Summer of 346, A.D.
Kai swallowed hard at the sight of the Wall. It was nothing more than an invisible forcefield—a shimmering barrier maintained by Daisy, dividing one sector from the next.
Under the full moon’s glow, the faint, rippling energy was just visible against the night sky.
Kai exhaled, awestruck. “Wow… It’s incredible. Just like the stories.”
Alex’s voice was cold. “Yeah. The biggest jail cell in history.”
“Or the biggest lifeboat.”
Alex spat onto the ground, making his opinion clear.
Kai bent down, grabbed a small pebble, and tossed it at the Wall. The moment it touched the barrier, it vanished. “What do you think happens to whatever goes through? Is it teleported into space? Or dumped in some maximum-security prison?”
“I don’t know, Kai. Probably just disintegrated.”
Alex glanced at his wristwatch, impatience creeping into his voice. “Come on. I can’t be late.”
Kai trailed after him, still transfixed by the energy barrier. They stopped a few minutes later.
“We’re here.”
Alex’s voice softened. A rare tenderness crossed his face, a stark contrast to his usual sharp-edged demeanor. Kai frowned, puzzled by the sudden shift in his friend’s mood.
Then he followed Alex’s gaze.
On the other side of the Wall, barely visible through the rippling energy, stood a girl.
*
353rd Daisy Trials, Round of 128.
After Daisy tallied the points, a notification flashed in Kai’s vision.
Congratulations! You’ve earned 227 victory points!
Your 227 victory points have been converted to 227 upgrade coins.
The following cards will now be destroyed:
[Acacia Branch ????] ×3
[Acacia Bark ?????] ×3
[Acacia Log ????]
[Acacia Tree ??] ×2
[Acacia Trunk ????]
[Bear Bread ??]
[Big Flint ????] ×2
[Calligonum Shrub ?????]
[Flint Arrow ????]
[Flint Arrowhead ????] ×3
[Flint Axe ????] ×2
[Flint Knife ????] ×5
[Flintstone ????]
[Footprints ??]
[Granite Brick ???] ×4
[Hallucinogen ????] ×2
[Mining Wagon ??]
[Oryx Forager ???????]
[Oryx Horn ????????] ×2
[Rusty Pickaxe ??]
[Shadow Bunny ???]
[Shadow Goose ???]
[Shadow Unicorn ???]
[Shadow Wolf ???]
[Small Flint ????]
[Spark ???]
[Wolf ??]
[Wolf Warrior ????] ×4
[White Saxaul ???]
[Wolf Warrior Company ?????] ×2
[Wolf Warrior Squad ????] ×4
[Wound Dressing ????] ×2
Woah!
The sheer number of cards he'd cycled through during the crafting round was impressive. He’d pushed himself harder than he thought possible, but it had paid off—227 points. Nearly 60 cards had passed through his hands in just one round!
[Fire ??]’s HP has been halved.
[Fire ??] | HP: 19 → 9 | VP: 19 → 9
All other cards lose 1 HP.
[Acacia Leaf ????] ×3 | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 2
[Arabian Oryx ?????] | HP: 5 → 5 | VP: 2
[Arabian Oryx ?????] | HP: 4 → 4 | VP: 2
[Ash ?????] ×2 | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 2
[Big Flint ????] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 0
[Flint Arrow ????] ×2 | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 3
[Flintstone ????] | HP: 2 → 1 | VP: 1
[Gaslamp ??] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 2
[Granite Shed ??????] | HP: 4 → 0 | VP: 0
[Light ?] ×3 | HP: +∞ | VP: 2
[Pond ??] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 2
[Sand ???] | HP: 2 → 1 | VP: 1
[Small Flint ????] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 1
[Thorn ?????] | HP: 1 → 0 | VP: 2
[Unicorn ??] | HP: 4 → 4 | VP: 15
He wondered how many cards the other players had used.
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Before obtaining [Scoreboard], these were the most difficult moments—the seconds spent agonizing over whether he'd done enough.
Instead, he already knew the outcome.
Congratulations! You’re among the 128 tokens who passed through to the next round.
You have 3 hours and 37 minutes to select your upgrades and rest.
Kai allowed himself a small, bittersweet smile. When was the last time someone from his home had ranked in the top 25%? This was historic—the highest score anyone from his sector had achieved in years.
Finally. I can take hormones back to the sector.
Tears welled in his eyes. He and Ariel could finally have children. It was something they'd always dreamed of—but what good was that dream now, when both of them were dying from the blight?
Memories surfaced, bringing the acrid scent of his parents’ burning pyre and Ariel’s heartbreaking sobs at her own parents’ funeral. He couldn't bear the thought of their children growing up as orphans, just like he, Ariel, and Alex had.
But this wasn't only about family. If he and Ariel died, their culture would die with them. They were the only ones who remembered Trudy, Neil, Albert, Clara, Sunny, and countless more. Losing now meant losing everything their late friends had ever stood for.
It’s still not enough. I need to keep pushing forward—at least into the top four. I need allcure!
He exhaled slowly, grateful for the extra time he'd earned to rest. The trial had been exhausting, especially the crafting stage. Starting with a point disadvantage had placed immense pressure on him. At least now he could rest and prepare for what came next.
The console emerged from the ground, but with nearly four hours available to rest, Kai decided he could get to it later. For now, it was more important to take a moment to review his performance and learn from his mistakes.
His first mistake had been disregarding the potential for opponents to disrupt his exams. Trials without some option for interference were rare. Though Daisy preached peace, her trials were filled with conflict.
I wonder just how many upgrades similar to that stun bomb there are hidden in that console.
The only way to prepare was to unlock and understand a disruptive tool himself. What kind of conditions unlocked upgrades like [Stun Bomb]? He briefly speculated but quickly gave up. He would find out soon enough, once he accessed the console.
The second mistake was his inconsistent approach to the treasure trove. Apparently, everyone had figured out that at the center of every map was a location filled with valuable resources, and the most common strategy was to rush there first, gathering everything ahead of the opponent.
But Kai hadn't fully committed to that tactic. He rushed to the center, but once he arrived, he spent too much time assessing his surroundings. It was a contradictory strategy—he was sabotaging himself by combining speed with caution. He either needed to embrace a fast-paced approach, immediately photographing and collecting whatever he could find, or settle into a slower, methodical strategy from the start.
Kai took a deep breath. Playing slow had worked well for him so far, allowing him to thoroughly explore and uncover hidden opportunities. Perhaps next round he should skip the central rush altogether.
After careful consideration, these were the only significant errors he'd identified in the snapping round. But as soon as he turned his thoughts toward the crafting round, his throat tightened. The more he reflected, the more mistakes he realized he’d made.
For example, if he'd managed to elevate the wolves and the oryxes, why in the world hadn’t he thought to do the same with the unicorn?
Why hadn’t he thought to craft more medicine using the desert plants? He couldn’t recall the specifics now, but he knew several desert plants had medicinal properties. If he'd considered that earlier, he might have even saved the [Wolf] card.
With the pressure lifted, more potential recipes rushed into his mind. Could he have crafted a glass card by merging [Fire] with [Sand]? And why hadn’t he tried combining the [Flint Knife] with an [Acacia Branch]? If it was possible to craft a [Flint Axe], then surely a [Flint Spear] was possible too. Why hadn’t that occurred to him sooner?
He buried his face in his hands. Panic—the greatest enemy of a trial runner. In his rush to avoid falling behind, he’d overlooked valuable opportunities that could prove crucial in later rounds.
Now he could only hope his next opponent had made similar mistakes.
Recognizing his shortcomings was essential. Now, at least, he could choose upgrades to compensate for his weaknesses. Kai took a deep breath, stood up, and headed toward the console.
He activated it and began reviewing the available upgrades.
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
Thorough Log (Recipe Book Upgrade)
Requirement: Destroy 50 cards in one round.
Effect: Your recipe book now records all cards you’ve owned, successful recipes, and failed recipes.
Cost: 40UC
Flint Mine
Requirement: Craft three flint-based tools.
Effect: Grants you a [Flintstone] card each round.
Cost: 50UC
Hunter Eyes
Requirement: Own [Wolf] and [Footprints].
Effect: Allows you to see your opponents’ tracks.
Cost: 70UC
Card Fridge
Requirement: Own [Shed].
Effect: Cards stored in the fridge won’t lose HP between rounds.
Cost: 80UC
Gaslamp II (Gaslamp Upgrade)
Requirement: Own [Gaslamp] and [Light].
Effect: An even more powerful gas-fueled lamp.
Cost: 90UC
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
Mythological Discount
Requirement: Own a mythological creature card.
Effect: All other upgrades cost 25% less.
Cost: 200UC
Shield Phase
Requirement: Own [Infinity].
Effect: Allows you to move past shields.
Cost: 500UC
Mystery Box Fiesta
Requirement: Own [Mystery Box].
Effect: Each map now contains one additional hidden mystery box.
Cost: 500UC
Kai’s eyes widened as he scanned all the new upgrades.
The first thing that stood out was the upgrade unlocked by the [Unicorn]: [Mythological Discount].
What a great upgrade!
He quickly ran the numbers. A 500UC upgrade would cost only 375UC; 200UC would drop to 150UC; even a 100UC upgrade would come down to just 75UC. It was undeniably appealing. The discount would pay for itself within just a couple of rounds. But it had one major drawback—it wouldn't benefit him immediately. He’d have to wait until the next round to start seeing any returns. Perhaps investing directly in upgrades that immediately boosted his ability to generate coins might yield even greater value.
The next upgrade he noticed was [Thorough Log], essentially a combination of [Failed Recipes] and [Log], offered at a discounted combined price. Still, he didn't feel he needed the memory aid, so he dismissed it quickly.
His attention then shifted to the [Flint Mine] upgrade. Flint tools had been crucial in his success during previous rounds—without them, he wouldn't have fully leveraged cards like [Acacia Tree] or [Wolf]. Receiving one [Flintstone] every round until the exam concluded sounded amazing. If Daisy maintained the current knockout format, that meant seven more rounds—including the finals—and thus seven guaranteed flintstones. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, imagining just how many tools he'd be able to craft with them.
Another upgrade quickly grabbed his attention: [Hunter Eyes]. Being able to track his opponent would be a huge advantage. He could use it to gain insight into his opponents’ tactics.
Then there was [Card Fridge]—a less expensive alternative to [Regeneration Chamber]. What intrigued him most was that the requirement for this upgrade was the [Granite Shed] card. Curious, he took it out from his inventory, but immediately frowned when he noticed its HP. It had dropped from four to zero. Why? What had happened here?
At the bottom of his vision, a small window allowed him to review Daisy’s previous messages. Kai quickly skimmed through all the notifications he'd received, searching for clues about what had happened to his cards.
Aha! That’s why! It protected my creatures! Such a great effect!
[Unicorn] and the two [Arabian Oryxes] had been spared from damage at the end of the last round because [Granite Shed] had taken the hit for them!
Kai took a deep breath and returned his attention to the upgrades. He finally made his choices.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Hunter Eyes]? [Y/N]
Are you sure you want to purchase [Photocopy Machine]? [Y/N]
This way, he could enhance his gameplay in both snapping and crafting. True, snapping hadn’t yielded as many points as crafting so far, but neglecting one in favor of the other would be shortsighted. Snapping was still the foundation of the trials; without a steady stream of new cards, crafting would soon become impossible. By investing equally in both stages, he was building a balanced strategy to maximize his chances of success.
With his upgrades chosen, Kai finally allowed himself to rest. But as he closed his eyes, painful thoughts rushed in—the memory of Ariel coughing blood, struggling to breathe at night.
He clenched his fists, determinedly pushing the darkness away. That would only sap his strength away. He needed to replace it with something brighter.
What will we name our first son? What if we have a daughter?
Slowly, the pain faded, replaced by the comforting warmth of happier thoughts.
[Opinion Fragment ??] + [One Minute ?]
?? | HP: 1 → 0
? | HP: 1 → 0
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