HC: Card Slinger | Ch. 61 - Decoy

The reveal phase began. Across the field, a new card had appeared on Ratu’s side—but this one remained face-down. From the positioning and e

The reveal phase began.

Across the field, a new card had appeared on Ratu’s side—but this one remained face-down. From the positioning and energy cost, Deckard could tell it had taken two points to play.

It’s a trap card, he thought. And he’s still holding one card in hand.

His own card was revealed

The battlefield cracked open with a muddy rumble as the [Trash-Eating Turtle] crawled up from below. Its shell was a patchwork of refuse—twisted cans, mossy nets, and rusted metal clinging to its back like armor. The creature blinked slowly, then took its place beside the [Crab Enforcer] and [Blacktip Shark].

Unfortunately, no shellfish were on the field. No trash tokens either. That meant its contribution was minimal—just one point. Not enough to be lethal.

Still, it brought his attacking lane total to ten points. Deckard’s creatures advanced across the field, water rippling beneath their feet, but just before they could strike, the face-down trap began to glow.

A burst of green light illuminated the lane.

From between the cobblestones, thick vines burst upward, coiling with unnatural speed around the [Blacktip Shark]. The creature thrashed, snapping wildly, but the vines held tight, muzzling it. A pulse of green shot through the cords, and the shark was yanked backward, locked out of the fight.

Deckard watched his attack total drop by seven points in an instant and the pangolin held the line again.

Deckard clicked his tongue. If it had only been for one turn, there might have been hope of winning the next round. But synergy bonuses were starting to pile up—one extra turn of lockdown might be all Ratu needed to dig out a feather and inch closer to victory.

And that was the scary part. Ratu hadn’t even played one yet. Maybe they didn’t even have to play one.

Deckard sat back slightly, his jaw tight. He hated not being able to look his opponent in the eyes. He didn’t know if they were flustered or completely relaxed. That silence—calm, unbothered—was starting to get under his skin.

Just keep pushing and see what happens, Deckard told himself.

He drew two more cards, eyes scanning the new additions with growing hope. A grin tugged at the edge of his mouth.

There might still be a chance.

But it would require patience—and risk. He’d have to skip two turns and put everything into turn eight. It was a gamble, and one with a steep cost.

His deck had twenty cards total. If he didn’t win by turn eight, he’d lose by default on the next. Ratu’s deck was larger so Deckard would be milled out of the game.

I have no choice. It’s my only hope.

He braced himself and skipped his turn, keeping all cards in hand.

Across the field, Ratu played a skill card.

A warm wind swept across the battlefield. Tiny buds sprouted between the cracks in the stone. The air shimmered with pollen, and the scent of rain-soaked soil filled the field. A subtle glow traced around the [Pangolin Defender], and its armor gained a fresh green sheen as the synergy bonus kicked in.

The defender’s base of six was already formidable. But with Ratu’s attacking lane empty, the pangolin’s passive effect doubled the buff of [Coming of Spring], pushing it to eight.

Deckard’s [Crab Enforcer] and [Trash-Eating Turtle] surged forward, claws clicking and shell grinding as they tried to press through. But they were stopped cold. The pangolin braced itself with all four limbs, shell flaring with green energy as it absorbed the impact effortlessly.

The difference between the two lanes was five points. The glow shifted, transferring from the pangolin to Ratu’s castle and healing it back up to 10.

Deckard clenched his jaw. Every turn he waited, his opponent recovered more ground. His shark was still wrapped in vines, and now his two remaining attackers had been nullified by defense and healing.

His lead was gone. He had two turns left to turn this around.

Round seven came. Deckard kept his hand close, skipping his turn again. He needed every card he could draw to set up his power play next round.

At least there was one silver lining—his [Blacktip Shark] had finally shaken off the [Strangling Vines]. The sea creature’s body flickered as the last of the binding glow dissolved into the air. Deckard’s attacking lane returned to its full strength.

Finally, enough to deal damage again.

Ratu, however, had not passed his turn. He played another skill card on the field.

A tremor ran through the battlefield as thick roots coiled up from beneath Ratu’s castle. Pulsing with green energy, they wrapped around the structure’s base, sealing cracks and reinforcing its foundation. Leaves unfurled from the ends like fingers, glowing softly as they dipped into the graveyard and pulled cards free.

Ratu recovered two cards for the cost of two and restored four HP in the process. It was a cheap and efficient way to buy more time—and it worked.

Deckard’s shark, crab, and turtle finally broke through the [Pangolin Defender], landing a clean hit on the enemy castle. Water splashed and claws struck stone, breaking past the defender’s limit and were able to deal two damage.

But the healing had already kicked in. At the start of the round, Ratu had been sitting at 10 HP. Now he’d clawed his way back up to 12. Despite the breakthrough, he’d still gained two points overall.

Deckard clenched his jaw. It’s OK, he told himself. As long as he doesn’t have an answer to what I play next turn, I can still win this.

Deckard drew the final two cards in his deck. He spent everything he had in a single explosive play, fingers trembling slightly as he placed the last card down.

“Come on. Work, please. Work, please.”

The cards locked in. Energy rippled through the field as the reveal phase began. On the other side, Ratu placed two cards into his defending lane. Both remained face-down. Two more traps, by the looks of it.

Deckard’s card was revealed first.

The field shook as a vortex of seawater spun into life. A heavy fin broke through the surface, followed by the looming body of the [Bull Shark]. It burst from the depths, circling once before launching at the [Pangolin Defender], jaws wide.

Deckard held his breath. If the shark devoured the pangolin, it would gain 8 points. That, combined with the 7 from his [Blacktip Shark], 2 from the [Crab Enforcer], and 1 from the [Trash-Eating Turtle], would give him 23 points on the lane. More than enough to obliterate Ratu’s remaining castle HP in one strike.

But one of Ratu’s traps sprang.

Roots snapped up from the battlefield, wrapping the pangolin in bark and fibrous armor. A heavy shell of interlocking wood plates formed around the creature just in time. The bull shark slammed into it with full force, but the teeth couldn’t find purchase. The creature withdrew, unsuccessful.

The pangolin stood firm, untouched. The [Bull Shark] remained at five points. Its effect had failed.

Deckard’s jaw tightened. Every time he tried to turn the tide, the Puppetmaster had an answer waiting.

Still, the lane moved forward. His four creatures surged as one—claws, shells, and fins crashing into the castle wall. The impact rattled the jungle. Cracks split across the stonework and vines were torn loose.

He managed to deal 7 points of damage to Ratu, and brought his HP down to 5. Not enough.

As the next round began, Deckard’s castle began burning. His deck had been emptied. No more draws.

A surge of data ruptured his castle. Stone, water, and energy exploded outward in a burst of green and white light. The field fell still.

He had lost. Milled out—beaten not by force, but by inevitability.

Deckard stood still, waiting for the familiar flicker that returned cards to his inventory.

But nothing came.

One by one, his cards dissolved—data breaking into flickering light, then fading for good.

“This weak imbecile,” the voice sneered. “How did he even lose twice against you? Your deck is pathetic. The only decent cards you played were the ones you stole from me. I suppose some people really are just lucky.”

“Yeah. I guess…” Deckard replied, offering a small, harmless smile. He adjusted his glasses. “So we’re cool?”

“We are. You may go.”

Quest updated: [The Jungle’s Puppetmaster]

The Jungle’s Puppetmaster (Rare)

After playing against the Jungle’s Puppetmaster, you’ve lost twenty of your hard-earned cards. It lets you go, but you can’t help but wonder what the identity of this mysterious entity is.

Quest objectives:

Discover the identity of the puppet master.

Across the field, Ratu stood motionless. His eyes flicked toward Deckard for only a moment, filled with a silent, desperate plea. But whatever controlled him gave no room for resistance. As if jerked by invisible strings, he turned and ran, disappearing into the trees.

Deckard watched the direction he took and quietly marked it on his map.

All at once, the sounds of the jungle returned—the calls of macaques in the canopy, the buzz of mosquitoes rising in a thick cloud around him, the chatter of players . The pressure, the silence, the dread that had surrounded the clearing—all of it vanished.

The Puppetmaster’s domain had lifted.

Deckard exhaled deeply, as though breathing real air for the first time in minutes. His shoulders relaxed, but the tension didn’t quite leave. He turned away from the shattered battleground and began walking again, following the trail toward the macaque dungeon.

There was much to consider.

That deck had been something else. Tight. Brutally efficient. Every card had played into the others, and every effect had been magnified by shared affinity. The kind of deck that didn’t just punish mistakes, but made sure you never got a chance to recover from them.

Up until now, he hadn’t given much thought to the importance of synergy in cards. But the Puppetmaster’s deck made one thing clear: if all synergy decks were that strong, he would have to get one for himself. Those who didn’t build decks around it would be one step behind.

Drawing that [Statue of the Fan Macaw] on turn one, [Strangling Vines], [Coming of Spring], [Deep Roots], [Bark Skin]… they all hit harder because of synergy. 

I was right, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. There was no way I could have won that.

Even if he had used his best cards, he wasn’t sure the result would have been any different.

Even though it hurt to lose twenty cards—including his hard-earned sharks—it wasn’t as bad as it looked. He’d been careful. The cards he used in the match were all duplicates. Coppers and silvers. He hadn’t played a single irreplaceable piece.

At least now, he thought, I can travel the jungle without constantly looking over my shoulder. That alone was worth a stack of throwaway cards.

And more importantly, he now knew exactly what kind of deck the Puppetmaster used—what cards, what combos, what weaknesses it might have.

The quest hadn’t ended, either. That meant one thing.

There’s still a chance to challenge them again. And if that’s the quest… who knows? Maybe I can get those sharks back.

It was impossible to win every single card game. Even bad decks won sometimes. The best decks only had a win rate under 60%. He had been OK risking it when playing against Ratu because he had so much to win. But this game had been rigged. He would have been playing against all odds and would win very little from it.

A good tactician doesn’t win every battle—they know when to retreat, when to sacrifice, and when to gather strength.

Deckard looked one last time toward the path Ratu had vanished down. A rematch was coming. He didn’t know when—but next time, it wouldn’t be with throwaway cards.

Next time, he’d be ready.

Ch. 60 - Challenge

INDEX

Ch. 62 - Macaques' Nest