Summoner: The Book of Dimension

28 Zack’s Card Game With Barros

Peter ran to Ray and helped him up. He glanced at Barros who retracted the sword away from Ray, as his sword disappeared into blue flame.

He took Ray away before Barros could think of killing him. Ray panted and stood beside Peter and Zack.

“That was fun,” Barros said, clapping. “It’s been so long since I had an opponent in a swordfight,” he said and grinned at Ray. “I must say, you are skilled, Ray. If you’re trained a little longer, you’ll get a chance to beat me.”

Ray only nodded. Even though he didn’t train for it and he acquired it from a skeleton warrior, it was still a compliment.

Peter noticed that Barros was in a good mood. He wasn’t even that cocky than how he was earlier, and he seemed to be a little less harmful. He still wasn’t sure about that, since he was still a demigod. He could kill them.

“So? Who’s next?” Barros asked.

Ray looked at Peter and Zack and waited until Zack insisted to go next.

“I am,” Zack said and took a box of cards from his pockets. Box of cards that only Zack had seen. Of course, it was a game he designed.

He designed it as a start for his dream to open a video game shop, featuring the known video games as well as the card and video games he designed.

“What is that?” Barros creased his eyebrows and looked at the card he was holding. “That looks peculiar.”

“It’s a card game I designed. It’s still a prototype, but I’ll use this.” Zack said.

Barros nodded. “Using your advantage. I like that,” he pointed at Zack.

“How long have you been keeping that?” Peter asked with a grin. He was sure Zack could win. He had all the advantages since he knew the game well.

Zack turned to Peter and smiled. “I’ve always been keeping this. I’m afraid I’d lose it in the dorm,” he said.

Peter chuckled. “You’re so smart.”

Barros interrupted their conversation. “So, what was the rule of the game?”

“Simple. Every card has different creatures and each creature has points. For example, I got a card with 136 energy points. If you have a card with a larger point, bring that down. After then, I’ll have to look for a card that has larger points than the one you’ve thrown down. You have to throw another card, and so on,” Zack explained.

Barros nodded in disbelief. “Wow, I’ve never heard anything as easy as that.”

Zack nodded. “This is just a prototype. I’m still thinking of an upgrade. This is an easy game, but whoever gets the card with the biggest point than the opponent wins.”

“Talk about luck,” Barros said and grimaced. “I’m a little bad at that, but let’s see who wins,” he grinned.

So as Peter. Although his game sounded so simple and childish, as long as Zack had the biggest energy point, he could win.

Sitting in the middle of the summoning circle, Zack and Barros sat across each other.

Sighing, Zack started shuffling the cards and distributed twelve cards each for him and Barros. The rest of the cards, he placed it in the middle.

“Oh, do we get a card here if we don’t want to use our card?” Barros asked, pointing at the stack of cards Zack placed in the middle.

Zack nodded. “If you drew a card that is way below the points we threw down, you have to throw that card and then get the card you are holding,” Zack continued to explain. “Oh, another thing. In case you have a lower card point than the first card thrown down, you have to throw it down, too. Doesn’t matter how many cards you have. And then, you have to add a card with a higher point than your opponent’s thrown card.”

Barros nodded. “For example?”

“For example, I have 98 points as my lowest points in a card, but you have, like, a card with 56 points and 62 points. You have to surrender that card, put it down, and then throw something higher than the first card, which in this case 98 points. Let’s say, if you bet the card with 121 points, then throw it along with the cards with lowest points,” Zack said.

Barros nodded and chuckled. “Wow, that’s a little complicated than I expected. Anyway, let’s go,” he said.

Peter glanced down at Ray who was sitting on the floor beside him, fanning himself since he had sweat so much.

He looked back at the two and clasped his hands together, hopeful.

“Okay, I’ll do it first,” Barros said and threw his first card. Zack looked down at his card and saw a manticore drawn there, with 185 points.

For Zack, that was not bad, but it’s a little high for a starter. The lowest point he had on the card game he designed was 32 points.

He looked as his cards and the lowest he had was 121 points.

Peter and Ray walked close to see what was happening. Ray stood behind Barros, but the latter was quick to hide his. “There’s no way I will show this to any of you. Even if you’re not included in the game. You three are still a group. I won’t tolerate cheating.”

Ray sneered and went back beside Peter, who was behind Zack. “You have a lot of things to say,” Zack said, chuckling. “Don’t worry guys, we’ll win this,” he reassured them.

Looking at Zack’s card, Peter thought it wasn’t a bad group of cards. His highest was 2450 points.

Zack sighed and took the card with ogre creature and 121 points, as well as the card he had with a pegasus and 210 points.

Barros nodded and smiled. He then took a card from his and threw it over the ones Zack threw down. A card with a wolf and 321 points.

Ray and Peter exchanged a glance. The lowest card Zack had was now 350, which was higher than what Barros threw.

Peter and Ray high-fived. Barros only nodded and took another card. He smiled and brought it down; it was a card with a vampire on it and 400 points.

No one chose to draw from the stack of other cards. He was confident with his points since he did something with the shuffling.

From the box, the cards were arranged from highest to lowest. When he shuffled it, he made sure the card with the highest points was under all the cards. So unless the stacks of cards last, no one would get that highest number.

One of his cards had 2450 points. Which was the second-highest, so he was sure he will end up as the winner. Of course, he didn’t tell anyone, because by then the game would be spoiled.

Soon, the game had progressed. In the end, Barros didn’t choose to take a card from the stack, and so as Zack.

Now, Zack was left with four cards, and Barros was left with five.

It was now Zack’s turn, so he brought down the fourth card and it was one with a mermaid and 1850 points. He chuckled a little, as the mermaid reminded him of Josh.

Peter watched Barros. He looked calm and collected than he was. But then again, the demigod had nothing to lose.

Zack predicted Barros to throw at least two cards after him.

Barros glanced at Zack and took two cards, throwing it to the card Zack last thrown. It was cards with 1750 and 1900 points respectively.

Zack grinned. He was excited to finally end the game soon. He drew the card and it was with 2050 points.

Now, Barros had three more cards and Zack was left with two last cards. Zack didn’t care much, as he was sure he was about to win.

So he watched Barros draw two cards. Zack grinned when he saw it. Two cards with 2000 and 2300 points respectively.

Checking the tally, Peter noticed that Barros only had one card and Zack was still leading with two cards. He only noticed Zack had retained the smirk on his lips, so he assumed Zack got the situation.

Zack was left with cards of 2450 points, the second-highest card points, and the other, which was a card with 2150 points. The latter was lower than the highest card point Barros thrown down, so he was left to bring down both his remaining cards.

He threw it on the floor and grinned. “Be ready to restore our friend’s invisible head and arm,” he said and watched Barros stare at his last card.

Zack anticipated seeing the points of the last card lower than 2450.

Peter gulped. Zack had to win, or else he was next.

Barros slowly brought down his last card, but everyone was shocked, especially Zack.

“3000 points,” Barros said when the card touched down the pile of cards they brought down from the beginning of the game.

Zack was in disbelief and checked the stack of cards.

The card with 3000 points wasn’t there, which meant Barros didn’t cheat, he had a made a mistake shuffling.

Zack chose to not say anything because it might agitate Barros that he cheated.

Barros was now looking at Peter with a sinister grin. “It’s your turn.”