3: The Redemption of the Green Turtle

Lu Yuan walked back to his dormitory.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on him.

Internally, he was considering his options.

Go find Zhao She?

That would definitely be fraught with danger.

A small-time boss operating in the grey area would surely have several thugs under him, and possibly even stronger Card Masters.

With his current strength as a 6-star Card Master Apprentice, and only a single Green Water Turtle card on the verge of breaking, going there would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

But he still had a chance, a possibility of a comeback.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes becoming resolute.

He opened the system light screen that only he could see.

Name: Lu Yuan

Race: Huaxia Human

Level: Card Master Apprentice (6-star)

Source Power: 67 points

Talent: Guaranteed Gold Drop (Unique · Evolvable)

Identity: Card Continent Citizen / Earth Human (Hidden)

Origin Card Slots: 0 / 2 (Currently Available: 2)

His talent was still on cooldown.

The first Origin Card slot was empty.

The second Origin Card slot was greyed out, temporarily unavailable.

Right now, he had almost nothing.

The only things he could rely on were his understanding of this world's rules after merging with the original owner's memories, and the composure and cunning brought by his Earth soul, far exceeding his age.

And... that Green Water Turtle card, which everyone considered trash.

Lu Yuan stopped, taking out the grey card from his pocket again.

The card face was dim, and the cracks seemed to have increased slightly.

Green Water Turtle

Quality: Grey (On the verge of breaking)

Star Rating: One-star

Type: beast taming card

Species: Turtle / Aquatic

Skill: Shell Shrink (Retracts limbs and head into the shell, slightly increasing physical and energy defense, greatly reducing movement speed)

Status: Energy dissipation, unstable structure, may completely break at any moment

Note: This is an inferior product that doesn't even meet the standards of the lowest-grade grey card. It might break in the next second.

Lu Yuan frowned as he looked at the card information.

On the verge of breaking... may break at any moment... This state truly made it a trash card among trash cards.

Zhao Feng used this thing to swindle fifteen thousand star coins; he was truly black-hearted to the extreme!

However...

Lu Yuan's fingers gently caressed the card face.

Although this card was trash, it wasn't completely devoid of energy.

It was still "alive."

Moreover, it was a beast taming card.

This meant that, theoretically, it could be placed in an Origin Card slot.

Although placing a grey one-star card on the verge of breaking as an Origin Card would make everyone laugh their heads off.

But Lu Yuan was different; Guaranteed Gold Drop didn't care what kind of card it was beforehand.

Furthermore, he had a faint feeling.

This Green Water Turtle might have some mysterious connection to his "Guaranteed Gold Drop" talent, or rather, to his ability to awaken this talent.

Why was it this particular card that triggered the system when his emotions were at their most intense?

Was it merely a coincidence?

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered as he looked at the faint green turtle pattern on the card.

Back in the dormitory, Lu Yuan closed the door.

It was a simple single room, the standard allocation from the academy for students with ordinary family backgrounds and ordinary talents.

The room was small, just a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

The original owner didn't have many belongings; most of the valuable items had been sold for money and thrown into that bottomless pit.

Lu Yuan sat at the desk and placed the Green Water Turtle card flat on the table.

He concentrated, mobilizing the pitifully small amount of Source Power within him.

67 points of Source Power, like a trickling stream, circulated according to the basic meditation method for Card Master Apprentices in his memory.

He attempted to inject a wisp of Source Power into the Green Water Turtle card.

Buzz... The card vibrated slightly, and the cracks on its surface seemed to glow for an instant, but quickly dimmed again.

The injected wisp of Source Power vanished instantly, like a clay ox entering the sea.

Energy dissipation, unstable structure.

Just as expected.

This card was like a sieve with holes; it couldn't store energy at all, let alone drive the card for combat.

Lu Yuan did not get discouraged.

He tried again, this time, he did not inject Source Power into the card itself, but rather tried to communicate with the card's core—the faint consciousness of the Green Water Turtle.

beast taming cards sealed the soul imprints of demonic beasts within them.

Even a card on the verge of breaking, as long as the core imprint remained, could theoretically be communicated with.

Source Power cautiously probed into the card's interior, touching the almost dissipated soul imprint.

A faint, chaotic emotion, full of fear and despair, was transmitted.

It was like a drowning person struggling in dark, cold water.

Lu Yuan's heart stirred.

He did not forcefully command, but instead transmitted his own will.

Comforting, guiding.

Telling it not to be afraid, that there was still a chance.

He didn't know if this would work; it was beyond the scope of a Card Master Apprentice's conventional operations. (No one had ever chosen a trash card to contract an Origin Card slot)

But he wanted to try.

Time passed minute by minute.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lu Yuan's forehead, and his face was somewhat pale.

Communicating with a card's consciousness consumed a great deal of mental energy, especially with a card on the verge of breaking and with a chaotic consciousness.

Just as he was about to give up.

Buzz—

The Green Water Turtle card vibrated again.

This time, the vibration was more pronounced, the grey light on the card face actually stabilized somewhat, and the energy dissipating from the cracks also seemed to slow down.

That chaotic consciousness transmitted a faint response.

Dependence, trust, and... longing?

Longing for energy? Longing for stability?

Lu Yuan's heart was filled with joy!

There was hope!

Without hesitation, he guided most of his remaining Source Power towards that faint soul imprint, no longer trying to repair the card itself, but focusing on nourishing that core.

Source Power rapidly depleted.

60... 50... 40... When only less than 10 points of Source Power remained, Lu Yuan stopped.

He felt a wave of weakness and dizziness, but his spirit was unusually excited.

He picked up the Green Water Turtle card.

The card's state seemed to have undergone a subtle, almost imperceptible change.

Although it was still grey one-star and still on the verge of breaking, that lifeless feeling had dissipated somewhat.

The green turtle pattern on the card face also seemed a tiny bit clearer.

Status: Energy dissipation slowed, structure temporarily stable

The note also changed.

Note: It has felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps... a miracle will occur?

Lu Yuan's lips curved into a slight smile.

Although this slight change offered almost no help in boosting combat power.

But it meant that his direction was correct!

This card could still be saved!

There was still hope for it to become an Origin Card!

He looked at the empty Origin Card Slot on the system panel and concentrated his will.

"Set Green Water Turtle as the Origin Card!"

Buzz!

The Green Water Turtle card in his hand transformed into a faint grey light, instantly merging into Lu Yuan's chest.

The system panel updated accordingly.

Origin Card Slots: 1 / 2 (Currently Available: 1)

Origin Card 1: Green Water Turtle (Grey · One-star) (Status: On the verge of breaking · Slowly repairing)

Origin Card 2: (Unlocked)

It worked!

Lu Yuan could clearly feel a gentle force emanating from the Origin Card slot, continuously nourishing the Green Water Turtle card.

The fear and despair transmitted from the card's core imprint were slowly dissipating, replaced by a sense of comfort and tranquility.

Although the repair speed was extremely slow, it was indeed repairing!

"Hoo..." Lu Yuan let out a long breath, slumping into the chair, a smile on his face.

Everything was just beginning!