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    Chapter 11: New Card

    The darkening forest grew more ominous, with limited visibility. A casual glance around, Wen Ying found the atmosphere unsettling, so he decided to close his eyes and sleep.

    He had eaten a few fruits earlier, but his stomach was still slightly hungry. However, Wen Ying didn't want to move or act in this environment, opting instead to search for familiar fruits the next morning.

    In a half-asleep, half-awake state for an unknown duration, Wen Ying suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He jolted awake, his silver-gray eyes flashing with alarm, akin to the snow on Tian Shan Mountain.

    Surveying his surroundings, the bravado he had mustered earlier wilted away. The dense foliage blocked most of the moonlight, casting the area in darkness. Occasional chirps of insects echoed, while the rustling of leaves carried on the eerie breeze. Sounds came from all directions, as if something could spring out of the shadows at any moment, making Wen Ying's heart flutter.

    Struggling to calm himself, he focused intently, remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

    "Tap, tap, tap..."

    Wen Ying quickly realized what had startled him from his slumber. Swearing inwardly, he hastily retrieved the remaining Concealment Card and infused it with magic, effectively hiding his aura.

    In the darkness of the forest, a large spider with a demonic mask emerged. Its eight legs made soft sounds as they stepped on the leaf-covered ground. Its multiple eyes rolled around, searching in various directions as it crawled slowly, seemingly in search of something.

    Wen Ying covered his mouth and nose, taking shallow breaths.

    Dealing with the two demons in the afternoon had depleted a significant portion of his cards and magic power. Not to mention, he had also created an SR card and several R cards earlier. His current reserve of magic power and cards was insufficient to face off against the spider monster.

    It would be a thankless task. Slaying the spider monster would yield nothing, and he could easily be ambushed and finish off when weakened.

    After using the Concealment Card, Wen Ying prayed in his heart for the monster to leave quickly, as the sight of a large, glossy black spider in the darkness was truly unsettling.

    Perhaps his prayer was answered, for the Ghost-faced Spider soon departed. Considering the high intelligence of the monster, Wen Ying waited at the spot for a while. When the spider didn’t return, he gathered his leaf blanket and moved to another location before the Concealment Card’s effect wore off.

    Wen Ying didn't dare to wander too far in the dark. He flew a short distance before stopping and finding another tree hollow to rest.

    Just as he was about to sleep, the sound of clashing echoed fiercely from afar. Before Wen Ying could react, two demons appeared, battling it out.

    The collision of their magic powers and movements stirred up a fierce gale, turning the dark forest into a surging sea. The tree he was on trembled slightly.

    A terrifying energy rushed over. Wen Ying stiffly turned his neck to the side. The right side of the tree he was on was chopped off neatly, with the severed branch further split into three pieces.

    One-third of the tree's crown was instantly lost.

    What terrifying claws, Wen Ying swallowed his saliva. After surviving the scare, he focused and realized that the two demons fiercely battling below were actually familiar to him - a three-headed Cerberus, Beros, and a succubus named Essence.

    Their fight wreaked havoc around them, like a tornado passing through.

    Wen Ying quietly hugged himself. The Cerberus was fierce, and the succubus was equally formidable. Those two weak demons from the afternoon had made him overconfident.

    Despite his fear, his eyes remained fixated, hardly missing any detail of the magic spells being cast by the duo below.

    What magnificent magical flames! These are far more potent than basic fireballs! Wen Ying's eyes reflected the towering demon's figure within the black flames, an eerie sensation subtly creeping upon him.

    The towering demon manipulated jet-black flames, his slightly curly hair danced wildly, with a golden earring in his right ear shimmering even brighter under the flame's glow. Beneath his brooding and rebellious brows, his crimson eyes held the most proud hue.

    With a right hook, the brawny muscles in his arm bulged, taut and potent. His robust tail swished, creating a sharp sonic boom as it slashed through the air.

    Wen Ying's gaze lingered more on the black-gold collar around Beros' neck. The bracelets on his wrists were also black with golden patterns. The wild and untamed demeanor instantly gained an additional layer of meaning due to these accessories.

    If not for the peculiar circumstances at present, Wen Ying would truly be tempted to slap himself across the face, for the perilous nature of Beros far surpasses his level of physical attractiveness.

    The three-headed dog was fiercely intimidating, its primal rage seemingly ready to burst forth at any moment, even from a distance. It was more formidable than any Tibetan Mastiff.

    He remained steadfast in his initial thoughts. In the human world, he could hug and touch the three-headed dog plushie as he pleased. But in the demon realm, that three-headed dog could crunch his bones to pieces. Just look at those fangs that flashed when Cerberus opened its mouth in the flames – sharp and well-maintained.

    Those claws were terrifying too. A third of the tree he was currently on had been instantly shredded by them.

    This was a massive tree! In the human world, it would be a grand old tree found only in vast forests!

    With a clatter, the two demons stopped. The incubus panted lightly. Despite the tense atmosphere, his voice and tone sounded like sweet nothings exchanged between lovers.

    "You seem to have grown stronger. How enviable."

    "Hand over the scorecard," said Essence with a tender and affectionate tone, making Cerberus appear like an insensitive and cold-hearted jerk in contrast. His voice showed no sign of softening and even carried a hint of impatience.

    Essence held out his hands. "I haven't stolen any today. Do you want this single scorecard too?" As he spoke, he threw a flirtatious glance at Cerberus. His natural charm contained no artificial elements, leaving Wen Ying somewhat dazed and shamefully smitten for a few seconds.

    Why did a not-so-fragile or thin male demon give off such a vibrant and alluring vibe? No wonder Aruda said he could change partners, whether male or female, every day. Wen Ying secretly envied his speed in doing so.

    Curious, he observed Cerberus's reaction. Essence must have subtly cast a spell of enchantment just now, different from the casual one used in the second competition. This time, it was more subtle and sophisticated.

    Take note, I need to study... no, make a card about it later.

    Beros extended his right hand, his voice somewhat hoarse and deep: “Don’t waste your time on useless things. If you practiced less of those illusory magic tricks and focused less on romantic entanglements, your power wouldn’t grow as slowly as it does now.”

    Wen Ying: "..." An eye-opener. So this is what they call a stone-hearted person.

    Essence: “Huh.” Seeing that his charm spell was completely ineffective, he didn’t push further. With his bony fingers, he casually tore off the scorecard from his arm and tossed it to Beros as if it were something insignificant.

    He had only tried it out of curiosity. To think that Beros would have no reaction to a charm spell of this level. Essence’s lips curled in mockery. “There’s a term in the Human Realm called ‘doomed to be single.’ You actually feel nothing for my magic? Tsk tsk, it seems you truly are asexual.”

    With that, he turned and walked away.

    Beros paid no heed to Essence’s words; to him, they were far from an insult.

    Nonchalantly bending down, he picked up the score tokens scattered on the ground. As he straightened, he suddenly cast his gaze towards Wen Ying's location.

    Wen Ying's heart took flight, leaving him too frightened to breathe. He had ninety-two tokens in his possession—if they were all stolen, he would be devastated.

    He didn’t dare look at Beros, his eyes fixed instead on the dark forest ahead where fireflies darted through the air.

    After a while, Wen Ying heard the flapping of bat wings.

    After an unknown amount of time, the only sounds behind him were the rustling of leaves and the wind, with no trace of the demon's voice. Only then did he slowly turn his head to look at where Beros had been standing.

    Beros was gone; he must have left.

    Wen Ying exhaled deeply. On this slightly chilly night, sweat had soaked through his clothes from the back of his neck.

    He couldn't afford to lose those ninety-two score cards.

    Thinking about this, Wen Ying tapped the number of cards once more, feeling content... before finding another tree hollow to sleep in.

    The Concealment Card’s effect still lingered. By the time Wen Ying found his new hiding spot and used plant sap to mask his scent, the card’s duration had worn off. He didn’t dare sleep too soundly, waking up every one or two hour.

    Finally, he endured until the next morning when the sun rose. With dark circles under his eyes, Wen Ying climbed down from the tree, exhausted.

    "I'll be able to sleep in a bed tonight," he sighed.

    With the passing of the night, his magic had mostly recovered. Wen Ying shifted positions and began replenishing his stock.

    First, he replenished his Speed Cards and Basic Elemental Magic Cards. This time, he'd lost many cards and gained few complete ones. It seemed like the number of times he could draw the skills he had seen with his eyes was reaching its limit.

    No need to panic, he had studied quite a few new spells yesterday.

    Let's try Essence's Charm spell first.

    Wen Ying touched his nose, having a premonition that this time, he could create an SR-level Charm card. Essence's image effortlessly surfaced in his mind.

    With a flirtatious tone and alluring eyes, his exquisite and handsome features were anything but effeminate. His tall and muscular build suggested a lean appearance with hidden surprises, exuding a sensuality beyond gender.

    A blue-eyed troublemaker.

    After reciting "form is emptiness" a few times in his heart, Wen Ying began to sketch the new Charm card.

    Having a foundation in drawing anime characters, Wen Ying paused for a moment, an idea forming in his mind.

    His fingers gradually drew a playful, winking, and blowing-kisses mini version, a monochromatic sketch with minimal lines. Essence's features transformed into a cute chibi style, from seductive to super adorable, vividly alive.

    Truly a demon of charm, Wen Ying wiped his non-existent saliva from the corner of his mouth. Compared to the Incubus illustrations in the Demon Realm mobile game, the ones in the human world were utterly inferior.

    The card level slowly revealed itself – SR.

    He was certain he could produce an SR card!

    With the freshly crafted Enchantment Card in hand, Wen Ying's eyes were gleaming with delight. Recalling the Q-version SSR card he had been longing for in the mobile game, he immediately started drawing the next one.

    He aimed to replicate Beros' black flames from last night.

    The image of Beros enveloped in black flames last night surfaced in Wen Ying's mind - his muscular and robust physique, along with that disdainful, conceited look as if everyone else was trash. He covered his chest and muttered to himself, "Demons truly live up to their name..."

    Although he was incredibly handsome, it didn't stop Wen Ying from wanting to turn that über-handsome three-headed dog into a submissive, belly-up pooch.

    During the process of replicating the skill, repeatedly envisioning Bellos' face and physique caused Wen Ying to spoil many attempts at sketching.

    Wen Ying gently pats his own face; the saying "a handsome face is a disaster" truly doesn't deceive me.

    The obsession with obtaining a cute, cartoonish three-headed dog card prevailed, and Wen Ying finally succeeded in drawing another SR card - also in black and white, which was vastly different from the SSRs in the mobile game.

    In the midst of pillaging a demon, Boros let out a thunderous sneeze, furrowing his brow as his countenance effortlessly contorted into a visage of sheer terror, causing the hapless demon below him to tremble uncontrollably.

    "Hand it over."

    The demon, on the verge of losing control, reluctantly handed over his scorecard with trembling hands.

    2 Comments

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    1. silverfox_26
      Apr 21, '24 at 18:38

      After using the StConcealmenth Card, Wen Ying prayed in his heart for the monster to leave quickly, as the sight of a large, glossy black spider in the darkness was truly unsettling.

      Perhaps his prayer was answered, for the Ghost-faced Spider soon departed. Considering the high intelligence of the monster, Wen Ying waited at the spot for a while. When the spider didn’t return, he gathered his leaf blanket and moved to another location before the StConcealmenth Card’s effect wore off.

      PerseuBeros paid no heed to Essence’s words; to him, they were far from an insult.

      He didn’t dare look at PerseuBeros, his eyes fixed instead on the dark forest ahead where fireflies darted through the air.

      The StConcealmenth Card’s effect still lingered. By the time Wen Ying found his new hiding spot and used plant sap to mask his scent, the card’s duration had worn off. He didn’t dare sleep too soundly, waking up every hourone or two hour.

      Last edited on Apr 21, '24 at 18:46.
    2. silverfox_26
      Apr 21, '24 at 18:50

      If not for the peculiar circumstances at present, Wen Ying would truly be tempted to slap himself across the face, for the perilous nature of Boeros far surpasses his level of physical attractiveness.

      If not for the peculiar circumstances at present, Wen Ying would truly be tempted to slap himself across the face, for the perilous nature of Boeros far surpasses his level of physical attractiveness.

      Boeros extended his right hand, his voice somewhat hoarse and deep: “Don’t waste your time on useless things. If you practiced less of those illusory magic tricks and focused less on romantic entanglements, your power wouldn’t grow as slowly as it does now.”

      Essence: “Huh.” Seeing that his charm spell was completely ineffective, he didn’t push further. With his bony fingers, he casually tore off the scorecard from his arm and tossed it to Boeros as if it were something insignificant.

      He had only tried it out of curiosity. To think that Boeros would have no reaction to a charm spell of this level. Essence’s lips curled in mockery. “There’s a term in the Human Realm called ‘doomed to be single.’ You actually feel nothing for my magic? Tsk tsk, it seems you truly are asexual.”

    Note