After Abyss departed, Peter moved to where he could see the screens to open his card packs. Peter decided to unlock a second epic card with his ‘support card unlock’ first. After this he would have to unlock another rare card before he could unlock another epic. After that he would be forced to unlock an uncommon and stair step back up for a fourth and again for the fifth. Until he had 20 cards he could not have more of the greater rarity cards than the one prior. A concern for another time, for now he looked through his choices.

  Tier up increase (E)

  Spare core (E)

  S Tier Design card (E)

  Peter immediately passed over the spare core, instead focused on what could help him win. The S tier design card and Tier up increase card both seemed like good options. Either would pretty much guarantee a S tier unit.

  But Peter found himself stuck. Was it better to use the S tier type card to get a strong S tier unit, or go with the tier up increase. The increase guaranteed that all a unit's stat would go up to next tier, but afterward each attribute had a 60/30/10% chance at the ranks of that tier. It would for sure get him an S tier as well, but then so would the S tier design card if used with a combination card.

  It was a toss up, but with the choice feature the S tier design card was clearly better. He would likely get to choose the strongest of 3 S tiers. Likely they would be stronger S tiers. The tier up increase would only be better if he got a S tier option naturally, and could then use it to bring it up to SS, but he did not even have a S tier yet. In the future he would love to have both, used together he would easily get a SS tier, but for now he decided to go with the S tier design card.

  Having unlocked a twelfth card Peter once again proceeded with unlocking his card packs after buying the 10 for this year. Once again despite 60 packs, he did not pull an epic card, although he did snag one of each of his rare cards: block challenge and resurrect. For common cards he got 7 triplifcations, 9 doublifications, 14 increase aspects, 14 equipment and 7 dungeon upgrades. For uncommon cards he got 3 replicators, 3 spawners, and 2 card type transfers.

  Peter could not help but feel disappointed despite knowing that statistically he had done alright. If he had done his math right getting any of his 2 rare card options for each pack would be about 4%. Getting either of his epic cards was currently 0.6%. With each card unlocked his chances would get even better. With two more card unlocks, he could have a third epic and his chances should be about 1.5. Of course that was the chance of getting any one of the 3 epics.

  Peter dismissed the thought for now, and he made his way back to his new group. Elyra shook her head as she saw him approach, but if anything she looked pleased. The other members of his new group were also looking his way as were many other cores. He had certainly made some waves. The younger undead cores were glaring in his direction. Several of the older undead cores were also looking, but true to what abyss had said they did not seem upset. If anything they looked amused. Their juniors had a common enemy. The older cores were simply interested in watching the developing future show.

  “Well you certainly made things interesting for us,” Elyra said, showing her teeth as she rubbed her hands together. It was like she was starving and he had just brought something quite appetizing. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken a year off, regardless of what Helen advised.”

  “What are you talking about, this guy just put a giant target on all our backs. What next? Is he going to antagonize the insects or the demons next?" The speaker was the orange skinned magic core.

  “What a fun idea,” Elyra said gleaming.

  “If we get a vote on which faction to piss off next, my vote is for the demons,” Gabriel said with a wide smile while looking at Elyra.

  “Not me, I would vote for the insects, although I must admit it would be for personal reasons,” the predator core spoke up. His concept card went well with beast or bug types, which normally led for concept core types like himself siding with a faction they went well with. The factions would normally welcome them in, although the treatment would vary depending on the faction.

  “What! Who said we should antagonize somebody else,” the magic core exclaimed looking at the multiple type core, the only core that had not said something he considered a bad idea. Multiple just shrugged. “I joined a group of crazies,” Magic said, settling down exasperated.

  “Yeah, my bad guys,” Peter said as he ran his finger through his hair on the back of his head. “I did not consider that my actions might pull you guys in, but since I did perhaps I should give you guys a heads up. The holy core,” Peter indicated on the screen. “His core type is supposedly quite good against both undead and demons. Probably everyone should grab some, before he is wiped out.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “I already traded with him,” Elyra said. Her tone indicated that had been obvious.

  “Me as well. I’m sure you have seen the small knot of fiends he has fighting for him. My goods on display,” Gabriel proclaimed proudly. His fallen card had changed holy types into their opposite. The holy core was currently using them against a force of flame and acidic beetles. Their off colored hide was naturally resistant to the flames.

  Peter was then distracted by a familiar hairball approaching the table. Had Gretchen gotten taller and was her hair less puffy? “I saw you were putting my type to good use. Care to get some more.”

  Peter nodded offering a 2 for 2 trade A tier trade. Gretchen accepted. “And the rest of you?” Gretchen asked.

  The rest made even trades except for Elyra, “four for one,” she demanded. Gretchen actually reluctantly accepted after her failed attempts to negotiate it down.

  “Geez, Elyra could you be more greedy?”

  “I can’t help it, my goods are in high demand,” She said, smiling evilly.

  Most of the cores that approached the table came for trades with Elyra in mind. Peter also got asked whether he was willing to trade the ghost cores, but he was determined to hold onto them. Regardless, the group saw quite the benefit from hanging around a core type in high demand. He grabbed two from everyone in his group other than Elyra. Then he hit up Emma, Fellette, and Garrett. Then he also got 2 cards for the air, iron, cosmic, equestrian, earth, water, and dryad cores as well as from his first foe lightning. The last did so somewhat reluctantly, but apparently wanted to not chance getting in Elyra’s bad graces.

  The steady stream of cores approaching Elyra started to make Peter regret not having chosen a different core type. Elyra was making a killing, since the worst deal she made was at least a 2 for 1 in her favor. Helen had really set her up.

  Soon he was just watching the intermediate battles specifically the battle between Holy, 12, and scorpion, 32. According to abyss the undead and demon factions were not sending their own lower rank cores to deal with holy, but were making deals with the other major factions. This year it was the insect faction, last year it had been the air core from the elemental faction. Last thing they wanted to do was to highlight the unit type that they were extremely vulnerable to.

  Holy was clearly going to lose this battle as well. That was despite having ranks of angels and soldiers wearing golden and bronze armor. Peter watched as hundreds of insects crashed against the humanoid lines on the ground while angels battled flying insects above.

  There were three other battles sand, 12, was fighting against tarantula, 22. Then wolf, 12, was fighting against lizard, 22. The last fight was Viper, 42 challenging a stronger dungeon core, lion, 62. Peter flipped through them all. A reoccurring theme was that most cores used some variant of humanoid like units with shields to hold a defensive line. Humanoid lions, lizardmen, naga, each of the forces had some variant. They were not fast and mobile like the beast or insect hordes that were better for assaults, but for defense with magic gear there didn’t seem to be anything better.

  According to Elyra both sand and wolf were expected to be eliminated today. Holy likely would be as well if he had not unlocked the spare core epic card along with actually getting some. Peter could only hope he had.

  Viper was a powerhouse from his year group, so.none of the older cores seemed surprised when he toppled the lion core 2 decades older than herself. The other battles went pretty much as expected. The wolf and sand cores were eliminated, but Holy, despite having lost, rejoined the banquet soon after.

  Then it came time for the centurion age cores to fight. This year three of the older centurians had decided to make their move against the newer members to their group. Wavern, 162, had challenged Decay, 102. Decay was a concept core that had embedded itself with the undead faction. Elyra had no prediction at the outcome of this match up, likely no one did. Neither had fought for decades.

  The other two fights were likely to be fairly lopsided since the opponents were over 200 years of age, and they were challenging the two weakest from the new centurion numbers.

  Peter watched in fascination as the wavern/decay battle raged on for nearly 2 days. Both dungeons had A tier’s in the thousands, but that did not prevent them from fielding B and C tiers in the tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands. Even squads of S tiers occasionally made an appearance.

  The battle was closer to a tug of war as two ridiculously large forces fought hard just to push their opponent back another floor. If the scale of the intermediate conflicts had been impressive, the scale of these fights was simply legendary. What would it be like when older centurions or even millennials took to the field. Peter once again had to remind himself that he had only been at this for a few years. He would reach this level in time.

  The congregation concluded after all the battles were over and Peter reappeared in his core room. Despite his weariness, he had at least one person to check up on before he could pass out.

  Delilah was on a bed. A piece of cloth wrapped around her head covering one eye. Her left arm was also wrapped up. He needed to make healing a priority he realized. These wounds could have been healed right up with the appropriate power, magic, or potions. One more reason that he would need to make a deal with the holy core, he decided. The holy core had skulked away on the opposite side of the room. It had seemed inopportune to approach the guy who was clearly licking his wounds.

  “Someone who could summon practically anything into existence, and you did not even think to bring me a get well gift,” Delilah teased smiling.