Castling

The Mage standing at the center of the magic circle wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and calmly savored the tremendous gains brought by Sorcerous Wisdom. The change brought by +2 Intelligence wasn't simply an increase in stats; it had helped the young Mage reach the threshold of superhuman intellect in one leap.

On the continent of Faerûn, the attribute limit for mortals was 18. Every step beyond that was like struggling up a sheer cliff, and these warriors often spent years in arduous training before catching a glimpse, among the mountains, of the narrow path leading to the extraordinary.

Of course, those who chose to stop being human didn't count. Some naturally legendary, cheat-code species were simply too much for Ryan to even complain about.

But this time, lucky Ryan had undoubtedly grasped the key to the extraordinary, thanks to the Myriad Changes Card.

The Mage carefully put the Myriad Changes Card he had used away in Traveler Space. Once opened, all the magic and spells attached to the card dissipated, leaving behind an ordinary work of art.

Even so, many scholarly Mages were quite interested in them and offered high prices to acquire these wondrous creations of an ancient magical empire. Plenty of others simply treated them as exquisite collectibles.

Ryan figured his unreliable, unscrupulous mentor might also be interested. The young man planned to give the card to Yefalin as a travel gift. Even as a fledgling left the nest to spread its wings across the boundless sky, it still thought fondly of the small but warm home beneath the setting sun.

Thinking of the blue-haired beauty with her mature, alluring air and the exaggeratedly touched expression she'd worn when she received his gift before, a hint of amusement appeared in the young man's handsome brows.

At the center of the magic circle, a happy, contented smile blossomed on the handsome profile of the blond youth, like a child who'd sneaked a taste of a sweet apple. Watching this, Jelona let go of her worries, and the corners of her mouth lifted as well.

The first two Magic Omnipotence Cards had brought pleasant surprises. Ryan was now brimming with inexplicable confidence, feeling as if luck itself had blessed him. His eyes burned as he looked at the third Myriad Changes Card in the ironwood box.

But Ryan quickly came to his senses and pulled himself away from greed, silently reminding himself to stay calm and put caution first.

The timid Mage dutifully began his preparations. Although he was down two third-level Spell Slots, Ryan took a few scrolls from Traveler Space and held them ready, making sure he could fight. With practiced ease, he layered protective spells over himself.

With everything ready, the blond youth took out the last Myriad Changes Card. Looking at the small wound on his hand, already healed, Ryan could only grimace and take out a sharp knife. He cut his fingertip again and smeared blood across the card.

A faint glow flashed. The vortex pattern at the card's center rippled outward, and a strange scene appeared across its exquisite face.

Across a vast green land, mountain ranges and rivers wound on without end. A towering giant deity, its head piercing the clouds, held an enormous chess piece and played an unhurried game, using mountains as borders and rivers as lines. The majestic deity in the image held a king as massive as a mountain, making a move.

Along with the image came a soft, seductive voice that suddenly appeared beside everyone's ears. It was as if one's most intimate lover were drawing them into an embrace with a soft body and whispering in their ear, using the gentlest tone to evoke their deepest desires.

"You yearn for power, don't you?" someone murmured beside the blond youth, their voice like the serpent that had tempted Adam and Eve to pluck the forbidden fruit in Eden, sweet words brimming with seduction.

The young man's mind went hazy for a moment. Even in his daze, his strong, resilient spirit instinctively tried to play along. He began, "No, what I yearn for is—" But before he could finish, the Spark tattoo on Ryan's chest flashed, and the Mage snapped back to his senses.

Awake from the enchantment, Ryan warily surveyed his surroundings and saw that the three adventurers were dazed too. Their lips were parting as they prepared to answer something.

Seeing this, the Mage sprang into action. He leaped to the nearest Half-elf Ranger, pulled Jelona over, and clapped a hand over her lips to stop her from speaking. At the same time, he shouted, "Don't answer! Don't answer!" trying to warn the Dwarf and the Barbarian, who were under the enchantment.

Ryan had learned that the card was called Castling, but he didn't know its specific effect. Still, anything that directly charmed people and stirred up their deepest wishes and desires was clearly no good. Following the principle of doing the opposite of whatever the other side wanted, he decisively stopped everyone from answering.

But it was too late. The Dwarf bellowed, "That's right! I want a big butt!" while the Barbarian warrior chuckled foolishly and shouted, "Arata wants to fight!" Their figures flickered, then vanished.

Just as expected, something strange happened. Ryan stared dumbly at the two Goblins who had appeared where the Dwarf and Barbarian had been. Unaware of the change in their surroundings, they continued with the business of propagating their species. At last, he understood the meaning of Castling.

Once the magic wore off, the information from the Myriad Changes Card finally reached Ryan. When Castling was activated, a mysterious, enchanting voice asked the creatures within its area of effect about what they most desired. If they answered, they would switch places with a random creature within ten thousand miles. Hence the name Castling.

Ryan's mouth twitched. What kind of ingenious mind had come up with this card? It was way too much of a trap!

It could certainly prove useful in some situations, but the restriction on its random teleportation was absurd.

Ryan was still speechless when something soft and moist brushed against his palm, and he suddenly realized he was still covering the Half-elf Ranger's mouth. Jelona was leaning against him, his arm around her shoulders and his hand covering her red lips.

Their pose was extremely intimate. In his haste, the blond youth hadn't paid attention to the details. Now that he'd come to his senses, with soft warmth in his arms and the fresh scent of forest and flowers seemingly still lingering beneath his nose, Ryan felt terribly awkward. He hurriedly let go and stepped back.

The young Mage hastily apologized to the Half-elf, whose cheeks had turned bright red, but he didn't notice the fleeting disappointment and longing in Jelona's eyes.

The Half-elf Ranger quickly composed herself. Looking at the apologetic young man, she gave him a gentle smile and said that she understood the circumstances and didn't mind.

But after noticing what had happened around them, Jelona soon asked Ryan about the Dwarf and the Barbarian. Ryan glanced at the two Goblins, who had rolled into a corner and were still lost in the joy of reproduction. His face twitched as he thought for a moment before answering:

"The magic switched their positions. Judging by what's happened, Kasla and Arata should be in no danger, but we probably won't find them until we get out."

Hearing this, Jelona breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a dangerous spell, she still trusted her two teammates' abilities. After all, those two straight-shooting numbskulls had to be pretty capable to have survived this long.

With her worries set aside, the Half-elf Ranger shot the two filthy-eyed Goblins a look of disgust, nocked an arrow, and sent the hapless pair on their way.

Meanwhile, in a lush forest full of towering ancient trees, the bewildered Dwarf and Barbarian stood amid a crowd of Goblins fleeing in every direction, staring at each other. The air between them turned deathly still, as if it had plunged below freezing.

After a long while, the Dwarf finally realized what had happened and let out a deafening, furious roar. "Damn it, why?!"

His anguished, bewildered shout echoed above the forest, lingering without end and startling countless birds into flight.