James had come to the following realisations: he didn't know how ranks worked, he didn't know how crafting worked, and while he respected Anne, he didn't know enough to self-motivate at the expense of other Commanders and the people of the other fifteen worlds.
After spending twenty minutes mulling over these points, he jumped into his Commander’s Space, barely noticing the ever-present white noise.
Charlie and Squire were playing in Squire's retreat so he let them be, and left some food, mostly oats, at the door. They’d find it.
James considered taking out his pack upgrade token, then decided it would be best to see what he got from the level-up first.
He considered pulling out the level-up and decided he needed a coffee and breakfast first.
James dropped out of Commander’s Space, had a shower, and changed into his new clothes, opting not to change into adventuring gear.
He went down to the commons where there was breakfast and, blessedly, coffee.
Mark was looking better today as well.
"Good morning, Mark. This looks good, but I thought we had no supplies?"
Mark responded with a glimpse of his normal affluence. "Good morning, James.”
“Turk's Café down the street has shared some supplies with us until we get back on our feet. Other shopkeepers have offered aid as well.”
Mark took a breath. “Apparently, no one from the Guild thought to ask. It was only when so many Guild members ate out that they realised what had happened. Rather than monetise, they came to our aid. Given the large-scale quest reward yesterday, those who participated are being asked to donate five gold each, which will be recompensed once our goods are returned."
James’ stomach betrayed him with a loud growl. He smirked at himself, nodded in thanks to Mark, then handed over the five gold and helped himself to toast, eggs, bacon, and coffee from the buffet.
"Where's Charlie and Squire?" Mark asked.
"In my Commander’s Space," he responded matter-of-factly.
Mark took that in stride and didn’t push further, especially as other Guild members had entered and needed to be told the same information.
With a full stomach, and coffee filling the gap left by magic, James returned to his room and Commander’s Space to tackle crafting.
It didn’t take him long to find the new crafting station. In truth, he’d known where it was before but had not wanted to deal with it yet. So he had created a box around it, put tiny Santa Claus wrapping paper on it and added a giant bow, and pushed it out of his mind.
Now he pulled on the bow and unwrapped his “present”. Even though he’d wrapped it himself, the whole exercise gave James a slight mood boost.
The bow vanished with a pop. The box folded itself flat and dissolved into glittering motes.
What remained was the crafting station
The crafting station was a simple table with card-sized slots built into the surface.
When he placed a card into one of the slots, faint runes flared to life, outlining connections he hadn’t been able to see before. System screens flickered into place beside it, listing options and short descriptions.
After a few placements, patterns started to emerge. Some slots reacted to blank cards, others to resources, and a few only responded when he tried to use upgrade tokens.
Even so, it felt incomplete.
He could make cards, sure, but what about weapons, armour, and the kinds of tools people actually used to stay alive?
James then did something no sane adventurer ever did. He checked the manual. Or more specifically, he checked his knowledge tab. In the Commander’s Space he was able to have a panel float in the air showing the knowledge he had on Crafting.
Knowledgebase: Crafting
Crafting allows you to create new cards, items, or consumables using essence, traits, and harvested materials.
Crafting does not
Convert an owned card into crafting materials.
Base Recovery:
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
2. Craft Blank Capture Card
Create a new, unused card shell capable of binding a creature.
Output: Crafting Time: Essence Cost (per rarity tier):
Imprint a one-use effect (e.g., trait or ability) into a consumable card.
Requires: 1 harvested trait or effect + stabilizer essence
Output depends on trait rarity and card base.
Essence determines the power ceiling
- All crafting actions have a crafting duration.
- Upgrade to Crafting Queue Protocol
- The Mini-World:Crafter’s Hall
- Bonded Cards
- Named Traits
- Blank Bronze Card (Common Essence)
- Consumable: Minor Thornhide (Basic)
- High-rarity essence can be split into lesser forms (with loss)
System Notice:
Crafting potential scales with Commander Level, Deck Quality, and observed creature patterns. Exploration encouraged. You are currently operating at Crafting Tier 1.
Well, that answered his question on how to start. And then some.
James placed his Undead Essence
Resource Card – Undead Essence (Common)
- Type:
- Use:
- Quantity:
- Use:
Crafting Options Available:
- Craft Blank Card
- Consume Essence
James decided he should open the Rare Aspects Pack – Bone Drake
He found the pack tucked inside his Deck Tab, filed like any other card. The border shimmered with scaled texture and bone-etched corners.
Rare Aspects Pack – Bone Drake
He pulled it loose and opened it like the level-up card. Thumb along the seam, corner split just right.
The smell of the card stock hit him instantly.
Still heavenly.
System Notice – Rare Aspects Pack Opened
Rare Aspects Pack – Bone Drake
Aspect Unlocked: Undead
Aspect Unlocked: Drake
- Resource Card – Undead Essence (Rare)
- Resource Card – Drake Essence (Rare)
Recipe Unlocked – Trait: Bonewrought Shell
Recipe Unlocked – Ability: Undying Roar
Crafting Fragment Obtained – Drakeblood Matrix (1 of 5 to unlock Legendary crafting)
He didn’t touch anything. Just happened to be looking in the right direction when the text on the crafting station shifted. A soft flicker. A new line sliding into place like it had always been there.
Crafting Options Available:
- Craft Blank Card(cost scaled to power)
- Consume Essence:Chance to unlock and craft a random Undead Essence (Common) related card. Chance and rarity scale with quantity consumed.
- Re-Aspect: Undead Essence (Common) → Drake Essence (Common)
Conversion Rate: 2 to 1
Drake Essence. Legendary fragments. Trait recipes.
James blinked, leaned back, and let out a low whistle. One brow lifted, impressed despite himself.
The temptation was too great this time. He selected Re-Aspect, selected Undead -> Drake Essence, queued twenty times.
Another card appeared on the crafting table parallel and touching his other one with a red light around both.
Re-Aspecting Time remaining - 20 minutes.
James went to select Craft Blank Card, not sure if the system would let him queue a second craft.
Surprisingly, it did.
A second card shimmered into place at the far end of the crafting table. Clean bronze border. No image, no traits. Just a countdown bar ticking beneath the surface.
Time Remaining: 30 minutes
Essence Cost: 10
He glanced back at the Undead Essence (Common) The number had already dropped.
Undead Essence: 52 → 42
So it pulled straight from the source. No confirmation. No fanfare. Just action.
Then, just off to the side, the Drake Essence
Drake Essence: 0 → 1
Undead Essence: 42 → 40
The re-aspect was running too, quietly peeling off the top while the blank card forged in silence.
James reached for another crafting slot.
Nothing.
“Okay. Fine.”
Commander Level 5 Upgrade Accepted.