Incoming Patron Message…

Accept Message From Patron C. Melchiorre

Y/N?

Walt accepted. The iris panel opened again, displaying a new holomessage. A middle-aged moonfaced woman was up close to her recording device. Then she leaned back and blinked.

Her icy blue eyes had a certain magnetism. They seemed capable of piercing through his skin and seeing his soul. Her skin was smooth. Well-moisturized. She didn’t so much as crack a smile. When she spoke, it was all brass tacks. “Hello, Walter. I trust that this message finds you well. And I hope that you have been able to get some rest after your…eventful first day. Maintaining your strength is important. The tournament is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Someone out of frame set a pewter cup in front of her. There was a boiled egg sitting in the cup on top of the stem. They also set down an egg spoon and a glass that contained a green juice. His patron picked up the egg spoon and cracked the egg, peeling it. “You’re probably wondering who I am.”

She sprinkled salt on the boiled egg and dug into it with the spoon. She lifted the utensil to her mouth and ate the portion of boiled egg. “You can call me Catheryne. It’s something of a hobby of mine to follow the tournament and support duelists who are deserving of my helping hand. Now, you’re probably wondering what I deem deserving. You could say I have an eye for spotting talent.”

She continued eating the egg, which seemed to be a breakfast ritual for her. “I’ve made many fortunes betting on my duelists. In your world, horse races seems quite popular. And in you, I see a horse worth betting on. I am never wrong when I think a duelist can make me a lot of money. I think of my duelists as investments. And when I choose to become a patron of a duelist, I like to think of it as protecting my investments. As someone proficient in numbers and odds, of course you understand.”

She finished her egg and pushed the pewter egg chalice aside. She patted her mouth with the corner of a napkin. “I noticed that you don’t have a mount of your own.”

She took a sip of her green juice, then licked her teeth. “This concerns me. All of my duelists need fast mounts. You never know when a Danger Zone might pop up.”

Then Catheryn pulled a stack of cards from a drawer in her desk. “For the most part, I like to stick to the theme of a duelist’s class fantasy. Now, with these cards, they’re not meant to be used in duels. But if you think they could have some use in a deck, then by all means. Also, you don’t have to worry about losing them if they get destroyed. My assistant will be including multiple copies in your package.”

She held up a card so Walt could see. The Slaynami illustration was of a grayish- green jelly fish-like creature flying above a foggy graveyard. “I believe this is a very swift and a very strong mount for a Voidlock. What do you think?”

Decayed Arbiter. Mount. Set: Darkened Soul Arts. Rarity: Rare. Winged rot fog scavengers of the floating necropolis, Nixxrangus.

Swift Flight.

Rider Protection: +10 Armor to Rider.

Mucus Spray: 5 Damage

Health Points: 10

Cost: 3 Vigor Stones

Walt thought it seemed pretty good. He had meant to go through his collection or the Slaynami shop to find himself a mount, but if she was going to supply him one, who was he to complain?

She moved the card to the bottom of the stack. “How’s your diet? I noticed you have a slim build, but I want to make sure you’re getting enough food. Nutrition is important. At the same time, I don’t want you to have to worry or waste time scavenging or preparing food. Hence, this next card.”

The illustration on the next card was of a humanoid with a Shiba Inu dog head. A chef’s hat was on the canine head. They wore a chef’s apron and were holding a spatula. It was kind of adorable.

Kuro Delicatessa. Minion. Set: Kobemon Chef Academy. Rarity: Rare. A lovable and loyal culinary student looking to be a good boy via cooking good food.

War Whoop: Adds +5 Health to Target Minion

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Chop Suey: 3 Attack, Cooldown: 3 seconds

Health Points: 3

Cost: 2 Vigor Stones

“Consider Kuro your new personal chef,” Catheryne said. “He can do all your meal prep and make sure you’re consuming all the proper macros to ensure you’re always at optimal levels of performance. And trust me, Walter. You’re going to want to use him. Not only is his food healthy, it’s delicious. But do you want to know what the best part is?”

She finished off her juice. “Of course you do.” She revealed the next card. It looked like the cross between a rat and a lemur. There was a wicker basket full of vegetables and fruits on its back.

“You don’t have to waste any more time scavenging for food. I know you’re probably not at that point yet, but trust me. There comes a point in Phase One where there’s too much damage done to supply lines to ensure easily obtainable food. A hefty part of a world’s population usually succumbs to starvation once opposing duelists start putting a chokehold on the supply chain. That’s where these guys come in. They’ve got a nose for finding food. They’ll scurry out and come back with ingredients for Kuro, no matter what the conditions.”

Kobold Food Sniffers. Minion. Set: Kobemon Chef Academy. Rarity: Common. These kobolds are bred by the Chef Academy to be the ultimate ingredient finders and scavengers.

Scratch: 2 Attack

Health Points: 2

Cost: 1 Vigor Stone

Walt had to admit, he was intrigued. He was realizing he had been too narrow-minded, too tunnel-visioned, when considering the power of the cards and all the possibility at his fingertips. Of course they just weren’t for dueling. They were also for surviving and fighting outside of duels.

That’s what his mysterious patron had been trying to tell him. The vaulted deck he had provided was to be used to fight as a Psycho Slinger outside of the confines of an official duel. Sure, it was forbidden to kill another duelist in this manner, but there were no rules against doing anything else just short of death. He cursed himself for being so blind. He had been so focused on the tournament, he had lost sight of the game underneath the game.

“I realize you have your choice of minions as a personal bodyguard,” Catheryne said, “but I know you don’t want to risk losing your powerful minions outside of a duel. Lucky for you, I have some expertise in this arena.” She selected the next card.

Elrich Ehrmantraut. Minion. Set: Shadow Lords of Mithbione. Rarity: Rare. A blade master trained in the twelve different sword forms of the Shadow Lords, netherbound to Lyrica, the Shadow Lord of the Blade Dance.

Death Cry: Resurrects random minion which possesses a Death Cry effect.

Blade Song: Cast on target minion or hero to Slow opponent. One charge. Lasts 2 turns.

Steel Dance: 12 Attack, Cooldown: 5 seconds

“Elrich seems to bond well with Voidlocks,” Catheryne said. “I’m not sure if it’s because the source personality had an affinity for dark casters in their previous life, but he just seems to like them.” She shrugged. “He’s good to have nearby. Resourceful as well.”

Walt cursed. If he had been using his card collection properly, he would have had a minion out as a bodyguard the other night. It might have allowed him to get away from Shae. It was a good thing the duel turned out the way it did.

“I don’t know where you’re holed up,” Catheryne said, “but no matter where you’ve chosen to exist, you’ll want an alarm system that actually works. The more duels you win, the less safe things are going to become for you. And with the win over your last opponent, expect blowback that you’re not ready for. But that’s where I come in. Say, ‘Thank you, Catheryne.’”

Walt had no problem muttering the phrase. “Thank you, Catheryne.”

She held the next card up to the recording device, showing off the illustration. A bunch of spiders with gnome-sized humanoid torsos and heads attached to the arachnid legs were sitting on an intricate web.

Dryder Hounds. Pack. Set: Darkened Soul Arts. Rarity: Common. A fusion of the menzob spider and the fungal gnome, brought together by the eldritch arts.

Pack: These minions come in packs of four.

Skittering Spear: 4 Attack, Cooldown: 8 seconds

Health Points: 4

Cost: 2 Vigor Stones

“The Dryad Hounds are great at remaining out of sight and detecting threats,” Catheryne explained. “They use their webs to send each other signals to warn you of a potential threat or attack. Let them roam around your property or dwelling and the chances of you being surprised are nil.”

This was like no alarm system Walt had ever used, but with the changing world came changing methods. He would adapt.

“How’s your love life?” Catheryne asked. “Wait, you don’t have to answer that. But I do like to make sure my duelists are properly taken care of. Do with this card as you will. You don’t have to use it. It’s just a gesture to cover all bases.”

She held up the card, her face still all business. Not a smirk in sight.

The illustration was of an attractive girl with anime eyes. She was wearing a rubber kaiju suit.

Waifu #8. Minion. Set: Waifu Emporium. Rarity: Rare. A beauty designed to fulfill you’re every desire. Now with trigger point massage prowess!

Charm. One charge. Lasts 2 turns.

Thigh Crush: 3 Attack, Cooldown: 5 seconds

Health Points: 5

Cost: 3 Vigor Stones

Walt laughed. “The hell?”

He couldn’t tell if she was pulling one on him or not. Saving the prank card for last. But she still wasn’t smiling. Walt realized it wasn’t a prank card. It wasn’t a joke at all. She was serious.

Then Catheryne swept up the cards and they disappeared. She pulled out a pocket watch. “Gotta go. How time flies.” She tapped the glass face. “And time is money.”

The patron message ended.

You have received Patron Gifts.

Walt checked and found his new cards in his gauntlet. In addition, she had also sent him three-thousand Slaynami credits with a text attached.

Use wisely. Although you’re an investment, you’re a small investment for now. Show me you’re worth more and I’ll send more. Ciao.