Novel 1-Enhancing Cards

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/Lock!/

"Phew… I did it… I dodged a bullet."

'If father saw the true form of the Card… I don't want to think about it, I'm not ready for that talk yet.'

Rulio took his Card out, and without further ado, he activated it.

/Crack!/

/SHINE!/

/Fuwaaaa…/

White mist covered the room as the Card broke into pieces, and from within, a dark aura slowly rose from the ground, oozing black smoke.

/Jump!/

/GRAB!/

"?!"

A terrific creature pushed Rulio into its embrace, the most fearsome beast of them all, able to pull men into their doom!

"... Master~!"

It was… A woman. And not just any kind of woman…

It was a tall, voluptuous woman with white and dark hair, resembling what Rulio would call… A Goth girl.

"You've finally called me, after so long~!"

The tall girl hugged him deeply, shoving Rulio deeply into her embrace.

Due to the height difference between the two, this just led to him being shoved right inside her bosom.

"Sh-S-pf-ke–ly…"

'Oh my fucking God… At this rate, these darned hormones I've been suppressing…'

Rulio's face began to get red as his body naturally reacted to the presence of this mankiller. And rightfully so.

She was right in every proportion and she had a deep, cold voice, pulling at his heartstrings with every word.

Knowing full well the girl wasn't letting go anytime soon, he merely hugged her back, tapping her arms as he busied himself inside his mind:

'Although some Cards transform into other abstract forms as they Enhance, some can… Take on Humanoid forms, like her.'

'This isn't merely for the sake of PLOT, which certainly was why it was used in the story, albeit there was an explanation, despite how quickly it was mentioned.'

'I don't know why, but my memories have been strikingly good ever since I reincarnated, likely one of the many benefits of the River of Reincarnation.'

'Anyhow, the reason why Cards often take the Human form is because the Human body can contain a Microcosm inside it, allowing individuals to Cultivate power naturally with and eventually, against Heaven's will.'

'But that is something far beyond the likes of me…'

"Huff… Please… I need to breathe…"

"Of course."

"Haaaa…"

Rulio was fred with much regret… From both parties.

"Haa… Ahem… It's good to see you again… Skelly."

'My Lord have mercy on me, how can a Minion change so much?'

Aside from everything mentioned, her clothes were also unusually sensual.

Albeit much of her body was covered by a large cloak, for some reason, her bosson and tights were on display, like an oversexualized Chinise Qipao.

Her skin was also extremely fair, likely because…

'To think this is the form a Lich would take… Just what else does she want to such out of me aside from my Soul? Damn…'

"You certainly… Changed… How do you feel?"

"Excelent master! In fact, better then ever." She said with a wide smile as she put her two arms before her, hiding them underneath her long sleeves

"It's strange, but I feel as if this was my true self, I feel… Alive." She said with a light smirk as she chuckled lightly

"That's great… Honestly, you surprised me, I never expected you would change… This much."

'Skelly initially looked like a Skeleton Mage covered head to toe in a singular cloak, she held a staff and a book for her spells.'

'She always looked unimpressive, but I knew she was stronger then normal given her rarity. The reason I knew she was a girl is because… All Skeleton Mage Cards are female.'

'It's one of those niche questions that pops up online from time to time… Why are all Skeleton Mage Cards female? And why does it only affect its Basic version?'

'There are multiple Cards that show similar properties at different Grades, and its a question that was never answered, even in the Novel.'

'Maybe there's something more to it, but I can't even make head or tails of what it could be.'

"Did I surprise you?... To some degree, I'm surprised as well, but this form… What can I say? It's just how I've always looked like."

"It's like finally taking a huge load off my back and being able to be myself again, my thoughts are clearer now and I can experience the world like nothing before."

"I'm glad you feel relaxed. I thought this transformation would've upset you."

"Not at all! Thank you for giving me this opportunity Master~!" She said with a wide smile as she hugged him tight again

"Pff…"

"Kya~!"

"..."

'This woman will kill me one day…'

…

Rulio raveled in her warmth and faint flowery aroma before finally pushing her away once he couldn't take it anymore.

"Ahem… It's good to see you're lively, but how about you tell me what you can do now before we move on?"

"Not a problem master." She said as she took a step back

/Pull…/

She raised her hands, and with her right, she pulled a large dark grimoire clad in chains, and with the left, she pulled a large staff around two meters tall.

"... Where did those come from?"

"Hm… It's hard to explain. It's one of my abilities, I would say its an extension of Dark Arsenal, I have this space where I can store and pull things, but its a little limitated."

"As for these, they are my old spellbook and staff!"

"Yeah. They've changed a bit too. But don't mind me, do your thing, just be wary of the Ether containers, if they break and explode… It won't be pretty."

"Of course, I won't do anything complicated."

/Move, swing, slam!/

She flipped her staff and slammed it on the ground, causing a dark magical circle to form around it.

"Rise! My Soldiers!"

/Crack!/

The ground split and dozens of soldiers slowly climbed from the fissure depths.

Soon enough, a hundred soldiers stood side by side on the room.

"Master, this is my Main Ability, I can control an Undead Legion and many of my Spells are centered around maintaining and supporting the Legion."

"How many can you summon and how strong are they?"

"These Skeleton Soldiers should be around equivalent to the Advanced Card: Skeleton Knight, a little stronger even, probably equivalent to +10/30 version of it."

"And Instead of a limit for them per se, I have 200 Slots to fill, of which I can summon whatever undead soldier I desire."

"The First option is Skeleton Soldiers. Each consumes a single Slot. An ordinary Soldier with Metal armor, sword and shield, I can change the weapons and the shape of their armor somewhat if necessary Master."

"The Second option is Skeleton Archers. Each consumes a single Slot. Same as before regarding their equipment."

"The Third option is Skeleton Assassins. Each consumes four Slots. Nothing to say regarding their equipment. Although I can't give them Heavy armor as it would clash with their 'Skills'."

"The Fifth option is Skeleton Colossus. Each consumes ten Slots. Their equipment is a bit trickier since it's big, the bigger the changes I make to them, the longer it'll take to summon one, but once the changes are made, subsequent summons go per normal."

"I just can't give them too many things because it reaches a point they'll get too massive for me to cast at once, they may end up becoming a Ritual cast…"

"Finally, I have a special Summon, I can Summon ten Skeleton Mages, each mage has twenty Slots to use like me, but they can't summon other Wizards. Although they can summon each other if necessary, as long as a slot is available."

"Their Summons, however, are a little weaker then mine due to my bonuses not applying fully. But their overall skill is still pretty high with their Spells."

"They can also cast Spells in unison to strengthen them, and if all ten of them work together, their individual Spells can surpass mine, including their undead summoning."

"They can also work with me on a variety of even higher-level Spells, but they're all Rituals and take time and preparation to cast, and its easy to interrupt the majority of them, I'm afraid. Same goes for any other conjoined Spell."

"In a battle situation, my prowess comes from amassing my army ahead of time and ambushing enemies with long Ritual Spells cast in advance. In short, the more time I have to prepare, the stronger me and the army will become."

"I have several wide-range enchantments I can use after all, and if I take my time, I can make each summon stronger, but the time can add up when there are so many Slots to fill."

"Isn't that all… Taxing?"

"Not at all, I believe summoning my full army would barely cover around a single percentage of my total Ether reserves, they're meant to be expendable and reused. Giving me and the Undead Wizards time to cast Spells."

"Hum… That's incredible, really." Rulio said with an amazed smile as he nodded at her

"Fufu, thank you master, I'll continue to work hard to improve so I may live up to the expectations you have in me." She said as she bowed elegantly 

"Expectations… Do you still remember the past?"

"Yes, very clearly, albeit… Distant memories are mostly fading if not mere shadows in my mind by now…"

"I faint recollect when I was born as a Card, and the strange 'state' I was in before I was defeated and turned into a Card."

"I passed through many hands as people either sold me or used me for their collections. I was never given the chance to fight or prove myself properly… And to some degree, they were right in not giving me any."

"It wasn't until master bought me that I was given a chance to act, to die, time and time again in pursuit of something…"

"Even then, during a period of darkness, clouds, and without emotions, I still remember feeling… Alive. Useful, for once…"

"Master believed in my potential, trained me, tried to teach me… And despite my many failures, you kept believing me, and even now, you granted me the strength to finally, finally be able to express myself."

"I, Skelly, can never fully express how grateful I am… Master! You have my e-t-e-r-n-a-l loyalty!" She said as she jumped at him again, hugging him even tighter 

"S-Skelly…"

This time, however, Rulio remained level-headed.

'I only did this all because… Sigh, maybe its better if it's like this.'

'Even if I had my own interests… Many relationships start like that, right? What matters is what I do to her and the other Cards from now on.'

"Thank you, Skelly… I'll try to act to fulfill even a fracture of your belief in me."

"Fufufu… You already are~" She said as she pressed her head against his

"..."

'My leg's are going weak…'

Rulio would've probably lost it if she had kissed him right there, after all, do remember… As a Minion, she is under his complete control, and its evident she would be happy to fullfill his needs.

But Rulio had his principles… At least until he grew a little older and got to know her a bit more…

A-Ahem…

"... So… First, I think we should give you a name. This is going to be recorrent, as I can't just keep calling my Cards by their names, specially if they gained sentience."

"Yes! Please Master!" She said eagerly as she took a step back

"Let's see… Your dark pupils are quite striking with your platinum hair… And given you're a mage… Ririan Lapurcina. How about that?"

'Its a jumping of the words. But its quite good on the tongue…'

"KYA! I love it master~!"

/HUG!!/

"Ugh! Ske… Ririan! You need to give me some time to breathe!"

'Her skin… I only noticed it now but… It's rather cold.'

'Yeah, in the end, she's still an Undead, she's not truly alive… But that isn't an issue, as long as I keep Enhancing her…'

'Even an Undead can come back to life.'

…

"Ririan, I'm sorry for putting you to work this soon, but can you help me organize the place with your Summons?"

"No problem master! I'll make this place spotless."

"Great, just help me sort all of these Canisters, put them in order over there and…"

Rulio gave Ririan order after order, and with the help of dozens of strong Skeleton Soldiers, soon everything became organized.

"... Perfect, now send a few Skeleton Soldiers to the surface to pick up some things. I've bought several items online and now need to retrieve them. Dav, my personal bodyguard and assistant, should oversee its distribution inside the Manor, but it'll still need someone to bring it all down. Can your Summons do that as well?"

"Not an issue either. They may be only bone, but they're fairly intelligent and more than able to execute such orders."

"I'll leave it to you then, meanwhile… It's time to Enhance a new Card."

"Do you have anything in mind Master?"

"Yes."

"I currently have three Cards: You who can function in essentially every role, but is more functional on the backline."

"Bubble Cat, who is now a high-output fighter, especially when under the Sun. And Toy Robot, who is more of a heavy-duty frontline."

"However, to fully realize Toy Soldier's power, I'll need to present it to a few friends… And to maximize Bubble Cat's power, I need to find a way always to have it under Sunlight."

"Amidst my tree Cards, you're the only one who doesn't need other Cards to function properly. At least for now."

"Then, amidst Basic Cards, I already have some candidates to assist those two."

"Once they're here, I would have a potent frontliner, that being Toy Robot, an even stronger attacker, that being Bubble Cat, and you in the backline to protect me."

"That sounds like a great plan master!"

"Thank you, but its far from efficient. After all, I still have a lot of energy to spare."

"I need Cards I can use frequently so all of my Ether reserves may be put to use. So here is what I need:"

"I need a Defensive Card that can be used at any moment."

"I need a Support Card that can enhance everyone's effectiveness."

"I need a Healing Card to sustain everyone and myself."

"And I need an Offensive Card to deal damage alongside you all. It has to be a Strike Type Card as it'll synergize with my Talent."

"The list is a little longer, but these four are the most important. They synergize well, and if everything goes with my calculations, this Simple Deck of no more than ten Cards would compare to a Master Card User in power."

'My three current Cards plus the four Cards I have in mind together with one Card to support Bubble Cat and two mechanical Cards to support Toy Robot.'

'Ten Cards. I'm not doing a challenge to remain with low Cards… Starting small, given my Talents, is the way to go.'

'I can eventually expand to twenty and eventually more, but a few Cards should be sufficient, especially when Ririan already has so many Spells at her disposal.'

'Eventually, I'll need an specialized defensive Cards to protect them from their greatest weakness… Their lower Grade.'

'Until I can increase it… They're susceptible to Grade Cards like Mind Control, Card Lock, Removal, and so on.'

'No mater how many zeroes I add to their Enhancement value, unless they have an Add on or some special ability to resist against them, if someone has a Master Card that blocks any lower Grade Cards from being deployed, I'll lose.'

'That is my greatest weakness. And something I can never let anyone realize, and if someone does…'

'I'll have to shut them up.'

"It seems like a solid plan Master. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Hm… Not really… This is something I have to do on my own… But how about you sit down and study?"

"Study?"

"Yes, I imagine there is a lot about this world you've never learned about given your unique circumstances, learning and studying seems like a good way to prepare yourself further as a tactician, and above all, can you learn other Spells from seeing them?"

"Maybe? It depends on their complexity, but I should be able to increase my repertoire of Spells. That's the principle of Dark Arsenal."

"Then sit down and research a little; there are hundreds of courses online about Magic and the like. You'll enjoy it, or so I hope." He said as he pointed at his Pc in the center of the room

"I'll check it out Master, as per your orders."

"Come on Ririan, you don't have to act on everything I say, if you don't like it, tell me so we can work together."

"..."

Ririan's expression was dark…

"Kya! Master! You're so considerate of me! I love you!"

/HUG!/

"R-pf-i-shg-an!"

The great beast once again took him to darkness…

…

/Meanwhile…/

"... And… Another batch… Phew, how many things did Rulio buy? They're flocking in by the minute… Is that another truck?"

Aboveground, scratching his head in frustration, was Dav.

'It's been a few hours, what is the young master doing, I wonder? I heard the Lord returned and they went to the Major training room…'

'No matter, I'll just this through and get this over it. These last few days have been quite hectic but I've prepared myself for this.'

'It is, after all, still the first week of his awakening, he'll be bust for a while, and so will I…'

/Step step step step…/

/Clack clack clack!/

"Hm?"

'What is this noise?…?!?!'

"Skeletons!... Hauling boxes?"

To his complete bewilderment, a bunch of skeletons suddenly appeared in the garden, and instead of attacking, they began hauling the boxes back inside the Manor.

"..."

'What is he doing now?'

Curious and somewhat worried, Dav followed after the skeletons.

/Din…/

It was a strange ride, going down the elevator with a few skeletons by his side.

They were completely ignorant of his presence, focusing solely on completing their task. Admirable even.

Once they arrived at the underground floor, they immediately walked outside, leaving Dav behind as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"Young Master, are you here?"

"Hm? Dav? Is something the matter?" Rulio replied from inside as he heard Dav's voice

At the same time, Dav stepped into the training room, and what he saw shocked him a little.

A hundred skeletons working together to organize the room. He also saw a strange figure in the back but it was being covered by a large monitor…

'Who's that? A person?...'

"Dav?"

"Ah, Ahem. I saw the Skeletons outside and…"

"It's okay, they're my Minions, they'll help haul the boxes inside. If you need me for anything else, just contact me, otherwise, leave me be."

"Understood young master, also, the Maids told me to remind you Dinner will be ready at 6:30."

"Already?... Very well, I'll eat upstairs once I'm done over here."

/Bow…/

Dad bowed, leaving Rulio to his own devices.

…

"That was…"

"My Buttler, I'm surprised you didn't recognize him."

"He seems familiar, but some of my memories are jumbled up. Now that I've seen him though, I do remember him being around some of my memories, mostly in the background."

"Yeah, that's what Dav usually does…"

With a chuckle, Rulio pulled his next Card:

{Green Whisp /Basic/ 

 Type: Summon

 Activation Cost: 5

 Effect: Manifests three small green wisps to transfer its life force onto its target.

 Duration: Until HP runs out

 Augmentation: N/A

}

'This is my next choice, another one of the Mc Cards, but a better version. This one increases the base number of whisps from one to three, and the Whisps also have greater Stats.'

'Above all, this type of Card has a mutation where instead of receiving an Augment every 20 Enhancement Levels, it gains one every 10.'

'This should be fun…'

By raising his hand, one of the Skeletons dropped one of the Ether tanks beside him gently, allowing him to open it and begin working.

"Hm… Ririan."

"Yes Master?"

"Do you have any Spell that can siphon Ether and transfer it onto another vessel?"

"Hm… In a similar way as the Enhancing process you're performing?"

"Correct."

"I'm afraid not master, I can gather Ether around me, but it's instinctively and through my own abilities and not through Spells and the like."

"Maybe with the ten Wizards we can gather and direct Ether in a direction, so Enhancing a Card shouldn't be difficult, in fact, I should be able to Enhance Cards on my own."

"That's interesting… I'll keep it in mind."

'I could test it right now, but if I let Ririan shatter a Basic Card after everything she said it would come out rather badly.'

'I'll have to find an excuse or a way to make my test sound viable.'

'Nonetheless, some training is never bad, I need it even, basic Ether manipulation is the foundation of everything.'

"Time to work."

/Shine!/

{Green Whisp +1 /Basic/ 

…

}

…

/Shine!/

{Green Whisp +100 /Basic/ 

…

}

"Phew! That almost killed me… But I'm getting better at this, even if one second at a time…"

'It'll be a long road until I reach my goal of 200 Cards… I'll have to Enhance many useless Cards to get there.'

'But for now…'

{Green Whisp +100 /Basic/ 

 Type: Summon

 Activation Cost: 15

 Effect: Manifests three small green wisps to transfer its life force onto its target.

 Duration: Until HP runs out

 Augmentation 1 -> Green Whisp's Life +500% 

 Augmentation 2 -> Green Whisp's base Stat increase per Enhancement Level +5% (Multiplicative)

 Augmentation 3 -> Each Green Whisp may be attached to four extra targets. The healing received by each target remains the same as if individually attached.

All healing targets will also receive a Magical barrier equal to half of the life healed.

All healing targets will have their Stats increased by a third of the percentage of the life healed, up to +100%

 Augmentation 4 -> Green Whisp gains the Sacrificial Blessing Ability, enhancing the Stats of all attached individuals by triple the total life loss.

 Augmentation 5 -> Changes Green Whisp into the Life Spirit, greatly increasing its current Stats and Abilities.

 Augmentation 6 -> Green Whisp gains the Ressucitate Ability, allowing it to bring back lost comrades into the battlefield.

Resuscitate can be used to bring back a fallen Minion, Summon, or anything that qualitifes as an entity back onto the field for as long as they did not vanish due to a set inborn condition, such as a timer or programed self destruction.

Resuscitate heals the target back to full health and can be used in a non-fatal scenario.

Resuscitate can be used to piece together broken cards if used within a few seconds of the Card's destruction as long as they have an Enhancement Level. 

Cards within the same Grade will suffer a penalty ranging from 1 to 5 Levels.

Intermediate Cards will suffer a penalty ranging from 6 to 10 Levels.

Advanced Cards will suffer a penalty ranging from 11 to 15 Levels.

Expert Cards will suffer a penalty ranging from 16 to 20 Levels.

Resuscitate is not guaranteed to work on Master Grade Cards. If the penalty surpasses the total Enhancement Level of the Card, Resuscitate will fail.

Resuscitate will automatically activate if the Card User's life is in danger for as long as there's a Green Whisp in its vicinity.

 Augmentation 7 -> Changes Green Whisp into the Manifestation of the Ancient Tree, massively increasing its current Stats and Abilities.

}

"... It's beautiful…"

'But… Sigh.'

'To think it would be like this… Still, it's better than expected.'

'Instead of one Augment per 10 Levels, after Enhancing the Card 50 times, the next Augument came at +75, and the last one at +100.'

'So it seems the information online was a misconception… But it's one I don't intend to correct.'

'There are Cards out there with special Augument features, such as Cards that receive extra Auguments or none at all…'

'I guess that these Auguments are instead spread out over the Enhancement Levels… There's much to learn that the Mc never explored.'

'In this Card's case, I got two extra Auguments at +100, so it's a great profit.'

'It's not a combat Card, but its base Stats are incredible; it's even tankier than Toy Robot. And its overall strength isn't bad either.'

"Well then… It's time."

/Crack!/

"Manifest!"

/SHINE!!/

"..."

"MASTER~"

""My Lord!""

Three voices filled the training room, but like before, Rulio's world was completely covered in darkness as he was once again pulled into a monster's embrace…

"Ghaupff…"

"Kyan~"

"..."

'Please, stop moaning…'

'What's wrong with these cards man? I taught them all how to be polite… Where did things go wrong?...'

Looks like this wouldn't be easy.

…

/Push!/

After many hugs and attempted kisses at Rulio, Ririan finally came to his rescue by pulling the dangerous girls away from him, crossing her arms as she stood next to him to protect him.

It was important to remember these Minions were strong enough to pull metal appart as if it was wool and break through a metal beam as if it was a large cracker…

Rulio's lack of movement wasn't solely from his weakness, it was also a means of preservation, as it was much better to let them hug him comfortably then to try and resist.

He could… In a… Not so cruel world… Order them to move away in his mind. Since there was a degree of connection between Cards and theri Masters.

Buuuuut… Why would he do that? Like… It wasn't REALLY hurting him or anything…

"Huff… It seems like Ririan wasn't the only one who changed like that…" Rulio said out loud as he looked at the Green Whisps before him

No, they were whisps no more…

Before Rulio, three women floated slight off the air.

In the middle was a woman taller then him but not as tall as Ririan.

She had an extremely long golden hair that, instead of ending, slowly vanished as it grew fainter over time, scattering in the wind.

She had green eyes, thin lips, a sharp nose, and fair skin, somewhat pinkish around her cheeks.

A beauty, no doubt. She was so pretty that Rulio thought she was a fairy… Wait, she was one.

Her clothes were a mix of green, white, and purple robes flowing through her body and a flower circlet atop her head.

Green silk floated around her graciously, giving her a divine aura.

And above all, she was very, very arm…

To her left and right were two girls identical to one another. Their faces were covered by white veils, making it impossible to see their features, but they were definitely just as pretty as her.

Her clothes were similar to their sister in the middle but less striking, a clear sign of hierarchy between them.

"Woah… You're all so pretty…"

"Kya! Master!~"

"Stop right there, give Master some room to breathe." Ririan said as she held the Spirit, holding her in the air like a balloon

"Awww, I need to give him hugs!"

"Later, let him speak first."

"Kay…"

"A-Ahem… Well. How do you all feel?"

"I'm happy as long as I'm by master's side~!"

""We're in excellent condition, My Lord.""

"Uhum…"

'The one in the middle has a very diverging personality… I do remember them being like that somewhat, whenever I summoned the Whisps, one of them would always stick close to me and the others around me.'

'I always thought it was because one Whisps was always tied to me due to the Card's rarity. Maybe it was due to their suppressed personalities…'

'They don't have many memories because they came as a reward from opening a treasure box in a Scattered realm, and the moment they appeared, they were sold on an auction where I asked father to get them for me.'

'I used to go to Card Auctions whenever I had the time as it was there where Rarer basic Cards appeared. And I usually got them all since they were all cheap.'

'If I'm not mistaken, they were given an "untouched" label for the fact they had never been summoned before, so I was the very first Human they ever saw…'

'Maybe this could've affected their perception of me.'

"Okay. First things first, I'll ask you some things before we move on, is that okay?"

"Yes-su~..."

""Ask away, My Lord.""

"Then… Your memories, how do you feel? Is there any discomfort? Do you remember everything?"

"Hmmm… I do remember a lot, Master. How and when I opened my eyes for the first time and… There you were."

"I remember whispers here and there, incoherent but cold… Excitement then disappointment… Until I heard your voice."

"Pure bliss, you were the first to look at me like that… And the awaken me." She said with a large smile as she touched her chest

"Master I… I luv you~!"

"HEY!"

/GRAB!/

"GAHA!..."

"Let go of him! You! Get down from there! It's dangerous for Master!" Ririan said with an upset expression as she saw the Spirit fly in the sky happily with Rulio in her embrace

"Noo~ I only listen to master. Master~..."

"Hm?"

"Do you want me to put you down?" She asked almost seductively as she gave him some room to raise his head and face her

'Damn! She knows what she's doing! Does she think I'm that gullible?!'

/Poof…/

Rulio slowly let his face fall into her breasts.

'She's damn right.'

"Master?!"

"Fufu~ I luv you master!"

"..."

'... Me too.'

Rulio was having the time of his life, all that training and suffering… It was for this moment.

What a time to be alive…

…

A few minutes of Rulio being spun around in the sky, he eventually grew sick before being lowered back by the Spirit.

She touched his back and massaged it, saying:

"I'm sorry, master, I was a little too excited."

"It's… Okay. I'm just a little disoriented."

/Shine…/

Green light shone on his back, and Rulio immediately felt better.

"Huu… Thank you. Now, let's go back to the Questions."

"First, I thought the three of you were the same, why are your three so… Distinct?"

"Master, that's simple. While I grew to become the Anciest Tree's manifestation, they grew to become Spirits associated with it. You could call them Keepers or Priestesses if you wish, as it fits rather well."

"Why couldn't all three of you become like that?"

"Only one of us sisters can become the Ancient Tree's representative, the other two still got stronger, so in terms of overall ability, we're all equal, it's just that I possess a Title that grants me unique abilities."

"I see… But by Ancient Tree… Where is it?"

""Right here, My Lord."" The Spirit Sisters said as they clasped their hands together

/Shine/

At that moment, a small bubble emerged from between the flowers on top of the Spirit in the middle, floating before him.

Rulio saw the shadow of a large tree inside the translucent bubble, but it looked more like a miniature bonsai tree than anything.

"Here it is, master, the Ancient Tree."

"Incredible… Should we… Plant it somewhere?"

"There's no need for that Master. Our combined Ether maintains the Ancient Tree. It is the safest it can be with us directly." The Spirit on the right said as she looked at the tree

"Being in such proximity with the tree also strengthens us. Parting away from it brings no benefit. And above all, it's a risk, as its destruction would severely injure us." The Spirit on the left added as she gave Rulio a nod

"It would also weaken me severely… But after a while, I could resurrect it, although it would take a while for me to recover completely." The middle sister said as she hugged the bubble 

"We can plant it temporarily to allow it to absorb nutrients and grow sturdier. As technically speaking, the Tree is a separate entity and can thus grow on its own."

""The stronger it is, the stronger we are.""

"Unfortunately, master, the tree cannot be converted onto a Card you can Enhance, to strengthen it, we'll have to resort to natural means."

"And also, if one of us sisters perishes and cannot be brought back through our abilities or the natural regeneration from the Card, we will be reborn through the blessing of the Ancient Tree; this includes me, Master."

""If that happens, one of us will temporarily assume the Ancient Tree's Manifestation role, denouncing our current form until her return.""

"However, if all tree of us fall, the Card will immediately enter a cooldown period, how long it may be… Or if it'll even be us who will be reborn once it reactivates… That we do not know."

"I see… We can talk more about it, but I understand its gist for now."

'This didn't appear in the original story. The Mc's wisp eventually became an Elf, an extremely rare otherworldly race Card… But that's very far in the future.'

'It seems my mutated Card took another path altogether, albeit not one I'm unfamiliar with.'

"Now then, aside from the tree, tell me what you can do."

"No problem~." She said as she raised her hands in the air

/Sparkle!/

/Summon!/

/Chatter…/

Then it began, a great display of Magical Abilities.

Rulio saw it all with great focus, memorizing everything the sisters could do as they would eventually become his strength.

What kind of Card Master did he want to be? Rulio didn't know, but regardless of what he became at the end of the road, he would use everything at his disposal efficiently.

Given his current Cards were mostly Minions, the ability to strategize and command would be imperative, even if he left the act of command a fight to someone else.

Every Card User, regardless of what they were, needed some degree of Combat sense and tactics, those who relied solely on their Cards would eventually and suddenly perish.

His story wouldn't end like that.

…

/Later…/

"Hmm…"

'What they can do… Is rather simple.'

'The sisters are mostly background supporters, they can heal in various ways, buff, purify, protect, erect barriers and so on.'

'They don't have Spells as everything they have can be considered as a form of Natural Manipulation, hence, they aren't considered a type of Sorcery or Ritual like many of Ririan's Abilities.'

'To summarize… Aside from what's written on the Card, they can summon all kinds of creatures: Whisps, Spirits, and even Fairies. Following a Slot property just like Ririan can.'

'Fifty Slots, each Whisp takes one, each Spirits takes ten, and each can summon one Fairy.'

'Whisps can mostly just heal and protect, activating their Card effects. They look like small blobs of green light with small ethereal wings around them.'

'Spirits can perform most of their abilities, but not all, one of them being summoning Fairies, but they can summon whisps. They were like bigger versions of whisps; however, they possessed a faint feminine profile.'

'Fairies can do everything they can do aside from the unique abilities the middle sister possesses as the manifestation of the Ancient tree. And summoning other Faries.'

'However, they can summon each other as long as a slot is available.'

'They were just like small humans, all proportions right, but just small.'

'A very tiny girl the size of a palm. And obviously, they were all very pretty.'

"... Alright, I got the gist of it. It seems we'll need a lot of practice to use your abilities effectively, but that is natural, we still have many years ahead of us."

""Take care of us, Master!"" The three of them said in unison as they bowed in the air, although the middle sister exclaimed 'master' rather eagerly 

".. Ahem… Now, with that out of the way, I imagine giving you three names is time. I can't keep calling you sisters or keepers and so on. You three deserve better." 

"Really?!"

""We follow your commands.""

One was happy, her eagerness evident, the other two were conservative but their expectation were just as high if not higher.

"..."

'This is difficult… I'm not good with names.'

'They're sisters, triplets, so I should go with something similar? No… They need an identity, but the two Keepers are far too similar…'

"From left to right, Salvia, Liria, and Erilia. Please, don't mix it" Rulio said after much thought 

'This time, the names don't mean anything; I just thought they sounded good. Besides, Liria and Erilia are somewhat common names, not so much as Salvia, though…'

"KYA! Master gave me a name~!" Liria said with an energetic smile as she jumped forward

"Hadn't you had enough by now?" Ririan said on the side as she sighed out loud

""We're honored."" Salvia and Erilia said in unison in a lighter tone, clearly pleased with their names

"Master!~"

"..."

'Once I turn 18…'

This time, he held back.

…

"... Now, you're free to do as you wish. If you need me, I'll be upgrading Cards over there."

"I haven't introduced you all yet, but this is Ririan, she's originally a Skeleton Mage Card, I hope you all can work together well as your abilities synergize."

"You have and will get more companions, but they're currently in their Card forms, so I'll introduce you to them at a later date."

'Not that they can communicate…'

'Ririan and the sisters, together, it may be possible that they can defeat a Master… But only in absolute theory.'

'They'd win by wearing them out thanks to their immense survivability, but if they can truly win… I'm not sure.'

'But if I add Bubble Cat and Toy Robot… Especially if I can strengthen them ahead of time… Then there is a solid chance for victory.'

'Yet, in this scenario, the weakest link… Is me.'

'I need to work on myself a little more.'

"A pleasure to meet you all." Ririan said as she bowed lightly

"I'l call you Riri from now on~!"

""We're honoured.""

"#! My name's Ririan, only master may call be Riri." Ririan said deeply as her eyes sharpened

"Nuh-uh! A pleasure to meet you, Riri!"

"..."

Ririan quickly figured out she wouldn't be getting along with her.

/Smile/

Rulio smiled as he saw them interact, this was the start of his Card Deck.

He moved to the side, letting Ririan deal with the sisters, they would do just fine… Somehow.

He sat down before the table, and the moment he did so, a Skeleton Soldier gently placed another Ether container by his side, waiting for his return.

'The next Card should be… This one!'

Rulio pulled a Basic Card for his pile, and the moment he did so, it began to faintly glyster in faint prismatic light.

'The rarest, most absurdly statistical anomaly I have. This is a Prismatic Variant, Etched, Legendary Card.'

'Variant is self-explanatory when a Card displays diverging characteristics from its basic form while not being too absurd. If it is too absurd, it's then called a Mutant.'

'Etched is when the Card possesses notches with gems inserted into them, each notch gives the Card a Unique feature, although in this Card's case, it only has one notch, but it's fitted with a Black Opal, which could give it some interesting features…'

'Etched Cards are super rare, much less one that has other features…'

'But here is where things get interesting… This is a Legendary Card, the highest form of a Card.'

'Higher than Rare and Unique, a Legendary Card is truly the sole one of its kind. Not through special effect, but through its gargantially low rarity.'

'Only a few cards throughout history had more than one Legendary form of it appear.'

'So, this combination creates a truly, one of a kind Card…'

'It is possible to strengthen Cards beyond mere Enhancing. You can actually artificially add notches to Cards and increase their rarity through lucky encounters and other special events… Sometimes through Talents as well… So a Card like this isn't really one of a kind…'

'But the difficulty of doing so… You would need to be royalty to do it, probably even more, the very King even or someone with the right connections and luck.'

'How many Cards started like this? How many Cards received such treatment? It's hard to say, but certainly not many.'

'I found this Card by following the plot of the main story, it wasn't a Card that fell in the Mcs hands, but it was something one of his enemies used around the end of the Card Rule Saga.'

'The Villain got the Card at a Bazar being sold by an unaware elderly lady who was merely selling her husband's old Card Collection to make some money.'

'She wasn't versed in the world of Cards as she grew in the countryside. However, this ignorance cost her dearly… As the Villain killed her and everyone in her family to get her hands on the collection while keeping it a secret.'

'The reason for that was because all of her cards were of extreme quality, with Advanced, Expert, Master, and even Grandmaster-level cards within.'

'Her husband was an old Master Card User who opted to be unknown and provide his family with everything they needed while within the realm of an ordinary person.'

'To get these Cards, I convinced my parents to lead me on a trip outside of the country. With that, I managed to find the old lady's house and buy her Cards.'

'Of course, I didn't rip her off, I did the right thing and told my father of what I had found once I located her. From there, the obvious happened.'

'Father, being the rightful person he is, told the old lady of the value of the Cards and that he was willing to pay anything for them, but the old lady merely asked for a few things, and father delivered, together a truckload of money, which was still but a fraction of what they were valued as.'

'This way, Father got his hand on many High-Level Cards, and I got a few rare Cards for my "collection". Since, at the time, father thought I liked collecting Basic Cards… Well, he knows some of the truth now.'

'Later down in the future, the Villain and the Mc would meet, and at that time, there were several enemies with Highly Enhanced cards and the Mc's advantage began to dwindle…'

'And amidst those scenarios, the Villain appeared while wielding this Card.'

'It had been enhanced 80+ times… Yet even then, it could significantly damage the Mc, who was on his way to becoming a Grandmaster.'

'Of course, there was some caviar to it… The enemy in question did possess talents to enhance this type of Card, so I'm unsure how much I'll have to Enhance it before it reaches the same level of power…'

'Regardless, this is the Card I'm the most excited to Enhance!'

{Slash +100 /Basic/ 

 Type: Strike/Physical/Phantasm

 Activation Cost: 10

 Effect: Replicates the impact of an ordinary slash made with an ordinary medium-length weapon and the User's strength and arm reach in question.

The slash ignores all Ether defenses, considering solely physical defenses.

A second and third slash is performed following the first strike with a delay of half a second in between.

If any of the strikes within a volley kills an enemy, repeat the strike once at the nearest enemy. It cannot trigger itself.

 Duration: Instantaneous

 Notched Gem -> Adds the "Phantasm" Type to the Card, allowing it to hit Immaterial and Spiritual entities.

 Augmentation 1 -> Increases the total base Radius and range of Slash by 5000%

 Augmentation 2 -> 15% chance to ignore all Physical defenses.

 Augmentation 3 -> Slash creates a shockwave that deals a portion of its total damage in an area following its movement.

The range and strength of the shockwave are based on the total strength of the User.

 Augmentation 4 -> Changes Slash into Ether Slash, significantly increasing its current Stats and Abilities.

 Augmentation 5 -> Slash gains the Manifest Mythical Armament Ability, allowing it to manifest a physical form.

While in a physical form, all of its Stats and Abilities are enhanced. Attacking won't push Slash into cooldown.

 Augmentation 6 -> Slash physical amplification +350%

 Augmentation 7 -> Changes Ether Slash into Great Ether Slash, greatly increasing its current Stats and Abilities.

 Augmentation 8 -> Slash will always strike the same target twice.

 Augmentation 9 -> Changes Great Ether Slash into Aura Slash, gargantuanly increasing its current Stats and Abilities.

 Augmentation 10 -> Slash gains the Sword Manipulation Ability, allowing the User to slash anywhere within 150 m as long as he can reach the location physically.

While manifested, the User can control it mentally within a range of 75m.

}

A completely unreasonable Card.

'This was a Card that gave the Master Grade Mc trouble… And I can see why.'

'I didn't know this Card received an Augment every 10 Levels… No wonder it was so strong. Give it was +80 when the Mc faced it… That's comparable to a +160 Slash Card.'

'First, if I were to study solely by it's +80 Enhancements… It's already ridiculous.'

'First, the Slash Card igores all Ether defenses, so special defenses are nothing to this Legendary Card.'

'Second, the Card can hit immaterial figures, so it doesn't have the weakness of ordinary Physical Type Cards.'

'Third, each Slash is actually comprised of a Wave of three attacks.'

'Fourth, Slash creates a shockwave, meaning, instead of three attacks, you're being hit by 6 attacks…'

'Fifth, Slash has Physical Defense Nullification and Physical Amplification, no wonder the Villain was so strong, capable of contending with most of the Mc's Cards with his bare body.'

'Sixth, there were two transformations within these Augumentations… Each Augment also changes how the Card functions.'

'Seventh, Slash will always strike the same target twice… So everything I said before… Happens twice.'

'Eight, while manifested, the Slash Card's Stats and abilities are strengthened, so everything so far is up for debate…'

'If the Villain had enhanced Slash to +90 or +100, the Mc may have lost to it alone… This is how strong this Card is!'

'And then there's me! With the Talent where every Strike Type Card I play… Is played twice!'

'This means the Card wouldn't attack twice… But four times, and each time it struck, there would be three Slashes and three shockwaves for a total of twenty-four instances of damage.'

'It has, unfortunately, one major drawback… Despite its massive Stats and Physical Boost… I'm still no different from an ordinary person.'

'In this state, this Card is at most comparable to an Advanced Card. But once I train my body, once I become an Expert or Master Grade Card User…'

'If I add other Cards that can increase my speed and strength… With this Card alone, I can rule Heaven!'

Rulio smiled evilly as he held the Card up high, causing some of the nearby Skeletons to stop working and look at him silently.

"Well… That's only in theory…"

'There is no invincible Card, and for everything this Card can do… There is likely something out there that can counter it.'

'But one thing's for sure… What I have at my disposal is increasing.'

'Eventually, I'll have far too many Cards to be countered in any way.'

"And besides, this Card looks super cool."

'Although… I'll avoid summoning it here. For safety purposes… What if I end up slashing one of the Ether Tanks?... Yeah, I'll keep my cool.'

'I'll have my chance tomorrow, anyway.'

"Next Card!"

…

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Notes