"Huh? What's going on?"
Luo Sheng was stunned by the news.
Xu Yourong ranked third in the academy, and her abilities were on par with Wang Ke'ai's. She specialized in an assassin-themed card deck, known for devastating burst damage and exceptional escape techniques. Her sudden disappearance seemed bizarre.
With skepticism, Luo Sheng browsed forums for more information.
[
"San-san-san": "What on earth happened? How could the Xu family's eldest daughter go missing? That's impossible—she was seen two days ago collecting over 20 cards!"
"AkiyamaMio": "I can't believe it either!"
"In Quiet Times": "But it's true. Rumor has it there was another incident on the frontlines. Xu Yourong happened to be there, and now both she and the armed forces have vanished."
"mxsacybg1498": "No wonder the Xu family is offering such a huge reward! But I doubt anyone will go—it's way too dangerous."
]
As Luo Sheng continued scrolling, his phone rang. Zhao Haifeng was calling.
When Luo Sheng picked up, Zhao Haifeng's voice came through, concerned. "Hey, are you okay? You haven't answered my calls for two days."
"I'm fine. Took some leave to handle things at home," Luo Sheng replied.
"That's a relief. For a moment, I thought you might be caught up in all this. You've heard about Xu Yourong's disappearance, right?"
"I just found out but don't know the details," Luo Sheng said.
"It's because of a new dimensional anomaly," Zhao Haifeng explained. "This new Magic Realm has been behaving strangely. The creatures inside seem to have developed intelligence. They're evading Card Masters' hunts, ambushing them instead, and have even expanded their territory by twice the size. The Card Alliance is keeping this under wraps to avoid panic and plans to send experts to deal with it. I suspect Xu Yourong got caught in this chaos. Her chances of survival are slim. But the Xu family's reward is insane—five million credits and a vial of Spirit Elixir."
"That much?!" Luo Sheng was astonished.
The reward was tempting, especially the Spirit Elixir. It was incredibly rare and valuable—often fetching prices over ten million credits, if it was available at all. It had miraculous properties, capable of enhancing one's Spirit Core and unlocking new abilities.
From his studies, Luo Sheng knew the elixir could lead to extraordinary class evolutions, like Reinforcement Master, Fate Master, Analysis Master, Amplifier, Creator, and other rare abilities.
Although Luo Sheng already possessed the unique ability to enhance cards, he wasn't sure if it stemmed from a mutation in his mental domain or some mysterious power. If it was the former, he wouldn't gain new abilities until reaching Silver Rank, as his current Bronze Rank mutation might prevent additional capacity.
But if it was the latter, he could potentially evolve his abilities covertly, giving him an advantage as a Bronze Rank Card Master with dual-class potential. Skills were always an asset.
"All this because Xu Yourong is a rare talent in the Xu family," Zhao Haifeng added.
"So, how are you doing?" Luo Sheng asked, considering teaming up to find Xu Yourong and split the reward.
"Just got back from the Ghost Realm," Zhao Haifeng said. "But now my family has me on lockdown—they're terrified I'll be the next to disappear."
"Ah, must be nice," Luo Sheng said enviously. "When things get dangerous, your family protects you first."
"Well, they don't want to risk losing our new generation of talent," Zhao Haifeng chuckled.
After ending the call, Luo Sheng reviewed the Xu family's reward offer again. He couldn't deny he was tempted. Though the risks were immense, the potential gains were astronomical.
His phone rang again, this time it was Wang Ke'ai. Luo Sheng answered, hearing her slightly bored yet endearing voice.
"Hey! Are you ready yet?" she asked.
"You're free to leave?" Luo Sheng asked curiously.
"What do you mean, free to leave?" Wang Ke'ai sounded confused.
"Well, aren't you under house arrest or something? With the Ghost Realm still around and now the Magic Realm acting up, it's pretty dangerous out there," Luo Sheng explained.
"You're overthinking it. Weaklings need protection, not me," Wang Ke'ai said smugly. "I'm the academy's number two, after all. Besides, the academy has arranged for us to stay in very safe areas. As long as I don't wander into the Magic Realm like Xu Yourong, there's no issue."
Clearly, different families had different strategies. Zhao Haifeng's family was cautious and protective, while Wang Ke'ai's family encouraged boldness, likely because they had plenty of successors to fall back on if needed.
"Come quickly!"
"On my way."
After hanging up, Luo Sheng sighed. "Ah, life with a rich lady is something else."
Indeed, Wang Ke'ai's support was incredibly generous. She had already given him over five cards worth more than 500,000 credits. When teaming up with her, she didn't even care about the loot unless it was Ice or Water-elemental cards, letting Luo Sheng pocket most of the spoils.
"Qin Jianjia, if you don't step up soon, I might just switch allegiances to Wang Ke'ai," Luo Sheng joked to himself.
Just then, the door opened, and Qin Jianjia, dressed in practical combat gear, walked past. She rolled her eyes, clearly having overheard. "Boring…"
She left the apartment, shutting the door behind her.
"Uh…" Luo Sheng muttered. "I was being honest!"
He shook his head, thinking, She'll regret this. It's always satisfying when they chase after you later.
Afterwards, Luo Sheng rode his motorbike to their meeting spot, where Wang Ke'ai was waiting in an extravagant outfit—a pink princess dress with lace trim, white stockings, and a pair of delicate pink twin-tails. It looked more like she was heading for a cosplay event than a battlefield.
Luo Sheng couldn't help but stare, muttering under his breath, "White stockings! Good heavens, this girl is dangerous. Someone call for backup."
"Hey! Where are you looking?" Wang Ke'ai puffed her cheeks and glared at him.
Luo Sheng quickly changed the topic. "You don't seem dressed for combat. This looks more like Balala the Fairies gearing up to save the world."
"Hmph! Can't you at least compliment me first?" Wang Ke'ai pouted, her cheeks slightly flushed, as she twirled a strand of her hair.
Luo Sheng froze. Was she… finally warming up to him? Was Wang Ke'ai considering making him her exclusive partner?
"I actually prefer your feisty side," Luo Sheng said honestly.
And just like that, her sharp little tiger teeth sank into his arm—again, in the exact same spot as before, deepening the mark.
"Ah! Are you a demon? Why do you always bite me in the same place? Ugh… One day, I'll file down your fangs with a grinding stick!"
Luo Sheng winced in pain, vowing revenge.
(End of Chapter)