“Soul cards hold many mysteries. Theme Slots, Alignment, Growth Trees; there is a multitude of sections hidden within soul cards. Just waiting to be discovered.”

  ~Scholar Jun

  Growth Trees? I think I remember seeing something about that when I first forged my circle. Devin clicked on the new entry, curious as to why it warranted an entirely new entry on his Soul Card.

  Wrath—1st branch

  A primal fury inhabits your body and soul

  Rage (42/1000)

  Power (40/1000)

  Fire (45/1000)

  Elite Tree—1st branch

  The brand of the Elite nurtures

  your existence

  Mind (103/1000)

  Body (99/100)

  Soul (224/10,000)

  Interesting, but doesn’t really answer my questions. Devin wanted to explore more of the tree's power and potential, but it was at that moment his mental connection pulsed, capturing his attention. He peered down the stream of shards that went to Dewey and was immediately baffled.

  She absorbed up his shards like it was rainwater and she was a desert, gorging on hundreds of shards until the mouse spirit hit a boiling point, her form nothing more than an opalescent splotch.

  Then a chime rang as a hint of red sparked in her form. A flood of energy cascaded through his deckspace as something unfathomable in his partner changed.

  Hearthstone consumed

  Dewey has evolved into a Greater Spirit

  The proclamation echoed through his soul like glorious trumpets. The light that Devin didn’t dare peer into shattered off of Dewey’s form, scattering the leftover torrents of power amongst the rest of the cards in Devin’s deckspace.

  He felt each of his cards and skills gain a small boost. Despite the minuscule increase, his reality noticeably changed. He could make out more details of his deckspace that previously escaped his notice. From the small currents that divided the mental realm, to the solar flares that shot out of the incandescent star that sat in the middle of everything.

  What a beautiful sight. Devin sighed in contentment

  The change in his perception wasn't just internal; he opened his eyes and immediately noticed the difference and how much of the surroundings leaped at him. He could pick out every leaf on every tree that surrounded the lake, while his ears picked up small chirps of birds and bugs that hid in the woods. More than that, Devin noticed the multiple stares burrowing into the mouse and arcanist duo.

  “What the fuck was that?” Jenkins asked, while Walters stayed silent behind her, his face scrunched up.

  “That was cool, that’s what? Can you teach me that, Devin? Pleaseee. You promised!” Ken yelled, having abandoned his post at the traps entirely in favor of holding Dewey.

  When did he grab her off my shoulder?

  “That’s what happens when you experience enlightenment,” Devin tried to play it off, “If you meditate every once in a while, and truly connect with your cards—particularly your summons—then maybe you can make them learn a spell too.”

  “Is that what you did? Teach your pet a spell?” Walters asked skeptically.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “That’s exactly what I did, but this ain’t about me. Ken! You still don’t have enough shards.” Devin easily counted the stack of shards near the water from his position more than a few yards away. 812, impressive. “You can’t do anything with that! Finish gathering 1000, then we can talk.”

  The teenager sulked, slinking back to his post next to the lake. The soldiers shared a glance and both of them walked further away from their camp. Even Ben kept a lingering eye on him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” The quiet teen said. “It’s just…you were glowing a little.”

  I was? “Oh. Thanks. Keep this to yourself.” The older brother nodded, returning to the book Devin was loaning him. At least one of them knows how to not be annoying. He took a breath, leaning on [focus] to eliminate distractions from his purview. He once again sunk into his deckspace—for privacy as well as clarity—and focused on the changes Dewey went through.

  Dewey, Head Librarian

  of the Lost Libraries (Rare)

  Instrumental/Summon

  Caretaker of the books

  within the Lost & Found

  Familiar of Devin Carter

  Cantrip Class—Based on ACU

  Circle: Familiar’s Guidance

  First Slot—[Empty]

  [Mage Hand]

  [Link]

  {Checkout}

  {Examine}

  Familiar’s Guidance

  The familiar guides its master to success

  Alignment: Chaos/Ethereal

  Tempo: 5 seconds/ 10 minutes

  Focus: Skills are shared and

  passively strengthened

  Activation greatly increases the effects

  It seems like a pretty solid increase across the board, plus the mental bond becoming a skill for her is a real game-changer. Now he wouldn’t be hampered by the small, but noticeable drain the bond had on his arcanium regeneration.

  I’m glad that she’s more viable. I like having her around. Satisfied with her condition, he explored the rest of his vault, looking through all his choices to solidify his picks for his main deck and side deck.

  Heaven’s Lookout (Common)

  Trap/Instrumental

  Angel on your shoulder

  to watch your back

  Cantrip—Based on ACU

  Warns user of any ill intent

  Last Stand (Uncommon)

  Compound Trap/Dynamic

  On your last legs, you will stand tall

  and fight with your all

  1st Circle—Based on POW stored over time

  Increases POW quality

  Gene Therapy (Uncommon)

  Enhancement/Atomic

  Repair the imperfection

  in your genetic code

  Consumable—maximizes base race and

  any dormant bloodline.

  Bloodline Reveal (Uncommon)

  Enchantment/Ethereal

  Uncover the hidden

  truths of your ancestors

  Consumable—reveals hidden bloodline. If no

  bloodline detected, a random one will be generated

  Mythos Heart (Epic)

  Anchor/Ethereal

  Discover the truths of yourself

  Start your legend now

  Side Deck—Form the seed of a Myth. Effects will vary

  First Slot—[Empty]

  Second Slot—[Empty]

  Collect Potential (Rare)

  Skill/Instrumental

  Vampirism isn’t limited to the undead

  Reap what your enemies have sown

  Side Deck—Based on Meta-Scores

  Absorb unclaimed resources

  Warning! Absorbing resources with no affinity

  can lead to arcane deviation. or even death!

  Explosive Power (Rare)

  Modifier/Atomic

  Attune your body to contain

  boundless power

  Side Deck—Modifies POW to hold the

  property of Explosiveness

  There was a lot to choose from, but this wasn’t the time or the place to make such important decisions. With some cards being consumable, he wanted to be in a safe environment where it would be safe to use them. That being said, some were easy choices. Heaven’s Lookout is a must-have, any type of alarm for danger is valuable. I’ll trade out Rage since I can equip Explosive Power in my side deck. I’ll also add Last Stand to my main deck since I can manifest the equipment I need. I just have to be careful not to break it.

  Any item manifested without a circle was way more vulnerable to damage, and the last thing Devin wanted was to destroy his hard-earned artifacts

  Main Deck: Last Stand, Boar’s Charge, Dewey

  Side Deck: Explosive Power, Heaven’s Lookout

  Synergy Detected!

  Power Blast

  (Explosive Power)(Last Stand)

  Increased Sudden Power,

  Increased Endurance