Fall of 346, A.D.
Kai took a deep breath and spoke up. “Hey, Ariel.”
She tensed immediately. Even with her back turned, Kai could picture the look on her face. He hadn’t wanted to confront her like this—ambushing her at the museum—but she’d been avoiding him for over a month.
He was done waiting. Done giving her space. Inspired by Sunny’s lesson earlier that day, he stopped trying to solve Ariel like a riddle.
He would break the box.
“What do you want, traitor?” she spat, still rummaging through display drawers, pretending to look busy.
“I just want to talk.”
“Now? Now you want to talk? Now that my brother is gone?” Her voice wavered, sharp and frayed. She still refused to look at him.
“Your brother made me promise not to say anything.”
She froze.
“I tried to help him. I tried to talk him out of it. But his mind was made up. There was nothing anyone could say.”
“Just go away, Kai.”
“He was in love, Ariel.”
She finally turned to face him.
Her eyes were glassy, red at the edges. Her lips trembled slightly as she tried to hold it all in.
“He was in love,” Kai repeated, softer now. “This wasn’t a battle either of us could’ve won.”
“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have liked the chance to try,” she said quietly, before turning her back again. “Leave, Kai.”
“I’m really sorry, Ariel.”
“LEAVE!” she screamed, voice cracking like a whip across the gallery walls.
Then came the second voice.
Quieter. Broken.
“Just leave…”
Kai stood there, heart thudding, unsure if he should say more—unsure if staying would make things better or worse.
In the end, he turned.
As he stepped through the doorway, he heard the sharp sound of something shattering behind him and Ariel crying.
*
Kai stared at the scene—a mother smiling as she held hands with her playful daughter.
Wait. I’ve been looking at this all wrong. There’s more than one kind of affection.
What if he captured the bond between a parent and child? Now that he saw it, it was obvious. How had he missed it before?
Maybe because I never saw it growing up.
In his sector, it had always been him, Ariel, Alex, and the older folk. A moment like the one unfolding below would’ve been impossible in Sector 3B.
He raised the camera.
Click.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 4 of 20.
Affection ?? (Uncommon)
Expression of tenderness and kindness.
1 of 4
HP: 1
VP: 3
Capture successful!
Tries left: 3 of 20.
“Yes!” Kai pumped his fist. “Maia, I did it. I got all the ingredients!”
“That’s fantastic. Well done, Kai.”
He took a moment to savor the win. Last round, the recipes he’d found in the office blueprints had led to a mythic card. If these turned out just as valuable, he’d be well on his way to winning this one too.
Just as he was about to start walking, inspiration struck. His eyes widened.
“Wait a minute, Maia. Don’t move.”
“You humans are so confusing,” she said. “You either tell me to stop doing things I’m not doing, or to do what I’m already doing.”
Kai aimed the camera at her and peered through the viewfinder.
Nothing.
He exhaled, frustrated. She was out of sync with the arena too. After a beat, he pulled the dimensional gloves from his inventory and tossed them over.
“Try putting these on.”
“That’s ingenious,” she said, catching them. “I see what you’re going for.” She slipped them on and struck a playful pose—one hand on her hip, the other gesturing toward her attempt at a dazzling smile.
Kai checked again.
Still nothing.
“Never mind,” he said. “Just something I had to try.”
“No problem.”
Time was running short. He turned his lens to one of the elm trees lining the street and snapped a shot.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 2 of 20.
Elm Tree ?? (Uncommon)
Tree prized for its shade and timber.
3 of 3
HP: 3
VP: 1
His opponent had already snapped two of those. That was fine. It wasn’t the only resource he had his eye on.
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Kai made his way back to the main street, back to the glowing green cross he’d spotted earlier. A pharmacy. He framed the sign and took the photo.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 1 of 20.
Pharmacy ?? (Uncommon)
Store where you can buy medicine.
3 of 3
HP: 4
VP: 0
Exactly what he needed.
If he could pair this with [Child], maybe he could keep the card alive longer. One HP wasn’t going to cut it.
I only have one shot left.
There was still no signs of lightning in the sky, but Kai kept his final capture in reserve—just in case. If no storm came, he’d fall back on his contingency: snapping a shadow puppet.
Kai glanced at the system clock.
4 minutes left.
“So, Maia,” Kai asked, “will you also come to the crafting room?”
“I’m afraid not, Kai. But I’ll wait for you here—at the next snapping round, if you make it through.”
“Very well.” He bit his lip, then smiled. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“You know... for keeping me company.”
A low rumble echoed across the city.
Kai’s heart raced. Lightning was about to strike, and if he timed it right, it could be the best card in this arena yet. At the least rare, maybe even legendary!
He raised his camera, ready to use his final shot.
Your opponent has used a Stun Bomb. You can’t move for 30 seconds.
His body froze
No…
This opponent had bombs—and unlike the early-round runners who wasted them up front, this one had waited until the last possible moment.
Kai could only watch in horror as the lightning bolt struck the rooftop. A perfect photo opportunity—gone.
Then another rumble.
There was still a chance.
He regained control of his body—only to be hit with another message.
Your opponent has used a Stun Bomb. You can’t move for 30 seconds.
Two bombs? His mouth locked up again. He couldn’t even scream. It was absurd.
The timer ticked down. As the second stun wore off—
Your opponent has used a Flash Bomb. You can’t see for 30 seconds.
Kai groaned. “I’m up against a bombardier…”
Then came the next hit.
Your opponent has used a Neglect Bomb. Two of your cards lose 1 HP.
[Fire] has been shielded from [Neglect Bomb] by [Card Fridge].
Spider Web ??? (Rare)
HP: 2 → 1
VP: 4
Jack sighed in relief. If not for [Card Fridge], [Fire] would’ve taken the hit.
Just as he braced to recover, another flash bomb landed—robbing him of sight again. When the light finally faded, the round ended.
The rainy city disappeared and Kai materialized inside the sterile white of the crafting room.
“Aaargh!” He brought both fists down on the table, but the thud was dull and flat. Without pain, it felt empty—no echo, no satisfaction.
His opponent was crafty and ruthless. They had probably seen the [Lightning Rod], left it untouched, waited for him to burn two attempts—and then taken the final one. A trap. A bait. All within the rules of the trial. He was up against someone with a sharp mind, no question.
And who was to say it would end here?
So far, crafting had been safe from interference. But that didn’t mean it always would be. Maybe this opponent had found a way to disrupt this stage too. If Kai saved his best cards for the end, he might never get to use them.
He needed to start strong. No hesitation.
He summoned his cards and spread them across the table.
Sadness ?? (Common) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 2
Child ?? (Common) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 0
Power Outlet ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 3 | VP: 1
Fuel Dispenser ? (Uncommon) ×2
HP: 4 | VP: 0
Knowledge ?? (Uncommon) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 3
Anger ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 0 | VP: 4
Affection ?? (Uncommon) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 3
Elm Tree ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 3 | VP: 1
Pharmacy ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 4 | VP: 0
Loyalty ?? (Rare) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 6
Lightning Rod ?? (Rare) ×2
HP: 1 | VP: 6
Unfortunately, he hadn’t captured any legendary cards in this snapping round. Having said that, he had four rare cards and two recipes, which made up for it.
He picked up the cards he had stored in his fridge.
Fire ?? (Rare)
HP: 1 | VP: 1
Unicorn ?? (Legendary)
HP: 3 | VP: 15
Then he grabbed all the cards that were left from previous rounds.
Arabian Oryx ????? (Rare)
HP: 4 | VP: 2
Arabian Oryx ????? (Rare)
HP: 2 | VP: 2
Fire Axe ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 3 | VP: 0
Flintstone ???? (Uncommon)
HP: 0 | VP: 1
Light ? (Legendary)
HP: ∞ | VP: 2
Mega Scrapdroid ???? (Mythic)
HP: ∞ | VP: 40 (Max)
Oryx Lumberjack ??????? (Rare)
HP: 5 | VP: 1
Spider Web ??? (Rare)
HP: 3 | VP: 4
Spider Web ??? (Rare)
HP: 2 | VP: 4
Water ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 0 | VP: 1
Water ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 2 | VP: 1
He also found two new cards in his inventory.
Pine Tree ?? (Common)
HP: 2 | VP: 1
Acacia Tree ?? (Uncommon)
HP: 3 | VP: 1
I guess there’s no flashy animation. They just show up in my inventory, uh?
The sawmill upgrades were doing their job, granting Kai two resources to work with.
Altogether he had 125 points. Kai clenched his teeth as he realized that his opponent had 25 more.
They probably got [Lightning] too. It had to be at least a rare card. And the combination of that with [Lightning Rod]... Well, all his anger came back in full.
Anyway, he shook it off and focused on crafting. First, he would chop down the trees, and offer what he got from them as a sacrifice to [Fire].
[Pine Tree ??] + [Oryx Lumberjack ???????]
?? Pine Tree | HP: 2 → 1
??????? Oryx Lumberjack | HP: 5 → 4
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Pine Trunk ????].
New recipe added to your recipe book.
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Pinecone ????].
Pinecone ???? (Uncommon)
Seed-bearing structure composed of overlapping scales that protect and disperse the tree’s seeds as they mature.
HP: 3
VP: 1
New recipe added to your recipe book.
What a lucky break! He had gotten two cards with one swing of the oryxes’ axe and even a card he hadn’t seen before. He didn’t know what [Pinecone] could be used for, but he was sure he could burn it. He’d used pinecones many times to start the bonfire. He pressed on.
[Pine Tree ??] + [Oryx Lumberjack ???????]
?? Pine Tree | HP: 1 → 0
??????? Oryx Lumberjack | HP: 4 → 3
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Pine Branch ????].
Pine Branch ???? (Common)
A branch torn from a pine tree.
HP: 2
VP: 1
New recipe added to your recipe book.
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Pinecone ????].
He used the [Oryx Lumberjacks] to chop the trunk and hopefully get some pine logs.
[Pine Trunk ????] + [Oryx Lumberjack ???????]
???? Pine Trunk | HP: 3 → 2
??????? Oryx Lumberjack | HP: 3 → 2
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Pine Log ????].
Pine Log ???? (Common)
A piece of pinewood suited for construction.
HP: 2
VP: 1
New recipe added to your recipe book.
[Pine Trunk ????] + [Oryx Lumberjack ???????] = [Pine Log ????]
[Pine Trunk ????] + [Oryx Lumberjack ???????] = [Pine Log ????]
Now, with a handful of cards that Kai could throw into [Fire], Kai decided to try something. He would waste a lot of time if he had to place all the cards individually. Maybe he could just stack them all. He put all the pine cards in a neat pile and placed it over one engraving on the crafting table.
Then, Kai picked the [Fire] card. It had once been 19 victory points strong, but now it was just a feeble flame that could be easily snuffed away. Had it not been for the [Card Fridge] upgrade, he would have lost it. He put it on the other side.
One after the other, the cards on the stack burst with light and then became dull. Unfortunately, the cards didn’t all just merge simultaneously. It was still an improvement, though. At least, this way, Kai didn’t have to waste time placing one card at a time and could use the time to think of the next moves and recipes he would try.
At the same time, [Fire] devoured their hit points and became stronger.
[Fire ??] + [Pinecone ????] = ????
[Fire ??] + [Pinecone ????] = ????
[Fire ??] + [Pine Log ????] = ???? + [Ash ?????]
[Fire ??] + [Pine Log ????] = ???? + [Ash ?????]
[Fire ??] + [Pine Log ????] = ???? + [Ash ?????]
[Fire ??] + [Pine Branch ????] = ????
It took a minute for [Fire] to suck all the cards’ HP dry. With only the resources of one [Pine Tree] card, Kai had managed to bring [Fire] up to 9 VPs.
In the process, he had even crafted new cards that increased his point count for the round. The three ash cards gave him 6 more points, and the [Pine Branch] and the [Pine Logs] gave him 4 more points. All in all, he gained 18 points.
Another benefit was that now, Kai had lots of common and uncommon fodder to use in the printer to make more trees. If he wanted to copy any valuable common cards, he could use any of the spent resources of the pine tree.
It was time to use the [Acacia Tree] he’d gotten from the sawmill. But first, he needed one more crew of lumberjacks.
[Lurker ??] + [Chatter ??]
?? | HP: 2 → 2
?? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [Community ????].
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