Chapter 119: The Battle Monster Club
Ultimately, they decided Julius would be their vanguard, responsible for pulling enemies and keeping them away from the casters. They explained that thanks to his affinity for nature, he could sustain himself using spells to boost his vitality.
Next, Arun and Asha were registered as the party's main attackers without surprise. They would stay behind and rain fire on their enemies, swiftly ending them before they could wound Julius.
Louise, on the other hand, would serve as a buffer between the front and back lines. With her earth affinity, she could help Julius absorb part of the damage or cover Arun and Asha from any unforeseen attack.
"Your party seems well balanced. But four members might be a bit short." The recruiter said pensively.
"It should be fine with the presence of your supervisor." He added after a moment of thought. Then, he handed them their student's cards back after stamping a magic crest on them.
"Welcome to the clubs. Make sure you read this booklet to learn about our rules." He handed them four small booklets before tending to the other students.
With their inscription done and confirmed, Arun excitedly raised his hands. "Let's go on an adventure this week!"
However, his excitement wasn't shared by everyone.
"Oh yeah? Do you really want to go knowing we didn't learn any spells yet?" Asha's reproachful voice sounded in their ears, accompanied by Louise's nods.
Despite being four in their party, they only had two effective fighters: Julius and Louise, who was a tier-one body cultivator.
"Bah, nothing will go wrong. A supervisor will accompany us. Also, don't forget our secret member!" He smirked, looking behind Julius as if looking at Adam.
"I'm behind you..." A brief message appears before his eyes, making him cough and turn as if nothing happened with reddened ears.
"Hahaha. It is true, but we still should learn a few spells before considering venturing into the wild." Louise giggled as she suggested.
"I agree. The club's objective is to allow you to train in a controlled environment. If we do everything, you might as well have joined the tourism club and visit random places for fun." Adam wrote his opinion using mana, making Arun realise how true they were.
"Alright. Got a bit carried by my excitement there." Arun smiled wryly and scratched his head in response. "Let's learn a few spells and go in... two weeks."
"I'll agree only if everyone manages to learn two spells," Asha said, concerned about their safety during the expedition.
Everyone agreed with her. It wouldn't be a real adventure if they just waited in the back while the others protected them. So, after bidding goodbye to Julius, the trio walked to the library to find useful spells.
In the meantime, Julius headed to the crowded stall, a terrible feeling gripping his heart. He had only seen his big brother's eyes radiate such intensity when he was about to fight with his life on the line.
His heart rate accelerated the closer he got to the sign-holding student until he could finally read the inscriptions on it.
"Battle monster club."
He frowned at the strange name. What was this club about? Would they capture monsters and make them fight in underground arenas? He pondered in confusion as the student noticed him.
"Ha, welcome to the battle monster club. Do you want to sign in?" He asked with a smile. Many new students joined them each year, and he liked to recruit them. For him, everyone should join his amazing club.
"He? What is this club about?" Julius asked in distrust, not liking the club's name one bit.
"Excellent question, young novice!" He answered excitedly, "We teach and play the popular game, battle-monster, in our club!"
Julius tilted his head in response. A game? But before he could ponder further, Adam's voice resounded this thunder in his ears.
"Sign in!" He screamed, his blazing eyes almost burning the surrounding air.
"..." Julius lost his composure for a moment. Why was he so excited about it? Did he know this game?
"Hum. Looking at your face, I guess you don't know about this excellent game." The student said, shaking his head. "We use talismans to seal vanquished magic beast's souls. Then, we create decks with them and challenge other players. There are even many tournaments! The biggest one happens every half a decade and should take place next year."
Julius' eyes widened in surprise. So it was a card game? Even so, why was his big brother so excited about it?
"Sign in!!!" Adam roared in impatience, scaring him a bit.
"I want to sign in," Julius answered in resignation. He knew he couldn't argue with his brother when he was in this state. So, he might as well sign it and see what happens later...
The older students' eyes light up at Julius' willingness to join the club.
"Haha, good choice! Here, take these!" He smiled widely, handing him a stack of ten talismans and a booklet. "The first ten talismans are a welcome gift from the club. You either have to buy the next ones or craft them yourself. You can find the game's rules inside the booklet."
Then, he took Julius' student card, stamping it with another magic crest, testifying he joined the battle monster club.
Next, he went to register him in the club's record before explaining that once he was done making his deck, he could come and challenge the other club members.
"Put those talismans with my coins and tickets," Adam declared, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He loved card games, and this magical one sounded incredible.
As Julius walked away, heading to the library, as planned this morning, he shook his head in confusion. Ever since they joined the college, he wondered if their roles hadn't been swapped and if he wasn't the big brother here...
Simultaneously, he heard Adam exclaiming with a wide grin, "I know I can be the best duelist if I want to!"