158: The ninth unique card

Chapter 158: The Ninth unique Card

“Also, you might want to know about the other Abyss situations.”

Seeing Shi Li about to leave, Director Hou said.

“Are other Abysses also restricted to Platinum 15?”

Shi Li was genuinely a little curious.

“Yes, the situation in all Abysses worldwide is the same.”

Director Hou nodded: “Overall, our No. 68 is already behind schedule.”

“Abyss No. 45, located near Hua Du City.

They have already completed all stage missions there, except for 10 evolutions.”

“That strong?”

Shi Li was stunned to hear this.

Huadu truly lives up to its reputation as the most talent-rich place in the entire Xia Kingdom; this progress is simply terrifying.

He already found 6 evolutions extremely difficult, yet there are still people who can clear 8 evolutions at this stage?

One must know that the target number for 8 evolutions is 10 people, which means at least 10 people, whose ranks are at most Platinum 15, have completed “This is not surprising; many people were specifically transferred to Abyss No. 45 to protect Huadu.”

Director Hou smiled: “I have another piece of news here that you might be interested in.”

“Among the contractors at our Show Card Hall, there is one who is the same age as you. She achieved an excellent result of 7 evolutions in Abyss No. 45 with a Platinum 9 rank.

Speaking of which, this person will also be your classmate in the future. She also applied to Qingchuan University, and her name is Chi Xi.”

“Chi Xi—”

Shi Li savored the name.

Indeed, there are always people better than you.

A Ya Jun's parents could come up with a name like A Ya Jun, and this Chi Xi is similar.

However, Platinum 9 clearing 7 evolutions is indeed very impressive.

“In addition, the total number of people nationwide who successfully challenged 8 evolutions reached 17.

Abyss No. 45 in Huadu has 12 people, and other numbered Abysses have 5 people.

What's most worth noting is that 3 people your age are all new students from the three major Card Hall Universities.

You must be extra careful when you encounter these people in the New Star Cup later.”

“What about Zhang Xiaochuan?”

Shi Li suddenly remembered such a person.

The strongest genius of Show Card Hall in the past 10 years, an S+ level contractor.

“Zhang Xiaochuan did not participate; his age is actually not very suitable,” Director Hou replied.

Due to the admission limit, the main force in the Abyss at this stage consists mostly of rising geniuses.

After all, older geniuses generally would not remain at the Platinum 15 stage.

“I heard a rumor that he has already reached the Platinum 20 rank and could challenge Emerald at any time.”

“With his resource allocation, challenging Emerald at Platinum 10 shouldn't be difficult, right?”

Shi Li raised the question, but then glanced at Director Hou's head and muttered to himself, “Never mind, you wouldn't understand if I asked you.”

“You little rascal.”

Director Hou chuckled, scolding him.

How could he not understand such a simple question?

He then explained it to Shi Li.

Platinum card players suppressing their rank is essentially for two reasons.

The first reason is card crafting cost.

The cost of crafting terms for a three-star character card is lower than for a four-star character card.

Although sometimes, terms crafted at three stars need to be reinforced and strengthened at four stars, making the cost actually similar.

But in a small number of cases, if the terms don't need reinforcement, then crafting them at three stars is cheaper.

Of course, this is an action only taken by card players with tight resources.

This situation is actually not common, because for Platinum card players with tight resources, it's already very difficult for them to advance to Emerald.

The second aspect is access to other domains.

Advancing to Emerald means no longer being able to enter Level 4 other domains.

For various reasons such as Event Missions, defense pressure, and exploration resources, some card players will suppress their rank, choosing not to advance to Emerald for the time being.

Xiu Qingshan is the most typical, even arguably the most extreme, example among them.

Currently, his rank has reached Platinum 91, but he has yet to advance.

Director Hou had actually discussed this privately with people in the Card Hall.

The argument of “forcibly suppressing rank to protect the Level 4 other domain in Jiangnan Province” actually doesn't stand up to scrutiny upon closer inspection.

No matter how strong your Platinum 91 is, can its effect truly surpass that of 10 Platinum 10s?

Let alone Platinum 10s, Platinum rank has the most people, so finding 10 Platinum 20s to replace Xiu Qingshan's role would be no problem.

If 10 aren't enough, then 100 should suffice, right?

From his conversation with Deputy Curator He, Director Hou found that the other party seemed to know some inside information.

But the other party certainly wouldn't say, and he didn't dare to ask too many questions.

Anyway, Platinum 10+ is a 9+1 deck, and Emerald is also a 9+1 deck.

It's not necessarily true that Emerald will definitely crush Platinum.

For card players confident in themselves, suppressing their rank is also normal.

“Alright.”

After listening to Director Hou's explanation, Shi Li understood the reasoning.

Emerald card players could certainly find opportunities in Level 6 other domains like Gan Territory, but it definitely wouldn't be as rewarding as pioneering a small world.

After finishing his handover with Director Hou, Shi Li went to the sales area.

After a series of operations, his funds reached a new high, reaching 1.05 million.

It reached seven figures for the first time.

The extra 150,000 was the contract assessment reward that Shi Li had forgotten to include.

“Should I first look at what this simulated mission is?”

Shi Li didn't rush to make purchases.

Anyway, 1.05 million should definitely be enough to Star Ascension Snail Walking Lady to three stars, unless something unexpected happens.

But it would probably not be enough to Star Ascension two one-star character cards to three stars.

First, he would get this Abyss Token Card out and see it, then decide which one to invest resources in based on the card face.

So he went straight to the private lounge, ordered a cup of coffee, and started to get busy.

Upon clicking “Use,” several lines of text appeared successively.

“The name of this mission is: There is no love in the Abyss.”

“The Abyss was born from unknown chaos, and at first, the gods didn't care.”

“After long years, the Abyss gave birth to Abyssal Kind.”

“Huh?”

Seeing this, Shi Li was slightly taken aback.

Some simulated missions in Token Cards come from reality, some from illusions, or a combination of both.

He couldn't discern which type the current mission belonged to.

But if it originated from reality, perhaps it would involve some intelligence.

His teacher had also mentioned before that what was most lacking now was intelligence about the Abyss.

Perhaps recording these things would help with intelligence gathering.

So he continued to read.

“Just like this world, the consciousness of the Abyssal Kind is chaotic.”

“But there are very few exceptions that give birth to wisdom.”

“Under the leadership of the wise kind, the Abyss experienced countless large and small battles of separation and reunion.”

“Ultimately, three monarchs each suppressed one side, achieving a balance.”

“If this is true, the Abyss is probably not simple—”

Shi Li frowned, almost forgetting that he was doing a simulated mission.

“Many Abyssal Kind races live under the rule of the three great monarchs.”

“Among them, the Succubus race is one of the major races, and Lotus is an absolute anomaly among succubi.”

“Not only is she the only complete body in her tribe, but she also yearns for true love.”

“It is precisely because of this that she can cultivate the ‘Reincarnation Art of the Maiden of Purity’.”

“No, is there some mistake?

What kind of Abyss is this, what does Succubus + Cultivation mean?”

Seeing this, Shi Li couldn't help but complain.

Continuing to read, options quickly appeared.

“One day, Lotus encountered a captivating presence outside the city.”

“Its appearance was simply mesmerizing at first sight.”

“The other party had a round face, a round body, and a crystal-clear, bouncy texture like jelly.”

“Most importantly, this was a color she had never seen in the Abyss.”

“Please help her make a choice.”

“A. Whip it until it deforms.”

“B. Trample it fiercely with your foot.”

“C. Dismember it and place it in a container.”

“As expected of a succubus, is this her way of expressing affection?”

Shi Li felt that after completing this mission, he might need to wash his eyes.

Otherwise, he would feel like he was becoming corrupted.

This time, the simulated mission went relatively smoothly. After refreshing 8 times and spending 44,000, he achieved completion.

“You can obtain Character Card [Lotus Succubus (One-Star)] x1.”

“You can obtain Hand Card [Healing (LV1)] x1.”

“Do you want to reset this mission by consuming 5500 cubic coins? (Yes/No)”

“No.”

Rampage Resonance: 100% → 110%

“Rage cards, I really need them.”

Shi Li had been stuck on the Rampage Trial Tower for quite some time.

A brand new Rage unique card, he believed, could provide him with effective help.

He picked up the card, and the projection on the card face immediately appeared.

It was a typical succubus image, with a pure yet seductive aura, beautiful features, and an excellent figure.

She wore tight-fitting leather clothing that didn't quite cover her, high heels, and carried a custom-made leather whip.

A slender tail, tipped with a red heart shape, extended from her back.

The tail twitched like a nimble snake, appearing quite alluring.

The only slight difference was a small red lotus pattern on her forehead.

It resembled a traditional Chinese floral ornament, or perhaps the cultivation mark of an immortal female.

【Lotus Succubus】

Rage, 30 points, One-Star Attack 30, 100/100

【Whip of Pleasure - Characteristic】: Lotus Succubus's attack converts to 【Healing】, consuming an equal amount of life points. 【Forced Love - Passive】: Lotus Succubus's Recovery effect ignores reductions. “Hmm—”

Shi Li wasn't sure what to make of this card's face.

Firstly, it belonged to a relatively rare type: a Rage Recovery card.

It consumed its own HP to Recovery the HP of other cards.

It was equivalent to transferring its own HP to other cards.

At first glance, it seemed fine, but in reality, it was a significant loss.

If an opponent attacked an allied card, the allied card would lose 30 HP.

If the Succubus attacked an allied card, the allied card would gain 30 HP.

In terms of output-to-Recovery amount, the two were equal, so it wasn't a loss in output share.

The loss came from the fact that while adding HP, the Succubus herself would also lose 30 HP.

This back and forth still amounted to a loss of 30 points of output.

Its only advantage was that its HP addition could ignore effects like 【Isolation】, 【Ignite】, and 【Healing Block】, which was quite practical.

“But between this passive Characteristic and the 【Tiao Tiao Guard】's Characteristic, which mechanism takes precedence?”

With this question in mind, Shi Li launched a simulated card game.

Unfortunately, the 【Lotus Succubus】 still couldn't add HP to the 【Tiao Tiao Guard】.

Otherwise, these two cards combined would be invincible.

“With only One-Star strength, it clearly won't have a very noticeable effect in the 【Rampage Trial】.

Nor is it sufficient to evaluate her potential.”

After some thought, Shi Li decided to put the Snail Walking Lady aside for now and focus on the Succubus.

unique series Star Ascension relic cards were usually in short supply, so Shi Li submitted a purchase request, and the Card Hall staff began to arrange for its delivery.

While waiting, he decided to take a break.

After all, he hadn't closed his eyes for two days.

When he woke up, the relic card had already arrived.

Upon using the relic card, new text immediately popped up.

【This Event is named: There is no love in the Abyss. (Star Ascension)】

【The situation in the Abyss finally caught the attention of the Divine Realm.】

【The Divine Realm dispatched an envoy to descend into the Abyss for an on-site investigation.】

【But strangely, that envoy has yet to send back any news—】

The subsequent plot entered Lotus's perspective, as she received an external mission from her clan.

After refreshing 21 times and spending 126,000 cubic coins, Shi Li finally encountered the final BOSS.

To his surprise, he successfully defeated this final BOSS on his first try.

Since it was a plot kill, it was no wonder the previous steps were so numerous and difficult.

The one who completed the plot kill was the Scarlet Slime that Lotus had recently enslaved.

As soon as the Scarlet Slime made its move, it easily eliminated the Abyssal Archdemon that she had struggled to defeat with all her might.

For Lotus, the surprise was greater than the shock.

Because in the Succubus clan, such situations were already commonplace.

Some powerful beings, despite their strength surpassing their Succubus masters, would submit at the Succubus's feet due to certain perverse fetishes.

All Shi Li could do was complain.

【You have completed this simulation, with a completion rate of 100%.】

【You can obtain character card 【Lotus Succubus (Two-Star)】 x1.】

【You can obtain hand card 【Recovery (LV2)】 x1 【Healing (LV2)】 x1.】

【You can obtain item card 【Abyssal Love Seed】 x1.】

【Do you want to reset this Event by consuming 6000 cubic coins? Yes/No.】

“This—”

Shi Li couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

She had only just reached Two-Star, and yet a fated hand card Event had already appeared.

But with everything costing money, it truly was a happy dilemma.

After this wave of expenses, he now only had 830,000 left.

It was like water flowing through his fingers, so fast.

“No.”

After clicking, the text popped up.

【Rage System Resonance】: 110% → 120%

Let's look at the new card face.

【Lotus Succubus】

Rage, 30 points, Two-Star Attack 30, 100/100

【Whip of Pleasure - Characteristic】: Lotus Succubus's attack converts to 【Healing】, consuming an equal amount of life points (T5)

【Forced Love - Passive】: Lotus Succubus's Recovery effect ignores reductions. 【Narcissism - Passive】: Lotus Succubus gains 10 points of 【Healing】 each round (T5)

【Kiss of Betrayal - 30 life points】: Lotus Succubus causes 1 target to gain the 【Defection】 effect for 1 round (T0)

(【Defection】: Forcibly attacks an adjacent target behind it)

“This improvement is quite good, very nice.”

Shi Li expressed his satisfaction.

This 【Narcissism】 has the same effect as the 【Red Blade Maiden】's 【Vitality】.

The difference is that 【Narcissism】 can react with 【Forced Love】 and is also not afraid of effects like 【Isolation】.

And with this Characteristic, it means she only needs to consume 20 life points to release 30 points of 【Healing】 each time, reducing the consumption.

As for 【Kiss of Betrayal】, it's an extremely excellent strong crowd control skill.

It has a very high priority, occupies the target's action slot, and can also make the target attack allies.

Compared to a skill format of “consume 30 life points to launch 1 normal attack + 【Stun】”, it also has its own advantages.

That is, if the target of 【Defection】 is a high-attack card or a giant card, the value obtained will be greater than the “1 normal attack + 【Stun】” format.

“I won't buy the Two-Star to Three-Star relic card for now.”

Putting away this card, Shi Li made a decision.

Because with this Two-Star 【Lotus Succubus】, he felt he had a chance to reach the 3rd layer of the 【Rampage Trial】.

This way, he would have a chance, like with the 【bo shan】 last time, to obtain a Rage system unique card Two-Star to Three-Star relic card, saving a sum of money.

“That's how it'll be for now.”

Shi Li looked at the date; he didn't have time for these things for now.

In a few days, it would be the start of school, and he needed to prepare to depart.

He would rest well, relax, organize his belongings, and attend gatherings with classmates and teachers.

A few days passed, and Shi Li boarded the flight to Hua Du City empty-handed.

Because of Xiu Qingshan's 【Storage Card】, he didn't need to bring any luggage.

Watching Durian City gradually recede outside the window, Shi Li didn't feel any sentimentality about leaving his hometown.

He just felt as if he had forgotten something.

“Hmm—but it probably isn't important.

Anyway, with Abyss 68, I'll need to come back often.”

Shi Yuan: You get your ass back here!

To familiarize himself with the environment, Shi Li arrived at Qingchuan University two days early.

The registration procedures and other processes went smoothly.

However, it was said that in order to foster camaraderie among students and enhance cohesion, Qingchuan University did not arrange single dorm rooms.

He inquired casually and learned that there were actually 49 A-level beneficiaries among this year's Qingchuan freshmen.

No wonder he felt their attitude wasn't as enthusiastic as he imagined; it should be known that the number of freshmen this year was only a few hundred, and 49 was definitely not a small proportion among them.

In addition, there was also one S-level beneficiary among this year's freshmen, which was quite intriguing.

Because he heard from the staff that even for Qingchuan University, an S-level benefit might not be offered every few years.

Basically, only top talents who could have entered one of the five major Card Hall universities but chose Qingchuan University would receive such Healing.

After completing the enrollment procedures, Shi Li was told to stay in the dorm for two days and await notification.

So Shi Li wandered around the campus, observing the environment.

Qingchuan University, as a national key university, indeed had a large area and comprehensive facilities.

He had visited Jiangnan University before, and it was definitely not on the same level.

After wandering around the campus for a while, Shi Li arrived at the dormitory according to the address given by the staff.

Building 15, Room 208, a four-person room.

“Someone actually arrived earlier than me.”

Shi Li looked at the open dorm room door, slightly surprised.

As soon as he walked in, he saw a familiar blue-nosed person.

“A Ya Jun?”

“Hello, Shi Li. Please call me A Ya Jun.”

“What are you doing, A Ya Jun?”

“I'm taking a shower.”

“Do you also leave all the doors open when you shower at home?”

A Ya Jun's appearance truly surprised Shi Li.

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