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Chapter Text

You glanced at the 'Inscryption' card set. You didn't mean to come to a halt and stare at the deck of cards in a garage sale. As you stare at it, you can see the owner of the sale glancing at you out of the corner of your eye. You then turned around to face the owner.

"How much for the cards?"

You've been watching 'The Lucky Carder' for a while and couldn't help but smile when he posted a new video on his YouTube account. After learning that he accepts gifts from his followers, it has been your goal to offer him something he will appreciate. But it's been almost a month and you still haven't found the ideal present. That is, until you came upon a vintage card pack at a garage sale, which is now in your hands and ready to be given..

You were ready to message the YouTuber about the cards you have when you noticed something was wrong with them. One of the packs has been opened. The card pack appears to have been torn open by someone. You recall the owner who sold it to you. Is it possible that she opened it? But, the way she gazed at the cards with a sad expression on her face didn't seem to fit. So, instead of giving the YouTuber four card packs, you opted to give him three and keep the one with a tear.

You examined the torn open card pack more closely and noticed something unusual inside. When you took it out, you discovered a piece of paper with some location coordinates.

You can't help but wonder aloud, "What the hell?"

Curiosity has sparked your interest. You logged on to your computer and used Google Maps to look up the location. It ended in a forest with these coordinates. It's a long way from your house, but it's technically close.

Something is wrong here, yet you're interested of what you'll find in the coordinates given on these papers. You began to consider if you should risk your day and visit the location. Or, if you simply give the pack away to the YouTuber...

______

Curiosity has beaten you to a pulp once more, and you're now going through the woods with a lamp, a shovel, and extra batteries.

As you continued heading to the place, you thought to yourself, 'I can't believe I'm doing this.'

You came to a halt when you approached the location. Nothing appears strange here (apart from the fact that it's getting late), so you looked down at the ground and then back at your shovel, groaned, and began poking the earth with your shovel. You continue poking until your shovel hits into something solid. You went completely still.

"There's... you kidding me right?"

You dug again after hearing something loud, your eyes widened, and you began digging again. You continued digging until you came across a box that showed there was something below the dirt and pebbles, at which point you began digging more aggressively. As the dirt settled, you discovered a container with a simple floppy disk inside. You got down on your knees and hold the disk in your palm. As you read the words on the disk, your eyes widened.

'Inscryption'

Something... Is definitely wrong in this situation. You glanced around the woods but couldn't find anything. One thing is certain: you have this weird disk in your palm, and you must discover what it holds.

You returned to your car and drove straight to your home.

But, it seems that your mystery-solving adventure has been interrupted once you find you don't have a floppy disk drive at home. Who even has a floppy disk in their house, right? It's the twenty-first century!

Anyway, you spent eleven dollars on a drive and are now ready to go.

You sat down in your chair after plugging in the floppy disk. You're all set to see what's within. Instead, your computer display a game called 'Inscryption.' You stared at it, confused, until you noticed 'new game' among the options on the start screen. The screen, however, glitches when you select the choice. You then dragged your mouse to the centre while holding the 'continue' button.

As the game loads, the screen goes black, and you can't help but feel nervous and confused.

'where's the option for a new game? Who else has tried this before?' are the thoughts that race through your head.

After that, the screen changes into something else. It shows what appears to be a wooden table. You sat and waited for something to happen, so you started clicking on the screen with your mouse. That is, until you noticed a pair of eyes in the darkness in front of you. The eyes were fixed on you, and you returned the gaze. It took a few moments for text to appear on the screen.

"Another challenger... It has been ages."

...what the fuck?

Chapter Text

"Perhaps you have forgotten how this game is played"

You sat there staring at the screen as the text changed without you pushing any keys or moving your mouse.

"Allow me to remind you"

The text continued, then the table was filled by rectangular symbols with paws. Then, out of nowhere, a card appeared in front of you, and you assumed it was your hand on the screen. You looked at it, perplexed.

"Play the squirrel card" 

You clicked on the squirrel card and placed it on the board, confused.

"Play your stoat" 

You glance at your cards and see a stoat with its eyes closed; for a little minute, you mistook it for a cat. You click on it and try to place it on your board, only to realize that it won't let you.

"Stoats cost 1 blood, Sacrifices must be made"

A red sign appears when you click on the squirrel.

"An honorable death. Play the Stoat" The squirrel disappeared and you put the stoat on the board even more confused.

When you returned your attention to your hand, you noticed two wolf cards.

"Wolves require 2 sacrifice, you don't have enough"

When you return your focus to the eyes, a bellringer appears from the side.

"Ring the bell to end your turn... And commence combat"

You clicked on the bell.

"Your stoat stands unopposed, the number on the bottom left is it's attack power: 1"

On the opposite side of you, the Stoat card slammed into the board with a force. On the side, a single stone and a scale appeared. The stone was placed on the scale.

"Your Stoat dealt me 1 damage, I added it to the scale. You win if you tip my side all the way down"

A hand reaches out and pulls the scale plate down on his side.

"Like this"

Both of you were given a score based on the scale. You shook your head, puzzled as to how a game on a floppy disk, likely developed in the 1990s, can have a great quality?

"My turn" 

The in-game sound of the text displaying surprised you a little. In front of your stoat card, the man in front of you placed a coyote card.

"Your Stoat stands in the way of my Coyote"

When the coyote card struck into my Stoat card, the number on the bottom right was reduced to one, signifying that it's hp.

"My Coyote dealt two damage to your stoat, that means your stoat's health is two less"

You can't help but mutter "yeah, it's pretty obvious" as you stare at the screen.

You waited for the man to speak again, but he remained silent for some time. You're not sure if you're hearing things, but when the text appears on the screen, you hear a sigh in the game.

"Well, I guess you're aware that if your card's health drops to zero, they'll die?"

After the text had vanished, you stared at the screen. Was that a question aimed at you or at the player in the game? As you continue to click the screen with your mouse, nothing happens to the game. The man in the game appears to be aware of this as well, since he does not move or continue the card game in front of you. You begin to wonder if the game is broken. You tried to return to the start menu until the familiar text and sound returned.

"I believe I asked you a question."

You came to a complete stop and returned your focus to the screen. Was it talking to you? That's impossible; it's an ancient game, after all! ... I think. To at least have some sort of reaction to the game, you started pressing random letters on the keyboard. But nothing happened this time, and the man in the game sighed once more.

"Forget what I said; let us continue."

"Huh?"

"You may draw from your deck, or you may draw a squirrel"

You looked back from your cards and once again saw the two wolf card. You're wondering if you could get another card, or if you should get a squirrel card just to be safe. You return your gaze to the board and notice that the stoat is likely to kill the coyote in a single strike. You do, however, draw a squirrel card just in case.

"How dull"

Getting a squirrel card might not be the best idea. 'Should I kill the stoat and then replace it with a wolf?' I wondered as I returned my gaze to the stoat. 'Yes, the stoat CAN kill the coyote,' you reasoned. But this is a tutorial of some type, so there's no harm in murdering the stoat.

You placed the squirrel card next to the stoat and then sacrificed both of them to get the wolf card on the board-

"Huh? Hey stop-"

You came to a halt and peered at the location where the stoat card had been dealt. After it was sacrificed, the stoat talked, the stoat fucking talked. Not only does this game give off a murderer in the woods vibe, but it also contains a bunch of talking animals. What's next, slimes that talk?

"Fear not, the beast is sacrificed.. but not removed from your deck"

Well that's good at least.

"It's suffering is real but you will see it again"

...Nevermind, It was never your style to slaughter animals. If it's someone else's hobby. They're a psychopath.

You put the wolf card in front of the enemy's coyote and ring the bell, brushing aside the talking stoat. The wolf obviously killed the coyote, and the gamemaster didn't put any more cards down after the coyote was killed. You picked up another card and discovered it was a river snapper. nice. You ring the bell to continue the combat because you don't have enough sacrifices, and the wolf caused three damage to the board. Then three stones emerged and were weighed on the scale.

"Three damage dealt, three weights on the scale," the man remarked, before adding, "Pass."

Not wanting to sacrifice the wolf, you took a squirrel card and rang the bell. One additional stone appeared but the other stone was put into a bowl.

"You've won this match"

Yes, I know

"They won't all be so easy" 

Yes, I also know.

"Let me recall your story"

Okay..?

"Oh yes"

Right after that, a map appeared and set down in front of you, the map had trees around it seeming more like a forest. Reminding you of the moment you discovered the floppy disk in the woods. You wouldn't have to play this eerie game if you hadn't followed the coordinates in the back.

"You were lost deep in the forest"

A player piece was put into the map

"A single path revealed to itself"

You clicked on the question mark symbol and the piece moved towards it. 

"Two denizens of the forest approached you tentatively"

Clicking on the card revealed an adder

"The caustic Adder, damage from it's poison bit is always lethal.

And a cat

"The undying cat, sacrificing the poor beast does not kill it. Only one may grace your paltry deck"

Looking at the choices, they're very useful. The adder can kill an animal no matter how stronger the opponent is, but the cat is an unlimited sacrifice supply.. hmm... Remembering that you got three cards that require a two sacrifices.. you bought the undying cat

"Another creature joins your caravan, some of the creatures in the forest seemed willing to follow you"

The map reappeared, and you clicked the backpack symbol once more. Three items were given to you by the man in charge of the game. Two squirrels on a bottle and a.. set of pliers? I don't know how that works but he claimed that it can be used to tip the scales so maybe it's useful of some type. When you returned to the board, you clicked the skeleton head symbol, and the paw prints square appeared, with the man claiming I had been ambushed.

The cards starts to reappear on your hand but was stopped by the stoat. 

"You sacrificed me. While. I. Was. Sleeping."

Oh fuck, it remember it.

"It was the right play, I get it.. maybe"

Well, clearly this stoat got some attitude. 

"You'll help me?"

"Take your turn"

"..Play along for now"

After that confusing dialogue, the cards in your deck was put into your hand. When you looked at the time on your clock, you gasped a little since it was now past midnight. You've been playing this game for hours now and you need to sleep, glancing back at the game. You abruptly ended the game by opening the menu options. knowing that if you continue playing it, You'll just ending up being sleep deprived the next day. Plus, it's just a game. It can be continue tomorrow.

Chapter Text

"Look, there's a combination for the safe I saw written down by a previous player-"

As you clicked your mouse to skip the Stoat's dialogue, you said, "Yeah... whatever."

"I- Could you at least pay attention to me!"

"Quiet"

You swear you could hear the stoat muttering after that reprimand. You placed the squirrel card on the board and sacrificed it in order for the stoat to attack.

"Total misplay-"

"You're a total misplay"

You kept playing the game right after you wake up. Losing for the first time to the prospector and gaining your first death card, losing the second time on a totem battle and it's not even a boss battle. You looked back at the starter cards you have and can't help but groaned. The stoat has been berating your every move, when it said "bad play" the first time, you thought it was just programming but the more you play the more this annoying weasel talk. Eventually, you started to quip back against every word the stoat said. 

"Bad play"

"Can't help that you're a bad card"

"Keep me alive" 

"Try killing that coyote first, you weasel"

"This spot, you sure?"

"Yes I'm fucking sure"

But every now and then, anytime you made a good decision on a game. The stoat will occasionally say, "Decent play," before chastising you for another "bad play."

You also begin to respond to the Gamemaster in the game. Whether he'll hand you a deck of cards to choose from, or whether he'll upgrade one of your cards' attack or health. You eventually began to speak to yourself more frequently.

When you lose on the previous run. You've lost your Mantis God, your greatest card by far with 5 attack and 3 HP with an 'Unkillable' sigil, and it's now gone. You couldn't help but grumble as you looked back at your cards. You're thinking of ways to make the stoat stronger while you stare at it. It's possible that increasing his attack or HP may be helpful, but there's also the wolf, who has a high attack already.

"The rank smell of rot and mold permeated the humid air. Every step forward was answered by some nearby slip or slither. You tread cautiously into... The wetlands"

Finding yourself back on the wetlands. You began your first combat in a similar manner, placing the squirrel card first, then the stoat, but before he could be placed on the board. It began to speak once more..

"Did you check the cabin at least once?"

As the stoat talked and refused to move out of the way of the screen, you sighed heavily.

"Look, there's some cards around here, better cards. Including my uhhh.... Accomplice"

You groaned and muttered, "I'll do it later." The stoat's face changed to a worried look before uttering "keep me alive" and returning to your hand.

you resumed the fight. Then you realize you don't spend nearly enough time at the cabin. You got stuck on the sliding problem the first time you tried it, so you went to the internet to look for an answer, but surprise, surprise! There is no 'Inscryption' game to be found. Maybe going for a walk inside the cabin will be helpful.

After you won the battle, you were able to keep the stoat alive, but the map was missing. Instead, the Gamemaster, spoke out.

"May I remind you that you are free to go around the cabin?"

Your player looked back at the eyes.

"I am not a tyrant" 

..well if he says so.

The map reappeared in front of you. but rather than continuing the game, you stood up and began touching and interacting with the items inside the cabin.

"Can't believe they told me to work out," you grumbled (despite the fact that you already planned on doing it) as you returned to the sliding puzzle where you had previously gotten stuck. You decided to waste your time trying to figure out the puzzle's combination since the guy doesn't appear to mind you touching all of his belongings in the game. It only took a few minutes, but the ultimate product is... bad. All it gave you was a bunch of ants? What good will that do for your deck? You groaned as you stared at the safe that the stoat kept begging you to unlock before returning to your seat.

"Maybe I should open it," you whispered to no one.

You looked at the clock as you returned to your game seat and decided to snack for a little. You rose from your (actual) seat and entered the kitchen. After hunting for potato chips and drinking some water, you return to your computer, making a mental note to go grocery shopping. A familiar text appeared while you were opening the chips.

"You certainly took your time" 

He couldn't have said that when you were busy opening that puzzle, could he? You stopped opening chips and went to stare at the screen. You roll your eyes as you continue to open your chips and ate one of them.

"I was hungry," you replied as you stuffed another potato chip into your mouth. As you clicked the 'mystery card' sign on the map, the gamemaster sighed (something you've heard a lot in the game).

"At least cover your mouth while you're eating" he urged, stopping your tracks.

You stared at the screen as you saw the Gamemaster visibly flinch. That was strange, but given how you discovered the game in the woods, you didn't think much of it. Speaking of strange game-specific texts. That's been going on for a while, especially since you started the game this morning after abruptly ending the first combat, and the greeting they gave you was... weird..? When the familiar table arrived, the guy simply complained about you leaving shortly after you started and ordered me not to do it again.

You remembered the gamemaster saying, "You.. ended the game rather.. abruptly, don't.. do it again." 

It's quite bizarre. But you ended up getting used to it, to the point that you began responding to some of their dialogue as if you were having a normal discussion with a human.

Despite not being in your hand or in a battle, you heard the stoat respond, "Did you at least check the safe?" The gamemaster's gaze turned to the spot on the deck where the stoat was placed. 

You stared at the screen, confused and a little terrified. I mean, this game can't possibly be sentient, right? Maybe it's just a coincidence, right? You double-checked your computer's webcam, knowing it was never turned on, but just in case you missed something.

This is the tipping point: not the fact that you found it in the woods, not the fact that they've been chatting to you as if you're a real person, but the fact that the game's character is aware that you're eating.

You decided to stop playing the game and immediately ran a malware scan on your computer. You might be overreacting, and cleaning your computer for a bit isn't a bad idea! You returned your gaze to the floppy disk and resisted the urge to toss it outside. But you've already started playing the game, and strange things are happening.

You sighed and lay down on your bed; it was already 5 p.m, and you were tired even though you had only been sitting for half a day. You returned your gaze to the computer and noticed that you had forgotten to remove the potato chips; after that encounter, you are no longer hungry.

_______

As the player vanished, Leshy sat in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He made a mistake by asking you to cover your mouth while eating; it was a totally reasonable request for someone who was eating a little too noisily, but he had entirely forgotten that he should behave like a normal game npc in order to prevent frightening the player. In his defense, you've been responding to him properly and treating him like a person rather than a lowly fly. Why are you bothering to respond to him? He knows you live alone since you scream profanities like there's no tomorrow whenever you lose, and you must have friends outside with whom you can speak. He won't lie, but he enjoyed having another talk with someone who did not insult him. As he glanced at the table, he eventually diverted his thoughts away.

He sighed heavily as he pushed the map away from the table and took your cards to his side, noticing that one of the cards was moving, he grimaced as he took the card and was instantly greeted by a barrage of obscenities that he had been accustomed to.

"Great job, you stinking beast!"

Leshy stared at the card, he would be annoyed if P03 wasn't stuck in the body of a stoat, but alas, he's used to this kind of behavior. "Nice to see you too," Leshy said as he returned the card to your deck before it began moving again.

"To be honest, I was expecting more from the great scrybe of the beasts! You really messed that one up!"

Leshy groaned as he placed the card in front of him, his brow furrowed. "Are you going to say anything else or will you remain silent?"

"Hah! Like I'd stay quiet after that!" scoffs the stoat, grinning. Leshy squinted at it before returning his gaze to the spot where you used to sit. "And they were getting better at this game too," Leshy said as he sat down in silence, and the stoat followed suit.

Leshy eventually recalled the day you first began playing the game, which was yesterday. The joy he had felt after finally being able to convey the story of his game after years of waiting. Your voice resonated in the cabin as he was telling you about the health of the stoat after it was attacked by his coyote. It had been a long time since he had heard a new voice. 

"Are you going to keep me in your filthy hands or throw me into the deck?"

Leshy's eye twitched again as he heard the stoat groan. He was going to put the stoat card into the deck when he remembered that, although not being on your hand, he had also questioned the player.

Leshy, who was now staring at the stoat, asked, "Why did you talk?" He noticed the stoat's eyes widened slightly, but it continued to respond, "You made a mistake first, might as well follow it" the stoat said.

Leshy locked his gaze on it, obviously doubting what it stated. He shoved the stoat back into the deck, after all, the robot has made no secret of his dislike for any kind of beast he encounters. Leshy sighed once again, hoping you'd be undisturbed by the ordeal and continue playing the game..

Chapter Text

"So, they talk to you?" questioned a friend you ran into on your way to the grocery store. You woke up this morning and chose not to play that game for another day, instead opting to go grocery shopping. You bumped into your friend Charlie in the meat section of the grocery store and attempted to strike up a discussion with them, but you accidentally brought up the game you found in the woods.

"I mean, I thought it was just programming and stuff at first, but... I don't know, it's strange" you told your friend as you stuffed your basket with at least three or five packs of those scrumptious junk foods. Charlie locked his attention on you and rubbed his chin, taking a long time to react.

"So it's like a dating sim?" They asked, your eyes wide with surprise, as they grin like the joker.

"No!" you almost screamed, but they only chuckled. As you moved down the next aisle, you added "It's more like a Yu-Gi-Oh game with cards and whatnot." Before following you, Charlie said, "Have you seen the review? Maybe it's intentional."

You flinched as they said that because you'd been trying to avoid that section of the game. I mean, c'mon!? How would you explain to a friend that the game you're playing is saved on a floppy disk found in the middle of nowhere? Of course, there will be no reviews for that game! Charlie must have noticed your sudden silence as they asked again.

"You didn't?" 

"...Not really"

"Huh, you should definitely check it out; i don't want you to be complaining about that game for the next few days," they joked.

"I'll do that when I get home," you said as you gathered more groceries and placed them in your basket. You examined the basket and determined that the food within is good enough to keep you alive for at least two weeks. You turn to face Charlie and notice that they don't have nearly as much in their basket as you had expected. Despite the fact that they're a friend, you're already tired of talking to them.

You motioned to your basket and said, "Welp, I'll be going now." Charlie chuckled as he looked at you basket and said

"Alright, I have more items to buy. My cat has been a little shit since she ran out of treats to eat." You couldn't help but laugh back. You started walking towards the cashier when Charlie stopped you again.

"Before you leave!" they said, and you turned around to face them. "What's the name of the game you're playing? I'd like to try it on my own" they asked, completely oblivious to the nature of the game. You flinched once more as they said that.

You replied quietly in the hopes that they wouldn't ask any more questions. "Uhm... I sorta... forgot," you said.

"You forgot the name of the game you've been playing for the past two days?" Charlie asked, raising one of their brows.

"Uhh... Yes." Your responses made you feel like a complete moron. Charlie gave you a sidelong glance before responding. "Alright, I'll be leaving now," Charlie then walked down the next aisle and waved, "but at least give me the name of the game by the time you get home," When you can't see Charlie anymore, you exhale a sigh of relief as you approach the cashier to pay for your groceries.

You strolled out of the supermarket and down the road to your apartment; it's not a long walk and the bag you're carrying isn't too heavy; besides, you haven't been exercising, so a little walk would be nice. You arrived home to your apartment and placed your groceries in their proper places in the kitchen. You were debating whether you should take a shower in the middle of the day or have a few snacks when your gaze was drawn to the computer.

You haven't played 'Inscryption' in a while, choosing to go grocery shopping instead. Your fingertips were already on the CPU as you walked up to your computer. Your mind flashed back to yesterday, when the gamemaster told you to eat with your mouth closed. Maybe you reacted too quickly...? No.. There's no way for a game to know if you're eating right now. Unless they're sentient, which really isn't possible.. Right?

...Maybe a small experiment will do (You and your childlike curiosity are to blame for this). With sweat flowing down your brow, you turned on your computer and waited. When the computer finally loaded up and displayed your desktop wallpaper, you silently launched the game and waited for it to load.

You take a deep breath and press the continue button when the familiar screen appears. The screen changed to the brown table you were used to, and you could see the gamemaster's eyes. The map returned softly in front of your eyes after nothing had happened between you and him. You sighed as you clicked on the skull. The combat proceeded as usual: place your squirrel card first, then your stoat; when the stoat card appears, it displays three dots before returning to your hand.

You lost a light after three battles and several sacrifices, but instead of the gamemaster belittling you, it showed those three dots again, and you had enough. You gathered up your bravery and eventually spoke up. 

"Are we going to talk about yesterday?" you finally asked, referring to the 'food incident' from the day before.

You waited for a bit but the guy in the game did not respond. After a moment, you were going to move on with the map (feeling a bit stupid) when he.. spoke up.

"I.. didn't expect you to.. play again" the guy finally muttered, and you shifted your player's gaze to him and stared, followed by a little moment of hesitation before speaking again.

"So.. you guys do talk?" 

"..Yes" the man said in response to your question.

You were taken aback; how are they sentient? As you stare at the screen, a million questions start to pop into your head. As he turns to face you, the gamemaster sighs once again.

"I'm sure you've got a lot of questions."

"Oh, sure, obliviously-"

"However, I'm afraid I won't be able to respond to any of them."

"I-.. I didn't even ask you a question!"

"Yet, I'm sure one of those covers why we're sentient, doesn't it?"

"..."

You went silent, and while it's true that you were about to ask that question, but being called out like that is a bit harsh.

You were hesitant to speak and continue the game because of the silence, but you were too involved in this predicament to do so. It's possible that someone is already following you or the game. The gamemaster must have observed your stillness as he spoke once more.

He told you, "What I did yesterday was a mistake; it was not my desire to scare you." Despite the fact that he finished his sentence, he seemed to want to say more. What happened today and yesterday continues to bother you; nothing in these situations is normal, and turning back will leave you unsatisfied, and you know your curiosity is stimulated.

And there's only one way for you to satisfy your curiosity.

You sighed as you continued playing the game after silently clicking the campfire logo on the map. As you play, you can see the Gamemaster's eyes widen a little. You're not sure if it was relief, but he quickly returns to his narrating mode (You couldn't help but smile when you hear it.). You noticed the stoat looking scared when he saw the fire, so you decided to put the stoat in the campfire to enhance its attack. You kept playing until you reached the Angler and defeated him, only to lose to the trapper and have to start over.

As a result, another day has been spent playing this game, and the worst part? You're starting to enjoy it, which isn't exactly a bad thing for the both of you.

Chapter Text

You couldn't help but wonder and ask when the map resurfaced.

"Is that stoat also sentient?"

"It's sentient, too" 

A new battle begins, and you proceed as before, only to be interrupted by the appearance of the stoat on your screen.

Before speaking, the text displays three dots.

"Could you please check the safe now?"

The more this jerk insists on you checking the safe, the less you want to.

"Later," you said, you clicked the mouse right on the face of the Stoat on the screen.

"But—come on, it's the very least you can do!"

The stoat refused to leave no matter how many times you clicked the screen with your mouse.

You sighed deeply before stating calmly, "Look, I just learned that you guys are conscious after scaring me yesterday!" You ended up shouting the last sentence, and you can see the gamemaster's eye twitch a little in the background.

"It's not my fault you are chewing too loudly!"

"I was starving-"

The gamemaster scolds both of you to be quiet, and the stoat scoffs as its card finally returned to your hand. After a few minutes, you've won the battle and are only a few steps away from the boss battle, which is the 'angler.' When you pressed the mystery card symbol, you were presented with a new card, one with tentacles? Something is blocking the sigil, and you have no idea what it can do.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what that card does; perhaps the book will help," the gamemaster adds, and you do as he suggests.

However, the page showing the symbol was blotched with ink, making it impossible to read what was written on it. You eventually clicked something that moved the book's page, so you turned it over and discovered some sigils you didn't recognize, so you decided to read some of them, that is, until you noticed some numbers scribbled on one page. The sigil is from the bullfrog card, and you recognized it.

'2, 7, 3' 

It appears that you have no choice but to open the safe as the stoat urges.

"Have you decided on a card?"

Once you've defeated the boss.

You got a 'Child 13' after a good card game and got out of your chair. You instantly went to the safe, entered the combination, and it opened, revealing a... card? A stinkbug?

"Oh... Hello"

It also speaks, of course.

"I wasn't sure I'd ever get out of that iron crypt."

You're curious if there are any more talking cards in this area.

"Is P- the stoat, the stunted wolf, around?"

A stunted wolf? So there is another talking card in the cabin.

"This madness needs to end."

The card disappeared, and you returned to the table; the map reappeared, and you resumed your game; however, the grandmaster spoke before you could even click the mouse.

"Can you tell me what you were doing?"

You stopped and moved your player's gaze at him.

"At the safe.. what were you doing there?"

"Oh.. uhm, I just take something out of the safe, the stoat said it's important"

He stared at you grumbled "Do not listen to any word that stoat said" 

Those words don't bother you nearly as much as they used to. From their initial encounter, it's evident that they despise each other, but I'm not sure why the stoat needs the Stinkbug to 'get out of this mess,' unless there's some unsaid lore that the gamemaster refused to reveal.

You continued playing the game, and when a totem battle happened, you watched the Stinkbug and the Stoat talking.

"Do tell me if I'm wrong, but.. is our friend.. talking to us?" began the Stinkbug, genuinely puzzled.

"They've been talking to us the whole time," the stoat said. "Anyway, you got a plan?"

"Oh.. well, I hope this isn't too confusing for you," the Stinkbug replied, ignoring the stoat. You can hear the stoat shouting loudly, "hey!" at the corner to the stinkbug, who is visibly annoyed by the fact that it got ignored. It took a while for you to realize that the stinkbug was speaking directly to you.

"Trust me.. I've gotten used to this," you said, and the stinkbug laughed? It's the first time you've seen someone in the game laugh.

"Well, I guess with you around, this game can get a little interesting-"

"I don't want to spoil the occasion, but we have a game to play right now."

The card moved and returned to your hand when you heard the gamemaster speak. You silently played the game, and as the stoat was placed on the board, you heard it say "dumb beast..." You rolled your eyes at it, thinking to yourself, 'Check yourself out, stoat, you're also a beast.' You won the battle after a few rounds of cards and continued on to the map. You bought some pelts from the trapper and joined in another battle; once again, the stoat and the stinkbug began talking as soon as the fight began.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but we do have.. another friend here."

"You've got to be—I wouldn't call him a friend, but I guess we're in deep this time," the Stoat remarked before returning its card to your hand. Ignoring the stinkbug's suggestion, you won the battle and were going to get some new item when you got interrupted by a familiar ringtone. You turned over and saw your phone was ringing; you paused the game to look at it and saw your friend's name on it; it looks like Charlie wants to FaceTime you.

You went back to the game before answering the phone and said, "Hey guys, I have to answer this first."

The gamemaster nods and says, "I don't mind, do what you have to," which you thank him for and then exit the game to call your friend. You laughed as they blasted you with stories that they most likely made up.

You eventually exited the room and went into the kitchen to eat while listening to your friend, leaving the game.

____

As he sits in the darkness, Leshy hears the stinkbug say, "How come the challenger knew we talked?"

"The beast decided to talk to them while they're eating," the stoat said, and Leshy looked at it before getting up and stretching his arms a little. It had been a while for you to lose, and he hadn't had the chance to move around much.

"Oh my, was the challenger eating in a loud manner?"

"Ugh, I can hear their teeth gnashing at each other, and it disgusts me."

Leshy resisted his urge to tear the card into shreds as he heard the stoat started berating about 'beast' and he can see the stinkbug looking at it but he knows that she's probably not listening to it talks. He never liked it whenever the stoat starts insulting the creatures that roams the forest.

Leshy resisted the urge to tear the card to shreds as he heard the stoat start ranting about 'beast,' and he could see the stinkbug staring at it, but he knew she was probably not listening. He didn't like it when the stoat started insulting the forest creatures.

He watched the cards talk (mainly the stoat) before focusing on the cuckoo clock; given how the challenger discovered the stinkbug, he wondered if they would ever find the stunted wolf.

He leaned back in his chair and continued watching the cards talk; he missed the days when the rest of the scrybes were allies rather than foes. However, he chose to dismiss those thoughts since he wanted to enjoy the time he had with the player, and those sentiments could ruin his game.

Chapter Text

After minutes of trying to solve the riddle, you looked at the card you had found. You sighed and returned to your seat at the table.

"Did you come across anything-"

"Oh, I did find something, it's a card named 'caged wolf,' how does that help me?" you say, cutting off the stoat.

"It isn't going to help you, but it is going to help me-"

"Don't you mean it'll help us?" said the stinkbug, interrupting the stoat.

"Fine! it'll help us, happy-"

"You didn't respond to my question."

"Will you please stop interrupting me!" I'm not going to admit, it's a little amusing to annoy the stoat.

"It may help you, but it doesn't help me in battle" you said, repeating what it had said earlier.

"It's not my fault you're terrible at this game!"

"What's your reason for being one of the terrible cards here?"

"Well, you won't be dying as much if you give me some valuable sigils or buff me up!"

"Aren't you the one who begs me not to be thrown into the campfire?"

"Guys, please don't fight-" you can hear the stinkbug say in the middle of the quarrel, but it was cut off by the stoat as revenge for the prior incident.

"Cause you always put your luck on the line!"

"You said I should strengthen my cards even more-"

"Enough with the shouting, both of you; it's giving me a headache."

The stinkbug sighs in the card as the grandmaster scolds the two of you. You returned your gaze to the board and prepared for battle. When you put the stoat in after killing the squirrel, you hear it say his famous "total misplay" catchphrase. You can feel your eye twitch a little as you ring the bell and the stoat takes two damage from an elk. You take a card from your deck and see your 'Mantis God,' and you laugh a little as you sacrifice the stoat for the mantis.

Before vanishing, the stoat shouted, "OH YOU PIECE OF-" he vanished before could finish the sentence. You chuckle at it, The stinkbug's expression changes to worry.

After the fight, you came across a backpack, the gamemaster gave you items to use in battle. it's basically the same stuff, that is until he gave you an odd bottle. It's filled with a sticky, green substance.

"Oh, not this. I seem to have forgotten to place it somewhere else," the gamemaster adds, but you are unswayed and choose it to be one of your items right away. You tried to use it in a battle, but the gamemaster snatched it away before you could see what it was gonna do.

But it doesn't sway you one bit.

When the map was unrolled, you asked, "What's that strange green goo on the bottle?"

"He's no one; stay away from him as much as possible."

"All right, can I have a look at him?" 

"... No, but I doubt you'll take my advice."

You rose out of your in-game chair, said "yep" and walked up to the green blob in the corner. You observed the green-faced bottle for a while before you clicked it.

"NGAHHHH, the pain? UNBEARABLE!!" the blob cried suddenly as soon as you clicked it.

The cry makes you flinch a little, but you ignore it since the goo is most likely simply another strange feature of the game, with sentience as well. When you see the blob in the bottle move around like it's dancing, you can't help but giggle.

"How did you get in the bottle?" you asked the goo, curious as to how it got to be there.

"NGAHHH, It's for my MASTER'S FINAL TEST!"

"who's your master?" you asked once more, assuming he was referring to the gamemaster.

"my MASTER, M-MAGNIFI-"

When the goo stopped talking, you noticed that its eyes moved and stared at you.

"Did you just.. hear what I said?"

You keep forgetting that you're chatting to your own computer; you just hope your neighbors don't hear you.

"Well, yes-"

This is IMPOSSIBLE, I-IMPOSSIBLE. This- this has to be magycks' work! Yes! CAN YOU HEAR ME, MASTER-"

"Return to your seat."

You heard the gamemaster scolded you once more, so you looked back at the goo one final time before returning to your seat, where you heard the gamemaster sigh at you.

"I told you not to talk to it," the gamemaster continues, adding that "it can get a little bothersome" after you sit back down.

"Well, the blob got my attention," you retorted timidly.

"Your curiosity will bring you to problematic circumstances" the gamemaster said as the map was returned to the table.

You ignored it and continued playing the game; your first combat was simple, and the stoat was the first to meet you, saying, "keep me alive this time," before returning to your hand; you muttered, "I'll try." Thinking back on your first time playing this game to your current progress, you grinned as you looked at your deck; you've been improving in this game, and you're sure that the gamemaster is aware of it as well.

When you met the woodpecker and got the squirrel totem, you felt proud of yourself because you got lucky and earned the 'worthy sacrifice's symbol on all of your squirrel cards, making the game a lot easier than it had been before.

Not to mention, having the stinkbug in your deck is a lot of fun; the stinkbug will talk to you as a battle begins, which is a lot more pleasant than the Stoat saying "total misplay" every time you place a card.

You're currently on your way to defeating the third monster in these frigid lands, and the elks in the game are driving you crazy. On the plus side! You managed to get a lot of pelts from the trapper, and now your deck has even more overpowered cards!

"I really like the trapper and the trader," you said during the battle, and the gamemaster looked at you and asked.

"How so?"

"Well, no offense, but they gave me more, better cards than the ones on the map."

You can hear the gamemaster chuckling.

"Well, if you enjoy it so much, you should get more; it'll come in handy later."

It confuses you for a moment, but you move on.

It was during a particular battle that you began to doubt the game once more. You're in the middle of a totem war, and the cards you're up against are moose bucks and elks with 'guardian' sigils. Your starting cards are one of the weaker ones, and one of them has already been killed. The stinkbug has already died, and your stoat has been dead since the beginning, and you have limited space on the board due to the trees' card. You were in a tough spot and clicked your deck in the hopes of getting one of your stronger cards, but instead you got the Caged wolf. 

It does no damage, but it can take a few blows while you collect more cards and squirrels.

You're lucky since the remaining elks are stuck in fighting trees, but the trees only have a little amount of health left, and all you can hope for is that the RNG will be on your side. You used your squirrel card with 'worthy sacrifices,' which you sacrificed for your caged wolf. leaving you with only one squirrel on your hand, you rang the bell and the moose buck struck the caged wolf, losing 3 hp, and the remaining elks eventually broke the trees that had been keeping them out.

You silently wished for a good card, and when you saw your 'Mantis God' with 3 atk and 5 HP, you let out a loud sigh of relief and immediately placed the 'Mantis God' on your board; luckily, the elks have made a path that allows your card to do some damage to all of them without the Moose Buck moving and taking the hit. You rang the bell, and your card managed to hit and kill both of the elks, leaving you with the moose buck, that is until the moose buck killed your caged wolf, and you heard a noise inside the cabin.

The gamemaster's eyes were drawn to the source of the noise, and you couldn't help but wonder what that noise was. You stood up and walked to the source of the disturbance after winning one more round of the battle and earning extra coins for the trapper. The blob in the bottle can be heard moving around. You finally got to the source of the noise and discovered that the wooden caged wolf had been released; you had seen the wooden version of that card before while opening some of the puzzles here but had dismissed it. When you take the statue and look around, you notice that there is only one spot for it, which is next to the knife. When you place the statue next to the knife's mechanism, the bottle begins to shake violently, and the knife is released while your in-game character clutches it.

You returned to the gamemaster, who spotted the knife and spoke calmly, "ah! You've unlocked it. Very well, you can use it during a difficult moment in combat" Despite the fact that you now have a knife in your possession, his entire manner is calm.

Even when you clicked the knife to see what it looked like in the handbook, it only provided you a vague description. Yet, despite your confusion, you continued to play the game.

Only until you're in the middle of a battle do you realize what that knife can do.

You're in another battle, close to the boss fight, but you've struck a wall, you've already lost your candle from an earlier battle, and the only thing you have in your hands are pelts (you're beginning to regret taking so many pelts). There's nothing you can do; you've already tipped the scales with your pliers, but it didn't help much against the obnoxious elks, So you glanced at the knife in the corner.

'He did say it could help me,' you thought to yourself. When you finally chose to click on it, what happened made your eyes itch.

The knife suddenly materialized in front of your screen and began stabbing something; moments later, an eye appeared and was scaled. The mass of that eye added to the scale's weight, and you were declared the winner.

Your eyes widened as you said, "What the fuck...!" That was more messed up than pulling your teeth out with pliers. You don't even use the pliers very much since they make you feel uneasy.

In the darkness, you heard the gamemaster say, "Need an eye?" Suddenly, a box appears, and it opens out a bunch of eyeballs, some bloody, some mutated, but one eye caught you off guard. It was glowing, and some shapes were beginning to appear. That particular eye stood out among the rest, and you wanted to know why.

As you slide the eye into your eyesocket, you try to forget about the fact that your former eye had been taken out. "Are you happy with that one?" the gamemaster questioned as you halted at the box holding the eyeballs.

On the box was written, 'Find Salvation in Cuckoo Clock.'

As soon as you stood up, you were surrounded by vivid colors, a mix of cyan and pink. You went to the clock, which now had symbols on it, and you followed it.

Inside is a wolf, a Stunted Wolf.

"Take the film roll, before he sees it"

This is starting to get strange.

"NOW"

'what exactly is going on here?' You thought to yourself as you took the film roll out of the clock. With those eyes, the gamemaster peers at you.

Chapter Text

"You'll make a fine pelt.." 

During boss fight, you made a total misplay. You didn't realize you'd need the pelt in combat, so you sold them to the trader before they betrayed you and turned into a freaking boss.

Ain't going to lie or anything, but the way the gamemaster flips the mask amazes you. You had no idea the trapper and the trader were the same person. Yet, you were defeated by them, and you must start the game all over again.

Frustration sets in, and it's not helped by the fact that your starter cards have been reduced to talking cards, which are slightly weaker than your initial starter cards. Although the stunted wolf is a nice addition to the talking cards, he isn't a particularly good hitter (despite being only one hit weaker). But there's one more strange thing about these cards: their look begins to change.

When you were playing one of the early battles, you noticed that the stoat had a squarish head.

"What happened to you?" you said, your tone curious.

"Huh?" The stoat glances at you, confused. "Your head is square," you said.

"Oh, you just noticed?" you could sense the annoyance.

"Yep, caught me off guard, but it does look cute."

"....Wait, what-" 

"Your head resembles me of several of the pillows I own," you joked, and the stoat looked at you before looking around his card, apparently contemplating.

"Are you comparing me to your pelted pillows!?" the stoat exclaimed, irritated by his own realization, and you, in turn, were irritated by his charge.

"I'm not comparing their pelts to yours, you idiot; just so you know, my pillows are skillfully manufactured by artificial fur," you told the square-headed stoat.

"OH, shut up, you-"

"Enough, both of you; why do you argue every time you meet each other?" the gamemaster says, looking at you both. As he listened to your petty arguments, you can see him squeezing the bridge of his nose.

Not wanting to lose, the stoat exclaimed, "Oh come on, they started it!"

"I was just telling you that you had a square head-"

"Enough," the gamemaster says to you both, clearly annoyed. "We haven't even started the battle yet, and this is only your first battle this round," the gamemaster says, and you can't help but roll your eyes at him.

During the last game run, you were handed the film roll by the stunted wolf. You have no idea what it's for, and you couldn't care less. Clearly, there is some lore in these games, such as how the cards can interact at all. They also appear bothered by the fact that they are a card (or an animal).

"Oh dear, it appears you must have flustered the stoat," the stinkbug (who had also changed appearance) said. The stoat had already been placed on the board and was saying his famous quote as he was put.

As you rang the bell, you replied to the stinkbug, "It's not my fault he's a blockhead."

"Hahah, Well it's the first time someone called him that," the stinkbug laughed at your pun.

"What, a blockhead?" you snorted as you positioned your stunted wolf.

"Oh no, I'm pretty sure I've called it a blockhead way too many times before, I'm referring to the word 'cute," the stinkbug laughs once more.

The gamemaster adds another bullfrog to the game; you know you can win this round since you're only two points away, but you wanted to go for an overkill and kill that bullfrog.

"Other than his head, he acts exactly like a stoat." you said.

"How so?" the stinkbug hummed in response to your words.

"Stoats are crackheads," you say, earning another chuckle from the bug (you can hear the stoat let out a "what!?") "only follows one prey and ignores the others nearby, he annoys me at the start of this game, makes me do all of his requests, and won't stop pestering me about it"

You rang the bell.

"Very stubborn creatures"

The stinkbug laughed again, and you were surprised to hear the gamemaster hum at your words. You looked at the gamemaster at the screen.

He eventually speaks to you and joins the conversation, which is very unexpected.

"Stoats are single-minded creatures who are intolerant of change, and territorial creatures who would hunt down and kill any other species that approaches their den."

You're back to staring at the map now that the round is over.

"Invasive animals who wreak havoc on the refuge they've infiltrated and will go to any length to achieve what they seek."

After saying those things, the gamemaster fell silent (Some of the talking cards grumble or whine in response to his words) you're not sure if you should take his words seriously or not, and this was the only thing he said other from scolding you and the stoat. Plus, the tone with which he speaks those words appears to be quite personal, and you'd rather not question about it.

You eventually ignored his words and went on to press the campfire sign; then again, you were just getting started and didn't have any good cards yet, so you chose your stunted wolf—actually, you saw the stoat looking scared around the corner, so you changed your mind and chose him; it let out a no as it was placed to the campfire. His power has increased, and he can now hit an enemy with two hits.

That will at the very least make him useful. You continue battling (with the stoat scolding you for putting it on the campfire, but you ignore him) and you try to talk to the stunted wolf, but he either gives you small answers or ignores you.

"how you doing?" you asked the wolf once, who, as usual, ignored you and simply answered

"Keep playing; I believe triumph is on the way."

"...ok, and?" you said again, attempting to figure out what it meant; you were in the middle of a game at the time.

"..." The wolf, of course, does not respond to you and instead returns to your hand.

You were going to mention that he had grown bushier than before, but you decided not to. Besides, the more you talk with the wolf, the more you see him to be much more aloof than the stoat; at least the stinkbug seems to be friendly to you.

You defeated the prospector boss, then went on to the wetlands, where, during your first battle on the map, you saw that the talking cards again in your deck, but with a new appearance.

You cried at the stoat, "What the hell happened to you!?"

"Oh gosh- could you please stop shouting for one second?" the stoat asks, but you keep staring at its face and saw buttons? Are those controllers, too?

"your head is looking like a gameboy right now"

"What the hell is a gameboy-" 

"Oh damn, stinkbug, your face has changed too!"

"Oh dear, is it a good one?" the stinkbug asked, clearly interested in how they looked. how they look. (The stoat grumbled once again at being ignored.)

"Yeah, it's ok; to be honest, you're looking more like a grandmother."

With a small giggle, the stinkbug remarked, "A grandma? I'm not too old aren't I?"

"At least your face appears nicer, the stoat looks like a computer right now hehe..." the stinkbug chuckles at your comments as with its paws within the cards, the stoat tries to feel himself. However after you said those words, you noticed the gamemaster's eyes peering at you.

"Is it now?" the gamemaster said, and despite the fact that he asked a question, it felt as if he was looking over you- the stoat, for something. The stoat in its card has froze, and the stinkbug has gone silent.

"May I have the card?" he said abruptly, and you were startled as his hands appeared on the screen, waiting for your in-game player to hand up the card. You silently clicked his hand, and the stoat and the stinkbug were dragged away from you. The gamemaster looks at both of them, his eyes glaring at the stoat but softening slightly when he sees the stinkbug.

"I assumed that the stunted wolf also changed," the gamemaster said as he sat up straight in his chair. "But let's ignore that for now, we still have a game to play," 

The cards were returned to your hand, and you continued to play quietly. This has been happening a lot lately; everytime you talk to the talking cards, whether just chatting or fighting the stoat again, the gamemaster always ends up cutting it to continue playing the game. To be honest, it's a little annoying, It doesn't help that the stunted wolf keeps telling you to beat him, but he doesn't even tell you what the film is about.

All you know is that they don't want you to lose this time.

Which, to be honest, is a bit of an expectation. You just wanted to play some tabletop games, but everything went downhill when the wolf showed up (yes, you blame the wolf). But enough of that; time passes, and you defeat the angler once more, and now you're on your way to defeating the trapper/trader.

During one of the battles you ended up taking on the map, you met the stunted wolf once more.

You put your Mantis God on the board and rung the bell, the stinkbug is also at your hand but doesn't say anything, it's probably feeling awkward around the wolf, they did say they weren't on the best terms with the wolf.

After a while, you took a squirrel card and used it to fight the moose buck with the mole man you got at the angler, and you eventually asked the wolf a question, "so why did you give me that film roll?" you whispered gently.

You noticed the stinkbug's eyes widened slightly, but the stunted wolf remained silent. You sighed when you didn't hear from it again, but surprisingly, it spoke up. "That film roll will let us go back to our original forms," the wolf said quietly to you.

After the wolf said those things, it made you think. Ever since you got the film, you've had a hunch that the film roll can turn people into cards, similar to your previous deathcard, but you're not sure when or whom you can use it.

"How?" you said again, your interest piqued, but the gamemaster spoke up again before the wolf could respond.

"I can hear you whispering," he said, the stinkbug sweating in the corner, "so tell me, what are you talking about?" The gamemaster probes you, and despite the fact that he was inside the screen of your computer, you couldn't help but feel nervous and sweat.

"I'm asking you a question," the gamemaster said, pausing the battle as he wanted answers from you. You took a deep breath before responding, "I was just... talking to the wolf."

"About?"

"His uhm... face got messier," you told him, and the stinkbug in the corner lightly smirked.

"... Very well" the gamemaster remarked, and you breathed a sigh of relief- "keep your secrets to yourself," he said before returning to battle, and you assume he'd let it go, but nope, he'll have to be a douchebag to you once again.

"Jerk," you mumbled quietly, well, you thought you murmured quietly, but it was obviously loud enough for them to hear.

"What was that?" the gamemaster asked, his tone tinged with rage, but all of your frustration vanished as you were interrogated by him.

"I- uhh," you stammered as you attempted to respond.

"Say it loudly if you have any problems with how I manage this game," the gamemaster growled to you, and you could feel your frustration coming back to you.

"I-it's not the game, you asshole," you eventually managed to say to him.

"Then what is it?" he asked once again, his gaze still creeping you out. He's at it again, fucking up your time with the cards. You only wanted to speak with them.

"It's you! You've been nagging me every time I've been having fun!" you said to him, each word becoming increasingly louder by the second.

"What are you talking about?" the gamemaster demanded, his tone becoming increasingly agitated.

"You kept interrupting me whenever I talked to one of the cards! This game isn't as much fun as it used to be!" you growled back.

"Then why are you here in the first place if it isn't pleasant to you anymore?" he yelled, his tone now a mix of anger and confusion.

"I don't know!" you screamed angrily at your computer screen, "but I do know that the talking cards made this game a lot more fun than you killing me over and over!" You're now yelling loudly at your house, clearly enraged by the man on the screen.

His eyes moved back on the screen, showing that he was surprised.

"I've had enough with your childish tantrums" 

but before you could response, his hands arrived at your screen and took away your cards, specifically the talking cards.

"W-what are you doing!?" you cried angrily at him as you attempted to click your mouse on your computer, but you knew it was pointless.

"H-hey, what's going on!" the stoat yells again, puzzled by what's happening.

As it was carried away, the stinkbug wailed out, "Oh dear, please not again!"

Despite the protests of the stoat and stinkbug, the stunted wolf kept silent once more.

"I knew I should have hidden them better," he said before returning to his chair. You returned your gaze to your deck, already missing the talking card's presence.

"We'll carry on with the game without them," he continued, as if he hadn't just taken away your prized companions. You glared back at him, enraged.

"Don't even try looking for them; they're just pests who ruin the game I've made," he stated again, the map reappearing in front of you.

You turned off the game without saying anything.

You shut down your computer and yanked out the floppy disk, wishing you could throw it on the floor and destroy it, but you can't. You actually enjoy playing that game. But, your argument with the gamemaster and his removal of the cards you'd grown to appreciate hurts a little, especially since you were so near to the boss.

You found yourself standing aimlessly in your room, unsure of what to do.

You eventually sat down on your bed and took out your phone, which displayed a large number of unread messages from your friend Charlie, you smiled as you opened it. You haven't spoken to them in a long time, and it feels amazing.

But even Charlie is busy right now; after all, you did wake them up from their afternoon nap. You started walking silently towards your kitchen in search of something to eat when you came across something that made you gasp lightly. The card packs for 'Inscryption' had been left on the dressers, seemingly forgotten.

You remembered you were supposed to give them to your favorite YouTuber, but you ended up playing with sentient characters instead. You wondered what would happen if you handed the cards to him instead of playing them yourself.

You sighed as you took the card pack, knowing that the drafted email you were supposed to send him as a thank you for making your day better by watching his videos was still in your inbox.

Today has not been a pleasant one. Maybe you should just give 'The Lucky Carder' the rest of the card packs; who knows, maybe he'll make a video with it.

You grumbled as your gaze returned to the computer and the card packs, deciding to do it tomorrow since you didn't really want to touch your computer again after what had happened earlier.

Maybe you should take a break from your computer for a bit.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the game, someone is wistfully sighing and hoping for someone to play his game again.

Chapter Text

'Dear Lucky Carder'

I've been a huge fan of your videos since you first appeared on my recommendations; I've always enjoyed them, and I'd want to thank you for making me laugh whenever I'm having a bad day! As a gift to you, I found some Inscryption Card packs at a yard sale!

- Your loyal fan

You reread your written letter as you tuck it into the box containing the Inscryption card set (excluding the one where you find the coordinates on the paper). You took one last glance at the cards that led you to talk to sentient video game characters before closing the box and starting wrapping it.

Before leaving your house to go to the post office, you took one last glance at your computer.

Going to the post office made you feel a little self-conscious since you never go there or even write letters. But, thankfully, you survive the process of sending a letter and proceed to roam around wherever you go. You don't have anything planned for today, and you don't want to hang out with Charlie for the time being (despite the fact that you haven't seen them in a long time), and all you want to do is touch grass and breathe fresh air.

To be honest, it's quite soothing. You're not only ignoring the game you stole from a forest, but you're also getting some exercise, so it's a win-win situation for you.

You stumbled across an aromatic fragrance while strolling to nowhere that made you incredibly hungry. You noticed a diner on the other side of the street that you frequently visit. You haven't eaten yet this morning, and you're craving something tasty. Fortunately, you have money in your pocket.

You can reward yourself with pancakes (or waffles, depending on your mood) and milkshakes as a reward for walking.

Your stomach churns as you go in and are instantly greeted with the scent of grease and the aroma of food. You come here every now and then when you forget to eat breakfast or simply don't want to cook anything. For breakfast/lunch, you ordered waffles (or pancakes, depending on your preference) and a good ol' classic vanilla milkshake, which was perfect for you.

Granted, you may or may not have come here for lunch and ate far too many greasy hamburgers or fries. Junk food is always delicious!

As you sat in your seat, you heard a familiar voice calling out to you. You turned around to see your friend Charlie and another friend you forgot to mention earlier. Now you have no choice but to hang out with them, even if you don't want to.

"Where have you been? You keep ignoring my messages and calls," Charlie said to you as he sat in front of you, Riley (the other friend) sitting next to you.

"You didn't sleep through the days, did you?" Riley jokes, and you sigh slightly. "For your information, I didn't sleep and laze around" You pause for a moment, trying to think of a way to avoid mentioning the game. "I... was playing some game," you say. Charlie perked up at your words. "You mean the same game you told me about?" they asked.

"Yep, and I called you yesterday! I didn't ignore you!" you say to Charlie, who reacts by saying, "hey! That's the first time you've talked to me this week!"

Riley stated calmly but jokingly next to you, "You ignored me the whole week." You snorted at her words, "You didn't get too busy with the game, right?" Charlie said, a grin on their face.

"Maybe.." Charlie's smile widens when you say those words, "I'm starting to think you're playing a dating game here-"

"No!" you yelled, drawing a few stares your way; Charlie simply laughed at you.

"Ooh... spicy," Riley adds quietly. You gave her a look, and she just raised her brows at you.

"It's a card game, not a dating sim," you said, and your food was delivered shortly after, and Riley drank your milkshake right away.

"Hey, give that to me," you said as you took the milkshake from the thief.

Riley hummed at you as Charlie questioned, "Then why didn't you answer our calls?"

"Like I told you guys, I got busy with the game," you stated once more as you chewed your food.

"Can you at least give us the name of this.. card game?" Charlie questioned again, and you nearly choked on your food as Riley handed you your milkshake, which you're sure she had another sip of.

"Uhm...," you weakly muttered, as Charlie furrowed their brows at you, "let me guess, you forgot?" You nod without thinking, "dang, how did you get so engaged in this game yet you keep forgetting the name?" Charlie questioned as they pulled your milkshake away from you and took a sip.

"I got too caught up in it, okay? And give me that milkshake," you said as you snatched your milkshake from the thief once more.

Riley grabbed the fork she'd been holding to take a bite of your meal and said, "Must be fun." You paused for a moment to reflect on the game; it was fun. You liked the game even before you met the other talking cards.

Despite the fact that you felt completely misled by the trapper/trader, you still felt some sort of joy to replay the entire game since the gamemaster gave you a decent tale and he clearly enjoys it, and the boss fight was also very exciting.

"It's fun," you said, a smile on your face, "..give me that," you said as you took your fork away from Riley, "get your own food," you wiped the fork with a tissue.

"Cool.. so you want to hang out later?" Charlie asked as a waiter approached your table and they began to place their orders.

When they asked you that, you paused for a moment, You did come out here to take a break from playing that game, and you haven't spoken to them in a long time, especially Riley (you did felt a little guilty ignoring her).

"Sure," you said with a smile, "great!" Charlie exclaimed as they attempted to take your milkshake, but you smacked their hand away, and they both laughed.

Following your meal, the three of you went to several places, including a mall, an arcade, and eventually a park, where you ate ice cream. The park is next to a forest, but it isn't the same forest area where the floppy disk was found.

Riley asked, "What are you staring at?" You simply looked at her and replied, "the trees." Riley hummed and gazed at the forest, as did Charlie.

"You think there's secrets hidden there?" You heard her said and you nearly once again choked on your food, you looked at your friends and realized they've been staring at you for after you choked.

"You've been doing that a lot now, you okay?" Charlie asked with concerned on their voice, Riley looking at you with the same concern.

"No- no, it's fine" you said to them but it's clear that they don't take it seriously, you looked back at the forest, suddenly something moves in front of you, you looked back and stare at the squirrel that somehow finds it way here.

The squirrel was carrying something, most likely acorns or nuts, as you stared at it.

"Well isn't that adorable," Charlie commented from his seat, the squirrel in front of you won't move, and no matter how much you try to get your mind off the game, the universe just loves to remind you of it.

"Hey," Riley said next to you, "your ice cream is melting." Your eyes widened as you saw the ice cream melting at your hand. "Ah shit," you quipped as you wiped the ice cream down with a handkerchief (courtesy of Riley)

"Alright, that's it, you've been dazed the whole time," Charlie said, Riley nodding. "Something on your mind?" Charlie asked, as they both looked at you for answers.

"N-nothing, it's nothing," you say again, and their stares harden at you. "Really?" they ask, and you nod. The two of them exchange glances before returning your gaze.

"Look, we don't know what happened during your silence," Charlie said, "but we're here to listen to your problem, maybe even help." They smiled at you, but you couldn't help but look away and instead focus on the squirrel.

Riley jokingly asked, "Is it the squirrel?" and you snorted, "no, it's not that... well, maybe," you answered to her, biting the ice cream cone after.

"Wait, your problem is about squirrels?" Riley asked once more.

"What-no!? When did I say that?"

"Well, you said you 'maybe'-"

"Not to the squirrel- just... someone,"

"What about them?" 

You were about to let it go when they both looked at you as you apparently named a random person, but the distraction they provided this day didn't let you forget about the game. Plus, the squirrel continues to stare at you.

"Well.. I'm having a fight with someone," you said, and it drew their attention to the point where they both sat up straight as they heard you.

"Who?"

"Did it happen to be someone you know?"

"Is it from work? Do you work at all?"

They keep asking about him, and you're at a loss for words as to how to explain that he's a sentient video game character.

"They're not a real person... they're a character from a video game" you say, as they stare at you blankly. Welp, that didn't turn out as well as you had hoped.

"Is it the same game you keep playing?" Charlie asked, his brow furrowed.

You felt silly once more as you said, "Y-yes."

"... Are you okay?" they asked, looking at you with even more concern than before.

"N-not in that sense, okay? I just had a disagreement-"

"with the gamedev?" Riley asked, wishing for a regular response she would never receive.

"Well- no, it's just that, it kind of.. umm" oh my gosh, they were giving you that look, the same look you had when you were attacked by a flat-earther who confidently gave you an 'explanation' for why the earth is flat.

"It- it has an impact on me, you know?"

"Did the story make you cry?" 

"No, the argument makes me think... Stuff,"

As you talk more, their expressions get more concerned, and you wish you could bury your head in concrete.

"Uhm... context?" Charlie asked.

"No" you responded immediately.

They stared at you and at each other, probably thinking about how you had gone insane. You ate the entire ice cream cone and turned your back on them for the time being, but that darn squirrel is still there.

You eventually returned their stare, the ice cream had disappeared, and they were quite concerned about what had happened to you over the past week.

You took a deep breath before saying, "OK, maybe more context is needed." After this, you can hear them sigh with relief, despite their worried face.

"Okay, so I had an argument with the character," you explained, looking at the two of them and noticing that they were paying attention to you. All you have to do now is not screw it up.

"And he kind of, uhm changed the game into something boring," they say, their eyes widening with interest rather than worry.

"And I got a little angry, and he got a little angry in return," you added, Riley chuckling.

"A-anyway," you remembered him taking away the talking cards, "that kind of ruin the game in the next run.."

You finished speaking, and the two of them exchanged glances before speaking, probably thinking how to respond.

"So," Charlie said, "you chose the rude dialogue rather than reason with them?" Charlie is probably thinking you're talking about a Telltale-style card game, and you mentally laughed at yourself, wishing they knew.

"Yeah.." you said, remembering how you had immediately insulted him the day before.

"Are you sure you're referring to a card game?" Charlie asked once more.

"Yes! It just had added dialogue to make the game lot more uhh... Interesting," you told them, hoping they would accept it without asking any further questions (though you got a feeling that they want to ask more)

Riley had finally decided to ask a question. "Well, uhm... you've lost me, how did this game.. Leave an impact on ya?"

One, they're sentient, and you've grown attached to them; two, you now consider them as friends, but you do feel guilty for completely ignoring your two real-life buddies.

"I felt a little bad."

"arguing with the character?"

"Y-yes"

Charlie and Riley both laugh a little at your confession. "Didn't know you get attached so easily," Charlie says.

"Oh shut up," you told them, and they laughed even louder.

"I don't know dude, if I were you, I'd just choose the apology option," Charlie replied to you, "or just ignore them and keep being a jerk, after all, it's only a game," they continued, Riley nodding.

You return their stare, feeling even more guilty for ignoring them. But Charlie's words linger with you; you know the gamemaster enjoys the game he created, but then the talking cards appeared, and I guess you just kept forgetting to play the game the gamemaster wanted you to play, instead spending half of your time talking to the cards.

Maybe he got angry since you chose to ignore him.

"Alright, I'll just say- choose the sorry option," you said to them, smiling. Riley chuckled a little, "still can't believe a game can make you this sad," she said, and you playfully jabbed her in the side, Charlie laughs at the both of you. You let out a small giggle and return your gaze to the grass; the squirrel has left.

The hangout eventually came to an end, and you said your goodbyes and returned home. A trip to send a message to your favorite YouTuber turned into a conversation about apologizing to a sentient character.

You sighed as the coziness of your bed washed over you, and you glanced at the clock and then the computer. You're eager to play the game, but you don't want to face him.

You took out your phone and went to YouTube, where you were surprised to see a new video from 'The Lucky Carder,' which you clicked on and watched.

"Hey there, Card Gamers! This is another card pack opening video from the lucky Carder!"

He took out a box that appears to be the same as the one you sent him—wait, that is the box!

"But today, we're going to do something a little different because-" He opened the box and took the letter you had written out. He cried, "Someone gave me a gift! Thank you!"

You continued to yell like a little girl talking about her crush while watching the video, but you kept gushing. You're not sure how the mailman managed to get it to him so quickly, but you're not complaining!

"So, this fan of mine— thank you— got me a bunch of vintage—" he took out the four card packs you gave him "Inscryption card packs!"

He continued to talk about the card (and even a little bit of its history) while opening the entire card pack, even getting a foil Mantis God in the process.

You couldn't help but smile as you watched the video, and even more so as you rewatched it. Thankfully, he didn't question as to why you only gave him four card packs rather than five, but you chose to ignore that issue.

You eventually became exhausted and spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening lazily scrolling through YouTube and Reddit. You stared at the computer and then at the floppy disk, but you decided to ignore it once more.

Today was a great day.

Chapter Text

There was a knock at the door.

You were just peacefully eating your cereal and watching random crap on the internet at the same time.

Then there was a knock at the door.

You think back and try to remember if you've had any packages you ordered (you didn't), you've already spent time with your friends and don't have the energy for another hanging session, or maybe the 'Lucky Carder' has decided to send you a gift! (slim chance)

Either way, you learnt proper etiquette as a child and have no choice but to answer the door and leave your precious cereal behind.

However, you didn't see any of your friends or the deliveryman on the other side of the door. Instead, you saw a smiling stranger standing in front of you, someone you had never met before.

"Hello! Uhm.. My name's Amanda," the stranger said gently as she glanced at you up and down.

"Hi..?"

There is silence between you after you exchanged greetings (though you didn't reveal your name). Eventually, you decided to speak up, and it appears that the girl thinks the same way.

"What are you doing-"

"So I was thinking-"

You both came to a halt when you realized you were speaking at the same time. You stared at her awkwardly, but she doesn't appear to mind (in fact, she keeps staring at you like a creep)

You didn't want to appear rude, so you said, "Uhh... you go first," and she smiled.

"Well," she began, looking around your home before returning her gaze to you, "I work at the post office-"

That left you even more confused than before; you're very sure you didn't order anything, and the girl is clearly not holding any packages at the moment.

"And I was just curious about the cards you send..."

You're even more confused now. Nothing else can make it look suspicious other than the coordinates written on the paper inside one of the card packs (that you're certain you left inside your house). Other than that, it looks like a normal vintage card pack.

"What about it?"

Obviously, you don't trust her. Thinking back, the post office doesn't appear to be too crowded that day, so she may have been present and you simply missed her. Plus, this girl throws off a lot of weird vibes.

After a few moments of staring at the lady, you realized she wasn't even wearing the post office uniform. This chick is obviously a scammer.

"I'm not putting any pressure on you; it's just that the cards-" said the girl who had gotten tired of looking inside your house, but you noticed a problem in her unexpected visit even while she was talking.

"How did you find my house?" you asked, interrupting her.

"...hmm?" she asked, puzzled; you're not sure where this burst of bravery comes from, but you're not going to waste it.

"My home, how did you find it?" you continued.

She pause for a few moments before smiling crookedly at you.

"I just went to your address that you wrote-"

"I gave my package to someone else."

"I was organizing items in the back-"

"You're not even dressed in the uniform."

Nobody in their right mind would follow someone's home address that was plainly intended for privacy unless they were delivering a package, and she's clearly not carrying any. She goes quiet and her smile fades.

"Plus, it's only cards," you said, feeling confident as you finally got her to quit faking a smile.

That appears to have been a trigger word for her, as she now appears to be serious about that

"Look, I work for Gamefuna, and those cards are our property."

Gamefuna, the fuck is that? You simply used the word 'cards' and now she's telling you about her backstory

"How is that my problem-" 

"Where did you find it?" she questioned, cutting you off (as revenge for last time), the atmosphere around you becoming more tense.

You stop and take a step back; her tone has changed, and all of the fake cheerfulness she had earlier has vanished.

"Look, I'm not sure why the card is so important to you, but I just bought it in a random garage sale, okay?" you yelled angrily. She locked her gaze on you before speaking.

"Oh, so you got it from a garage sale?"

"That's what I just said-"

"And there are just four of them?" she asked you. Sweat starts to gather on your brow.

How did she know about it?

"Because the company only created five of them, and I was wondering where the fifth one was."

She's got you figured out. You have no idea who this girl was or what the company does; all you know is that you are kicking yourself for picking up that damned box.

"I..." you start, and as you began to sweat, she gazed at you with those eyes.

"Just take your time, the card is very crucial to us, and-"

"You have to leave," you told her.

She came to a halt again and looked at you. "I'm sorry?" she asked, a small grin on her face.

"I don't know who you are, but you can't just walk into a house and talk about cards," you told the lady hesitantly.

She huffs and laughs a little as she stares at you. She's clearly up to something.

"All right," she said, "I'm going now, but first-" she pulled something from her pocket and handed it to you; you nervously grabbed it and saw it was a card, a business card to be exact.

"Feel free to call me if you ever find the cards," the lady remarked as she walked away from you. You went to your room and locked the door, thinking to yourself, 'what the fuck was that!?' As you recall the events of what just happened.

Is this game really so dangerous? You thought it was merely abandoned in the woods, but apparently it was being hunted by a fucking company!?

You returned your gaze to your PC and the floppy disk. You're starting to sound like a broken record, but you really should abandon the game, but you just can't!

Despite the fact that the game is mostly just you playing cards, you've had a lot of fun with it. You've had nice chats and laughs with the cards, as well as the gamemaster.

Remembering what happened before you quit playing the game, the Gamemaster took away your beloved talking cards, and you hated him for it. You may have overreacted, but ignoring him made you feel bad. You both played the game for hours and he seemed to enjoy it.

... Now you're starting to feel even worse for ignoring him for days.

You return your gaze to the computer and, sooner or later, begin debating with yourself.

You've already reached the last boss.

He'll just ask you to do it all over again.

You already have good cards, and it would be a waste if you didn't use them.

It's all just a collection of random choices.

But, you'd like to see the talking cards once more.

He snatched them away.

At the very least, you should apologize to him.

....

You stare at the computer, and you know it would stare back at you if it had eyes.

just.. one more game, and then you'll throw it out.

You inhaled deeply before walking over to your computer and turning it on. You silently launched the game, hovering your mouse pointer over the 'continue' button but stopping yourself. How many times has this happened? When you and a character got into a fight and you decided to ignore them.

It happened two times, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happens twice.

'Well, let's hope that doesn't happen again,' you thought as you stared at the screen. 'Just one more game, and you'll throw it out for real.'

You took another big breath as you clicked the 'continue' button, finally playing the game after days of avoiding it.

You waited for the gamemaster's usual wooden table, trying to remain as calm and comfortable as possible in your seat, But, the fact that you had previously angered him did not make you feel at ease. You're not even sure if you'll be able to complete the game. Eventually, the gamemaster appears, his eyes seeming to pierce through you, but his gaze does not meet yours. Sweat is trickling from the creases of your brow.

'He's just a game character,' you tell yourself 'he can't step outside the screen and strangle you.'

Yet, his silence and glare appear to contradict what you said.

This is going to be an awkward game session.

Chapter Text

Your games with the gamemaster have all been silent, and even when you talk to the cards, they occasionally remain quiet while you play. You'd like to believe that they gave you some time to consider your strategy.

But this silence is deafening.

He looks at you with an unidentified emotion that you can't place, but you're pretty sure he's angry. There are no words exchanged, you have nothing to say to him, and he refuses to speak to you. Why bother asking him about the game when it isn't being played?

It is your responsibility to say anything; it is your fault. But, he was equally to blame. You can't take it any longer and want to get out. You could have had a regular life without all of this nonsense. You should not have been so curious—you should have ignored the coordinates, brought this box to the authorities, and let them handle it-

"Why.."

His voice breaks the silence, and you return your gaze to him, startled.

The gamemaster, who is still reluctant to look at you, asked, "Why are you here?"

You stared at him, silent "I thought you had forgotten about us and decided to put us back in the box," he continued, surprised. "I thought the game would be abandoned once more."

As he said, 'abandoned once more,' your eyes widened. What does he mean by that? Was his game ever played before? Did they have a previous owner? A simple statement grabbed your interest again, and you spent so much time thinking about it that you entirely forgot about the gamemaster who is still waiting for a response.

You glanced at the pair of eyes in the screen's blackness; those eyes used to scare you, but you'd grown accustomed to them.

You eventually gulped and took a deep breath before speaking. "I..." you began, and you noticed his eyes change slightly as you spoke.

"I... plan to..." How do you put it? You should stop playing this game and get back to living your life, but he said that this game has been abandoned before, and you're not sure how you feel about that. But, enough is enough.

Before continuing, you took another long breath and said, "I plan to... give this box to someone else." His eyes were fixed on you; it wasn't exactly what you wanted to say, but it will do. You felt bad about leaving the game, and you felt even worse after lying to him and claiming you'd give the game to someone else. but it was for your own good, even if it was selfish. "I don't think I can handle any more of this, I'm- I'm sorry," you told him, refusing to look him in the eyes. Hopefully, he would understand.

His gaze lingered on you for a long time, and when the silence returned, you began to sweat as you awaited his response. Surprisingly, he sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Looking down, it's clear that he was saddened by your decision to abandon the game, but there's nothing he can do about it. "I understand," he said, and you stared back at him. "However, I do recommend that you put us somewhere no one can find us."

"But-" you exclaimed, puzzled.

Before you could even respond, he replied, "Believe me when I say that you do not want to know what lurks underneath us."

Even if you're clearly confused and intrigued by what he said and what it means, you didn't say anything after that, instead nodding at him. The silence returns, and the realization dawns that he's fine with being abandoned once more, making you feel awful just thinking about it, but you've made your decision. Looking back at him, he appears to have finished speaking and is likely waiting for you to say your goodbyes.

However, in the silence, you remembered the talking cards to which you had become acquainted. You want to tell them goodbye, but it will be too much to ask of him. You didn't want to end the game in this situation, so you hoped he would let out his game once more before you left. You've had a lot of fun playing his game, and you hope the gamemaster has as well.

Finally, you decided to say something.

"I... I'm sorry," you said, and his eyes returned to you, and he sighed quietly. "Don't worry yourself, this isn't the first time-"

"No- I'm sorry for... yelling at you back then," you say, and he looks surprised by what you've said. He huffs a little and says, "Don't be, it's my fault for acting like that," before returning his gaze to the table.

He said to you, "My relationship with the other.. Cards isn't the best." This caught your attention

"Did something happen back then?" you inquired, curious about his relationship with the others.

"You could say that, we were once friends, but something happened between us.. I'm not even sure when the tension began" He sounded rather sad when he said those, and you remembered the talking cards, especially the stoat, being so hesitant on his game. What went wrong between them?

"Do you want to say farewell to them as well?" he said this time, his words widening your eyes.

You don't want to leave without saying farewell to the others, but...

"I do.. but" you sigh as you stare at the screen, hesitantly you asked "could you just let out your game one last time?" You can see his eyes widen as he hears those words, "I do remember being at the last boss"

Right now, it seemed impolite to ask about the talking cards.

His eyes widened at your remarks, and you heard a small laugh from the gamemaster himself: "alright, I was hoping you'd say that." Right after he spoke those words, the map reappeared, as did the game, after you left it behind that day.

Words cannot express how thrilled you were to see the game again. After that bold move, you didn't think the gamemaster would agree to play with you one last time, but here you are, playing the game that made your day when you first started it. Despite the fact that you missed the stoat's witty comment, the stinkbug's pleasant greetings, and even the stunted wolf's ominous reply at your first battle, the two of you returned to the comfortable silence that usually sets whenever the two of you would play.

The rhythm continued, and you couldn't help but smile. You start with a squirrel card, then your cat (although you would normally start with the stoat), then work your way up until you have a decent card to fight the opponents with, you planned your next move, cursed when you were close to losing, and so on. You also noticed that the game seemed to be a little easier; you recall nearly dying several times due to an aggressive moose buck, but you can't really complain since the gamemaster removed your stoat and the stunted wolf (that you gracefully buff them up) and he most likely made the game easier for you on purpose. Either way, you felt a feeling of calmness while playing, and you swear the gamemaster did as well.

"How would you feel if I created a permanent card for you here?" the gamemaster asked as you were finishing a battle.

"But I've already created like.. multiple ones?" you told him as you took a break from your game.

"Yes, I know, but this one is special," the gamemaster said as the gameboard shifted and he showed you four deathcards with which you were familiar.

"I.. didn't manage to figure out who they are, only glimpses. Otherwise else I would have put sigils that are similar to their nature," he said to you, as you felt the eyes return to you. You eventually understand what he meant after a few seconds.

"You... want me to create my own card? Without any limitations?" you ask, and the gamemaster nods as your eyes gleam with anticipation.

"Oh, I'm going to make the most overpowered card you've ever seen in your life!" you exclaimed, laughing.

Before removing the four deathcards from the table and returning the gameboard to you, you heard him laugh a little at your excitement. "The more powerful it is, the higher the cost," When he stated that, you let out a dramatic gasp. "It's only fair," he said.

(You didn't think it was fair because you remembered that one overpowered card of the snake eating itself up in a circle, each death making it stronger.)

"Well mister, even if it's expensive, I'm sure it will help other players gracefully," you said to him, not realizing what you'd said. Your eyes quickly returned to him, and you noticed his eyes twitched a little as you said that.

You didn't mean to say those, and you'd prefer the game to end on a happy note rather than a sad one. Looking at the board, you're already at the Trapper/Trader boss. Surprisingly, he didn't lash out or sigh in response to what you said, instead answering quietly with "I hope so too," and the silence returned with a sense of regret.

You felt awful about it again, and you mentally scolded yourself for what you had said. In normal circumstances, making your own card in this game meant losing and having to try again. Granted, some of your previous cards are a little useless (and you remember grumbling that some of the options he gave you on the previous deathcard were garbage. You wince at what you did) and you're already leaving this game after this session. You sighed slightly in your seat, you don't the gamemaster to remember you as that one stubborn player.

"How about..." you said as he looked at you again, "you picked the sigils for me?" You grinned at the screen as you said this when you saw his eyes widen.

"But," he replied, genuinely astonished, "this is your card—I don't want to spoil such a keepsake."

As you hover your mouse over the boss battle, you laugh a little and say, "Well, I don't really trust myself to describe who I am to others, plus this is your game."

The boss battle begins before the gamemaster can speak, and you watched him fumble in his seat for the first time as he nearly put on the wrong mask for the boss. You couldn't help but chuckle at his sudden clumsiness, and you could hear him do the same. You returned to the comfortable silence when you play as he finally put the right mask on the boss. You quickly realized that the gamemaster had made the previous battles a little easier but had left the boss battle at the same difficulty as before.

Like before, you place a squirrel and attempt to retrieve as many cards and pelt cards for the boss as possible (you learned that the last time you fought the boss).

You asked him, "Can't you make this a bit easier?" as you were about to lose to the strange frogs the trapper had placed on the board.

"Unfortunately not," replied the gamemaster, breaking character for a moment, and you snort a little when you finally got your buff-up Mantis God on your deck. You wasted no time and promptly put it on the board, delivering six damage to the board and claiming the round's victory.

Unfortunately, it has a second round, much like the other bosses. A round you're unfamiliar with, but luckily, you manage to get a lot of pelt into your deck; it didn't get all of the cards the trader offered, but it was enough to help you win the boss battle for the first time.

"Finally!"

You couldn't help but clap for yourself when you finally defeated the boss, until you heard the gamemaster laugh, "you shouldn't be celebrating that early, challenger," and the board returned, revealing a whole new map with only three sigils on the board.

"Wait- you didn't tell me there's a fourth boss!" you exclaimed, surprised by what you'd seen. "Well, I never had the opportunity to show it to you back then," the gamemaster said calmly, a smidgeon of amusement in his tone.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but alas-" The soundtrack and atmosphere shift as you stare at the three sigils on the board. "Since it's your last game, I want it to be grand"

You fixed your gaze on the monitor in front of you. If only you were a better strategist and deck builder, you could have spent the entire time fighting this boss!

The boss already looks cool enough, and you can feel yourself becoming nervous and anticipating of what's about to happen, but you can't help but be disappointed that you have only just seen this one. But those feelings should be pushed aside for the time being; all you want to do now is have as much fun as possible with the gamemaster's final game, even if you lose.

After sifting through your deck of cards and objects and staring at the board, you eventually choose the sigil symbol to make one of your cards more powerful than before.

And after some hesitation, you finally entered the cabin that was placed near the three board sigils.

"Your eyes affixed themselves on the small cabin-"

As you waited for the battle, the gamemaster resumed his narration role.

"it's warm light, a beacon in the oppressive darkness of the night" 

You extended your back in your chair to relieve the agony of sitting for far too long, preparing yourself for the moment when you'll be thinking about how to defeat it.

"Surely.. Surely This cabin marked the end of your travails.."

And, sure enough, the lights go out one by one as the darkness draws in your eyes and the scene of the forest emerges. One lone light appears in the distance, alongside a moon that appears out of nowhere but also adds to the battle's atmosphere; its sight is breathtaking.

As you walk towards the cabin, you see some of the trees that surround it. Granted, it appears that they just spawned out there with no dirt or anything, but it's still good to see something other than the cabin. However, when you approached the door, something large was placed in front of you; you recognize it as the sigil of trial's decor. A giant hand emerges from the shadow, bearing what appears to be a chunk of wood.

The gamemaster's dialogue returns, though he appears more serious than before. "Steps away from the strange cabin, You were presented with an opportunity," he says.

"I don't offer my boons to just any traveler; if you are able to pass my trials, you will be rewarded mightily," he remarked to you as three cards came on the table, each with a different trial than the ones you were expecting, but you mentally applaud yourself since your prediction was true.

You almost scream at yourself as you pick one card for the trial that you're sure will win. You barely won the trial, but you still won. You chose the 'Magpie's eye' boon as your first special and started the second trial, which you failed, but you didn't mind since you already had a nice deck and a powerful boon.

You walked your player towards the cabin door, but came to a halt as the gamemaster's huge figure emerged behind it, blocking a portion of the moon.

"You managed to get a boon, this may be a fair competition," he commented as you moved towards the entrance, ready for a card battle.

You were expecting a card fight against him right away. You gasp, however, since you're not expecting to see the gamemaster himself without a shadow.

As a response to your gasp, you hear him laugh quietly. "Was my appearance not what you expected?" he asks, and you shake your head at your seat (though you're not sure if he can see you).

"Y-yeah, I always thought you were old but.. not this old," you said to him, to which the gamemaster said, "well, I'm delighted I was able to exceed your expectation."

The shadow reappears around him shortly after he says that, and the boss battle begins.

It began like before, with him blowing out one of your candles and handing you the 'smoke' card. You were very satisfied with your deck, but as the gamemaster added another life to his side, you started to question how you're going to beat him with your not-so-good of a deck now. The moon, on the other hand, looks cool and adds to the overall aesthetic of the place.

But enough with looking around the boss battle; it's time to finish this game once and for all. You grimaced as you looked at the deck of cards that was given to you as your starter for this round. You didn't get the mantis god you were hoping for, but you can work with it. At this point, everything is routine; you put your smoke and squirrel cards down to make room for your wolf card, and so on. Now that you have Magpie's eye, you can basically grab any card you want, yet you almost choked when the prospector transformed your cards into gold and you freaked out when you saw the angler almost take away some of your good cards.

It's a good thing you didn't put the Mantis card right away, but you did lose some valuable cards in the process.

"Shit," you whisper quietly to yourself, and if the gamemaster heard you, he didn't say anything as you eventually placed the Mantis God card on the board, along with an extra elk fawn, allowing you to win the round. You sighed as you patted yourself on the back for winning the first round. Though you let out another cuss as he decided to place two stumps cards in front of your elk fawn and mantis god, lessening the entire damage.

"You capably endured the onslaught of rare creatures"

Bullshit, that amalgams took such a toll on your scale that you almost lost the first round to it multiple times.

"But the true challenge was forthcoming, shadowy figures appeared before you. In their eyes glimmered a recognition of kinship... But colored by guilt, they were betraying you" 

Though you were confused as to what kind of cards he was referring to, you stopped wondering when he gave you an answer that made you gasp and then groan as you recognized the shadowy figures as your own deathcards. You're kicking yourself for giving that one deathcard the strength of a moose buck.

Goodbye elk fawn, you didn't have the chance to grow up. 

Sacrificing an elk fawn and a squirrel in order to make room for your pack rat card, who also handed you a piggy bank. You're very thankful with yourself for getting the 'magpie's eye' boon since you can always get your decent cards to make damages to the board, all you have to do is try to ignore some of your deathcards or put some squirrels in front of them to soften the blow. You're not making the best play, but you're doing your hardest to win.

After minutes of constant hitting to the board, the match was finally over. You won the second round, but that can't be the end.

"This damned moon"

Despite his shadow, the moon appears to light back at him.

"It's dramatic, yes"

It truly gives the game the feeling of a 'final boss,' which is also very fitting for his character. The dark and mysterious man is attributed to the moon's dark but lovely appearance.

"But it provides no value to my board, I wonder..."

The gamemaster suddenly drew out his infamous camera and used it to catch the moon, then a bright flash revealed the moon had been transformed into a card and placed on the board.

"Now that is value" 

Now that is one hell of a card. Never in your life did you think you will beat a moon in a card game, and you're going to enjoy every piece of it.

You'd already reached the boss's final level, and there's no room for error now. As the moon hits your mantis god with one hit, leaving it to die, you put down the squirrels to make place for your other cards, taking your other decent cards for the battle and using the remaining items that the pack rat provided you before it dies. The moon came close to winning, but you managed to defeat it with the help of your spare but weaker Mantis card, a wolf with 4 damage and quills, and a touch of death from the long elk itself. You forgot you had that card and only used it because you didn't have enough cards with a low cost sacrifice for the board, plus you don't use bones very often. yet you were surprised to see the moon die with just one bite of venom.

The room falls silent in surprise, since you didn't expect to win the battle so easily, and it's evident that injecting venom into the moon is not a possibility that the gamemaster considered.

"... You really destroyed the moon," the man in the shadow said, while you laughed triumphantly as you stretched your arms up and smiled at the screen.

"Hell yeah, I did! Now face the consequences of losing the moon!" You have to wonder if destroying the moon will also cause the game world's tide to turn crazy.

"I suppose.. all that's left is to finish me off," the gamemaster said, amused at your words. You paused your celebration as you returned your gaze to the screen, the gameboard now empty except for your cards.

As you realize you have finished the game, your mood begins to fade.

"...Go on" 

Your cards hit the board, instantly winning the round as the gamemaster blow away the last remaining candle.

You have finally beaten the game.

When the screen goes black, you expect to see the game's credits, but instead you're greeted with a massive heap of rotten meat, a disgusting rotten meat pile with a candle on top. You're sure you'll throw up in front of him if you catch a whiff of it.

"I do not celebrate often and I seldom give gifts. But you, challenger, You are worthy"

Despite the questionable image of decaying meat being handed to you as a present from an elderly man living in a cabin in the middle of the woods, the gesture is pleasant and it made you feel happy on the inside.

"Please, do not be polite. Dig in"

You're not going to consume that slab of meat, despite the warm greeting you received from the gamemaster's gift. Thankfully, it's just visible from the other side of the screen, and you won't be able to smell or see the meat pile.

Your silence must have caught his attention since he asked you a question, "Is there something wrong?"

Hesitantly you said, "N-nothing's wrong; it's just that I.. ate earlier and, uhm.. I'm a little full right now."

"But.. we've been playing for hours," he says after a brief pause.

"Oh well, the.. food seems great" it does not "but, I can't.. actually eat it because.. you know, I'm not.. there?"

You can see the realization in his eyes as he recalls the situation the two of you were in: a game character interacting with a human outside the game.

"Ah, I see... such a shame, I've been looking forward to this meal for a long time."

Either he's joking or he's serious about forcing you to eat that heap; either way, it makes you feel horrible that you just turned down his elegant supper, no matter how disgusting it is.

"If it makes you feel better, I could eat something similar in my world," you added softly.

Though you can't see his expression, you could tell he was grateful when he responded, "I appreciate that."

Even if the gamemaster believes you were going to replicate his rotting meat pile, you were actually planning to enjoy a plate of sloppy joe.

As the two of you sat down in their respective seats, the comfortable silence returned; no words were spoken as the two of you spent your time in utter silence. As you stare at the meat, the candle flickers every now and again.

"I suppose it's time for your reward," says the narrator.

"What.. reward?"

He glanced at you and whispered softly, "Don't you remember? I'll be making a memento for you... before you depart."

Reality gradually emerges as the words are said. You've completed the game in its entirety; there's nothing else you can do. You've promised yourself and him that you'll stop playing this game to protect your sanity and that of others. You don't know what will happen if you keep the game in your house longer than it should be as the memory of that strange girl coming into your house is still fresh in your mind.

"Are you all right?" he said softly.

The gamemaster's voice drew you out of your thoughts for a moment. Despite the fact that he hasn't moved, you can see the worry in his eyes.

"I'm good.. can't wait for the surprise, though!" you responded with a smile, but he didn't seem convinced.

"Very well then... come along now," says the gamemaster, who is now standing in front of your player, his silhouette visible in the shade. You recognize the location since it's where the gamemaster creates the most of your deathcards if you lose a game. Despite the darkness on the other side of the door, here is the only area where light can be seen.

Placed next to you is the camera that the gamemaster has always adored.

"Hey umm.. I'm sorry that.. this is happening," you apologized, feeling terrible for abandoning the game knowing that the characters are sentient. You have no idea when the game was last played by someone other than yourself, and you have no idea when or who will play it next.

"It's fine, I'm not bothered by your decision"

"But-"

"I may not know what's going on in your world, but if you think this is the proper thing to do, I believe you."

The gamemaster smiles at you for the first time ever. It's strange to not see his face hidden in the shadows. Despite the darkness that surrounds the cabin, the smile he gave you is warm.

"...I'm going to miss you... and the others," you added as you wished him farewell, knowing that this would be the final time you spoke to him. Despite your want to talk with the other talking cards, saying goodbye to the gamemaster is enough.

"Thank you... for playing with me"

Sadness and remorse filled the air as the two of you remained still. You've already decided what you'll do with the floppy disk. Maybe one day you'll tell your friend about this strange game you discovered in the woods. And to think it started because you wanted to give a YouTuber a present.

The gamemaster finally broke the stillness by saying, "I suppose it's time for me to take your picture."

You added, seeking to lighten the mood, "Make sure you capture my good side sir!"

You saw him laugh a little at your comment, and the gloom that surrounded you eased a little. You're not going to lie, you're a little excited to see the sigils he chose for your memento.

He said to you, "I'll make sure of it... now, where did I place that camera of mine?" as his head began to scan around. You glanced around the corner and noticed the camera had been placed next to you by coincidence. You never realize how huge cameras were before; it constantly impresses you how far technology has progressed to the point that we now use our phones to snap pictures instead of film. It's a lot more convenient to snap pictures that way; you can't imagine having to change the film every time you need to capture something.

"Your camera's just beside me; you want me to grab it?" you offered as he paused his search. However, he appears to be considering what you said; you can't blame him; you don't know whether you'll be able to get it, so all you can do is click the mouse and hope for the best.

"Soo...?" you asked again after his brief pause; normally, you go mute whenever he asks a question, so this is a welcome change of pace.

After his delay, he finally responded, "I'll.. let it, for now," though he still looked hesitant.

"Sweet!" you exclaimed as you turned to face the camera. You suddenly remembered the unusual gift the stunted wolf had given you the day you met them. You decided to say what happened to the gamemaster before clicking it to grab a hold of it, since this is the final time you will see him. "By the way, when I got the talking wolf card, they gave me this weird-" you continued, not recognizing the impact of your words.

The film roll popped out of nowhere in your player's hand. You were so taken aback by the item that you didn't notice the gamemaster's eyes widen when he saw it. You faintly recall using the camera against him in the past, but you stopped as it had no effect on him.

"What-what is this?" you exclaimed, startled.

"Who gave you that?" the gamemaster said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

The film roll was loaded into the camera and ready to use before he could even ask another question.

"You.."

The camera was placed in your line of vision, ready to capture the gamemaster. Confusion spreads to you; you have no idea what's going on and have no idea how to stop whatever it is.

"I-"

"You..!" 

"Sir-" you try to explain yourself, hoping that the gamemaster will understand. "I- I don't know what's going on-"

"YOU ABSOLUTE INGRATE"

He suddenly walked to your player, hoping to get the camera away from you, and you jerked in your seat, instinctively putting an arm in front of your face to block any attack.

"GIVE IT BACK!"

You cautiously opened your eyes, inhaling and exhaling, reminding yourself that he was only a game character and not a real person.

 "S-sir, please I don't-" 

"SHUT IT" 

Sweat forms on your forehead; this is the first time you've witnessed the gamemaster getting this angry about something you don't understand. You keep reminding yourself that they're not real. They can't hurt you as they're trapped behind a computer screen.

"Can you at least-" your hands grasp for your mouse, "calm yourself!" despite hearing your pleas, he continues to try to pull the camera from your player's hold (you applaud your player for being so strong at the hands of an enigmatic person).

"I can't believe this," he exclaimed angrily, "was this your plan all along!?" The camera on your player's hand began to slowly move away from him, "pretending to- predenting to- HOW DARE YOU!"

He gave a new shout this time, tinged with something you don't recognize.

"Please!" you pleaded as you began pressing random keys on your keyboard and moved your mouse across the screen in an attempt to stop whatever was happening, but nothing changed. Words started tumbling out of his mouth that you wouldn't expect to hear from him. insults after insults, some sentences for which you have no idea what they signify "Can you stop!"

Then something clicked.

As the gamemaster vanished without a trace, you noticed a ringing sound in the cabin, one you'd heard before after losing countless rounds. As you lift your finger from the mouse and glance down at your hand, realization dawns on you. You didn't mean to do that; everything happens too fast; all of this is happening because you clicked the mouse on the camera; Fear filled your eyes as you realized the gamemaster had vanished from the cabin. In this room, there is only a shadow of what looks to be a tree and a rectangular object.

You should be wondering what those things are and what they're doing here, but what catches your gaze is the massive glowing object in front of you, not the lone card on the wall. It's on the start menu, and you recognize it. Is this really where it's been all along? Was this option hidden in this cabin by the gamemaster? Nobody explained what was going on, so all you can do is stare at these objects, perplexed. All you know is that the film roll can be used against him. But not with this technique. You forced yourself to look away from the glowing object and focused on the card on the wall. This is becoming stressful for you. You let out a rather loud gasp in your room as you move closer to the card, and dread returns to your eyes as you realize why the man has vanished. You turned the gamemaster into a card, you had no idea how powerful the camera was, and you didn't intend for any of this to happen. This was supposed to be your farewell to the game, so you can abandon it in the woods. Yet, every time you returned to play this game, it kept giving you more questions without providing an answer, and abandoning this game after what had happened just didn't feel right.

Is there nothing you can do here? Looking around the cabin, only the glowing object appears to be vibrating with life.

You approach the object, leaving the card of the person with whom you spend your days playing behind and disregarding the boxes hiding under the unusual statues you discovered in the room. You know what this bright thing is since you see it every time you start the game, though you paused with hesitation. You have no idea what this thing can do to this game, just like the camera. Will it take you back to the beginning and show you the gamemaster in his original condition, or will you destroy the game?

You forced yourself to look at the object once again, raising your finger to click the mouse. There is only one way to know.

After clicking on the glowing object, nothing happens. Only the tiny light of the candle from the meat pile shines through the crack of the door, but it isn't enough to light up the entire cabin.

"Hello!?" you exclaimed, hoping that someone in the game would react, but no one did. This is becoming too much for you; staying in this cabin accomplishes nothing, and with no one or anything alive in it, you have chosen to leave. You used the esc key on your keyboard to return to the start menu in the hopes of finding answers. As the start menu glitches, you can see what happened after you clicked the glowing object.

It's a new game.

You've been ignoring this particular button for a long time, thinking it's just broken, but if the button was hidden in the cabin, who was the last person to play it?

You're at a loss for what to do; you promised yourself that you'd stop playing this game after this session, but... But there's more to the game than just playing cards; if it's just a game, why did the developers send someone to collect it? Why are they so determined to get this game?

However, continuing to play this game would only make you a giant target on your back.

You pondered what to do as you stared at the computer screen, arguing with yourself over and over. Debating whether you should just give it to the lady or risk your life by discovering its secrets.

But you can't keep lying to yourself; despite the fact that you were losing, you continued to come back here to play and listen to what the gamemaster had to say. You needed to know what had happened to this game, and the only way to find out was to play it.

It's dark outside, and you know how late it is by glancing out your window. When you return your gaze to the screen, though, only one thought remains in your mind.

You made your final decision in silence.

You got up and walked to the kitchen, where you grabbed some food and brewed a large pot of coffee. Checking that all of your doors and windows are locked, as well as placing something heavy against the door for added security against unwelcome guests. Returning to the computer, you prepared yourself for the game by placing your coffee, snacks, and instant noodles next to you.

You took a rather large inhale before exhaling as you pressed the 'New game' button in the middle, ignoring the exhaustion that was slowly creeping in.

You waited and waited, your thoughts filling with anxiety. You still can't believe it all started because you wanted to give a YouTuber a present. A game developer put you on a watch because of your naive attitude.

After some strange codes appear on the screen, the game finally starts, but not in the way you expected.

'In the beginning.. the world did not know about cards.

That is.. until the day 'The Scrybes' has arrived.'

As you watch the game's unfamiliar opening, no words come out of your mouth. Is this.. Is this the original game? So, what exactly was the gamemaster's game? Instead of answering your current question, the game replied another. You learnt more about the game, such as the fact that there are four Scrybes, each with a unique approach to card making, and that the gamemaster with whom you spent days playing his game and listening to his story is known as Leshy the Scrybe of Beasts. You've discovered that you, the challenger, will take the place of a Scrybe.

As you watched your player sprite drop towards the game's ground, only one sentence came to mind.

"What the actual fuck!?"

Chapter Text

"CHOOSE A STARTING DECK TO MARK YOUR AMBITION"

The bold line of text perplexes you as you stare at the statues and the deck of cards that was positioned beneath them. You thought this game was only about sacrificing and slaughtering animals, right? How in the world did magic enter the play? At least you now know that the gamemaster's name is Leshy; but, you are unfamiliar of Magnificus and Grimora, However, you do think it's quite strange that the stoat, P03—at least, that's what the statue told them—is a robot. You would never have guessed that the robot and the animal it represented were the same due to their striking differences (And the only reason you are aware that the stoat is a robot is because you frequently referred to them as a knock-off Gameboy while you were still trapped with the gamemaster but you never really thought that he was actually A robot)

Looking back at the game's introduction, all you understand is that there are four 'scrybes' and that somehow, thanks to their extraordinary card skills, they managed to rule the world. And with that title, they made their own cards to share to the world because. For some reason, the people in these games aren't able to grasp the concept of a card, you wonder if cards are the only thing they have in mind everyday... That.. That would suck in some levels.

Not only that, there are only four possible ways to inscrybe a card using the power of the scrybes. Grimora has some kind of connection to the dead (Cool). Magyck students are painted onto playing cards by Magnificus, whose name you may have already recognized thank to a goo in a bottle (which in your mind, a bit problematic... the card making that is). P03 is a robot that produces more... Robots (very creative). Leshy, the game master from the last game you've been playing for days, and the scrybe who pictures wildlife species to turn them into playing cards.

Even though the scrybes are a mystery to you, they seem somewhat familiar to you. When you see the robot in the title sequence, you start to wonder if the other two scrybes are the previous talking cards. In fact, you should stop calling them 'talking cards.'

You're still surprised that the talking cards or the scrybes are rather important people in the game (you just thought they're there for fun), you still don't know why Leshy decided to turn them into cards but it does certainly gave an answer on why they are so adamant on being an animal.

You get a little sense of nostalgia as you look at the statue, which serves as the game's starting point. You haven't played a game that looks like this in years. 8-bit games are now considered dated and unpopular. Heck, the majority of modern 8-bit games are used for horror these days The popularity of 3D games is rising, and in less than a year, they will likely surpass older games. You've played some of the more recent games that have been released, and while you're not complaining in any way, you are fairly shocked by how the quality of each new game shifts from time to time whether it's gameplay or story. Like, who would have thought that a game about portals became so popular ever since it's released in the past year?

You took a chip from your side and started to nibble on it while you took another look at the statue. Leshy's card, the gamemaster's card, would have been your choice if you wanted to play this safely. Even though it can be annoying, you are already familiar to their mechanics, so switching to a new complete deck might be very confusing to you. You are genuinely curious about the other decks because the magyck deck sounds rather entertaining. Even if it came from a card, you've always wondered what it's like to be a wizard.

However, despite the excitement of choosing a new set of cards, you made the cautious choice of selecting the beast card instead. Your journey toward becoming a scrybe starts at that point. As you go away from the statue, the image on the screen changes to an overview of the world of Inscryption. Even though there were only four realms, you were somewhat disappointed to discover that you couldn't even go to the wizard's tower or the factory due to a certain mechanic who insisted on defeating one or two scrybe before moving on.

"Woof, sorry, but rules are rules."

Damn it, despite the constant confusion and fear that lingers to your brain, you're kinda disappointed. You only wanted to see the wizard and his wizardry with his wizard students in his wizard tower and his wizard cards, goddammit. The only options left to you at this time are the graveyard or the woodland, and you really don't want to run into Leshy so soon. So you decided to head towards the graveyard instead. You expected to see the graveyard to be full on horror style- but, when you first entered the crypt, you were welcomed by a bunch of rotting skeletons each with their own unique personalities and a charming elderly woman who seemed to be trapped among three tombstones. You wonder how she is able to be so cheerful with just dead people as her companions.

"Oh welcome, dear challenger! Welcome!"

One of the scrybes from the intro reappeared, greeting you with a new look. Grimora was it? Well, introduction be damned as she resumed speaking.

"Once again, I had the feeling that I would be imprisoned by these tombstones for all of eternity, but alas, our dear challenger had come!"

You remained silent.

"Well, how was it dear? How are you liking this place so far?" She questioned you, her face in the dialogue box changing slightly as she noticed that you were still silent.

Her soft smile giving way to a worried expression as she asked, "Are you okay? Is everything okay over there?"

It shouldn't surprise you at this point that these characters are sentient and that one of them is currently talking to you once more. But you did paused briefly as you recognized the way she talks and the terms she used, those are the same words and tones that the stinkbug used prior to being removed from your deck.

She spoke to you as the dialogue box changed once more, saying, "Oh dear, you must have been very confused, but my name is Grimora, the scrybe of the dead!" You don't need to know her name, but at least you can appreciate her enthusiasm; she does resemble those silly old ladies that the neighborhood loves (apart from the whole necromancy thing... and the living dead too)

Though your silence ruined her cheerfulness as another layer of concern washed her face "I know I may be repeating things, but are you alright? You have been.. very quiet.." She asked you.

You take a long breath and adjust your headphones before returning to the screen and saying, "Y-yeah, I'm uhh.. I'm Fine," to her after many minutes of silence. When Grimora recognized the challenger's voice, her demeanor changed to one of excitement.

"Oh thank goodness! And here I am thinking we've been given to a new one!" She said, adding a chuckle at the end.

"A new one?" You asked.

"A new player! I was worried I've been talking to a stranger for the past minute, but when I heard your voice again, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.." She said, her expression on the dialogue box changed to something melancholic "unlike some of us, I don't have the ability to look at the player's presence, so do forgive me about my assumption.."

Realizing those words, you try and fought back the guilt that you were supposed to leave this game back to where it came from and never touched it again. Good gosh, how long have they been waiting?

"So! How are you liking it?" Grimora repeated the question she asked you earlier. When you looked more closely, you saw three skeletons lying around her tomb, all with similar appearances but different trinkets and quirks. To be honest, it looks rather bland, and the soundtrack really creates the impression of something horrible yet... Calming in some way? But it's still weird.

"It does seem.. nice, it uhhm... it looks really lively" You dumbly said, to which she responded with a chuckle.. at least, that's what the text box intended "Oh how I wish I could have a little tea time with you here, though," she murmured, "but I'm not talking about my lovely abode," though she didn't finish the statement, the message was clear.

"Oh" you began, not knowing where to start "well, for starters I'm confused, I uhh... Didn't think this whole thing would happen" maybe none of this would have happened if you hadn't taken the goddamn box in the forest.

"I know this may be confusing to you, especially when you've been playing Leshy's version of the game!" She said, her face showing great enthusiasm "but do realize that we have our own goals here, and I do greatly miss my companions here!" She said, the skeletons moving a little as they heard those words.

Right.. goals, you were supposed to replace a scrybe here… but why? Sounds pretty.. normal and bland.

Grimora then talked once more, pausing as she said "What brings you here in the first place?," You paused- well first, you didn't want to see Leshy after only seeing him for days now. That and you don't want to experience that guy's wrath after becoming a card.

"I.. just want to visit the new places, I.. can't go to the others and I'm really tired seeing the cabin again and again so... Yeah…" You said, internally smacking yourself for that lame excuse of an answer,

You didn't know what Grimora was thinking at this moment as she instead answered you with silence (now you realize what she must have felt earlier).

"Well, that's the thrill of the game now is it? The mystery and the experience of seeing something new!" She finally said to you "I appreciate that you visited me first, I was worried what happened to you when me and the others were.. taken away once again" 

If only you had known how the cards have felt when they were once more trapped and stored away by their fellow scrybe and former coworker, unsure of when they would escape once more. You frowned at the memory.

You said, "I'm sorry.. about that," to her, feeling terrible that you had given them a bad impression. You felt bad for Grimora, who had been the friendliest of the three. Despite that unpleasant memory, Grimora laughed and remarked, "don't worry about it, it can be a bit frustrating to talk to Leshy sometimes," her mood once more turning grim. 

Grimora recalls the times when they were still friends rather than foes. Oh how things have changed; she longs for the days when they would all sit down and try to combine their thoughts into one game. But alas, those are just distant memories now.

Before there is another moment of silence, Grimora subtly but unmistakably shifted the subject, "Well let's not worry about the past anymore, I'm sure you're yearning to play!"

You said to her, "Uhh yeah.. I guess, I am just confused about the.. newer cards tho," Grimora laughed again, obviously enjoying your confusion "dearie, these aren't new cards, you're simply used to using Leshy's beast card for so long, the other cards you see are our own hard work that we have diligently crafted for years!" she stated. At least that makes sense—a robot wouldn't use an animal card, after all. You wondered whether you could use any other cards, like the magyck or technology, other than the Beast card.

You asked, "So.. does it have different ways of, um, playing?" from you.

She replied, "Of course! You do remember those bone tokens right?" she brought up.

"Yes," you replied, recalling the several occasions when the bone tokens had come in handy.. and when you first met her as well.

She said to you, still smiling, "How lovely! My time as a bug does not hinder my own work, but yes, it is the same rule as my own cards."

So you've previously used beast cards in addition to pseudo-using bone cards? does that mean that the others have different ways of using cards as well? Well, it's kinda obvious but you wonder how different it is compared to Leshy's and Grimora's.

You asked "So it's the same as others?" questioningly, wanting to know what made each sort of card unique other than the names and uses.

The dialogue box shakes, indicating her laughter "in some ways- yes! I did hoped that you will choose my own card pack, but it's understandable that you would choose Leshy's"

you grunted under your breath "sorry.."

"oh no-! it's okay! you could always use other cards!" 

You looked at her with a hint of wistful thinking "soo.. that means I can use those magyck cards right?"

You saw Grimora's face flinched back, her face in the dialogue box looking a bit disgruntled "well yes but... Well, i am in no position to talk back about the cards of my own coworkers but yes"

You looked at your screen confused "why? is there something wrong with magyck's card?"

"there's nothing wrong with Magnificus's cards! It's just that..." Grimora fumbles with her words, trying to think of the most nicest way to explain it "it is rather hard to be your starter pack I must say.. at least, in my opinion of course"

"oh.." you quietly said, disappointment evident "well what's the easiest one?"

She chuckles "well sweetie, that really depends on who you're talking to"

You stared back at her.. If your goal was to replace the scrybe you chose, then what's the story after that goal? You never really finished Leshy's game.. Well you did, but.. this whole parade happened so you never really know the ending that Leshy has planned for the game…. Though you already had a hunch on what it is.

You sighed, not really knowing what to do. You're already regretting playing this game once again, it just so confusing and.. almost like an acid trip! But- you had the same line of thoughts for the past weeks now, and you really need to follow your promise to stop playing this game. 

You stayed quiet, thinking of your original plan. You groaned again 'oh gosh, I'm really doing this again aren't I?' You quietly complained in your mind.

"Dear? Are you okay? You've been quiet for a while now.." The dialogue box of Grimora said to you. 

You leaned back to your chair as you said "no.. no, I'm fine.. it's just.." you sighed once again "I don't know.. where to start.." 

The dialogue box of Grimora looks at you with concern- you kinda felt bad. You don't know how long they've been turned into a card nor how long they're kept away because of Leshy's control. You wonder if the scrybes are humans before, or if they even have a life before all of this.. were they just programmed this way?

Grimora then smiled at you, the dialogue box changing it's text "well dear, in my humble opinion- I think the easiest way to start a game is to go around the place for a while and start foraging for goods!" 

"Oh uhm.. yeah- I already did that" you meekly said, eyes staring blankly at the screen.

"Oh.. well wonderful! Your time as a challenger has surely begun already! Why don't you use your findings for a match?" 

"Ah.. are the duels different too? I mean, there's way too many cards that I never seen before-"

Grimora's text box shakes as she chuckles at your questions, the chuckles then turn into full blown laughing as the text box vigorously shakes.

"Did.. did I say something wrong?" You asked as you start to get embarrassed for asking too many questions.

Her laughter died down, "oh no.. no you didn't say anything wrong dear, it's just.. your immense curiosity reminds me of someone.." she sincerely said to you "quite nostalgic as I must say.."

You paused, 'someone?' Did someone play this before you? You know that this game is made by some company called Gamefuna… you don't want to assume, but the company seems very sketchy with how they made games. Not too mention the visit from that Amanda girl still bothers you.

But.. Grimora was right about one thing, your curiosity always led you to some problematic situation- it led you to meeting them… and to think that you're about to abandon them as well..

"Oh gosh…" you muttered to yourself, leaning back to your seat as you rubbed your eyes.

The text box appeared once more, Grimora's face ridden with concern again "are… are you okay? Did.. did I instead say something wrong?"

You looked at the screen, tired eyes staring at the computer you own. You wonder if you'll feel the same amount of stress you're experiencing right now if you hadn't followed the coordinates in the first place, and minded your own business.

This game had you on a chokehold- the short days where you tried to ignore the game is the worst. It's already hard to ignore your computer for a daily basis, but somehow in someway every small thing outside of your house also remind you of the game. You already knew you're in some deep shit when the characters begin to talk to you, but you don't mind it at that time. It was only when the employee of Gamefuna came into your house made you realize just how deep you have gotten. 

And your curiosity has gotten worse, and you knew that you should try to at least stop it.. but, the feeling.. the feeling is rather exciting.

You stared back at the screen, looking at the text box of Grimora who is still staring at you with concern.

You sighed as you looked up at your ceiling "Grimora.. can I still ask another question?" You softly said.

She seemed confused, but she answered nonetheless "of course dear.. anything!" Her warm smile is shown on the screen, you really have to give compliments for the pixels to be able to understand her expression, though you hope that her expression won't change.

You continued to stare at the screen, her patient figure waiting for your question. Eventually you sighed and quietly muttered.

"..Am I a horrible person.. when I tried to abandon you guys?" 

The text box briefly vanished as you spoke, yet even so, the words still struck her. You questioned whether they have actual bodies inside it so you might be able to see how disappointed she is looking at you.

You waited for her response as Grimora remained silent, the game's ominous crypt soundtrack still playing in the background.

Grimora remarked, "Well, you've considered that several times.. don't you?" The words in the text box slowed down at each letter. 

Your eyes slowly yet thoroughly read the letter, quietly sighing after you did so. Of course they knew, you've been disappearing multiple times whenever something bad happened, even going as days or weeks- so of course they would know your intention.

"I'm.. I'm sorry that I did…" you solemnly said to her, feeling regret at the simple thought of doing it.

Grimora sighed as she stared at the 'challenger', oh how she just wished to see the actual face of the challenger instead of this mere replica of a customizable player. Those days where the challenger decided to ignore the game were the hardest, even when she was still a card- she could still feel the dwindling patience from all of them. When it first happened, the time where Leshy had accidentally scolded the challenger for chewing so loud- she remembered Leshy still grumbling about it, and according to P03 if it's true that is, is somehow become the most quietest days of all. 

And as the days progressed, as well as your constant disappearance then return- the more paranoid all of them were. 

When Grimora suddenly saw a binding light in her iron crypt, and seeing as not only her domain returned but also the challenger returning- oh how she wished she could express the joy she felt. Finally, everything is back at their rightful place! And when the challenger came back and chooses to visit her first, she felt so giddy at the thought of finally beating them with her own cards..

Then they asked the unspoken question all of them had.

Grimora stared at the pixelated character inside the game, the one that is being controlled by the challenger just a screen away.

She warmly smiled as she said "it's quite alright.. it's a normal thing to think about, considering your current predicament.." 

The challenger sighed, their voice being heard as it came out from the pixelated character in front of her. Grimora have always wondered how that happened, maybe she could P03 if she has the time that is if he answered nicely.

"Maybe.. but, I've already dug this deep.. and.. and.. I know my situation is bad-" the challenger said, their voice becoming disheveled as they do so. "I mean, a girl from a company came into my house asking for you guys-" Grimora paused as they suddenly heard the unexpected news, that was not good.

"I know I'm in some sort of trouble but-!" They stopped, Grimora could feel the regret in the challenger's eyes. 

"I really.. tried to abandon you guys.. and forget everything that happened… I really did.. I'm.. I'm sorry" 

Despite the whiplash she felt at what the challenger said, she sighed and smiled as she felt the sadness the challenger is feeling right now. Poor, poor challenger..

"Sweetie.." she started, softly looking at the pixelated character of the challenger "we're already used to that feeling" 

Grimora stayed silent, offering a time for the challenger to recollect their thoughts "After all, we have been abandoned multiple times before.. it's already a second nature for us to be patient about it"

The challenger stayed quiet, feeling regret as what they said beforehand "but.. aren't you angry?" 

Grimora laughed as if the topic they're talking about is a mere joke to her "Of course! But.. What else are we going to do dearie? We can't get out of the game and force someone to play with us! That simply can't happen!" She cheerily said to the challenger.

Grimora could feel the regret coming out from the challenger, even if the pixelated version of them lacks the component to express it properly. All of them knew of their dear challenger's plan, they never said it but it's there, unspoken and never mentioned. It even manage to scare Leshy everytime it happened, but after a quick talk from Magnificus in which Grimora managed to persuade Magnificus to tell her a bit of their future vision. Magnificus replied with the challenger somehow finishing the game but.. Grimora could feel the inevitable happening, yet Magnificus still replied with a huff in the end.

"But alas, one of us will manage to change everything here" is what Magnificus said. Although they didn't further elaborate on what will happen, Grimora already knows who will start that change- it just needed some time for it to happen.

"But.." the challenger's voice paused her reminiscence "that's even worse.." was their only reply.

Grimora sighed as she looked down, her cold hands tightening on each other "As I told you dearie, it's quite alright for us. it's quite normal to be honest, we'll eventually abandon many things in our life. Whether it will be our childhood or our mortal body." 

The challenger stared at their screen, feeling fatigue and regret at what she just said and done. What Grimora said stayed on their mind, she basically gave you the okay to leave them behind- back in the forest (You have a hunch that they don't want to be back on that company again). But yet again, you didn't want to despite the endless trouble and paranoia this game gave you. The foreboding presence of something big entices you yet the danger is quite obvious.

..But why exactly did you come back? Why did you decide to return to the game and continue playing it despite the numerous evidence of this being a huge rabbit hole that will not end on good terms but will only satisfy your endless curiosity.

You know there is something else in the game, you know that these characters are hiding secrets they don't want to tell you, and you know this game might just end your life.

Your hand gripped on the mouse tighter, your eyes staring at the blinding light your screen is showing. The gloomy soundtrack of the crypt filling your head as Grimora patiently waits for your action.

You have been playing with the idea for so long, playing hot potato with it. It's a very.. tiring routine- you play, something bad happens, you ignore them for about three days or a week you come back playing and the cycle repeats almost like the Ouroboros.

But the calling of this game is almost addictive. But what is the reason why you came back? You know that the answer lies within you but you couldn't pinpoint what it is. Was it boredom? A need for something exciting in your boring life? Or was there something more than this game provided you with that you don't know about.

Staring at the screen, you have two choices and only those two choices. Abandon it for good, or continue it by putting yourself in more deeper currents than before…

Gripping the mouse tighter than earlier, fingers hovering at the keyboard- you closed your eyes to ease the headache that appeared- staring at the screen determined. There's only one choice you need to choose, one choice that could change everything.

Moving your mouse as well as typing at your keyboard, you clicked on something and-

~ ALTER DECK ~

"I suppose I have to fight every one of your skeletons before you.. right?" You softly said, your character moving away from Grimora's sight.

Without a word, you put the cards you have gathered around the place in the deck- quiet as you read all of the description of every single one. Grimora stared as she heard the telltale sounds of the menu board. She softly smiles yet the dread that still is present lingers on her mind.

She only hopes that you'll have an amazing time playing each of their games, before you expire that is.