Elix got up from his seat and walked over to where his father stood holding the cellar door open. As he approached, he remembered the times he had wondered what was down there. He recalled that he had never seen the door open and that his father had told him it was dangerous due to it being full of out-of-commission farming tools. In the dead of night, when Elix was ten years old, he remembered hearing strange noises coming from behind the door.

  “I thought it was just old junk down there. Why would you want to go to the cellar? Well, I guess nothing else makes sense right now, so yeah, lead the way.” Elix said to his father.

  Elix followed his father down the rough stone steps that led to the cellar. Torches on the wall automatically sprang to life with orange flames as they passed them. The further they went, the more Elix noticed the rough stone walls becoming smooth and black. The uneven stone stairs transformed into a polished black surface. The air grew cool, and rather than feeling stifled, Elix was surprised to feel the opposite.

  They came to a corridor, and at its end was an odd-looking door. As they approached, Elix noticed it was made from some kind of emerald green rock and accented with silver metal.

  “So, Elix, bet you didn't expect your old man to have a cool man cave down here, did you?”

  Gildamire pulled out a card from his inventory and held it up to a torch on the wall. It glistened with the same green shimmer as the door, and a key was displayed on its face.

  “This door is made from Hildernite, a rare resource only obtainable through looting a specific type of monster in the uttermost north of the world. It’s hard to get as it doesn’t spawn often, but it’s worth it. Go ahead—use Unveil on it.”

  He held the card in the palm of his hand in front of Elix with a large grin.

  “Unveil,” said Elix.

  Immediately after Elix spoke, an M.i box appeared above the key:

  Hildernite Key

  Type - Modified Item, Level - 55, Description:

  Made by combining Hildernite ore cards with the craft key card, this key has taken on the properties of Hildernite—a rare stone that possesses a memory. Once this key is used on a Hildernite door, the only way to open or lock that door will be with this key.

  “Hey, this is a level 55 item—you can’t use this!” Exclaimed Elix.

  “Okay, I guess I can let you use Unveil on me. All these years, I never did let you see my true level. Go on, I won’t block it this time.” Laughed Gildamire.

  “Unveil,” spoke Elix again, this time looking at his father.

  An M.i box appeared, and what Elix saw made him do a double take:

  Name: Gildamire Greenacre - Manifestation Type: A manifestation cast by the card ‘Manifestation.’ When cast, the user can manifest a version of themselves for a set period of time. The duration depends on mana level when the manifestation is created. Manifestations cannot partake in combat, and all skills and abilities remain with the main being.

  Elix took a step back, wide-eyed.

  “What the hell is this? A manifestation? That’s insane! When? How?”

  “Let’s cover this quickly as I don’t have much time left. I have already set out on my journey since it’s so urgent. I left this manifestation here because I still have some things to explain and want to give you a good start on your path. Long story short, I’m not just the ruggedly handsome, charismatic farmer you have known. I had quite a name for myself as a Cardmancer—but that’s a whole other long story… that you will find out in time. And yes, my level is higher than you imagined and next time we meet in person I am sure you will get the chance to see it in person” Gildamire smiled and activated the Hildernite Key card. There was a flash of light and a key appeared in his hands.

  "Now follow me, and I will tell you what you need to hear before my manifestation disperses.”

  “So all this time you were some badass, high-level Cardmancer with awesome skills? Why did you hide it? This is the coolest thing I have ever seen! You sly old git, I can’t believe you kept this secret,” laughed Elix.

  Maybe I should be angry, he thought, but the fact that my father is so cool overshadows any anger I feel.

  “Well, I had good reason to keep it from you,” replied Gildamire as they entered the room beyond the Hildernite door.

  As they stepped into the room, torches sprang to life, evenly spaced around the circular space. Elix couldn’t contain his grin.

  “This is awesome,” he exclaimed, filled with wonder and astonishment.

  The room was circular, and various things immediately caught his eye. Shelves crammed with books lined the walls. A table lay cluttered with cards in disarray. But what captivated Elix the most was a sleek black halberd resting on a table in the center of the room.

  Gildamire walked around, touching various objects as if searching for something. Meanwhile, Elix went straight to the halberd—books didn’t interest him. The metal was flawless, and he felt drawn to it, like a child when told not to touch something. He was awestruck by its sleek design and could tell it was no ordinary weapon.

  “It’s beyond your current level. It’s beautiful, right? That was my first weapon. I got it a long time ago from my first mentor when I wasn’t much older than you. It’s a part of me that I’ve always taken great care of—and now it’s yours.” said Gildamire while staring at the weapon, seeming to be deep in the memories of previous battles.

  Gildamire’s manifestation placed a hand on Elix’s shoulder, the torches casting light onto his proud face.

  “Are you serious? This is the greatest thing you’ve ever given me—a freaking halberd card! It looks so cool,” said Elix, staring at his new halberd in awe.

  “I felt the same when it was given to me. It served me well in my lower-levels, I will return it to card form and you may take it as your own. All those days practicing with your wooden staff don’t seem pointless now.” Laughed Gildamire

  "Now let’s get down to it—what happens next. Where I’m going and what I’ll be doing is far too dangerous for someone of your level right now. Don’t look disappointed son, said Gildmire as he looked Elix in the eyes.

  I want you to go with Mr. Bastin. Get stronger, hone your skills by learning Cardmancing, and gain experience and knowledge of the way the world is outside our safe home. Keep your own mind—if you believe something to be wrong, then do something about it. Mr. Bastin is part of a legacy guild, and their practices can sometimes forgo doing the right thing, if it will benefit the guild or his standing within it.”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Gildamire placed his hand on Elix’s shoulder again. He was proud—not because his son was powerful (which he wasn’t), but because he could sense the good in him.

  “If you want to keep up with your old man and surpass me one day, you’ll need to level up and meet me at Gravenetch City. When you reach it, I will tell you what you need to know about the world and what I have been doing. Until then, explore, learn, and level up.”

  Elix half-smiled, his eyes a little watery, but he held it together. He had never heard his father say he was proud of him before but he felt that it was the case at this moment. Hearing how his father considered him a good person stirred up feelings of pride within Elix. For years, his father had told him stories of heroes overcoming adversity, freeing the oppressed, and even making hard choices. He couldn’t help feeling that it had all been to shape his very consciousness into making the right decisions.

  “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate you saying that you trust my judgment. I'll never let someone tell me what's right and wrong, and you know I'm going to catch up to you. I wish I was going with you on your journey, but I understand that I need to get stronger. I don't want to slow you down. Can you tell me anything about what my lineage abilities are? You know that I can’t level up, right?” sighed Elix with a disappointed face.

  “Well, I have already left, remember,” laughed Gildamire. “I can’t give any advice about your lineage as I do not know what it is. When the last member of a bloodline dies, their lineage ability will appear at a random point in the future with a new person. As for leveling up, don't worry about it. I believe that your lineage plays a part in why you don’t level up in the traditional sense. Try your best to train hard and learn as much as you can, and the rest will work itself out.” Gildamire was reassuring and calm.

  Gildamire pointed at the jumbled cards on the table. “Now, let's get you kitted out for your journey.”

  Elix grinned. “More cool stuff! Best day ever! But seriously, I feel guilty that you are giving me all these things.”

  “It’s not much, if I'm honest. Over the years, most of my best cards have been sold off or traded, but I knew this day would come, so I saved some of my most useful ones for you.”

  Gildamire walked over to the table with the cards on it and picked them up. Walking back to the middle table where Elix stood, he placed his hand over the halberd, which returned to card form. He added the card to the bottom of the pile, then took the top card and held it up.

  Something stirred inside Elix’s shirt pocket. The mention of cards seemed to have piqued Lef’s interest, as the small creature poked its head above the pocket and looked hungrily at the cards.

  “Sorry, Lef, these are not food.”

  Elix laughed as Lef looked up with an uninterested expression and proceeded to curl back up into his pocket.

  “The first card is this,” exclaimed Gildamire.

  Elix used Unveil, and an M.i box appeared above the card:

  Card Name: Swift Dagger Requirements: Level 5 Description: This sturdy dagger is not for cutting turkey… No, it’s for slicing and dicing your enemy. Watch your fingers! *+5 Agility + chance of ‘Bleed’ Rarity: Common

  “Hey, Dad, I read the description, and everything makes sense except for one part. It's the +Bleed—what does that mean?”

  “It means that you have a chance to cause ‘Bleed’ on your opponent, which is a passive damage skill. Depending on your level, you will have a higher chance to land it. The M.i will explain it when the time comes when you achieve Bleed on an enemy. Let's move on to the next card.”

  Gildamire held up the next card, and once again, an M.i box appeared above it:

  Card Name: Guiding Light Requirements: Level 5 - Description: When the user equips this card, any weapon they have equipped will provide light, illuminating dark places. *+5 Wisdom Rarity: Common

  Gildamire went through all the cards, which consisted of a variety of useful tools to help Elix on his journey. There was a card for a small tent, a card called Flint to make fires, five glass potion bottle cards, and lastly, one particular card that seemed different from the others. Gildamire had saved this card until last, which made Elix think it would be something special.

  Card Name: Recall Requirements: Level 10 Description: When the user equips this card, recall any weapon within a 100-meter radius—never get caught lacking again. *+5 Wisdom Rarity: Rare

  “These are awesome. They will definitely come in handy,” grinned Elix.

  Elix placed his hand onto the pile of cards on the table. A subtle blue glow appeared around them, and a new M.i box materialized:

  M.i: Do you wish to add these cards to your card inventory? Yes/No

  Elix selected Yes, and the cards faded away from under his hand.

  “You’re welcome, kid. I'm sure you will put them to good use. Now let’s talk about class selection and what kind of Cardmancer you should be. It can be daunting figuring out where to allocate stat points and what kind of cards to choose to improve your fighting style. As you have seen, there are cards that are Magical Interface Beings (MIB cards for short) that allow a Cardmancer to summon beings to do their bidding. I'd like to get your opinion on this type of card magic.”

  “I'm not sure how exactly it works, but when I saw Ren summon the elf girl, I was curious about it—because when he told her to do something, she did it. Is that how it works?” asked Elix.

  Gildamire’s face turned cold.

  “Yes, I guess that is a simple way of explaining it. Basically, a MIB is not aware of their actions and does exactly what the Cardmancer requires of them. Once a MIB returns to card form, they have no memories of the time they spent activated. Like you saw, they can be utilized to fight for their Cardmancer.”

  Elix could tell from his father’s voice that this was something that bothered him.

  “I guess if they have no memories, it's not too bad, but I do feel a little sad for them that they have no free will and can’t make their own choices,” answered Elix.

  “I share the sentiment. I want you to rely on your own abilities and not fall into the habit of relying solely on card magic to fix every problem. Your own skills and levels matter and will make the difference in the end. There are many who have made a name for themselves by making others, including MIBs, do their work for them. I am sure you will discover these things for yourself, but I just wanted to make sure that you start on the right path.” Gildamire smiled and ruffled Elix’s hair.

  “If it helps, my build is agility. Most halberd users focus on strength as a primary stat, but for me, agility worked much better. My advice is to focus your efforts there, and I am sure you will become strong.”

  The lights dimmed in the small basement room, and Gildamire turned his back on Elix.

  “My time is almost up. Mr. Bastin will be waiting for you on the edge of the village. Forge your own path, always follow your conscience, and get stronger. I already know that you will do great things—I believe in you, son.”

  Gildamire began to fade. His form became translucent, and as he turned his back, he gave a thumbs-up before vanishing.

  Elix now stood alone in the room, taking in all that he had just learned. One thing was for sure—he was going to make his father proud and get stronger.

  He gave the room one last look and left through the green door. Walking through his home, he took in the place, thinking excitedly about the journey ahead. When he reached the hallway, there was an old cloak hanging up with a pair of sturdy boots below it. He wrapped the cloak around his shoulders and slipped on the old but comfortable boots.

  He was ready—ready to strike out on his adventure.