Johan found himself ensnared by the intricate web of information Johan had unwound with the help of forums in the internet. The complexities of the city hierarchies, the graded populations, the elusive guilds – each piece of information formed a jigsaw puzzle, painting a picture of a world both daunting and inviting. And at the center of it all, the Card Masters. However, all the information in the forum were almost general information that people with decent researching skills would know.
In the quiet of his room, a map of Jurica City sprawled on the table before him, Johan traced his fingers over the etched markings – each representing a city tier. His eyes flickered with understanding as he came to terms with the practical implications of the city's hierarchy.
He thought about the significance of each tier, from Iron to Radiant. Each one was more than just a title; it represented power, influence, and security. It was the difference between surviving and thriving. A difference that had become all too clear in his interactions with the city's residents.
Beneath him, Jurica City sprawled out, a shining beacon of Iron rank. With its limited population of one million, it was a far cry from the towering Radiant cities that commanded respect and fear. But to Johan, Jurica was more than just an Iron city. It was his new home, the first step in his journey to ascend the power hierarchy.
City are Divided into 7 Tiers like the Card's Quality. Iron, bronze, silver, gold, diamond, platinum, and radiant.
Iron city like Jurica city have 1 million population limit, Silver city has 2 million population limit. And so on.
There are millions of irons and bronze level city, hundreds of thousands of silver and gold. But the higher the city the lower the population because of rank and status needed to live on it.
Card Wielder's can access City 1 rank higher than theirs. The higher the rank of the city the bigger the area they occupied
It struck him that Card Masters were not just extraordinary individuals but keystones in the power structure. Their presence alone could tip the scales, their power, the fulcrum on which the balance of power rested.
"Miles," Johan turned to his brother, his voice steady with newfound resolve. "I need to become stronger. I need to ascend these city tiers, to become a Card Master. Not just for myself, but for us, for our future."
As the implications how dangerous the world sunk in, Johan found himself on the precipice of a daunting yet exciting world, his mind brimming with potential paths and possibilities. His resolve to become a Card Master only strengthened, the tantalizing promise of power and influence urging him forward. The chessboard was laid out before him; now, all he needed was to make his move.
The air in their small living space grew heavy as Johan relayed the information he'd gleaned from forums. He watched his brother's reactions carefully, gauging his understanding, his worry, his resolve. Miles, in return, listened attentively, his brow furrowing at the more disturbing details.
"Dungeons, Abyss, invasions," Miles said softly, repeating the words like a mantra. "Sounds like something straight out of a fantasy novel. So, all these worlds are constantly under threat? Our world isn't the only world under the invasion of Abyss?"
"Apparently so," Johan nodded, the weight of the revelation evident in his voice. "They've already taken over one billion of seven billion worlds. Every single day, the Abyss is spawning monster randomly across these worlds, including ours. But I don't know that methods they use to spawn monsters."
"But we have our defenses," Johan quickly added, not wanting to alarm his brother further. "The Card Wielder Association manages everything, from dungeons to card wielders like us. They have sub-organization called 'Adventurer' that takes care of clearing monsters and other related tasks."
"And you think they're effective?"
"They must be. They've got leaderboards for each rank, tracking kills and dungeon clears. They've established rules too. Killing a fellow card wielder, for instance, is forbidden."
Miles' face darkened at the latter point. "But it happens?"
"It does," Johan admitted, a grim expression crossing his features. "And when a card wielder is killed, materials corresponding to their rank are dropped."
Silence fell over them, their thoughts churning in the wake of the disturbing revelations. The knowledge painted a stark picture of their world, a reality laden with constant threats and harsh rules.
Despite the heaviness of the discussion, Johan felt an odd sense of clarity, like he had gained a comprehensive view of the world's chessboard. Now that he understood the rules, the players, the threats, he could begin strategizing his moves.
After all, understanding was the first step towards mastery. Johan couldn't help but feel headache with all these information.
Miles cleared his throat, interrupting the contemplative silence that had fallen over them. "Johan, can you tell me more about these dungeons? How do they work?"
Johan rubbed the bridge of his nose, gathering his thoughts. "Well, it's quite complicated, and Eddie only gave me a broad understanding. But I'll tell you what I know."
"Dungeons, as forums explained, are gateways that leads to a dimension that contains different types of monsters. These gateways can appear anytime, anywhere. Their appearance and power level are completely random and unpredictable."
Miles frowned at that, concern etched into his youthful features. "That's... pretty alarming."
"Yeah," Johan agreed, matching his brother's serious tone. "And it gets worse. When a dungeon isn't cleared within a certain timeframe, it can cause a 'Dungeon Break.' It's sort of like an eruption, spewing out monsters into the world. So, they have to be cleared promptly."
"And by 'cleared,' you mean...?"
"All the monsters within the dungeon must be killed, and the core of the dungeon destroyed," Johan explained. "Once cleared, the dungeon becomes dormant and can be cleared again every year to prevent another break."
Miles sat back, taking it all in. "So, these dungeons are basically ticking time bombs?"
"That's one way to put it," Johan said with a wry chuckle, appreciating his brother's blunt summary. "We live in a world where threats can appear out of nowhere, and if we're not swift to deal with them, the consequences can be catastrophic."
A heavy silence followed Johan's words, the gravity of their situation pressing down on them. Their world was a battlefield, fraught with unpredictable threats. And they, as card wielders, were soldiers on the front lines. The thought was as intimidating as it was invigorating.