DeckMaster System Awakened

The air around him exploded. Though he couldn’t see it, he felt clouds of mana erupt from the stone in his hands, flowing through all corners of the room. They twined around him before rushing through the center of his forehead. His neck was pushed back, and streams of mana began to pour through him.

They felt alive.

Each one was distinct, carrying its own characteristics, its own flavor. Classes. Or the mechanisms that governed them. Dylan didn’t quite know. He simply let himself float at the center of the current.

Suddenly, something called to him, tugging at his mind. He instinctively tugged back.

Breath rushed from his body as he staggered forward against the Awakening Stone, leaning heavily against its pillar. He felt his mind bend. A fishing pole pulling against the might of a whale. He felt his connection to the thing deepen, and despite the struggle on both sides, they were already inextricably bound.

Either he claimed it as his own or lost himself in the attempt.

He began to focus. Calling his mind back from the countless streams. Concentrating on just the one he’d chosen.

Or had it chosen him?

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was bringing it back. Making it his.

He gave the stream of mana a mental tug. It moved closer. He did it again.

Little by little, he pulled it back, and little by little, his body collapsed. Sweat pooled on the tile around him; blood ran freely from his nose, dripping down his chin to create new stains on the already messy leather armor.

Jalen slipped forward, practically hugging the pillar. His only support. His head swayed down, smashing into the Awakening Stone, and it was as if something had opened.

The painful tug-of-war became a rushing torrent. The stream of mana flew toward him and entered his mind.

Just as he succeeded, he finally saw it. The stream was composed of those same patterns. The ones that made his head hurt.

It rotated around his consciousness, and slowly began to dissolve. Bringing with it agony.

When Jalen thought could no longer endure. The pressure dissipated and with it a message appeared.

[Congratulations on Random Class Selection: Rare class Deckmaster.]

[Are you ready to begin Class Tutorial: Deckmaster? Yes/No]

Deckmaster?

That was his class?

He’d never heard of it before. Or maybe he had vaguely his memories still blurry. I've never heard of this happening before.

Maybe it was new class some big shot that awakened recently? That wouldn’t be particularly unusual. The System and its Awakening Stone seemed to produce new classes from time to time. Of course, most of them were variations on those that already existed.

If Deckmaster was either a very rare or specialized class, it would be normal for Jalen to have to do his own research after getting back.

He focused back on the System’s prompt and chose to begin.

[To view your Status Page, concentrate your will and think about Status. Please attempt it now.]

The swirling energy of the Awakening Stone settled into a hum that vibrated through Jalen’s bones. He looked up at the notification, eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the new reality he found himself in. His body was still trembling, breath shallow, but he pressed on, pushing past the weariness that weighed on his limbs.

The System had given him an option—a chance to learn, to embrace what he had become.

[Personal Status: Jalen Knight ]

His last name appeared before his eyes, grounding him back in the present. That was who he was—Jalen Knight, the younger brother, the underestimated one, the kid who had always stood in the shadow of his family’s legacy. But that grounding opened up the memories the system tampered with when reading through his memories to give him a beneficial class. How could I forgot Deckmaster is the class of the Strongest tier 4 in the kingdom of (name) known to ascend the steps of power to push back higher tier mages. ? My class has the potential to ascend classes.

[Class: Deckmaster, Tier 1]

The title shimmered, confirming what he had already suspected. Deckmaster. A class rooted in strategy and adaptability. He would wield cards—magic-infused artifacts that could summon creatures, cast spells, and alter the course of any battle. It was rare, familiar, and the very name sent a pulse of excitement through his veins. He knew very well how people would react if they found a new tyrant was just created.

He inhaled sharply, feeling the weight of the class settle over him like a cloak.

Then came the System’s guidance:

[Class Skills (expand)]

[Statistics (expand)]

Jalen concentrated, feeling his will reach out to the interface, and the information unfurled before him like a map of possibilities.

[Statistics]

[Life Force: 11 (Tier 1)]

[Intelligence: 14 (Tier 1)]

[Physical Power: 5 (Tier 0)]

[Physique: 2 (Tier 0)]

[Magic Power: 14 (Tier 1)]

Mana: 150/150

Mana Regeneration: 2.0/minute

As he examined the stats, a quiet hum of understanding settled in the back of his mind. His life force—11. Not particularly high but solid enough for his current state. It indicated his general vitality, how much damage he could endure before being incapacitated. Tier 1 was the starting point for most, but that wasn’t where he planned to stay.

Intelligence: 14. Now, that was interesting. Intelligence determined the strength of his spells, his magical constructs, and how efficiently he could manipulate mana. He was above average for an early awakener.

Magic Power: Also 14. Another promising number, especially for someone using cards. Magic Power fueled the potency of the cards he would draw, the summoned creatures, and the spells they cast. At 14, he was already better equipped than many Tier 1 mages.

Mana: 150. He felt it like a current beneath his skin, flowing and endless, ready to be shaped. Mana was life for a caster. It was the fuel he would use to bring the cards to life and cast his abilities. He also happened to have a a 50% more mana then normal spellcasters.

His Physical Power and Physique were low—5 and 2, respectively. That was expected. He wasn’t a warrior. He wouldn’t be out there swinging swords or wrestling with hulking beasts. But for now, it was enough to survive until his summons could fight for him.

Mana Regeneration: 2.0/minute. That was a comforting number. It meant he wouldn’t be drained after casting a few spells. His magic would renew itself quickly, keeping him in the fight for longer. For a newly awakened, it was double the usual amount, though it would need improvement if he wanted to be able to protect himself once his secret gets out.

The System’s next prompt began outlining the significance of each stat in detail, explaining how they affected his overall capabilities. Jalen half-listened, his mind already jumping ahead. He knew the basics: Life Force meant how much punishment his body could endure. Physical Power represented his strength. Physique controlled his stamina and resilience. But none of those would matter as much as Intelligence and Magic Power in the early stages.

Those were his core strengths now—the heart of a caster. Everything else was secondary.

He glanced back at the Class Skills section. His real strength lay there, in the potential locked within the cards he could summon. There would be more, of course—more cards, more spells, more creatures. But for now, the Deckmaster was his foundation.

“Alright,” Jalen muttered under his breath, rolling his shoulders and standing up straighter. “Time to see what I can really do.”

His mind latched onto the next part of the System’s tutorial as it prompted him to explore his new abilities.

Then an interesting prompt popped up.

[ Rare classes and higher have the exclusive ability to permanently trade stat points to gain special class abilities. In this tutorial, you will have the opportunity to choose one free class ability.]

[ Boost Draw: Needed draw choose one card in your deck the chances of drawing it become ten times for one turn. The next turn it is increased by one hundred when the chosen card is drawn the effect is sealed into the next restart.]

[25 mana]

[ Draw one: Draw when you draw card(s) you can draw one additional card. If you draw a card you can reveal it's mana cost is reduced by one]

[22 mana]

[ Card Creation basic Mastery: when creating a blank card the chances of failure is reduced by half. The limit of blank cards you can create is increased by per day is increased by double. ]

[Cost 30 mana]

[Select one and it's cost will drop to zero. It is recommended you review your class features before deciding.]

“ Woah this is new, I've never heard of this being mentioned. The ability to trade stats for class abilities any class would probably do it besides weird classes with no good class abilities and focused solely on stats. “

I should probably check my status even though I figured out the predecessor to my class no one knows how it operates except it's powered, unpredictable and, involves cards.

[Class Skills]

[ Expand skill descriptions]

[Meditation]

[Card Creation]

[Deck Management]

[Card Manifestation]

Meditation was straightforward. It was the one skill shared by everyone initiated by the System. It allowed individuals to enter a state of focused calm, enhancing the effects of any regeneration stats while restoring their mental and physical resilience. In some cases, it could even unlock special features tied to other skills. Additionally, remaining in meditation over time helped to slowly increase a person’s overall stats. It was the simplest, but by far the slowest, path to growth.

After going over what he already knew, Jalen was ready to explore the unique abilities his new class offered.

[Deck Management]

This skill governs all aspects of managing your deck. This includes but is not limited to: assembling a deck, creating new ones, switching out cards, and resetting your deck.

Jalen frowned. That was… pretty vague. He had expected something more descriptive. Perhaps the next ability would shed some light.

[Card Creation]

[This skill allows you to create blank cards and use those blank cards to craft fully functional ones.]

The words made sense, but the significance still escaped him. What could these cards do? What exactly would he be creating?

He inhaled slowly, trying to stay patient. It was time to move on.

[Card Play]

[This skill governs how you bring your completed deck into reality and play the cards within it.]

Another cryptic description. While Jalen could infer that his class involved making and playing cards, he still didn’t know what they did or how they would function in combat or life. He had gathered the basic idea of the Deckmaster class, but the specifics were still frustratingly unclear.

As if sensing his confusion, the System prompted him to continue to the next stage.

[Please proceed to the podium to receive your initial class equipment.]

With a resigned sigh, Jalen decided to move forward, hoping that whatever was waiting for him at the table would finally provide some clarity.