Chapter 30: Genius Actor

Cards and Cards

“I couldn’t catch Chero, but instead, I managed to snatch this.”

I returned to the tavern, Cold Sun, and handed a sheet of paper to Lucard.

Lucard’s eyes widened like lanterns as he received it.

“……This is!”

[Quest Item] A conman’s contract designed to lure people in with plausible terms. In the signature field, the name ‘Lucard’ is scrawled.

His fingers trembled as he examined the contract bearing his own name.

“W-Wow, it’s the original! It has to be the original! Hahaha!”

He seemed to have already forgotten about the tab he ranted about when giving the Quest, now grinning like a child.

The truth behind this Quest was as follows.

Chero, drinking at Cold Sun one day.

He casually struck up a conversation with Lucard.

He tossed out the bait, saying that there was a huge Gold Mine in Aurax North, crossing the Jinheuk Mountains, and an opportunity to invest had arisen.

‘Classic investment scam.’

Of course, Lucard, who trusted his own information, was able to confirm that such a Gold Mine actually existed.

It was real.

It really was a genuine Gold Mine.

Judging by Chero’s words, Lucard thought it was a golden opportunity.

And so, the contract was made.

But the contract, which Lucard had so grandly signed his name on, came back as a demand note.

No sooner had he signed, the Gold Mine dried up and was shut down.

The reason was simple.

‘The gold vein ran out.’

The now worthless mine was left empty, and Lucard ended up buying a closed mine at a high price.

He was in a hopeless situation, having thrown away his money for nothing…….

‘Then I showed up, and managed to retrieve the contract.’

Thanks to that, Lucard couldn’t help but have a smile blossoming on his face.

“Ahem.”

The tavern owner, having finally composed himself, scratched his head while glancing at me.

“Heh heh, really. You… When did I ever ask you to bring back Chero, or have you do something like this? How am I supposed to collect my tab from that guy now?”

Seeing through his obvious whining, I tilted my head.

“Oh, is that so? If you don’t need it, I can just take it back. Hand it over.”

“No, that’s not what I meant!”

Lucard panicked and hurriedly hid the contract.

I grinned at him.

“Then, how about the reward you promised?”

“Honestly, you should’ve brought that swindler right in front of me!”

“Should’ve?”

“…Seeing your effort, I’ll acknowledge part of it. Thanks!”

[Quest ‘Cardcheater Chero’ is partially completed.]

[Quest completion rewards will be given.]

[Reward Details]
ᆞ10 Gold Coins

-Considerable experience points

-(Failed to obtain) Retiree’s Sabre

The result of the Quest being ‘partially completed’.

As expected, I couldn’t get the Retiree’s Sabre.

“Ahem! If it were up to me, I’d have met that guy myself and given him a good beating!”

Raising his eyebrows, Lucard muttered and quickly turned away, disappearing into the kitchen.

He wasn’t giving me any more room to negotiate.

“Hmm.”

Of course, I hadn’t expected anything.

If I’d managed to bring the swindler here just as I first planned.

I could have completed the Quest perfectly.

Then I would’ve gotten a pretty decent sword early on.

‘But the Retiree’s Sabre isn’t that important.’

This Quest revealed that beta-version elements were included in this world.

Among them was the ‘13 Shrines of the Demon Gods’ mentioned by Chero.

To visit there later, I’d definitely need a close relationship with an NPC who knows the location.

‘It’s the obvious choice.’

Not trading Chero for the Retiree’s Sabre was the most logical decision.

And……..

‘Rather than a sword, I might need a staff.’

With the Quest reward, I’d gained all the experience needed to level up.

[Level up!]

At last, I’d reached Level 10!

And with that, it was time for the second card draw.

‘Worrying about what weapon I need?’

That could wait until after I drew this card and finished the card enhancement.

[The selection of the second Destiny Card begins.]

With the system message, the scenery around me began to tremble.

It was as if an earthquake had struck—the tavern I’d been sitting in shook in every direction.

And then, everything started to break apart.

Kwakwakwa….

The wooden floorboards all stood upright.

The glasses lined up on the shelves stacked together and swept away somewhere.

The table my hand had been on had long since crumbled into dust.

Chsssss.

At last, the ceiling above split left and right, connecting me to the outside world.

The black velvet night sky finally revealed itself.

[Player, confirm your character’s fate.]

“…Wow, what a grand display.”

I snapped out of my daze and started thinking again.

Anyway, I’d seen this scene countless times in the original work.

No need to get intimidated.

I spoke up right away.

“Pause card draw.”

A new system message appeared.

[The selection of the Destiny Card is paused. You may resume at any time.]

With the card selection paused, I opened my inventory.

“You always need a sacrifice for the card draw.”

Of course, I knew well.

Statistically, this was meaningless.

Each card draw was an ‘independent event’ with no influence on the others.

‘But, you know, it’s all about the feeling.’

I took out two D-grade Guaranteed Tickets.

One was the reward card from the Survival Quest.

The other was the reward I got from Chero this time.

“Huuuu!”

They’re just D-grade, but you never know what might come out!

‘Who knows?’

Maybe I’ll get the Earth Sculptor, which can be upgraded to Sun Sculptor if it reaches transcendence…

Or maybe I’ll get the D-grade card ‘Taming Beginner’, which can be upgraded to Taming Meister.

The future is full of hope like this!

“Alright, let’s gooo!”

I tossed the two Guaranteed Tickets toward the night sky.

Then, the two cards began to crack open and radiate light, as if shedding their skins.

My heart pounding with excitement, I swallowed hard.

And in the next moment…!

[D-grade Destiny, ‘Beginner Spirit Sorcerer’ has appeared!]

[D-grade Destiny, ‘Dog Trainer’ has appeared!]

Hope, my ass.

I totally bombed it.

First off, Spirit Sorcerer is a class where you sign contracts with spirits and gradually build power.

So, in this situation, it’s a no-go.

‘I’ve got urgent Quests to clear, I can’t be leisurely wandering around signing spirit contracts.’

And Dog Trainer…

‘Wow, was there even a card like this?’

In such a dangerous, precarious world, they want me to train puppies?

If anything, wouldn’t a cat be better?

“…Ah, this is the lower grade of ‘Dragon Trainer.’ That’s right, I remember now.”

My muddled mind finally cleared.

It’s such an unusable card that it didn’t come to me right away.

Flap flap.

Regardless of my mixed feelings, the two cards floated down into my hands.

“Ha, this is just a bust.”

I scratched the back of my head and sighed.

Anyway, since I got these two cards from the Guaranteed Tickets, there was nothing to choose or fuss over.

I just had to accept it.

‘Well, they’re D-grade anyway.’

As I said, cards can be used as enhancement materials for other cards.

If you break them down, even lower grades can be used for this.

‘Maybe I can break one to enhance the Slave Gladiator.’

If nothing useful comes from the second card draw either…

‘Maybe I’ll really have to raise the Gladiator card.’

…I don’t even want to think about it.

Praying that wouldn’t happen, I resumed the card shuffle.

The main event began again.

[The selection of the Destiny Card resumes.]

[Player, confirm your character’s fate.]

Brilliant stars of light spun in the night sky.

Standing before 1,024 cards, I felt a choking tension around my neck.

What kind of cards would appear this time?

Of the three cards that would descend from the night sky, which should I choose?

Come to think of it…

‘EX-Rank Archmage!’

I suddenly remembered that card that flashed by in the first draw.

But at the same time, hope rose up again.

‘Maybe a miracle like that could happen again in this shuffle?’

The odds of a transcendence-grade Destiny Card appearing in a card shuffle are less than 0.01%.

In terms of probability, it’s nearly impossible.

But I still held a faint hope.

Actually, maybe more than faint.

‘Honestly, you never know. I’m of “that bloodline,” after all.’

…Gilroshan is the Third Prince of the Valt Magic Imperial Family.

That fact was quietly fueling my expectations.

I suspected that the royal bloodline of the Valt Magic Imperial Family might have influenced the first shuffle.

‘The bloodline that produced powerful mages runs just as strong in the Third Prince.’

So, I cautiously wondered if it would affect drawing Destiny Cards as an NPC.

Chsssss…….

The spinning of the cards gradually slowed.

I shivered with a chill I couldn’t explain.

Yeah, maybe hoping for another transcendence is too greedy…

Just an S-grade!

If I could get that, it could happen again, right? Right?

The grade just below Archmage is War Mage.

‘Good. Very good.’

I nodded vigorously.

‘If I can just get a War Mage, the game gets so much easier!’

So, what will happen?

Will those Destiny Cards help this poor, pitiful Third Prince?

“Luck-based skill game! Let’s go!”

I stared wide-eyed at the swirling lights.

At last, three cards fell from the now motionless stars.

They were…

[D-grade Destiny, ‘Apprentice Mage’ has appeared!]

[C-grade Destiny, ‘Geomancer’ has appeared!]

“……?”

Not War Mage, but Apprentice?

Utterly confused, I blinked blankly.

And as for ‘Geomancer’, there’s nothing more to say.

‘……Dog Trainer is actually better than this.’

What am I supposed to do with a geomancy skill in a world of swordfights?

Normally, these non-combat classes are used as sub-jobs once another card slot opens.

…But I don’t think there’s any place for a Geomancer.

“This is just ridiculous.”

I let out a deep sigh.

How could it turn out like this?

I mean, D and C grades? Seriously?

But thinking back, in the first shuffle, the first two cards were F-grade and D-grade.

And of the three, the last to appear was that EX-Rank Archmage.

‘So? Maybe?’

Could it be that an amazing card will show up at the end again this time?

But.

[S-grade Destiny, ‘Genius Actor’ has appeared!]

……It’s S-grade, but it’s an ‘Actor.’

Is this lucky or unlucky?

Seriously ambiguous.

It’s like the Geomancer—hard to use right now, but a decent sub-job if another card slot opens.

“Ugh, this is just a luck-based trash game…….”

I sighed, then suddenly remembered something.

‘Right, it was an Actor that appeared then too?’

I recalled that in the first card draw, a D-grade card called ‘Third-rate Actor’ had appeared.

‘This time, the mage is D-grade. Is there some kind of rule here?’

It’s impossible to figure out.

In any case, I had to pick one of these three cards.

Apprentice Mage.

Geomancer.

Genius Actor.

……Alright, Geomancer’s out.

If I had to pick between D-grade Mage and S-grade Actor?

The choice was immediate.

“Genius Actor.”

Might as well go with the S-grade.