Page 355 of Light Leech

He ended his turn.

Green infant: fourteen.

My infant rehatched.

Red infant: nine.

The light shined on me as my hand and lumens replenished. I felt myself understanding the game but was again pulled from my focus. My infant was now back on the frozen ground and cried out, “I am suffering. Think you not that I suffer?”

Rather than feel empathetic, discomfort overcame me. I didn’t want that thing looking at me any longer and would have returned it to its shell, had I the card to do so.

Though RegLon’s creatures had healed, they were weaker than before. I commanded Zhu to attack and the Multipider to spread the attack, leaving me a few lumens to protect my infant.

Zhu swung his staff, invigorating the lava flow to wash over the Tanuki legends.

RegLon revealed a card.

Counter: Begin your next turn with three fewer Lumens. If played on an opponent’s turn, prevent their attack if it is the same as their previous attack.

The lava splashed against a blue barrier and dissipated like steam.

The infant stared at me, but I only noticed it from the corner of my eye. I would not make eye contact. I could suffer another point of damage for the sake of a better move.

I summoned Anti-parasite, a golem formed of human intestines with worm-like tendrils around its torso. I glanced at its healing abilities but left them for the next round when I would have the lumens to use them.

Green infant: thirteen.

Red infant: eight.

The light shone on RegLon’s side and he eyed the field. The Tanuki Shaman fell to her back and screamed. As something emerged from her birthing canal, a die rolled in the air above her, landing on the number three. With a final euphoric cry, three slimy furballs shot out like cannonballs onto the field. Two of the furballs landed near their father, each unraveling in the air to stick the landing. The third was the largest of the three and looked the most like the Brutalist but landed in the lava stream and died upon impact.

RegLon shook his head and mumbled under his breath but did not lose his focus. The Tanuki pups hid behind their father, who then cast impregnate on the mother again. RegLon summoned another Brutalist and played an ability card to give him samurai armor that glowed with violet light.

The armored Brutalist cracked the ice beneath his feet as he stomped forward, stopping in front of the other Tanuki legends. One of the Skirmishers disappeared and the Brutalist doubled in size.

RegLon played the Rebirth ability card that I had used and ended his turn.

Green infant: twelve.

Red infant: eight.

Do you think he has another one of those counter cards?

Zhu replied without moving from his predatory stance. “I would risk it. Gamble.”

Are you– I stopped my thought and spent the energy.

The top card of the Gamble deck flipped over and was revealed to the audience.

Corporate Cloning: Reveal the top card in your deck until you reveal a legend. Summon that legend for free and make a copy of it, even if there is no copy in the deck.

The card’s flipped twice until Flesh Evangelist was revealed and doubled. The two three-cost gaunt robots appeared beside Zhu.

A message appeared before me. “You have summoned one card beyond your four card limit. Please select another legend in your field for fusion.”

Zhu, what is this?

“Exactly what it says. Choose me.”