Chapter 223 Cash in Reward
— 1 Week Later —
After the transfer, Daniel found himself immersed in a week of intense activity. There was a multitude of tasks to manage, including the signing of numerous documents. These documents included confirmations of employee payment transfers, moving from the Tessia Government fund to his company's management fund. This transition meant that all former government employees would now become his employees, and he needed to ensure that their benefits remained intact.
Furthermore, he had to take on responsibilities such as the maintenance of roads and public facilities. Previously, these expenses had been covered by the Tessia Kingdom Government, but now he and his company would be shouldering these costs.
This transition significantly depleted his financial reserves, almost by half. Fortunately, during this period, his laboratory and workshop had been consistently producing more Atlantean artifacts for the market in the Curtained World.
Through Montgomery's market channel, he had secured a stable income as the exclusive producer of Atlantean artifacts. The profitability of this venture made Daniel understand the allure of monopolizing markets, akin to the strategies employed by greedy conglomerates.
As Daniel finished signing the last document regarding the transfer of funding sources and handed over the stack of completed paperwork to Maria for processing, a sudden beeping sound emanated from the special tablet he had received from The Keeper.
His attention swiftly shifted to the tablet, curious about the reason for the notification. After unlocking the screen, the information displayed on it took him by surprise. It indicated that he had reached his maximum merit points.
— Tablet Screen —
Merit points: 100,000/100,000 (Merit points lost due to exceeding the maximum threshold: 18,435)
Warning: The merit point maximum threshold has been implemented to prevent the destabilization of the reality fabric due to its fragility. - Keeper
—
As he absorbed the implications of this message, the realization of how many points he had lost due to exceeding the maximum threshold hit him like a wave of regret. The demands of his work and managerial responsibilities had consumed much of his time, leaving little for tending to Sylvana, with Michaela taking on that role instead. This left him with scarcely a moment to check the tablet.
In hindsight, if he hadn't received this warning, he might have completely forgotten about the possibility of redeeming his merit points for cards from The Shop.
"Damn it..." Daniel muttered with deep regret as he gazed at the significant number of points he had lost.
In that very moment, a door to The Shop materialized before him, a manifestation of his overwhelming desire to redeem all of his remaining points.
Without hesitation, Daniel quickly rose from his desk and strode toward the door. He opened it and entered the shop.
Inside, the shop hadn't changed significantly, except for the posters showcasing the new card set available for him to peruse. The posters depicted a grand battle between gods and humans, with a multitude of monstrous creatures on both sides.
One image featured a woman in armor leading the humans in rebellion against the gods, while another depicted a god with long white hair and a muscular physique clad in ancient Greek attire, seemingly incensed by the audacity of the humans and the betrayal of his own daughter.
Of course, the images on the posters portrayed Zeus leading the army of gods and monsters, as well as some humans who served the gods, in a war against the rebellious humans and monsters under the leadership of Athena.
The story wasn't overly complex. The gods of Olympus had become tyrannical through their long reign, corrupted by their own power. Then, a prophecy foretold the end of Olympus at the hands of humans. In response, the Olympian gods decided to eliminate the problem by wiping out all humans.
Athena, the only god who retained her reason and conscience, driven by guilt for her actions against Medusa and her love for an unnamed mortal man, whose name was forbidden to be spoken and who had been cruelly killed by Zeus, chose to lead the humans in rebellion against Zeus and the other Olympian gods.
Recalling the content of this card set, Daniel couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine at the cringe-worthy memory. He admitted that in his younger years, he was quite the nerd who enjoyed Korean manhwa and animations. These interests had led him to develop a fascination for fantasy celestial beings like goddesses and female angels.
Fortunately, the only person who knew about this particular quirk of his was his girlfriend, Koyuki. She wasn't the type to gossip behind his back; if she ever wanted to tease him, she'd do it right to his face.
"Hello, Mr. Keeper," Daniel greeted the Keeper, his eyes fixed on the poster. "It seems that the shop has unlocked a new set."
The Keeper nodded in agreement. "Yes, it appears that some powerful entities have associated you with the Greek gods or something similar. Or perhaps many people believe you have a connection to the Greek pantheon," the Keeper explained.
Curiosity piqued, Daniel inquired further, "Tell me, Mr. Keeper, how powerful must these beings be for the shop to automatically unlock this set?"
The Keeper fell into a brief silence, pondering the question. Finally, he responded, "If we're using the standard of mages, it should be at least at the level of an archmage, assuming there's only one powerful being involved."
"I see, then I redeem 2 boxes of this new set. And one box of 'The Sinking of Atlantis' Set." Daniel ordered with enthusiastically.
"Sure," the Keeper responded before disappearing into the shop's storage area. He returned with three boxes as Daniel had requested. "Here you go," the Keeper said, placing them on the counter.
Daniel eagerly picked up the three boxes of cards and headed straight for a table. He couldn't contain his excitement as he prepared to perform a ritual to draw some powerful cards, much to the Keeper's amusement, who rolled his eyes at Daniel's enthusiasm.
Daniel eagerly sifted through the first two boxes of 'The War of Gods and Heroes.' To his delight, he unearthed three legendary cards and one exceptionally valuable rare card. His anticipation grew as he realized he still had one unopened booster pack, and he had a strong hunch that it contained yet another legendary rarity card.
Card Name: Spartan Battalion Commander
Illustration: Depicts a high-ranking soldier in Greek armor commanding Spartan soldiers in the background, carrying weight on their bodies.
Rarity: Rare
Type: Creature - Human Spartan Warrior
Mana Cost: 1 Fire, 1 Light, 3 Non-Element
Description:
Your creatures with the Spartan trait get +1/+1.
Your creatures with the Warrior trait get +1/+1.
Create a 1/1 Spartan Warrior Token with the 'Spartan Warrior' trait each turn.
Power: 2
Toughness: 2
Flavor Text: A backbone of the Spartan army against the gods. Just one of him can transform a battalion of wimpy Athenian soldiers into a formidable force of Spartan Warriors.
—
Card Name: Heracles - The Indomitable
Illustration: A bloodied, muscular towering human warrior, standing at nearly two meters in height, wielding a stone pillar as a club in combat against Zeus.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Demigod Warrior
Mana Cost: 2 Fire, 2 Forest, 3 Non-Element
Description:
When attacking, gain power equal to the blocking creature's toughness.
When blocking, gain toughness equal to the attacking creature's power.
This creature enters the battlefield with 3 Resilience tokens. When this creature dies, remove 1 Resilience token instead of placing it in the graveyard. If there are no Resilience tokens left, put this creature into your graveyard.
Power: 7
Toughness: 7
Flavor Text: Heracles, the indomitable embodiment of human spirit, stood resolute against the mightiest of gods. Each blow forged a legend, each scar a testament to his unwavering resolve.
—
Card Name: Odysseus - Mastermind of Solutions
Illustration: A handsome light bearded man in Greek light armor and white robes, standing confidently before a war table.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Human Strategist
Mana Cost: 1 Light, 1 Water, 1 Non-Element
Description:
Pay 1 Light: Target creature gains +1/+1.
Pay 1 Water: Tap target creature.
Pay 2 Light: Target creature gains 'Indestructible' until the end of the turn.
Pay 2 Water: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Pay 2 Non-Element: Target creature gains Camouflage.
Power: 2
Toughness: 2
Flavor Text: Master of tactics and solutions, Odysseus navigates the battlefield with wisdom and precision, always one step ahead of his foes.
—
Card Name: Lernean Hydra - The Lerna Lake Tyrant
Illustration: A five-headed Hydra rampaging through a human army, leaving a bloody path in its wake.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Hydra
Mana Cost: 1 Forest, 1 Dark, 4 Non-Element
Description:
Whenever this creature is damaged, put a Strengthen counter on it.
Whenever this creature is targeted by non-Fire spell sources, after the spell's effect resolves, put a Strengthen counter on it.
This creature cannot be destroyed by non-Fire creatures or Fire spell damage or effects.
Power: 5
Toughness: 5
Flavor Text: The Lerna Lake Tyrant, a formidable force of nature, leaves devastation in its wake, growing stronger with every blow and impervious to all but the hottest flames.
—
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