NOVEL WEB Chapter 354 Anomaly
354 Anomaly
"Moreover, there's something I need you to confirm," the Keeper asked, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"What do you want me to confirm?" Daniel inquired.
"It's this..." The Keeper retrieved a black box with no designation or label from the storage behind the shop and placed it on the counter.
He opened the box, revealing the same number of booster packs as a normal box set. However, there was nothing indicating which set these were from or what Daniel could expect from them.
"What is this?" Daniel picked up one of the booster packs, its package wrapped in black plastic with no information about its contents. Unlike special boosters with rare cards, this one offered no hints.
"How much is this?" Daniel asked, showing the booster pack in his hand.
"1500 points, sir," the Keeper replied.
"Three times more expensive than the normal set? Okay, I'll try this one," Daniel accepted the price, and his points were deducted.
Daniel sat at the table the Keeper had prepared for him, examining the booster pack once again before tearing off the wrap.
The first card he saw stunned him—it was a Legendary card, but its name didn't appear, and he could only see its picture and the information about its stat.
Card Name: ????
Illustration: A red-haired female samurai donning crimson armor over a verdant kimono, gracefully wielding her naginata amidst a chaotic battlefield. Her movements are fluid and elegant, resembling a mesmerizing dance as she cuts through her foes. Two oni horns protrude from her fiery locks.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Oni Samurai
Mana Cost: 1 Fire, 1 Wood, 3 Non-Element
Description:
?????
Power: 6
Toughness: 3
Flavor Text: "In the heat of battle, her dance becomes a symphony of destruction, leaving naught but chaos in its wake."
Upon seeing the card, Daniel frowned deeply. He couldn't recall ever designing this card, not even in a draft. The only way to determine its abilities would be to actualize it, as he did with Momotaro. This unfamiliar card unsettled him; he felt paranoid. What he detested most was the sudden appearance of something unknown, beyond his control or even his awareness.
Taking the female Oni Samurai card in hand, Daniel's unease deepened. Unlike this mysterious card, the others had proper descriptions. For instance:
Card Name: Yari Samurai
Illustration: A spear-wielding samurai thrusting his weapon at an enemy on the battlefield.
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Unique Creature - Human Samurai
Mana Cost: 1 Fire, 1 Light, 1 Non-Element
Description:
When blocked, gains +1 power until the end of turn.
Power: 2
Toughness: 2
Flavor Text: -
"No offense, but you're making a face like you just chewed on a fly, Mr. Emberweave. Is something wrong?" the Keeper inquired.
Daniel didn't respond directly; instead, he gazed at the card in his hand before turning his attention back to the Keeper. "Give me 9 more of these boosters," he said.
The Keeper simply smiled and brought the box to Daniel, allowing him to choose the boosters himself. He didn't want to influence Daniel's choice by selecting them for him; otherwise, if Daniel ended up disappointed with the selection, he might blame the Keeper.
Daniel picked out 9 more boosters and opened them:
Card Name: Karakuri Sentinel
Illustration: A wooden automaton walking through a long wooden hallway, its red eyes searching for intruders.
Rarity: Rare
Type: Artifact - Creature
Mana Cost: 3 Non-Element
Description:
During the combat phase, Karakuri Sentinel may become a Creature.
Power: 4
Toughness: 1
Flavor Text: Karakuri, the ever-changing invention—sometimes a mere piece of wood, other times a killing machine.
Card Name: Kamaitachi
Illustration: A giant squirrel-like creature with a tail resembling a scythe, flying through the wind and cutting its victim.
Rarity: Rare
Type: Creature - Yokai
Mana Cost: 1 Wood, 4 Non-Element
Description:
First strike, Penetration, Camouflage
Power: 5
Toughness: 2
Flavor Text: The Demon of Wind, soaring through the gale as it cuts the unsuspecting, drawing blood for its mischievous call.
Card Name: ????
Illustration: A black-haired samurai in a ponytail, holding a very long katana, standing on a stone at the beach where heavy waves crash as he hones his swordsmanship.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Human Samurai
Mana Cost: 1 Water, 1 White, 2 Non-Element
Description:
?????
?????
?????
Power: 2
Toughness: 2
Flavor Text: ???
After Daniel opened all of the packs, he noticed something peculiar: only Unique Creature types had their details hidden, while the others were revealed, even though he didn't remember designing them.
Daniel picked two cards—one with detailed information and the other with hidden details—and showed them to The Keeper, who was still standing nearby, also curious about this anomaly. Daniel wore a puzzled expression, clearly indicating his confusion about the situation.
"What's going on? I didn't remember that I ever designed these things." Daniel asked, his wonderment evident as he struggled to comprehend the strange occurrence.
The Keeper fell silent, closing his eyes and touching his chin, as if contemplating whether to divulge information to Daniel or simply pondering the most likely explanation for the anomaly in the shop.
"To be honest, I'm as clueless as you, Mr. Emberweave. The only explanation I can offer is that you're growing stronger, and your power's nature is simply doing its job," the Keeper said sagely.
Upon hearing this, Daniel recalled the day when Envy constructed a makeshift testing board to assess Sylvana's Origin Element. Seizing the opportunity, he had also tested his own Origin Element, revealing that he appeared to possess two. One was related to creation, while the other remained unidentified, with only the first letter "R" appearing. Could it be related to "Rulet," indicating his affinity for gacha? He wasn't sure.
Daniel remembered what the Keeper had told him at the beginning of his journey. "Keeper, you mentioned to me before that if I became stronger, I might be able to create a new card and use it," he asked.
The Keeper fell silent, contemplating. "It's a possibility, Mr. Emberweave. However, it requires a substantial amount of points to prevent the fabric of reality from fracturing. If reality rejects what you've written on the card, I can't refund the points, as they've already been utilized to reinforce reality's fabric."
"It's akin to creating a prototype of an invention. It may or may not succeed, and if it fails, the resources invested in the prototype are lost until it's stable and passes testing. The resources put into the failed prototype are wasted," the Keeper explained.
Daniel considered this before nodding. "Let me purchase a box of 'The Rise of Camelot,' and then I'll use the remaining points to create a new card. Can you assist me with that?" he asked.
"I can, but you'll need to return to the shop at a later time. I need to devise a method to utilize those points to safeguard our reality's fabric," the Keeper replied.
"Please return here after the new year, sir. By then, I believe I'll have devised something suitable," he added.
As Daniel eagerly opened the booster packs from the Rise of Camelot set, anticipation surged through him. With each pack he tore open, his excitement grew. After several minutes of rifling through the cards, his heart leaped as he uncovered the first legendary card.
Card Name: Lancelot - The Knight of The Lake
Illustration: A black-haired man in white knight armor holds his lance and a sword with a stern and calm composure, embodying the ideal knight.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique Creature - Human Knight
Mana Cost: 1 Light, 4 Non-Element
Description:
Gains +3 power if not equipped with any artifacts. Gains First Strike if equipped with one artifact, Penetration if equipped with two artifacts, and Indestructible if equipped with four artifacts. Can attack twice in one combat phase if equipped with six artifacts.
Power: 3
Toughness: 3
Flavor Text: Whether wielding a lance, spear, sword, or even a branch, Lancelot's mastery of weaponry knows no equal.
"...." When Daniel laid eyes on the card, he was rendered speechless. His mind went blank in utter disbelief. Why has this guy appeared now? Was Murphy's Law try to f*ck him sideway once again? Am I a joke to you?
Regardless, he was adamant: under no circumstances would he actualize this guy, especially not around ANY! of the women he cared about. He refused to be the butt of some perverse joke, like the protagonist of some adult-rated manhwa.
He's decided, this guy is going to rot in his collection unless absolutely necessary.
"Ohhh, Mr. Emberweave, this card is quite impressive! It looks powerful too! Why not try to bring him to life? I'm sure he'll be a great asset," the Keeper suggested, teasingly noting Daniel's expression, which seemed akin to someone chewing on a fly.
"No, I don't think he's necessary," Daniel replied firmly.
He didn't know if The Keeper was just messing with him or not, but he didn't care. Yes, he knew that this guy was very strong and could be very useful, especially since he had a lot of artifacts for Lancelot to equip. BUT! There was a big 'but' with a capital B!
Coupled with this guy's myth of cuckolding Arthur with Guinevere, and to make matters worse, he didn't know if any demon had possessed him at that time, but he wrote in his lore book that this guy was a MILF lover… yes.. He actually wrote that.
Undeterred, Daniel continued to open booster packs until he stumbled upon another legendary card.