Arc 5The Zero-Star Breakthrough
Caroso unveiled zero-star cards at the festival, gained both warrior and card-maker classes, and negotiated protection and funding from the kingdom’s factions. After studying the cards with Alita, he left for Azure Wolf Province with new knowledge that a future conflict had destroyed Mal Academy and a resolve to investigate the dungeon.
- Caroso opened a custom card-making stall, then accepted Harvey Colin’s wager that he could not make a card below three stars.
- Caroso produced genuine zero-star cards, and Alita publicly credited him with inspiring her research while he revealed that Messiah had been posing as Krumen.
- Caroso entered a domain while watching Kong and Bai make cards, then survived the struggle between the War God’s mark and the Card Maker mark by gaining both classes.
- Caroso advanced to fourth tier and demanded compensation and safety guarantees from the factions, while Grand Duke Osiris sent Red to the capital and warned the kingdom against threatening his son.
- Caroso and Teresa discussed their political ideals and agreed to ally as long as they remained aligned, while Elizabeth bought custom Rogue cards and invited Caroso to her concert.
- Alita studied Caroso’s zero-star cards and independently explained how material and magic-array resonance could lower a card’s Star Level, while rumors spread that she and Caroso were engaged.
- Caroso agreed to cooperate with research and flew back to Azure Wolf Province, where the barrage told him that Blank’s work on the Revival of the Dead would lead to a conflict that killed Mal Academy’s principal and vice principal.
- Caroso realized that his future war had helped cause the attack on Mal Academy and decided to investigate the dungeon where he had been held.