James scanned the forest floor off the path. A squirrel flicked across a branch. Tempting, but out of reach. He needed XP. He also needed cards, though he wasn’t sure how to normally get them.
His eyes locked onto something that might just fit the bill.
A big, fat, glossy, spider. It had a red streak along its back that probably meant venomous. Or was it poisonous…
He slipped off his shoe.
Creeping forward, he lined himself up with the trunk.
Slow breaths. Steady aim.
Swing. Thwack.
The shoe thudded into bark, jarring his wrist. The web vibrated. The spider dropped, hung for a moment, then climbed back onto its web like nothing had happened.
Bob:
James shoved his shoe back on. “Ha ha, laugh it up.”
Bob:
James found and grabbed a heavy branch lying on the ground a few meters away. With a running swing he smashed at the web, then again and again until he stopped due to a system prompt.
System Notice – Card Obtained: Tiny Redback Spider(Consumable; Uses: 1/1)
James opened his deck screen, expecting something epic. Instead, the spider card floated there. Greyed out, frayed, a single 1 in the corner.
Tiny Redback Spider
Category: Rarity: Type: Slots Required: Abilities:Venomous Bite(minor damage; chance of poison) Traits:
Size: Weight: Level Requirement: Uses:1/1
“That’s it?”
Bob:
James grimaced. “So… squirrel?”
Bob:
James scanned the trees. “Right. Squirrel it is.”
He moved carefully, stepping over roots and skirting thick undergrowth. A rustle, too heavy for a squirrel, caused James to freeze in place. It passed, but the hairs on his arms stayed up.
Inspiration hit. He pulled a strip of jerky from his inventory and laid it on a mossy root, just visible from the brush. Then he backed off, careful not to snap any twigs.
After a few minutes it worked. A squirrel crept toward it, every movement taut and cautious.
James crouched low, dagger ready.
So he threw.
The dagger spun end over end...
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Hilt-first against the squirrel’s skull.
It went limp for half a second, dazed. James took two huge strides then dove at it, getting a hand on it before it could bolt.
It recovered as soon as he made contact. Claws raked his forearms, teeth snapping for any exposed skin. He swore, trying to pin the head and twist, but it fought like fury, thrashing in his grip.
Cursing, he shifted his weight, slammed it to the dirt, and willed a rock from his inventory into his hand.
He smashes the rock into the head, over and over but no notice came.
He looked down.
The squirrel’s body glowed softly, like something out of a game.
James hand brushed the squirrel’s fur. The glow flickered, then stilled.
System Notice – Essence Stabilized
Loot, bind, or harvest options now available.
James thought instantly.
The squirrel dissolved into light.
Card Obtained: Squirrel
- CategoryDeath-Marked
- Rarity
- Type
- Slots Required
- Abilities
- Traits
- Size
- Weight
- Level Requirement
- Uses Remaining
- Type
Suddenly something heavy and scaled slammed into James’s chest, knocking the air from his lungs and preventing more from returning.
Only a trickle of air came in as he tried to gasp. The snake had wrapped itself around him, pinning his arms across his chest.
He could hear his heart pounding.
Yeah, no. Summon a resentful highwayman mid-strangle? That’s asking for a knife in the back.
Inventory Action Failed.
Instinctually he flicked his wrist up and the Squirrel card came up. He plucked it out one handed and released it. It fell to the ground.
Play Card: Squirrel (Basic)
Effect: Squirrel summoned.
The card struck the ground and stretched, its grey frame elongating as if pulled from its own corners. The printed image deepened abruptly, perspective snapping into place.
The squirrel pushed forward.
It passed through a thin, glass-like layer pressed against the front of the card, shimmering faintly with a diamond hue. The transition was instant.
The squirrel that emerged was familiar.
It landed harder than it should have, movements tighter, balance surer. Muscles carried more weight without slowing it. Whatever the filter had done, it had not changed the creature’s shape, only its capability.
The frame collapsed in on itself, grey and empty, shrinking until it vanished.
The squirrel did not hesitate.
It launched straight at the snake’s head. Claws raked at the eyes. Teeth sank deep. The coils loosened, just enough.
James wrenched one arm free and dragged in a burning breath.
He swiped the dagger from his inventory. His vision was tunnelling, black eating at the edges.
The squirrel clung on, snarling.
James stabbed again and again. Some blows glanced off scales, others punched through. His arm trembled, his lungs screamed.
Then blissfully, the pressure withdrew. The act of breathing never felt so good. Moments later, his ribs protested painfully.
The serpent’s body glowed.
System Notice – Essence Stabilized.
Loot, bind, or harvest options now available.
.
The snake shimmered, dissolving into light. The crushing weight vanished completely.
Card Obtained: Large Snake
- Category
- Rarity
- Type
- Slots Required
- Abilities
- Traits
- Size
- Weight
- Level Requirement
- Uses Remaining
- Rarity
He lay on his back, chest burning. Something was moving nearby, so James raised his head in alarm despite the pain.
It was his summoned squirrel. It had ended up near him somehow, injured badly enough that it could barely stay upright.
A moment later, something small stirred beneath the moss.
A tiny head peeked out from the roots, drawn by the scent of food. The kit crawled forward, unsteady, and reached the strip of jerky lying where it had fallen.
The kit raised its head to the adult male Squirrel and, with jerky in its tiny paws, mewed upwards for permission.
James caught his breath.
System Notice – Summoned Squirrel Defeated. Card Lost.
The adult squirrel dissolved where it stood, scattering into motes that drifted down through the roots and leaves.
James felt emotionally horrible too, his ribs echoing the feeling. He stared at the kit. “Your dad saved my life,” he murmured, “so the least I can do is keep you alive.”
He painfully scooped the squire kit and jerky into his hands.
The kit sniffed his fingers and bit down hard enough to sting, but didn’t make a run for it.
Yeah, he deserved that.
He loosened the small cloth pouch sewn into the side of his new tunic. It was a practical little sack meant for coins or rations. He eased the kit inside. It squirmed once, then curled around the jerky, warm against his side.
System Notice – Bond Detected: Uncarded Familiar (Squirrel Kit). Progress: 1%.
Card Commander Level 2 – Upgrade Available.
Bob: Hey now, don’t sulk. Summoned Squirrel did its job, and it did it well. That thing took on a large snake and lived long enough to matter. Not bad for day-one Commander.
Bob:
Bob: Weak Commanders get weak summons. Strong Commanders?...
James tried to give a humourless laugh but ended up coughing and groaning instead.
Bob: