Reborn in The Legendary Mechanic

Five long days. A whole little eternity on this rotten piece of scrap metal and decay. Each second dragged on like tar on a freezing night. I spent it alone, hidden from view, absorbed in studying and testing new technologies.

The mini teleporter was more convenient than I expected. A device that worked faster than thought could be a decisive factor in a critical situation. The contour shield also surprised me - its power would save my life, perhaps more than once. And the molecular fabrictor... This machine was a true miracle. Generating the necessary things from raw materials, it could provide resources even in the most desperate circumstances.

Weapons, artifacts, ancient mechanisms - all of these were now part of my arsenal. My advantage. Each item held the potential to change the course of events.

I avoided encounters, especially with those who might ask unnecessary questions. Especially those who might blab. The Tinos mercenaries will never find out where I was. A little deception to hide the truth was necessary. The flight, which I had spoken of as a week journey, in reality took less than half that time. It gave me a much-needed respite to complete matters that must not fall into the ears of others.

When the last sample was examined and all the devices were packed away, I felt lightheaded for the first time in a long time. It was done. Finished. Now all that was left was to leave.

My ship stood on a platform, amidst endless metal mazes. The air was still thick with the stench of decay, mixed with the chemical stench of the lower levels. I looked up at the dome of the station-a dirty, haze-covered sky, through which the light of a distant star barely broke through.

- I hope I never come back here again, - I muttered, though I realized that life rarely allowed me to fulfill such hopes.

The airlock closed behind me, finally isolating me from the filth and decay of this place. As the Eridian's gravity engines kicked in and the station's flimsy structures began to disappear behind a dense layer of clouds, I felt faint relief.

But the heaviness of the thoughts remained. All that I had done, all that I had gained, and all that I was becoming..... These reflections would not let go. Omeos-9 was behind me, but it left invisible scars on me. Smoldering inside.

***

Tinos greeted me with the same sight. Scorched platforms, creaking announcement screens, a motley crowd hurrying about their business. But for me, the station was no longer the same. I was different now. What I brought with me and those who waited for me heralded a new beginning.

The mercenaries I had arranged with were already waiting for me in the shadows of the repair hangar. Garth and Rickard looked as confident as ever.

- So, how was your one-weel march? - grinned Lip, one of Rickard's men.

- It could have been worse, - I replied briefly, glancing down at my boots as if the truth might be hidden there.

As groups of their fighters began to emerge from the hangar, I noticed Garth's attention sliding over my figure until it stopped at my belt. Drach'nyen.

- What the hell kind of toy is that? - He asked, not hiding his curiosity.

Rikard stepped closer, his eyes sparkling with interest.

- You flew halfway across the galaxy for that thing?

- That's exactly what I flew halfway across the galaxy for, - I replied calmly, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword.

Garth grinned, looking at the blade:

- I hope it was worth it.

- Believe me, it was worth it, - I replied firmly, not averting my gaze.

Inside, I felt his presence again. Despite the horrifying vision that haunted me every time I remembered that moment, the blade looked incredible. The black chains with which it was entangled seemed to restrain something unbridled, and the runes on the blade glowed with a subtle, unsettling radiance. But something about it, this monster of steel and darkness, inspired calm. It was as if it were saying to me, "I am with you."

Rikard squinted, as if he wanted to ask more, but Garth beat him to it:

- All right, let's leave it at that. If you're going to lead us on a quest, it has to be worthwhile.

- Worth it, - I confirmed briefly.

My gaze slid to their men watching us from a distance. They didn't know what lay ahead. 

Frankly, neither did I. 

As I led the mercenaries through the Eridian gangway, their reaction was immediate and quite telling. Garth, the first to step aboard, froze a half-step. His gaze, initially calm, was immediately filled with suspicion and distrust as he glided along the perfectly smooth walls of the corridor. The light, soft and even, hid no detail, and the ship itself exuded a sense of perfect cleanliness and unaccustomed sterility. Garth could hardly hide the tension. Rickard walked beside him, less emotional but no less attentive. He squinted, his eyes roving the walls, ceiling, and floor, assessing the level of technology that far exceeded the standard mercenary ships.

- Not bad, - Garth finally said, walking on, but his voice betrayed an invisible respect. It wasn't the cold, aloof tone he usually used, but it wasn't recognition either. More like wary praise. - Too good for a privateer, even.

- Where'd you find a thing like this? - Rickard added, not hiding his interest. His fingers tapped lightly on the wall, as if he wanted to feel the texture of the material.

- Family inheritance, - I answered with a slight chuckle, sidestepping the question. My face remained calm, but inside I knew this was just the beginning.

As we entered the main area where the cabins and the central hallway were located, their crews began to glance around. Garth's men, used to old, shabby ships, clearly felt out of place. The cleanliness and sterility of Eridian depressed them. The place was too foreign to those accustomed to dirt and the smell of gunpowder.

Rickard's men reacted differently - they were quicker to appreciate the advantages of the space, but they were still wary, as if expecting a catch.

Especially the built-in screens on the walls caught their attention. They showed dynamic galactic maps, ship diagnostic data, and other information. The Eridian sensed the new passengers. Its interfaces changed subtly, adjusting to their perceptions. I recognized the change, but chose not to mention it.

- Welcome, - I said, stopping at the entrance to the central corridor. - You're at home here now. Well, almost.

- "Almost" sounds like a catch, - Garth grinned, but there was a slight worry in his voice.

- There are a few places I'd rather you didn't go, - I said calmly but firmly, looking both leaders in the eye. - They are the cargo bay, the armory, and... the next room over from the medical bay.

Rickard raised an eyebrow, his interest intensifying:

- What's in there?

- The maintenance area, - I lied without a hitch. - Sophisticated equipment that's best not to experiment with.

They exchanged glances, but asked no more questions. It was a moment of validation, and I passed.

During a brief tour, I showed them the living modules, the common room, and even the dining room. Its functional minimalism looked more like a laboratory than a place to

eat. Eridian was designed for efficiency, not comfort. Garth only hummed, looking around:

- Your ship is... strange, - he muttered, as if saying it to himself. - It's like it does everything for you.

- It does, - I replied briefly.

When the tour was over, their gazes returned to my sword. The black blade on my belt drew their attention like a magnet.

- You never told us what kind of sword it is, - Garth said, his arms crossed over his chest.

- It was the one I was flying for, - I said, trying to sound indifferent.

- Hmm, - Rickard said. - A strange weapon for your purposes.

I didn't answer. A strange sensation flared up inside me again, a warm calm and a heavy chill at the same time. The sword hung on my belt as a reminder of the foreign world. With every step I took, I felt the bond with it grow stronger. Garth shook his head, as if trying to shake off unwelcome thoughts, and pointed toward his team:

- All right, guys, load up. The sooner we finish this contract, the better.

As we gathered on the command bridge, Garth began to explain:

- So, we have a contract from the Deson Federation. No details, but apparently it's a war contract, and those always pay off dearly. We have a month's flight. We can rest, regain our strength, and work out in the gym. You don't mind, do you, Ellarion?

- No, it's fine, - I answered. - Just please don't damage or break anything.

Rickard nodded, and his men followed him. Then Garth led his men away. When everyone had gone to their quarters, the Eridian came to life, letting out a soft hum of engines. The unknown lay ahead of us. But at that moment, for the first time in a long time, I felt ready.

***

The medical bay greeted me with a soft bluish light reflected off the perfectly polished metal surfaces. The air was filled with the faint odor of antiseptic, and the barely audible hum of the systems created an atmosphere of sterile calm. In the center of the room, surrounded by flickering monitors and a network of injection devices, stood the chimera capsule.

Eridian, like a caring physician, provided a status summary without delay.

- Stable, but adjustments are necessary, - came his smooth voice.

I stepped closer, running my fingers over the cool surface of the panel. Beneath the layers of thick biofluid and glass, the body of my creation was vaguely visible. The chimera's rib cage slowly rose and fell in a rhythmic dance of life. The mixture of flesh, bones, and metal in its form was both eerie and mesmerizing.

- Beautiful squalor, - I muttered to myself.

A light touch of the key, and the capsule's system took a dose of drugs. The fluid streams in the tubes changed color, pumping the necessary mixture through the creature's veins. The slight cramping of the limbs, the increased heartbeat - all of this was within normal limits.

- Sleep, - I said in a near whisper, resting my palm on the smooth surface. - It wasn't time yet.

I paused only a moment to make sure the reactions had stabilized, and turned and left the compartment.

When I returned to the central hallway, I was greeted by chaos, but not combat chaos, more like domestic chaos. The crew was settling into the ship as best they could. The air was filled with the smell of coffee and the muffled hum of conversation. In the corner, a few mercenaries in unzipped vests and plain clothes were playing Wayne Cards, accompanying each action with wry comments and bursts of laughter.

A little farther back, Kate, a short-haired mercenary with a thin stripe of scar across her cheekbone, fiddled with the cooking machine. She was staring intently at the device's screen, where lines of complex symbols flickered.

- How does this thing even work? - She muttered to herself, tapping her finger on the screen.

- You're in the wrong menu, - I said, walking past her. - Click on the glass icon.

Kate snorted, but obeyed, and a moment later the air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

- At least it works, - she mumbled, wiping her hands on her pants.

At the same time, Brenn's triumphant laughter came from the game corner.

- Guess what fell for me? - he practically roared with pleasure, swiping the enes off the table.

- You're bluffing! - Deacon retorted indignantly. - You couldn't have gotten the Cornucopia, the Tower of Eternity, and Alzur all at the same time!

- I could, and I did, - Brenn replied happily, displaying an emerald azure card. It showed a majestic man with a cloak fluttering against a storm. - That's why I'll use Last Great Storm and deal a hundred damage to all of your heroes.

- That's bullshit! - Deacon shrieked as he watched his playing field turn into ruins.

I glanced at the cards: gorgeous illustrations, drawn in great detail, and a complex structure of combinations. Clearly, even within the game, it felt like real life.

Deacon was quietly cursing as he rebuilt the deck, and Brann was lazily counting his won enas.

Wayne Cards.

I've always been interested in what this fascinating card game is and how to play it, and so I got a little familiar with the rules during my time with Omeos, which were not explained in the Legendary Mechanic itself.

At the beginning of the game each player gets a deck, its size varies from 60 to 300 cards. It all depends on the style the player prefers. Smaller decks usually allow you to get to the right combinations faster but limit your flexibility, while massive decks give you more room for improvisation but can fail at crucial moments.

Each match begins with a player drawing 15 cards into their hand. Interestingly, the rules don't limit the maximum number of cards in a hand. Want to stuff it with a hundred cards? No one forbids it. Of course, dealing with such a large number is a challenge.

The game process is divided into several phases, each of which provides its own opportunities for strategic maneuvering.

Preparation Phase:

This is where it all begins. The player receives his starting 15 cards and can make a substitution - a maximum of five cards from his hand can be returned to the deck to draw new cards. This, by the way, is a great time to get rid of heavy cards that may only come in handy later.

This phase also activates the passive abilities of cards already on the field, if any - artifacts, fields, or spells begin to take effect.

Card Draw Phase:

This is where the real game begins.

Each player has energy - a base 10 points per turn. These can be spent on playing cards or activating abilities. The field itself is divided into three zones: left, middle and right. Each of them, in turn, is divided into three lines: front, middle and back.

The front line is ideal for heroes and creatures capable of direct combat.

The middle line is support: a place for spellcasters to reinforce allies.

Back line - cover, suitable for ranged attacks or weak but important cards.

Played cards remain on the field unless they are destroyed or the effects of other cards change. In this phase, you can also use the abilities of cards with the activate keyword to affect the course of combat.

End of Turn Phase:

When a player believes they have accomplished everything necessary, they end the turn by passing it to their opponent. This is a logical and calm point to evaluate the results of their actions and prepare for the next round.

An interesting point is that starting with the second turn, the player draws one random card from his deck each time. A simple rule, but it's one that can be decisive: sometimes one card is all it takes to turn the game around

The main objective is to win. Winning can be accomplished in three ways: 

Dealing enough damage to the enemy avatar.

Destroying all of the enemy's cards on the field (when he has no possible actions left).

Fulfilling a victory condition.

The cards themselves are divided into many types:

1. Decks 

Decks are the foundation of the game. Their composition determines how effective your strategy is and whether you can adapt to unexpected actions of your opponent. Ranging from a minimal 60 cards to a monstrous 300, each card has its place and role.

Balance is important to consider when building: heroes, artifacts, spells, locations, and other types of cards should work in sync to reinforce each other. Choosing a faction is also key: each faction has a unique set of cards and mechanics, allowing you to strategize for aggression, control, or defense.

The greatest effect is achieved when the cards in a deck complement each other. For example, cards from the same era or faction can activate powerful bonuses that provide a decisive advantage.

2: Leader 

The Leader is the player's avatar, face and weapon in the game. Each Leader has unique abilities that determine their play style. They can enhance certain types of cards, provide bonuses, or change the rules, making their selection an important tactical decision.

A leader can restore health to allies, boost attacks, or manipulate time. Some abilities require resources, which adds depth to their use.

3. Heroes 

Heroes are the central figures of the game, creating a major focus on both offense and defense. Their unique abilities can dramatically change the course of a battle.

Each hero belongs to a specific class and style (mage, warrior, tracker, etc.), which determines their available abilities and play style. For example, mages can deal mass damage, warriors can hold lines, and pathfinders can play various abilities.

Some heroes can grow stronger over the course of the game, unlocking new abilities or improving existing ones.

4. Artifacts 

These cards are powerful tools that often tip the balance of the game. Some provide passive bonuses, while others require activation to unleash their potential.

Artifact Types:

Magical: ancient relics endowed with incredible power.

Technological: Devices that can create traps or enhance defenses.

Effects: Artifacts can strengthen allies, provide additional energy, or create barriers that protect cards on the field.

And others.

5. Special 

These cards stand out with unique mechanics that are difficult to categorize.

You could say that all spells and special abilities fall into this category.

6. Strategic Gimmick 

This is a unique type of card given to the first player to make a move in a round. It is usually a powerful but disposable ability.

7. Locations 

Location cards set conditions that change the very nature of the battlefield.

Geographical effects: changing the strength of attacks on certain lines or granting bonuses to heroes.

Landscape dynamics: activated at certain points in the game, changing the strategy of both sides.

8. Events

These cards add surprises by introducing chaos or advantages.

Instantaneous: activate immediately after being drawn.

Prolonged: change the conditions of the game for several turns or until the end of the match.

9. Scenarios

Scenarios add a layer of narrative and strategic intrigue.

Activation conditions: require certain actions to be performed.

Effects: can offer choices that determine the future development of the match.

10. Condition

Condition cards impose additional rules or objectives on the game.

Automatic Victories: for example, if one side achieves certain conditions.

Prolonged: can last throughout the game, creating new context.

Also, each card has a rarity.

1. Dusty

Color: Gray

Dust cards are forgotten or time-darkened items that were relevant in earlier eras, but are of little value now. These cards often utilize outdated mechanics or weak abilities, but they can still play a role in strategy building, especially to create combos or as a resource for more powerful cards.

These cards usually have minimal features and do not provide significant bonuses or powerful effects.

Dust cards often serve as a temporary foundation for a deck, helping to build resources, protect strategy, or weaken an opponent.

These cards can be used in combinations to activate powerful effects of higher rarity levels.

They can become victims or targets for enemy attacks.

2. Normal 

Color: White or Standard Neutral

Common cards make up the bulk of every deck and are the building blocks for most strategies. These cards may include standard heroes, creatures with basic characteristics, or artifacts that effectively support the basic mechanics of the game.

These cards are common and readily available, making them the foundation for most decks.

The cards' abilities are often limited, but they can be combined to create stable and balanced strategies.

Common cards often play an important role in the early stages of the game, setting the tempo and providing a foundation for later moves.

They can be used to gain resources, control enemy cards, or create vulnerabilities for later attacks.

3. Unusual 

Color: Green or Silver

Uncommon cards are more powerful and versatile cards that offer players unique opportunities to create flexible and dynamic strategies. These cards often have strong or interesting effects that can significantly impact the game.

Uncommon maps are less common than common maps, but offer great potential for maneuvers and tactical combinations.

They can include heroes with unique abilities, artifacts that provide new resources, or creatures with interesting effects.

They are often used to expand the deck's capabilities and to reinforce key points.

These cards can be especially useful for creating specific combinations or fulfilling certain goals within a strategy.

4. Rare 

Color: Blue

Rare cards have powerful effects and can dramatically change the course of a game when used at the right moment. These cards often provide players with strong heroes, unique artifacts, or spells that are important elements of strategy.

Rare cards are rarer than common and uncommon cards, and their effects can have a significant impact on the battlefield.

These cards often offer powerful opportunities to manipulate the course of the game, whether it's strengthening creatures, destroying enemy cards, or creating powerful combinations.

Rare cards can dramatically alter the balance of the game at a crucial moment, giving the player an advantage that is difficult to overcome.

They also often serve to strengthen other cards, creating synergies in the deck.

5. Epic

Color: Purple

Epic cards are cards with huge potential that can not only affect the tactical elements of the game, but can also flip the entire strategy. These cards often include legendary heroes, magical artifacts, or locations that can radically change the rules of battle.

Epic cards have powerful and complex effects that can bring a decisive advantage at the end of the game.

These cards usually require specific conditions to activate, but can provide incredible opportunities such as turning weak creatures into powerful fighters or destroying strong enemy cards.

They are often used to create finishing attacks or block opponent's strategies.

Epic cards can be used to hack into opponents' strategies, altering their plans.

6. Legendary

Color: Gold with bright accents (e.g. amber or glowing hue).

Legendary cards are unique characters or magical artifacts that have incredible power and can completely change the course of the game. These cards are always of strategic importance and often determine the winner.

Legendary cards have unique, powerful effects that can affect key aspects of the game, such as changing its rules, gaining unique advantages, or activating unusual abilities.

These cards are rare and valuable, and can only be used in limited quantities in a deck, making them even more valuable and powerful.

Legendary cards often have historical significance across the universe, and their abilities can be tied to key moments in locations or scenarios.

They can be used for final attacks or defenses, as well as for disrupting enemy plans.

7. Mythic

Color: varies, but is usually a multi-colored, ornate card.

Mythic cards are the most powerful and destructive cards in the game, they have unlimited potential and can drastically change the game or even break its rules. These cards represent not just powerful characters or artifacts, but forces that can reshape reality itself.

Mythic cards are often unique and have incredible power to affect the global level of the game.

These cards can cause changes that make it difficult for an opponent to win, or even allow a player to manipulate the basic rules of the game.

Mythic cards can create changes that take the game to a new level, such as controlling time, space, or the fates of creatures.

In the hands of an experienced player, mythic cards can dramatically change the very nature of the game, setting new conditions and goals.

The cards also have special specifics.

Health (HP)

This is the amount of damage a card (character or creature) can take before being destroyed. Health usually affects a card's survivability and its ability to delay or prevent enemy attacks.

It can be increased with artifacts or spells.

Sometimes cards can regenerate health or have damage protection for a certain number of turns.

Decreased health can affect the activation of abilities or energy boosts, creating new possibilities for strategies.

Attack

This is a card's ability to deal damage. Attack determines how much damage a card deals to enemy targets when attacking or when activating certain abilities.

It can depend on other cards on the field or on passive/active ability activations.

Can be increased by synergies, artifacts, or other cards.

Attack may require an energy cost to activate powerful effects.

Defense

This is the ability of a card to defend itself against damage. Defense reduces the damage it takes or blocks it completely depending on the conditions. Cards with high defense can absorb damage, which increases their survivability.

Defense can be linked to effects that are activated by an attack.

Defense can be temporary, decreasing or increasing depending on conditions.

Increasing defense may require the use of energy to activate special skills.

Active Abilities

These are abilities that a player can activate on his turn or during a battle to change or affect the game. Active abilities usually require the use of energy to activate them.

Abilities can be of different types: offensive, defensive, strategic.

Some abilities may only work at a certain point in the game (such as during the attack phase).

Using active abilities requires energy, and it is not always possible to activate them without proper resources.

Passive Abilities

These are abilities that are active all the time or at certain times, but do not require activation. Passive abilities do not require energy, but can have a strong impact on the outcome of a battle.

They can increase a card's stats, create additional effects, or interfere with the actions of other cards.

Do not require energy to activate, but can activate depending on the situation on the field.

Faction

A faction determines whether a card belongs to a particular group or nation within the game's universe. Each faction may have unique features, such as bonuses to certain card types or interactions with other cards of the same faction.

Factions can have bonuses to actions, maintain synergies within their group, and enhance interactions with other cards of a particular faction.

Some factions can affect the amount of energy required to activate cards from their group.

Time Period

This element determines what historical or temporal moment a card is tied to. This can affect its abilities, power, or how it interacts with other cards from different eras.

Cards from different time periods can conflict or create unique synergies, depending on their interactions.

Cards tied to specific eras may have temporary bonuses or abilities that are only activated during certain phases of the game.

Unique Statuses

Mythic cards are the most powerful and destructive cards in the game, they have unlimited potential and can drastically change the game or even break its rules.These cards represent not just powerful characters or artifacts, but forces that can reshape reality itself.

These statuses can be temporary or permanent.

They can depend on a variety of conditions, such as the number of cards on the field, the phase of play, or the number of cards in the deck.

Effects

Effects are actions that are activated by cards, often in the form of spells or activations. Effects can be either instantaneous (such as dealing damage) or long-lasting (such as boosting a card for several turns).

Effects can be global, affecting all cards on the field, or local, affecting only selected cards.

Effects can be either positive (such as restoring health) or negative (such as poisoning or weakness).

Some effects may require the use of energy to activate or maintain their effects.

Predispositions

Predispositions determine which cards or actions will be more effective against a card with a certain predisposition. This adds an element of strategy where players can strengthen their cards to combat certain types of cards.

Predispositions can be either temporary (appearing at a certain point in the game) or permanent.

Some cards can increase their effects if an opponent has a predisposition to a certain attack or type of magic.

These predispositions can increase the activation cost of a card's abilities if a player chooses to use it against a predisposed card.

Hidden Stats

Hidden stats are additional card parameters that are not directly displayed, but can be activated through card combinations or ability activation. This creates an element of surprise and allows players to hide their strategies.

Hidden stats often add depth to a strategy, allowing players to reveal them late in the game.

Some cards can detect hidden stats of opponent cards.

Hidden stats can require energy to activate, adding a tactical element to the game.

Interactions

Card interactions refer to how cards affect each other or modify each other's actions. Cards can be synergistic, oppose each other, or enhance a card's actions.

Interactions can depend on factions, time, statuses, and other features of cards.

Players can create synergies that enhance the power of their decks, or they can destroy their opponents' synergies.

Some synergies may require a significant energy expenditure to activate.

Combinations and Synergies

Synergies are combinations of cards that reinforce each other. Well-chosen cards can create powerful combinations that give a player a strategic advantage. Synergies can come from a variety of sources: factions, time periods, creature types, or card effects.

Combinations and synergies create strategy and allow players to tailor their deck to certain play styles.

These combinations can intensify with increased energy, creating powerful waves of attack or defense strategies.

Proper use of synergies can greatly improve a player's chances of winning.

Well, the game itself has different play areas.

Deck

This is the initial card zone from which players draw cards. All cards start here, and no player can see the cards in the opponent's deck. It remains hidden, but only its size (total number of cards) is known.

The deck is the main area for retrieving cards. Players can draw cards as needed, such as to replenish their hand.

Cards in the library can be accessed through special abilities, but usually remain closed to both sides. If the deck runs out, players cannot draw cards from it.

Some cards can be activated with energy, allowing extra cards to be drawn or the deck to be manipulated.

Some abilities can interact with the deck, adding cards or destroying it, which changes the strategy of the game.

Hand

Every player has a hand. The hand is where players hold the cards before they are played.

No one but the owner can see the cards in the hand. 

Cards in the hand require energy to activate, which is indicated on the card itself or determined by the strategy of the game.

Cards with high energy costs may require longer planning and skillful use of other resources.

Battlefield

This is where the main events of the game take place and where players play their cards.

Cards may be placed on the battlefield in three zones of three lines each. The order of placement is not important, but some cards have space restrictions and special abilities when placed on a particular zone and line.

The battlefield zones can be active for different types of cards, depending on what is on the field (existing creatures, artifacts, etc.).

The battlefield is a battle for advantage, players can attack or defend their cards.

Cards can be placed with energy or energy scarcity in mind, which affects the choice of which card to place.

Certain zones may require energy expenditure to activate specific bonuses or effects, creating additional strategic opportunities.

Graveyard

This is the zone where cards that have already been used or destroyed are sent. All cards that are out of play go here.

Instant spells and enchantment spells go to the graveyard immediately after use. Cards that are discarded, destroyed, or sacrificed also go into the graveyard.

If a card is annihilated, it is completely out of play.

Creatures go to the graveyard if they take damage equal to or greater than their health, or if their health drops to zero.

Cards in the graveyard are laid face up, but any player may view the graveyard at any time.

Some cards can interact with the graveyard, such as retrieving cards from the graveyard using energy or other resources.

Energy can be used to recover cards from the graveyard or to strengthen cards that are later placed on the battlefield.

Exile

This zone is for cards that have been banished from the game by spells or abilities. Banished cards cannot interact with other zones unless an effect that brings them back is used.

Banished cards remain in that zone indefinitely, unless an effect is used that brings them back. Banished cards are usually face down to maintain the element of surprise.

This zone is used for cards that are out of play for a specific reason (such as being destroyed or removed from the battlefield).

Banished cards can be brought back into play through special effects or abilities that will require an energy expenditure to activate.

Energy can be used to increase the likelihood of cards returning from exile, which adds another layer of strategy to choosing when and which cards to exile.

All in all, it's all about the basic principles of playing Wayne's Cards.

I lingered a bit longer watching other people's games. The dexterity with which they rearranged the cards, as if to play out their opponent's fate, was mesmerizing. But it wasn't worth getting carried away for long. Having collected my thoughts, I headed for the gym.

There, as expected, there was activity. Muffled thunderclaps shook the walls, echoing through the corridors. Rickard and Garth seemed to be having a real practice session with their teams. Judging by the readings on the panel at the entrance, the room had 5g gravity activated. This wasn't just an endurance test - it was a challenge to body and mind.

I froze for a moment, feeling inwardly tempted. The idea of asking for a couple lessons in fencing or at least basic hand-to-hand combat seemed tempting. My body demanded action, my mind kept tingling with accumulated questions. But no. All that would have to wait. There was something more important to do.

With those thoughts, I turned and walked toward my quarters.

When I entered, the door closed automatically behind me, activating the locking and soundproofing system.

The room was bathed in dim light. On the wall, just above the desk, a screen came to life. A myriad of blueprints, schematics, and technical data unfolded before me like a digital cascade. It was a symphony of technology-a project I'd been planning for days.

I sat down at my desk, my fingers reaching for the virtual console, which was instantly activated by the interface.

- It's time to start my second project, - I murmured, feeling my mind sink into the complex labyrinth of work to be done.

The world around me seemed to disappear, leaving me alone with the screen, which became an extension of my thoughts.