"Tap on your creature, and then I attack five times. It's your turn. ”

I stared at the table, poring over the cards neatly laid out there. Maybe I shouldn't have come to the store just to play MtG. Stupid trading card game. I'm sure he has some kind of "wrath of God" on his hands. Why else would he leave mana open when he has three cards in his hand.

So I can block his creatures in an unfavorable way, which makes his fighting skills obsolete, or I can take five meaningless damages. In this case, he will sacrifice his creature to the altar and play with anger no matter what. I need to know exactly what he's up to. Or is he bluffing?

I can bluff and hope that his tricks cost more than five mana, in which case I can counter his spells. Stupid humans. It should be a relaxing evening, not an endless card game.

When I woke up this morning, I searched the entire city for clues on who to look for. Sadly, word of yesterday's killings got out, and now all the mercenaries are hiding in their holes. I can't find a soul with the information available. Obviously, being a mercenary includes the ability to go undercover for hours.

I briefly considered picking my path among every tourist in the city, but I didn't know how many mercenaries there were. It may take me a few weeks to find the right one. So I decided to go to the local game store and play cards until something happened. If I'm lucky, the mercenaries will be scared so as not to cause me more trouble.

It's just that I lost game after game today. And against humanity. Fred is another regular at DiamondMox and a pure normal person. His real name is Friedrich, but I'll call him Fred. DiamondMox is the largest gaming store in the city and is located on the Inner Ring Street just outside of the city center. My little secret is that I'm actually the owner and always incognito.

Sometimes, big risks can lead to big results. "Well, I'll call it. Let me see what you have. ”

When Fred didn't react, I started dribbling on the ground with my feet and looking up. My annoyed comment on "get-it-on" didn't leave my mouth because I realized that Fred wasn't moving. No one in the store moved. Well. The last time I checked, I didn't allow any artifacts in my city that could freeze time.

The doorbell rang and a blonde walked into the store. Her eyes scanned the walls filled with merchandise, then the counters and the players' tables. As soon as she found me, she snorted and approached. As she did, she also gave up the charm around her. Her suit and bland face contorted in a puff of smoke, revealing piercing eyes and goblin elongated ears.

"Little element, tell me where to find the old local rallies. The veil that covers this valley is weakening our magic. They will delete it. ”

Element? What kind of medicine does this man take? I'm not an element. Oh, I guess with all my magic suppressed, I look like an untrained eye. So this fae is a young one. And if I'm not entirely wrong, there's also a mercenary.

But who will ally with the goblins? They are the main players in the supernatural race, and their feud with the Old Dominators is legendary. I pursed my lips, studying the sword in her hand. So she was old and knew how to use the sword. Although she doesn't seem to have gotten the information that guns are the weapon of choice today. Two hundred years, maybe three hundred years? That's why I try to live among human beings. They invented a lot of useful things.

You take a break in the woods, and before you know it, you're a strange hermit who can't cope with life. The world is changing too fast.

"A sword? Are you sure? Why don't you tell me why you want to meet the local magic users? Surely you've heard that they are a secluded bunch. Especially in this territory. Aren't you worried that they prefer to kill rather than talk? ”

"I have certain financial assets to convince them, but it's none of your business. So just tell me where to find them and save me from the shame of having to talk to diluted offspring. ”

I gritted my teeth and squinted at her. The Old Dominators are the ancestors of almost all supernatural races. They are purely magical creatures. Ancient legends refer to us as mages, demons, or gods.

The elements are their rare offspring, the product of mixing with humans. They have only a part of the magic of their ancestors and usually manifest themselves as control over a single magical element or realm. Hence they are called elements.

But the FAE is no better in this regard. They may have inherited a very strong trait, but they are still bastard offspring of my race. So she's using the magic of the will to freeze the store. People aren't really frozen in time, and nothing else is there. A goblin can cast any spell, as long as the caster's will is stronger than that of those who observe the spell. It's a tricky piece of magic. It's like Schrödinger's cat problem. The cat is definitely both dead and alive, but as long as no one looks closely at the facts.

And there is also the issue of discord. Goblins are a weakened race because they are nothing more than donkeys. Almost infertile, they cannot really reproduce, so they often kidnap children of other supernatural powers and replace them with fakes of their inbreeding. They especially like to get a real mage or witch boy, no matter what anyone decides to call us.

I like to use the word old one. There's something mysterious about it and underscores the idea that we're not human. We may look like them, but only if we choose to do so. I'm actually not sure if some of our ancestors remember our true form. I don't, but I'm younger and I don't think it's anything to look at.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Suddenly, the fairy swung the tip of her sword in front of me, and I reacted instinctively. I waved my wrist and threw the dice that were my life counter at her. She reflexively fended off it, slicing it cleanly in half. But this only triggers the matrix of spells hidden inside the dice. A dazzling flash of light stunned us both and interrupted her defensive barrier.

I took out the pistol, unloaded the bullet in her general direction, and fell backwards. Not too late for a second, because I felt the "whoosh" of the air as her blade passed through where my head was.

Even on the ground, I would continue to shoot, covering all possible angles she could move to. Fae is fast and I don't want to die here. When the magazine is empty, I pop it out and reload it with a trained mechanical action, even though I still can't see anything.

When my vision finally cleared, I found her collapsed on the far wall. Her wild eyes tell me that she is alive and very keen to pierce her sword through me. But she didn't move, green blood pooling under her, so I thought I hit something important.

I put two more bullets in her forehead and loaded the rest of the magazine into her chest. People may think it's too much, but you're not going to do half the work when it comes to battling the paranormal. Either you make sure they're in the low position and stay low, or you're just asking for your head to be cut off sooner or later. I don't like fae for the reasons mentioned above.

I don't have a problem with mestizos, but the FAE approach to ensuring the survival of their race is creepy.

Once she stopped twitching, I leaned closer and carefully removed the sword from her. Fae are tough bastards, and their healing abilities are almost as strong as ours. If I were in her place, I wouldn't dare get too close to myself. After another moment, I finally dared to bend down and pick up my sword. Without hesitation, I swept it across her neck, decapitating her even as the first bullet was pushed back from her forehead.

After doing this, I finally relaxed. Even the Lich takes a while to recover. For most others, it is a death sentence. Roaring, I looked around the damaged room. Luckily, people are still frozen, and it looks like I don't have to take care of any more corpses. It's just that poor Fred was scratched a little by her blade. Blood dripped down his cheek.

I approached to check his hand. That's why he had the 'wrath of God'! Bastard. Then I realized that the new advertising sticker on the window is a good mirror. Ha! That's how he anticipated my every move! I just knew! I reached out and snapped his fingers, just to point out, bending back until I touched his wrist.

With such an injury, he will not be able to play for a long time. Cheating is okay and I even encourage it. But if you get caught. I'm not going to kill him, because he's skillful at using the new environment against me.

Satisfied, I consider the next step. Mercenaries are one thing, but in my territory? Didn't they learn anything from the last invasion ten years ago? But first things first. I had to find someone to break the spell of my store and clean everything up. After a few minutes of possibilities, I decided to stick with the only real option.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. After ringing a few times, the other party picked up the phone and muttered a few times to introduce himself.

"Paul! Yesterday you left without saying goodbye! Why don't you come and visit me in my shop, we men had a wonderful time between us. What do you think? ”

“...”

"Isn't that our agreement?"

I snorted. "Nope. What are you thinking? I just want to break the ice. Sometimes I'm a real jerk, and I want to repay you for your tolerance of me. Come to 16 Ring Street. It's already dark, but it's almost impossible to miss this brightly lit shop. ”

"Okay...... Give me ten minutes. ”

I hung up and put the phone away. Extreme times call for extreme measures. Now I just have to wait in line for ten minutes and hope that no one else wants to play the game at seven o'clock in the evening.

Twenty minutes later, I sat in the car and headed to the outskirts of the city, leaving the pensive toad for his work. I'm sure because he's a quick learner, I can't do stunts like this with him anymore. I guess that's necessary. Otherwise, without some "special compensation", he would never have appeared.

I stopped at the intersection of the industrial area and the city and smoked a cigarette. Obviously, I'm getting a little too hot with the goblins, so I want to postpone my next meeting.

This place is a prime location for everyone who offers "special services". I got out of the car and walked a few feet further to the house with a lavish gate. There were a few red hearts in the window above, flickering. The large neon sign on the roof removes any suspicion about this institution.

Red Eve.

Sure enough, I found the owner, Eva, in front of her nest in her usual location, looking at the parking lot. "Eva! Already full today? ”

The busty brunette smiled and tried especially hard to show off her gorgeous assets, tilting them just right for me to peek through the V-shape of her neckline. "I have, but I'm always ready for someone as energetic as you are. Would you like another round of my special service? ”

No, even if I'm in the mood! With my cigarettes, I was too calm to venture with vampires. My blood is still needed tonight. Although I admit I used to be with her, just to watch the jingle of those two monsters. It's very good. It's a pity that there was no spark between us. For whatever reason, she doesn't irritate my instincts.

I laughed. "Not tonight. I just met a leprechaun. She spoke about her work in the plural. Heard they're setting up a base in my territory? ”

Eva stopped smiling, revealing a set of long, pointed canines. The goblins her off for a good reason. Vampires are another high-priority kidnapping target. Or at least their newbies. Human legends have a lot of misconceptions about the upper. Not without a certain degree of misleading on their part. They don't like to know their true life cycle because it reveals certain weaknesses.

First of all, vampires are not made, they are born. It runs in the home. They live a completely human life at the novice stage. They go to school, go to parties, get old, and get married...... It's all a pleasant, blissful thing. They even have babies like all the others, and they're not special. The trick comes when they die for the first time and transform from their novice stage to real vampires. They can't change anyone.

Since then, they have been almost legendary vampires, only they don't "poof" in the sun. It's too bright for them though. They are allergic to silver, but this has nothing to do with religion. And there is an urge to protect their lineage at all costs, not even to budge. They are sterile like vampires, so they must protect their children or other relatives before they are alive.

If they lose a loved one, they lose their reason for being. In other words, Eva is someone I can absolutely trust in this matter. She and her lair are the last supernatural creatures to work with the elves.

She pressed her kissable lips tightly together. "My lair will never deal with goblins. Suggesting such a thing! ”

Oh, my God. Good thing I'm smoking. Otherwise I'd let her bend off that car to relieve some of the pressure. It didn't take much effort to push that skimpy skirt up. I coughed. "Of course I didn't mean that. I just think you and your lair might be eyeing every good hiding place in the city. If anyone can reasonably guess where to start looking, it's you. ”

She takes a more relaxed stance and thinks about possibilities. "The old warehouse over there at the hardware store."

"I know that place. After the disco inside went out of business, it was empty for a while. ”

"Okay. So here's the deal. A few days ago, someone bought the whole thing. They built a tall fence around it in one night and put building signs and advertisements everywhere. Can't even go in and take a look. However, many people come and go at night. And there are guards. We've all been gone until now, but if the new owner is fae-"

"Then they might be planting a new tree for their reality marble," I finished the idea. Reality marbles, or dimensional pockets, are the most powerful abilities that elves have inherited from us.

Hundreds of years ago, during the time of what humans called the Black Death, we fought a great war with the elves. They managed to anger the old gods enough to unite against them. There is no precedent in known history. Relationships with the elderly are not very good, so we stick to small, family-sized family groups. Everyone is fiercely defending their territory from outsiders.

I'm no exception. The veil around these valleys allows weaker supernatural forces to pass through, but everyone who has enough strength to rival the old days will be hit rather unpleasantly. It's hard to get in, it's even harder to get out, but at least I'll know right away that someone in danger is coming.

Return to war. According to history, we gave them hell. They even began to worry that we were going to wipe them out to the last child. I think we'll do it. Speaking of kids, my kind is even worse than vampires for their newbies.

In the end, the goblin makes the final bet in order to save himself. Their most powerful people have come together to divide a part of this world and create a safe haven for them. It even worked, and now an unknown number of them are hiding in fairies, which they call the Pocket Dimension.

Personally, we are stronger than the FAE, but we are even fewer in number. So the fact that we are united against them is the only reason why we managed to win.

My people went back to the old ways, and everything was back to normal, until the goblins came back through their stupid trees and fairy rings to steal the children for their breeding program. Now we burn down their little hideouts where they are trying to build themselves. It's irritating that we never seem to be fast enough to make these jobs less cost-effective for them.

I don't care if they steal a few people. They are not worth much other than reproducing quickly. The problem is that once they fight for humanity, it is a shortcut to other races. The hatred of goblins is deeply rooted in my heart.

"Do you need help?" After a while, Eva asked me, and I realized that I had been staring at the sky since a few minutes ago.

"Nope. I'll prepare it first. Grenades, poison bullets, wards. If I have to beat them up, I'm ready to go to the party. But I think it would be great if you guys were ready to stand guard to prevent humans from looking. Tell them people are working. I put down my cigarette and stepped on it.

She pursed her lips. "Okay, of course. Explosions, gunshots, shrill screams...... Normal sound on a construction site. ”

I shrugged. "There was an accident. Stay away until professional help arrives. Just don't mention that the people in our call center won't react. ”