HC: Card Slinger | Ch. 33 - Pinch Point

Deckard’s eyes widened slightly as he inspected the card, which this player believed was worth two pieces of equipment.

One of the two crab elites that spawns outside the dungeon.

The drop rates for these cards were abysmally low, and the bloodbath that usually surrounded wild bosses and elites made farming them a nightmare. For someone to be lucky enough to get the creature card was something else.

A murmur rippled through the crowd as a few players caught sight of the card. “Is that the Burrowing Crab? No way…” one whispered. The player offering it puffed up his chest, clearly relishing the attention.

He must’ve figured out I’m into Terralore, Deckard thought. That’s why he thinks he has the upper hand.

For a split second, he considered it. The [Burrowing Crab] was valuable—no doubt about that—and he didn’t need the helmet or chest plate offered in the trade. It was tempting.

But he had to consider his game plan.

This wasn’t just a hobby. He hadn’t logged into AstroTerra to kill time or vibe with the scenery.

His real target was reaching the mid-tiered city. That was where the Terralore competitive scene started. Tournaments, sponsored matches, and prize pools. If he played his cards right—literally—he could start making money once he got there,

But he needed a serious deck to qualify for any of that. One that could hold its own in competitive brackets. And once he arrived, he’d need cash—to buy missing cards and cover entry fees.

It was not only that. If things went well, he'd spend the next few years playing this game. And his greatest weapon was his class. Being able to obtain elite and boss cards with a 100% success rate was just too big. While this player considered himself lucky for getting this card, Deckard was positive he could get it too with [Subdimensionalize]. In fact, his plan was to get every single elite and boss card on the island before moving on.

This was the time to test the limits of his class and figure out ways to capture wild elites and bosses despite the competition. There was no better place to learn that than the beginner region. He still had a cushion in his wallet. Enough to keep the pressure off for a few months. So the plan was simple: learn now, make money later.

He weighed all that for a breath.

Then he smiled faintly and handed the card back. “Sorry, bro. No can do.”

The player’s confidence faltered. “Uh? You know this is super rare, right?”

Deckard nodded. “I know, but I’m looking mostly for skills at this point.”

The player stared at him, stunned for a moment, before finally turning and walking away, shaking his head.

A few players exchanged surprised glances. “He turned down a Burrowing Crab card?” one murmured. Deckard pretended not to notice, keeping his expression calm.

For most players, getting elite or boss cards like this one was nearly impossible. But not for a card slinger. He flexed his fingers, already picturing himself taking down the Burrowing Crab solo. He’d need better gear and maybe a few more skill upgrades—but it was only a matter of time. Why trade for what he could earn?

After several bouts of trading, Deckard had managed to get rid of all the loot from the Molting Grotto. He was now sitting on 1 gold and 65 silvers. Most of it had come from Tristan’s splurge on the Coral Crusher, but still, going from owning just a couple of silvers to over ten times that amount was a significant advancement for him.

Deckard took stock of his cards. He’d acquired four new skill cards related to crabs, each representing one-tenth of an attack point.

Deckard turned his back toward the crowd and ensured no one was looking. He gathered all his new cards and opened his repository. As soon as the cards touched one of the pages, the nanites activated, pulling them all in and reconfiguring the repository to accommodate the new additions.

The moment he did, he received a notification:

Your collection has increased!

• +0.4 attack

Deckard frowned. The repository was still active, rearranging itself and letting flashes of light run through its circuitry.

Most of the pages for seagulls and crabs were already filled. From the research he’d done online, he knew there were 14 cards in the seagull mini-set and 15 in the crab set. The difference lay in the number of regular creature cards. There were two common seagull mobs on the island—the Diseased Seagull and the Bloated Seagull. For crabs, there were three: the Crab Enforcers, Underlings, and Cheerleaders.

Each set also included seven skill cards, five elites, and one boss. Deckard had most of the skill cards for the crab set—he was only missing one. He also had two elites, the boss card, and three regular creature cards. However, the two wild elites were much harder to capture due to the competition they attracted.

Crab cards boosted his attack, and he hoped that completing the set would unlock a skill that provided even greater attack boosts. The remaining skill card didn’t worry him—he was confident he’d find it eventually if he stayed in this boulder-strewn area long enough.

Deckard wandered through the vendors, checking their wares. Now that he had enough coins, he could buy the missing cards outright if someone happened to have them. But it wasn’t the vendors or the skill card that concerned him most—it was the wild elites and bosses.

He glanced out at the bay, where players were engaged in yet another bout of naval warfare. The wild turtle boss had spawned earlier, and players were fighting aboard shabby rafts, swimming furiously in the water, or outright attacking each other in hopes of landing the final blow and claiming the loot.

Deckard’s thoughts turned dark as he remembered the first time he’d seen a wild elite spawn—the Coconut Seagull. A girl had engaged it in battle, only to be brutally assaulted by other players lurking nearby. While harvesting coconuts and practicing his card throws, he witnessed the bloodbaths more than once.

Then, he sold the Coral Crusher to Tristan. The boy had barely pocketed it before envious players chased after him to try to steal it.

Adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Deckard sighed. He hated seeing players tear each other apart over a card or a boss drop. Was it worth it?

Sure, he wanted to succeed, but there were lines he wouldn’t cross. The thought of assaulting or betraying another player made his stomach churn, but a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, What if you don’t have a choice?

He shook his head, pushing the thought away. I’m not like that. But even as he reassured himself, he knew the truth: if he wanted to complete his collection, he couldn’t avoid conflict forever.

I’ll get there, Deckard thought, his jaw tightening. I’ll find a way to capture those elites. I don’t need to cheat or lie to win—I’ll outplay them, outthink them. This class has so much potential, and I’ll prove I can reach the top without losing myself in the process.

For now, Deckard walked around the area, stopping at every vendor with cards for sale. He compared their wares with his own collection, scanning for anything useful. Then it happened—he spotted the missing skill card.

It was the only trap card of the crab mini-set. It was a skill card that was useful in combat and Terralore.

“Hey, how much for that card?” Deckard asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Twenty silver,” the player replied.

“You’re ripping me off,” Deckard said with a smirk. “I’ll give you fifteen silver.”

The player countered, “Eighteen.”

Deckard shrugged. “Sixteen.”

“Seventeen,” the player shot back.

Deckard nodded. “Deal.”

The player passed the card over, and Deckard inspected it with satisfaction. Seventeen silver was steep for a single card, but it was worth it.

This is just the beginning. I’ll get those elites, too, one way or another.

However, that wasn’t going to happen right now. He wasn’t ready to deal with other players. Not yet. With only the two elite crabs left to capture, Deckard moved on to his next destination: the giant crag, too tall to be hidden by the cliffs.

*

The first time Deckard had come to Gull Rock, he’d been overwhelmed—by the cawing of the seagulls and the crowds of players clamoring for parties. The oppressive cries of the gulls were still there, echoing off the cliffs. The layers of white droppings still blanketed the rock like frost on a winter morning. The tablet at the entrance gleamed with the same faint glow, but this time, it didn’t feel like an obstacle. It was a door—a door to a challenge waiting to be conquered.

He placed his hand on the stone tablet, feeling its cold surface beneath his fingertips. “It’s time to clear this dungeon on my own.” The air shimmered, and light engulfed him. In an instant, he was transported back to the rocky path overlooking the ocean.

You’re alone in a dungeon. [Lone Wolf] empowers you!

Deckard opened his character sheet to see the power of the title's buff.

CHARACTER SHEET

Name: Deckard
Class: Card Slinger
Race: Human
Alignment: Neutral
Relationships: Zulmers (20/100); Villagers of Stiltwave (100/300)
Titles:
[Beginner Dungeoneer] +5% HP and energy regeneration when inside a dungeon.
[Lone Wolf] +5 attack, +5% damage resistance, +5% status resistance when running dungeons. Bonus doubles when running a dungeon alone.

COLLECTION:
Number of cards: 57
Complete sets: [Beginner], [Shallows]

STATS
HP: 118
HP regeneration: 2.7 per second
EP: 111
EP regeneration: 0.3 per second + 5%
Weight: [Light] - (5.3/30Kg)
Running Speed: 102.1%
Attack Speed: 102%
Attack: +3.3 (+10)
Crit Damage: +0.1
Damage Resistance: 2.8% (+10%)
Status Resistance: (+5%)
Healing: +0.2

EQUIPMENT
Right Hand: [Empty]
Left Hand: [Empty]
Head: [Beginner’s Hat]
Top: [Coconut Jacket] | +5HP, +2% damage reduction
Gloves: [Discarded Gloves ] | +1% attack speed
Bottom: [Beginner’s Trousers]
Shoes: [Salvaged Shoes] | +2% running speed when outside of combat.
Cape: [Empty]
Accessories: [Rusty Spectacles] | +5% energy regeneration
Ring: [Spider Crab] | [Spider Web]

SKILLS:
Passive: [Beginner’s Path], [Card Throw]
Active: [Four Aces], [Healing Ray], [Repository Recharge], [Spider Web], [Subdimensionalize]

He'd been nothing but dead weight the first time he’d stood here. Orson, Kane, and Mason had carried him and Tristan through the dungeon, dispatching enemies with practiced efficiency while Deckard merely watched and looted. Back then, he had been in awe of their skill and embarrassed by his own lack of contribution. But this time, things were different.

Deckard took a deep breath, the salty tang of the ocean air filling his lungs. Cliffs loomed on either side, their jagged walls casting long shadows over the narrow path. Seagulls circled above, their shrill cries echoing across the rocky expanse. The dungeon felt smaller now. He had grown since then, and this time, he would prove it.

Ch. 32 - Coral Crusher

INDEX

Ch. 34 - Same Dungeon. Different Man.