Chapter 406: The First Awakening!

The game continued to escalate. Camilla had also changed considerably since the first round.

She no longer played like someone learning a new game. She had begun exploiting the very familiarity that existed between the siblings.

She realized that Stan and Sacha unconsciously reacted to one another.

A glance. A slight movement. A pause. A tiny shift in expression. Those things could reveal more than the cards themselves.

So she began deliberately creating situations designed to trigger those reactions.

She changed colors unexpectedly, forcing Sacha to abandon a planned move.

Later, she paused deliberately before playing an otherwise harmless card, watching Stan’s face to see whether he would react.

’He didn’t.’ Camilla’s lips curved faintly. ’He saw through it.’

Stan noticed the tiny smile.

’She’s testing me.’ The thought amused him. ’She’s getting faster.’

The three of them continued trading moves. Sacha forced Camilla to draw and Camilla immediately turned the situation around and forced Stan to draw.

Stan changed the color to one Sacha clearly didn’t want and she countered with a Wild. Camilla responded with an action card that disrupted both of their plans.

The game had stopped feeling like a casual family pastime. It had become a genuine battle of observation and prediction.

Sacha suddenly threw both hands up. "You know what? I would’ve liked it better if Camilla played like an actual newbie that’s just learning uno."

Camilla calmly placed another card down, "I admire your deep thirst for victory, but there’s no chance of you this round."

Stan smiled at the friendly rivalry, with that the game continued.

Sacha was not simply being carried by experience. She tracked which cards had already appeared, remembered the colors Camilla had been avoiding, and began recognizing some of Camilla’s tendencies from the previous round.

At one point, Sacha made a sequence that Stan hadn’t anticipated.

His eyes widened slightly. ’Nice one, Sis.’

She was genuinely improving. Any victory she achieved today would not simply be because of him.

Eventually, the game entered its final stage. Sacha had three cards. Camilla had two. Stan had two.

Stan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Camilla was dangerously close to winning again.

But still, he didn’t rush, he considered every possibility.

If he attacked Camilla directly, Sacha could potentially exploit the opening.

If he targeted Sacha, Camilla could finish. If he played defensively, both women might overtake him.

So he chose the move that gave him the greatest chance of surviving regardless of what either of them held.

The card hit the discard pile.

Camilla’s planned sequence collapsed. Her crimson eyes narrowed.

Sacha immediately tried to capitalize. Stan countered her as well.

Sacha frowned, "You’re annoying."

"You’ve said that already."

"And I’ll keep saying it."

Camilla placed another card down. "So will I."

Stan looked at both women, "You guys are ganging up on me."

Neither answered and the game continued. Eventually, all three were down to their final cards. Sacha looked between them.

"Whoever loses this one isn’t allowed to complain."

Camilla nodded. "Agreed."

Stan smiled. "Agreed."

Sacha played.

Camilla countered and Stan watched carefully.

Camilla attempted to force the color toward one she believed he couldn’t answer.

Stan calmly placed his counter..Sacha immediately tried to take advantage of the opening.

Stan countered again..Camilla’s eyes sharpened. She understood what he was doing.

She changed her approach and attempted one final reversal.

Stan had already anticipated it. His final card slid onto the pile.

Silence descended from that point...

Stan leaned back, "I win."

Both women froze. Sacha and Camilla stared at the cards..

Then, almost simultaneously, both slowly raised their heads and looked at him. They said nothing, they simply stared intently, his victory had hit them hard

Stan looked from one to the other. A second passed. Then another.

The intensity of their expressions became so ridiculous that he couldn’t hold it anymore.

He burst out laughing. "What?"

Sacha continued staring at him as though he had somehow committed an offense.

Camilla’s expression remained perfectly composed, but her crimson eyes stayed fixed on him.

Stan couldn’t help feeling a little smug. ’Finally. I have done it.’

He had refused to underestimate either of them, calculated every move carefully, and managed to take the victory.

But just as his amusement began settling, something changed.

His smile faded. His enhanced senses caught something. Stan turned toward Sacha. Then toward the air around her.

Then back to her. His eyes widened as he confirmed what he just sensed

"What... ?" Sacha sensed his intense gaze and asked...

Stan was unable to answer her after all he could sense it

The thing moving through the atmosphere, Qi. Very faint and lmost imperceptible, yet unmistakable was slowly gathering around Sacha.

More importantly, it wasn’t being rejected. It was entering her body. Her breathing remained completely normal. She didn’t appear to have noticed anything.

Her body was simply absorbing the Qi naturally.

’Impossible.’ Stan was in shock as he stared at her, or rather the QI gathering to her, "But how is she able to interact with Qi?"

His thoughts raced. ’She’s comprehended Dao.’

His system had rarely answered questions that didn’t directly concern him. Yet this time, a translucent panel suddenly appeared within his vision.

[Analysis Complete.]

[Your Sister has comprehended Dao.]

[Comprehension of Dao is the prerequisite for interacting with Qi.]

[The comprehension of Dao does not require knowledge of the word "Dao," nor does it require conscious awareness of its existence.]

[Dao is a principle of existence.]

[To comprehend Dao is to perceive, understand, and resonate with such a principle.]

[Your Sister’s understanding reached the required threshold naturally.]

[Although she does not know what Dao is, not does she know the Dao language, her soul has already recognized and comprehended one.]

[As a result, her body has gained the ability to perceive, attract, and absorb Qi.]

[She has entered the Awakening Phase.]

[The Qi she absorbs is currently tempering her body and meridians.]

[Her Dantian has yet to form.]

[Once her body has been sufficiently tempered, the accumulated Qi will naturally converge and form her Dantian.]

[In simple terms:]

[She understood Dao before she understood the concept of Dao.]

[Knowledge of the name is unnecessary but Understanding is sufficient.]

Stan remained silent. ’Damn. So this is possible?!’