uhh, I activate Saoirse¡¯s effect.¡± He guessed trying to sound far more sure than he was. To Alley¡¯s immense relief, there was another wail and Saoirse reappeared on the field. When she did the effect continued and the top five cards of his Library were ¡®milled¡¯ to his Crypt.


    [Saoirse, Relentless Banshshee


    Resonances: Undeath, Curse, Cacophony


    Unique


    No Cost


    Power: 2000


    Vitality: 1


    The first time Saoirse is sent to your Crypt you may send the top five Cards of your Library to the Crypt. If you do, Manifest her in Play and lower a Creature in play¡¯s Power by 200.]


    It seemed there was more, a faint glow appeared around both of Astley¡¯s monsters. Immediately Alley recognized and knew only he could see it. Whatever the final part of the banshee¡¯s effect was, it required a target from Creatures in play.


    Unsure exactly what he was working with, he chose the more powerful of the two enemy monsters, the Unique Malaithe, Lord Of The Rotten Woods. His selection prompted Saoirse to send a shriek from her mouth that was actually visible to the naked eye as a series of distorted clear rings. When they struck Malaithe he had hoped something powerful would happen, but The Lord of The Rotten Woods only lost a measly 200 ower. Not great, but also just a little bonus to the banshee¡¯s resurrection and the sending of his own Cards to the Crypt.


    That thought reminded Alley that he needed to inspect what had been sent and gauge how it affected his plans. Guardian of the shallows was first, an off-Resonance Water monster. Then had come the Bone Golem he had added to his collection just outside of this very mansion. Failing Lich was next, a Card he actually wanted to play and understand, but this was a fine use for now. Wraith Master, which had won him the Challenge against the pirate captain. Last was Lesser Shade Hound which joined its greater equivalent.