Using "Return", I return to Antokiba to begin my quest for cards.
'Today is Saturday, so I won't find the NPC that will take me to the No. 53, but there's still the No. 90, so I have to head to find the library and fulfill the requirements.'
*Grumble*
My planning is interrupted by my rumbling stomach. I've spent several hours managing my cards and waiting at the Spell Card Shop, so it's already midday. I make a quick trip to Caveau de Riquewihr for lunch and to pick up a "Galgaida" card before starting my search.
I scour the city for the library, glancing at the names of the buildings and asking every NPC I can for directions. After about 20 attempts, an NPC finally gives me the directions I need, and following them, I finally find the sign for Mind and Heart.
"Good day. Welcome to Mind and Heart, Antokiba's central documentation point." A female NPC with glasses greets me.
"We have at our disposal a remarkable variety of books that cover a great deal of information concerning the various subjects of Greed Island."
"You may browse the shelves and read any book that interests you, but please refrain from causing disturbances, and avoid attempting to damage the books or take them from the library without following the proper procedure and requesting a loan at the desk. We hope you enjoy your reading."
With the general introduction finished, I go into the establishment and start to look around. To my surprise, just as the receptionist had said, there is a wide variety of books covering various subjects about Greed Island: Zoology, Botany, Geography, History, Commerce, Fantasy, etc.
Preparing myself to take advantage of the opportunity to find some more clues or interesting details about the game, I choose 1 tourist guide, 1 zoology book, and of course, 3 that deal with fantasy stories and cryptozoology, and I head to one of the free tables to start reading.
I certainly got a lot out of the reading. Although attempting to provide a more analytical and professional view of the topics to fit into the game's plot, the content of these books provides good information about the game's cards, including some restricted slots.
For example, the zoology book talks about the behavioral habits and special qualities of animals like Toraemon, Silver Dog, and Millennium Butterfly, and the fantasy books talk about things like magical fountains that give liquor, whimsical fairies that help travelers, girls who emit a pleasant floral scent, and caves that lead to uninhabited places.
Thanks to the "List" card and the partial memories I retain about the game from my previous life, I appreciate that these are stories narrating the cards of restricted slots, so I immerse myself in the sea of words that make up the pages, feeling so stimulated and lost in thought that I don't even realize how much time is passing.
"Excuse me." Hearing someone's voice in my direction, I look up from my book to find a girl about my age looking at me expectantly. "I've been watching you read all alone in this table for a while now, and I was wondering if you'd mind if I accompanied you?"
'Oh, so the time for the event has finally arrived.' "No, of course. You are free to take a seat." I respond, graciously offering her the chair in front of me.
The stranger sits down and I go back to my reading, but this time I'm waiting to see what she'll do next. No more than a couple of minutes pass before she speaks again.
"I see you've chosen a wide variety of books. Are you that passionate about reading?" She asks.
"Yes, I guess so. It's entertaining." I answer.
"Right? Let me see what book you're looking at... "Fantasy Tales." Oh, I love that book! It's so sweet and innocent, and the illustrations make you connect with the story on a deeper level! Tell me, what's your favorite part?" She asks, her eyes shining with excitement.
'So that's how it is.' I think before answering. "The story of the little mermaid. The mix of drama caused by people's wickedness combined with the subsequent redemptive integrity that the protagonist experiences is very cathartic."
"Yes, that's very true. You understand the appeal of the story very well." She says, very satisfied and happy with the answer.
"I especially like the story of the cave of disappearances. It's very moving how the protagonist takes the princess from the castle to save her from the despicable prime minister and his soldiers who stages a coup against the royal family."
"No, you're wrong. It wasn't the prime minister who rebelled, but the coalition of corrupt nobles who wanted to seize power. In fact, it was the prime minister who helped them escape the castle safely." I correct her, noting that it was a test.
"I see you've read it thoroughly. I like that. Tell me... Which other books from these have you read?" She says, glancing at the stack of books.
What follows after that is a series of questions and tests about the books I have read to verify if I have really read them thoroughly, and after completing 8 of them, the girl, who is most likely an NPC, is staring at me mesmerized and very pleased with her head resting on her palm.
"Wow, I'm really impressed. I didn't expect to find someone who takes books as seriously as you do." She says glad.
"You're amazing too. You know every single book a stranger like me picks up in detail. You're truly passionate about reading, aren't you?" I reply, trying to be polite and friendly.
"Yes. Books are what I treasure most in life. How could they not be, when they give you so much? Books open the door to worlds of endless possibilities." The girl says, getting up gently.
"From the moment we learn to read, books become our companions, our tutors who educate us and connect us to every aspect of life."
"Whether it's something scientific that nourishes our brain or something sentimental and emotional that feeds our soul, books always have something in store to satisfy our wishes."
"Books are a bridge that connects us not only to all subjects, but also to all eras and ideologies, creating a unique connection across all times and places that grants us knowledge and allows us to grow."."
"Even if you feel overwhelmed by life's challenges and don't know what to do to the point where you want to give up, you'll never be alone because books are always there to help you through the tough times."
"In essence, books are life itself. Don't you think so too?"
Being momentarily stunned by this NPC's sudden speech, it takes me a while before I can give the appropriate response.
"Yes, that's right. Books are great." I answer with a smile.
While the NPC girl continues smiling cheerfully at my answer, the voice of another librarian NPC interrupts us. "Cherry, come here. You have to help me label and catalog the new acquisitions in their corresponding sections."
"Come on, I'm enjoying an encounter with a kindred spirit in literature. Can't you do that with Darwen?" The girl, who appears to be named Cherry, pouts in protest.
"He hasn't come in today. Say goodbye to your friend and come do your job as a committee member. That stuff left there in the middle of the hallway is bothering people." Darwen orders her in a demanding manner.
"Dawn. Sorry, it seems I can't get away, but I'm truly grateful to have found someone like-minded. I'd like to give you something to help you further improve your pursuit of knowledge in the books." With this statement, Cherry hands me a kind of silver library card.
"What is this for?" I ask, confused.
"It's a special card. If you give it to the receptionist to sign up for membership, you'll become a higher-level member and receive great privileges. Well, I have to go now. I hope to see you around." Cherry says goodbye, winking at me.
After she leaves, I prepare to return the books to their shelves and head to the reception desk to try to continue with the quest.
"Wow! I see you have a silver card! That means you've made a great impression on someone on the bookstore committee. Let me take care of the paperwork then." With these words, the NPC receptionist begins to perform the typical steps involved in issuing a library membership, including taking my picture and explaining the numerous benefits of my silver reader card.
"Also, since you were recommended by a committee member, we'll give you something extra. Please follow me."
Without hesitation, I follow the recepcionist to a secluded room where there is a large locked wardrobe, and when she opens it, a huge metal helmet with numerous spikes sprouting from it is shown. Just what I had come looking for.
"This is a special helmet designed by the founder of our library and his assistants several generations ago to allow people to never forget anything they read while wearing it."
"Unfortunately, it's too heavy, so we can't use it. If you think you can make use it, feel free to take it. But please, don't stop reading books just so you don't forget them; the information inside them isn't the only important thing."
With this offer, upon picking up the helmet (which turns out to be truly heavy), it transforms into its card form, "Memory Helmet", so I create a copy of the card with "Clone" and store the original in the restricted slot and the copy in the free slot.
With the my first A-ranked card safely stored in my binder and having finished the mission in the library, I finaly leave Mind and Heart to continue my pursuit with a renewed sense of purpose.
Having spent so little time on the island so far, obviously my island map is still very little covered, so despite losing a useful card for duels, I decide that the best thing to do is use "Drift" to try to land in one of the towns I haven't visited yet.
"There are 8 towns I haven't visited yet, and 4 of them have cards I want. 50% chance of success. I hope I have better luck than with "Lottery". "Drift on!" Using the spell, I am engulf in the beam of light and end up landing at the entrance of Dorias. "Fuck yeah! It worked this time!"
'Dorias, huh. I'd like to try some of the games they have in this city to get cards, but I don't have either the "Risky Dice" or any money on me right now, so I'll continue north following the directions of "Guidepost".'
Driven by this thought, I bypass the city full of casinos with multiple games to bet on, I leave through the cactus-filled desert located on the north side of the city, and after 2 hours of journeying through the unexplored stony path and the casual appearance of hordes of monsters and small groups of 3 or 4 players, I finally reach an area of forest.
'Tsk. So much time running to the north and I still haven't found the people who need my help. And on top of that, I had to waste my 2 "Drawbridge", 1 "Defensive Wall" and 2 "Trace" cards on those wild players. With the one I reapplied, I now only have 1 "Defensive Wall" left in the binder in case of an emergency. I wonder if I might have taken the wrong turn along the way.'
Closing the binder and continuing my run across the uneven terrain filled with trees and vegetation, I begin to feel upset as these kinds of thoughts echo more and more in my head until...
"AAAAHHHH!!! HELP!!! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!"
A loud scream becomes a shout in the middle of the otherwise peaceful forest, so, regaining my hopes, I quickly head in the direction it comes from, and after a couple of minutes, past a rise in the terrain, I find a skinny man with thick bifocals being attacked by a pack of what appear to be wolves walking upright and holding weapons ready to attack.
'Finally, the event that ignites the quest for the "Judgment Staff" is here! A slightly cliché scenario perhaps, but whatever. Let's get to it!' With this thought, I extend my En in a radius of 100 meters to control the group of wolves and players who may try to sneak up, and I descend from my elevation to confront the beasts and save the stranger.
"Hey, do you need a little help here?!" I ask aloud, drawing the attention of both the man and the wolves.
"Y-Yes! Please save me! These monsters want to eat me!" The man yells pretty scared.
The wolves, for their part, turn and cover their weapons with aura to face the newly arrived enemy (me). In response, I assume a fighting stance, and after a few seconds of enduring a dense and palpable tension in the air, both I and the wolves walking upright launch ourselves into battle.
For the next 20 minutes, the pack proves themselves to be interesting opponents. They don't have great fighting skill or much team coordination, but their physical abilities combined with the Nen they use put each individual roughly at the level Nicholas was at when we met again after his Nen training.
Furthermore, the fact that there are several fighting against me alone, and that they will spawn indefinitely if you don't defeat the one who is obviously the leader of the pack, makes it the perfect method for training endurance and fighting large crowds, having to be attentive to the movements they execute from different directions and learning to react accordingly.
'I need to remember to bring Nicholas and the Heavens Arena trio here so they can practice fighting against these types of opponents. Who knows? I might even bring Ponzu and Pokkle if I organize it right.' I think excited as I strike one of the wolves in the solar plexus and it disappears in a mass of aura.
'Although it's curious. They honestly remind me a lot of the werewolves that inhabit my home in Gu Island. Could it be that one of the Game Masters visited the island in the past and got the idea for these monsters from them?' I question with nostalgia as I continue attacking and defending against the feral monsters surrounding me.
'Nah, that's not possible. The island was surrounded by impassable currents until recently, and if someone had visited, we would have known. It's surely just a fortuitous coincidence, so let's continue practicing a bit with them before we finish this.'
I continue enjoying this little training session for another 15 minutes and then decide to finish it up, so I lunge at the pack chief and cut off his head with my hand transformed into a claw. The wolf chief becomes a C rank card, and the rest of the pack turn into masses of aura which vanish into thin air.
With the enemy defeated, I turn my gaze towards the stranger I saved, and I realize that he is holding what appears to be a map.
"Sir, are you alright? Did those wolves hurt you in any part?" I ask, feigning concern for the obvious NPC who looks still somewhat nervous.
As I try getting closer to the man, he turns around, alarmed to see me approaching. "Stay away! This map here is mine, and you will not take it from me."
"I wasn't going to take it from you. I don't even know what the map is for. If you don't mind, what is the map for?" I ask without malice, already guessing what kind of answer he will give.
The man hesitates a bit before responding. "This is the map to the secret treasure hidden by a mad wizard. His name was Drew the Hated, and he was known for being a very hated individual throughout the lands of Greed Island. But the hate caused him to go mad and create a staff that put judgment on others as they put judgment on him."
"The staff was known to be so powerful that once he was captured and put into a dungeon, the staff was hidden, only known to the few who dug the hole. I just happened to find this map from one of the people who dug the hole hiding the Staff of Judgment."
"I need to find this staff to get revenge on the man who got me fired from the tailoring company where I worked as finance manager through false accusations and abuse of power, and that's why I left my village to venture into this forest with dangerous monsters to find it and get justice."
"So... You're telling me all this? Why? I'm a little confused. You didn't want me to get the map, but you tell me that the map leads to a powerful staff that attacks someone with a judgment spell. And you don't want me to steal the map from you? I find it a bit contradictory." I state puzzled, pointing out the discrepancy between his words and his actions.
"You're right! Why did I tell you that?! No matter. Don't come any closer to me. I won't give you the map." He declares, holding the map even tighter.
'He's so distrustful and on the defensive even though I supposedly saved his life.
'What am I supposed to do? Based on the game mechanics, I don't think taking it by force will get me the card. Surely I need the NPC to help me complete the quest.' I think a bit in conflict because of the complicated situation.
"Ok, ok, I understand your disposition. But honestly, from what I've seen, it doesn't seem like you have much of a chance of succeeding, right?" I allege in reference to the previous circumstance with the wolves.
"How about we come to an agreement? If I help you search for the Staff of Judgment, I will let you use it first, and then after you use it for your revenge against the man responsible for your dismissal, I get to keep the staff afterward. What do you think?"
"Yeah, that's not gonna work, so I want to tell you this; Turn around, walk away, and there won't be any problems." The man remains stubborn while huggging his map.
'He still won't budge. Okay, let's try this.' I think. "OK. I was just trying to be nice but as you wish. Instead of getting this done as quickly as possible with my help, just wander aimlessly through this unfamiliar forest until you encounter another monster. I'm sure you'll do just fine without a bodyguard."
Faced with my argument, the man's eyes darted from side to side very scared until he lets out a defeated sigh before answering. "All right, you win. Help me find the Staff of Judgment and I'll let you keep it after I use it."
Nodding to the man in agreement, he shares the map content to search for the treasure. Seeing that the X is close to our immediate area, we head in the direction of the X while I use En as we walk around the place to sense any discrepancy of other monster of players.
We soon come to a hill that seems like it was dug recently, and as we approach, I detect that there is a treasure chest buried under the ground. But as we get closer, suddenly a creature appears (something similar to a guardian protecting a treasure in the game).
The monster is a big blue slime creature, similar to the ones in the Badlands, but with a fiercer appearance. Seeing it coming our way, the NPC hides to one side, and undoing my barrier, I decide to try my hand at a little bit of close combat with my Ken on.
Tentacles quickly sprout from the slime's body to try and hit me, but I strike them to deflect them and they end up colliding and fracturing the ground.
'Not bad.' I think darting forward.
The slime tries to hit me again, but I dodge its attacks and land a powerful blow amplified by Ryu. However, as I strike the slime, my physical attack seemed to not have worked against it, which was surprising, and my fist slowly starts being absorbed in its body, trying to devour me.
Seeing this, I project my aura with Emission to jump back, getting free from its grip. The slime by its part, regenerates without issues.
'The slimes I fought last time would have already fallen with that aura blast. Maybe I need to take a different approach.' i thin starting to analyze the creature with Gyo.
The very surprising part is that the creature doesn't have a single core, but 5, all connected to each other and with a sixth one reappearing. This means he would have to hit the creature body with 6 aura attacks to cause it to dissipate.
Understanding the creature mechanics, I make my Barrage Orb appear, and as the slime launches several tentacles at me again, I decide to just get it over with several Nen blast.
The energy built With a movement of my index finger, the energy of my orb is released instantaneously like a machine gun, striking hard agains the slime creature which soon lose its form and becomes a slime puddle before becoming a B-rank card; "Slime Emperor".
"Great work defeating that monster. Well, let's start digging to get the treasure." The NPC man says, approaching me after solving the problem.
Luckily I had bought some shovel cards just in case something like that happened, and after about 3 minutes of digging at high speed, encontramos we find the buried chest, and upon opening it, it contains an elongated rod apparently made of bones with a skull-shaped handle.
"Staff of judgment, hear my call. Impose your divine punishment on Hector Malatraba." The man says, holding the staff aloft, and sparks fly from it until a lightning bolt shoots to the sky. "Nothing bad happened to me, so that means it worked. That bastard got what he deserved. I did it."
"Congratulations. Now that your problem is solved, it's time to fulfill your part of the deal." I say, reminding him of it.
"Yes, of course. Here you go, it's all yours. I don't need it anymore." He says handing me the staff. "Well, I have to get back to my village. Thanks to you, I now know the way back, so I don't need you to come with me anymore. See you later."
As soon as the NPC walks away, the staff becomes in the card number 82: Staff of Judgment, A-rank. As I read the description, it states <
'So the little chant wasn't necessary. Sweet. This card will definitely come in handy when I need to use it against the bombers, or the Phantom Troup depending of how the things turn out in Yorknew City. But since I am still in a safe moment, I have to keep working on getting card fast. Or as fast as possible.'
'With this card out of the way, my next stop is Bunzen town going from Masadora knowing that I have a restricted card at my disposal.'
As I am thinking of my next move, suddenly I sense presences approaching, and looking up at the sky I see several beams of light from teleportation spells that reveal a group of 5 people upon landing.
"You, there. You've got yourself a good card. We're looking for that exact card as well. So, seeing that you're outnumbered, how about you just give us the card, and there won't be an issue?" One of them says, taking a step forward.
'Well, look at that. And just when I thought the fun was over.' I think with the borders of my mouth rising to form a smile.