The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the forest. The sounds of animals returning to their nests filled the air, accompanied by the faint scent of the sea carried by the evening breeze. The red hues of the sunset painted the horizon, signaling the end of another day.
In the hideout, Erik faced the monsters he had sent to gather intelligence on The Hound Pets. The monsters stood before him, their postures radiating loyalty and respect.
"Succubus Knight, what did you find?" Erik asked, his voice calm but firm.
"The Hound Pets have a base located in Grove 8," Succubus Knight reported. "They have around 30 members, but their combat strength isn't particularly high. With the monsters we currently have, I believe we can eliminate them at any time."
Erik nodded, agreeing with Succubus Knight's assessment. If there were any strong individuals in the group, there would likely only be two or three at most.
"Thank you for your hard work," Erik said. "We'll launch an attack on their base tomorrow night. For now, all of you should rest."
The monsters filed out of the room one by one, returning to their duties. Erik remained seated, deep in thought. He pondered his next steps.
With his current strength, it was impossible for Erik to participate actively in battles. The only thing he could do was prepare his strongest monsters and let them handle the fight against The Hound Pets.
At the moment, Erik's strongest monsters were Garnecia Elefantis and Ryu-Ran. He would definitely need to bring them along. However, the question remained: who would guard the hideout?
Erik hadn't forgotten that Cipher Pol was aware of his presence on the island. It was only a matter of time before they discovered his hideout.
He thought of two cards that could serve as his trump cards: Castle of Dark Illusions and Pumpking the King of Ghosts. He would need to summon them to protect the hideout. Hopefully, no one would notice the presence of Castle of Dark Illusions.
Erik also needed to summon all the monsters that could assist him in the upcoming battle. Most of his Level 4 monsters were strong fighters, comparable to the Straw Hat Pirates before their time-skip.
The only thing Erik worried about was the possibility of unforeseen factors during the battle.
—
DING!
Erik woke up to the familiar sound of the system, signaling that it was time to open his daily packs.
Name: Erik
Level: Civilian
Talent: Pack Opener
Money: 186,751 Berries
Available Packs:
The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon
Metal Riders
Magic Ruler
Daily Pack Tokens: 3
Available Pack Tokens: 3
As usual, Erik started by opening a The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon pack.
Opening pack...
Ray & Temperature (Common) x1
Uraby (Common) x1
Skull Servant (Common) x1
Dark King of the Abyss (Common) x1
Root Water (Common) x1
Turtle Tiger (Common) x1
Witty Phantom (Common) x1
Sparks (Common) x1
Charubin the Fire Knight (Rare) x1
"Eight monsters," Erik muttered. "Considering we'll be fighting soon, this is perfect timing."
Next, he opened a Metal Riders pack.
Opening pack...
Sword of Deep-Seated (Common) x1
Dragon Piper (Common) x1
Bottom Dweller (Common) x1
Pale Beast (Common) x1
Hunter Spider (Common) x1
Trent (Common) x1
Mystic Horseman (Common) x1
Share the Pain (Common) x1
Robbin' Goblin (Rare) x1
"Finally, I have my own sword," Erik said, holding up the Sword of Deep-Seated card.
He also noted that he had obtained several strong monsters, such as Bottom Dweller, Hunter Spider, and Trent. Trent, in particular, would be useful for bolstering the hideout's defenses alongside Darkworld Thorns. It seemed that most of the defense would rely on Plant-type monsters.
Finally, Erik opened a Magic Ruler pack.
Opening pack...
Griggle (Common) x1
Kotodama (Common) x1
Magical Labyrinth (Common) x1
Jigen Bakudan (Common) x1
Tyhone #2 (Common) x1
Dark Witch (Common) x1
Stone Ogre Grotto (Common) x1
Labyrinth Wall (Common) x1
Nimble Momonga (Rare) x1
Erik obtained another Labyrinth Wall and Magical Labyrinth, which meant the labyrinth's area could expand further. Dark Witch, Stone Ogre Grotto, and Tyhone #2 would also be useful in the upcoming battle.
With the three packs opened, Erik's morning routine was complete. He summoned Labyrinth Wall and activated Magical Labyrinth to summon another Wall Shadow. Now, he had two Wall Shadows to protect the hideout.
Erik also activated the Sword of Deep-Seated for training. The sword that materialized was perfectly sized for Erik's current child-like body, proving that the cards could adapt to his needs.
—
Erik continued his training with Fireyarou and Masaki, now armed with the Sword of Deep-Seated.
"Master, now that you have your own sword, get used to holding it," Masaki instructed. "Don't let go of it during training. This will help you develop your reflexes."
Fireyarou, meanwhile, continued to guide Erik in meditation, teaching him to sense the mana around him.
—
As the day turned to night, the sky grew dark, and the forest was enveloped in a cold, eerie silence. The faint scent of soap, a hallmark of Sabaody, lingered in the air.
Erik gathered all his monsters, his sword strapped to his back. He looked at each of them, his expression serious.
"The moment of reckoning is near. Let's prepare."
"Appear, Castle of Dark Illusions!"
Unlike the usual bright light, this time, the monster emerged surrounded by a dark mist. A massive castle slowly rose into the air—10 meters, 30 meters, until it stopped at a height of 100 meters. The dark mist spread slowly, enveloping the hideout.
"Next, I summon Pumpking the King of Ghosts!"
Roots emerged from the ground, forming a giant pumpkin with a mouth and a single eye, resembling a massive Halloween pumpkin.
"Pumpking, you will protect this place from anyone who dares to attack," Erik commanded.
Finally, Erik summoned all the monsters he could, each one appearing in various forms. With a total of 45 monsters, including his strongest, Garnecia Elefantis and Ryu-Ran, Erik was ready to attack The Hound Pets' base.
Mounting Thunder Dragon, Erik led the charge.
"Let's crush those slave hunters!"
To be continued