Chapter 146: Kegger

35 years ago a young war orphan card student killed a very peculiar mutant hound and upon dissecting its carcass he found that its nasal bone was his fated ingredient. The boy felt immeasurable joy upon this discovery, as the only way a card apprentice can ever gain recognition is by having a strong and unique origin card. Origin cards are unique to every card apprentice but some fall under the same genre and type.

Without a delay, the boy applied for a loan in various banks but the banks would not give him any loan for his origin card creation because they could not see any prospects in a fated ingredient which is a bone of a low-level mutant hound. Therefore they reject the young boy’s loan application without hesitation.

But the boy did not give up and decided to create his origin card one way or the other. Due to the frequent monster wave attack on the city, the city guards and soldiers had diminished in numbers and the city hall posted recreation of city guards/soldiers. The boy saw an opportunity in this and decided to apply and stated about his fated ingredient in his application.

Because of his fated ingredient, the city hall readily recruited the boy, not because they saw prospects in the boy or his fated ingredient but after clearing the last monster wave attack on the city they had lost many elite soldiers and guards but had gained lots and lots of resources and ingredients. They did not mind gambling a part of these resources to try their luck and create some unique and capable card apprentices. Anyways there were a lot of freeloading card creationist mouchers under the banner of the city hall, the city’s idea was to exchange some of the resources and labour to create a few elite soldiers and guards.

This idea worked like a charm and created what the strongest squadron the Sky blossom city will ever see, the Tiger squadron and their Heroic captain Ben Francis. The boy was none other than old man Ben the current Lost Captain.

Thanks to the bold idea of the city hall Ben was able to get his first origin created by one of the city hall’s finest and brightest card creationists using the most exclusive and premium ingredients, the Emotion Olfactory lobe. And this origin card helped a snot-nosed brat climb to the card grandmaster realm and become the city’s strongest pillar.

[Card Name: Emotion Olfactory Lobe

Card Type: Origin card

Card Rank: Unique Grade

Card Rate: -/-

Card Durability: -/-

Card Effect: The Host brain’s olfactory lobe undergoes a mutation and the smell receptor cells in there are now able to smell the emotion.

Emotion hound(passive): The host can smell the emotion of existence with the equal or lower realm.

Restriction: The existence of a higher realm than the host will only give out the oppressive smell.

Emotion Paralysis(passive): The host’s emotions have been paralysed the movement he equipped the origin card as a safe setting to protect the host’s brain and mental health from collapsing due to emotional overload.

Emotional Sentience(passive):- all cards equipped by the host possess a level of sentience that makes them a living, breathing force of nature.

Additional effect:- All equipped cards stats doubled unconditionally, cool-down period reduced by half and card durability enhanced by +10.]

Emotion Olfactory Lobe no doubt is a powerful card in exchange for his emotions Ben was able to perceive others emotions and give emotional sentences to his cards.

Emotional paralysis did not mean that Ben was emotionless but his emotions had frozen to a particular emotion, the emotions he had when he equipped his origin card. Thankfully Ben’s innocence had not been completely corrupted yet even though the war between the monsters and humans had consumed those dearest to him. The first thing that came to his mind when his origin card creation was a success was not to get stronger or get revenge or exterminate monsters but to protect humankind.

No matter how much hardship the time threw at him, Ben’s emotions were unmoved and froze. All he wanted was to protect the humans in the city unafraid even if it cost his life. Due to this resolve, Ben was able to lead the tiger squadron and fellow allies to capture all the dungeons next to Sky blossom city and bring an end to the monster wave.

Ben was young and heroic his bright light was bound to attract the capable opposite sex. Many Bella’s and Dames showed interest in Ben but their beauty and charm were never able to move the paralysed emotions of Ben, not until Martha Adams. The emotions She emitted reminded him of his mother… Although Ben’s emotions were frozen, his mind worked more efficiently unhindered by meaningless emotions.

But even the strongest and the greatest of minds had their weakness, doubt and addiction. The hero of humankind was not beyond these weaknesses. First, he fell for addiction and then self-doubt. Martha Adams was the start of his fall to addiction, he still wanted to protect humankind but he also wanted to stop and enjoy the warm embrace of Martha Adams which reminded him of the simpler times when in his mother’s warm and cosy hug all his fears and worries would vanish.

Everything was fine until 3 years ago when on a mission Martha Adams died but Ben felt nothing! This was not a new reaction for him. Until today he thought of it as his strength but now this reactionless response towards the only person who could reciprocate the selfless love of his mother for him made him doubt his entire life till now. This self-doubt and addiction withdrawals grew stronger than his frozen emotions leading to him resign from his position as captain of the tiger squadron and spend the rest of his life as a gravekeeper, sweeping the cemetery where Martha Adams was buried.

…

Date- 25 Mar 2321

Time- 7:28

Location- Sky Blossom City, St. Raymond’s Cemetery

Wishing me the best, old Ben returned to his sweeping graves, Uncle Wyatt insisted he had breakfast with us. But old Ben refused politely, again and again, he was angry maybe because he knew uncle Wyatt meant well. Thankfully Eliza and Elliott stepped in and stopped uncle Wyatt. I decide to keep my distance from old Ben, knowing his true identity in order to avoid exposing any flaws.

The visit to papa and mama Wyatt’s graves was a pleasant experience until uncle Wyatt summoned a storage trunk full of ice, a beer keg along with a tap, pump and glasses. Making the visit a lot more fun.

“Here Wyatt, have a glass. After all that you have been through you deserve a glass of beer.”

“Dad, can I have one?”

“After what you put me and your mother through you do not deserve to call me father.”

“Okay dad, I will not call you father. Now can I have a beer?”

“Get it yourself.”

Uncle Ben offered me and Ronnie our first beers, at least that’s what he thought. Corey, Pax and the twins also drank their first beer, for real. It was 7 in the morning but the cemetery made it easier for us to not give a damn about it. Soon the visit turned into a full party as Jackie ordered some soft drinks for her and fried chicken for us to stay sober by feeding our stomachs. Fried chicken at 7 in the morning Elliott’s entourage took care of it.

Even though our Viltronian physique made it hard for me, Elliott and Pax we decided to double down and drink till we were drunk. Everything was going fine until Karen dragged Elliott to the side and whispered something.

“Sorry everybody, it seems we will have to shorten our visit now. Something urgent just came up.”

With that Elliott’s bodyguards escorted uncle and auntie, Wyatt, along with Ronnie and Jackie to the JK group housing their new temporary home, until the bounty on Ronnie’s head is taken care of it is better for them to stay in hiding. Eliza and her siblings also left, they offered us transportation but I refused as we had another place to be at.

“Wyatt, Karen was able to find your parent’s party members but I don’t think they will be of any help as all three are heavily injured, hospitalized and comatose-ed. Anyway, I will forward you the address and related information.”

Before leaving to tend to his problems Elliott gave me all the information about my parent’s party members and the address of the hospital they were hospitalised in. Therefore I refused Eliza’s offer, also because Susan and Corey decided to tag along with me.

As I headed out of the cemetery with Corey and Susan, I saw Old Ben again. It was quite dreading to see a card grandmaster single-mindedly sweep the cemetery. Looking at him I suddenly had an idea and my impulse told me to act on it but my sense of morality stopped me and helped me control my impulse, not to mention in front of Ben’s strength my current tricks were nothing.

😉

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