The Card Apprentice

“The unwinding game is over. Reward: the skills to operate and make the tailless shuttle card.”

The tailless shuttle card was a three-star battle card, which could release a spinning-power shuttle. It’s tail would constantly evaporate into motive power to give it more and more flight speed, and it was called the tailless shuttle because of its great power.

The splendid scene of the battle between those two from that day in the Eastern Wei Academy classroom appeared before Chen Mu’s eyes. His mind lit up while a notion which had been in its deepest recesses floated up; could he really become a card artisan?

Once the idea came to him, he couldn’t get rid of it.

After carefully considering the detailed specifications for the production methods of the tailless shuttle card, Chen Mu affirmed that he could actually make the card.

So, the question now was should he or shouldn’t he actually make it?

Although a three-star card was only one level higher than a two-star card, it was several times more expensive to make. And a battle card was a lot more expensive than an ordinary card. Even the lowest level three-star battle card still had a staggering price.

Chen Mu spent half a day working it out, and reached the conclusion that if he wanted to make that tailless shuttle card, he would have to throw in nearly his entire income for the whole time, leaving him a balance of only 20,000 Oudi.

Wiping some cold sweat off his brow, Chen Mu had never spent so much money in one bout. He couldn’t really figure out if card artisans were all so rich. Given that a single three-star fantasy card would cost two million Oudi, then how many people could become card artisans?

If he were to decide to make it, it would take all of his assets, which was also what was making him hesitant.

To make it or not?

Chen Mu was battling it out in his mind. For three days running, he had no way to sleep for his tossing and turning.

Copper sensed the difference right away, and asked straight out, “Blockhead, what’s up? Why am I always feeling that you are distracted recently? Are you sick? What’s the matter?”

Chen Mu was still for a while, and then asked back without having answered, “Tell me Copper, If . . . – and I’m saying ‘if’– you were facing a choice, and it wasn’t a choice you needed to make, but it required you to spend all of your money, what would you do?”

“Choice?” Copper looked at Chen Mu suspiciously, “What are you considering now?”

Chen Mu stayed silent.

Looking at Chen Mu’s expression, Copper knew he wasn’t going to say anything, so after thinking about it, Copper asked, “Would this decision change your life? Which is to say, is it very important to you? Is it your dream?”

“I think so.” Chen Mu was a little hesitant … to him, ideals seemed far away. His dreams before had always been to be a little better off, so what were his dreams now that his life had gotten better?

“So do it!” Copper answered decisively.

Chen Mu was stunned, since he had never imagined that Copper would respond with such certainty.

Copper didn’t know what he was thinking of, but he slowly said, “Blockhead, we are both little people, we can eat our fill, we have a place to live, so we’re already satisfied. If those were our dreams before, then we’ve realized them.”

Chen Mu was listening earnestly.

“People need dreams. Blockhead, if there’s nothing to give you pause, then you’ve already failed. Could things be worse than before? Could they be worse than before we were making card plays? Let alone the fact that we are still making card plays. We’ve gotten everything we have now by depending on our own efforts, and we were never afraid from the very beginning! We will never again be those two poor wretches worried about something to eat. The people we are now can afford this!”

“Blockhead, Go ahead!”

“So!” Chen Mu’s confused eyes became clear again, and he resolutely nodded.

Having decided, he got right into gear. Without any hesitation, he went out to buy everything on the list. In particular, he went to the card shops to find that a routine three-star battle card cost less than three to five hundred thousand. While this tailless shuttle card would use up two million to make, which filled Chen Mu with anticipation toward it.

With money flowing like water, he came back with a huge pile of materials, but he had run into some difficulty.

There were a few kinds of materials that he couldn’t buy. It was hard for Chen Mu to understand the issue, since how it could be that materials for a three-star battle card weren’t available? Never mind three-star, what about four and five-star, which he should also be able to buy.

But Chen Mu had run around to every materials shop in the whole of Eastern Shang-Wei City, and without exception he couldn’t find the materials. This messed with Chen Mu, since if he didn’t have those few kinds of materials, then the huge sums of money that he had spent to get his materials was all in vain.

Just when he was at his wits’ end, he remembered the low-grade fantasy card club. Didn’t they have a trading area? Chen Mu decided to try his luck there.

Chen Mu had only just entered the great hall when he was discovered by the idle Lan Feng. Her eyes lit up, since this young man was what the director wanted her to pay attention to.

Keeping her professional smile, she gathered herself up to go and greet him, “It’s been a long time since you’ve come, Mr. Chen.”

“Mmmm.” Chen Mu responded.

“Didn’t Mr. Chen receive the invitation letter for the last two-way meeting? It disappointed a lot of people that we didn’t see you there.” Lan Feng said while pretending a casual laugh.

“Invitation letter?” Chen Mu was taken aback, “Wasn’t that sent by mistake? Doesn’t your advanced group require four hundred points?”

Lan Feng’s expression stiffened, as she didn’t know what to say. Could that really be the reason . . .?

Barely able to force a smile, “Mr. Chen is really funny! Since you resolved so many requests for help last time, you have already earned over four hundred points. That one time you topped a month for the advanced group members.”

“Oh.” Chen Mu turned right around since his feet hadn’t stopped moving, and went directly toward the trading area.

Lan Feng hurried to follow when she saw this, “Mr. Chen has come for . . .”

“To buy!” Chen Mu didn’t look back, but strode ahead.

Dammit, can’t you walk a little slower? This old lady can’t keep up! Lan Feng followed behind him, breaking into a jog, cursing through her clenched teeth, but said very sweetly, “What would Mr. Chen like to buy? Members of the advanced group have a very high purchase limit!”

This phrase finally got Chen Mu’s attention, “Ah, very good!” He sped up a bit, dying to get to the treading area.

Lan Feng’s inward cursing turned a little happier, and while she was helpless to keep up, the clacking of her stringy high heels fell on the floor like rain.

Chen Mu finally arrived at the trading area, and looked all around at a loss, since it was his first time coming there. Behind him, Lan Feng was panting with her two hands on her two knees.

“What would Mr. Chen like to buy?” Lan Feng finally asked after she calmed and saw Chen Mu’s bewildered expression, and popped out a laugh, having dissipated her anger from just then.