Page 344 of Light Leech

“Must you reach that conclusion every time before you learn to trust me?”

Why not summon him then gamble–

“Trust me, bakuh.”

“I choose to draw from the gamble deck!” I shouted.

The crowd erupted with laughter and the announcer joined in before saying, “You can draw on your own without telling us! Luckily for PatNeb, he hasn’t shouted out his strategy to MayWat, but the game is in its early stage! What will occur?”

I looked to my side and tapped the gamble deck. My lumens decreased to three and the drawn card appeared in the field.

Ability dependent: each player suffers one damage for each ability card in their hand.

My health remained at thirty-five. MayWat shouted a string of curses as hers depleted to six.

Zhu laughed. “Bakuh woman. Only fools rely on ability cards.”

So you do know this game?

“I know how to manipulate it. Use your remaining lumens to use the two-cost ability for Flesh Evangelist and my one-cost ability.”

Shouldn’t I read them first?

“Doubting me again?”

I just mean… shouldn’t I be the one playing?

“Do you want to win?”

I obeyed his advice and activated the abilities. Flesh Evangelist screeched, attacking both of MayWat’s characters, but only depleting their health by a few points.

Zhu’s one-cost ability caused him to stomp on the field, causing a flesh-quake that caused MayWat’s legends to stumble. The keyword shaken appeared above their heads.

What does that mean?

“If either of them attack this turn it will deal one damage to the other. He Watches would survive, but if He attacks or uses an ability, it will eliminate her Fishmanager.”

The game replenished my hand with five cards.. My platform dimmed and MayWat’s illuminated. She played an ability card which eliminated the shaken status from her legends and increased their health by one. One of her platforms glowed as she summoned the three-cost Lustacle, a scantily clad octopus woman. She played another ability card that gave each of her legends the keyword penetrate. He Watches and Fishmanager attacked, killing Digital Dependent and Flesh Evangelist. The additional damage penetrated through to me, depleting my health to twenty nine.

Her turn passed in an instant where mine had been a slow stumble. Before I could tap my first card, or rely on Zhu’s advice, the announcer spoke. “While we appreciate the gameplay thus far, we all know that a full game of Luminate League can take too much time. We are going to let the field take its autonomy to help progress this round with as much efficiency as possible. Please note, dear competitors, that this will not affect the inevitable outcome. Whoever would win in a standard match will still win with these modifications.

The fleshy surface boiled, giving life to polyps that bubbled and popped out like living meatballs. Combat instigated between them and our legends without any choice allotted unto us. Zhu’s abilities flashed as if activated as he swung his staff and surged with black energy. The polyp fiends attacked both sides, adding to the chaos as our legends tried to work around them to attack each other.

My platform glowed with MayWat’s. Our lumen bars filled. She summoned a legend, so I followed suit.

I chose a four-cost with more health than any of my other cards, hoping it would prevent another penetrating attack. The card transformed into the summoned creature, a bulky Finian called Purpose.

Polyps continued to grow and attack, eliminating Fishmanager and causing Zhu to squeal in agony. I tapped an ability card that allowed me to draw two more. I used one of the new cards to heal three damage from all of my creatures. Zhu was better but still struggling.

In my panicked scramble, MayWat had managed to turn two of the polyp creatures against me. Both attacked Zhu, leaving him more vulnerable to the whipping tentacles of Lustacle who the. Emitted a pink gas that crept towards my legends.

I glanced at my lumens, seeing that they were gradually regenerating every few seconds, changing the turn-based game into a fluid competition.

I tapped an ability card to heal one creature of its keyword condition, dispelling the pink haze from Zhu but leaving Purpose afflicted with charmed. All his attacks against Lustacle failed and those against MayWat’s other legends dealt less damage than his card indicated for each attack.

I summoned another legend, not caring to read anything beyond its name and cost. A red wraith appeared with its rain end connected to a small neuroset on a floating platform. Wrage Raith was a three-cost and it looked vile enough for me to count on dealing some damage.

MayWat used another ability card. Level the field: if your opponent has fifteen or more health than you, half their remaining health, rounded down.