Night had already fallen over Gangbuk, but my room was shrouded in dense darkness, broken only by the faint glow of the cards floating before me.
I was sitting on the bed, staring at the twenty-five bronze cards.
Ten came from the main mission: "Conquer West Gangbuk High." The other fifteen were the result of an entire week spent going out to fight each night, trying to provoke the system, squeezing more than just basic moves and mediocre bonuses out of it.
I frowned with a sigh. They all spun slowly in the air, as if mocking me. Low-level techniques, minor improvements… useful for a beginner.
But in the center of them all… floated the only card that didn't move.
The golden card.
"The only reason I wasn't upset with the system. It didn't spin, only subtly glowed. That card… also came from the main mission."
I knew this card could be a turning point. It wasn't something to use impulsively. Not when everything in this game… came at a price.
"With this… I could shorten the distance."
Then the golden card moved. It floated gently toward me, separating from the circle of bronze surrounding it.
And then it began to glow. Slowly, letters appeared on its surface.
[Golden Card]:
— — — [Regular Card] — — —
(The Card Master)
You can combine or decompose cards to obtain higher or lower rank cards.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"The Card Master…"
I remembered it from my previous life. A rare card.
"Excellent…" I murmured to myself.
A smile spread across my face. I had played well.
"With this… I can create something truly valuable."
Thirty minutes later…
I was still sitting on the bed, leaning forward, breathing heavily. My shirt was drenched in sweat, and before me, the cards floated.
The room was completely silent, except for the faint buzzing of the system each time a card disappeared or changed form.
My hands hadn't stopped moving the entire time.
"Come on… this one's useless too," I whispered, discarding another card with a flick of my wrist.
I had been combining bronze cards non-stop, fusing them two by two in search of something better. When the result didn't convince me, I used the golden card to decompose it and try again, looking for another path. It was a slow process, but necessary.
"If I combine these two… then that one with the silver…? No, no. Better try another base."
I shifted from frustration to calculation without transition. Every attempt was a possibility.
"This skill… isn't enough. I need something that makes a difference… thanks to you, I can do this…" I murmured almost in a sigh.
A new combination. Another card appeared before me. I stared at it for two seconds and then lowered my head, defeated.
"No. Still trash."
I decomposed it. And repeated the same cycle. Because somehow, I understood that among these cards there was one capable of matching my power.
"…"
Another thirty minutes passed…
I had been combining and decomposing non-stop for over an hour.
"Same thing again…"
I took a deep breath, lowering my shoulders. I tried to cool my mind. I let the cards spin before me like a brilliant carousel.
Then something caught my attention. The total number. Thirty-two bronze cards.
Twenty-five newly obtained: fifteen from nightly fights, ten from completing the main mission "Conquer West Gangbuk High."
And the other seven… I had from before.
"Thirty-two bronze cards…"
I stayed silent for a few seconds, until my mind shouted:
"What if I just… make a master card?"
I slowly stood up, sweat running down my neck.
My fingers clenched into trembling fists.
"Now or never," I said, full of expectation.
I extended both hands toward the center of the circle. All the cards began to glow. A golden light filled the room for a second… then turned purple.
The condensed energy of thirty-two cards compacted into a single point, vibrating. I took a step back, shielding my face slightly from the intensity.
[Master Card]:
— — — [Attack Card] — — —
(Mana Drain)
You can drain an opponent's stats and permanently increase your own.
This card cannot be used on overly powerful opponents.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Its design was different. Edges adorned with purple filigree. The center pulsed as if it contained a sealed storm. It wasn't just a card.
"This card… can change everything. Lucky it's Mana Drain… with this, my stats will increase drastically," I thought, holding the card between my fingers with contained, almost trembling excitement.
The purple frame glowed faintly under the ceiling light, as if it knew it was special. As if it also understood its power.
"This card arrives to the protagonist much later; I got lucky to receive it early."
But just as I was about to genuinely smile… a thought crossed my mind: a name.
"That's right…"
My lips pressed together as I sensed the danger lurking over Gangbuk.
"That person can see everything… Choyun."
The leader of North Gangbuk High. No need to move to spy. Because he had an ace up his sleeve… a card that allowed him to see everything.
"If Choyun sees this… if he discovers that the West leader is increasing his stats so disturbingly…"
My throat went dry.
"I won't survive. I need to find a way to hide my stats. Is there a card… one that can disguise, seal, or simply make me invisible to his gaze?"
— — — [System] — — —
Main mission is being created.— — — — — — — — —
"What?"
— — — [System] — — —
Recruit companions [0/4]
Reward: 1 golden card.
— — — — — — — — —
The hallways of West Gangbuk High.
I walked ahead, with Gukja Yang by my side. That was the new normal. Then I stopped suddenly and looked at him.
"Gukja," I said without raising my voice.
He stopped too. He returned my gaze without expression, as if he already knew what I was going to say.
"Do you want to join my team?"
He nodded before answering.
"Yes," he said, with that simplicity I already knew.
We continued walking silently down the hallway. Turning my head, we saw Hyundong Lee jogging toward us, breathless, with a mix of excitement and sweat on his face.
"Suhyeon Kim!" he shouted as he approached. "Suhyeon!"
He stopped in front of me, breathing hard, eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"Hyundong," I said. "Do you want to join my team?"
He blinked, confused by the cold tone of my voice… but then, as if suddenly understanding everything, he smiled and knelt with almost theatrical conviction.
"The time has come!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms as if performing on stage. "It's time to form a group to unify Gangbuk!"
I barely smiled.
"All right," I said. "Then you're officially part of my team."
Hyundong jumped up, happier than anyone, while Gukja crossed his arms with his usual indifference.
"To be clear…" he said in a low voice, not looking at anyone in particular. "I'm number two, right?"
I just patted him on the shoulder as we continued walking.
"And just like that, you get two out of four… very easy," I thought, shaking my head, amused.
"Sometimes I think the original Suhyeon got the cards already pre-made… the missions are so easy."