Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Primordial Era: Special Magic Card

The college entrance examination was a completely different beast compared to ordinary Card Crafter assessments. The sheer psychological weight pressing down on a Magic Card Master was elevated to an agonizing degree. The suffocating atmosphere of the testing grounds demanded absolute focus, and many examinees who could effortlessly craft Magic Cards in the comfort of their daily lives found themselves failing, their minds crumbling under the immense pressure.

From the high vantage point of the observation room, Principal Gu and the other academy leaders watched the monitoring screens with heavy expressions. Over the course of these grueling four hours, they had already witnessed several students who usually boasted excellent grades making amateur mistakes. Hands trembled, mental imagery shattered, and materials were wasted. It was a classic display of poor performance under the crushing weight of expectations.

“Do not let anxiety cloud your judgment. Luke has already successfully constructed two original worldviews from scratch. His mental fortitude is forged from something far stronger than that of an ordinary Magic Card Master. In fact, when it comes to pure psychological resilience, even seasoned veterans like us might not be able to compare to him,” Cang Fenghua said, reaching out to pat Chairman Yu on the shoulder with a reassuring grip.

It was an objective truth. In terms of raw destructive power, even if Luke managed to advance to the Commander Realm right this second, he would still not be a match for the older men in the room. The vast chasm in cultivation level and accumulated strength was obvious.

However, if the conversation shifted to mental fortitude and sheer creative audacity, Luke was a terrifying anomaly. And in terms of pure, unadulterated talent, every single high-ranking official present in that observation room had been completely outclassed by the young man.

“The Capital Lord speaks the truth. Besides, even if he fails to manifest an Original Magic Card this time, that does not mean his exam is over. Luke is more than capable of creating standard, non-Original Magic Cards,” Zhao Chengyuan chimed in, his eyes fixed on the screen displaying Luke’s testing booth. “With the monstrous talent he has already demonstrated, crafting a high-tier conventional Magic Card to secure his score will not be a problem for him.”

The tension was not isolated to the local testing center. Far away in the sprawling metropolis of Cang Capital, Shangguan Hong and Shangguan Pu were observing the exact same broadcast. A collective sigh of mild regret echoed through their opulent viewing chamber as they watched the scene unfold.

They were currently speculating whether Luke had just failed in his attempt to craft the mysterious item known as the Digivice.

Despite their lingering disappointment, neither man was particularly shocked. The path of a Magic Card Creator was paved with shattered materials and failed concepts. It was never smooth sailing, and the difficulty of birthing an Original Magic Card into existence was exponentially higher than merely tracing the established pathways of a non-Original creation.

“How is Wan’er holding up?” Shangguan Hong asked, deliberately pulling his attention away from Luke’s booth to inquire about his own flesh and blood.

While he harbored immense expectations for Luke’s future, Shangguan Wan’er was his own granddaughter, the pride of their lineage.

“Her vitals and spiritual fluctuations are completely normal.” A knowing, affectionate smile surfaced on Shangguan Pu’s face at the mention of his daughter. “Wan’er did not say much after suffering that defeat at Luke’s hands during the Youth Training Competition. She kept quiet, but anyone paying attention could see the burning motivation taking root deep within her.”

Shangguan Pu paused, glancing at the data streaming across his personal terminal. “I heard Ni Yu mention that Wan’er intends to use the suffocating pressure of this college entrance examination as a crucible. She is going to attempt the creation of a Seven-Star Magic Card.”

Ni Yu, Shangguan Pu’s wife and Wan’er’s mother, shared a deeply harmonious and open relationship with the girl. Because of that bond, Ni Yu had a perfect read on her daughter’s current mental state.

“Motivation is the truest catalyst for progress. I said it the day she lost, and I will say it again. Being defeated by Luke was not a bad thing for Wan’er.” Shangguan Hong nodded slowly, a deep sense of satisfaction settling into his old bones. “If my memory serves me right, the conceptual framework for Wan’er’s Seven-Star Magic Card has been in the planning stages for a very long time. With the sharp sting of Luke’s rivalry pushing her forward, combined with the extreme pressure of the exam, she might actually shatter the construction shackles separating intermediate and advanced Magic Cards.”

As the direct descendant of an Immortal Realm Magic Card Master, Shangguan Wan’er possessed a terrifyingly high baseline of talent. If Luke had not suddenly appeared out of thin air to disrupt the hierarchy, she would have undoubtedly been the undisputed champion of this year’s Cang Capital cohort.

Meanwhile, deep within the heart of the Cang Capital Capital Lord’s Mansion, a different conversation was taking place.

“He failed.” Cang Ao’s voice carried a heavy trace of regret as he watched the monitor.

The young man on the screen was a candidate his own grandson highly favored, and more, a rising star originating from his jurisdiction of Cang Capital., Cang Ao had recently spoken with his old friend Shangguan Hong, who had endlessly praised Luke’s performance in the Youth Training Competition. Naturally, the Capital Lord had developed sky-high expectations for the boy.

“It is a shame he failed the final materialization, but the new worldview Luke constructed was undeniably recognized by the Will of Magic Card Civilization,” Meng Ningdie added, her beautiful features tinged with disappointment. In her heart, she had already begun treating Luke as her junior brother.

As for the possibility of Luke refusing the apprenticeship? Meng Ningdie had never even entertained the thought. If word ever leaked out that one of the only four Undying Realm powerhouses in the entire Ancient Kingdom was actively accepting a disciple, the stampede of Magic Card Masters begging for the position would stretch from the Eastern Region all the way to the Western Region.

Of course, if the Night Queen uncharacteristically decided against recruiting Luke after this perceived failure, then Meng Ningdie would have no right to intervene.

“Perhaps Luke did not fail.”

The charming, magnetic voice of the Night Queen suddenly drifted into their ears. Her cherry lips were slightly parted, her gaze locked onto the screen with an intensity that demanded absolute attention.

“Perhaps he did not fail? Does that mean Luke actually succeeded?” Meng Ningdie turned her head, her expression painted with utter confusion. Beside her, Cang Ao’s eyes narrowed as he silently echoed the same question.

It was common knowledge that whenever an Original Magic Card was successfully crafted, a blinding pillar of creation light would descend from the heavens. It was the absolute, obvious identifier of an original birth.

And just moments ago, the monitoring feeds showed absolutely nothing of the sort. The room had remained devoid of that signature divine light.

While Meng Ningdie and Cang Ao possessed overwhelming combat strength, neither of them were Original Magic Card Creators. They simply did not possess the esoteric knowledge required to understand the deeper intricacies of the crafting process.

But their ignorance did not mean the room was devoid of answers.

If one were to ask who held the most absolute, unquestionable authority in all of Cang Capital, or even the entirety of the Eastern Region, the answer stood right in front of them. The Night Queen, the Eastern Region Lord, was a living encyclopedia of arcane knowledge.

Since she was the one who had casually denied their assumptions, they held their breath and waited for her explanation.

“In our current era, the Magic Cards crafted by the vast majority of Magic Card Masters are exclusively entities known as Magic Card Elves. If we look back to the Primordial Era, these specific creations were simply referred to as Elf Magic Cards.” The Night Queen paused, her eyes reflecting a deep, ancient nostalgia as she slowly unveiled a fragment of history long forgotten by the masses.

“However, alongside those Elf Magic Cards, there existed another category entirely. They were known as Special Magic Cards. This unique classification was further divided into highly specific functional types, such as Equip Cards, Counter Cards, and Skill Cards, among others.”

“Special Magic Cards? Skill Cards?” Cang Ao muttered, his weathered face shifting into an expression of deep contemplation.

He was completely unfamiliar with the concepts of Equip Cards and Counter Cards that the Night Queen had just mentioned, but the term Skill Card struck a very specific chord in his memory.

After all, when he had personally distributed the rewards to Luke for successfully resolving the crisis of the Black Gate, one of the items he handed over was a Skill Card known as Crystallization Technique.

It was not an isolated artifact. Deep within the heavily guarded vaults of the Cang Capital Mansion, a small handful of these ancient Skill Cards still existed. They were relics that predated his own ascension to the position of Capital Lord, inherited directly from his predecessor. In truth, the origins of those cards stretched back far beyond even the previous Capital Lord’s reign.

The crafting methods for these Skill Cards had been completely erased by the passage of time. Every single one that was activated and consumed meant one less existed in the world.

When Cang Ao had selected the rewards, he had taken Luke’s low cultivation level into account. He knew that the Magic Power Feedback required to summon and sustain Six-Star or Seven-Star Magic Card Elves would instantly drain the boy dry. That logistical problem was the exact reason he had chosen to gift the Crystallization Technique.

He simply never imagined that the convenient little card he handed over was tied to such a deep and forgotten era of history.

“Magic Card Elves can use the unique effects embedded within these Special Magic Cards to drastically amplify their own power, allowing them to exert a level of strength far beyond their natural limits.” While Cang Ao was lost in his realization, the Night Queen continued her lecture, her voice smooth and measured.

“However, even during the golden age of the Primordial Era, the number of Magic Card Masters who possessed the conceptual understanding required to craft Special Magic Cards was abysmally small. Fast forward to our present era, and these Special Magic Cards are nothing more than myths recorded in fragmented ancient texts. It is generally considered impossible to encounter a modern creator capable of forging one.”

A faint, stunning smile graced the Night Queen’s lips as she leaned closer to the monitor. “Even I have not managed to craft many Special Magic Cards over the centuries.”

As she spoke those final words, her beautiful eyes remained entirely fixated on Luke’s figure on the screen, burning with an unmatched level of interest.