Spring of 346, A.D.
Even after the entire afternoon had passed, Alex hadn’t returned to the museum. As the time for the sunset bonfire approached, Kai had gone out to look for him but eventually gave up. It was like he had disappeared.
“I see. That’s unfortunate,” Albert said when Kai told him. “Still, you did well thinking of points to present on your own.”
Kai let out a frustrated sigh. “If I’m being honest, Alex’s tantrum was a real mood killer.”
Albert nodded. “He’s been struggling lately. Doubts. It’s not uncommon for someone his age.”
Kai frowned. Doubts? He didn’t have those. Alex was only two years older than him—was there really such a big difference between being seventeen and nineteen? Was he supposed to start doubting everything in the next two years?
Albert studied him. “What about you, Kai? What do you think about Alex’s words? Do you think he’s right?”
Kai hesitated. “I get why he’s frustrated. We haven’t scored in the top half of the exams for decades now. That’s a real concern.”
Albert nodded gravely. “That is a valid point.”
“But at the same time, it feels wrong to only look at the numbers,” Kai continued. “When I think about what we’ve built, our way of life, it’s…” He searched for the right word. After a few seconds, he gave up trying to find something less corny. “Beautiful.”
Albert smiled. “Spoken like a true human.”
Kai tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Do you know why I make such a big effort to hold on to the past, Kai?”
“Isn’t it because you believe that’s how we can pass Daisy’s exams?”
“That too. But there’s a stronger reason.” Albert paused, as if debating how much to say. “I’ve told you about my origins, haven’t I?”
Kai wasn’t sure if this was one of Albert’s signature moments of veering off-topic. “All you’ve told me is that you’re an exile.”
“Precisely. I don’t remember anything about my childhood. I don’t even know if Albert is my true name. I don’t remember my parents’ faces. I don’t know if I was an only child or if I had siblings. There’s nothing, Kai—just a big blank.” His voice grew quieter. “The only pieces of my past I have are emotional reactions to certain tastes and smells. That’s it.”
Kai shifted, still unsure where this was going. “And the point is?”
“The point is, I would give anything to have those memories back.” Albert’s voice was firm now, his expression unreadable. “I want to know my name. Where I come from. I need to know. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it.” He exhaled slowly, then met Kai’s eyes. “Kai, I promise you—if we let go of the past like Alex suggests, we will regret it. Deeply.”
Kai turned the words over in his mind. He understood Albert’s point. But Alex had a point, too.
“But does that mean we should turn a blind eye to the future?”
“No, Kai, it does not. But never forget where you come from.” Albert placed a hand on his shoulder. “You are a child of the people of the bonfire.”
Something in Kai settled. His unease faded, replaced by a quiet certainty. He could see how both Albert and Alex were right. Maybe it wasn’t about choosing between the past or the future. Maybe it was up to them—the younger generation—to refine what their ancestors had built.
Tomorrow, he would seek out Alex. They needed to talk. After all, this was what they did. They debated. They refined.
That was the way of the bonfire people.
*
353rd Daisy Trials, Round of 256.
Kai held his [Fire] card with pride. From a tiny ember, it had grown massive.
Fire ?? (Rare)
HP: 8
VP: 8
He scanned the table for anything else he could burn. The thought made him chuckle—he was starting to sound like a pyromaniac. The only vegetation card he had left was [Moss].
Moss ?? (Common)
HP: 1
VP: 2
The only known recipe for [Moss] was [Wound Dressing]. Even though it offered no victory points, hadn’t he just discovered how powerful the healing mechanic was?
He immediately decided against burning it and stuck to the recipe he knew.
[Moss ??] + [Moss ??] = [Wound Dressing ????]
He still didn’t know what [Wound Dressing] could heal, but he’d figure it out eventually. Might as well craft it now and save it for later.
The best part about feeding [Fire] was the [Ash] it had generated. He could now convert it into more [Lye].
[Water ??] + [Ash ?????] = [Lye ??]
[Water ??] + [Ash ?????] = [Lye ??]
Kai couldn’t stop smiling as he pulled [Mining Wagon] from the discard pile. He didn’t care what [Mystery Box] did or didn’t do. He could smell its potential. It hadn’t been easy figuring out that he had to heal [Train Tracks] before merging it with [Mining Wagon]. That had to be worth something.
[Lye ??] + [Mining Wagon ??]
Lye ?? | HP: 4→0
Mining Wagon ?? | HP: 0→2
[Mining Wagon ??] + [Train Tracks ???] = [Mystery Box ??]
Kai stopped there, leaving [Mining Wagon] with one HP. Keeping 12 victory points from [Mining Wagon] into the next stage was an advantage he wasn’t willing to pass up.
Satisfied with all the synergies he was discovering, Kai decided to try healing [Pickaxe] next.
[Lye ??] + [Pickaxe ??]
Lye ?? | HP: 4→0
Pickaxe ?? | HP: 0→2
Time was running out. Kai grabbed [Pickaxe] and used it one last time.
[Rusty Pickaxe ??] + [Block of Granite ??] = 2x[Granite Brick ???]
Then, he finally stopped.
Keeping [Pickaxe] for the next round felt important. It was a versatile card, and if he had healed it once, chances were he could heal it again. Maybe he could also heal [Mining Wagon] and keep those 12 points across rounds.
He sat on the floor and closed his eyes for a moment. He had finished with five minutes to spare but felt exhausted. He hoped the large number of points he had accumulated in this round would be enough to give him some peace of mind. He had done everything he could.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
There’s no way my opponent scored as much as I have. Right?
A horn blew, signaling the end of the round.
Congratulations! You’ve earned 144 victory points!
Your 144 victory points have been converted to 144 upgrade coins.
The following cards will now be destroyed:
[Ash ?????] ×5
[Block of Granite ??] ×2
[Dry Pine Needle ????]
[Infinity ??] ×3
[Lichen ??] ×2
[Lye ??] ×5
[Mirror ??] ×2
[Pine Bark ?????]
[Pine Tree ??]
[Shadow ?] ×2
[Spark ???]
[Stonerock Succulent ????]
[Train Tracks ???]
[Pine Trunk ????]
[Water ??] ×2
[Yellow Honey Agaric ????] ×2
[Fire ??]’s HP has been halved.
All other cards lose 1 HP.
Kai stared at the notifications and sighed. So many of the cards he had created and captured were gone after this crafting round. But it had been worth it. He had earned nearly three times as many points as in the first round.
The only problem was that it still wasn’t enough to afford the 200-coin upgrade.
Even so, not all was lost. He had sacrificed many cards, but he still had plenty left.
[Bear Bread ??] | HP: 1 → 0
[Big Flint ????] ×2 | HP: 4 → 3
[Big Flint ????] | HP: 3 → 2
[Fire ????] | HP: 8 → 4 | VP: 8 → 4
[Flintstone ????] | HP: 3 → 2
[Flintstone ????] | HP: 1 → 0
[Gaslamp ??] | HP: 2 → 1
[Granite Brick ???] ×4 | HP: 2 → 1
[Hallucinogen ????] ×2 | HP: 1 → 0
[Light ?] ×3 | HP: +∞
[Mining Wagon ??] | HP: 1 → 0
[Pond ??] | HP: 2 → 1
[Rusty Pickaxe ??] | HP: 1 → 0
[Small Flint ????] ×2 | HP: 2 → 1
[Spark ???] | HP: 1 → 0
[Wound Dressing ????] | HP: 5 → 4
It was disappointing to see [Fire] halved. Since it was a special card, it seemed to follow special rules.
Now, all that was left was to see if his efforts had been enough to push him through to the next round.
The interval between notifications felt like an eternity. Was Daisy building suspense, or was it still calculating everyone’s points? Did that really take this long? Maybe it was just him. His nerves were stretched taut, making every second feel longer than it was.
Congratulations!
You’re among the 256 tokens who passed through to the next round.
You have 2 hours and 27 minutes to select your upgrades and rest.
Kai collapsed onto the floor.
What a relief.
He was still in the game. There was still hope—hope to bring Ariel what they needed.
As before, a console rose from the ground at the opposite corner of the room. He knew what came next.
All he wanted to do was close his eyes and rest, but curiosity pulled him forward. What new upgrades were waiting for him?
Compass
Requirement: Reach the northernmost point in the arena.
Effect: A simple compass that always points north.
Cost: 10UC
Failed Recipes (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Have at least one failed crafting attempt.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all failed crafting attempts.
Cost: 20UC
Log (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Destroy 30 cards in one round.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all the cards you’ve owned.
Cost: 30UC
Flash
Requirement: Own [Spark].
Effect: A device that produces a brief burst of light.
Cost: 30UC
Shadow
Requirement: Own [Shadow].
Effect: Like Peter Pan, you regain your shadow.
Cost: 45UC
Gaslamp
Requirement: Own [Gaslamp].
Effect: A dimly lit gaslamp that casts a feeble light.
Cost: 70UC
Photocopy Machine
Requirement: Own [Mirror].
Effect: Allows you to duplicate cards you already own.
Cost: 100UC
Regeneration Chamber
Requirement: Have healed at least one card.
Effect: A chamber that restores 1 HP to a card between rounds.
Cost: 200UC
Scouting Drone
Requirement: Fully explore a map.
Effect: An airborne device that aids in map exploration.
Cost: 200UC
Slow Shutter
Requirement: Own [Light].
Effect: Allows more light into the camera, improving captures.
Cost: 200UC
Shield Phase
Requirement: Own [Infinity].
Effect: Allows you to move past shields.
Cost: 500UC
Mystery Box Fiesta
Requirement: Own [Mining Wagon].
Effect: Each map now contains one additional hidden mystery box.
Cost: 500UC
Kai studied all the items in the store, then sat down to think. He had a lot to consider. Before rushing to buy upgrades, he wanted to review everything he had learned in this craft arena. He had been running from one merge to the next and hadn’t taken the time to gather his thoughts.
Distancing himself from both the crafting table and the upgrade console, he lay on the floor and started tracing lines in the air.
He had made two major discoveries this round.
The first was with [Fire]. Not all cards followed the same rules. In this case, [Fire]’s victory points depended on its HP, consuming all the HP from suitable cards to grow indefinitely. But it came with a drawback—it lost half its HP between rounds.
The second discovery had been with [Lye]. He could heal cards. Even if a card had zero HP when he captured it, that didn’t mean it was useless. It just meant he had to fulfill a condition first. For plants and corroded metal, [Lye] had been the answer. He pulled out his [Wound Dressing] cards. Something told him these worked the same way. He put it away for later.
There were also smaller lessons he had picked up along the way.
For one, the order of the merge didn’t matter. Whether he combined [Water] + [Ash] or [Ash] + [Water], the results were the same.
He also realized that some crafting results were chance-based. When merging [Pickaxe] and [Flintstone], he didn’t always get [Spark]. That meant certain merges only had a probability of succeeding. Maybe that was also why he hadn’t gotten [Ash] when burning [Pine Bark].
Finally, after perusing the upgrade console he’d discovered that every single legendary card he had obtained unlocked an upgrade.
With these new rules in mind, he cracked his neck and stood up, returning to the console.
At the top right corner, he checked his remaining upgrade coins—146. A wave of relief washed over him. The coins he had saved in the last stage had carried over. That was vital information. If he was confident in winning a round, he could save coins for a bigger upgrade rather than spending them immediately.
He let out a low whistle, scrolling through the console. 500 upgrade coins was no joke, but going through shields? That was potentially broken. It could give him access to places no one else could reach, a massive tactical advantage.
As for the [Mystery Boxes], he still had no idea what they did. But if there was an upgrade dedicated to increasing their numbers—and at such a high cost—they had to be valuable. The convoluted process required to unlock them only reinforced that idea.
No matter how much he stared at the more expensive upgrades, there was no way he could afford them now. The real question was: Should he spend his coins now for a short-term advantage, or save them for a game-changing upgrade later?
More than half the trial runners were already eliminated. He had made it into the top half, a solid achievement that meant his sector would get some rewards.
But it still wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t revitalize his sector. It wouldn’t heal him and Ariel.
He had to reach the top 50 to earn the right to have children. Only a tenth of the sectors received the precious hormones each year. And even then, he and Ariel needed to stay alive long enough to raise them. The blight wouldn’t let them live much longer. Their only hope was allcure, and the only way to get it was to make it to the quarter-finals.
There was no point in saving coins. The more he invested in upgrades, the more coins he could earn in future rounds.
His eyes locked onto one upgrade in particular.
Photocopy Machine
Requirement: Own [Mirror].
Effect: Allows you to duplicate cards you already own.
Cost: 100UC
He had seen firsthand how powerful the effects of [Mirror] were. It made sense to invest in an upgrade that let him do just that.
But something was bugging him.
Two different upgrades mentioned lighting the surroundings: [Gaslamp] and [Flash]. Why offer two upgrades with a similar effect? That had to mean something.
Could it be that future arenas would have sections shrouded in darkness? He thought back to his attempts at taking photographs with less than ideal conditions. It had resulted in failure.
If it was dark, he wouldn’t be able to take pictures and capture cards.
The idea of entering an arena without light was a real concern.
Worse, several hours had passed since the start of the exams. If time inside the trials matched time outside, then the next arena could take place at night.
Moreover, the [Photocopy Machine] still seemed like the best upgrade and well worth its 100-coin price, but there had to be limitations.
Would he need to pay a cost per print? Was there a limit on how many copies he could make per round? If so, what was it?
Although his heart was set on getting the photocopier, he decided to trust his judgment.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Flash]? [Y/N]
Are you sure you want to purchase [Gaslamp]? [Y/N]
Kai paid 100 coins, making sure he’d be prepared for a dark arena.
That left him with 45 upgrade coins.
He scanned the remaining options and realized he had just enough to buy [Shadow]. He had no idea what difference it made to have a shadow in the arena, but if the upgrade existed, it had to be useful… right?
His first two purchases had been calculated. This time, he decided to follow his gut.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Shadow]? [Y/N]
There. No turning back.
He had equipped himself as best as possible for the next round. Now, all that was left to do was rest.
With two hours before the next challenge, he shut his eyes, hoping to recover his strength. He needed to be in top shape for whatever came next.
[Curiosity ??] + [Follow ??]
?? | HP: 2 → 2
?? | HP: 1 → 0
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