SHUFFLE OF FATE: A Deckbuilding LitRPG
CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST HAND
The tunnel widened, transitioning from natural rough stone to something carved by crude tools. The smell of mold was replaced by a sharper, more pungent odor—rotting meat and unwashed bodies.
Kai stopped. He held up a card.
"Go," he whispered.
He flicked the **[Scavenger Rat]** card into the air.
With a puff of grey smoke, the giant rat materialized. It sniffed the air, its whiskers twitching violently toward the corner ahead.
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[Unit Passive Activated: Keen Smell]
[Detection: 3 Hostiles around the corner.]
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Kai nodded. "Good boy."
He peered around the edge of the rock wall. In a small clearing lit by glowing moss, three creatures were arguing over a severed cave-lizard tail.
**Goblin Scavengers**. Level 2.
They were short, green, and held jagged stone knives. Individually, they were weak. But three of them? If they swarmed him, Kai would be overwhelmed in seconds.
Kai looked at his Aether gauge: **12/12**.
His thumb hovered over the [Wildcard]. It was tempting. One lucky roll could wipe them all out. But it could also turn into a bouquet of flowers and get him killed.
"No gambling," Kai told himself. "Not this time. Let's play the hand I built."
He formulated a plan. A standard combo.
**Step 1: The Bait.**
Kai mentally commanded the Scavenger Rat. The summoned creature squeaked and scurried into the open clearing, right in the middle of the goblins.
"Kree?" one goblin grunted, dropping the lizard tail.
The three monsters saw the rat. Their eyes lit up with hunger. Fresh meat. They shrieked and charged at the lone summon, raising their knives.
**Step 2: The Trap.**
As the goblins grouped together to surround the rat, Kai stepped out from the shadows. In his hand, he held the yellow, cracked card.
**[Flashbang (Defective)]**
"Hey, ugly!" Kai shouted.
The goblins turned their heads.
Kai squeezed his eyes shut tight and crushed the card.
*BANG!*
A blinding flash of white magnesium light exploded in the small cave. Even through his closed eyelids, Kai saw the flash.
The goblins screamed. They dropped their weapons, clawing at their burning eyes. They were stunned, stumbling into each other in confusion.
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[Effect Applied: Blindness (5 seconds)]
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**Step 3: The Execution.**
Kai opened his eyes. The afterimage still swam in his vision, but he could see well enough. He summoned the **[Rusted Dagger]**.
The iron blade materialized in his grip. He dashed forward.
He didn't aim for a fair fight. He aimed for the throat.
The first goblin didn't even know he was there until the rusty blade pierced its neck. It dissolved into pixels instantly.
The second goblin was swinging its knife wildly at the air. Kai ducked under the swing and drove the dagger into its chest.
[Critical Hit!]
Two down.
The third goblin, however, recovered faster than expected. The blindness effect wore off. It blinked its watery red eyes and saw Kai standing over its dead friends.
It shrieked in rage and lunged, its stone knife aimed at Kai's stomach.
Kai stepped back, but his foot slipped on the moss. He lost his balance.
The goblin leaped.
Suddenly, a grey blur tackled the goblin from the side.
The **Scavenger Rat**!
Kai had forgotten about his summon. The rat bit deep into the goblin's arm, holding it in place.
"Good timing!" Kai grunted.
He regained his footing and thrust the rusted dagger forward, finishing the job. The last goblin dissolved into ash.
Silence returned to the cave.
Kai stood there, breathing heavily. His hands were shaking, not from fear, but from the thrill.
He checked his interface.
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[Combat Victory!]
[EXP Gained: +45]
[Loot Detected: 2x Small Mana Stones, 1x Dull Knife]
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[Aether Used: 5/12]
[Aether Remaining: 7/12]
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He didn't use the Wildcard. He didn't rely on a glitch. He won because he played his cards right.
Kai picked up the **Small Mana Stones**—tiny blue pebbles dropped by the monsters.
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[Item: Small Mana Stone]
[Consumable: Restores 1 Aether instantly.]
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"Fuel," Kai grinned, pocketing the stones.
He looked deeper into the tunnel. The air was getting warmer. He could feel a breeze coming from ahead. A breeze meant an exit... or a much larger cavern.
"Come on," Kai gestured to his rat, which was busy grooming its whiskers. "Let's see what else we can kill."
But as he walked, he noticed something on his deck interface. The **[Flashbang]** card was greyed out. A small timer appeared over it.
**[Cooldown: 10 Minutes]**
Kai frowned. "Right. The cards need to recharge."
He had 7 Aether left and his main crowd-control spell was on cooldown. If he ran into another group right now, he'd be in trouble.
He needed to be careful. But for the first time in his life, Kai didn't feel like prey. He felt like a hunter.