The opening rounds had been cautious. No damage, no risks. Just two players building their boards, watching each other.
Now came the turning point.
Round Three started, and Deckard drew two new cards.
Out on the field, the [Jungle Tinker] banged furiously at a glowing card on his vine-draped workbench. Sparks flew. With a final clang, the card vanished from his hands and reappeared in Deckard’s.
Back to four cards in hand. Nice!
Redbeard, thanks to [Inner Seed], had already drawn one extra, bringing him to three.
Still one less than him. He had the tempo advantage.
Deckard studied his options, thinking back to Nevan’s advice. It was time to find out if big plays really were stronger.
He took a deep breath and discarded his entire hand to play a single card. Then he waited.
Redbeard followed suit, playing a card. The resolution phase began. Two cards manifested—one in each player’s defensive lane.
Deckard’s card revealed first:
Claw’s Crab ??
Rarity: Rare
Type: Creature
Affinity: ???
Cost: 3
Points: -3
Effect: Summons the [Crab’s Claw] token in the opposite lane.
Synergy: Summon 2x [Crab Underlings] here.
A skittering noise echoed from both of Deckard’s lanes. Ripples formed on the terrain. From the field’s floor emerged three crabs—two small and yellow, the third a deep red with a massive claw.
Deckard smiled.
The synergy had triggered, summoning two [Crab Underlings] alongside [Claw’s Crab] in the defensive lane. Each [Crab Underling] carried 1 point, neatly offsetting the crab’s -3. The downside was now manageable.
On the opposite side of the board, the summoned token—[Crab’s Claw]—towered over the field. Its pincer gleamed wetly, seawater dripping from its tips.
Seven points. Deckard’s grin widened. That was nearly enough for a one-turn kill by itself.
Redbeard squawked at the sight of the enormous claw, nearly losing his balance on his wooden leg. “By Davy Jones’ locker—!”
He hadn’t expected Deckard to come out swinging.
After Deckard’s card was revealed, Redbeard’s followed. A creature took shape in his defensive lane:
Brawny Badger ??
Rarity: Rare
Affinity: ??
Cost: 2
Points: 2
Effect: Creates a [Psionic Push] in hand.
A massive badger thudded into view, its thick paws pounding the ground. Its eyes glowed faintly, and a new card shimmered into Redbeard’s hand—[Psionic Push].
Deckard recognized the skill’s name immediately. He’d used it himself in his first match against Ratu.
But the way Redbeard held it—casually, almost dismissively—made it seem like he wasn’t planning to use it.
First [Inner Seed], now this. Is he stockpiling value?
The point count phase began.
The [Crab’s Claw] lunged, its massive pincer crashing toward Redbeard’s castle. The [Brawny Badger] rushed to intercept—but was flung aside. The claw struck hard, spiderwebbing cracks across the stone.
On Deckard’s side, a groan echoed from his own wall. A small fracture appeared—[Claw’s Crab] had cost him, too.
For the first time, the score changed: 9–5.
Just before the round ended, the pulsing seed on Redbeard’s side began to shift. It sprouted, unfolding into a tiny, reddish sapling.
Inner Sapling ??
Rarity: Epic
Type: Skill
Affinity: ??
Cost: 1
Effect: Draws 1
Synergy: Changes into [Inner Tree] at the end of the next turn.
Redbeard drew again.
Deckard narrowed his eyes. No wonder it’s an epic. Just how much value could this one-cost card generate?
Round Four came. For the first time, Deckard was starting a round with fewer cards in hand than Redbeard.
Every card the pirate had played so far seemed designed to grow his hand size. Deckard could feel it—something big was coming. But if Redbeard didn’t act soon, he’d lose this round.
Deckard just had to push even harder. Attack even harder. He took a breath, steadied his grip, and discarded his whole hand again to play a card.
The reveal phase began.
Redbeard’s card flipped first this time. It manifested face-down in his defensive lane and stayed that way—a trap.
Deckard had no idea what it was, but he had a sinking feeling he’d find out soon enough.
On his side, beams of light condensed into the shape of a long-legged macaw. The bird cawed sharply, wings flicking with restless energy.
Blue Macaw ??
Rarity: Common
Type: Creature
Affinity: ???
Cost: 2
Points: 1
Effect: Gain 2 points if an opponent played a creature here this turn.
Deckard clicked his tongue. He’d hoped Redbeard would play a creature in his defensive lane—but he’d only played the trap. That meant [Blue Macaw] didn’t get its bonus.
Thankfully, his turn wasn’t over.
Two beams shot from Deckard’s deck, striking the attacking lane. Two cards materialized—ones he’d discarded two turns earlier to cast [Jungle Tinker].
Blue Starfish ?
Rarity: Common
Type: Creature
Affinity: ???
Cost: 2
Points: +1 if on attacking lane
Effect: Regeneration.
Royal Starfish ?
Rarity: Common
Type: Creature
Affinity: ???
Cost: 2
Points: 1
Effect: Regeneration.
Redbeard’s beak clicked once, sharply. He hadn’t seen that coming.
Back when Deckard first built his deck, even the weakest starfish had made the cut. But now—with nearly twenty in his collection—only the ones with real point value had stayed. And with his defensive lane full thanks to [Jungle Tinker] and [Claw’s Crab], the regenerated cards had only one place to go: his attacking lane. The result was two extra attack points.
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That brought his total to ten against Redbeard’s two.
The resolution phase began with things looking grim for Redbeard.
The [Crab’s Claw], [Blue Macaw], and both starfish surged toward Redbeard’s wall.
Deckard chuckled. A hulking claw, a bird with attitude, and two wobbling starfish—it was the strangest army he’d ever seen.
Then Redbeard’s trap card triggered.
Strangling Vines ??
Rarity: Rare
Type: Trap
Affinity: ??
Cost: 2
Effect: If this lane loses, trap the enemy’s strongest creature for one turn.
Synergy: Trap it for one additional turn.
His chest tightened. He knew this one. All too well. It had cost him the first match.
Vines burst from the earth and wrapped around the [Crab’s Claw], slamming it into the ground. The massive pincer thrashed, snapping and flailing—but it was no use. The jungle had claimed it.
Two turns without it. That was forever in tempo terms.
Redbeard let out a low chuckle. “Relying on that claw was such an unrefined play…” he said, smug. “Should’ve known you’d play like a brute.”
Deckard clenched his jaw. The brute almost ended you, he thought.
The rest of Deckard’s creatures pressed forward.
[Brawny Badger] raised one thick paw, eyes glowing bright green. The air shimmered—and both starfish froze mid-charge. A sudden wave of invisible force knocked them back, stopping them cold before they could reach the wall.
Only the [Blue Macaw] slipped through, shrieking as it struck the castle wall in a burst of feathers.
Back on Deckard’s side, a faint groan echoed from his own wall. A new crack split along its edge—a slow bleed from the negative points still lingering in his defending lane.
Score Update:
Deckard — 8
Redbeard — 4
Then the sapling on Redbeard’s side reached maturity.
Its branches stretched wide, glowing softly. Leaves shimmered with a faint red hue—unnaturally healthy.
Inner Tree ??
Rarity: Epic
Type: Skill
Affinity: ??
Cost: 1
Effect: Draws 1
Synergy: Draw 1. Heal 1
A new card flickered into Redbeard’s hand. His HP ticked up to 5. Then, the tree withered and crumpled into dust. There’d be no more value from it.
But still… Three draws and a heal—for one cost? “Broken card,” Deckard muttered. At least it was gone now.
Things had gone sideways. First [Blue Macaw] failed to trigger. Then he’d lost the Claw’s seven points. In the end, he’d come out behind on the exchange.
Round Five began.
Redbeard now had five cards in hand. Deckard had three—one of them a bonus from [Jungle Tinker]. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.
[Scavenge], [Sea Ghoul], and [Oyster].
He took a steadying breath. He had just enough to end it—if Redbeard didn’t counter him.
If Redbeard played some other trap card or decided to use [Psionic Push], the whole play could fall apart. But based on how he'd been stockpiling cards this entire match...
No. He wasn’t spending them to stall. He was saving them for something big.
Deckard had to bet on it.
Here goes nothing, he thought as he made his play.
The reveal phase began.
Redbeard’s card flipped, and the earth shook.
A massive gorilla lumbered into the defensive lane, slamming a golden shield into the soil. A tremor rippled across the field.
Then came the roar—thunderous, primal. Deckard winced and covered his ears.
It was a legendary creature.
Gorilla Shieldbearer ??
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Creature
Affinity: ??
Cost: 3
Points: 0
Effect: +6 if on defensive lane
Synergy: Gain 1 point for each missing health
Redbeard’s defense surged to 13 points.
“Muahaha! Good luck trying to get past my [Gorilla Shieldbearer],” he said.
Deckard didn’t flinch. “You’re not winning anything today.”
One card disappeared from Deckard’s lane: [Blue Starfish]. He had to clear space to play a creature, and the starfish was the obvious sacrifice.
In its place rose a hunched, grotesque creature with mottled feathers and a rusted pipe clutched in its claws.
Sea Ghoul ??
Rarity: Rare
Type: Creature
Affinity: ??
Cost: 3
Points: 1
Effect: Silence all other creatures. Reverse debuffs on allied creatures into buffs. +1 point for each reversal
Synergy: Costs one less for each creature afflicted with a debuff.
It lifted its beak and shrieked—a sound so sharp it pierced through the roar of the jungle. The ghoul’s scream spread across the board, silencing every other creature. Silence removed all effects—bonuses, synergies, lingering debuffs.
The Gorilla Shieldbearer reeled, dropping to one knee. Its golden shield rattled as it struggled to stay upright.
Even his own creatures weren’t spared. [Jungle Tinker] collapsed, stripped of its effects.
The vines wrapped around [Crab’s Claw] withered and crumbled. Freed from [Strangling Vines], the massive pincer rose again, flexing its claws.
Redbeard's grin faltered. His feathers twitched.
The ghoul gained one bonus point for reversing the trap’s debuff.
Redbeard’s [Gorilla Shieldbearer], on the other hand, lost everything. Every single one of its points had come from effects. Silenced, it dropped to zero.
Deckard’s board surged. Card after card flared with light—points stacking, climbing—until the scoreboard glowed.
His total jumped from 3 to 11.
Redbeard stumbled back, feathers puffing, eyes darting between his now-useless gorilla and the board. “No! It cannot be!” he shouted.
The [Crab’s Claw] surged forward, flanked by the [Sea Ghoul], [Blue Macaw], and [Royal Starfish]. Together, they crashed through Redbeard’s defenses, rolling over the [Brawny Badger] and the stunned gorilla like a wave.
The castle cracked. Shuddered. Then collapsed inward, vanishing in a pillar of blue-white light.
The battlefield dissolved, pixel by pixel, into drifting motes.
Deckard had won.
You’ve completed [Jungle Puppeteer].
Completion rating: A
Quest rewards: 10 gold, +5 reputation with the Zulmers.
Bonus rewards: 10 gold, +5 reputation with the Zulmers.
Twenty gold? Not bad! Despite all the grinding he’d done out here, he’d barely scraped together six gold. Now, his wealth had quadrupled!
He’d also gained a bit more reputation with the elusive Zulmer race. Considering how hard he’d been working for them—and how far he still was from the 100 points needed to unlock the Friendship status—he’d take any boost he could get.
And the rewards weren’t over yet.
“Time to collect my debt, Redbeard.”
The parrot’s lone eye twitched. It stomped the ground in frustration but sagged, defeated. “Redbeard always honors his word,” it said, solemnly.
A system window blinked into view.
“Hello, hello,” Deckard murmured, rubbing his hands together.
Cards shimmered in neat rows—some edged in gold, marking them as legendaries. There was gear. Weapons. Creature and skill cards. A faction flag. Odd items. Even a handful of crafting recipes.
He skimmed through all the listings.
“What is this?”
The item was shaped like a ray gun.
Fracturer (Quest Item)
This item doesn’t seem to have been made on Earth. Who could have made it?
“Fracturer…” The word rang a bell.
Hadn’t the opening cinematic mentioned something about reality fracturing during the Rain of Fire? And the description, though brief, hinted at an alien origin.
And it was marked as a quest item. This was likely tied to the mystery of the Zulmers' enemies. He already knew that Redbeard had a connection with them. If he took this item and showed it to Ronan…
I’d better check the rest before making a decision.
He turned to the card rewards.
Redbeard had 10 legendary cards. Deckard drooled as he went through all of them. But one in particular stood out to him: [Gorilla Shieldbearer]. The same card Redbeard had played. Solid value. Part of the primate tribe. A natural fit for his Island deck.
All that was left was to look through the gear.
As he did, he spotted a wide-brimmed hat with three worn points. The stitching was faded. The edges frayed, as if weathered by salt and time. A tricorn.
Tidal Tricorn (Growth Item)
The heart is like the sea; it has tides and undercurrents. As you navigate through life, your heart will change—and this hat will change with you.
Effects:
+5% damage resistance;
Slightly increases alignment gain.
Next form: Unlocks at 100 Righteousness or 100 Evil
A hat that would grow with him.
Deckard blinked. He’d seen alignment on his character sheet before, but it had always sat at neutral. He’d never paid it much attention.
Until now.
He’d joined AstroTerra to play Terralore. To duel. To build decks. To win. But the rest of the world mattered too. Running dungeons. Exploring.
And right now, his gear was awful. Worse, he couldn’t equip anything with a level requirement. He’d tried. The game just wouldn’t let him.
But this didn’t have a level cap. It would grow with him. He scratched the back of his head.
What on earth should I choose?
