The Amber Sword

TL: I’ll see you next wednesday for the next regular update of TAS. The next battle should be the concluding arc between Brendel vs Conrad. I don’t think I’ll be updating the JP series because I want to finish something else in the meantime.

Engrish mistakes are probably there because I didn’t really have much time left to look at these two chapters.

Chapter 111 – Planeswalker’s Legacy (2)

[Creature cards like Vanguards of Blood and the Black Earth Lion, etc, all these are level 20-30 Elites, but they are only useful for short-term benefits. I should invest my points into redeeming the two Fire Land Cards and the only Wind Land Card in the book. It’s common sense to have provision first in order for an army to be effective.]

Brendel gave a long sigh as he closed the book.

[After that, the next two targets would be the Ocean Gem at 60 Wealth, and the Silver Swallow-tailed Flag at 100 Wealth. The former card raises Wealth, and the latter raises Reputation. These cards will fulfill my basic needs and I can think about the higher grade cards next. Hmm…… The Platinum Angel, a level 60 Elite. I would be able to go anywhere in Randner’s souther region easily if I have that.]

He had only hoped to get Dark Crystals to summon Medissa for a short time. It was a terrible transaction if he had to spend 15 Dark EP just to summon her, and his Elemental Pool’s limit was too small to sustain her too. Even though it could not be called the perfect reward because of the limitations, this result was beyond his expectations.

With the Land cards he had now, he would be able to maintain her in the battlefield for quite some time. With a Gold-ranked fighter at his side, the southern region and the outer lands that appeared risky to search in was less fraught with dangers now.

He even managed to get a card that could dig into his graveyard.

[Well, I’ll ask the Nightsong Tiger to confirm with Ciel about the ease of getting another Land card later. The younger squire is much more adorable compared to this middle-aged dude who’s not reliable.]

Brendel finally placed his focus back on the current situation. The explosions most likely alerted Conrad and Hewjil. Based from the information from the prisoners, Medissa’s pendant was most likely on Hewjil, and the battle ahead was most likely going to be much worse than the battle that he had just now.

“Is there anything else?” Brendel put the book into his bag and looked back at the Nightsong Tiger.

“Anything else?” The Nightsong Tiger looked back blankly.

“Things like Dark Crystals.”

“Oh,” The Nightsong Commander showed a look of comprehension, “The Dark Bishop left behind quite a bit of them after he exploded himself, but it somehow fused together to the ground. I have already gotten my subordinates to knock them loose.”

Brendel nodded as he knew that there was no need to worry about the Dark EP any more. Gamers easily got forty to fifty crystals from killing a Dark Bishop, and the cheapest crystals around in the auctions were certainly the Dark Element Crystals. Fire Element Crystals were the next in line for the cheapest crystals.

“Is there anything else that you discovered?”

“Oh, yes, there’s something strange.” The Nightsong Tiger nodded and took out a black heavy-looking rock: “This was also found by Felaern.”

[A rock with blood-like spots on them…… Right, this is the artifact that’s used to control a God Acolyte like Scarlett. Once she is completely turned, she’s no different from a monster and will have lost her original personality.]

There was the option to use this artifact to control Scarlett who would become something much stronger if she turned, but the youth felt great disdain to watch a person lose her soul bit by bit.

He took over the rock and crushed it with his hand—

“My lord?” The Nightsong Tiger jumped.

“Destroying this will allow the Blood of Gods to be dormant for a while. Instruct the Grey Wolves Mercenaries to tell that girl to look for me after she wakes up.”

The Nightsong Tiger nodded and prepared to leave, but Brendel called him back as he patted his hands to get rid of the rock’s residues: “Hold on.”

“What is it, my lord?”

“Ciel said that you and him are creations that are rooted in the Dimension Space created by my Land Cards?”

The Nightsong Tiger nodded.

Brendel inspected his Land Cards in his mind. He was like a giant in the air viewing all these areas. In that alternate world, he could see the edge of the Land of the Holy Tree constructed in his mind, with a bridge leading to a black swamp, and at both the edges of these lands was a small town.  The town was most likely Loxar’s Market.

“Are you able to construct things in that area?” He pulled himself out from that world.

“Yes, but…..” The Nightsong Tiger hesitated before explaining things in detail: “The core of these areas is certainly comprised of Land Cards, and Resource Cards attached to such Land Cards pay out Wealth and other Resources. While it is true that you can use summons to gather resources from the Land Cards, but my lord’s powers as a Planeswalker…… is still too….. unfamiliar.”

The Nightsong Tiger tried to find a word to describe Brendel’s insufficient abilities.

“Of course, my lord’s current cards are inadequate. Ciel is telling me that this Dimension Space can be seen as an entire world by itself. If my lord concentrates on collecting more cards, they would form the shape of this world, and allow it to become the Planeswalker’s strength. This world is ultimately formed because of the cards’ connection with each other.”

“I see.” Brendel muttered.

“Is there anything else, my lord?”

“Yes, inform the men to prepare to move out; we only attained one single victory and our battles are far from over—“

“As you command.”

=========== Conrad POV ===========

When Conrad met up with Hewjil again, it was afternoon on the second day. He had discovered something was wrong during midnight when he heard faint explosions, but Hewjil was so far ahead with his lack of caution that it was only till morning before Conrad’s dragoon riders under his command reached Hewjil.

On the other hand, the dragoon scouts that he sent to the Dark Bishop were still missing.

Conrad felt that the situation was becoming worse, and was even out of his predictions. He made sure the dragoons kept in contact with Hewjil all the time, while moving back in the Dark Bishop’s path with full speed. He was afraid that Brendel and his men escaped with their successful assault on the Dark Bishop and completely left their area of control within this forest.

If that was the case, their actions were completely wasted, with the result of losing a leader and soldiers.

He did not even think for a moment that Brendel’s plan was to completely wipe out all the Tree Shepherd’s forces.

When he and Hewjil returned to their original point and saw the undisturbed Elven Ruins, they sighed with relief.

The ruins were still being patrolled with a considerable amount of Lizardmen. This meant that Brendel and his men did not reach this place yet—

Perhaps it could be said they had quick reactions to respond to this strange situation.

“Conrad, your plan, this is?” Hewjil’s narrow face seemed to expand menacingly in an instant in front of the mercenary commander. His emerald eyes stared coldly at him: “Many men lost, when this is over, additional payment.”

Conrad snorted coldly in response. He ignored the bastard who was infamous for his cold blooded actions. When did Hewjil gain a heart and cared about his men? It was all a chance for him to fleece Conrad.

[I don’t have time for this. Something is wrong. The Dark Bishop is probably in grave danger, but based on the information, none of us should have any problems to take care of Eke. Did that white-haired bastard lie to me?]

Conrad shook his head as he believed in himself. The white-haired youth did not lie. The Lizardmen scouts confirmed the information. But as he tried to cast out these unknown factors out of his mind, someone else was staring in his direction not far from the ruins.

=========== Brendel POV =============

Brendel’s men hid behind the once-grand Elven walls’ shadows.

Everyone looked at Brendel explained his final plan. Their goal was simple. Deal the first strike and made sure it counts enough to be fatal.

They were just waiting for a chance to them to slip up.