Cursed Draw

Chapter 36: Safe To Go Back In The Water

Alabaster

Alley had a bad feeling about this turn. The pirate captain Nestix Karieto had been a lot more productive in his first turn than Alley had been in two. That was the problem with using a Cursed Deck, especially one crammed with additional useless Cards. You struggled to draw your combos, or anything useful at all it seemed like.

“I play. Wait those are custom Card backs. What the fuck? You customized a Cursed Deck?” Demanded Karieto seemingly out of nowhere.

Alley couldn’t help but look a little sheepish at that.

“I swear it was like that when I found it.” It was kind of an embarrassing concept, that he would be so utterly vain as to pay to have a Cursed Deck customized.

“Uh-huh” Replied the captain dubiously. “Well, it will look better among my trinkets after I kill you at least, Treasured Hunter!”

Another Vial within the sword blade went dark as the Creature was manifested.

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Treasured Hunter

Cost: 1 Vial

Power: 2100

Vitality: 2

Once Per turn you may sacrifice 1 Vitality from a friendly Creature in play. If you do draw one Card, Treasured Hunter then gains 200 Power for each Card in your Hand until the end of the turn.

Alley had never seen one before but based on what he knew he was fairly certain he was looking at a lion, only one wearing a suit of finely wrought gold armor. The…he decided he was just going to think of it as a lion until he knew otherwise. The lion shook out its main and stretched languidly.

The man now had eleven Vials left, but it was doubtless worth it, the Treasured Hunter would easily dominate the field as it stood.

‘Hopefully, it doesn’t have some effect as well.’

Karieto didn’t stop there. In fact, Alley would say the man was pouring it on. Spending a lot of Cards and Vials in an attempt to quickly take control of the Challenge.

“Golden Migration”

In spite of his intentions to remain stoic Alley couldn’t help but wince at the Spell Card. It was as costly as it was powerful. A swarm of golden fish circled around the pirate in the air before diving in single file into the sword one after the other, vanishing as they hit the blade.

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Golden Migration

Spell

Cost: 2 Vials

You may Manifest a second Creature this turn.

The Creature the raider leader proceeded to play seemed like an odd choice to Alley. He had actually had a copy of it in Aegis Of The Fisher Lord. It was a larger than normal Puffer Fish but still not exactly large. Maybe eighteen inches long. Alley remembered the Card, it got a little stat increase after the first time it took damage.

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Puffer Fish

No cost

Power: 500

Vitality: 2

The first time Puffer Fish loses Vitality it gains 200 Power and 2 Vitality

Still, the long-haired man wasn’t done. It seemed like he wanted to empty his entire hand.

‘Wish I could empty my hand.’

“Blood Gem” Declared Karieto with a smug little smile. Then he held out his left hand expectantly but only for a second as a moment later at the cost of yet another Vial the strangely colored and seemingly bleeding gem Manifested in his palm.

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Blood Gem

Relic

Cost: 1 Vial

At the beginning of your turn Sacrifice 2 Vitality from Creature you have in play or destroy Blood Gem.

While Blood Gem is in play your maximum hand size is increased by 1. Creatures you have in play gain 100 Power for each Card in your Hand.

It soon became abundantly clear what the Relic did. Unable to attack with Creatures just Manifested the pirate ended his turn and drew back up to six cards.

‘So it increases hand size as well as power, the power changed when he redrew his Cards. So the power is 100 for each card in his hand.’

Alley repressed another sigh, this Challenge was already a pain in the ass. Across the Arena barrier from him was one lion with 2700 Power and one fish with 1100. The Grimoire Of The Doomed Scholar activated again drawing him one of the more powerful Cards in Crown Of The Cursed King that he could actually play. Saoirse, Relentless Banshee. She was both free to play and a Unique Card. While Alley didn’t know what it was, he was confident she had some sort of effect to go along with her 2000 Power.

The question was did he play her immediately or not? While she would certainly bolster his field the banshee was still weaker than the Treasured Hunter. Alley decided he would hold off on playing her, and switched his focus to the two Cards sent to his Crypt by the Relic he held.

Cursed Echoes a spell he could have used and Guardian Of The Shallows a turtle monster that he couldn't.

“I Manifest Cursed Grave Digger”

Deck: Crown Of The Cursed King

Cursed Gravedigger

No Cost

Power: 900

Vitality: 2

When Cursed Gravedigger enters the Crypt from in play send the top 5 cards from your Library to your Crypt.

Karieto didn’t look impressed but Alley didn’t care, the little skeleton was a good card. Ending his Creation Phase Alley redrew and his breath caught. He had drawn a Spell Card he had been wondering about ever since he had first seen it a few days ago, Darkest Reflections.

‘What is Wraith Master’s effect?!’ He questioned, hoping to get the attention of the voice that occasionally spoke in his head. Of course, it didn’t say a single thing now that he demanded it.

“Grave Caller! Wraith Bolt” He said mentally aiming it at the Puffer Fish. The fish would survive the attack, and trigger its ability after losing the clash of monsters but it was still the correct play as far as Alley was concerned.

The Fish tried to swim at the Grave Caller but the chattering skull of Resonance hurled from the undead monster’s wand collided with the fish knocking it floundering to the ground for a few seconds. Eventually righting itself the fish monster inflated to more than twice its initial size. Its stats increasing to match the growth. After this, the little monster now had 1300 Power and 3 Vitality. That Blood Gem Relic was already proving to be a problem.

Having won a clash against an opposing monster the Grave Caller launched another Wraith bolt at Karieto himself. Predictably the quick pirate didn’t have any trouble avoiding the attack, but that had never been the point. If Alley was going to stay in this Challenge he needed to start weakening Karito’s side of the field.

With no more viable attacks and wishing to play his Spell Cards conservatively Alley moved onto ending his turn. Still holding six Cards and not a gem that increased his hand size the dark-haired boy needed to discard back down to five.

Darkest Reflections, Danse Macabre, Wraith Master, Withered One, Saoirse, Enchanted Grove

With more malice than he should feel towards an inanimate Card Alley chose Enchanted Grove to send to his Crypt.

At the start of Karieto’s turn something interesting happened. The Blood Gem floated out of the pirate’s palm and Alley thought he noticed the slightest nod from the man towards the Puffer Fish. Immediately two streams of red Life Essence flowed from the fish into the gem. The fish’s Vitality dropped by two leaving it with only the one. After which the gem simply returned to Karieto’s hand.

‘It has an ongoing cost.’ Mused Alley. It was good to know the otherwise quite powerful Relic had an inbuilt weakness.

Next, the pirate captain played a second copy of Discerning Taste.

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Spell

No Cost

Discard one card of your choice. Draw two Cards

Ending his Creation phase Karieto redrew to replace the spell and his creatures jumped another 100 Power.

‘Fish is 1400. Lion is 2800’

“Puffer Fish, Spiked Slam!” The fish surged towards Alley’s Grave Caller which met it with a Wraith bolt. This time however it glowed with Water Resonance and smashed right through the attack and into the Grave Caller. The Undead monster exploded into teal light and flowed into Alley’s cloak.

Setting its sights on Alley the Puffer Fish drove towards the dark-haired boy, who swatted it aside with the Relic book he was holding. You could do that, shove or attack Manifested monsters to defend yourself. It would never hurt them during a Challenge but it was one way to defend yourself. While he did Karieto declared another attack. It was a common tactic, launching multiple attacks in as quick succession as possible to make evasion more difficult.

“Treasured Hunter, Gluttonous Claw!”

The armored lionkin surged forward with astonishing speed, crushing Alley’s Lesser Shade Hound beneath a single haughty swipe of its paw. The little dog monster didn’t even get a chance to try and fight back before it exploded into teal light.

The sound of two howls came from everywhere at once when the lesser hound was destroyed. From his Library Greater Shade Hound was added to Alley’s hand. He didn’t have time to celebrate the activation of his Creature’s effect. He didn’t even have time to process it really. The Treasured Hunter bore down on him with just as much speed as it had the Lesser Shade hound and this thing he could not bat aside with his book.

Alley faked right then threw himself into a shoulder roll to the left. The arrogantly postured lion monster swatted down nothing but wooden planks. Planks that practically exploded at the attack. Alley climbed back to his feet. He had bruised his shoulder and maybe the side of his head with the roll but it had been well worth it. There was no way he survived getting hit by a 2800 power blow.

Only able to make a single attack against Alley before being forced back to its own side of the arena, the lion turned about with a flick of its tail and stalked back through the barrier.

That marked Karieto’s final attack for the turn. However, in his second Creation Phase, he played a horrifyingly familiar monster. Honestly, Alley thought the man was overcommitting but he seemed to be in even more of a rush to finish the Challenge than Soren had been. If the aggressive nature of the Pirate’s plays was anything to go by. Three more Vials emptied and went dark, leaving Karieto with five.

“Just when you thought you had escaped it.” Said the raider with a singularly unfriendly smile. “I Manifest Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder.”

Deck: Greed Of The Hungry Corsair

Ranek Pho, The Night Feeder

Unique

Cost: 3 Vials

Power: 7500

Vitality: 4

If Ranek Pho destroys another Creature restore Ranek to full Vitality.