World Walker Park [Magical Amusement Park Base-Building]

The elements stirred, chittering amongst themselves. Ice talked to fire, fire talked to earth, earth talked to water. Even the more esoteric elements discussed, void, light, darkness, purity. They whispered nonsense together yet harmonized like no other. What did they speak of? What could make the foundational parts of the world shiver with glee?

Kin.

One lost years ago was coming back soon.

Why? How? They didn't know, only that it was time to prepare.

Elements shifted, oceans rerouted, chasms sewed shut and opened elsewhere, forests twisted away from the sun and found new purchase, volcanoes erupted early, raining fire that grew in one specific direction.

The elements moved, some slow others fast, but they all moved.

They all moved toward a place called World Walker Park.

That was where their kin was to be reborn.

***

Symon leaned back in his chair, mounting pressure building in his very essence. He peered at his freshly drawn hand of cards, mentally playing through every possibility. He had options, but most weren't going to work—not against his opponents' strategies. There were four of them left, and in the next round there would only be one left standing at the table.

The knight cards were already defeated, the meteor shower had guaranteed that. What came next was a simple tarot shuffle, hopefully for Penance or the Tower. If not… well, they didn't call Symon the "best there ever was" for nothing. Sometimes it took a miracle to win at Storyline Hyper Selection Infinite Magical Draw. Other times, it was all skill.

He pulled a top-deck, finding the Tower—perfect.

Without so much as a word, Symon played his hand. Card after card, dead knight after dead knight reincarnated, a perfectly timed umbrella to deflect the meteoric shrapnel, then came the tower. He planted it at the base of the crater, posting his most powerful card on top.

The All-Seeing Eye was an esoteric card, even for Storyline Hyper Selection Infinite Magical Draw. Its uses were few and far between and were often seen as a joke way to win—what the kids called "cheese." But here, as Symon's master plan came together, there was not a dairy farm in sight.

He smiled. The game was over.

One by one, his All-Seeing Eye zapped the competition as his army of undead knights stormed into the meteor crater. In other words, a frontal assault with a high-damaging card on overwatch.

Down the opponents fell, one by one until the final table of the eastern conference of Storyline Hyper Selection Infinite Magical Draw came to an end. Symon stood victorious, decisively.

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As the others held their heads in disappointment, a tournament host brought Symon his prize.

This conference was small—a simple regional qualifier for what came next. It was mostly locals; amateurs Symon had to slog through to reach the final table. But he could hear it now—the chanting from the massive crowds. The renown for winning the grand prize. The coveted one-of-a-kind winner's card.

He was one step closer in writing his name into the Storyline Hyper Selection Infinite Magical Draw's history books.

"Here ya go, Mr. Winner," said the tournament house. "One-hundred gold coins and an invitation to the global tournament."

Symon pocketed the gold—it wasn't actually gold but rather a bank note. Who would be insane enough to carry that much real gold on them? Symon might have a strategic mind like nobody else, but he didn't have the body of an orc.

"Where are finals taking place this year?" Symon asked.

"Hold on there, Mr. Winner. You've got to win your way up to the final twelve for that. You've got a lot more games to go."

Symon shook his head. He didn't care about any of that. He was going to win, simple as that. He also didn't feel the need to correct the host—it wasn't the "final twelve." It was the final fourteen. There were always two added wildcards, two players who caught the eye of a god, governor, or princess. Were they any good? Symon didn't know. Nor did he care.

"Don't worry about that. Where are the finals going to be?"

The host sighed. "That new amusement-y park. What's it called again?"

Symon knew the name—it was the location one of the wildcards had been picked from. "World Walker Park."

***

Vale paused in sweeping the front of the park, a presence tickled her mind. With the park's closure, she had been bored—especially since Kevin didn't have a reason to visit and had to work. Stupid work. Still, she held out, sweeping, pruning the bushes, gathering breakfast for any of the Early Walkers who stopped by for a work-in-progress tour.

Turning toward the presence, Vale watched as Kevin turned the corner. Her heart snapped awake, suddenly chugging along. What—what was happening to her!?

"Kevin! I-I didn't think I'd see you until—"

"It's addressed to you." Kevin held up a sealed envelope. "The delivery kid said, 'I'd know what to do with it.'"

The envelope glowed with golden radiant light and sang gently in the air. Vale narrowed her eyes—it was obviously divine in nature.

She turned toward the heavens and yelled, "I told you people to leave Kevin alone! If you need something from me, talk to me directly!"

Faint giggles wafted through the air.

"Uh," Kevin grunted, cocking an eyebrow.

Vale blushed—she hated blushing yet found herself doing it more often. "Thank you," she said flatly, snatching and ripping open the envelope.

She stopped dead once she realized what it was. Then she turned back to the heavens. "But I— But I was going to qualify anyway!?"

More time to spend with Kev. You've earned it, Employee of the Month.

The words invaded her mind and explained everything. Vale blushed again. "Fine, thank you."

Kevin, ignorant of the mental conversation, asked, "What is it?"

Vale gave him a bright smile. "An invitation. I'm a wildcard." She suddenly looked up. "Whose the other wildcard?"

Impishly, Kevin pulled a second envelope from his back pocket. "Well, this one is addressed to the World Walker."

Ignoring the fact that the gods gave him both invitations, Vale started to laugh. If Luka was the second wildcard, the championship title was practically already in her hands. Luka sucked at cards!