Spring of 346, A.D.
Alex greeted him from among the crowd of cybermonkeys, his voice thick with emotion.
“Hey, Kai.”
“What are you doing, Alex? Did you see the state your sister was in? You go there and talk to her—now.”
Alex didn’t move.
“Why are you doing this?”
“You know why.”
“Because of Cassie? WAKE UP, ALEX! Even if you ask for exile, there’s no guarantee her sector will do well in the exams. There’s no telling where you’ll end up. You might not even remember how you feel about her!”
“At least there’s a chance. It’s the only chance.” His voice cracked. “You said it yourself, Kai. I can’t be with someone across a wall. This is the only way I know to cross it.”
Kai’s chest tightened. “What about your sister? What about me? Are you just going to forget us like we meant nothing?”
Alex turned his head away. Kai caught a glimpse of a tear rolling down his cheek.
“It’s not just Cassie, Kai. I’ve thought about this for a long time. If things keep going like this, it’ll just be the three of us left in the whole sector. You and Ariel will be together, and I’ll always be the third wheel. This is better for everyone.”
“That’s nonsense! You’re a genius. You can crush the exams and bring more people in. We could turn things around. You don’t have to be alone.”
“I’m just a frog in a well.” Alex’s voice had grown quiet. “I might look smart here, but you haven’t spent time with Cassie like I have. Compared to them, we’re kids. They’re on another level, Kai. I want to be part of that world.”
Kai shook his head, voice barely a whisper. “But Alex… we can do this. Please. Don’t go. Don’t forget me.”
“I told my sister you knew about Cassie. That you tried to help—and that I asked you to keep it secret. I told her to forgive you.”
He stepped forward, placing a hand on Kai’s shoulder and looking him in the eye for the first time. “Take care of her for me.”
“B-but I...”
“I’m sorry.” Alex turned and walked away.
*
353rd Daisy Trials, Round of 64.
After crafting a mythic card, everything else felt a bit... underwhelming. Still, there were recipes left to test—and some of them looked like fun.
He hadn’t gotten the chance to merge [Sand] with [Fire] earlier, but thankfully, both cards still had enough hit points left to give it a try.
[Fire ??] + [Sand ???] = [Glass ??]
Fire ?? | HP: 4 → 3
Sand ??? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful!
New recipe added to your recipe book.
Glass ?? (Common)
Versatile, brittle material valued for its optical clarity.
HP: 1
VP: 2
The result was a little disappointing.
Now that he thought about it, he probably could’ve snapped a picture of a glass shard back in the factory arena and saved himself the trouble. Still, it was something new.
He moved on to something more entertaining.
He’d secured a few [Fire Axe] cards earlier, and now it was time to equip his animals.
[Fire Axe ??] + [Spider ???] = [Barbaric Spider ?????]
Fire Axe ?? | HP: 4 → 3
Spider ??? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful!
Barbaric Spider ????? (Uncommon)
A violent spider mutant breed that has learned how to wave axes around.
HP: 0
VP: 4
Kai couldn’t help but laugh. The drawing showed a spider with tiny axes strapped to two of its front legs, flailing them wildly. It was gloriously absurd.
I guess that confirms my theory.
Carnivores tended to produce aggressive, combat-themed evolutions, while herbivores leaned more toward peaceful, labor-oriented roles. And considering [Barbaric Spider] came with a solid VP value, he made another.
[Fire Axe ??] + [Spider ???] = [Barbaric Spider ?????]
Fire Axe ?? | HP: 3 → 2
Spider ??? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful!
With a small army of barbaric spiders ready, Kai turned his attention to the oryxes. He had high hopes for this combination.
[Oryx ?????] + [Fire Axe ??]
Oryx ????? | HP: 4 → 3
Fire Axe ?? | HP: 2 → 1
Crafting successful!
New recipe added to your recipe book.
Oryx Lumberjack ??????? (Rare)
HP: 6
VP: 1
The upgraded tool had granted the oryx more durability—one extra hit point compared to the earlier forager version. Still, with no resource cards like [Tree ] on hand, there wasn’t much use for it right now.
He set it aside.
Then came the final test: the unicorn.
[Unicorn ??] + [Fire Axe ??]
Unicorn ?? | HP: 4 → 3
Fire Axe ?? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting failed!
As the table dimmed, Kai picked up the unicorn card and frowned.
Why didn’t it work?
Tools could be merged with wolves, oryxes, even spiders—but not a unicorn? Was there something special about it he was missing?
He placed the spent [Fire Axe] into the graveyard pile and slid [Unicorn] back in with his remaining cards. The failure nagged at him, but he couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong.
Glass ?? (Common)
Versatile, brittle material valued for its optical clarity.
HP: 1
VP: 2
He’d considered merging it with [Light], but the outcome would probably just be [Fire], so he’d held off. This other card, though, might pair better.
Perspective ?? (Rare)
An object’s depth and scale can alter depending on an observer’s
position and point of view.
HP: 1
VP: 3
He shrugged. Both cards were on their last hit point anyway—might as well try the experiment now while he was ahead and confident about this round.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
[Glass ??] + [Perspective ??]
Glass ?? | HP: 1 → 0
Perspective ?? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful!
New recipe added to your recipe book.
Lens ?? (Rare)
Glass with curved surfaces that focuses light.
HP: 0
VP: 7
How about that?
A rare card crafted at the last minute—and a strong one at that. Seven VP. That was huge.
Being ahead had completely shifted his mindset. He was playing smarter, bolder, and it was paying off.
After reviewing his cards one more time, he felt confident. He hadn’t missed anything.
The only question was whether he should use the photocopier. But [Mega Scrapdroid] was out of the question—it would require two other mythic cards, and he didn’t have any.
He kept flipping through the cards he’d already used, searching for any final synergies.
Then the bell rang, signaling the end of the round.
Congratulations! You’ve earned 253 victory points!
Your 253 victory points have been converted to 253 upgrade coins.
The following cards will now be destroyed:
[Acacia Leaf ????]
[Ash ?????] ×2
[Barbaric Spider ?????] ×2
[Brittle Copper ????]
[Broken Console ??] ×2
[Bronze Frame ???] ×2
[Bronze Sheet ??] ×2
[Circuitry ??] ×2
[Copper Wire ??] ×2
[Dried Drive Belt ??]
[Fire Axe ??]
[Flint Arrow ????] ×2
[Gaslamp ??]
[Glass ??]
[Heated Copper ????] ×2
[Heated Tin ????] ×2
[Lens ??]
[Neglect ??]
[Perspective ??]
[Pond ??]
[Radioactive Waste ??]
[Recycled Power Core ????] ×2
[Recycled Power Source ???] ×2
[Rusty Gearwheel ??]
[Rusty Pipe ??]
[Rusty Steel Door ??]
[Salvaged Bronze Chassis ????] ×2
[Salvaged Control Panel ??] ×2
[Salvaged Gears ??] ×2
[Sand ???]
[Scrapdroid ??] ×2
[Small Flint ????]
[Solder ????] ×2
[Spider ???] ×2
[Steam ??] ×2
[Super Scrapdroid ????] ×2
[Thorn ?????]
This was old news for Kai, who could keep track of the score thanks to the scoreboard upgrade. He watched as the stack of cards he had organized neatly into the graveyard pile faded to ash. He had broken his record from the last round, gaining 26 more points!
After a few seconds, all his remaining cards began losing durability.
[Fire ??]’s HP has been halved.
[Fire ??] | HP: 3 → 1 | VP: 3 → 1
All other cards lose 1 HP.
[Arabian Oryx ?????] | HP: 5 → 4 | VP: 2
[Arabian Oryx ?????] | HP: 3 → 2 | VP: 2
[Fire Axe ??] | HP: 4 → 3 | VP: 0
[Flintstone ????] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 1
[Light ?] | HP: +∞ → +∞ | VP: 2
[Mega Scrapdroid ????] | HP: +∞ → +∞ | VP: 40 (Max)
[Oryx Lumberjack ???????] | HP: 6 → 5 | VP: 1
[Spider Web ??????] ×2 | HP: 3 → 2 | VP: 4
[Unicorn ??] | HP: 3 → 2 | VP: 15
[Water ??] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 1
[Water ??] | HP: 3 → 2 | VP: 1
Seventy-two points would carry over into the next round—more than half of them thanks to his newly crafted mythic card. His opponent had only reached 148 points. A full hundred less than Kai.
The poor thing. She never stood a chance.
Congratulations! You’re among the 64 trial runners who passed through to the next round.
You have 4 hours and 13 minutes to select your upgrades and rest.
Kai didn’t need to catch his breath this time. This crafting round had been significantly easier than the last. For one, he’d been ahead the entire time. And secondly, even though he didn’t have [Allcure] guaranteed, he already had the hormones. His promise was safe.
Funny how the mind works.
It meant more to him to keep his word to Ariel than to live longer. What did that say about him? That he was in love? That he had integrity? Or that he was just broken in some strange way?
After a moment’s thought, he arrived at a simpler conclusion.
Ariel was all he had. She wasn’t part of his circle of friends—she was his circle. Disappointing everyone felt worse than dying... even if “everyone” was just one person.
We’re kind of like Neil and Sunny.
Neil had made a promise to someone he loved and failed to keep it. Kai had made the same kind of promise to Ariel—but he had followed through.
That counted for something.
He stepped up to the console and activated it. The screen came to life, displaying the full list of available upgrades.
He had 284 coins to spend.
Purchased Upgrades:
[Android Companion], [Flash], [Gaslamp], [Hunter Eyes], [Map], [Photocopier], [Scoreboard], [Text Description]
Compass
Requirement: Reach the northernmost point in the arena.
Effect: A simple compass that always points north.
Cost: 10UC
Failed Recipes (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Have at least one failed crafting attempt.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all failed crafting attempts.
Cost: 20UC
Log (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Destroy 30 cards in one round.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all the cards you’ve owned.
Cost: 30UC
Zoom I
Requirement: Own [Glass ??].
Effect: You can zoom up to 4 times.
Cost: 30UC
Wide Lens
Requirement: Own [Perspective ??] and one scenic capture.
Effect: Allows you to take wider captures.
Cost: 40UC
Thorough Log (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Destroy 50 cards in one round.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all cards you’ve owned, successful recipes, and failed recipes.
Cost: 40UC
Zoom II
Requirement: Own [Lens ????].
Effect: You can zoom up to 8 times.
Cost: 50UC
Flash Bomb
Requirement: Own [Glass ??] and [Light ?].
Effect: Blinds your opponent for 30 seconds.
Cost: 50UC
Stun Bomb
Requirement: Own [Glass ??] and [Hallucinogen ????].
Effect: Stuns your opponent for 30 seconds.
Cost: 50UC
Web Bomb
Requirement: Own [Glass ??] and [Spider Web ??????].
Effect: Traps your opponent for 30 seconds.
Cost: 50UC
Neglect Bomb
Requirement: Own [Glass ??] and [Neglect ??].
Effect: Reduces the HP of 5 random cards in your opponent’s inventory.
Cost: 50UC
Flint Mine
Requirement: Craft three flint-based tools.
Effect: Grants you a [Flintstone ????] card each round.
Cost: 50UC
Pine Sawmill
Requirement: Own a lumberjack card and [Pine ??].
Effect: Grants you a [Pine Tree ??] card each round.
Cost: 50UC
Acacia Sawmill
Requirement: Own a lumberjack card and [Acacia ??].
Effect: Grants you an [Acacia Tree ??] card each round.
Cost: 80UC
Card Fridge
Requirement: Own [Shed ???].
Effect: Cards stored in the fridge won’t lose HP between rounds.
Cost: 80UC
Gaslamp II (Gaslamp Upgrade)
Requirement: Own [Gaslamp ??] and [Light ?].
Effect: An even more powerful gas-fueled lamp.
Cost: 90UC
Regeneration Chamber
Requirement: Have healed at least one card.
Effect: A chamber that restores 1 HP to a card between rounds.
Cost: 200UC
Scouting Drone (Android Upgrade)
Requirement: Fully explore a map.
Effect: An airborne device that aids in map exploration.
Cost: 200UC
Slow Shutter
Requirement: Own [Light ?].
Effect: Allows more light into the camera, improving captures.
Cost: 200UC
Mythological Discount
Requirement: Own a mythological creature card.
Effect: All other upgrades cost 25% less.
Cost: 200UC
Shield Phase
Requirement: Own [Infinity ??].
Effect: Allows you to move past shields.
Cost: 500UC
Mystery Box Fiesta
Requirement: Own [Mystery Box ??].
Effect: Each map now contains one additional hidden mystery box.
Cost: 500UC
The number of new upgrades this time was mind-boggling.
Finally! Not knowing how the others got bombs was killing me.
The mechanic was straightforward: each bomb needed a casing—Glass—and something to stuff inside it.
That meant the first bomb he’d been hit with had likely come from a player who unlocked [Hallucinogen] in the woodland arena and found glass in the quarry. As for the ones thrown in the factory, it showed his opponent had managed to get their hands on [Light] as well.
The prices weren’t bad either—just 50 coins per bomb upgrade.
Out of all of them, the nastiest was the [Neglect Bomb]. What a brutal effect. To be able to randomly damage five of your opponent’s reserve cards? That was vicious.
It made the [Card Fridge] upgrade even more critical. What if someone used [Neglect Bomb] on him? Card Fridge was the only defense he knew about. It could mean the difference between having a crucial card in the next round—or watching it get destroyed for good.
Another development that caught his eye was the [Flint Mine]. Truth be told, he’d missed having some flint during the last round. His Fire had nearly burned out—it was sitting at 1 HP. And after seeing how strong [Scrapdroid] had become when fed, he suspected that [Fire] could evolve into a legendary—or even mythic—card, given the right support.
Then there were all the new camera upgrades.
There was [Zoom I], then [Zoom II], and by unlocking [Lens], he’d apparently bypassed the need to get the first version. That meant he could leap straight to [Zoom II]. The [Wide Lens] upgrade also caught his attention. Back at the quarry, woodland, and desert, he hadn’t been able to snap a single shot that captured everything he wanted. It looked like this would finally fix that problem.
Kai glanced between his cards and the list of upgrades, then let out a slow breath.
He and Ariel were young. Strong. Maybe two, three years left at most. The only cure for the blight was allcure, and that was only awarded to the top four sectors. Worse, Daisy didn’t distribute it by set amounts—it was done by percentages. To get enough allcure for both himself and Ariel, he needed first place. Maybe second. But first was safer.
He wasn’t here to qualify.
He was here to win.
Kai stared at the console for a long time, carefully rereading each upgrade. He had a lot riding on these choices. He reviewed the rules from earlier stages. He considered what he already owned.
By the time he was ready, nearly ninety minutes had passed. He tapped the console.
Time to choose.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Pine Sawmill]? [Y/N]
Are you sure you want to purchase [Acacia Sawmill]? [Y/N]
Are you sure you want to purchase [Zoom II]? [Y/N]
Are you sure you want to purchase [Card Fridge]? [Y/N]
These were the upgrades that Kai decided to get. The first two were simple. He had lumberjacks at the ready. He could copy wood cards, harvest them for resources, and then feed them all into his [Fire]. He was pretty sure there was another [Mythic] card hidden there. He would find it!
[Zoom II] was a choice based on the need he had felt multiple times in past arenas. The ability to capture an object that was far away was crucial. He had missed multiple good shots because he did not have it.
Finally, he got [Card Fridge]. A new white box had appeared next to the console. Kai found the lid and opened it. Inside, there were two engravings.
It can only protect two cards?
[Fire] lost half of its hit points between rounds so it was the first obvious choice. If he kept it protected, he could build it up to a very strong number. The other was [Unicorn]. He placed both cards inside and closed the lid.
After spending 260 coins, he had 27 left in the bank. With more than two hours left, it was time to get ready. He had made it to the top ten percent of the sectors. This was the best result that his sector had since the times of Balin. He already deserved to have a few statues and streets named after him. But if he couldn’t win this year, all of that was meaningless.
I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep giving my all.
[Lurker ??] + [Chatter ??]
?? | HP: 2 → 2
?? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Community ????].
Come hang out with fellow readers, share theories, meme about merges, or just lurk in peace.
Tap here to join the server.
