CH.67 Recovering Dark Magician
<span style="font-weight:400">I made my way towards the east side of town. I think that’s where my Dark Magician is waiting for me. A few stall keepers did call out to me and I went over to check their wares. Well they just sold food, but I did need lunch for today.
<span style="font-weight:400">There were stalls with grills selling skewers, but those won’t do. I need something that isn’t dirty. I noticed there was one selling some kind of wrap and went over to him. The others looked a little jealous.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Brian, wee.” The stall keeper greeted me. “Would you like one boar burrito?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well I do need something for lunch.” I told him. “I think a burrito would work. How much are they?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“They are copper for one.” He told me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Copper? Copper coin? I don’t have any of them. My smallest coin is arge silver. Would he even have enough to give back for that? Better to ask first.
<span style="font-weight:400">“My smallest coin is arge silver coin.” I said to him. “Do you have change for that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well that is a little much. I can only give you your change if you order more than 5.” He answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">Should I just be ‘mister moneybags’ then? I could give some to the adventurers that will surely flock around me as I get outside.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fine, I’ll take ten.” I told him as I fished out arge silver coin.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you… Sure, I’ll make them for you.” He was about to question my decision, but decided to make the sale anyway. “Please wait a moment.” He said as he began making my food.
<span style="font-weight:400">It didn’t take him too long. He was much faster than someone on earth would have been. It looked like someone took a cooking video and watched it at double speed. Impressive. I received the ten burritos and put them in my fanny pack. After paying him and getting my three silver change, I continued my walk to the east.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">I made it to the gate and the gate guard tried thanking me for my part in the wyvern operation. I argued back that he was also part of the operation. I didn’t actually recognize him, but Laura said he was one of the guards that was fighting with us.
<span style="font-weight:400">I was able to make him stop thanking me by asking about my card. He said it was near where we fought the wyverns and that there would likely be adventurers around it. It seems to be something of a challenge to move the card. Wasn’t it burning hot or something?
<span style="font-weight:400">I ended up handing one of the ten burritos to the guard and heading outside. Even guards need good food. Or more like especially guards deserve good food. They are the people who keep towns safe. Like the Police. When they don’t y bad cop.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was right about noticing where the card was. There was a group of younger adventurers around it. I think there were five of them.
<span style="font-weight:400">One of them noticed me walking up to them and pointed it out to the other four. They all turned to face me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Brian, are you here to take the challenge?” One of them spoke up to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, I’m just going to recover my card. And what challenge are you speaking of?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“The one Jack started. Have you not heard of it?” The adventurer told me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, I haven’t.” I responded. But Jack? As in Jack, the leader of Diamond Sword. What stupid challenge did you start? “What is this challenge?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You just need to hold your hand on the card as long as possible. It hurts so much, but it doesn’t do that much actual damage.” He told me. “Some adventurers even used it to gain the ‘pain resistance’ skill.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“How bad is the damage?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s all at the level where a simple healing spell can heal it.” He told me. “Unless you try to pick it up. Then the damage ramps up a lot faster.” He added.
<span style="font-weight:400">Why would the card cause damage like that? What happened to it? Will it damage me? Well only one way to find out. I do have one Red Medicine if something goes terribly wrong. But then again, it’s a part of my skill. It makes no sense that it would hurt me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you guys here to do it as well?” I asked them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, not really. Most of us have already tried, but Kurt got scared and didn’t do it.” The leader told me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t tell him that.” One of them said. Is he this Kurt?
<span style="font-weight:400">“And he said he wanted to try today. But we don’t have a healer so he got scared again.” The leader continued.
<span style="font-weight:400">Healer? I think I have some monsters that could do the healing. Let’s summon one to act as a healer.
<span style="font-weight:400">I quickly checked my collection for healer monsters as the four other adventurers were trying to egg Kurt into touching the card. Dancing Fairy. That should work. I took it out and grabbed a sleeve for it. I have plenty of sleeves in stock, so I can use them somewhat liberally.
<span style="font-weight:400">“If I get you a healer, will you do it?” I asked the one that I assumed was Kurt.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Brian will get one? But won’t it take a while?” Kurt asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m a summoner. I can just summon one.” I told him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, right…” He realized.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So will you, or will you move out of the way and let me do it?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...I’ll do it. This could be myst chance.” He seemed to get a little braver.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I’ll summon a healer then.” I said as I cleared my sleeve for my DiaDhank. “Dancing Fairy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hmm. Interesting. This time my summons appeared from the small card on my DiaDhank. I guess these guys are small enough for that. From the card, three small winged creatures flew out. Fairies. I almost want to yell out ‘Cute!’, but let’s not. They are cute though.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Can these little things really heal wounds?” The leader kid asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They should be able to.” I told him. “And if they can’t I do have a potion.”
<span style="font-weight:400">After I told them that, everyone''s eyes turned to Kurt. Use maximum pressure. Force him to do something stupid. I’m evil and I know it. I should stop him, but honestly I want to see the damage the card causes. For future reference. Not because I want to be malicious or evil. I just need info. I’ll also learn the healing power of Dancing Fairy, so it’s a double win for me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fine, I’ll do it.” Kurt gave in. “Sir Brian, are you sure these little things can really heal me?” He confirmed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, they can. And as I said, if they can’t, I’ll give you a potion. A potion that could heal a stab wound from a wyvern’s tail. I’m sure you will be fine.” I told him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll believe in you.” He said as he looked me in the eyes. Then he turned to face the stone pedestal with the card on it.
<span style="font-weight:400">He slowly reached his hand to ovep with the card, before setting it down on it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ahhh!” He let out a yell before immediately pulling off his hand. How hot is that card?
<span style="font-weight:400">“Little pussy.” The leader kid said quietly. As he was standing next to Kurt, he grabbed Kurt’s hand and ced it back onto the card, holding it there.
<span style="font-weight:400">Holy fuck, why would you do that?
<span style="font-weight:400">“Aaahhh!!” Kurt was screaming out in pain. I was about to take a few quick steps to punch the everloving shit out of this dumbo, but I didn’t need to. My fairies were faster.
<span style="font-weight:400">The trio made a beeline for the face of the leader and tackled into his face. They might be small little fairies, but don’t underestimate the strength of a monster with 1700 attack.
<span style="font-weight:400">The leader was sent flying backwards and as soon as he was, Kurt was able to pull his hand off of the card. Even after taking his hand off the card, Kurt didn’t stop his screaming.
<span style="font-weight:400">I walk next to Kurt and take a hold of his burned hand. I want to see the damage before I heal it. That might sound evil, but I think it’s necessary evil.
<span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t pretty. His hand was a mix of ck and white. The skin died where it was pressed against the card. Like a mix of electrical and radiation burns. At least as far as I know how those look.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dancing Fairy, heal him.” I called over my summon to do what I summoned them for.
<span style="font-weight:400">They did a little dance around his palm, and the skin on it started to recover. I wouldn’t say it looked like reversing time, it looked more like a montage of pictures of the natural healing process. After around ten seconds, his hand looked good as new. Good. The healing power is impressive. I’ll need to rely on these little guys more in the future.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How are you feeling?” I asked Kurt.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...fine now.” He answered quietly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You should leave this party if your leader is like that.” I told him. “It’s not worth it to work with a leader like that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But how should I find one that will ept me?” He asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just try. If you can’t,e to me. I’ll help you.” I told him. He deserves better. Well all of them do. Except the moron passed down out on the ground. Shit leaders will only bring damage to the parties they lead.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That goes for the rest of you as well. Do you really think he is a good leader?” I asked the three others.
<span style="font-weight:400">“He isn’t really our leader.” One of them said. “We aren’t an official party. We just hang out together.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well you shouldn’t ‘hang out’ with someone that will purposefully hurt a friend. He will get you killed someday.” I told them. “Now make some space. I’ll take back my card now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The adventurers cleared out so I had ess to the small stone pedestal that the card was sitting on. Sitting on? Or resting on? I don’t know. Doesn’t matter.
<span style="font-weight:400">Honestly, I was a little scared. After seeing the damage this card caused to Kurt, I wasn’t sure this was a good idea. But it is mine. It’s a part of my skill. Would it really hurt me?
<span style="font-weight:400">I slowly bring my hand closer to it. It’s not radiating any heat at all. Then, I touched it. It’s not hot, but I can feel power flowing from it into my body. A simr surge as I felt when I unsummoned Red-Eyes after the wyvern incident, except not nearly as strong.
<span style="font-weight:400">(That is experience.) Laura told me. (The card has been holding onto it for you. And as the experience belongs to you, it reacts badly to anyone else.)
<span style="font-weight:400">I see. So it’s safe for me. I picked it up from the stone pedestal. The adventurers made surprised sounds. I guess they thought it would burn me as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">The card in my hand began to shake. What is that?
<span style="font-weight:400">(Master, the card is reacting with ‘Pack opener’. You should open your skill.) Laura told me.
<span style="font-weight:400">I did as instructed, and as soon as I did, a card came out of it. I didn’tmand ite out. Do these cards have intelligence of their own?
<span style="font-weight:400">I didn’t notice what card came out but it flew straight into the Dark Magician in my hand and fused with it. A shining light wasing from the card in my hand. I couldn’t tell what was happening to it.
<span style="font-weight:400">A littleter, a card appeared on the ground. I didn’t summon anything. Or is Dark Magicianing back? I think I passed out mid summon, so the rest of it’s summoning time could now be active again.
<span style="font-weight:400">But the one that rose from the card wasn’t Dark Magician. Well, in a way it was. It was a Dark Magician that had spent a thousand years learning magic. The Dark Sage. How is that possible?
<span style="font-weight:400">“Master, you have returned.” He greeted. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His voice was nice and calm. It reminded me a little of my grandpa, but in all honesty, it’s not that close. More like the pattern or speed at which he speaks is simr.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hello, what happened to you?” I asked that, but I did have an idea. For some reason his holding onto the experience was treated as Time Wizards effect and he aged into Dark Sage. I took a look at the card in my hand and in the toploader that used to house Dark Magician was now Dark Sage. I also quickly checked my collection and the Dark Magician that was crossed out was just gone. And the collection showed Dark Sage with a toploader.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ve spent my days here gaining knowledge at an incredible pace, after Master came to get me I felt you had a vesselthat suited me better so I took it.” He informed me with his calm voice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that doesn''t really matter. I’m d to have you back.” I told him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Happy to be back with you, Master. But could you let me rest now? I’m tired because I waited for you for so long.” Dark Sage said to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s fine. I’ll call on you again.” I said as I unsummoned him.
<span style="font-weight:400">I turned to face the adventurers that were present. Their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? This is normal for a summoner.” I told them. Even if it was a lie. But they don’t need to know that. Summoners are rare anyway, so I doubt they would ever know the truth.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is it really?” One of them asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Normal enough.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So it’s not normal.” They argued.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I said it’s normal, so it’s normal. Which one of us is the summoner?” I asked as I red at them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...You are.” They responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Now how about you get back to work. There is nothing here anymore.” I told them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We don’t have anything for today.” One of them said. “It’s not our turn to kill any of the boars so we are free.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And you couldn’t find any other work? Well, do as you wish then.” I said and was about to leave.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Could you give us a lesson on summoning?” They called out.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No.” I responded. “I can’t teach you that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">My summoning, at the end of the day, is a unique skill. I can’t teach you how to use a skill that you cannot obtain in any normal way. And I have ns for the day. I had Dancing Fairy give just a bit of first aid to the moron, before unsummoning them.
<span style="font-weight:400">I think Lucia said they will be in the north today, but I’m heading towards the dungeon next, so I’m going south.
<span style="font-weight:400">I summoned Overdrive. The adventurers let out sighs of admiration.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Make sure you at least take that moron inside.” I told them as I looked at the kid on the ground. “You should tell the gate guard that he was the one to scream and in the end he passed out from the pain.” I instructed. If he were to tell the truth, he would juste across as a douchebag, and if he were to ept this one, he would be a weakling that cries out in pain.
<span style="font-weight:400">Some more payback to him for being a little shitlord.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then I got into the driver’s seat of Overdrive and took off. Let’s go check up on the road project and then the dungeon.