Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

  -1

  -1

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  The diseased seagull cawed angrily as Deckard kept throwing card after card, dodging its sharp beak as it swooped toward him.

  His stack of cards finally ran out, forcing him to switch to his toy sword. He swung it left and right, each swipe a whoosh of air. Kicking up sand with every jump and sidestep, he dodged the bird’s vicious pecks. Finally, with one last squawk, the diseased beast collapsed, leaving Deckard breathing hard.

  After hunting over two hundred diseased seagulls, Deckard could feel his moves getting sharper, more fluid. The swing of his sword felt almost instinctive now, and each dodge was less about luck and more about timing. At least, that was something. He sighed, stretching his arms with a grimace. Wish it didn’t take so many birds just to get one skill card.

  He bent down to pick up the loot and noticed something different from the usual cards he’d thrown. A new card lay next to a battered, greasy feather, glinting faintly in the sun.

  Finally! A skill card, Deckard thought with relief. He’d been grinding for what felt like ages without any real payoff. While the drop rate on beginner mobs was generous—one skill card for every 30 diseased seagulls—he hadn’t gained a new skill card since 40 seagulls ago.

  He picked it up, grinning as he examined the unfamiliar card.

  Deckard’s interest grew as he noticed something unique in the effects. Seabirds, it read—not just seagulls. His heart skipped. Does that mean seagulls are part of a bigger “seabird” tribe? If so, this card had much broader potential than the ones that only worked on seagulls. He could use this in more decks, maybe even with some more powerful creatures.

  He briefly reviewed the tribes among the cards he’d seen. There are turtles, crabs, seagulls, starfish, clams… He grinned as more names popped into his mind. Also macaques. And now seabirds? Beyond that, the cards were divided by affinities—water, nature, darkness, light. The possible synergies and ways they might interconnect ignited a fire in Deckard’s heart. He couldn’t wait to find out what other cards were out there and build decks with them.

  The skill granted by this card boosted movement speed—a skill Deckard could see himself using to pivot around his enemies. But as a card slinger, he had little control over what he could actually learn. The things I could do if I could choose my skills… He sighed, pocketing the card. All he could do was keep collecting and hope to unlock the skills he needed eventually.

  So far, he’d managed to collect three Seagull Poison cards, a Seagull Strike, and now Seagull Step. He didn’t know if the diseased seagulls had any other cards to drop, but either way, he needed a break from hunting.

  Time to try a different approach.

  Deckard left the beach and headed toward Stiltwave Village.

  *

  The village was lively, with the smell of dried fish mingling with the fragrance of fresh, tropical fruit. Island NPCs in loose, colorful wraps walked barefoot, their skin tanned and hair adorned with beads or seashells. Deckard took a moment to soak in the feel of island life around him.

  Ha. This is a good feeling. I get to game and be on a tropical island.

  His first stop was somewhere to offload the diseased feathers he’d collected. He headed toward the Silver Shell.

  Inside, the shop was just as he remembered: the air was thick with the faint smell of herbs and seawater, the shelves lined with wares displayed on makeshift boards, and the counter set with tinted glass bottles holding colorful liquids, leaves, and seashells. A couple of players waved their hands, operating system windows, absorbed in their purchases.

  The shopkeeper greeted him with a wide grin, his slightly crooked teeth gleaming. “Hi, man. How can I help you today? Lookin’ for some coconuts? Some fresh bananas?”

  At the mention of coconuts, Deckard felt a shiver run down his spine. He’d seen enough coconuts for a few lifetimes on the quest he ran for Old Jone. “No. No, thank you. I want to sell these.” Deckard poured out the many feathers he’d collected onto the man’s counter.

  “Ooh! Nice! Let me make you an offer.”

  Deckard was about to reply when another player spoke up. “Dude. What are you doing?”

  Deckard turned toward the voice. It was a friendly-looking guy with spiky blonde hair, rusty spectacles, and a loose vest over his bare chest. “Am I doing something wrong?” Deckard asked curiously.

  “Of course you are! There are, like, ten quests in the village that require those feathers. You could gain 2 or 3 levels with what you’ve got there.”

  Deckard looked at the haul. As a card slinger, XP didn’t mean anything to him. “Do those quests offer good gear? Or cards?”

  The guy scratched his head, considering. “Uh… well, nothing better than what you’re wearing. And cards… I don’t think so.”

  The shopkeeper interrupted, “I’ll give you four silver and 12 coppers. What do you say?”

  Deckard paused, considering the shopkeeper’s offer, before his gaze returned to the player. The guy seemed friendly and had gone out of his way to help. “Want to buy these feathers from me?” he offered.

  The man looked away, embarrassed. “Uh… I don’t actually have any money on me right now.”

  “What about cards?”

  The man shook his head.

  Deckard pointed to the spectacles. “Are those an accessory I can equip?”

  “Yeah. It’s a simple accessory. Why?”

  “I’ll give you 100 feathers for them.”

  The man’s eyes widened, and then he nodded quickly. “Uh. OK. I’m fine with it,” he said, handing over the spectacles.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The shopkeeper readjusted his offer. “Now, I give ya three silver and two coppers for the rest, yah?”

  “Good. Thanks!”

  Deckard completed both trades, and the player left with a smile, clearly confident he’d gotten the better deal. Deckard slipped on the spectacles, adjusting them on his nose with a small surge of satisfaction.

  Rusty Spectacles (Common)

  Description: An old pair of spectacles salvaged from the shore. It’s a miracle the lenses didn’t break.

  Effect: +5% energy regeneration.

  Deckard sighed contentedly. Ah. This feels right. He’d worn glasses for as long as he could remember and had never taken to lenses. He liked the feel of glasses on his face, like a shield between him and the world. Without them, he felt naked.

  Happy with the deal, he left the shop and made his way to the pier, where players were sitting in clusters, some on the ground, others hawking items they wanted to trade.

  Around him, voices pitched in a chorus of offers:

  “Salvaged sword for sale—1 silver, 50 coppers! Bargain!”

  “Coconut fiber gloves—90 coppers! Grab them before someone else does!”

  Waiting for a lull, Deckard added his voice to the mix, “Exchanging [Seagull Poison] and [Seagull Strike] for other skill cards. Come and trade! Come and trade!”

  A few people gave him curious looks, one or two with smirks, probably thinking his poison cards were junk. But finally, a boy stepped up. He had a face full of freckles, and his lanky frame looked awkward as if he were outgrowing himself faster than he could keep up. He extended a card, his voice surprisingly deep for his age. “I’ve got two Seagull Dash cards. Want to trade one for a Seagull Poison?”

  “Sure!”

  The boy handed over the card, and Deckard passed him one of his Seagull Poisons, both nodding in quiet satisfaction.

  Deckard examined the card with excitement. A trap card!

  Trap: Play it face-down on the field. Its effects are triggered when the right conditions are met.

  He’d seen enough games to know that even a minor trap could throw opponents off. Even though it only worked on seabirds, it was a valuable tool to disrupt an opponent’s tempo.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what creature dropped this card?” Deckard asked, keeping his voice casual. If there was a creature around here who dropped more traps, he wanted to know about it.

  The boy shrugged, focused on reading his new [Seagull Poison]. “A DSG. Why?”

  Deckard blinked. DSG. Diseased seagull. “Oh, just curious. Thanks for the trade!”

  Deckard added the new card to his repository as the boy wandered off, feeling his collection stats update. The boost was small—just a bit of attack speed—but it sparked a moment of reflection. So, even after grinding over 200 diseased seagulls, I’m still missing skill cards dropped by them. He felt a wave of exasperation.

  Is it even possible to have a full collection in this game? The thought was daunting. There had to be hundreds, maybe thousands, of creatures throughout the world of AstroTerra, each with its own cards and skills. Deckard pictured his old Nova Cardia collection—carefully sorted, painstakingly complete. Soon, however, every one of those cards would vanish when the servers shut down. He put his hand on his chest and felt a catch in his throat. He shook off the feeling, forcing himself to focus on the here and now.

  The next few traders who approached offered him cards he already had—one also offered [Seagull Dash] and another a [Cranky Seagull]. Declining each offer, Deckard was about to give up when a young woman approached. Her armor mirrored his own, but her weapon—a massive anchor strapped across her back—caught his eye.

  “I want to trade,” she said.

  “Impressive weapon,” Deckard commented. “What do you have?”

  “Want a sea star for your [Seagull Strike]?”

  Deckard frowned. “Uh, come again?”

  She flashed a [Chocolate Chip Starfish] card; its edges crinkled as though it had seen battles.

  His eyes widened. “Where did you find that?”

  “I took up fishing. Sometimes fish drop cards when you capture them, though it’s rare. Some people like to collect them. Want it?”

  Deckard’s mind raced furiously. He’d assumed that he was the only one with starfish cards around. Seeing someone else with one was… disappointing.

  Makes sense. Just because I found a hidden class doesn’t mean I’m the only one who can get creature cards.

  It leveled the playing field in Terralore. After some thought, Deckard realized he didn’t mind. Winning just because he had a superior collection wasn’t his thing, anyway. He’d rather outwit his opponents instead. “No, thanks,” he finally said.

  “Alright, what about this?” She held out another card that made Deckard pause.

  Deckard grinned. He knew this card already. It was one of the cards in Ratu’s good deck. He had only owned it momentarily before the cards went back to Ratu. He liked the card’s simplicity—just enough power to break through a defense at the right moment.

  “Deal!” Deckard handed over his card. “Where do you find this skill?” Deckard asked, imagining wild cats roaming the jungle on the island.

  The girl’s answer threw him off, though.

  “You mean the trainer? Or the drop location?”

  “Trainer?” Deckard raised his eyebrows in surprise. The girl gave him a slightly exasperated look.

  “You know. The trainer. The NPC near the teleport pad. Teaches basic skills for one silver each. He teaches this skill.”

  “He hands out cards for free?” Deckard asked in disbelief.

  She laughed, shaking her head. “No! Silly. He teaches you directly. He doesn’t just hand cards.”

  “Then what’s the point of this card dropping from mobs?”

  She gave him an amused roll of her eyes. “So you can save one silver, dummy. Duh!”

  “It makes sense. Thank you for explaining it.” He nodded in appreciation, and she returned it before leaving. Deckard considered her words, grateful for the tip.

  Deckard deposited the new card in the repository.

  Collection updated.

  +0.1 damage

  Nice! Finally something that boosts damage!

  The bonus only fanned his curiosity even further.

  I didn’t know that it was possible to learn skills from NPCs. I wonder whether I can learn those…

  He still had two Seagull Poisons to trade, but judging by the dismissive looks he was getting, he doubted anyone here would be interested. Deckard packed up his goods, deciding to check it out himself. Maybe by the time he returned, the crowd at the trading spot would shuffle, and some new potential trading partners would show up.

  He headed toward the center of the village. He’d passed the teleportation pad before—it formed a triangle at the village center with Ronan’s shop and Silver Shell. The pad consisted of a giant, flat metal plate corroded by the salty air. Near it, he quickly located the NPC trainer. It was hard to miss him. Not only was he surrounded by players, but he also looked impressive.

  The man was muscled and fully clad in armor, with a spear edged with jagged teeth and a shield slung over his back.

  This guy isn’t just some regular shopkeeper. He’s a warrior through and through.

  Deckard inspected the NPC.

  Makoa, the Trainer

  Lvl. 30

  ???

  As he approached, Makoa grinned at him, his voice deep and warm. “Ah, welcome, foreigner! You come to learn island warrior ways, yah? Smart choice. Pick what you like, and even the fiercest p’ret be no trouble to you.”

  Deckard raised an eyebrow, intrigued. P’ret? Does he mean pirates? Interesting. So pirates roam around here, too.

  A menu appeared before Deckard, and he scrolled through the list, frowning. Backstab, shield bash, throw rocks. He recognized these names. Wait a second… I already own some of these cards.

  Realization hit him. The cards those players traded me at the bar… were skills that can be learned from trainers!

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