The Climbing Serpent #3
“If I deploy this card and there’s no wizard-type creature in my field, I can add one Rank 2 or lower serpent-type creature card named ‘Gorgon’ from my deck to my hand.”
But right now, Diego’s field has the wizard-type [Gorgon Witch].
“But if there is a wizard-type creature! I can add the Zone card Gorgon Swamp and one Rank 2 or lower serpent-type creature named ‘Gorgon’ from my deck to my hand!”
The [Lost World] deployment that followed Ricardo’s [Terraforming Drone] summon. The first step of that tactic, which had once defeated Diego, had stimulated his psyche and spurred new evolution.
And the result was this: [Venom Call].
Contrary to what he himself believed, Diego hadn’t been standing still.
“I add Gorgon Taipan and Gorgon Swamp from my deck to my hand, and immediately deploy Gorgon Swamp!”
A sticky mire bubbled up from beneath Diego’s feet. Violet, viscous liquid spread wide, sporadically belching bubbles.
The [Gorgon Witch] seemed delighted by the sinister sight, swiftly coiling around a slender rising tree. Her lower body had transformed into a serpentine trunk, and the hood she wore deeply pulled down was flung back, revealing her vertically slit pupils and flicking tongue to the world.
“With Gorgon Swamp’s effect, serpent-type creatures on my field gain a 30% stat boost!”
Stats: 1,500 → 1,950
“Battle! Gorgon Witch attacks the Wilderness Wolf!”
The [Gorgon Witch] flicked her elongated tongue and blew a flute. The pale violet mist filling her side writhed for an instant.
Paht—! Kwuduk!
A viper burst from it in ambush, sinking fangs into the moonlight wolf’s scruff.
-Kkae-gaeng, kkae-gaeng!
The [Wilderness Wolf] rolled on the ground with pitiful yelps, then stiffened and breathed its last.
“Kkie-eok⋯⋯!”
【AS-1023】 Soul Points 5,000 → 4,000
AS-1023 let out a faint scream of terror at the sight.
Diego furrowed his brow slightly. An unpleasant feeling gnawed at him. The locket of his mother in his pocket felt especially vivid.
“⋯⋯Tch! I end my turn! At this moment, Gorgon Swamp’s effect triggers! For each serpent-type creature in my field, stack one Venom Gauge on this card!”
Bubbles erupted in the center of the violet mire.
Hand: 4 cards / Soul Points: 5,000 / Mana Crystals: 1 / Venom Gauge: 1
Diego shouted loudly at AS-1023, as if shaking off the sticky unease.
“Alright, your turn! Beast!”
[My turn! I draw a card!]
Kkie-eok⋯⋯! AS-1023 drew a card.
After beeping and pondering, it placed one card from its hand on the Battle Arc.
[I summon Coward Meerkat!]
A small shadow popped up on its field.
A body smaller than a human fist, with an astonishingly flexible and nimble silhouette. The two black eyes atop its round head were like large glass beads, moist with fear.
‘Again.’
A Rank 1 support creature with 500 stats. Useful special ability if used right, but useless without deck support.
Diego snapped irritably at the wizard.
“Is this the mess you’re making just to summon this, wizard?!”
He didn’t know if his words scorned the weak or those who trampled them.
The man, cloaked as a gray tower wizard, just shrugged nonchalantly.
“Sorry if it didn’t meet expectations⋯⋯. But it’s not bad for you anyway, right?”
“What?”
“Your goal is to win this duel, release the Battle Arc, and demand I stop the experiment, isn’t it? Easier against a weakened opponent.”
“⋯⋯!”
Diego clamped his mouth shut, about to retort.
Remembering his struggles against Erhun and defeat by Ricardo, he couldn’t deny it.
He knew how pathetic he’d been.
[I end my turn!]
Hand: 4 cards / Soul Points: 4,000 / Mana Crystals: 3
AS-1023 passed the turn after summoning one creature, defenseless again.
Diego felt a stir in his heart as he placed his hand on his deck.
“My turn!”
After adding the drawn card to his hand, Diego pondered.
‘Coward Meerkat: When destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard, add one Rank 2 or lower beast creature from deck to hand.’
If AS-1023’s deck was pure support without Origin cards, as thought, its ability might not matter. Rank 2 or lower wouldn’t be impressive.
But the wizard’s attitude felt off.
Turning a monkey into a Magic & Creature player for practical resources wouldn’t work with endless losses.
Something was up—Diego judged.
‘Then, bury it with a special ability, not battle!’
[Coward Meerkat]’s 500 stats meant negligible Soul Point damage anyway.
No need to risk handing them a card for that.
“I summon Gorgon Taipan!”
Shiiik—. Something sliced through the violet sticky innards of [Gorgon Swamp] with a eerie hiss.
A whip-like sleek, elongated body. Its scaled surface seemed soft at a glance, but gleamed with razor edges under light.
Coiling up a swamp tree, the viper thrust out its jet-black head. Venom roiled in its vertical slit eyes.
“Gorgon Taipan’s special ability activates!”
The [Gorgon Taipan] dunked its blackened head into the swamp’s sticky waves. When lifted, its venom glands ballooned like inflated sacs.
“Once per turn, pay up to 2 Venom Gauges from my field to activate! Reduce a creature on the opponent’s field by 500 stats per gauge paid until end of turn!”
Diego pointed at the trembling [Coward Meerkat].
“I pay 1 Venom Gauge from Gorgon Swamp to drop Coward Meerkat’s stats by 500!”
-Shaa aaaak—!!
The [Gorgon Taipan] bared fangs with a menacing hiss. The swamp boiled, venom shaping into a serpentine head.
It charged the shivering [Coward Meerkat] and bit deep!
-Kkiing!
【Coward Meerkat】 Stats 500 → 0
“Creatures reduced to 0 stats by this effect are destroyed and sent to the graveyard!”
The rigid, twitching [Coward Meerkat] collapsed motionless.
“Kkie-eok!”
“⋯⋯I end my turn! Gorgon Swamp stacks 2 Venom Gauges!”
Hand: 4 cards / Soul Points: 5,000 / Mana Crystals: 5 / Venom Gauge: 2
AS-1023 shrieked, hunching. Diego frowned and passed the turn.
[Then, my turn! I draw a card!]
The magitech device on the monkey’s head droned indifferently, urging play.
Thinking it had to defeat Diego to escape, AS-1023 bared yellowed fangs, drool dripping.
Diego saw himself in it.
A being whose will was crushed, forced to move as others wished, yet baring teeth at innocents, not oppressors.
Self-mocking at feeling kinship with this pathetic monkey, Diego couldn’t look away.
[I summon Coward Meerkat!]
AS-1023 summoned another [Coward Meerkat]. Common support, but deck-stuffed for its ability.
[And deploy a magic circle! Brutal Rush!]
“What⋯⋯!?”
Diego’s eyes widened.
[Brutal Rush]: Select one beast on your field, boost stats by 500 per Rank.
Only one [Coward Meerkat] on AS-1023’s field.
It planned to boost and battle.
“Foolish! Rank 1—500 stat boost won’t beat my creatures! Just more damage!”
Diego’s tone almost pleaded.
[With Brutal Rush, I boost Coward Meerkat’s stats by 500!]
“Kkie-eok!”
Undeterred, AS-1023 deployed it. Muscles unnaturally bulged on the tiny body, fangs and claws sharpened ferociously.
-Kiiik!
【Coward Meerkat】 Stats 500 → 1,000
[Battle! Coward Meerkat attacks Gorgon Taipan!]
-Kiiiik!!
The [Coward Meerkat] leaped nimbly toward Diego’s field.
The watching [Gorgon Taipan] shot like an arrow as it entered range.
Kwajik!
-Kki, eok⋯⋯.
Even ferocious from Brutal Rush, the stat gap overwhelmed.
The [Coward Meerkat] collapsed without resistance, sinking into the swamp.
“Kkie-eok!”
[At this moment, Coward Meerkat’s special ability triggers! When destroyed in battle and sent to graveyard, add one Rank 2 or lower beast from deck to hand!]
Bip. Bip. The device beeped.
AS-1023, anguished at the fall, drew a card per the device—like a puppet.
Hand: 3 cards / Soul Points: 3,000 / Mana Crystals: 4
[The card I fetch is Mist Monkey!]
AS-1023 showed the fetched card to Diego.
[I add it to hand and end my turn!]
‘Mist Monkey⋯⋯.’
Diego drew silently on his turn, narrowing his eyes at the card’s info.
[Mist Monkey]: Low stats, but annoying beast support. Triggers on battle destruction like Coward Meerkat.
Removable with Gorgon Taipan, but if they attack again, hard to stop—no direct block like Swamp Overflow in hand.
‘But what’s the aim?’
Even triggering it wouldn’t reverse the board. No tribute setup or non-battle wincon like deck out.
Just pointless consumption.
Simple monkey limits, meaningless play—but watching the wizard note things felt ominous.
“I summon Chain Serpent - Chain Gorgon!”
Diego decided to lay groundwork for uncertainties.