"Westbridge High School, Russell," he introduced himself. Seeing that the man before him was a certified Cardmaster from the Guild, Russell finally relaxed.
Zephyr Flynn, the Guild Cardmaster, surveyed the corpses of the ghouls scattered across the street, clicking his tongue in surprise.
"All killed in a single blow… your card must be above blue-tier, right?" Zephyr asked, intrigued.
Russell nodded. "It's a purple-tier card."
But his face soon tightened with concern. "I only crafted it this morning. I haven't reported it to the Guild yet… Is that going to be a problem?"
Russell, an unregistered independent Card Crafter, technically wasn't allowed to use high-tier cards in public without prior certification.
Zephyr was momentarily stunned. He had assumed Russell was a soon-to-be university student—maybe someone entering the academy next fall.
It wasn't that shocking for a top student to produce a purple-tier card after a full year of training. But to hear this was Russell's first-ever crafted card…
"No worries. I'll report the full details to the Guild," Zephyr said with a laid-back grin. "Honestly, kid, you've got real talent. Hope to see you at Westbridge University's Card Engineering Department next year."
Though surprised by Russell's ability, Zephyr had seen his fair share of prodigies at the university.
Patting Russell on the shoulder, he added, "Relax. I'd wager the Guild will award you for this. If you hadn't stepped in, who knows what would've happened to the residents."
He shook his head, remembering how he had rushed here on his silver wolf mount, Moongale, after getting the alert—only to be delayed by a silver-tier Gluttonbeast. If Russell hadn't been here...
Still, the Guild wouldn't blame him; no one could predict what monsters lurked within the mists.
With a whistle, Zephyr called to the crowd, "Alright, citizens of Harmony Gardens! I'll personally escort you to the safe zone in Clearwater District—"
But his words were cut short as a thunderous shockwave erupted in the sky, drawing all eyes upward.
A massive ethereal figure loomed above Westbridge City, its emotionless gaze fixed on the rift known as the Demon Hive.
A commanding voice boomed: "Soulweaver Clan—you've overstepped."
As the voice fell silent, the enormous being exhaled gently, yet even that breath dispersed the oppressive fog covering the city.
And the creatures hidden in the fog? They vanished into curls of black ash.
Russell stared at the sky, stunned.
Cardmasters... can be this powerful?
One breath had wiped out an entire city's crisis.
He turned to Zephyr. "Zephyr, that... who was that?"
Zephyr stood solemn, eyes still on the skies. "That was Grandmaster Byron Whitmore… codename: The Judge of Shadows."
"Core Card—King of the Underworld: Magnus the Justicar."
The name The Judge of Shadows now carried a very real weight for Russell.
Just then, a raspy, mocking laugh echoed across the city.
"Byron, oh Byron. You can protect them for now, but not forever!"
Byron remained silent for a long moment before speaking. "As long as I live, the eastern barrier will never fall."
"And besides… with Quinn around, would you really risk starting an all-out war?"
The voice faltered for a second, then scoffed darkly. "Quinn won't last much longer. We'll see who has the last laugh."
As the echo faded, the towering form of Magnus the Justicar slowly vanished.
Russell squinted. "Soulweaver Clan talks big, huh? Shame their bite doesn't match their bark."
Zephyr turned to the residents. "Alright folks, you saw it yourselves—Grandmaster Byron has thwarted the Soulweaver's plot. It's safe to return home now."
As the crowd began filing back into their buildings, Zephyr looked to Russell.
"Hey, how about we head to the Guild now and get you officially registered?"
Russell thought about it. Even if he didn't go today, his homeroom teacher would drag him in tomorrow anyway.
"Sure. Thanks, Zephyr."
Zephyr conjured two saddles using a utility card—unlike summon cards, tools had no cap on quantity. Meanwhile, Moongale knelt obediently beside them.
"Hop on. We'll get there faster."
Russell mounted the silver wolf awkwardly, following Zephyr's lead. Wind howled past his ears as they rode.
He glanced over, curiosity piqued. "This thing is… road legal?"
Zephyr scrolled through his Guild chat on his phone and replied, "As long as it's a registered ride card, sure. Same goes for vehicle-type tool cards."
Russell nodded, then smirked. "So… does that mean you could technically ride humanoid summon cards?"
"...?"
Zephyr looked over, deadpan.
"Kidding! Just a joke."
Zephyr chuckled. "Actually, there's a woman at Crownspire Academy who rides a muscle-bound summon everywhere. So… technically, yeah."
"...What."
Russell had been joking.
Sensing the potential danger of that conversation, he changed the subject. "Zephyr, what do you think the Guild will do with me?"
Zephyr glanced at his phone. "They already gave me the order—bring you in. That's it."
"Still time to jump off?"
Zephyr laughed. "If you were in real trouble, you'd be tied up by now."
The Guild had a zero-tolerance policy on rogue card crafters. Just look at the Soulweaver Clan—constantly trying to 'show the world something big.'
After a short ride, they arrived at the Clearwater District branch of the Cardmaster Guild.
A middle-aged man stood at the entrance, clearly waiting.
Seeing Zephyr, his eyes lit up before turning to Russell.
"You must be Russell. Zephyr told me everything."
He stepped forward and shook Russell's hand firmly.
"On behalf of the Clearwater Guild, thank you for your courage."
Russell blinked, momentarily confused by the warm reception—then it clicked.
The Guild was going to use him as a model citizen, a shining example.