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HC: Card Slinger | Ch. 30 - Laser Focus
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 10:12:23 +0000 UTCDeckard kept observing the Spider Crab, his eyes flicking occasionally to the repository. The image of the Spider Crab was sharpening, though it remained black and white. He sighed; it seemed he'd be stuck here a while longer.
The Spider Crab sat as still as the rock it camouflaged against, but Deckard’s vigilance didn’t waver. Hours of grinding the dungeon weren’t worth risking on a moment of inattention. What if this elite was more cunning than it appeared, feigning blindness while waiting for him to lower his guard?
Shuffling his deck to pass the time, Deckard felt the seconds drag into minutes and then into what seemed like hours—until a sudden notification jolted him:
Through hard work and perseverance, you have taught yourself a new skill: [Four Aces].
Four Aces (Common)
Skill description: You’ve elevated the simple act of shuffling into an art.
Effect (Active): While shuffling, enemies facing you suffer a 20% movement speed reduction. After completing a full shuffle, four of your cards become charged with kinetic energy, guaranteeing critical damage on use.
Deckard blinked at the screen, his heart skipping a beat.
"Did I just learn a skill from shuffling? Is this even possible? Can I discover other skills this way?"
Before now, Deckard had always resisted the urge to check online guides. But since he’d been loosening his self-imposed restrictions, he launched his browser and quickly searched for similar discoveries.
It didn’t take long to find several threads discussing what players called “lottery skills.”
“I’m not that special after all,” Deckard muttered, though he couldn’t hide a small grin.
Deckard chuckled as he skimmed one post.
Laser Vision
#lotteryskills #astroterrareels #heroic #skills
Poster: CreamConqueror
Post: Hi, everyone! I’ve decided to create my signature skill: shooting lasers out of my eyes. Since no such skill exists in AstroTerra (that I can find), I’ve devised a plan: stare at a target for as long as it takes while screaming “laser” until the gods of RNG answer my prayers. Wish me luck!
Comments:
UnionH: Good luck, pal!
OgresGalatheel: You can hardly call it your signature skill. Have you ever read comics? Any comics?
Laser Vision (Update)
#lotteryskills #astroterrareels #heroic #skills #epicfail
Poster: CreamConqueror
Post: Hi again! After ten full days of staring at a target, imagining it bursting into flames, and screaming “laser” until my throat gave out, I finally unlocked a skill! Unfortunately, it’s not what I expected…
Laser Focus (Uncommon)
Description: No matter how many people call you crazy, you never lose sight of your goal
Skill Effects: Passive. If you stare at an opponent for more than 1 minute, your attacks deal 10% more damage to them.
This is not what I hoped for.
Comments:
KrakensMel: Haha, this is hilarious. I’m sorry, but also… not sorry.
CerberusManny: Bro, you should’ve used red threads to connect your eyes to the target. That might’ve “helped” the system catch your drift.
Re:CerberusManny: CreamConqueror: Right? Why didn’t I think of that?!
The forums were overflowing with stories of streamers chasing lottery skills, their efforts yielding wildly inconsistent results. According to the guides, these skills were rare and unpredictable, unlocked through specific, repetitive actions requiring exceptional motor precision. Many players who stumbled upon them were athletes or martial artists whose real-world expertise translated seamlessly into the game.
For most, the name “lottery tickets” was fitting. The consensus was clear: for the time it took to unlock a skill worth using, most players were better off grinding gold and simply buying what they needed.
Sure. But they have a choice. I don’t.
For Deckard, learning skills this way wasn’t just an option—it was a necessity. His class didn’t allow him to acquire skills through conventional means. As far as he could tell, he had only three ways to obtain new abilities: increasing his collection, equipping items that came with skills, and now, unlocking lottery skills.
The first method was out of his control; skill thresholds from his collection were unlocked sporadically, and he never knew what he would get. The second option was just as unreliable—items with skills were rare and prohibitively expensive. But this new path? It was something he could work with. What if I focused on practicing specific motions to unlock the skills I need? His mind raced with possibilities, imagining what he could force the system to yield.
He shuffled his deck again, seeking comfort in the familiar motion—only to feel a sudden drain. A quick glance at his energy bar confirmed the unwelcome truth: the system was now deducting points for every shuffle.
Deckard scowled. So now it robs me of my nervous tic and starts charging me for it?
But frustration gave way to determination. If persistence had unlocked this skill, what else could he achieve? He had nervous energy to burn and a growing resolve to shape the game to his will. What skills did he need most? How could he turn repetition into opportunity and coax the system into giving him more?
*
You’ve observed how the Spider Crab shows extraordinary patience. Your understanding of it grows.
Deckard checked the clock and realized he’d been watching the Spider Crab for four hours. An entire hour had passed between the last notification and the one before. It felt like the intervals between notifications were growing exponentially.
Deckard knew he was reaching the limit of how much understanding he could glean using this method. He estimated the next notification might not come for several more hours. It was time to move.
Before moving on, he ensured his energy bar was filled. I guess it’s time for me to do this, Deckard thought. He shuffled the cards—the motion he had avoided since he unlocked the skill. It was oddly comforting.
Four Aces!
As he shuffled, a soft glow enveloped his hands, signaling the activation of his new skill.
With a deep breath, Deckard drew a card from the deck and marched toward the Spider Crab, picking up speed. He tried to converge all his body momentum into the very tip of the card.
With a swift throw, the card struck true, landing squarely on the Spider Crab lying in ambush on the ceiling.
-4!
The impact sent the crab skittering. Deckard didn’t stop there—he kept throwing cards, one after another.
-2
-2
One of the cards glowed red as it connected, dealing a critical hit.
-4!
Sweet! One of the charged cards!
The Spider Crab flinched, slowed by the critical blow, but soon resumed his pursuit. Deckard turned and bolted, trying to create distance between himself and the crab. The cave’s uneven ceiling worked in his favor. While the grotto’s floor was flat, the Spider Crab skittered awkwardly, hindered by the stalactites. This gave Deckard a slight lead.
Once he gained some distance, he aimed carefully and threw another card, striking the crab mid-movement. The system notifications began to pile up:
You’ve seen the Spider Crab defend itself. Your understanding has grown.
You’ve seen the Spider Crab chase prey. Your understanding has grown.
Deckard continued hurling cards, one after another. However, when he reached a part of the cave with a flat ceiling, the Spider Crab quickly closed the gap.
The sound came first—a deep, resonant tone, similar to the sound Deckard’s cards made when thrown, but heavier. Then there was a splash. Deckard stumbled face down on the floor. He looked down to see his feet trapped in a thick, sticky white goo.
One of the Spider Crab’s skills, Deckard realized with growing alarm. He tried to pull away the goo, but it didn’t budge. He was immobilized. The elite Spider Crab descended from the ceiling, ready to strike.
-80
The first attack landed hard, dealing far more than Deckard could afford to take. The crab coiled, ready to deal a finishing strike.
This is my limit.
The Spider Crab’s health bar had lowered to 80%, a long way from the yellow zone. Deckard used his last resort.
Subdimensionalize!
A powerful vortex formed, enveloping the Spider Crab. Deckard watched as the vortex twisted and distorted the crab’s form. It was as if the Spider Crab was being flattened into a pancake, its massive body compressed and pulled from its three-dimensional form into a two-dimensional plane.
The Spider Crab tried to resist, but it was futile.
Capture successful! You've captured [Spider Crab].
Congratulations! You’ve collected 50 cards. You've learned a new skill: [Repository Recharge].
"Wait! What?!"
Before Deckard could look into it, a strange sound echoed through the dungeon. It was a low rumbling noise, like a drill operating nearby, coming from the first chamber—the area where adventurers spawned upon entering the dungeon. The rumble was followed by a sharp, piercing squeak.
The boss had spawned.
"I’ll get to you in a moment," Deckard muttered, catching his breath. The glowing energy from the dimensionalizing process dissolved after a few seconds.
The first thing he noticed was his new creature card, a reward from the sub-dimensionalization.
While not especially powerful, the card offered a unique ability: it allowed a creature to transport itself between lanes during battle. This bit of versatility could make a big difference in future fights.
Finally, another system notification appeared.
Congratulations! You’ve collected 50 cards.
You’ve unlocked a new skill: [Repository Recharge].
Repository Recharge (Uncommon)
Skill description:
After gaining access to the genetic and behavioral information of several creatures, your repository’s memory expands, allowing it to generate cards more quickly.
Skill effects:
Active: For one minute, speeds up card recharge and generates a new blank card in your inventory. One new card every 10 seconds for one minute.
Passive: Increases the number of cards you can keep out of the repository by +1.
Deckard sifted through the notifications, thrilled. “What a pleasant surprise!”
He had known that completing sets could unlock new skills. For example, he’d obtained [Healing Ray] from completing the mini-set of the shallows. Then, when he’d completed all the beginner skill mini-sets, he’d unlocked [Beginners Path] that provided passive stat boosts across the board.
What he hadn’t known was that sheer card numbers could unlock new thresholds. It was hard to believe that he had already collected 50 cards. He closed his hand into a fist, a flicker of pride warming his chest. I’m getting there.
When would he unlock the next collection milestone? Would it be at 100 cards? 150 cards? He couldn't wait to find out.
The new skill itself wasn’t bad. It expanded the number of cards he could throw before needing to rest by one—potentially by six more, thanks to its ability to generate new blank cards every ten seconds for a minute. That made it seven additional cards he could use in a single engagement.
Next, he turned his attention to the rest of the loot. Among the scattered items was a small pile of coins—just over a silver in total. Then, there was a second card, a skill card.
The card was quite specific. It narrowed its uses but also made it more reliable compared with a card that just said something like, ‘Move an opponent’s card to a different lane.’
And finally, there was something that made his heart skip a beat—a ring. It was small, wet, and faintly glistening as if freshly pulled from the sea.
"No way," Deckard exclaimed as he picked it up. He had read the list of drops of this dungeon while having his noodle soup earlier. He had read about this item, but the chances of it dropping were so slim—just 0.1%—that he’d never expected to see it. Yet here it was: the Spider Crab Ring.
Spider Crab Ring (Rare)
Description: A wonder of bioengineering designed by a scientist who studied the unique mutations of the Spider Crab. It mimics the Spider Crab’s web-spinning organs and can produce webs, albeit not with the speed and strength of the creature.
Effects: [Spider Web]. Active. Shoot a Web.
Cooldown: 30 minutes
Energy: 50
This was the kind of item that would drive a friendly hunting party into a bloody battle royale. Luckily, Deckard was running this dungeon solo.
The spider ring came with no attribute bonuses. Instead, it came with a skill. It allowed its wielder to shoot a web. Deckard studied the ring, trying to imagine its potential. Shooting a spider web... How useful could that be?
“Does it work like silk thread, or can it create a full web to trap enemies?”
There was only one way to find out. He slipped the ring onto his finger and pointed it down the tunnel. With a sharp mental command, he activated the skill.
Spider Web!
A small white blob shot from the ring. Midair, it stretched into a web. It splattered against the cave wall, neatly anchored to the rock face.
Deckard approached the web, examining it up close. That’s... impressive. Deckard examined the web material, noting its texture. The same sticky, white substance had trapped his feet earlier. Yucky, he thought as he adjusted his glasses and imagined the applications of this skill.
The cooldown was longer than he’d like, but he could already see how useful it might be in a critical moment. Perhaps shooting a web could buy him a few precious seconds to escape if he found himself in a pinch. Not bad. A well-timed web could slow an enemy, block a path, or even be a makeshift trap.
Look at that! I’ve got two new skills in one go! Not bad, not bad. I've also finally broken through into the three attack points per throw.
Satisfied with this breakthrough, Deckard collected the remaining loot and made his way toward the final challenge of the dungeon: the boss.
Comments
Coleman
I was thinking about Homer singing spider pig during the Simpson movie actually. Just something quick and silly. I think the avenging arthropod has a nice ring to it.
Cássio Ferreira
Coleman, were you singing the Spider-Man jingle?
Cássio Ferreira
Haha. I wanted to make the joke as silly as possible :P I'm glad I got you to laugh a bit, ByLAWphoto
ByLAWphoto
poor player who got laser focus!! bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha I'm sure that was really disappointing! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Coleman
Spider-crab, spider-crab, respects the lack of penicillin jokes. On the other hand 30 minutes is quite the long cooldown to shoot the CC. It’s supposed to get you out of sticky situations not put you in one.
