The Celestial Trials - A Deckbuilder LitRPG

A second life to atone for the first. Cards to summon weapons and creatures. To cast spells and empower oneself. A set of Trials that the mythological gods would be watching. Those who still live.   Frank didn't know what waited for him as he drifted away to his final sleep. He expected relief from the regrets that came back to gnaw on him when he had nowhere to escape them. He hoped for it. What he didn't expect were the magic cards, the levels, and the Celestial Trials he was now part of; A series of challenges created and officiated by the all-mighty Automaton, a mysterious being believed to be under the control of the mythological figures that filled Earth's imagination since the dawn of time. Earth was only the prelude to a larger world. A Great Realm administrated by the mysterious Automaton. And if Frank was alive, were the loved ones taken from him so long ago here as well? Were they safe? Frank will find out. And to do so, he'll need allies. He'll need knowledge about this world and how to navigate it, and he'll need all the cards he could get his hands on. What to expect This is a deckbuilding LitRPG, so expect card choices to matter. There will be a heavier focus on action whenever a Trial is ongoing, and a mix of intrigue, worldbuilding, action and relaxed slice-of-life whenever there's downtime. This story has a form of stats, but they're not prominent and will show up rarely. And last warning, which I'm including because this type of magic is pretty divisive: This story contains mind magics. It can't fully take away agency, and the subject gains a resistance within seconds of the effect. And it can't be used to force "magic contracts" on anyone. Inspired by stories and games such as Omniscient Reader, Slay the spire, Hades, and a bunch of others. Also, English isn't my first language, so let me know if something sounds awkward. I hope you enjoy it. I'm definitely having fun writing it. ON HIATUS. Might do a re-write eventually. Publishing on RoyalRoad and Scribblehub. Cover by Dimitry M Also if you like Monster Reincarnation, checkout my other story: Undersea Reincarnation