"Since the Chief is playing for the first time, let me give a brief introduction." Margo raised her finger.
"The way to win a match is to reduce your opponent's life to zero, and to achieve that goal, you'll need multiple cards to accomplish it."
"Each card requires a cost to play, and these costs are generally tied to the tier the card represents."
"For example, the card 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' you're holding right now is 'First Tier,' meaning it costs 1 to play."
"There are also spell cards, equipment cards, skill cards, and so on, each with their corresponding tier and cost. Additionally, every player can equip three 'Ritual Cards.' These ritual cards can be activated when special conditions are met, producing various effects."
"For instance, I have a ritual card here called 'Promotion Ritual: Campaigning Knight.' It can affect all Knight Squire cards. As long as a Knight Squire kills two creatures during the match, it can be transformed into a Third Tier creature, 'Campaigning Knight' [Attack 5, Life 4]."
"Ritual cards are key to the match. Many strategies revolve around them. You'll understand once you've played a few times, Chief."
After listening to her explanation, Sylutia quickly grasped the general operating model of this game.
"So how do you increase the amount of cost you can use each turn?"
"You gain an additional 1 cost cap every two turns. However, there are also some cards that can grant you extra cost cap."
"I understand." Sylutia nodded. Margo then helped her build a very straightforward deck.
"This deck is mainly centered around 'Knights,' and the three equipped ritual cards are also all knight-related."
"Compared to other creature cards, knight creature cards tend to have higher attack and life, giving them an advantage in combat trades."
"Now, let's just start a simple round."
Once they were both ready, the match began.
"First turn, I'll go first. I summon the creature card 'Cultist.'"
【Cultist】(First Tier - Distortion), [Attack 1, Life 1]
—"People seduced by forbidden knowledge"
Then it was Sylutia's turn. She looked at the cards in her hand, summoned the 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' [Attack 2, Life 1], and ended her turn.
"Good. Next, I'll have 'Cultist' attack, trading it for your Young Cavalry." The Cultist then attacked, and after the two creature cards clashed, both of their lives dropped to zero, dying.
Over the next few turns, Sylutia summoned another 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' and a 'White City Guard.'
【White City Guard】(First Tier - Castle), [Attack 1, Life 1], with the 'Guard' effect. (Guardian creatures must be killed first before the main combatant can be attacked)
—"The morning light breaks through the forest mist, illuminating the spear tips of those faithful guards"
After three rounds of combat, the board state hadn't changed much for either player. However, on the fourth turn, Margo started using different cards.
"This turn, I summon the creature card 'Self-Devouring Cultist' and activate its effect."
【Self-Devouring Cultist】(Second Tier - Death), [Attack 2, Life 2], When there are three or more dead creatures on your side, consume a creature card from the graveyard to transform this card into a Third Tier creature, 'Self-Devouring Envoy.'
—"You rarely see these people because they don't reveal themselves prematurely"
【Self-Devouring Envoy】(Third Tier - Dead Embers), [Attack 4, Life 4], Every time it kills a creature, its attack increases by 1.
—"The power of death flows beneath me"
This isn't good at all. Sylutia looked at her own board. She only had one 'White City Guard' left, which could barely hold the line.
"I use the building card 'Border Village' and place it on the field." Sylutia placed a card down.
【Border Village】(Second Tier - Castle), Summons one 'Naive Youth' each turn. This card is destroyed after three turns.
—"The youth here yearn for adventure"
【Naive Youth】(First Tier - Castle), [Attack 0, Life 1]
—"There's nothing interesting for them in the village, only the legends of adventure make them excited"
Now she had two creature cards on the field. She had 'White City Guard' attack, chipping off 1 of Margo's health, and then ended her turn.
Next turn, Margo used 'Self-Devouring Envoy' to kill 'White City Guard,' and its stats became [Attack 5, Life 4].
(The 1 life lost in combat is restored at the beginning of the next turn.)
On the sixth turn, Sylutia had two 'Naive Youths' on the field. She summoned another 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' and used the skill card 'Preemptive Strike Tactic.'
【Preemptive Strike Tactic】(Second Tier - Castle), Gives creatures on your field '+1 Attack' this turn, and allows them to attack an opponent's creature directly on the turn they are summoned.
Now her three creatures finally managed to kill the opponent's 'Self-Devouring Envoy.'
After that, the two continued their duel. With the help of the skill card 'Sturdy Tactic,' Sylutia finally managed to get her newly summoned 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' to complete two kills.
【Sturdy Tactic】(Second Tier - Castle), Can be activated during the opponent's turn. Gives one of your creatures on the field '+1 Life' this turn and temporarily grants it the 'Guard' effect.
"Now, I activate the effect of 'Promotion Ritual: Campaigning Knight,' transforming 'Tirayan Young Cavalry' into 'Campaigning Knight.'" The young woman said with considerable relief.
【Campaigning Knight】(Third Tier - Castle), [Attack 5, Life 4], with the 'Impact' effect. (If the enemy creature's life during combat is insufficient to negate all attack damage, the remaining damage is applied to the opponent's main combatant.)
—"These knights ravaged the land in their campaigns"
"Oh my, this is going to be tough for the Chief." Margo praised with a smile as she saw Sylutia finally complete a small combo.
"But I also have an ace up my sleeve. I use the skill card 'Doomsday Prophecy.'"
【Doomsday Prophecy】(Third Tier - Distortion), When you have played more than six 'Cultist' type cards, activate this effect. From then on, summon one 'Panicked Commoner' to the field each turn.
—"Rumors spread everywhere, people are panicked and uneasy"
【Panicked Commoner】(First Tier - Castle), [Attack 0, Life 1]
—"I heard the world is going to end, what are we going to do"
"But this isn't the end yet." Margo winked, finally activating a ritual card she had hidden for a long time.
"I activate the effect of 'Sacrifice Ritual: Summon Sonis Monster,' sacrificing three creatures on the field to summon 'Sonis Monster.'"
【Sonis Monster】(Third Tier - Distortion), [Attack 3, Life 5], Any creature that battles with it permanently loses 1 life.
—"These monsters look like a mess of bloody sausages stitched together, terrifying"
Seeing this, Sylutia also flipped over the ritual card she had been preparing for a long time and activated it.
"I activate 'Conscription Ritual: Steel Furnace Knight Order.' When an enemy's Third Tier or above Distortion creature appears on the field, and three or more of my civilian creatures have died, summon an 'Iron Knight' to the field. If six or more civilian creatures have died, summon a 'Steel Furnace Knight' to the field instead."
【Iron Knight】(Third Tier - Castle), [Attack 4, Life 4]
—"Knights of common birth, they swore their oath of protection"
【Steel Furnace Knight】(Fourth Tier - Castle), [Attack 6, Life 7]
—"Their dull, grey steel armor is covered in scars. They swore to drive away the Twilight Beasts"
After that, the two exchanged several more blows. As the match entered the late game, each side showcased their deck's strongest ace cards.
【Legendary Card - Emersand】(Sixth Tier+ Castle - Gold Steam) [Attack 9, Life 12], While Emersand is on the field, all 'Knights' gain '+1 Life'. If it's an 'Iron Knight' or 'Steel Furnace Knight', they additionally gain '+1 Attack, +1 Life'.
【Legendary Card - Siari's Blood-Raging Beast】(Sixth Tier - Bloodline + Distortion) [Attack 11, Life 10], After devouring one of your own creatures, this card can make an additional attack that turn. If it kills an enemy creature, both itself and the main combatant recover 5 life.
In the end, Sylutia barely managed to win the match.
"So, how was it, Chief? Did you learn?" Margo put down her cards and said with a smile.
"Yeah, I roughly get it." Sylutia nodded.
After that, she continued trying out other decks, and after a few rounds, she was able to master the game skillfully.
Beyond the fun of card battling, this game was also an excellent way to popularize knowledge, allowing many beginners to quickly understand the characteristics of various Aspects, professions, and different faction creatures.
For example, the 'Knight System' centered around the 'Castle' Aspect included various Knight promotion rituals, troop formation tactics, synergy resonance systems, and so on.
The 'War Beast System' centered around the 'Beast Fang' Aspect allowed players to select various wild beasts from nature. Through battle and devouring, they could evolve into different giant monsters, bringing overwhelming numerical pressure.
The 'Witch System' centered around the 'Nightmare' Aspect had a large number of cards with bizarre effects, such as summoning familiars, transforming creatures, controlling opponents, weakening curses, and so on.
The 'Graveyard System' centered around the 'Dead Embers' Aspect could very effectively utilize creatures from both graveyards, summoning them back, resurrecting monsters, and so on, to defeat the opponent.
Then there was the 'Flight System' centered around the 'Vaulted Sky' Aspect, which used the 'Flight' special effect to bypass the opponent's creature defenses and directly attack the main combatant to win.
In the following days, Sylutia was often invited by other apprentices to play this card battle game. And through trying various decks again and again, she also discovered her own strengths.
Firstly, regarding decks related to the 'Alien Star' Aspect, she had never lost a single game using them. Eventually, to avoid other students noticing something was off, she deliberately chose not to play with this type of deck. Because every time she used it, it was a landslide victory. It felt as if, as long as she wanted, she could easily draw the cards she needed, and the deck's flow was incredibly smooth.
As for what was comfortable to use, she initially thought it would be the plant-related gardening decks. However, after playing, she found that she was actually better at decks from the 'Fairy' system. The advantage with plants seemed more like a derivative of the 'Fairy' system.
Whether this was a talent from the bloodline of the Meizhalansi family or because she had received the blessing of an Upper-tier Fairy when she was a child, Sylutia did not know.
Furthermore, regarding decks from the 'Luminous Moon' system, she felt they shouldn't be the way they were. It was as if the 'Luminous Moon' system she envisioned in her mind was not the existing decks, but an undeveloped system, or perhaps a profession she hadn't encountered yet.
Although it was just a card game, the Aspects and Paths of this world were intricately connected to everything. Choosing a system deck that matched one's own affinity would also provide a significant advantage in the game.
...
Time passed leisurely. Two days later, Sylutia and a group of apprentices arrived at the 'Eagle Cry Mountains' in the western part of the Fourth Continent.
The airship circled, slowly descending into a valley clearing below. Around this place, tall, thick stone walls were built, connecting the surrounding peaks to form a solid fortress.
After landing, Sylutia and the group of apprentices stepped down, feeling the scent of grass and trees in the mountain air. Occasionally, a few birds flew by in the sky.
"There are quite a few people here," some apprentices observed curiously, looking around.
This valley should be an important garrison and transfer station within the 'Eagle Cry Mountains.' Many members of the Mage Alliance passed through, with Second and Third Tier mages a common sight, along with a large number of hired guards and laborers.
"That's right. About two thousand people are currently stationed here. Many teams venturing deep into the mountains use this place as a transfer point," the instructor introduced.
"We'll stay here for tonight. After that, I'll take you deeper into the mountains." After speaking, he led the apprentices to report to the local Alliance office and find a place to sleep.
The apprentices' dormitories were temporarily arranged in wooden huts on the cliff face. These huts were built along the cliff wall, making them difficult for ordinary people to climb. However, for official mages, flying was no longer a challenge.
In the evening, they went to the valley's mess hall. It was built from huge, rough-hewn logs, with a ceiling that wasn't very high. As they walked inside, they could still see the grain of the wood above them and smell the faint scent of pine resin. Iron lanterns hung from the hall's pillars, lighting up the surroundings. Many laborers were eating there. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and food, lively and bustling.
Sylutia walked in, her eyes scanning the room. The mess hall was huge; it could easily seat six hundred people. Many laborers had rolled up their sleeves, revealing sweaty arms, as they enjoyed their dinner. Their food mainly consisted of bread, vegetable root soup, sliced smoked sausage, and low-quality beer.
Not bad food at all, the girl thought to herself.
This was a desolate area far from human habitation. A large amount of food had to be flown in. Having this was already quite rare.
Soon, under the instructor's guidance, the apprentices also received their dinner. The main course was refined white bread, with side dishes of sliced smoked sausage, red amaranth soup, fried potatoes, and a small amount of mead. The overall quality was a bit better than what the laborers got, but compared to the academy life, it was vastly inferior.
Faced with this dinner, some apprentices didn't care much, but a portion of them, accustomed to high-class food, began to complain loudly.
"This is too hard to swallow. We're members of the 'Mithril Clock,' and this is what we eat?" Quite a few people around echoed the sentiment.
But the accompanying professor wasn't about to let it slide. Vekos directly told that apprentice to stand up.
"Everyone, stop eating for now. I have three questions for this apprentice."
"Please calculate and explain: To provide nearly three hundred people with the same gourmet meals as the academy, how much manpower and how many airships would need to be mobilized, what would the monthly cost be, and what proportion of the local development budget would that cost represent?"
"Secondly, how would you propose to boost the economic development of the western region to ensure its finances become self-sufficient?"
"Finally, as a member of the school, how many benefits have you actually enjoyed so far, and what contributions have you made?"
Although he didn't require the answers to be perfectly precise, the very process of calculating the answers was an interrogation, especially in front of a room full of fellow students and teachers.
Ten minutes later, after the apprentice finished answering with a pale face, he lowered his head, having lost all his previous nonchalance.
This harsh questioning also startled many of the apprentices present, making them suddenly realize many issues they had overlooked.
"I know you are all rare geniuses within the Alliance, raised with excellent treatment from a young age. This has made you accustomed to a life of comfort. But the academy doesn't owe you anything, and the school didn't invite you here to have a good time. If you have even a shred of genuine conviction in pursuing the truth, you should know that matters have their priorities and consequences. Learn to understand the real circumstances behind the current situation, instead of mindlessly shouting and complaining about everything as if you have never received the baptism of knowledge, like ignorant beasts."
Although he hadn't outright cursed, in the social environment of the Mage Alliance, calling someone coarse and ignorant was a very lowly evaluation.
After this lecture, luckily, the professor didn't keep pressing the issue. He also said a few words of comfort, which finally helped the apprentice's complexion improve a bit, no longer trembling in fear.
"Alright, that's enough of that. Let's start eating. Tomorrow, I will introduce you all to the various magical creatures and wild beasts of this region. For the next few weeks, your mission will be to clear these monsters from the mountains."
"Learning without experiencing real combat is ultimately shallow. I believe this trial will also bring you many new insights."
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