The Card Apprentice

Chapter 86: Dual Compostion

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was about thirty centimeters in diameter, likely a plate-shaped pedestal. It didn’t have a very complicated design, just three pieces of interlocking framework. Among all the parts scattered around, it didn’t stand out, though its existence had still caught Chen Mu’s attention.

Chen Mu was drawn over to it because there were three cards placed on it.

The three cards were separately placed on the three metal arms, each of which had a card slot. Among the three cards, one was a power card, one was a jet stream card, while another was a three-star fantasy card.

Since he was involved with cards, Chen Mu had quickly sorted it out. The three-star fantasy card could emit a jujube-pit shaped energy cloak, probably to shield the activity of the pedestal. If it weren’t for his having just restored an energy cloak card, he wouldn’t have recognized what kind of card it was. Still the energy cloak card there in front of him was a lot different from the one he had restored.

Chen Mu became very interested as he looked the card appliance over carefully. Although he didn’t understand the basic principles of the appliance, he could discern its designer’s idea about the usage of the cards. It was the first time he’d seen a card appliance that could utilize two cards at the same time.

“Is Brother Yao interested in card appliances too?” A voice came suddenly from behind.

Chen Mu looked up to see that person who had just been asking about him, the silver-haired muscular guy called Spanner.

Having just seen all those guys about to give the car a test run, Chen Mu asked without answering, “Why aren’t you watching the trial?”

Spanner grinned, and said with some disapproval, “Anything Hua Hua makes is certainly pretty good. But real troubleshooting isn’t something you would see in a test run. It would require going through specialized debugging. I’m guessing Phoenix isn’t patient enough for that.”

Thinking of Phoenix’s temperament, Chen Mu concurred, “You got that right.”

“I never would have thought that little brother Yao could copy the ‘mud fish.'” Really awesome!” I doubt that even Zuo Tingyi could have succeeded. There really are some crouching tigers and hidden dragons in that sponsorship section!” Spanner was looking at Chen Mu with a great deal of interest, though there was something hidden in what he said.

Chen Mu was chilled, never having considered that making “mud fish” could give Spanner such ideas.

“It would be pretty simple for him to do.” Chen Mu said casually. He wouldn’t admit how hard it was, since that be the same as calling himself awesome.

Spanner was startled, since what Chen Mu had just said made it seem that he was very familiar with Zuo Tingyi.

He was cut off in the middle of chewing over the hidden meaning of what Chen Mu had just said.

“What is this?” Chen Mu was pointing at the plate shaped pedestal on the ground.

“This is a flight apparatus that I made. I’m preparing it for a defensive competition, haha, it’s pretty rough, don’t hesitate to give advice, little brother Yao.” Although Spanner was big and gruff, when he talked there would be back and forth unlike those types without a brain.

“Defensive competition?”

“An activity among the societies, where flight apparatuses fly through a net of firepower, with the last to hit the target winning. It was originally to test the maneuverability of flight apparatuses, and the skills of the contestants. Ho Ho, I’m pretty thick, and I can only come up with dumb ideas.

“You’re using a fantasy card? An energy cloak?”

Ha Ha, Little Brother Yao picked it right out. Indeed, I’m thinking why not just add a shield to it, harden its resistance, like going through a loophole.” Spanner gave a forthright smile.

“Good idea.” Chen Mu nodded, the scheme could be called powering through ingenuity, but he quickly inquired about his doubts, “How did you solve the problem of using two cards at the same time?”

“Well . . .” Spanner spread his hands with an embarrassed look, “I spent a lot of time researching this technique . . .”

“What are your terms!” Chen Mu just cut him off.

“Ha! Little Brother Yao is pretty quick!” Spanner was smiling, “Although I spent over a million on this fantasy card, its impact is pretty ordinary, I’m hoping maybe little brother Yao can help me make an energy cloak fantasy card, for which I’ll naturally provide the materials. And if you agree, your little brother will immediately present you with everything I’ve learned.”

“OK!” Chen Mu agreed without hesitation.

“Agreed, then!” Spanner was very happy, “So now let your little brother show Big Brother Yao this dual composition in some detail!”

Chen Mu was feeling pretty good when he got home. That dual composition of Spanner’s had given him a huge inspiration. He’d been struggling to find a simplified version of the simple water world that was on his mind, and he had finally gotten a glimmer of light.

What Chen Mu wanted to make then was completely derived from the knowledge that he had digested that day from what he had gleaned from Spanner.

Chen Mu went back to Amay City on the weekend.

“An invitation?” Chen Mu asked, finding it strange.

The shopkeeper hurriedly nodded, “Yep, Madam Ning would like to thank you in person.” Seeing that Chen Mu wasn’t interested, he quickly added, “Madam Ning is a very good person, and genuinely from the Ning clan, although she’s been alone for these few years.”

The shopkeeper was reminding Chen Mu who Madam Ning was.

“Please give Madam Ning my thanks for her kindness.” Chen Mu had thought about it, and was still declining, “Restoring cards is my job, with nothing admirable about it. And I have a lot to do recently, and don’t have the time.”

He really did have a lot to do lately.

Having solved the most difficult issues, he needed to go ahead and make the simplified version of the simple water world. Aside from that, he still owed Spanner an energy cloak fantasy card.

But in the shopkeeper’s ears, what he was saying sounded inevitably arrogant. The shopkeeper sneered to himself, wondering how he should respond to Madam Ning. But he couldn’t afford to offend the youth in front of him, since there would still be quite a few places where he would have to rely on Chen Mu. Anyhow, given the family backgrounds of the students at Eastern Wei Academy, there was always a high probability of them acting like big shots.

He brought back another ten three-star cards that time. Even though he had plenty of money on hand, he still didn’t want to treat it lightly. There were too many places where he needed money, and if he were careless he would get nervous about his funds.

After spending a whole two weeks, Chen Mu finally completed his “Swordfish Training” version. He hadn’t entirely adopted Spanner’s dual composition, but instead put that into a card, which strictly speaking was using a card to replicate the dual composition.

Chen Mu called this the “dual card.” Apart from its ability to enable the simultaneous use of more cards, it had no other function. It was also Chen Mu’s first card which didn’t use any standard compositions, so in a sense it was as though he had invented a new kind of card.

That didn’t make him self-satisfied at all, since Spanner had invented the dual composition, and he had only compressed it onto a card. In any case, compared with the simple water world that was constructed from that mysterious card, the results from this dual card would just be considered so-so.

Adding the dual card and the power card, the “Swordfish Training” needed five cards altogether, which also meant that he needed to swap out for a five-slot apparatus.

He bought an ordinary five-slot apparatus, which cost nearly half a million, which made him wonder if he needed to be researching the structure of these apparatuses.

This most recent version of the “Swordfish Training” had cost him a whole million up until then. Burning through million after million, he had become numb to the numbers.

Having inserted the five cards, he activated the apparatus.

There was an entirely new simplified water world! One that Chen Mu had made by himself. Although this water world was basic and crude, once he’d entered it, Chen Mu was full of a sense of achievement.

Countless ‘bubblefish’ were swimming about in front of him, in great schools. But don’t underestimate the cute bubblefish, since there wasn’t any difference in their speed or agility from the triangular swordfish in the simple water world. The water pressure here was also identical to that of the simple water world.

But by training here, he didn’t need to be worried about getting injured. Although you’d feel those round-headed bubblefish hitting your body, it wouldn’t be painful, and it wouldn’t leave any bruises.

If he were to practice his dodging and evading there, Chen Mu felt that he could certainly complete the swordfish challenge in the simple water world. He was very curious about what the reward would be for completing the swordfish challenge.

He’d added something else to his daily training.

Still . . . when was the demonic woman going to return? Chen Mu felt a little unsettled, since it had already been quite a few months since the demonic woman had disappeared, and he hadn’t had the slightest bit of news.

Without her returning, he would just have to go on with this disguised identity, since he had no right to choose.

When he returned to campus, the news of his having made the “mud fish” had long since spread to his class. All his classmates were looking at him with worshipful admiration, like night and day from their simple fear of him before.

It was really very interesting. The news that Chen Mu had made the “mud fish” jet stream card had spread most broadly among the sponsorship class section, since those fancy pants were mostly enamored of card appliances and modified cars. So, they understood the value of the “mud fish.” Chen Mu was still unknown to the overall campus.

“Mud fish?” What is that?

The students who had aspirations looked down on those richies who played with card appliances and shuttle cars, and naturally wouldn’t pay any attention to that kind of news. As far as they were concerned if the sponsorship class were able to produce an ace card master, Eastern Wei Academy would already have become a great institution like the Star Academy.

Still, the admiring gazes of the students in his class section alerted Chen Mu that there were still wanted posters pasted all over, and if he wasn’t careful he would be on the road to death. He secretly congratulated himself that the energy cloaking fantasy card that he’d made for Spanner hadn’t completely copied the fantasy card from Madam Ning. While the one he made for Spanner was a little more powerful than the ordinary energy cloaking fantasy card, there wasn’t anything too extraordinary about it.

People kept looking for him during that time, hoping to buy a “mud fish” card. That Fiery Mayfly of Phoenix’s had already become the most celebrated shuttle car among the car mod circle at Eastern Wei Academy. Quite a few of them thought that it was the liveliest shuttle car at Eastern Wei Academy.

Chen Mu rebuffed all those requests. Although money was important, his life was clearly more important.