"This one is mine, no objections, right?" Luo Sheng asked Wang Keai.
Since she was his teammate, he felt it necessary to show some respect.
"Yeah, I only like ice and water-type cards. Everything else is yours unless it's something special," Wang Keai replied.
With that, the two ventured further into the polluted zone.
Invasion by another dimension involves territorial battles between this world and others. Both sides vie for control of land.
Areas occupied by another dimension are referred to as Polluted Zones.
The larger a Polluted Zone becomes, the more creatures it spawns, devouring more of this world.
As Polluted Zones expand, they produce World Fragments that further accelerate the spread of the pollution, creating a vicious cycle.
Just like now.
The ghostly domain had grown, its edges expanding outward by about a kilometer in radius. Luo Sheng had read about this phenomenon in textbooks.
The core of each alternate dimension consists of these World Fragments—like the crystal towers in video games. Destroying them causes the dimension to shrink until it is entirely conquered.
However, the more land these dimensions seize, the more cardmasters they kill and the more cards they destroy, which generates new fragments.
As fragments increase, so do the levels of creatures spawned within the dimension, further escalating the conflict.
Currently, the military cardmasters were at the frontlines, fighting to locate and destroy World Fragments.
Luo Sheng and Wang Keai were stationed behind them, tasked with cleaning up stray creatures or newly spawned weaklings to prevent the military from being flanked.
Their job was to maintain the logistics lines—part of the academy's practical training. However, a real battlefield meant real danger; a single mistake could cost a life.
"Something's here!"
Suddenly, Wang Keai halted and drew a card from her deck.
[Kirin Demigod - Ganyu]
The card transformed into a blue-haired girl.
Her hair cascaded down her back in a long ponytail, with a single cowlick on top and two small, black-and-red kirin horns adorning her head. She wore a golden bell on her high collar, an icy blue emblem on the red sash at her waist, and a white cheongsam with golden trim.
She appeared in a combat stance, gripping an icy blue short bow.
Taking aim at a crooked tree in the distance, she charged her bow.
Whoosh!
The arrow, imbued with icy energy, glowed a sky-blue hue as it flew, exploding upon contact with the tree.
Thud, thud, thud!
A rain of arrows followed, riddling the tree with holes until it disintegrated into a card.
Wang Keai casually tossed the card to Luo Sheng.
"Here, you can have it. I don't need this kind of card."
"For me?" Luo Sheng felt like a spoiled child being handed a platinum credit card by a rich loli benefactor.
"Thanks! If you ever need anything, just let me know," Luo Sheng said politely.
Of course, it was just a courtesy. He wasn't about to be at her beck and call unless there was extra compensation involved.
He examined the card:
[ [Crooked Tree]
Level: Bronze, 4-star
Type: Effect
Effect: Apply this card to an enemy to inflict a misfortune debuff, causing one unlucky event within 1–5 minutes.
Description: Every imperial family has its crooked tree—it's a devourer of fortune.]
"This is actually a decent effect card," Luo Sheng mused.
While simple, it could be decisive on the battlefield. Misfortune could turn normal damage into critical hits in the heat of combat.
However, what truly caught Luo Sheng's attention was Wang Keai's [Ganyu] card.
"She's too adorable! My heart can't take it!" Luo Sheng thought.
"Don't even think about it! She's my main card—hands off!" Wang Keai quickly guarded Ganyu, as if protecting a treasured toy.
"Miss Rich... I mean, Miss Wang, let's date!" Luo Sheng blurted out.
"No way! You just want my card!" Wang Keai huffed, her cheeks flushing as she stood protectively in front of Ganyu.
Regretting his impulsive confession, Luo Sheng realized he'd missed his chance.
"If only I'd kept quiet, I could've played the long game…"
Their conversation shifted to the peculiar nature of Polluted Zones.
According to Wang Keai, the entirety of an alternate dimension was essentially a massive domain card.
"Everything in it, living or otherwise, can potentially become a card if attacked. But there are limits—some things are too high-level or lack the necessary energy."
Her explanation intrigued Luo Sheng, but she cautioned against overexerting himself. "Plenty of cardmasters have died trying to overuse their spirit energy. Be careful."
"I understand," Luo Sheng nodded, though he secretly planned to experiment with non-living targets to generate more cards.
As they moved on, they encountered minor creatures like [Minotaur Warden], [Horse-Faced Guard], and [Shadow Leeches], all of which Wang Keai handed over to Luo Sheng.
Finally, Luo Sheng tested a unique combo: summoning [Shadow of War] using Bai Moxue. To his surprise, it drastically reduced spirit energy consumption.
"Whoa, how did you do that?" Wang Keai exclaimed, her eyes wide.
Luo Sheng smiled but played coy. "It was an accident. You won't tell anyone, right?"
"Of course! My lips are sealed," Wang Keai promised, though her curiosity remained piqued.
And so, their adventure continued.
(Chapter End)