Gabriel PoV

Eighteen days playing cards, I finally managed to win in all the different kinds of games.

For some reason l learned three skills while doing so, the system is completely different, most people have learned their skills through repeating a specific training routine, all I did was play cards here and the skills appeared, the old man never even told me he was going to teach me anything, we just played.

“Take this Gabe”

The old man hand me a card, it is completely different than the ones we use to play, a strange bird is pictured there, there are no values written on it.

“What is this card?”

“It is a magic monster card, I was never capable of using it, and it seems a special skill is needed”

Then he pauses.

“In my whole life, I only managed to get this one, you see, this one is the monster itself, I was fighting against the bird and I don’t know why, but it transformed into a card”

I grab the card and store it in my pocket.

“Thank you for everything”

The old man looks sad, there aren’t many people here who play cards, in fact a few other players came into the building, played for about one hour and got bored.

I say goodbye to him and leave the building.

My brother left the academy four days ago, we are supposed to travel together so the moment I got my third skill I have no choice but to leave.

Well, I’m not sure I will be able to pass the test, after all two of my skills are kind of useless.

At least I got an advantage, Michael told me about the goblin and how I could be able to beat it.

I run to the examination center and take the test.

In the white room full of weapons I pick a bunch of knives and put them into my bag.

I don’t have any skill related to using knives, but I have a plan, well part of a plan, half of it depends on my luck.

“Show Status”

‘Name: Gabe

Class: None

Health: 35/35

Mana: 25/25

STR: 3

AGI: 5

WIS: 12

LUK: 16

VIT: 7’

Compared to Michael I feel sort of weak.

A fifty-fifty chance of beating the damn thing isn’t bad.

“Show Skills”

‘Class Skills:

None

Common Skills:

Bluff – Beginner Level 2

Tactics – Beginner Level 1

Magic Card – Beginner Level 1’

I’m really not satisfied with my skillset.

Bluff can be funny, but I’m not sure yet about its usefulness.

Tactics, I’m not sure how it works, supposedly I can make good choices on tough situations.

Magic Card, maybe the most useful, I can materialize a card using mana, but I already tested its power and it is very weak.

It’s not like I can complain about it, after all I spent two and a half weeks playing cards.

When I feel ready to fight I walk through the door.

A few minutes walking and there it is, an ugly little goblin.

The moment it sees me the creature throws itself at me.

But I was expecting that, I position myself so that its knife will hit my bag.

‘Health -1’

That stings.

Good, it didn’t notice that it hit my bag.

I grab my stomach with both hands.

“Oh.. the pain.. I’m bleeding…”

I throw myself to the grass as if I were passing out.

I’m hoping this counts as a bluff, and if it works, I’m expecting the goblin to be dumb enough not to notice.

So I wait there, I try to remain still.

After a few minutes the goblin seems to have lost interest in me.

It is walking away, his back is right there.

I silently get up.

I grab two knives from the bag an throw them at the goblin.

It cries in pain, and the look of confusion in its face when he sees me standing gives me enough time to pick another knife and throw it.

Still, I’m lacking power, three knives weren’t enough to kill it.

The goblin with two knives in its back and one in its arm runs towards me, the anger on its face makes me shiver.

Michael told me how much it hurts to be hit in this game, I’m scared.

I can do something.

“Magic Card”

As the card hits it, the goblin is slowed down and I easily dodge the knife in its hand.

Then I try to take my distance.

I take the last two knives in the bag.

There it comes again.

I throw one knife at the goblin which is easily avoided.

“Magic Card”

I think it confuses him to see the card appear out of nowhere, making the creature an easy target.

After the card hits, I run towards the goblin, its knife stabs me in the stomach.

‘Health -25’

But I manage to stab with my knife directly into its eye.

A few seconds of struggle and the goblins falls lifeless.

‘You have killed the Young Goblin’

‘You have passed Initia Academy test’

When I realize it is dead, the pain in my stomach makes me pass out.

I don’t know how much time passed since then, I woke up in another white room.

An old man is sitting on the floor playing cards by himself.

“Hello?”

The man looks at me.

I assume this is the god that will give me a class.

“You finally woke up”

He goes back to playing.

I notice I have already healed.

I sit in front of the man.

All of his cards are magic ones, some of them have a golden color.

“Congratulations on passing the test”

He is still playing cards while speaking.

“I assume you know the procedure already, do you have an idea of the class you want?”

What?

“Aren’t you supposed to suggest a class first”

Now he looks at me and stops playing.

He remains silent for a while.

“My name is Garin, God of Games”

I laugh.

Obviously my god is the god of games.

He starts laughing.

“I have been watching you, I’m intrigued, there aren’t many people who can play cards non-stop without getting bored”

“But I got bored, once I won in all the different games”

He smiles.

“I know, that’s why I will offer you a very unique class”

What kind of class can the god of games offer.

“Card Collector”

“What?”

“That is my offer, you can become a card collector”

“What exactly is card collector?”

“The ones that can collect these cards”

He grabs one of the golden cards from the floor.

“They are magical cards, I bet you will find them interesting, besides I can only teach you the game when you have built your own deck”

“If there is a game, I’m in”

Garin laughs.

“I knew it”

A magic card appears on his hand.

He throws it at me.

The card enters my body.

“From today onwards you will be known as Gabe Luckholder, the Card Collector”

‘You have become a Card Collector

Health +35

Mana +35

STR +5

AGI +5

WIS+5

LUK +5

VIT+5’

‘You have learned the skill Card Identification’

“I know you want to go to the same town your brother is in, so I will give you a chance instead of transporting you randomly”

“What do I have to do?”

“Pick any card from my deck, every card has a different location, if you pick the right one I will take you to the same town as your brother”

His trick is obvious.

I take the card in his hand, the one he previously showed me.

Garin looks surprised.

“Good”

The card starts shining blinding me for a few seconds.

When I recover my vision, I’m in front of a village.

‘Arumio Village’

“Yes”

Exactly the village my brother is in.