TerrellGarrett
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Psycho Duel Chapter 21: The Scales of Leviathan
🕑 Added 2022-11-11 02:00:12 +0000 UTCBeth fast-forwarded into her Turn 8, thanks to the Chronobite, her Legendary minion. Its effect allowed her play an extra turn, but with the caveat Walt would get to go twice right after. He just hoped he wasn’t dead by that time.
Red healing light from the Hellwell outside drifted up to the second floor of the library, healing her again.
Hellpriest
Health Points: 57
The Hellpriest had turned then, facing the Eldritch Guard and taking her stand. The Chronobite wound across the floor, charging to meet the Eldritch Guard and protect its master.
The Eldritch Guard crossed his black-bladed axes in an X above his head. Sparks flew as the handles scraped against each other and violet forks of lightning shot out from where the axes met, flashing across the library and striking both the Chronobite and the Hellpriest.
It was a devastating area of effect attack that knocked them both backwards for fifteen points of damage. The grotesque head of the Chronobite, the amalgamation of disembodied Timeweaver Monk skulls, opened its jaws and released a scream of pain.
Pages from books were torn from the spines and fluttered in the air, the Hellpriest staggered back, her body shuddering from the shock of violet lightning.
Hellpriest
Healthpoints: 42
The Chronobite’s serpentine body collided into the Eldritch Guard, its jaws closing on his arms. The nether demon prince bellowed and both minions tumbled past Walt, knocking down a row of bookshelves. Axe met the monstrosity’s flesh and claws tore across the prince’s face.
Beth screamed, one hand upraised with a card, and slammed it into the ground.
Off to the side, the Seven-Fingered Ghoul yelled and clutched his head with both hands. He staggered away from the Cleric of Leviathan. “Get out! Get out of my head!”
Walt saw a cold blue aura around him. What had she just done to his minion?
[Examine]
[Paranoia]
Paranoia. Spell. Set: Leviathan’s Lair. Rarity: Rare. Use the dark methods of the Leviathan to stoke fear and distrust in an enemy minion’s mind and heart.
Plant the seeds of fear and paranoia in an enemy minion’s mind, causing it to attack friendly minions. Lasts 1 Turn.
Cost: 4 Vigor Stones
“Oh, shit,” Walt said.
When the Seven-Fingered Ghoul raised his head, his eyes were glazed over with a blue iridescence. He whipped his head down at The Blood Queen on the first floor and sneered. “Pompous bitch, I knew you were conspiring against me!”
“Oh no,” the Blood Queen said.
The paranoid ghoul leapt down onto the first floor, landing a flying punch on the Blood Queen. His seven-fingered fist met her face and she burst into blood droplets. The scarlet beads flew back into Walt’s gauntlet.
“This prince from the Nether Realms mentioned you’re just a drunk, past his cemetery-guarding prime,” Beth said. “And that your martial arts style is dog shit.”
The Seven-Fingered Ghoul looked up at the Hellpriest, his eyes simmering in the blue light. His face darkened even more. “He did, did he? Let’s see what he thinks now!”
And he leapt back up onto the second floor of the library.
The Cleric of Leviathan raised his hand and conjured blue healing flames. He pointed his finger at the Chronobite. The flames of blue healing streamed forth, restoring some of the abomination’s health.
Then it pointed its wand at Walt and shot a charnel bolt at him. The hellish energy hit Walt and rippled across his body. It felt like hundreds of needle pricks spreading across chest, arms and neck.
Voidlock
Health Points: 56
The Seven-Fingered Ghoul drunkenly staggered over to the Eldritch Guard engaged in battle with the Chronobite. When he got in distance, he lashed forward and his seven-fingered fist hit the nether prince in the jaw. The Eldritch Guard’s head bounced off the floor and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
The paranoid ghoul stood over him. “Is the technique of the Seven-Fingered Fist dogshit now?”
The Eldritch Guard’s body morphed into a violet fog that flowed back into Walt’s gauntlet.
“Thank you, my paranoid friend,” Beth said. “But I’m afraid our new alliance has come to an end, as your fear-struck mind will be recovering soon.”
The Seven-Fingered Ghoul looked over at her, confused.
Then the Hellpriest spoke a word in a language that Walt didn’t recognize. A guttural infernal language of dark import. Just speaking it seemed to bring a dark cloud over the entirety of the library.
The Seven-Fingered Ghoul’s eyes brimmed with horror. He froze, and a black shadow surrounded him. He seemed to see and comprehend something that Walt couldn’t see. He reached a hand out, trembling, then released a terrible scream that turned Walt’s blood frigid.
The black cloud consumed him. It swirled there and then disappeared into the shadows.
[Examine]
[Hell Speech: Perish]
Hell Speech: Perish. Spell. Set: Leviathan’s Lair. Rarity: Common. A powerful word of the Leviathan’s native language, Hell Speech. When spoken, expect an impressive display of Leviathan’s power.
Destroy an enemy minion with 7 Attack or more.
Cost: 3 Vigor Stones
Walt’s gauntlet hummed, indicating a deceased minion had returned to the device.
And just like that, Walt’s minions had been wiped off the battleboard.
She pressed her palms together and crimson healing light emerged from between her hands and pulsed through her body, mending her.
Hellpriest
Health Points: 52
“I have to admit,” Beth said, “you’ve surprised me. NPCs usually don’t put up much of a fight. You’ve earned my respect, even though it’s clear that you’ve stumbled across some lucky cards. But it’s time to finish this. No more running out the clock. The outcome is inevitable.”
“There are still cards to play,” Walt said.
Now, it was his turn to utilize the effects of Fast Forward. He would get to play cards both Turns 8 and 9.
Turn 8
Vigor Stones 8/8
How many cards to Draw?
He looked at his hand he still held.
Replicate
Abyssal Blast
Wand of Green Skulls
Upturn the Graves, Again!
Renounce the Grave
Blood Imp
Since he was back at square one, he wasn’t sure what to do. Just drop the hand and draw into his low cost minions? That’s all he had left in the deck. Most of his big guns had been sent to the card graveyard.
But then he realized that Upturn the Graves, Again! was his saving grace. For 10 Vigor Stones, it would summon all his undead minions that had perished on the battleboard. Which would mean minions like The Flesh Golem would be resurrected and thrown back into the grinder.
Which meant The Flesh Golem’s War Whoop effect would destroy all of Beth’s minions when it arrived.
His mind raced. This was clearly the path. Most of his minions that had died were of the Darkened Soul Arts set. So he needed to flood the board with the low cost undead minions from the Necromantic set. This would hopefully draw out Beth’s removal cards. And when these minions died to it, he could turn the tables and resurrect them with Upturn the Graves, Again!
So, Walt discarded everything in his hand except for:
Replicate
Upturn the Graves, Again!
Renounce the Grave
He wanted to hold onto Replicate because it could create three copies off a minion. And Renounce the Grave was the one wild card he felt like he should hold onto.
He noticed that on the gauntlet, his deck was now all Discard Pile. The Discard Pile reshuffled and then went back to the Deck spot. All cards that weren’t in the graveyard had refreshed and were reshuffled.
He drew four new cards:
Soul Fury
Skeletal Hulkbeast
Boots of Nemora
Grave Grunt
So, he played his minions. He flicked the two cards.
The first one turned into an explosion of soil. A stout-green skinned and mole-eyed Grave Grunt appeared, brushing the soil off himself. He wore workman overalls and a baker boy cap, and there was a shovel over one shoulder. He either looked ready to dig some graves or whack people with his shovel.
“Lo, gents,” the Grave Grunt said. Then he saw Beth and tipped his hat. “And lady.”
Two gigantic heads emerged out of the second card, which was spinning so fast it was turning into a portal. An undead, two-headed ogre climbed out of the portal. It looked like it had been skinned, so its musculature and bones were exposed. All in all, it looked like the Necromantic creature had been rubbed raw.
It grunted and one of its head sniffed the air and turned towards the Hellpriest. It snarled, ejecting rancid steam from its mouth.
The Grave Grunt looked at Walt, “What’s the job here, mate?”
Walt nodded at the Hellpriest. “Her.”
“I don’t like hitting ladies,” the Grave Grunt said, “but it looks like she’s had some dark notions.”
“She’s had some extremely dark notions,” Walt said.
The Grave Grunt’s shovel came off his shoulder and he rushed over to Beth, swinging the shovel like a baseball bat. Even though she tried to back out of the way, the edge of the shovel hit her in the neck. It was a nasty whack, drawing blood and bruising her skin.
She gasped and gritted her bloody teeth.
The Cleric of Leviathan aimed his wand at the Grave Grunt. A crimson charnel bolt released from the tip, streaked across the library and hit the Grave Grunt in the back. The stout green man disintegrated and turned to ash. His dusted remains returned to Walt’s gauntlet.
The Skeletal Hulkbeast dropped to all fours and charged. But the Chronobite appeared in front of it and swiped with one of its claws. The attack shattered the hulkbeast’s bone armor. Walt’s minions headbutted the Chronobite with a shatter attack.
The impact rippled through the centipede-like mass, dinging the creature for damage.
Turn 9
Vigor Stone 9/9
How many cards to Draw?
Walt discarded one card to draw four more. His hand was:
Replicate
Upturn the Graves, Again!
Renounce the Grave
Wand of Green Skulls
Gnomesucker
Boots of Nemora
Deadwood Witch
Walt felt himself shifting mentally, as if instead of fighting the current in this duel, he was at least setting into the flow, joining the tide of the cards. The battleboard appeared in his head and he sensed he knew Beth’s next moves.
He could see the road to victory in his head. The cards he was supposed to play flashed when he looked at them. This is what happened when he used to play Mythic. Especially when he was on the Librium. He didn’t know if it was head fucking with him, or if he could just visualize potential moves and their outcomes easier.
This flow state was what he had chased. Trying to replicate it had driven him to ruin.
But it was here now and he would not ignore it.
He gestured and the first card fell to the ground. Autumn leaves and mist filled the air, and from it emerged a young lady in an alewife hat. Bark and dead leaves were woven into her clothing, and she carried a walking stick.
“Greetings! Oh, a young gentlemen!” she said. “How delightful! Have you summoned me for birchroot tea?”
“I wish that were the occasion,” Walt said.
He played the next card. There was a flash of light and suddenly three more copies of the Deadwood Witch materialized in butterfly effect from the woman. Then they spread out, becoming real.
“Hello!”
“Greetings!”
“Good eve to you!”
“Hello you!”
All four of the Deadwood Witches started babbling amongst themselves.
Walt had 3 Vigor Stones left. He could Soultap and have enough stones to equip either the boots or the wand. Even though he still wanted to fly, he knew the wand was the right play.
He Soultapped and winced with the pain. But soon it was over and he had the required Vigor Stones.
Voidlock
Health Points: 45
Walt flicked the card and his hand was suddenly filled with a familiar and reassuring sensation. He was now holding the Wand of Green Skulls.
“Ladies,” Walt said.
All of the Deadwood Witches turned to look at him.
Walt pointed his wand at the Hellpriest.
“Kill her.”
The Deadwood Witches giggled and then they all disappeared into a swirling mist, activating their Stealth ability. The fog rolled out, expanding through the library.
Beth scowled and backed away cautiously, not knowing where they would attack from.
When they de-stealthed, they were holding their bone wands. Shrapnels of bones flew from the wands and pelted Beth, breaking her skin.
Walt fired a flaming green skull that filled the library with heat. It hit Beth. Green flames washed over her.
Hellpriest
Health Points: 24
Now, it was Beth’s turn to play. Her Hellwell activated, healing her a tad.
Health Points: 27
She grimaced, her face looking in fear at the Deadwood Witches, who circled her, giggling, waiting for their wands to go off cooldown. She needed to clear them within the next few seconds.
Meanwhile, the Chronobite was engaged in battle with the Skeletal Hulkbeast.
She drew her hand and frantically scanned her cards.
Another burst of bone shrapnel hit her for another [12 points] of damage. She cried out. The Cleric of Leviathan reacted, sending a boon of blue healing flame her way, restoring her with a burst of healing.
Health Points: 25
She slammed down her first card. Infernos of blue flame spiraled out from where the card hit the ground, spinning into the Deadwood Witches, obliterating them. Another blue inferno whip-sawed into the Skeletal Hulkbeast, setting it aflame.
There was a flash of energy and Beth tilted her head back, exposing herself to the wave of healing. The blue flames flowed into her and she absorbed it all.
Health Points: 37
[Examine]
[Leviathan’s Kiss]
Leviathan’s Kiss. Spell. Set: Leviathan’s Lair. Rarity: Rare. Summon the blue flames of the Leviathan to bring both pain and pleasure.
Deal 5 damage to all enemy minions onboard. If they die, transfer their Health Points to your pool.
Cost: 5 Vigor Stones
Then she played her next card.
Walt was overcome with the feeling of a violation. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something strange was happening. One of the cards in Walt’s hand trembled. Then it whipped through the air towards Beth. It hovered in front of her.
[Examine]
[Intrusion]
Intrusion. Spell. Set: Leviathan’s Lair. Rarity: Common. Penetrate your opponent’s card hand with the psychic powers of Leviathan and randomly make one of the cards your own.
Play a random card from opponent’s hand as your own.
Cost: 3 Vigor Stones
The card in the air darkened and a tendril of energy zapped Beth.
[Examine]
[Renounce the Grave]
She had stolen his Renounce the Grave card. She seized as the card replaced her Hero Ability. Her gauntlet began to glow as the effects of the card shuffled through her deck.
But as she had no Necromantic cards, she was able to keep her cards intact.
However, her pupils dilated and a rim of gold formed around them. Her veins darkened.
Her Hero Ability to heal was replaced with Soultap. It had changed her Hero Ability into that of a Voidlock.
She shrieked in anger.
This meant she couldn’t heal herself. And with 1 Vigor Stone left, that appeared to be her next move. But now she couldn’t do it. Her wail of fury echoed through the library.
The gong sounded.
Turn 10
03:00
Vigor Stones 10/10
How many cards to Draw?
Beth's Hellwell healed her again.
The Chronobite bit one of the head’s off Walt’s Skeletal Hulkbeast. Blood spurted out of the wound. Its life poured out of it. It faded and the body disappeared out from underneath the Chronobite and Walt’s gauntlet hummed.
Walt fired another green skull from his wand at Beth, dinging her for damage. He smiled. “You should have conceded when I gave you the chance.”
He grabbed one of the cards out of the air and spun it towards her. It disappeared. For a moment there was silence.
And then the library floor trembled and part of it burst open like an exploding coffin.
A rush of wind came out of the hole and when Walt gazed in, he saw the gray realm of the Card Graveyard. The spirits and phantoms of fallen minions swirled within the staticky atmosphere. But a rush of them were heading straight at him.
From the torn floor, Walt’s revived minions re-entered the battleboard.
The Zombie. The Grave Grunt. The Deadwood Witch. The Skeletal Hulkbeast. The 7-Fingered Ghoul. And The Flesh Golem.
They came after the Hellpriest, seeking revenge. The Sketal Hulkbeast headbutted the Chronobite with both of its heads, crushing its oversized skull. The abomination died, turning to ash.
The Flesh Golem’s rubber arm expanded across the library and punched her. She bounced off a wall. The zombie bit her. The Seven-Fingered Ghoul leapt and hammered her with its seven-fingered fist. Her head rattled.
Health Points: 9
Beth weakly held a card up before anything else could happen. It twirled above her head and then encased her in a bubble of blue flame. It hardened into translucent, silvery scales.
[Examine]
[Leviathan’s Scales]
Unholy Shield. Spell. Set: Leviathan’s Lair Rarity: Epic. Call forth the protective scales of Leviathan to save you from death.
An unholy shield of Leviathan’s scales to protect you from all attacks for 1 Turn.
Cost: 10 Vigor Stones
The gong sounded.
Turn 11
03:00
Vigor Stones 10/10
How may cards to Draw?
Beth looked at the dwindling options in her deck, her eyes darting back and forth. Looking for any way to regain control of the battleboard and get out of this. But with her most powerful minions in the card graveyard with no way to revive them, there was no way out.
Walt’s minions wailed on her shield. She looked up from her gauntlet, defiance on her face.
“I accept my place in the Leviathan’s Lair with honor!”
And then she Soultapped, killing herself.
Comments
I'm glad! Thank you for your support. Aiming to post the next chapter tonight.
Nord
I am enjoying this story a lot.
There's some good stuff. I think the interesting part will be seeing what kind of deck he can build now
Brandon Baier
Will be interesting to see what he can harvest from her deck
