CH.67 Recovering Dark Magician

CH.67 Recovering Dark Magician

I made my way towards the east side of town. I think that’s where my Dark Magician is waiting for me. A few stall keepers did call out to me and I went over to check their wares. Well they just sold food, but I did need lunch for today.Updated chapters at novelhall.com

There were stalls with grills selling skewers, but those won’t do. I need something that isn’t dirty. I noticed there was one selling some kind of wrap and went over to him. The others looked a little jealous.

“Sir Brian, welcome.” The stall keeper greeted me. “Would you like one boar burrito?”

“Well I do need something for lunch.” I told him. “I think a burrito would work. How much are they?”

“They are copper for one.” He told me.

Copper? Copper coin? I don’t have any of them. My smallest coin is a large silver. Would he even have enough to give back for that? Better to ask first.

“My smallest coin is a large silver coin.” I said to him. “Do you have change for that?”

“Well that is a little much. I can only give you your change if you order more than 5.” He answered.

Should I just be ‘mister moneybags’ then? I could give some to the adventurers that will surely flock around me as I get outside.

“Fine, I’ll take ten.” I told him as I fished out a large silver coin.

“Are you... Sure, I’ll make them for you.” He was about to question my decision, but decided to make the sale anyway. “Please wait a moment.” He said as he began making my food.

It didn’t take him too long. He was much faster than someone on earth would have been. It looked like someone took a cooking video and watched it at double speed. Impressive. I received the ten burritos and put them in my fanny pack. After paying him and getting my three silver change, I continued my walk to the east.

—

I made it to the gate and the gate guard tried thanking me for my part in the wyvern operation. I argued back that he was also part of the operation. I didn’t actually recognize him, but Laura said he was one of the guards that was fighting with us.

I was able to make him stop thanking me by asking about my card. He said it was near where we fought the wyverns and that there would likely be adventurers around it. It seems to be something of a challenge to move the card. Wasn’t it burning hot or something?

I ended up handing one of the ten burritos to the guard and heading outside. Even guards need good food. Or more like especially guards deserve good food. They are the people who keep towns safe. Like the Police. When they don’t play bad cop.

He was right about noticing where the card was. There was a group of younger adventurers around it. I think there were five of them.

One of them noticed me walking up to them and pointed it out to the other four. They all turned to face me.

“Sir Brian, are you here to take the challenge?” One of them spoke up to me.

“No, I’m just going to recover my card. And what challenge are you speaking of?” I asked.

“The one Jack started. Have you not heard of it?” The adventurer told me.

“No, I haven’t.” I responded. But Jack? As in Jack, the leader of Diamond Sword. What stupid challenge did you start? “What is this challenge?”

“You just need to hold your hand on the card as long as possible. It hurts so much, but it doesn’t do that much actual damage.” He told me. “Some adventurers even used it to gain the ‘pain resistance’ skill.”

“How bad is the damage?” I asked.

“It’s all at the level where a simple healing spell can heal it.” He told me. “Unless you try to pick it up. Then the damage ramps up a lot faster.” He added.

Why would the card cause damage like that? What happened to it? Will it damage me? Well only one way to find out. I do have one Red Medicine if something goes terribly wrong. But then again, it’s a part of my skill. It makes no sense that it would hurt me.

“Are you guys here to do it as well?” I asked them.

“Well, not really. Most of us have already tried, but Kurt got scared and didn’t do it.” The leader told me.

“Don’t tell him that.” One of them said. Is he this Kurt?

“And he said he wanted to try today. But we don’t have a healer so he got scared again.” The leader continued.

Healer? I think I have some monsters that could do the healing. Let’s summon one to act as a healer.

I quickly checked my collection for healer monsters as the four other adventurers were trying to egg Kurt into touching the card. Dancing Fairy. That should work. I took it out and grabbed a sleeve for it. I have plenty of sleeves in stock, so I can use them somewhat liberally.

“If I get you a healer, will you do it?” I asked the one that I assumed was Kurt.

I slowly bring my hand closer to it. It’s not radiating any heat at all. Then, I touched it. It’s not hot, but I can feel power flowing from it into my body. A similar surge as I felt when I unsummoned Red-Eyes after the wyvern incident, except not nearly as strong.

(That is experience.) Laura told me. (The card has been holding onto it for you. And as the experience belongs to you, it reacts badly to anyone else.)

I see. So it’s safe for me. I picked it up from the stone pedestal. The adventurers made surprised sounds. I guess they thought it would burn me as well.

The card in my hand began to shake. What is that?

(Master, the card is reacting with ‘Pack opener’. You should open your skill.) Laura told me.

I did as instructed, and as soon as I did, a card came out of it. I didn’t command it come out. Do these cards have intelligence of their own?

I didn’t notice what card came out but it flew straight into the Dark Magician in my hand and fused with it. A shining light was coming from the card in my hand. I couldn’t tell what was happening to it.

A little later, a card appeared on the ground. I didn’t summon anything. Or is Dark Magician coming back? I think I passed out mid summon, so the rest of it’s summoning time could now be active again.

But the one that rose from the card wasn’t Dark Magician. Well, in a way it was. It was a Dark Magician that had spent a thousand years learning magic. The Dark Sage. How is that possible?

“Master, you have returned.” He greeted. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

His voice was nice and calm. It reminded me a little of my grandpa, but in all honesty, it’s not that close. More like the pattern or speed at which he speaks is similar.

“Hello, what happened to you?” I asked that, but I did have an idea. For some reason his holding onto the experience was treated as Time Wizards effect and he aged into Dark Sage. I took a look at the card in my hand and in the toploader that used to house Dark Magician was now Dark Sage. I also quickly checked my collection and the Dark Magician that was crossed out was just gone. And the collection showed Dark Sage with a toploader.

“I’ve spent my days here gaining knowledge at an incredible pace, after Master came to get me I felt you had a vessel that suited me better so I took it.” He informed me with his calm voice.

“Well, that doesn't really matter. I’m glad to have you back.” I told him.

“Happy to be back with you, Master. But could you let me rest now? I’m tired because I waited for you for so long.” Dark Sage said to me.

“That’s fine. I’ll call on you again.” I said as I unsummoned him.

I turned to face the adventurers that were present. Their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

“What? This is normal for a summoner.” I told them. Even if it was a lie. But they don’t need to know that. Summoners are rare anyway, so I doubt they would ever know the truth.

“Is it really?” One of them asked.

“Normal enough.” I answered.

“So it’s not normal.” They argued.

“I said it’s normal, so it’s normal. Which one of us is the summoner?” I asked as I glared at them.

“...You are.” They responded.

“Good. Now how about you get back to work. There is nothing here anymore.” I told them.

“We don’t have anything for today.” One of them said. “It’s not our turn to kill any of the boars so we are free.”

“And you couldn’t find any other work? Well, do as you wish then.” I said and was about to leave.

“Could you give us a lesson on summoning?” They called out.

“No.” I responded. “I can’t teach you that.”

My summoning, at the end of the day, is a unique skill. I can’t teach you how to use a skill that you cannot obtain in any normal way. And I have plans for the day. I had Dancing Fairy give just a bit of first aid to the moron, before unsummoning them.

I think Lucia said they will be in the north today, but I’m heading towards the dungeon next, so I’m going south.

I summoned Overdrive. The adventurers let out sighs of admiration.

“Make sure you at least take that moron inside.” I told them as I looked at the kid on the ground. “You should tell the gate guard that he was the one to scream and in the end he passed out from the pain.” I instructed. If he were to tell the truth, he would just come across as a douchebag, and if he were to accept this one, he would be a weakling that cries out in pain.

Some more payback to him for being a little shitlord.

Then I got into the driver’s seat of Overdrive and took off. Let’s go check up on the road project and then the dungeon.