Page 356 of Light Leech

What? Wait–RegLon has more than four legends.

“He did, that is why he fused one of his Skirmishers with that armored Brutalist.”

What about those pups?

“They are tokens, not legends.”

Is there any limit to tokens?

“No. I trust you know what you have to do?”

Stop the birthing factory.

I selected Zhu for fusion with one of the Flesh Evangelists.

The Evangelist disappeared. Rather than double Zhu’s size, he floated up and his armor extended and expanded until it formed a robotic warrior in the shape of the Evangelist with Zhu’s head in its center. He no longer had his staff in his hands, but one of each wrist like an assassin’s hidden blade. The monstrous mouth of the Evangelist’s head stretched wide and roared, causing the Tanuki to tremble as a gust of wind ruffled their fur.

I checked his cards and saw that the abilities had changed from one to four costs into two to five costs. The abilities were similar to those of the single Evangelist, so I tried out its two-cost Psionic blast. I selected the Herbalist as its target, but the shot was redirected to the armored Brutalist, which took the damage, not even bringing it close to half of its health.

I didn’t want to waste the rest of my lumens on one of Zhu’s weaker attacks, so I used Swine Servant’s Support Barrier, which granted all of my legends–and the infant–with a single point of protection.

I ended my turn.

Green infant: twelve.

Red infant: eight.

RegLon’s infant rehatched and whispered something to him that broke his otherwise stone composure. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing sincerely or out of fear.

The Herbalist gave birth to two Pups, which landed beside their father. The other two Pups doubled in size, becoming Tanuki Squires which were the equivalent of the Skirmishers as far as statistics were concerned.

RegLon commanded both of his Brutalis’s to cast impregnate, depleting his lumens to six. He then used the pregnant Herbalist to cast Mother’s Swarm, a her four-cost ability that ignited a fiery rage in every one of her Pups and Squires.

Before they reached my side, RegLon played Piercing Stike with his final two lumens, granting them all with an additional damage point and penetrate.

They focused on Multipider and Swine’s Servant. The damage differences appeared above their heads. Despite Swine Servant’s barrier, the Piercing strike boosted their damage just enough to kill both of my legends. Perhaps I would have played differently, had I read how much the Herbalist could boost her children, but it no longer mattered. I had to face the fact that I could not read and understand every attack and ability for every round. If my failure to do so was nothing more than stubbornness, maybe I had no right to win. I was cheating my way through with Zhu’s advice. I had accepted this fact but now felt the significance of it grip me. Paralyze me.

“Bakuh.”

What?

“Do not doubt yourself.”

Why? I’m not doubting you.

“No one deserves this glory. It is filth, why do you yearn for it? Do you wish to become the king of liars? That is what your whining amounts to. You wish to triumph over this man in a game of memorizations. Enough with your infantile murmuring, you are a man of wisdom, true wisdom, not aptitude in a fool’s errand. Awaken yourself to your wisdom and center your mind on what matters, lest your fit leads you to a cowardly capitulation.”

Is this the first time you are complimenting me?

“Focus, bakuh.”

I cracked a smile, though my health took damage from their penetrating attacks.

He was right. This was a game of lies, run by someone who was convincing the planet that we were still living on the true Earth–that is, if our theories proved true. If not, to what end were we striving?

Green infant: twelve.

Red infant: seven.