Chapter 173: The Arena

Although Perry Yates had brought back plenty of food from the game and had abundant energy, Ascending four item cards to five stars was still somewhat taxing for her.

The four item cards Evan Fuller had specified were a Curved Moon Blade, a hollow sphere, a book, and Wolffy’s Frying Pan.

Huh? ’Seems like something strange got mixed in there.’

Perry Yates’s eyes widened as she looked at the last item card and confirmed that the name written beneath it was indeed "Wolffy’s Frying Pan."

’Whatever. I won’t get hung up on it. I’d better hurry and Ascend the cards, or I’ll run out of time.’

That’s what she told herself, but in her demeanor, Perry Yates didn’t look the least bit anxious.

Since the four cards were already three-star, it saved Perry Yates quite a bit of energy.

But when she thought back to Ascending from basic white item cards, it was like opening a blind box—the power of the resulting item card was completely random.

Perry Yates could afford to take that gamble, but others couldn’t. By contrast, the abilities of a three-star card were already set, so further Ascension was merely an enhancement.

Among the four cards, the Curved Moon Blade was obviously an Attack Card. The sphere was a Defense Card that could protect its user by forming a circular shield around them. As for Wolffy’s Frying Pan, it had an auto-aim function, and if the target was of the opposite sex, it had a 100% chance of causing a concussion.

As for the book, it was a Magic Book with the ability to store Skills. It could convert them into individual Skill Books, allowing the stored Skills to be unleashed during use.

Thanks to Perry Yates’s efforts, she managed to finish Ascending all four cards in just two days.

Retracting the Dodder Seed’s vines from the surrounding prey, Perry Yates placed the newly Ascended cards on a nearby box and stretched. As she moved, her joints let out a series of "CRACK, CRACK" sounds.

"Feels like my Talent has gotten stronger again," Perry Yates muttered to herself.

She had never quite figured out the rules for how her Talent grew stronger, but she had a vague sense that it was enhanced each time a game ended.

The most obvious sign of her enhanced Talent was the increase in her card Ascension speed.

After Ascending all the item cards to four-star, Perry Yates didn’t immediately begin the process of raising them to five-star. It was a major undertaking, after all, so she decided to relax a little before she started.

A few days ago, Perry Yates had asked the butler to find any items that could serve as fighting arenas. The butler didn’t disappoint, successfully locating the cards she wanted from a large stack—twenty of them in total.

Initially, the butler had found over a hundred cards that met Perry’s requirements. However, after rigorous screening and evaluating their performance post-Ascension, most were eliminated. The twenty that remained were the absolute best of the best.

Perry Yates looked over the details of the twenty cards one by one, extremely satisfied with the butler’s efficiency.

After spending a day Ascending these cards to three-star, Perry Yates summoned the butler again.

"Master, what are your instructions?" the butler asked respectfully.

Noticing the slightly wrinkled tailcoat the butler was wearing, Perry Yates asked, "Was there another conflict downstairs?"

The butler lowered his head slightly. "It has been resolved."

Although Perry Yates had expressly forbidden fighting in The Card Tavern, there were simply too many people. Besides, they were all players, and it was inevitable that their egos would clash.

One person is proud, another is just as proud, and when you add in a few troublemakers who love watching the drama, conflicts are bound to happen.

Perry Yates handed the newly Ascended arena cards to the butler, along with the ones that had been eliminated earlier.

"Set these cards up outside. Tell everyone that if they want to fight, they can take it to the arenas. I’ll have the Phantom Street cooperate with you."

A flash of delight crossed the butler’s face upon hearing her words, and he hurried downstairs, full of excitement.

As the butler left, Perry Yates’s gaze returned to the table, where the four item cards were waiting for their Ascension.

Did you think Perry Yates was about to get to work? If so, you’d be mistaken.

Perry Yates’s gaze drifted away from the cards. She turned and headed downstairs as well, thinking, ’At my current level, I can Ascend a card in about two days. That’s much faster than before. A little delay won’t make a difference. I can just start tonight.’

With that thought, Perry Yates headed downstairs without a shred of guilt.

But when she reached the ground floor, she found that the normally bustling tavern was practically empty, with only a few people scattered about. Even Sylas Sawyer, who served as janitor, waiter, and bartender, was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing this, Perry Yates narrowed her eyes. ’He dared to abandon his post? I’ll dock his pay.’

’No, wait. Sylas Sawyer doesn’t get a salary. He’s working to pay off a debt. In that case, I’ll add another month to his term. No, two months.’

The tavern may have been empty, but outside, Phantom Street was crammed with people.

From the very center of the crowd, streaks of purple and black light shot out, landing in the surrounding area to form a series of fighting arenas.

Most of these were ordinary two-star arenas, but the three-star ones Perry had Ascended were special—they came with attributes and could even simulate various combat environments.

Just as Perry Yates was wondering when to put out the leaderboards, a small white ferret leaped nimbly onto her shoulder.

Ever since she brought the little creature back, it had slept with her at night, but Perry rarely paid it much mind during the day. The butler was the one who took care of it most of the time.

Fortunately, the little creature didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, it was thriving in The Card Tavern, where it had become a mascot and the collective favorite. Everyone adored the friendly little thing with its glossy fur.

But now, the normally docile Little Ferret was unusually anxious. It hopped back and forth on Perry’s shoulder, occasionally letting out a wary cry toward something behind her.

Seeing this, Perry Yates turned and saw Amber Sheridan, who had just come down from the second floor with a look of fascination. However, the person behind Amber wasn’t Evan Fuller.

The man was over six-foot-three, with a square jaw, a buzz cut, and deep-set eyes that made him look like a silent Wolf King. His clothes hung on him loosely, but he was clearly the type who looked lean while dressed and was all muscle underneath.

"Hey, Boss, this tavern of yours is really well-decorated. Just a bit empty," Amber Sheridan said with a smile.

"Everyone’s outside," Perry Yates said, gesturing behind her. Through the window, the massive crowd was visible.

"What are they all doing out there? It looks pretty lively," Amber Sheridan asked, intrigued.

"Oh, nothing much. I just set up those fighting arenas you mentioned," Perry Yates said, as if it were no big deal.