Oil lamps flickered throughout the village, casting dancing shadows along weathered planked streets. The distant lighthouse on the islet pulsed every few seconds, its light slicing through the dark night. A cool breeze carried the scent of salt and damp wood, mingling with the quiet murmur of the waves.

  With nightfall, the village found a new rhythm. The old lady mending fishing nets had vanished, her place taken by fishermen hauling in their late-day catch. Meanwhile, others readied their boats to venture into the night, drawn by the promise of nocturnal fish. For such a small town, it buzzed with unexpected energy.

  So they do different things depending on what time of day it is. Do they ever sleep? Deckard mused, his eyes scanning the busy NPCs. And what about the days? Is there a difference between Mondays and Tuesdays here? Could there be hidden events I’m missing?

  Questions like these had been swirling in Deckard’s mind ever since he entered AstroTerra. Back in Nova Cardia, his concerns had always been about cards: what his opponent had or his chances of drawing the one he needed for a game-winning combo. But here, the variables were countless, and he found himself lost in the intricacies of this virtual world.

  Though he still had much to learn, his first gaming session wasn’t going too badly. Four level-ups in one afternoon and his first chain quest completed—that was solid progress. But the more he learned about this world, the more curious he became.

  As he wandered the village, Deckard caught sight of the coconut-crazed NPC from earlier. His behavior had shifted with the setting sun. Now, he scurried from lamp to lamp, carefully inspecting each one.

  Let’s see if there’s more to this guy, he thought, stepping closer.

  “How goes the work, Mr. Jone?” Deckard asked.

  “Work go fine, work go fine,” the old man muttered absent-mindedly as he uncorked a lamp and poured in a thick, glowing liquid. A sweet scent wafted up, making Deckard’s nose twitch.

  “That’s coconut oil, isn’t it?” Deckard asked, raising an eyebrow.

  The old man turned with a pleased expression. “Oh yes, yes. You smart one, eh?”

  “I didn’t realize you could use it for lamps,” Deckard said, intrigued.

  The old man chuckled. “Oh, plenty good, burn bright, long time too. And smell nice, no?”

  “How many coconuts do you need to light a lamp?”

  “One coconut good for one lamp burn all night,” Jone answered.

  Deckard glanced at the nearby palm trees, comparing the number of lamps in town with the number of trees. “There aren’t nearly enough coconuts here to keep these lamps going.”

  The old man sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Ah, true, true. Not ‘nuff coconut here. But beastie outside... too much danger for ol’ man like me go far.”

  Sensing an opportunity, Deckard leaned in. “Maybe I could help you gather them?”

  Jone’s eyes brightened, his smile widening as he appraised Deckard. “You help ol’ Jone? Ohh, that good. Bring 200 coconut, eh? That make plenty oil.”

  Quest Unlocked: [Coconut Oil Crisis].

  Coconut Oil Crisis (Common)

  Keeping the lights on at night keeps the mutated beasts away. Old man Jone is in charge of maintaining the village’s lights, but his stock of coconut oil is dwindling. He asks for your help in replenishing it.

  Quest objectives: Harvest 200 coconuts.

  Deckard grinned as the notification popped up. Not bad, he thought. Without a guide, he had managed to unlock another quest on his own. He was starting to get the hang of this game.

  With his spirits lifted, Deckard decided to try triggering another quest with the nearby fishermen. He approached a few as they walked through town, their faces weathered and worn from a day at sea.

  “Long day, huh?” Deckard ventured, but the men waved him off.

  “Need sleep, man,” one of them grunted, eyes half-closed. “Talk later.”

  Deckard wasn’t bothered. They’ll warm up eventually, he thought. Given time, he was certain he’d unlock quests from them, too.

  Deckard weaved through the maze of rope bridges and stilted huts until he reached the pier—where the largest crowd of players he’d seen so far had gathered. Around thirty people milled about, a massive crowd compared to the occasional solo noob he’d bumped into before. Players hawked wares from makeshift stalls with the enthusiasm of seasoned street vendors. Others huddled in tight-knit groups, strategizing for a party hunt.

  “Going out to hunt the Sea Ghoul! Looking for a fifth player!” a voice rang out.

  “[Seagull Feathers] and [Crab Meat] for sale!” barked another.

  What truly stopped Deckard in his tracks, though, was a familiar, annoying voice.

  “Legendary skill card for sale!”

  Deckard’s eyes locked onto the cheeky 12-year-old he’d met near Jone’s cabin earlier. He chuckled under his breath. It’s baldy again. Legendary? He’s gotta be kidding. Curiosity got the better of him, and he wandered over to the kid’s stall. Mismatched items were haphazardly displayed in front of the boy, but Deckard’s attention zeroed in on a single card lying among the clutter.

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  Charged Slash (Common)

  Focus your energy into one powerful blow.

  Effect: Active. Charge for three seconds to deal a 200% critical strike.

  After hours of exploring, he’d finally found a card! Deckard’s fingers itched with anticipation. He recalled reading that cards could be used to learn skills in AstroTerra or play Terralore. But how can I check what this card does in Terralore?

  “Interested in my treasure?” the kid chimed in, a smirk plastered on his face.

  “Treasure?” Deckard scoffed. “That’s a stretch. More like false advertising.”

  Unfazed, the kid grinned wider. “Yet here you are, standing at my stall instead of anyone else’s, eh, grumpy grandpa?”

  Deckard chuckled despite himself. “Fair point. How much?”

  “Two silver,” the boy replied, his smirk growing.

  Deckard frowned. He didn’t have that kind of cash. As if sensing the lost sale, the kid swiftly turned to other potential buyers, continuing to hawk his wares without so much as a second glance at Deckard.

  Deckard toggled through his menu, eyes fixed on the card, searching for any option he might’ve missed. Why can’t I see this card’s stats for Terralore? Maybe what I read online was right... you only unlock Terralore features in the mid-tier cities. Maybe I need to be inside a gaming parlor to view its hidden effects.

  While Deckard continued to ponder, the crowd began drifting away from the pier, their numbers flowing back up into the village. Even the boy packed up his stall and followed suit.

  Where’s everyone going? Deckard wondered.

  Driven by curiosity, he followed the growing tide of players into the heart of the village. They moved with purpose, converging on a house near the center. He recognized it instantly—the huge swordfish trophy mounted above the door stood out against the dark wood of the building. Earlier, this place had been locked tight, but now its windows glowed with warm light, the sounds of voices and clinking mugs spilling into the street.

  Inside, Deckard found what could only loosely be called a bar. Wooden barrels served as tables, clustered with fishermen discussing the day’s catch over mugs of rum. The old lady who had been mending nets earlier was now playing the role of bartender, serving up drinks and small plates of food. But the real action wasn’t at the bar—it was around one of the crowded tables where players jostled for a spot, their eyes glued to something that had everyone’s attention.

  Deckard elbowed his way through the sea of bodies, craning his neck to see what was happening. When he finally caught sight of the center of attention, his jaw dropped. Two NPCs—fishermen—were playing Terralore.

  “—once you reach the city.”

  “That’s what I heard, too.”

  “Can’t find it in any guide…”

  Snippets of conversation from the other players confirmed what Deckard had read while preparing to join the game. Terralore wasn’t supposed to be playable in beginner villages. Yet here, in this tiny backwater village, two NPCs were locked in a game. What was going on?

  Deckard focused on the holographic board, which was set on top of a large wooden barrel. A hologram of a wall shaped like an “H” separated the board into four squares. On each player’s left side was the projection of a castle with floating numbers above it. The older fisherman, a grizzled man with a thick beard, had a pristine castle showing a shimmering “10.” His opponent, a younger man with a buzz cut, had a castle falling apart, with a “1.”

  On both sides of the field, holograms of creatures stood ready for battle, with numbers hovering above them. Numbers also appeared on each lane, representing the total power on that side—but what those numbers meant depended on which lane the creatures occupied. A painted shield marked the left side before each castle, while a sword adorned the right. The left lane was for defending one’s castle; the right, for attacking the opponent’s.

  Deckard inspected the fishermen.

  Ratu, the Fisherman

  Level: 20

  Koli, the Fisherman

  Level: 20

  “Come, Koli, I waitin’,” Ratu taunted, his grin wide, showing missing teeth.

  “Agh... You give me bad card, eh? Now you rush me too?” Koli complained, wiping sweat from his brow.

  “The time run quick. I tell you, win this game, all me card be yours.”

  While Koli sweated, Deckard’s trained eye scanned the whole field. Koli’s defending lane was packed with Ratu’s attacking creatures. The number over the castles was clearly the players’ health points HP, and the numbers over the creatures indicated their power. Things didn’t look good for Koli. He had only 1 HP left, and his creatures were outnumbered and outmatched. On the other lane, Ratu’s castle remained untouched. Koli was being forced to play defensively.

  Koli finally made his move, reluctantly discarding two cards and playing two new ones face-down. Ratu mirrored his actions, discarding three cards and placing one face-down. The moment the cards hit the table, a pulse of light rippled between them, locking the cards in place. Koli’s cards flipped first.

  Sturdy Turtle ??

  Rarity: Common

  Type: Creature

  Affinity: ??

  Cost: 1

  Points: 0

  Effects: +2 if on defending lane.

  Healing Ray ?

  Rarity: Common

  Type: Skill

  Affinity: ?

  Cost: 1

  Effects: Heals 2.

  “A green turtle materialized on Koli’s defending lane, boosting his lane total from 4 to 6—just enough to match Ratu’s current attack power.” Additionally, a ray of light bathed his crumbling castle, healing it by 2 HP. Koli sighed in relief.

  That was until Ratu’s card was revealed.

  Turtle Mother ??

  Rarity: Rare

  Type: Creature

  Affinity: ??

  Cost: 3

  Points: 2

  Effects: Moves all enemy creatures played here this turn into the other lane.

  A massive, terrifying turtle appeared on the field, roaring like a dinosaur. Koli’s weaker creature was forced into the attacking lane, nullifying its defensive power. Ratu’s attack points surged, and points on each lane were compared. Koli’s last HP vanished.

  “Ha! No chance, boy,” Ratu cackled as Koli’s castle crumbled into pixels. “Haha! Me win again!” Ratu’s laughter echoed around the room, loud and smug. Koli cursed under his breath and stormed away from the table, leaving Ratu basking in victory. “I can beat anyone! Anyone!” His eyes scanned the crowd before locking on Deckard. “You!”

  Deckard blinked, startled. “Uh? Me?” Why was this NPC singling him out?

  “You next, eh? You play me,” Ratu declared, rising from his seat, his eyes gleaming.

  “I don’t even have a deck,” Deckard protested, self-conscious from all the stares directed at him.

  Ratu grinned, showing off his crooked teeth. He stood up, gathered all the cards that Koli had been playing with, and handed them over to Deckard. “You use these. Tell you what... You win, all my cards be yours. What you say, foreigner?”

  You’ve unlocked a secret quest: [Against the Odds]

  Against the Odds (Rare)

  Ratu has mysteriously stumbled upon a deck and is flaunting it to everyone in town. He challenges you to a game—win, and all his cards are yours.

  Quest objectives: Beat Ratu.

  You’ve received a quest item: [The Worst Deck Ever].

  Deckard stood there, holding the cards and wondering what the catch was. Why had he been randomly selected to play Terralore in a village where the game shouldn’t even exist? He retraced his steps through the day, pondering what might have triggered this unusual situation. Whatever the reason, he just had too much to win from this. He nodded at Ratu, determination settling in.

  “I accept your challenge,” Deckard said, locking eyes with the old fisherman.

  “Hahaha! Let’s do this, then, foreigner.”

  “Can I have a moment to study my deck?”

  Ratu spat, grinning. “It not yours yet, foreigner. But sure, take your time.”

  Deckard opened his inventory and scanned the cards. The deck’s name—[The Worst Deck Ever]—didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Still, he braced himself for whatever came next.

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