212: [Trials of Hell], Level 4 to 5 Token Card

Chapter 212: [Hell Trial], Four-Star to Five-Star Relic Card

As one of the main cards for clearing the [Rampage Trial], the [Lotus Succubus] is very crucial.

Moreover, most Rage cards involve sacrificing health, making Healing cards even more critical.

Shi Li wasn't without other Rage System Healing cards, but their effectiveness was vastly different compared to the [Lotus Succubus].

Compared to the previous 3 four-star character cards, the Star Ascension of [Lotus Succubus] brought significant changes.

Not only did it gain new entries, but its base stats and Characteristic attributes also changed.

First, its score decreased by 10 points, causing its attack power to also drop.

However, the negative health-draining cost of [Pleasure Whip] was removed.

On the surface, it reduced the Healing amount, but in terms of overall value, there was no loss.

Previously, it was 20 health for 30 points of [Healing], a net gain of 10 points.

Now, it's an unconditional gain of 20 points of [Healing], which, if you really want to say, is still a gain, a net gain of 20 points.

[Lotus Succubus]

Rampage, 20 points, Four-Star Attack 20, 100/100

[Pleasure Whip - Characteristic]: Lotus Succubus's attacks convert to [Healing]

[Forced Love - Passive]: Lotus Succubus's Recovery effects ignore reductions

[Narcissism - Passive]: Lotus Succubus gains 10 points of [Healing] each turn (T5)

[Kiss of Betrayal - 30 Health]: Lotus Succubus grants 1 target [Defection] for 1 turn (T0)

[Pure Baptism - 30 Health]: Lotus Succubus grants 1 target [Purification] (T2)

[Blazing Emotion - 30 Health]: Lotus Succubus's attacks deal damage equal to 10% of the target's maximum health ([Defection]: Force attacks the adjacent target behind it)

([Purification]: Purifies negative effects on the target)

This [Blazing Emotion] looks like an active skill with percentage damage, but in reality, with the enhancement of [Pleasure Whip], it's actually a Healing skill.

10% of maximum health, which for a 100-health card is essentially 10 health.

This means consuming 30 health to gain 20+10 points of [Healing].

But for a tanky Rampage card, it's different.

Used on [Red Blade Maiden], it's 30 health for 20+15 = 35 points of [Healing], neither a gain nor a loss.

Used on [red dragon beast master], it's 30 health for 20+35 = 55 points of [Healing], a gain of 25 health.

The most crucial aspect is its synergy with [The Diner].

One of [The Diner]'s biggest problems is that it loses 3 times the health when increasing its maximum health.

The end result is an increased maximum health, but a huge loss of current health.

Last time Shi Li relied on it to clear Abyss Floor 10, the reason it took so long was because he spent time waiting for it to recover health.

But now, with the [Blazing Emotion] skill, it's completely different.

If its maximum health reaches 1000 points, [Lotus Succubus]'s whip can restore 20+100 points of [Healing], which is incredibly satisfying.

Shi Li could already imagine the tactics that would unfold among his Rampage cards.

[Red Blade Maiden] uses [Crimson Blaze] to deal 20% health damage to [The Diner], and [Lotus Succubus] uses [Blazing Emotion] to restore 10% health to [The Diner].

Because [The Diner]'s [Characteristic] is "For every 30 health lost, gain +10 maximum health," regardless of turns, the more and faster it's hit, the faster its maximum health increases.

He could use this method to quickly stack health on [The Diner].

As long as there's no external interference, he could quickly build it into a monster with enormous health.

Moreover, let's not forget [Lotus Succubus]'s signature card.

[Power of Love]: Lotus Succubus selects 1 target, and when providing Recovery effects to it, she does not consume health.

This means that as long as she selects it and establishes a connection, even if she uses [Blazing Emotion] on the target, [Lotus Succubus] will not lose health.

However, this tactic might not be effective in PVP card games.

Because the opponent, seeing this setup, would definitely prioritize focusing fire on [The Diner].

There's a 10% health difference between [Lotus Succubus]'s [Pleasure Whip] and [Red Blade Maiden]'s [Crimson Blaze], so it can't achieve perfect coverage, only 50% coverage.

Under the opponent's rapid focused fire, [The Diner]'s health would be depleted before it could accumulate.

Furthermore, PVP card games have the concept of seizing output.

This tank-nurturing strategy would render the 30-point [The Diner] + 20-point [Lotus Succubus] + 40-point [Red Blade Maiden] unable to deal damage, directly delaying a large amount of output.

Of course, in PVE where all cards are revealed, the opponent's focused fire might come even earlier.

This tactic might not be 100% effective; it depends on the opponent's lineup.

"How about—we try it now?"

Thinking of this, Shi Li was already eager to move.

So he opened the player panel.

Since he had activated the [Hell Trial], he might as well experience it.

Clicking to enter, the text and card table immediately appeared.

[Entering Hell Trial.]

[This trial can only use Rampage cards.]

[Trial Floor 1 is about to begin, please select your character cards to deploy.]

"What is this situation?"

However, Shi Li was immediately stunned when he saw the opponent's cards.

The opponent's 9+1 cards were all five-star cards with [Characteristic].

In other words, they essentially had 6 entries!

And regular cards all had standard base stats of 30 attack + 100 health, while ace cards also had 60 attack + 200 health, consistent with PVP card games.

Especially the first-row card in the opponent's middle column, Shi Li felt that it wasn't even a pseudo-five-star card with only a certain number of entries, but a true five-star card with five-star mechanism strength.

Its projection was an old turtle with moss growing on its shell.

It should be a turtle, but its face was obscured as it was retracted into its shell.

[Millennium Old Turtle]

Persistence, Attack 30, 100/100, 0/50

[Qi Gathering Art - Characteristic]: Millennium Old Turtle gains [Shield] equal to 5 times the number of allied cards each turn.

[Return to Origin Art - Passive]: Millennium Old Turtle's remaining [Shield] converts to an equal amount of [Healing].

[Origin Reversal Art - Passive]: Millennium Old Turtle's excess Healing converts to attack power bonus for the next turn.

[Hard Shell Art - Passive]: Millennium Old Turtle's [Shield] is immune to non-attack methods of reduction.

[Turtle Breath Art - 0 Energy]: Millennium Old Turtle enters [Defense] state this turn.

[Immovable Stone Art - 30 Energy]: Millennium Old Turtle gains 1 layer of [Barrier] and does not affect action.

"What is this thing?"

Shi Li was speechless.

With 5 allied cards, that's 50 points of [Shield].

In other words, to damage this guy's health, an additional 50 points of output would be wasted each turn.

And if you don't attack it, the 50 points of Shield value will convert into a Healing effect, which then converts into a 50-point attack power bonus.

Furthermore, "[Shield] is immune to non-attack methods of reduction," meaning [Dispel] and [Isolation] are useless; you can only hack away at it.

The best way is to use [True Damage] to bypass the [Shield] directly.

But [Red Blade Maiden]'s [Vast] can deal a maximum of 90 points of [True Damage] per strike.

This guy's [Defense] doesn't even consume mana, so 90 points of [True Damage] could be halved to 45 points, and a single [Return to Origin Art] would recover it.

As expected of a five-star card, [Turtle Breath Art] and [Immovable Stone Art] have the same effect, costing 10 points less than [bo shan]'s.

The most crucial thing is that Shi Li couldn't possibly only focus on [Millennium Old Turtle]; the opponent's other five-star cards were also eyeing him menacingly.

"However—I wonder if [Surging] would be useful."

Shi Li remembered his 100 points of [Execute].

So he decided to try.

First, in the front row, he placed [red dragon beast master].

With 350 health, it could probably withstand the opponent's focused fire for 1 turn without dying.

However, the opponent also had hard-control Wisdom cards, so giving it a [Shield] hand card might be better.

[LV3 Shield]: This turn, negate 40 damage for 1 card. (T1)

He only had 1 of this card, obtained when [Jumping Dragon Guard] Star Ascension.

As long as [red dragon beast master] could survive 1 turn of focused fire, his goal should be achieved.

With [Red Blade Maiden]'s leadership, his side should be able to eliminate 4 to 5 of the opponent's cards in 2 turns.

Then, he would begin to implement [The Diner]'s cow-rearing plan.

After deciding on the strategy, Shi Li began to act.

The good news was that [Execute] was indeed effective against [Millennium Old Turtle].

After all, no card is foolproof; no matter how excellent the mechanism, there are corresponding weaknesses or counters.

And the price Shi Li paid was merely [Red Blade Maiden] losing 100 health.

As an ace card with 250 health, she could afford this cost.

Subsequently, [The Diner]'s cow-rearing plan officially began.

As the opponent's cards decreased, the cow-rearing plan proceeded quite smoothly.

In the end, with all three 'cow-rearing generals' still alive, he successfully eliminated all of the opponent's cards.

"Not bad, not bad."

Shi Li was both surprised and satisfied with the result of this first battle being a first kill: "The opponent's card strength is much higher than mine. Even if [red dragon beast master] counts as 3 unique cards, I only have 6 unique cards, and only 2 of them are four-star.

The main reason for the victory was the power of the cow-rearing plan.

The opponent's output meant I didn't even need [Red Blade Maiden] to participate; [Lotus Succubus] alone was enough to cover.

Also, the opponent had no hand cards.

If it weren't for so many Recovery hand cards, [Lotus Succubus] alone wouldn't have been able to heal enough."

Analyzing the reasons for the victory, Shi Li saw text pop up.

[Congratulations, you have passed Trial Floor 1.]

[You can obtain 200,000 cubic coins.]

[You can obtain a unique Star Ascension Relic Card.]

Unlike the Seven Systems Trials, the loot here cannot be refreshed.

"Comfortable."

In Shi Li's opinion, these 200,000 were essentially free.

And then there was this Relic Card.

"Huh?"

When he received the Relic Card, he was slightly stunned.

This was actually a four-star to five-star Relic Card!

And it corresponded to any system!

This was perfect for [Red Blade Maiden], wasn't it?

One must know that these five-star Relic Cards are not sold on the market.

After all, it involves four-star to five-star Star Ascension, which is the key to a [Jade] player advancing to a [Diamond] player.

Many experts would be vying for such an item; it would never enter the market.

In the Mang Domain Points Mall (Mang Domain Points Mall), this item's price was 50,000.

Converted at a 1:1000 cubic coins ratio, that's worth 50 million cubic coins.

[Star Ascension Relic Card]: Can allow 1 four-star character card (unique) to undertake a Star Ascension quest (1/3)

"Now I'm uncomfortable."

It wasn't until he saw the card information clearly that Shi Li realized this was not a complete card.

It was one-third of a card.

"So, if I want to complete it, I'll have to pass at least 3 floors of [Hell Trial]?"

Thinking of this, he immediately continued to activate the next challenge.

Admittedly, even if he completed all of it, he couldn't make [Red Blade Maiden] a five-star card since he hadn't reached [Jade 10] yet.

But who knows how much time, Energy, and money it would take for four-star to five-star.

Just like her three-star to four-star advancement before, it's always good to prepare in advance.

[This trial can only use Rampage cards.]

[Trial Floor 2 is about to begin, please select your character cards to deploy.]

However, when the cards for Floor 2 were displayed, he immediately found himself in a difficult situation.

Floor 2 still had 9+1 five-star cards with [Characteristic].

And this time, there were 2 cards that reached true five-star strength.

Moreover, one of the output cards carried a percentage damage skill and was also an ace card.

This made the cow-rearing tactic impossible to implement.

"Didn't they say each floor is random? Why does it feel like it's targeting me?"

Shi Li carefully compared repeatedly and found that with his current deck, he had no chance of winning.

The so-called randomness meant that enemies were randomly generated when a new floor was opened.

But once generated, they couldn't be changed.

Players needed to adjust and refine their deck based on the enemy's lineup to achieve effective targeting and solutions.

"According to my current progress, the next one to reach 200% resonance can probably only be the Balance System; other systems are too far behind.

That ace card on the opponent's side needs a card with low health, like [Withering Dragon].

Or a tough card, like [Jumping Dragon Guard], to withstand it."

There was nothing he could do; Shi Li could only temporarily give up.

Indeed, five-star Relic Cards are not that easy to obtain.

"I should still focus on the New Star Cup first."

After accepting reality, he exited the [Hell Trial].

There were still 2 months until the New Star Cup offline tournament, and he had to seize the time.

Other opponents would definitely use these 2 months to become stronger, and if he didn't continue to improve, he would fall behind.

"Right now, I still have about 6.7 million, so I'll get a four-star first.

One by one."

If he could encounter a few more quest-based second stages rather than formula-based second stages, he would have enough money to Star Ascension a few more cards.

But quest-based stages also require time, so he had to hurry now.

After some screening, Shi Li set his next target on [Flower Cudgel Leader].

Because this card was one of his only two legitimate main output cards, its output role in PVE card games would be no less than [Red Blade Maiden]'s.

Moreover, after it reached four-star, it could also unlock the simulation quest for its signature card.

Without further ado, Shi Li placed an order directly.

He spent 300,000 cubic coins to purchase a unique Momentum System three-star to four-star Relic Card.

He filled in the delivery address as Card Hall District 11, then took leave from school and headed there.