Amber Sword

When the Ecroinia were constructing their Platinum Trojan, the siege of Liege was reaching a pivotal moment. However, like a final moment of redemption, the Ecroinia finally found hope in their dire circumstances.

From adversity to heaven is but a thin line.

——Trisman Newmankshi

Desperate Trojan (Adversity Heaven I), 25 Dark; [Treasure — Divine Artifact/Curios]; Effect: This card must be tapped to enter the field. Search your deck for four Creature Cards and exile them. Then shuffle your deck. Tapped, pay 40~ (0) any (this card has forty counter tokens on it. For every non-black creature that dies on your field, remove a counter token from it. When you remove the last counter token, you may use it without paying the spell cost), place the exiled cards onto the field.

’Opportunity lurks within the storm, hope is hidden within adversity.’

The Desperate Trojan enters the field.

A gear sphere floated above Brand’s head, and his Dark Element Pool dropped to 16/60. Then his deck unfolded layer by layer before him, dozens of Destiny Cards revolving around him in circles, but only those Creature Cards appeared in bright colors.

Vampire Baron, Secret Rune Summoner, Radiant Martyr, the remaining five Guardians of Defeat, four Radiant Trumpeters, four Ecroian Weavers, one Holy Great Angel, one Silver Foal.

Brand reached out and selected the Radiant Martyr, Vampire Baron, and two Guardians of Defeat, then placed them outside the field.

On the battlefield, the Cruz people’s White Winged Knights began to regroup in the air.

Their sky-covering white wings launched an attack once again, but this time they faced the prepared Rubis Mercenaries and two squads of Fire Claw Spearmen under Ropal.

Furlo stretched out five fingers forward with a cold expression, and ice cones blew out from behind her, ice winds like knives carrying ice crystals forming cyclones, swiftly sweeping through the formation of White Wing Cavalry, forming a thick layer of frost on the surface of their armor. The sub-zero temperatures immediately slowed the rhythm of the Flying Horses’ wings, significantly reducing their speed.

Meanwhile, Tiya seized the opportunity to shoot fine streaks of lightning from her fingertips. Her target was not the knights on the horses—also at Golden Rank, an Elemental Mage could suppress knights steadily, but killing them would consume too much Mana and time—her target was the Flying Horses. The strength of the Heavy Cavalry lay in collective charges; what was a knight without his horse?

Don’t underestimate Tiya’s young age; she’s a bona fide Rubis Mercenary, known in player circles as a being born for combat. According to her, she had partaken in numerous wars between White City and foreign lands, and it seemed her claims were indeed true. Her strategy proved effective, as the paralyzed Flying Horses caused one White Winged Knight after another to fall from the sky, crashing down dazed.

However, Golden Rank warriors wouldn’t meet their end from such a comical fate as falling from tens of meters high; the White Winged Knights, although dizzy from the fall, quickly got back up, calling out to each other to regroup amidst the woods. They picked up their spears and began their attack from the ground.

Yet, within the woods, nearly thirty Fire Claw Lizardmen Spearmen, along with Hu Que and others, were positioned in strict formation. They, along with the young Officer Cadets of the Royal Knights, formed a massive line, waiting for the White Winged Knights to come their way. Aiding them was Druid Master Wojtek at the rear, clearly intending to keep these Cruz people tied up here.

They were buying time.

Meanwhile, Brand was also racing against time to filter his deck, sacrificing Guardian of Defeat en masse on the battlefield to draw energy from the Adversity Furnace, and then showcased Rise.

Rise (Adversity Heaven V), 4 Energy; [Spell — Instant]; Immediately untap all tapped Ecroinia cards. Moves to the graveyard after use. ’Radiance moves forward, morale soars, soldiers never retreat from battle.’

Due to the Lightning Storm, the Nightmare Furnace Construct was tapped and smoking from overload, but immediately returned to normal with a sizzle. The gear sphere ’Desperate Trojan’ above his head also returned from its tapped state and began to rotate.

Simultaneously.

Since Rise is a spell, it can activate the Thought Acceleration Boundary. Therefore, Brand gained another card draw opportunity, and three Destiny Cards flew out sequentially before him—

Lightning Storm, Rise, Energy Drain.