Chapter 123: Act 55 – The Path of Transcendence (Part 2)
Standing at the pinnacle of all professions, this is indeed a path of transcendence.
“But how can I become a traveler mage?” Brendel asked, hitting upon the key point.
Tumen paused, and all his prepared notes evaporated. The last person he had encountered was a paladin of the Sanctuary named Jirande, who he had failed to persuade to abandon his faith and join the ranks of the traveler mages. Thus, this time Tumen had come well-prepared, yet the moment he spoke, Brendel seemed to agree.
Tumen, of course, didn’t understand that the player’s psychology of pursuing greater power was not so different from that of a knight.
Naturally, Tumen was delighted to find a qualified successor. He was not Tumen himself, but a piece of information left behind by a remarkably talented traveler mage. Completing this commission would mean that his mission after centuries could finally come to a conclusion.
Therefore, he quickly replied, “To become a traveler mage, you must first possess your own territory in ‘Uhs’. I told you before, ‘Uhs’ is known as the ‘Infinite’ world in Mataratanian mythology. This world is filled with countless bizarre sub-planes, and you must lay your land card for the first time to establish your first territory.”
Tumen’s tone changed: “This is the first territory of your kingdom. Based on it, build your solid castle, summon your loyal knights—construct your first deck. From this moment on, you will become a traveler mage who masters an independent world.”
Brendel listened with excitement and couldn’t help but ask, “Can I give it a try?”
Tumen nodded, “Of course you can try. I remember you already have a land card; that’s your original asset. But the key question is, how do you plan to construct your deck?”
“Then how should I construct my first deck?” Brendel asked again, completely unfamiliar with this system in the game. He had never heard of it before and could only calm himself and be a good student. However, he couldn’t help but wonder whether the existence of ‘traveler mages’ was unique to this world or if it had always been undiscovered in the Amber Sword.
However, when he found that card in Jirande’s tomb, it hadn’t been too difficult. What had prompted him to discover it while others had missed it? Brendel felt that there must have been some sort of opportunity.
Only, he had not yet discovered this opportunity and could only quietly listen as Tumen continued explaining.
“To construct your own deck, you must first understand the fate cards. Fate cards, aside from their card types, are largely divided into several categories. The first category is creatures, which includes characters, heroes, beasts, magical creatures, and even dragons. When you display this type of card, the summoned beings materialize from the card. They have different ‘attributes,’ strengths, and even some may possess special abilities—” Tumen answered.
“I already know about this category,” Brendel replied, “like Charles, and the wind elemental spider?”
“Exactly.”
“Then what about the second category?”
“The second category is spells and abilities, where the spell type is determined by the card’s color: red, green, blue, gray, cyan, gold, black, white. Red is aggressive, gray is defensive, blue is adaptable, and black is mysterious. The spells of different colors not only determine the properties of the spells but also when they can be cast. Except for white and cyan, which can be cast at any time and under any condition, most others have their own requirements.”
“Similar to energy depletion?”
Tumen nodded, “The third category is treasures. Treasure cards must be white. The characteristic of treasures is that they must attach to a specific medium when coming into play. This medium can be the traveler mage themselves, a summoned creature of the traveler mage, or even a barrier.”
“A barrier?”
“This is the fourth type of card, the barrier. A barrier possesses both the qualities of a spell and a terrain. Barriers cannot be moved but have powerful effects. The fifth category is resources, which are quite similar to land cards. They can attach to barriers as well as land cards. Resource cards are another source of power for traveler mages, and many advanced decks require resource cards for support.”
“Then the sixth category is ritual cards. This is a special type, but as you gradually transition from a low-tier traveler mage to a high-tier one, you will gradually encounter this type of card. The seventh category is events, another kind of special card. Event cards are varied and achieve the effects on their card face through triggers and completions—” At this point, he reminded, “Event cards are a type of special consumable card that can often only be used once or multiple times. They do not enter the graveyard but disappear entirely…” Tumen went on for quite a while, but he did not ask Brendel to memorize the latter few types of special cards. He said that such cards would gradually be discovered and experienced as the traveler mage’s strength increased and did not need to be fully understood initially.
In conclusion, he answered, “Thus, the traveler mage’s deck is actually constructed by combining these different types of cards, summoning creatures, casting spells, forming barriers, and creating a comprehensive offensive and defensive strategy. However, here, you cannot command how they are arranged—because the core rule will generate a deck for you based on a certain thought in your heart, just as we mentioned earlier.” Tumen looked at Brendel and asked, “So, what do you think?”
I see, Brendel felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He could almost imagine that once a deck was formed, it would be akin to possessing a series of brand new abilities. What excited him the most was that this series of abilities would not require him to expend extra experience. It was essentially an additional class added to his existing profession.
In the context of the Amber Sword, this could be described as extraordinarily powerful!
Brendel suddenly felt an impulse rising within him and instinctively replied, “Since it describes a profession, then this deck should naturally embody the true meaning of that profession. My first deck is ‘Knight.’ A ‘knight’ must first have a retinue; this is the creature card in this deck—along with his warhorse and equipment, which are treasure cards; and the core skills defining this profession are the spell cards.”
“Finally, his territory, castle, and income—this is the barrier and resource cards.” Brendel seemed to be driven by a thought that made him ramble on, surprising even himself as he spoke these words—he had merely thought of it faintly in his mind.
Tumen, however, was not surprised. He smiled slightly, in fact, he was smiling as he watched each card materialize between them with each word that Brendel spoke—floating in mid-air.
The first card was a gray land/water type mixed card, the Highlands Retinue, and another was a cyan wind elemental card called ‘Lubis’ Mercenaries.’ The card’s face was illustrated in a colorful style depicting a group of soldiers holding a pennant with a horned symbol, dressed variably, mostly wielding crossbows or battleaxes and shields.
And the card description read:
Lubis’ Mercenaries
(City-States Alliance XI)
Wind 8 / Mana 14
[Creature—Human/Mercenary, Level 15 Creature]
Put a team of twelve Lubis Mercenaries into play.
Maintenance cost: Whenever any of the Lubis Mercenaries placed by this card are on the field, pay 2 wealth per day.
“Since the first era of 172, the mercenaries of City-State Lubis have been famous for their bravery and outstanding loyalty—”
As Brendel spoke of the warhorse and equipment, three cards appeared, namely ‘Holy Sword,’ ‘Golden Banner,’ and ‘Silver Steed.’ When Brendel spoke of skills, two cards named ‘Blade of White Sun’ and ‘Cavalry Charge’ appeared one by one.
Lastly, when he mentioned territory, castle, and income, the last card, titled ‘Rich Gold Mine,’ opened out of thin air.
Brendel of course saw these cards and was immensely surprised, but once he opened his mouth, he couldn’t stop. It wasn’t until he finished that he let out a long breath, astonished as he asked, “What is all this?”
“Except for your own Holy Sword and Highlands Retinue, the rest are the wealth I left for you,” Tumen answered unhurriedly. “When you involuntarily spoke out your deck, these corresponding cards were removed from my library and came into your hands; they are the foundational components of your first deck. Of course, in the future, you might continuously refine your ‘Knight’ deck, but for now, these cards in your hands are the basis for you to embark on the path of traveler mage from this moment on.”
Brendel looked at those cards, swallowing hard. This was a major windfall. Here he was, having worked hard at an auction to obtain a not very useful wind elemental spider, and unexpectedly, he now acquired six cards, some of which were clearly much stronger than the wind elemental spider.
He couldn’t help but ask in disbelief, “Are all these mine, and then what?”
“Then, of course, you should lay down land cards to establish your territory so that your deck can be supported—but here’s a point I must remind you: about the relationship between the deck and the territory. A deck can receive support from multiple territories, but a single territory can only support one deck. That is to say, different decks have their own specific land card libraries for support. Don’t expect a single territory to support a whole deck; a complete deck often requires a massive territorial system for support,” Tumen replied solemnly.
“Therefore, you need to collect more land cards and resource cards, as they are the foundation of your strength.”
Brendel nodded.
“Now let’s get to establishing your territory,” Tumen continued, “Take out your ‘Sanctuary of the Secret Tree’ and display it.”
Brendel complied without hesitation. When he unveiled that card and laid it down, he felt a flash of green light before his eyes. He immediately realized that it was a breathtaking green unfolding in his mental world, that green extending toward all directions, gradually forming a lush, vibrant green forest, with a tall, mysterious oak standing in the center of this forest, in a pool of water.
That was precisely the Sanctuary of the Secret Tree.
Brendel understood for the first time the meaning behind the card that stated it could be laid down to construct a forest—this was the territory. He could distinctly feel the connection between this forest and his mental world—he could see this forest as long as he thought about it. But this forest was not before his eyes—nor even in the same world; Brendel could feel the distance in his heart.
It was a special sensation, as if he were both intimately connected and utterly distant.
Brendel couldn’t help but look up at Tumen with a look of astonishment. After so many years in the Amber Sword, there was nothing that could surprise him anymore. Or at most excite him, but absolutely not shock him—not to mention the unique blend of astonishment and anticipation he felt at this moment.
This feeling was truly a delightful enjoyment for him.
“This land card has already matured well in ‘Basic Lands.’ You can see that its area is quite large; the edges of the territory are already formed. This is a relatively advanced territory, which can provide you with two points of natural elements and one point of water elements each day—when you lay it down. However, in the future, you may encounter some ‘Special Lands’ or even ‘Legendary Lands,’ which will possess territories much stronger than ‘Basic Lands,'” Tumen replied. “However, when you lay down a land card, although you receive mana and elements, you lose the benefits of resource and barrier cards attached to it.”
“What does that mean?” Brendel asked, confused.
“First, take a look at the hand cards you’ve drawn from your deck. At the moment you establish your territory, you have already become a qualified traveler mage. Your deck will automatically enter the library, and the hand cards that change every day will come into your hands.”
Brendel opened his hand, and four cards appeared in his palm: ‘Holy Sword,’ ‘Lubis’ Mercenaries,’ ‘Rich Gold Mine,’ and ‘Cavalry Charge.’
“Take a look at the description of ‘Rich Gold Mine,'” Tumen prompted like a teacher guiding his student.
The young man scanned the attributes and immediately understood the other’s intention:
Rich Gold Mine
(City-States Alliance VII)
Land 2
[Resource—Mine/Wealth]
Attach Rich Gold Mine to an (unturned) land card to gain 4 wealth.
‘Gold from stone—’
“Understand?” Tumen asked. “Whether it’s resource cards, spell cards, or creature cards, under the formal casting rules of a traveler mage, any fate card can only be cast once each day, until the resetting phase between ten o’clock at night and two o’clock the next day. During this ‘Reset Phase,’ previously used cards will enter reset. And at this time, the resource cards attached to the land cards will return to the library, waiting to be called upon again.”
Brendel nodded again. He felt as if he had nodded more times today than in the entirety of the past month. Yet in front of Freya and Romaine, he was a mysteriously knowledgeable young knight from Karasu Highlands, but in front of Tumen, he felt like a primary school student.
“Another thing I should remind you of—during each ‘Reset Phase,’ all fate cards that exceed the maximum hand limit or have been turned over (except for creatures maintained on the field) will be shuffled back into the library, and you will pay the maintenance costs of the creature cards during the next ‘Maintenance Phase’ and refill your hand to the maximum limit.”
At this point, Tumen suddenly stopped. His expression changed, and he patted Brendel on the shoulder, saying, “It seems this is where we must stop. Your enemies have already come knocking. I certainly wouldn’t want you to die right after you’ve just taken on the role of my successor. Now that you’re a qualified traveler mage, use the resources at your disposal to deal with them.”
Brendel was startled, and he realized that he still had many troublesome enemies in the outside world. The two soldiers from the Silver Wing Cavalry Corps were manageable, but that mysterious swordsman with golden strength was a deadly enemy. Although Tumen kept saying that as a traveler mage, he could easily handle these people, Brendel still hadn’t figured out how this “ease” came about.
Just as he thought of this, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, realizing he was still maintaining the earlier motion of grabbing the mana potion, while the scenery around him hadn’t changed in the slightest—it was still that small room at the back of a small auction house in disarray. Everything that had happened before felt like a dream: Elemental Emperor Tumen, fate cards, traveler mages—all seemed to exist within a mirage.
Yet Brendel knew that this was not an illusion, for he was still holding those cards.
But the current situation did not allow him much time to think. He had already heard footsteps almost right outside the door. Brendel immediately drew the card named ‘Lubis’ Mercenaries’ and downed the mana potion on the table in one gulp. At this moment, he had 6 points of wind elements in his elemental pool, 11 wind element crystals in hand, and a full mana pool of 15 points; using this card was more than sufficient. Without hesitation, Brendel immediately displayed the card:
A twelve-fold summoning circle instantly appeared in the room.
Thus, the two soldiers from the Silver Wing Cavalry Corps probably exhausted their imagination and would never guess that when they burst through that door, there would be seven crossbows, two longswords, and three axes aimed at their throats in that small room. Martha was there, and those armed bandits looked exactly like characters that had stepped out of a play, sporting curly beards and brightly colored garments—overlaid with a layer of studded leather armor, and draped in long cloaks, each holding a round shield.
The two soldiers couldn’t help but widen their eyes. They were unaware of Brendel’s identity and merely followed orders instinctively, believing that Viscount Test had informed them that Brendel was a fugitive—they naturally thought this way unconsciously. But at that moment, the two men were utterly stunned: Did these damned bandits really think themselves to be the legendary Lubis Mercenaries?
That detestable young man sat right in the middle of these people, looking at the two of them with a prepared demeanor—
……
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(PS) I’ve been busy these past few days, hence the delay. At this time, I believe everyone will understand—this chapter, like the last, deals with the core settings of the book and critical descriptions of the protagonist’s future path, so it is not suitable to split or merge into another chapter. Additionally, I will supplement today’s card, and when I collect more cards, I will establish a dedicated library later.
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Golden Banner
(City-States Alliance I, Gold)
Light 5
[Treasure—Artifact/Magic Item]
When the Golden Banner is on the field, all creatures on the field gain +1 level (and acquire the corresponding ability).
‘The blood of the Burleiman family has never run dry.’
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Silver Steed
(Legendary Radiance V, White)
Mana 10
[Treasure—Artifact/Artifact Creature, Level 7 Creature]
Silver Steed has levitation abilities.
‘Made of mithril—’
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Blade of White Sun
(Legendary Radiance III, Gold)
Light 5
[Spell—Instant]
Deal 75 points of holy damage to a target, or instantly destroy the undead (level 40 creature or below).
‘A golden light bursts forth from the sword—’
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Cavalry Charge
(City-States Alliance XII, Gray)
Land 2
[Spell—Instant]
Choose two summoned creatures on the field to grant them the linking ability (damage sharing, strength sharing).
‘The best tactic is to work together—Governor Chabb’
——————————————————————————————————————————————————(To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and read the official version!)
