Chapter 37: Cursed King V Hungry Corsair- Finale
Alabaster
An enormous ethereal wave of black water rose up behind Karieto. It crashed harmlessly down around the man as the shark Alley really had never hoped to see again emerge from the water. Ranek Pho swam through the air, not stopping to hover above the raider as Alley expected but swimming around and around in a constant circle in the air above Karieto’s side of the field. The monstrous black-skinned shark was too big to fit in the Arena, but truly that was an illusion. No matter what anyone said or did it wouldn’t be able to interact with anything outside of the squared blue lines.
Alley chewed his lip as his turn started. There were a number of options in front of him, and none of them were looking very appealing. The Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar activated for what turned out to be the final time of the Challenge.
Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King
Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar
Resonance: Curse
Relic
No Cost
At the beginning of your turn Draw a Card then send the top two Cards of your Library to your Crypt.
After this effect resolves if you have 10 or more Cards in your Crypt destroy Grimoire Of The Cursed Scholar.
Shatter Fish, one of the Cards he had salvaged from the Deep Hunters League was added to Alley’s hand.
‘Great I can pay a Vial for a 1100 Power Creature.’
Whilst City Of The Doomed And Rotten and its sister Creature Endless Horde were sent to the crypt. A moment later the book in the crook of Alley’s hand began to disintegrate before exploding into the teal light and being sent to his Crypt.
That meant facing down Karieto’s Treasured Hunter, Puffer Fish, the unique Ranek Pho, and the Blood Gem Relic empowering them all was just Alley’s Cursed Grave Digger, and what he could manage with his hand.
Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair
Treasured Hunter
Cost: 1 Vial
Power: 2100
Vitality: 2
Once Per turn you may sacrifice 1 Vitality from a friendly Creature in play. If you do draw one Card, Treasured Hunter then gains 200 Power for each Card in your Hand until the end of the turn.
Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair
Puffer Fish
No cost
Power: 500
Vitality: 2
The first time Puffer Fish loses Vitality it gains 200 Power and 2 Vitality
Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair
Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder
Unique
Cost: 3 Vials
Power: 7500
Vitality: 4
If Ranek Pho destroys another Creature restore Ranek to full Vitality.
Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair
Blood Gem
Relic
Cost: 1 Vial
At the beginning of your turn Sacrifice 2 Vitality from Creature you have in play or destroy Blood Gem.
While Blood Gem is in play your maximum hand size is increased by 1. Creatures you have in play gain 100 Power for each Card in your Hand.
Versus
Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King
Cursed Gravedigger
No Cost
Power: 900
Vitality: 2
When Cursed Gravedigger enters the Crypt from in play send the top 5 cards from your Library to your Crypt.
The seven Cards Alley now held weren’t bad exactly, except the fish it was pretty bad. The problem was the uncertainty of his Creature Cards.
Darkest Reflections, Danse Macabre, Wraith Master, Withered One, Greater Shade Hound Saoirse, Shatter Fish.
Alley could burn his two Vials to play Greater Shade Hound and then use Danse Macabre to allow it to attack by sacrificing Cursed Grave Digger just like he had during the puzzle. The problem was the Blood Gem Relic brought the Treasured Hunter up to equal Power with the Greater Shade Hound and that was if the Lionkin didn’t have some effect he wasn’t aware of.
Alley could do something similar with Saoirse. She was a Unique and likely had some sort of strong ability that might take over the field of play for him. Might being the operative word there. She might also do something that was absolutely no help at all. The Withered One and Wraith Master were both on the weaker side. Especially the Withered One, the monster only had 600 power. Though Wraith Master Cost 2 Vials for only 1800 Power and 1 Vitality.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
‘Still…’
Still chewing his lip, Alley implored the voice he was fairly sure he had been hearing.
‘Please, tell me what Wraith Master does….I’m begging over here.’
There was no response.
‘Does it combo with Darkest Reflections, please I don’t know what else to say. I can win from here. I'm sure of it, I just need to know. If he kills me my body is useless right?’
Alley waited for another tense few seconds before hearing what sounded like a cough. Followed by that same whiskey-soaked gravel voice but as though from very far away
“Yes.”
Alley felt his face split right back into that same shit-eating grin.
‘Thank you.’
Turning his attention back to the Challenge and away from kowtowing to an ethereal voice no one else was aware of.
“ I Manifest Wraith Master!”
Alley blinked as his pair of Vials descended from the invisible crown atop his head. They emptied and then floated over to somehow attach themselves to the hem of his cloak.
‘Just not going to question it.’
Before him where he had gesture the Wraith Master Appeared. It bore some similarity to the Grave Caller in the manner of its garb, and its pale bluish skin. The Wraith Caller was larger than the other monster had been though, its face that of a grinning demon, and it practically shone with necromantic energy.
Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King
Wraith Master
Resonances: Undeath, Shadow, Etheric
Cost: 2 Vials
Power: 1800
Vitality: 1
When Wraith Master is Manifested Banish all Spell Cards From your Crypt. For each Card Banished this way Manifest a Faceless Wraith.
The grinning creature raised a ball of teal Undeath resonance and Card images began to fly from Alley’s Crypt.
“What is this shit?” Snarled Karieto from across the ship. Alley winked at him and did his best to pretend he knew.
“The beginning of your end.”
The pirate snorted but Alley could tell the man was at least a little concerned. They both knew it was possible that he had over-extended. While there was nothing wrong with playing aggressively if you tried to finish your enemy quickly and failed you risked burning out of resources. Or worse, committing your strongest Cards into a trap.
One after the other, every Spell was removed from Alley’s crypt. Final Malediction, Chase The Wind, Cursed Echoes, Enchanted Grove, Fierce Negotiations. The images of the five spells vanished leaving in their place five headstones protruding from the wooden deck of the ship. Sending that same ball of Undeath Resonance down into the ‘ground’. After which from each grave rose a Faceless Wraith
Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King
Faceless Wraith
Resonance:Undeath, Shadow, Etheric
No Cost
Power: 500
Vitality: 1
The relief that washed over the raider was blatant. “ You spent your only two Vials for that? Manifest as many tiny ghosts as you want they will never get through.”
Alley just smiled and ended his Creation Phase. Drawing to replace Wraith Master he entered his War phase with the Spell Shade’s Embrace added to his hand. Alley dismissed it almost immediately from his calculations as while it could help the spell cost a Vial and was thoroughly out of reach now.
That didn’t matter, all that mattered now was keeping as many Faceless Wraiths alive till his next turn as he could. Faking a look of panic just long enough for his opponent to catch it, Alley sent his Cursed Grave Digger to attack the Treasured Hunter.
Naturally, the Lionkin swatted the little skeleton aside with ease, dropping the grave digger’s vitality to one. It was a stupid play but Alley was hoping to bait an attack towards the skeleton over the wraith’s dring Karieto’s turn. It wasn’t much of a mind game but it was better than nothing.
“I know what you are doing” Called Karieto after the clash of monsters.
‘Well so much for that plan.’ Alley thought to himself.
“You are trying to trick me into leaving your Cursed Grave Digger on the field, it won't work.”
Alley proceeded to thank every god alive or dead he could think of internally as it seemed the pirate had over-thought things and practically tricked himself.
Alley tried to put a tremor in his voice, but honestly, it didn’t sound very convincing to his own ears.
“d..do what you want, it won’t help you.”
In his Second Creation phase for the turn, Alley had nothing he wanted to play, so he discarded Shade’s Embrace and Greater Shade Hound so that he was back down to five cards.
At the start of Karieto’s turn, the Blood Gem took it's to vitality in cost but to Alley’s surprise the pirate selected Ranek Pho as the creature to suffer both damage.
‘It heals’ Alley reminded himself, thinking back to the way the shark had restored to four Vitality after eating the caged townspeople.
The Shattered Hull Raider wasted no time in trying to end the Challenge. Skipping right through his Creation Phase Karieto unleashed a barrage of Creature attacks in quick succession. First, the Puffer Fish destroyed one of his Faceless Wraiths and forced Alley to dodge the attack.
“Ranek Pho, Devour!” he declared, followed quickly by a command for the Treasured Hunter. In a single motion, Ranek Pho swallowed the Wraith Master which exploded into light inside the huge fish. Shortsword-sized teeth bore down on Alley for what felt like the tenth time today as the monster's Vitality reset to four The shark was so large that a simple juke wouldn’t save him like it had from the lion. At least he wasn’t swimming now and actually had a chance to move.
Sprinting for the railing of the ship which was just before the arena barrier Alley launched himself forward, one foot stepping atop the railing, the other kicking off the blue barrier of energy. With a heave the dark-haired boy flipped off of the railing and barrier, his direction changing at the last second so the shark couldn’t account for his movement and still swallow him.
The flip carried him above the head of the enormous shark as it swam forward in the air. Alley was in the midst of congratulating himself as he was about to land when one of the shark’s tail fins smashed into the boy in mid-air.
The sheer force of a 7500 Power creature, strengthened by another 600 from the Blood Gem was so great that even being clipped by a non-attack was enough to send Alley flying. Tumbling through the air he collided with the back barrier of the arena with enough force to crack something inside him and knock every last bit of air out of his lungs. He had no time to recover as while this was taking place the Treasured Hunter had destroyed his Cursed Grave Digger and was bounding towards him.
With speed born of desperation, Alley hurled himself to his feet and out of the way of the Lion which once more obliterated the planks beneath its swipe.
‘Yes! I did it-’
“Avian Assassin”
Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair
Avian Assassin
Linked Item
Avian Assassin can only be activated while a Creature you control is attacking.
Upon Activation Avian Assassin attacks a target of your choice as a Creature with a Power of 1000.
Activate Once per Day/Challenge.
Appearing with far greater speed than a Manifestation would, the linked item burst into existence already swooping toward Alley. The thing looked like a little Clockwork bird about the size of the Puffer Fish Card. Its gear-driven wings flapped at stupendous speed as it drove a dagger-sized sword it was holding in a tiny humanoid arm between Alley’s ribs.
Alley hissed in pain as the Linked Item vanished back into Karieto’s dealer. The wound he could feel was agonizing, but something strange was happening. Alley couldn’t feel any wetness where the sword had punctured him. He didn’t think he was numb or had gone into shock. Also, was his cloak moving around the wounded area? It seemed to immediately begin to bunch and then loosen and then bunch again just below the wound in a rhythmic pattern.
‘What the fuck?!’
None of what was happening right now seemed good but there wasn’t much Alley could do about it. mid-Challenge. What he needed to do was end this so he could inspect and treat his wounds. As a twelfth rank, Alley barely healed any faster than a regular human. A True Deck stored its Vials outside the body, and couldn’t access them for self-healing like a Trials Deck. It was the flow of Life Essence around the body of a True Deck wielder that stimulated healing, not the stored Essence.
Taking a steadying breath, Alley inspected his Crypt, wanting to make sure whatever the Cursed Grave Digger had sent there wouldn’t somehow help him. The grave digger’s effect had added Skeletal Footsoldier, Skull Child, Phantom Keeper, Roots Of Resilience, and Shadeling. Nothing immediately jumped out at him or activated so Alley proceeded with his turn.
Something really was wrong. Alley felt weak, and his vision seemed to shrink just a little bit.
He didn’t have to fake the tremor in his voice when he spoke next.
“I cast Darkest Reflections”
Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King
Darkest Reflections
Resonances: Undeath, Shadow
Spell
Additional Cost Banish Four Creature Cards from your Crypt.
Can only be cast as the first Spell you play in a turn. Must be played during your Creation Phase.
Until the end of your turn each [Faceless Wraith] you have in play has its Power set to the same Power as the Creature with the highest Power in play.
As per the Spell’s cost, he removed Skeletal Cavalry, Skeletal Footsoldier, Cursed Grave Digger, and Lesser Shade Hound from his Crypt. Once he did each of the Faceless Wraiths that hovered around the field rose up into the air around the arena. All four of them transforming into white ethereal versions of Ranek Pho, though only their Power changed with the transformation. The Resonances and Vitality hovering above the wraiths stayed as they were.
“What?!” Snapped Karieto, eyes wildly jumping from one humongous ghost shark to the next.
“It doesn't matter,” Stammered the pirate. “Look at you, you can barely stand, as long as I last the turn you are done.”
Alley smiled at him. “ let's find out”
The Vitality of Karieto’s creatures had become a weakness Alley could exploit. If the Puffer Fish and Treasured Hunter only had one Vitality each Alley would be forced to attack Ranek Pho after defeating the monsters only once, but as both had two Vitality left he could send all four attacks through the weaker monsters.
“Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour! Faceless Wraith Devour!”
Alley repeated the command four times his voice growing in strength and fury each time. This man had sacrificed half this town and who knew how many other people to the altar of his own power? Alley would stop that here and now.
“Take a close look you pirate bitch, they are called skills!” Came the encouraging voice of Darius from outside the arena.
Easily smashing their targeted creatures aside, the ghostly sharks assaulted Kareito. The speedy captain avoided the first massive shark, but the second clipped him in much the same way the true Ranek Pho had clipped Alley. After that, the third and fourth attacks had no issue hitting the pirate. There simply wasn’t room to avoid the transformed wraiths whilst recovering from being tossed against the blue energy barrier.
Huge jaws closed on the screaming man though unlike the real shark, he wasn’t swallowed. In fact, he passed through the shark, still standing once it had swum on, and circled back around to Alley’s side of the field. The Necromantic energies within the creature still delivered an 8100 Power attack to the Shattered Hull raider. Ripping away flesh, and snapping both arms. Before he could recover the final ghost shark’s jaws snapped down on Karieto with similar results.
The bloody mess that was left slumped over the ship railing neither resembled the dashing pirate captain nor had enough life essence left to maintain his side of the Challenge. All around Alley, the monsters began to de-manifest, and the Arena collapsed. Inside himself, the dark-haired boy felt a flare as his own flow of essence increased. The victory had brought him closer to improving his rank. Across the failing arena, a card floated from the pirate’s sword into Alley’s cloak before vanishing in a puff of blue light. His rightful winning.
Still feeling weak Alley stepped toward the pirate who was trying to say something. The boy didn’t care what it was. You weren’t supposed to kill someone you had just defeated in a Challenge. There was even a mystic protection stopping you from doing so. The Curse Lock; If you killed too many people you had defeated the lock mechanism would activate and turn your Deck Cursed. It was the same mechanism that was activated by powerful rulers to Curse Lock the decks of terrible people who didn’t deserve the power.
The thing was Alley’s Deck had been Cursed long before he had ever laid a hand on it.
“Siv…Silver Hear-” The Captain was cut off by Alley’s hook piercing directly between his eyes.
And thus ends the first 'boss fight' I hope you guys enjoyed! If you did don't forget to leave a rating or review.
