Ron sat there, utterly bewildered, playing a few more rounds of Dou Dizhu.
Or rather… some heavily "modded" version of it—Spell Showdown.
And he lost. Horribly.
Harper was a walking encyclopedia of elemental theory. He had mastered the intricate rules of magical interactions—how elements reinforced or countered each other—and could exploit them with deadly precision.
No matter what Ron played, Harper always found a way to counter it with something outrageously specific.
Ron's fire-element straight flush, a "3-4-5-6-7" combo? Instantly doused by Harper's legendary-tier Tidal Realm, a water-element spell that wiped the board.
Even Ron's four-K bomb—a killer hand in any normal game—was absorbed and reflected at him by Harper's "Little Joker" card: Elemental God Elemont.
Ron didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
At first, he'd been tempted to stop the game and re-explain the actual rules. But eventually, he just gave up. This was entertainment, after all—why take it so seriously?
Besides, Harper and Edith's version of the game was actually… kind of fun.
It's just that Ron's complete lack of magical training meant he was hopelessly outmatched. Unlike Edith, who could at least go toe-to-toe with Harper, Ron—who hadn't learned even a single spell—stood no chance.
Eventually, Ron gave up his seat. Mason, who had just finished ordering food, stepped in, and the real showdown between three magic users began.
Mason and Edith stuck to fairly standard plays, while Harper was the chaotic wildcard with his wild ideas.
Mason played an Earth "8" — a Tier 4 spell: Rock Bastion Shield.
Harper immediately countered with a Fire "5" (Flame Drake) and a Water "6" (Sky-Flooding Pillars), both Tier 3.
Mason frowned. "That combo doesn't work. Flame Drake and Sky-Flooding Pillars make a Tier 3 Lightning spell—Thunderborn Wyrm. That's not nearly strong enough to break through my Rock Bastion Shield."
"Who said anything about combining them?" Harper rolled his eyes. "I'm hitting your shield from two directions. The sudden temperature difference will cause structural failure from within. I've tested this exact scenario before—you can check my magic report if you want."
"What?! That's a thing?" Mason looked incredulous. "Isn't Rock Bastion supposed to be the strongest Tier 4 defense spell?"
"That's ancient thinking," Harper snorted. "Keep playing. You taking the trick or not?"
Edith, cool and calm, played a Wind "K"—a Tier 7 legendary spell: Tempest Cyclone, blowing away Harper's play with raw force.
But Harper just grinned and slapped down an Earth "3": Tier 2 spell Burrow.
"Cyclone's got immense power, sure," Harper said smugly, "but its weakness is obvious—it barely affects anything underground. I just dig in and wait it out."
Watching Mason and Edith furrow their brows and analyze their next moves, Ron couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Back when he was getting destroyed, it had been pretty frustrating.
But now? Watching them suffer the same fate—it was hilarious.
He was loving every second of it.
Just then, Lyle came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of freshly grilled meat.
Mason immediately tossed his cards onto the table. "Food's here—game over, I'm done!"
Edith followed suit, throwing her cards down and even giving the deck a good shuffle with her hands, making it impossible to tell what had been played. "Let's eat."
Harper looked reluctant, still holding his cards. "But I still have so many combos left…"
Ron just shook his head with a chuckle as he gathered the Elemental Cards off the table.
"Your Elemental Cards are pretty cool," Harper commented, watching him clean up. "But there aren't enough spells in the deck. With more variety, we could've done so many crazy combos."
This wasn't even the intended playstyle… Ron rolled his eyes.
"Wait, is this the barbecue?" Edith looked at the meat skewers Lyle had brought out, their aroma instantly making her mouth water.
"This is the specialty here," Mason explained, jumping in. "Way better than your average roast. They use a secret blend of spices—it's like a hundred times better than regular salt. You'll get it once you try."
Harper and Edith were skeptical—until they each took a bite.
Instantly, their doubts vanished.
"Mmm… this is so good," Edith said softly, blowing on the hot meat before taking another small, elegant bite. She quickly reached for another skewer.
Harper devoured one, then picked up another to examine it. "What kind of seasoning is this…?"
Ron and Lyle shared a look and said nothing.
The spice blend was a trade secret. No way they were revealing it.
Sure, the recipe would probably get leaked eventually—but every day it stayed secret was a win. Ron had made sure Lyle knew to keep quiet.
After devouring the upgraded barbecue, Mason and the others were thoroughly satisfied.
Even Edith, who normally had little interest in meat, had to admit it was totally worth the trip.
"You guys want to buy a stalk of Nether Orchid to keep?" Mason asked after the meal. "The lab stock will get used up anyway, but if you get one for yourself, it has great benefits."
Harper shook his head. "With my talent, I don't need it. Suppressing my realm is already enough of a pain."
Mason's eye twitched. This guy's just begging to be punched…
But it was true—Harper's magical aptitude was so absurdly high that he had to actively suppress his own advancement. He'd once sworn not to advance to the next tier until he fully mastered all spells in his current one.
Otherwise, at just over forty, he'd probably already be a Tier 6 mage like Professor Hicks.
Edith, however, seemed tempted. She turned to Ron. "I'd like to buy a Nether Orchid. Would that be alright now?"
"Of course!" Ron's face lit up. A customer was a customer, after all—why say no?
Seeing Edith buy one, Harper instantly changed his mind. "Then I'll buy one too!"
Seriously? No shame at all? Mason looked at Harper with disgust and rolled his eyes.
Edith, clearly used to Harper's antics by now, didn't even bother responding.
After paying, the group left the barbecue shop.
As they walked back to the flower shop, Ron glanced toward the narrow alley between the two stores—almost by reflex.
And there it was again.
A small, ragged figure stood by the trash bins, clutching the leftovers from Ron's lunch and nibbling on them in secret.
Sensing Ron's gaze, the figure—draped in a tattered cloak and wearing a burlap hat—immediately turned and darted away into the shadows.
Ron frowned and shook his head, then led the others back to the shop.
After earning 40 gold coins from the meal, he'd now sold two more Nether Orchids.
[Main Quest] — [Open for Business: Sell 100 Nether Orchids]
Progress: 8 / 100