Chapter 20
The card game called Swat is a commonly seen trading card game, often referred to as TCG. It was a game where players built their own decks according to set rules and battled against opponents. In the Tactical Combat universe, it was widely known as a highly aristocratic game.
Of course, since nobles led most cultural trends, it was no surprise that commoners of all ages and genders also enjoyed the game.
Swat was played on a magic-infused table where players used their constructed decks to battle opponents, and it could be enjoyed by up to four people.
The game’s motif was, of course, combat using Colossal Mechs. It was a simple game where players used various types of Colossal Mech cards, support technique cards, and equipment cards to deplete the opponent’s mobility limit, or life points, to win.
The game was quite sophisticated, blending strategic elements like disarming the opponent’s equipment cards or defending with counter-type techniques, along with a mix of luck and number-crunching.
In the real world, the craze for this mini-game was so intense that the developers of Tactical Combat released Swat as a standalone game, which became a massive hit.
And even South Korea, the land of duelists, couldn’t escape its influence.
– “What’s the problem?”
– “What about you? Wanna duel?”
Conversations like this erupted in communities, showing how the game became a global sensation, not just in Korea.
Gilbert was also one of those who deeply delved into Swat as a mini-game. One of Tactical Combat’s achievements was becoming a Swat champion, so at one point, Gilbert was obsessed with Swat to the point where his confidence as the ruler of the Wild Rose seemed almost cute.
“Do you have your deck with you?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring it today.”
“Good. Playing on equal terms can be fun too. It’ll make it clear who’s superior.”
The ruler was pleased to settle the match purely based on strategic skill, excluding any card advantage. He couldn’t shake the thought of finally catching a sucker, partly due to his confidence in his own skills but also because of the information he had about Gilbert.
It was common knowledge that Gilbert frequently appeared in Swat gambling dens in Lithuania. And that day happened to be when gamblers drank heavily.
The ruler felt good, thinking he might gain more profit from this than the gold he received for the information.
But he didn’t know.
He didn’t know that the Gilbert who lost all his bets and caused chaos in the gambling dens had transformed into Kang Do-jun, a man from the land of duels, and that Kang Do-jun had achieved the Swat champion title, an achievement only a few in Tactical Combat had accomplished.
Nor did he know that Kang Do-jun was the world champion of the standalone Swat game.
***
“This… this is…”
The official Swat battle rules adopted a best-of-three format.
Typically, a deck for one game consisted of 40 cards, with an additional 20-card support deck, making a total of 60 cards for the game.
After each game, players could use the support deck to modify and strengthen their main deck, adding strategic depth. However, some gambling dens often settled matches in a single game.
The ruler of the Wild Rose, being a former Swat master, engaged in the battle with Gilbert under official rules.
He was concerned that a single-game match might lead to the opponent refusing to accept defeat and causing a scene, but he also wanted to show Gilbert, who boldly challenged him to a Swat battle, what he was made of.
However, when he lost the first match, he realized something was off.
He had deployed his usual heavy-armored Colossal Mech strategy but was swiftly defeated by Gilbert’s light-armored Colossal Mech, which exploited his weak points.
Gilbert, who had laughed at his plan for a prolonged battle, quickly disarmed all his equipment, leading to a mobility limit defeat.
As a Swat master, losing so miserably, he gritted his teeth and prepared countermeasures against light-armored Colossal Mechs in his support deck. He noticed Gilbert enjoyed fast card deployment and aimed to compensate for that.
“Was I too careless in the first game?”
Clicking his tongue, the ruler sharpened his focus and glared at Gilbert, who was calmly reinforcing his cards. If he lost here, not only would he lose the dragon fruit worth over 100 gold, but his reputation as a former Swat master would also be tarnished.
“Ready?”
“Shall we start the next match?”
“Then… duel!”
“I’ve been curious, what does that even mean?”
“It’s a kind of blessing. A declaration that I won’t lose.”
“A blessing to never lose… But this time, I don’t plan to lose either.”
The game began, and the mobility limit indicator appeared on the table, signaling the start of the battle.
The ruler smiled inwardly as he looked at his initial hand. He had drawn the Colossal Mech card he wanted and the necessary equipment cards. He deployed the Colossal Mech card on the field, placed the equipment cards, and ended his turn.
The opponent also drew cards, deployed a barrier-type environment card, flipped a few cards, and ended their turn. Wondering if it was a trap card, the ruler drew a card.
“I didn’t expect to get this so early.”
The card he drew was a defense equipment card for heavy-armored Colossal Mechs. In the first game, he lost because he didn’t draw this card, but with it in hand, it would be difficult for light-armored Colossal Mechs to break through.
The counter to heavy-armored Colossal Mechs was a swift victory using light-armored ones, but once fully equipped, breaking through heavy-armored Colossal Mechs was challenging.
Only a firepower-focused Colossal Mech could do it, but such cards were rare and not present in the decks they had prepared.
Suppressing a smirk, he destroyed the opponent’s environment card first and ended his turn.
“Do you know, ruler?”
“Know what?”
“The dream every Swat player has.”
“You mean turning a losing situation around with a single card draw… That’s just the delusional talk of gamblers betting their lives in gambling dens.”
The ruler mocked Gilbert, who had frequented gambling dens, but Gilbert’s expression remained unchanged. He seemed confident in the cards he had set, but the ruler’s deck had no cards to turn the situation around.
After all, Swat was a game based on operating Colossal Mechs. Just like in real wars, once the tide turned, it was hard to reverse in Swat.
“True. It’s just the desperate prayers of gamblers. But.”
Gilbert’s red eyes gleamed. The ruler couldn’t shake the ominous feeling those eyes gave him.
“Everything is part of the plan, and if the final piece falls into place, shaking the situation isn’t impossible.”
The ruler’s ominous thoughts accelerated. He quickly reviewed his deck’s composition to see if there was a way to break the current situation. If Gilbert wasn’t a Swat player focused on quick victories, there might have been a way. Under the assumption that everything would go as planned, there was one possible method.
The ruler’s eyes involuntarily moved to Gilbert’s hand, which hadn’t drawn a card yet.
“I’ll bet everything on this card.”
Gilbert uttered a phrase that had become a meme in the real world as he drew a card from his deck.
The corner of his mouth, which had been expressionless until now, slightly lifted.
It was nothing short of a magical spell.
***
Leaving the bewildered ruler behind, Gilbert left the Wild Rose building with light steps. As per his original plan, he held the dragon fruit in his hand. He wanted to devour it immediately to boost his stats, but it was better to consume it after obtaining the Lion King’s Mana Meditation Technique.
Eating the dragon fruit with only the basic meditation technique would not only waste its efficiency but also risk missing out on an important skill. It didn’t fit the combination formula.
Basically, consumable items that boost Mana Ability Stats could only be used once. The in-game explanation was that Mana resistance would develop, preventing further stat boosts, but it was actually a developer’s measure to prevent item-induced stat inflation.
In this now-real world, it was unclear if the combination formula would work, but “what if” was a phrase used for such situations. If he later found out the formula worked, he might regret it deeply.
He couldn’t risk wasting the hard-earned 100-gold dragon fruit due to a wrong sequence. Even if he tried to obtain it again, it would be meaningless once Mana resistance developed.
Carefully storing the dragon fruit, he exited the back alleys. He thought not much time had passed, but judging by the sun’s position, it was already nearing noon.
Gilbert stopped by a nearby restaurant for a light lunch before leaving the Obitus Territory. The only thing left to do here was to obtain the Lion King’s Mana Meditation Technique.
