164: 【Red Blade Princess】Breaking the Limit

Chapter 164: Red Blade Maiden Breaks Limits

"This—Shi Li?!"

When the battle entered her sight, Guo Duo was shocked.

The dragon head before her was quite enormous, submerged in lava, occupying 44 Chess Domain squares.

【Severely Injured Crimson Flame Dragon】

Listen to the Wind, Attack 80, 1280 / 3000, 60 / 100

Movement Distance 0, Attack Distance 7

At this moment, almost all the terrain in front of it had turned into 【Lava】.

Only one square was normal ground, and on it stood Shi Li's sole remaining battle chess piece.

【Red Blade Maiden】 (Liberated State 2 / 3)

Raging, 40 points, Three-star Attack 40, 80 / 300

Movement Distance 6, Attack Distance 1

【Tenacity - Trait】: Red Blade Maiden possesses 【Overlord Body】 effect 【Unceasing - Passive】: Red Blade Maiden gains 10 points of 【Healing】 each round

【Abundant - Passive】: Red Blade Maiden's maximum health + 50

【Crimson Blaze - 40 Health Points】: Red Blade Maiden attacks 1 target, dealing 【Fixed Damage】 equal to 20% of the target's maximum health

This situation undoubtedly declared Shi Li's impending defeat.

Even if the 【Red Blade Maiden】 outputted for one more round, at most she could only deal 640 points of health damage.

And her own 80 health points, even with 【Healing】, could only withstand one more hit.

"Shi Li! Retreat quickly! Otherwise, it'll be too late!"

Guo Duo didn't bother asking so many questions and shouted at him loudly.

At this point, the Chess Domain had shrunk to a very small area.

She only needed to let the 【Red Blade Maiden】 escape into the green deployment zone at the edge of the Chess Domain to meet the 【Retreat】 condition.

With the 【Red Blade Maiden】's mobility, it could be completed within this round.

"Senior, why are you here?"

Shi Li turned his head at the sound, his face showing no panic: "Please wait a moment, I'll be done very soon."

"Stop messing around, you might lose your life because of this!"

Guo Duo couldn't understand at all.

Failure in a monster chess game, like failure in a monster card game, carried significant risks.

The key was that she didn't know what method Shi Li had to turn the tide.

It clearly looked like he couldn't win!

As she watched, Shi Li pulled out a card.

The card emitted a red glow, and the front pattern was a figure roaring amidst red energy.

The back had three stars arranged in a triangle.

"This is—a Tactical Card?!"

Guo Duo immediately exclaimed: "A three-star red Tactical Card!?"

Similar to the three primary colors, tactics were divided into red, green, and blue.

Red for offense, green for Recovery, blue for utility.

Only one of each type of Tactical Card could be held.

It required the character's battle chess piece to stand on the corresponding colored terrain to be used effectively.

Their effects were somewhat similar to hand cards in a card game, or more precisely, similar to innate hand cards.

Only one could be used per round, but their effects were outstanding.

According to the currently recognized exploration experience in the Chess Domain, every Tactical Card was extremely precious.

Guo Duo herself only had one two-star green and one two-star blue Tactical Card.

This newcomer, a Chess Player who had just entered for the first time, actually possessed a three-star Tactical Card?!

Under Guo Duo's shocked gaze, Shi Li played the Tactical Card.

"【Desperate Counterattack - Red】: When your side has only 1 unit remaining, double the damage it deals this round."

【See my Blade!】

-1280

What followed was the 【Red Blade Maiden】 activating her skill.

The damage was neither too much nor too little; Shi Li had calculated it perfectly.

"Roar!!!"

The BOSS let out a wail, and as the game ended, it dispersed into shimmering fragments.

"Junior, you actually had such a trick up your sleeve—"

At this moment, Guo Duo floated over languidly.

One could only say it was worthy of being a three-star Tactical Card.

Just the four words "damage doubled" were enough to make countless Chess Players envious.

If that BOSS had been in a mission, it would probably be at least 【Emerald】 level.

"It seems this Chess Domain is very suitable for you to venture into."

Initially, when she heard Shi Li only had an A-level contract, Guo Duo still felt a bit dismissive deep down.

But a chess game and a card game are ultimately different; perhaps some people are simply more suited for chess games.

If viewed solely within the Chess Domain, her A+-level contract truly wasn't as good as his.

"No, no, not at all."

Shi Li waved his hand, and a ball of light flew into his hand.

Whoosh "Something dropped."

This time it was a large bottle, filled to the brim.

It seemed to be the same substance as the dragon blood from before.

【Crimson Dragon Blood】: Rage System battle chess material (synthesis detected as possible)

"It's definitely a good item. You can research it thoroughly once we return to the town."

Guo Duo leaned closer.

The quality of drops from a BOSS of this level was imaginable.

The town had an anchor point, so the two directly teleported back to the town's anchor point.

From Guo Duo's words, Shi Li learned the rules for crafting chess pieces here.

First, Chess Domain materials were best used directly within the Chess Domain.

Someone had tested it: while Chess Domain materials could be used outside, their compatibility wasn't as good as when used within the Chess Domain.

The same applied to outside materials; bringing them in might result in a discount on their effects.

Second, the process of crafting chess pieces in the Chess Domain wasn't that complicated.

It could be synthesized directly through the Chess Player panel.

However, this was merely for convenience and did not increase the success rate.

To increase the success rate, additional materials needed to be purchased and added.

After thanking Guo Duo, the two went their separate ways.

Guo Duo went to accept and complete missions, while Shi Li began to ponder the synthesis system himself.

Clearly, the only Rage System battle chess piece he could use 【Crimson Dragon Blood】 with was his 【Red Blade Maiden】.

"I don't even know if it can be used. Even if new attributes are synthesized, it's only three stars now, and there aren't enough attribute slots."

With uncertainty, he opened the synthesis system.

【Please place the main battle chess piece.】

【Please place the main material.】

【Calculating results—】

Following the instructions step by step, the result quickly appeared.

"Oh? It can be like this?"

Seeing this result, Shi Li was delighted.

It completely exceeded his expectations.

But the synthesis success rate—only 3%, was truly a bit moving.

【Compatibility material detected, adding it can increase the success rate.】

However, a new prompt appeared, and the system told him to add the small bottle of 【Crimson Dragon Blood】 as well.

"Are you kidding me?"

The result only increased by 0.1%.

If that's the case, it would be better to sell it.

He remembered seeing a shop in town that bought monster materials, and cubic coins were also the currency here.

He wondered what price this material could fetch; even if it was just to gather some refresh fees, it would be good.

With this thought, Shi Li arrived in front of that shop.

From the shop's lavish facade, it was clear that it was probably quite powerful.

It was even so lavish that it looked out of place with the style of the entire town.

It was like a pearl in a pile of garbage.

According to Guo Duo, this was a chain store specializing in selling and trading materials.

Almost every town she had visited had a trace of this shop, called A Qing Material House.

Actually, the shop wasn't large, and upon entering, there was only one employee inside.

The employee was a man with a gentleman's mustache.

He was dressed in a sharp suit, wearing a brightly polished monocle, giving off a meticulous and trustworthy impression.

In this small town, it was the first time Shi Li had seen someone dressed so impeccably.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Seeing Shi Li enter, the man showed a natural and friendly smile.

"Hello, I'm selling materials."

He didn't waste words and directly placed the small bottle of 【Crimson Dragon Blood】 on the table.

"Oh?"

The man, who had been wiping an object, immediately had his gaze drawn.

"Hmm—though it has impurities, it's at least dragon material."

He picked up the bottle and examined it closely with his monocle, then put it back down: "I can offer 50,000 cubic coins for this item."

"30,000, not a single coin less."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, I spoke too quickly, my apologies."

Shi Li had already prepared his bargaining speech.

Unexpectedly, the price somewhat exceeded his psychological expectation.

He had originally thought it was just a decent quality material, worth around 30,000, which would be about right.

"Wait a moment."

At this point, the man suddenly sniffed.

"You smell like a dragon."

His sense of smell seemed to be very keen.

"Isn't that to be expected?"

Shi Li pointed to the small bottle.

I've already gotten dragon blood, so what's wrong with having a little scent on me?

"No, it's different. Your scent is purer than this."

The man's gaze towards Shi Li changed: "You've slain a dragon?"

Those who could slay dragons were generally not ordinary individuals.

And those among the 【Platinum 7】 who could slay dragons were even more so.

"Young man, I have a mission here, would you like to take it?"

His expression suddenly became mysterious.

"Have you heard of 【Dragon Hunt】?"

"No."

"Then you can take a look at this."

The man handed him a 【Mission Card】.

【Dragon Hunt】

【Mission Content】: Eliminate one dragon with a bloodline purity of 60% or more to prove your strength to A Ya Jun (0/1).

【Enemy Level】: ???

【Recommended Rank】: ???

【Reward】: Title 【Dragon Hunter】

Clearly, the Crimson Blaze Dragon he had eliminated before didn't count towards the mission.

"What's the use of this title?"

Shi Li was puzzled by the reward.

"You—you don't know the purpose of a title?"

A Ya Jun was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood.

In recent years, this world had inexplicably seen the emergence of some outsiders.

Evidently, this young man in front of him was one of them.

"Simply put, 【Titles】 can allow you to exert greater power in certain specific Chess Domains.

For specific effects, you can click to expand and view them."

Hearing him say that, Shi Li only then noticed the small 【Expand】 option after the reward.

After clicking it, he could see the special effects within.

【Dragon Hunter ☆☆☆】: Makes your War Chess deal +100% damage to Dragon-type targets in the Chess Domain.

He accepted the mission card.

A +100% damage bonus was too exaggerated. If it were paired with 【Desperate Counterattack - Red】, wouldn't that be +200%?

Then the Red Blade Maiden could deal 2560 points of damage to that BOSS with one slash, and the opponent only had 3000 HP, after all.

Regardless of whether he could complete it or not, he would accept it first.

There was no time limit anyway.

After the mission transfer was completed, A Ya Jun became even more friendly.

He gave him an extra 5000 for that bottle of 【Crimson Dragon Blood】, making it 55,000.

In addition, some materials collected during this mission were also sold.

The final income was 80,000 cubic coins.

So Shi Li found a place to rest, preparing to try out the synthesis.

Po Shi Academy's efficiency was extremely fast; Hu Lan said it would be credited within a month.

In reality, it had already been credited when Shi Li first arrived at the base, and he had transferred it to his exclusive account.

So now he had a little over 330,000, which might be enough for a few tries.

【Please place the main War Chess.】

【Please place the main material.】

【Starting Synthesis—】

Pressing the synthesize button, a dazzling array of colorful light effects began to flash.

Ten seconds later, the result appeared.

【Synthesis failed, material is about to be destroyed.】

【Yes/No to spend 22,000 cubic coins to reset this synthesis.】

"With a 3% chance, it certainly won't be that easy."

He wasn't flustered and clicked refresh.

He tried thirteen times in a row. When his funds were less than 50,000, it actually succeeded.

【Synthesis successful, new entry created.】

【Yes/No to spend 22,000 cubic coins to reset this synthesis.】

"Comfortable."

Looking at this result, Shi Li sighed with emotion.

This synthesis wasn't truly about creating a new entry; rather, it consumed two entries to obtain a new one.

【Vast - Passive】: Red Blade Maiden gains 10 points of 【Healing】 at the start of her turn and at the end of the round, respectively.

That's right, the two entries consumed were precisely 【Unceasing】 and 【Vitality】.

Shi Li also referred to this entry as 【Unceasing Vitality】.

When he switched the Red Blade Maiden to Card Mode to view it, the description of the entry had changed slightly.

【Vast - Passive】: Red Blade Maiden gains 10 points of 【Healing】 and 10 points of 【Treatment】 each turn (T1 + T5).

"Isn't this the ultimate comfort?"

He had just been complaining that the Red Blade Maiden's entry slots weren't enough, and now he immediately got a two-in-one.

"This is what teacher meant by 'left foot stepping on right foot'."

Shi Li now truly understood what Xiu Qingshan had meant.

An unconditional, cost-free 20 points of Recovery, and it covered both 【Healing】 + 【Treatment】.

The strength of this entry was absolutely top-tier.

With this entry, the Red Blade Maiden could even release 【Vast】 without any loss.

"Based on the card-making principles of Cube Cards, this is an absolutely overpowered entry that couldn't be achieved.

Yet, through the Cube Chess synthesis system, it was realized."

Shi Li couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

At the same time, he also felt a sense of crisis.

He could make Cube Cards overpowered through the Cube Chess system, and others could do the same.

If he didn't want to be surpassed by others, he could only be faster than them.

Thinking of this, he no longer delayed.

He went directly to the Adventurer's Tavern, planning to see if there were any other missions he could accept.

However, just as he arrived at the entrance, before he even stepped inside, he felt a dizzying sensation.

When he regained his senses, Shi Li found himself already standing in the teleportation room.

"You're back."

Chi Ou seemed to have been waiting for him.

"Director Chi, why do I feel like I was ejected?"

Shi Li expressed his confusion.

"Normal. This is actually a kind of outsider protection mechanism, or rather, the Chess Domain world's will rejection mechanism.

You don't belong to that world, and it's your first time entering, so after staying for too long, the world's will will identify your existence and reject you.

Don't worry, as you enter more often, the compatibility time will also become longer.

The time you spent this time is already much longer than Guo Duo's first stay."

"Oh—"

Shi Li was slightly disappointed to hear that.

He had originally thought he could find more opportunities in the Chess Domain, but it seemed he would have to wait until next time.

"By the way, Director Chi, do you know about 【Title】 missions?"

He remembered his mission again.

"Did Guo Duo tell you? That little girl never listens, always aiming too high."

Chi Ou smiled upon hearing this: "【Title】 missions are not something you at your current level can accept, let alone complete.

Even I am still in the process of undertaking a 【Title】 mission."

"What 【Title】 will your mission earn?"

Shi Li asked curiously.

"Hehe—"

Chi Ou seemed to have been waiting for him to ask, and smiled proudly: "My mission will earn me the title 【Scarlet Slime Killer】.

The effect is +30% damage to all types of Scarlet Slimes in the Chess Domain.

Impressive, right? And this is only the power of a one-star title."

Shi Li fell silent.

It seemed he was very lucky; this 【Dragon Hunter】 had a very high value.

What the heck was 【Scarlet Slime Killer】? The name of that monster sounded totally lame, alright.

"Alright, for now, you should go back and focus on your studies."

Seeing that Shi Li seemed to have finished his questions, Chi Ou led him out the door.

"Based on past experience, you'll probably be able to enter the Chess Domain again in about a month.

You must seize this time to improve your strength, because in about half a year, the Shilei Kingdom will hold a grand Chess Domain competition."

The Shilei Kingdom was the Chess Domain nation that their teleportation gate led to.

Not only here, but the Chess Domain entrances in Xia Kingdom and even the entire Eastern Continent belonged to the Shilei Kingdom.

"Chess Domain competition—"

Shi Li could only temporarily note this down.

He hadn't even figured out PVE yet, let alone PVP.

The airship took Shi Li back to Qingchuan University.

He hadn't actually been gone for long. He went to report to the District 11 Card Hall in the afternoon, and now it was only early morning when he returned to the dorm.

The dorm lights were out, but his laptop still had power.

Gong Ping was teaching A Ya Jun how to use the internet, and it looked like that guy's blue nose had grown longer.

As for Chang Zhun, he had fallen asleep long ago; once the time came, no matter how noisy it was outside, it wouldn't affect his sleep.

"Where did you go?"

"You're finally back."

Although they said that, their eyes didn't look at him for a second.

However, they did tell Shi Li a piece of news.

In two days, the freshman placement match would begin.

This round would select 32 students from 532 freshmen to advance to the next round.

And the reward for the first place in the placement match was also announced.

A unique card for a three-to-four direct promotion token.

This reward was significant.

One should know that back in Blueberry City, a Momentum-type two-to-three direct promotion token could sell for 2 million.

Calculating at three times the value, this reward would be worth at least 6 million.

One could only say that it was worthy of being a national key institution, truly too generous.

"Two days' time—"

Shi Li's expression became somewhat serious upon hearing this news.

This placement match was coming faster than he had imagined.

It seemed he couldn't afford not to seize the opportunity.

He still had over 40,000 left, which could be used to refresh the Snail Walking Lady twice more.

He wondered if these two attempts would be enough to successfully complete the perfect two-to-three promotion.

With this thought, he no longer delayed.

After washing up, he immediately began to act.