Blake and Harry, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration, made their way back to the farm to report the demise of the fearsome Pyrestalker. The moon was still high in the sky, so there was a chance they’d be able to get a little sleep before heading back to New Meridia in the morning.
As they approached, they spotted Tom and Marlene waiting for them around the fire, concern etched on their faces.
Blake stepped forward and spoke up, “Tom, Marlene, we’ve taken care of the Pyrestalker. It won’t be causing any more trouble around here.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “But I’m afraid the windmill... it didn’t make it through the battle unscathed.”
Tom and Marlene exchanged glances, and then Marlene spoke, her voice filled with gratitude, “Thank you, boys, for risking your lives to protect our farm and our growing family. The windmill can be rebuilt, but we couldn’t have defeated that creature without you both.”
Tom nodded in agreement, a grateful smile playing on his lips. “We can’t thank you enough for your help. We’d like to give you something in return for your bravery and assistance.”
The couple led Blake and Harry to a small, weathered shed near the farmhouse. Tom unlocked the door and swung it open, revealing a treasure trove of items collected over the years.
“Our family has been on this land for generations,” Tom explained. “We’ve gathered some interesting and valuable things over the years. It’s odd, but some of the things we’ve had for years changed somewhat with the advent of the system. We want you to have a few of them as a token of our gratitude.”
Marlene handed Harry an old, beautifully crafted leather satchel with intricate embroidery. “This belonged to my grandfather. He used to keep all his hiking gear in this satchel, and I get the feeling that you’re a wanderer too. Ever since the system got here, it’s taken on some new properties. The bag is fireproof and waterproof.”
Harry took the bag in his hands. The front of it was covered in strange glyphs, and the zipper shimmered in the moonlight.
“Whoa, this is just… I don’t know what to say,” he murmured.
“You don’t need to say anything, son. Now Blake,” Tom said, and then handed Blake a strange-looking amulet, carved from a single piece of dark, smooth stone with a glowing crystal embedded in the center. “This was once just a regular piece of obsidian on the end of a leather strap, but the system turned it into something else. Take it and have a look.”
Blake took the necklace into his hand and a window appeared.
You have acquired a piece of gear! Gear are items that you can wear that have system-based effects. In the wilds, you will receive every bonus from every piece of gear you have. When participating in formalized duels, it will depend on whether the dueling arena allows you to be affected by gear or not.
Amulet obtained: The Amulet of Obsidia
Effects:
Boosts the power of earth element power cards by 10%
Once per encounter or duel, you can imbue your cards with the power of obsidian, either empowering attacks or increasing magical defenses for thirty seconds.
Do you wish to equip the Amulet or Obsidia?
Yes / No
Blake immediately equipped the amulet. It would empower every single one of his cards aside from the Flame Claws card, which was a pure fire element card.
Blake and Harry exchanged excited glances. With heartfelt thanks, they accepted the satchel and the amulet.
“Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how much this is going to help us in the battles to come. We’re truly grateful. Do you guys mind if we crash here tonight? It’s been a long and exhausting day,” Blake said, his shoulders slumping with fatigue.
“Of course! We have some spare beds in the farmhouse,” Marlene replied, her face lighting up with warmth and hospitality. “You boys deserve a good night’s rest after all you’ve done for us.”
Marlene led them into the house and up a creaky staircase to a cozy guest room which had two sets of bunk beds set up in it. The room was filled with the comforting scent of cedar, and the beds were adorned with handmade quilts.
“Dibs top bunk!” Harry exclaimed as he raced to climb up to the top bunk, his weariness momentarily forgotten.
Blake just shook his head, chuckling at his friend’s enthusiasm. “There are two top bunks, man.”
“Oh, right,” Harry said with a sheepish grin as he slipped under the covers, the softness of the mattress enveloping him.
Blake chose the other top bunk, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was carried away into a deep, restorative sleep. It felt like only seconds had passed before the golden light of the morning sun began to pour into the bedroom, signaling the start of a new day.
Harry was still snoring when Blake awoke. As Blake lay there, morning sun filtering through the curtains, Blake’s body ached from the previous day’s events. The weight of his fatigue seemed to anchor him to the bed, and he found himself unable to summon the energy to rise.
His mind, however, was far from idle.
He stared up at the wooden beams supporting the ceiling and he started to think about the public duels he would need to face in the days ahead. He checked his work order interface and sure enough, there was a new one there for him to fight someone called Domingo Rodriguez at 7:00 that night.
Blake would need to come up with some new strategies to make the most of the cards in his deck, especially the ones that he had only just recently acquired. He also had to consider the potential abilities of his opponents and attempt to predict the tactics that they might use.
He had another trick up his sleeve, though.
After this last mission and the vast amount of rock crab meat they were about to sell, Blake would have enough money to purchase the Monster Synthesis upgrade for his lair. This would let him combine two monsters into one brand new monster, which had the potential to completely change up his own synergies and strategies.
His very first thought was combining the Flame Claws card with either Stone Swords or Fissure. His new amulet would increase the power of all his earth cards, but his newly acquired one was fire only.
Would this card imbue his Stone Slasher with flaming swords? Or would it cause the fissure to erupt with flames whenever it was played? ‘
What would happen if Blake combined his Stone Slasher and Berserker Wolf? Would he get a wolf made of stone with a massive greatsword? Or would he get a werewolf type monster with axes for arms?
Blake hoped that he would be able to preview the outcome of a monster fusion prior to committing to it.
So far most of Blake’s monsters were attackers. The Stone Slasher, Berserker Wolf, and the new Flame Claws card were all summon offensive monsters. Fissure would alter the environment, and the Meteor Colossus was the last line of defense. Possibly bigger problem was that all his monsters were ground based.
Fighting against Harry or even Heath Ryder would be incredibly difficult if he was stuck on the ground.
Harry snored himself awake then sat up so quickly that he smacked his head on the ceiling.
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“Ow, damn!” Harry said as he lifted a hand to his forehead.
Blake laughed. “Good morning.”
Harry sniffed and screwed up his face. “Oh man, I smell rough. I’m going to hit the showers, then let’s head back into the city.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
There was a chill in the morning air, which was bracing. Harry was done in the shower in ten minutes, then Blake went in himself.
He was glad he’d brought a spare change of clothes with him for the trip back. The last set of clothes reeked of crab juice and sweat. Once he was done in the shower and dressed, Blake headed out to ready the cart.
Blake checked his anima totals on the way out. He was back up to the eight anima he had as a Rank 3 Challenger, which was more than he really knew what to do with.
As Blake stepped outside, he found Tom and Marlene waiting for him with warm smiles.
“Come on out back,” Tom said, motioning for Blake to follow. “We moved your crab meat into the cold room overnight so it wouldn’t spoil.”
“You still have a working cold room?” Blake asked, genuinely surprised.
He had assumed there would be some spoilage before they returned to New Meridia, accepting it as an inevitable part of the situation.
“Ayuh, we had solar panels installed on the roof before the apocalypse came along, and all our technology is still working just fine,” Tom explained, a proud glint in his eye. “Can’t distribute produce without keeping it fresh now, can you?”
“You guys are amazing,” Blake said with a grin, grateful for their forethought.
He followed them to the cold room, which turned out to be a medium-sized, well-sealed barn. Blake summoned his Berserker Wolf, who would draw their cart all the way back to New Meridia.
The wolf materialized with a fierce howl, ready for battle. Its demeanor softened as soon as it noticed Tom and Marlene. To Blake’s surprise, The wolf allowed them to scratch behind its ears, much to their delight.
Blake entered the cold room, where he found the crab meat on the back of the cart, surrounded by a large, insulated blanket. The chilly air inside the barn was a testament to the effectiveness of the solar-powered cooling system. Blake couldn’t believe that Tom and Marlene had managed to maintain their farm and technology even after the world going to hell.
Blake called his wolf in with a whistle, and it gently took the reins of the cart into its mouth. The wolf pulled the cart out of the cold room, and Harry was nearby waiting to jump back in.
“Take the insulation blanket back with you when you go,” Tom said. “We have plenty, and it’ll make the meat keep even better.”
“Thank you so much, Tom. That’s really kind of you.”
“It’s a selfish ask, because I want you both to come back out here to return the cart and the blanket, okay? You’re good kids. We’ve got plenty of work out here for you.”
Blake beamed at the compliment and Harry dramatically waved the comment away.
“You’re too kind, folks! We’ll definitely be back out here for sure!” Harry called out, his voice filled with genuine warmth and gratitude.
As Blake commanded his Berserker Wolf to haul the cart carrying the preserved crab meat and head back toward New Meridia, he couldn’t help but reflect on the time spent at the farm.
Though Blake didn’t know if he would have the chance to return to this peaceful refuge anytime soon, he found it almost nostalgically easy to be out here in the wilds, as opposed to the bustling, controlled energy of New Meridia.
The open skies, fresh air, and genuine kindness of Tom and Marlene made him long for a simpler life away from the constant battles and dangers of the city.
As they made their way back, Blake allowed himself to dream of a future where he could bring his parents to this haven, once he had managed to find them and rescue them from Clay Atlas’s dungeons. He imagined them rebuilding their lives out here, opening up a brand new general store, surrounded by nature and the warmth of people like Tom and Marlene.
They were proof that even in a world that had gone to hell, there was still goodness to be found.
With renewed determination, Blake focused on the tasks ahead: handing in the rock crab meat for credits, the imminent public duel at seven o’clock that evening, and freeing his parents from the clutches of Clay Atlas. Harry agreed to take the cart back in the next few days.
It wasn’t long before the skyline of New Meridia appeared from behind the rocky peaks – a circle of massive walls with several tall towers rising far above them.
Now that Blake had been out here, he wondered whether those walls were designed to keep the Wilds out, or to keep the people in.
The Berserker Wolf dutifully pulled the cart along the road as Blake and Harry watched the world roll by. Blake got the vibes that Harry was waiting for the right moment to hit the road again, and he preemptively started mourning the loss of someone who had become a good friend to him.
Blake wondered if there was any way he could convince Harry to stay. Likely not. Any efforts to make Harry stay would just further drive him to want to fly off.
When they reached New Meridia, they immediately headed back toward the City Hub to hand in the spoils from their journey to Whispering Pines. Blake and Harry both received another 2,000 credits to their balances from the sale of the meat itself, and another 750-ish each from the monster parts they harvested from the corpses of the rock crabs.
Blake was quite happy with his comfortable credit balance and decided to head back down to his Lair to buy the Monster Synthesis Lab upgrade. He might not use it right away, as he wanted to keep one of his power cards as a backup for tonight’s duel, but it would be good to have there.
With the transaction complete and their pockets heavier, Blake and Harry exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them.
It was time for them to part ways, at least for the night.
Harry patted Blake on the shoulder, his excitement evident. “Good luck tonight, man. Show them what you’re made of! I’ve got some errands to run and preparations to make, but you better believe I’ll be there to watch your duel later on.”
Blake nodded. “Thanks, buddy. They’ll never expect what I’m going to throw at them.”
As Harry disappeared into the city to take care of his tasks, Blake made his way to the hidden entrance of the sewer system. He had to prepare himself for the upcoming duels and ensure that his strategy was flawless.
Navigating the familiar twists and turns of the sewer, Blake eventually reached the entrance to his secret lair.
Nervous adrenaline built up in his veins as he thought about the upcoming battle. This was his opportunity to make a splash on the biggest stage in New Meridia.
Three wins, and his parents would be freed.
It all rode on this.
Blake purchased the Monster Synthesis Lab upgrade in his Lair, and explored what he could do with it. Unfortunately it didn’t tell him exactly what the resulting card would be if he fused it, but it did provide him with a list of possible attributes that could be combined when he placed two different cards into the fusion slots.
When he placed his Stone Slasher there, it came up with a couple of attributes.
* No movement speed reduction
* +10% Attack
* +10% Toughness
* Dual stone blades
* Humanoid body shape
He placed his Berserker Wolf there, it showed a few attributes as well.
* +10% critical hit change
* +25% attack
* +10% movement speed
* Dual-bladed stone ax
* Beast body shape
Blake also queried his AI assistant to give him a rundown on how this process worked. Because this was not a common use case, she needed to source this data from the archives of the system, and it took a while.
Eventually, the AI assistant explained that when two cards were fused, any attributes they shared would likely also affect the resulting card.
If Blake fused both his Stone Slasher and his Berserker Wolf, it was very likely that the attack score would be increased by at least 10%. The weapon it carried in its new form would also be guaranteed to be of the earth element, but whether it was an ax, a sword, or some other combination of the two was up to the system and the Monster Synthesis Lab.
When combining cards, the number of traits listed for each card determines how many traits may affect the new card. Because both of these cards had 5 attributes listed, the new card would also have 5 attributes, but these would be a mix and match of the disparate attributes on each card.
The more similar cards were, the more predictable the results would be. But that was okay, Blake thought. Experimentation and finding unpredictable results would be half the fun of using this process.
If he won tonight’s duel and managed to obtain another power card, it would be the perfect opportunity to experiment.
Blake spent some time in his Monster Battle Arena, carefully examining each of his monsters and their unique abilities. He was especially intrigued by the potential of the Flame Claws card and decided to test it out first.
Blake held the card firmly in his hand and began the summoning process. As he focused his energy on the card, a bright flash of light erupted, and the Pyrestalker materialized in front of him just as he hoped it would.
Its flaming mane flickered intensely, casting a warm glow around the arena. The sleek muscular creature stared back at Blake with fierce, intelligent eyes.
Blake summoned his Stone Slasher Golem on the opposing side and commanded it to protect itself against the Pyrestalker.
With a mighty roar, the Pyrestalker rushed across the battleground, then reared up on its hind legs and lunged forward, its front claws burning with searing flames. The Pyrestalker’s claws tore through the hard, rocky exterior of the Slasher Golem, sending stones flying. Each swipe left a trail of fire in its wake.
Blake marveled at the power and ferocity of the attack. It would be a great ace to pull out if his earth element ones weren’t working.
The Pyrestalker had great maneuverability, but the Slasher Golem matched it. They traded blows, dodging attacks here and there, and seemed to be relatively well-matched.
Protecting against the Pyrestalker’s attacks was not the right move, as they carved through the rocky armor. But if the Slasher Golem dodged out of the way, it didn’t take chip damage or damage over time effects from the flames.
He tried a number of combinations of his monsters, and really wanted to know what monster his Fissure card summoned. So he did that and approached the edge of the crack in the earth as it widened.
At first Blake didn’t really know what he was looking at, he just saw chitinous armor plates moving around down there in the dark, as well as lots and lots of legs.
A notification appeared that labeled the monster a Chasm Scolopendra, and a scolopendra was just another name for a giant centipede…
Not only would his Fissure card open the earth under the feet of his enemies, but it would deliver them to the jaws of a massive and hungry insect as well.
Now Blake was even more conflicted about which card to offer as collateral. The problem with the Chasm Scolopendra was that it couldn’t leave the darkness of the abyss that it spawned in, but it was incredibly useful despite it.
Blake felt more prepared than ever to face his challenger in the arena and showcase the full extent of his battle prowess. With each passing moment, the anticipation for the night’s duels intensified, fueling Blake’s determination to emerge victorious.