Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Finally My Turn to Soar!

“The crazy woman is actually leading a team here for an exchange?” Chairman Yu stared at the glowing projection screen, a look of sudden realization washing over his weathered features. “No wonder all of you look so grim. I suspect this is far more than a simple academic visit.”

Judging by his tone, Chairman Yu was intimately familiar with Lin Heling and her notorious reputation. However, since her crosshairs were currently locked onto Principal Gu and the other school leaders, he was more than happy to stay out of the line of fire.

His attention quickly drifted back to the live feed, locking onto the figures of Luke and Dark Magician Girl standing amidst the ruined battlefield. “A rather unique Magic Card Spirit. I do not recall seeing her recorded in the Magic Card Encyclopedia.”

Even as a branch president of the prestigious Magic Card Association, Chairman Yu did not possess encyclopedic knowledge of every single spirit in existence. Magic Cards absent from the official archives were uncommon, but they were not entirely unheard of. The encyclopedia only cataloged creations native to the Ancient Kingdom. It was entirely plausible that this young student had managed to replicate a Magic Card template originating from a foreign nation.

Such anomalies had cropped up before. The Ancient Kingdom’s open border policies over the decades had cultivated strong trade and diplomatic ties with neighboring territories and independent factions.

Naturally, the true foundation of this open-door confidence was raw, unadulterated power. The Ancient Kingdom possessed Supremes, while the surrounding nations did not. These apex Magic Card Masters stood at the absolute pinnacle of civilization, acting as walking strategic deterrents—much like the nuclear weapons of a bygone era, only far more terrifying in their precision and destructive yield.

Because of this, Chairman Yu’s mind never even drifted toward the possibility of an Original Magic Card. Such miracles had not graced Cang Capital, let alone the broader Ancient Kingdom, in many long years. In all his decades serving as a professional Magic Card Master, he had never laid eyes on a newly birthed Original.

“She isn’t recorded in the encyclopedia,” Cang Fenghua said, his expression twisting into a complicated mix of awe and disbelief. “After all, Dark Magician Girl is an Original Magic Card. And judging by the energy output, she is very likely a Six-Star.”

Had Cang Fenghua and the other seasoned educators not watched the entire creation process with their own eyes, they would have called it a sheer impossibility. A novice Magic Card Master forging an Original on his first attempt defied all established logic. Because Dark Magician Girl’s exact stat parameters had not been publicly broadcasted by the system, Cang Fenghua could not state her rank with absolute, empirical certainty.

He had made an educated guess at Six-Star, but a tiny, greedy part of his mind wondered if she might actually be a Seven-Star. Even if the statistical probability was microscopic, a man could still dream.

“An Original Magic Card? Ah, that makes sense.” Chairman Yu replied casually, his brain lagging a full second behind the conversation. Then, the words finally registered. His eyes snapped wide open, practically bulging from their sockets. “Wait. Did you just say Original? And Six-Star?”

He did not need a verbal confirmation. The heavy silence and the solemn expressions on the faces of Principal Gu and the others provided all the answers he needed.

“Hahaha!” Chairman Yu threw his head back, his booming laughter echoing off the walls of the observation room. The sheer excitement radiating from his body was suffocating. “I never imagined it! I never imagined our Cangling City would birth such a monstrous Magic Card genius! Damn it all, I knew our local branch couldn’t be entirely devoid of talent!”

He thought back to the recent regional summit in Cang Capital, where that old schemer from the Cangheng City branch had paraded their newly discovered prodigy around like a prized stallion. Just recalling that smug, wrinkled face made Chairman Yu’s blood pressure spike with vindictive joy.

To hell with their prodigy! What was a standard genius compared to a young god who could forge an Original Magic Card from nothing?

This time, the winds of fortune were finally at his back. It was Cangling City’s turn to hold their heads high and look down on the rest of the province. He finally understood what Cang Fenghua meant by an unexpected variable. Forget Cangling City—even in the heart of Cang Capital, one of the twelve great metropolises, the sudden birth of an Original Magic Card would send shockwaves through the entire hierarchy.

“Old Yu, Luke is still a student. He isn’t a member of your Magic Card Association yet. Aren’t you uncorking the champagne a bit early?” Principal Gu’s dry voice cut through the celebration.

The booming laughter died instantly. Chairman Yu narrowed his eyes, his posture shifting into something highly defensive. “Principal Gu, I have always treated you fairly. You aren’t planning to burn the bridge after crossing it, are you?”

Absolute bullshit. After decades of mediocrity, Cangling City had finally produced a chosen one. If anyone tried to poach Luke now, Chairman Yu was fully prepared to start a localized war. He wouldn’t surrender this boy to anyone, not even if the elites of Cang Capital came knocking at his door with a royal decree.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Principal Gu sighed, rubbing his temples impatiently. “I am simply stating that according to your own strict regulations, one can only join after passing the formal assessment. Luke hasn’t even submitted an application yet. No matter how excited you get, he officially has no ties to the Cangling City Magic Card Association.”

Joining the Association granted a Magic Card Master access to a vast network of resources, rare materials, and lucrative bounties. But the barrier to entry was notoriously strict, requiring a formal application and a grueling practical exam to weed out the weak.

“I thought you were worried about something serious.” Chairman Yu waved a hand, dismissing the bureaucratic red tape with absolute authority. “Successfully forging a Six-Star Original Magic Card completely shatters our standard evaluation metrics. I am making the executive decision right now. Luke is exempt from the entry assessment. He is officially a member of the Magic Card Association as of this second.”

He paused, his mind calculating the best way to secure the boy’s loyalty. “In addition, if he can successfully craft three Six-Star or higher Magic Cards before the college entrance examination concludes, he will be exceptionally promoted to an elite member, with all the funding and privileges that status entails. And yes, Dark Magician Girl counts as the first.”

“Three Six-Star Magic Cards for an elite spot? Old Yu, you are truly bleeding yourself dry for this.” Cang Fenghua winced, genuinely shocked by the offer.

Under normal circumstances, a regular member fighting for an elite promotion needed to successfully craft a Seven-Star Magic Card. By lowering the requirement to merely three Six-Star cards, Chairman Yu was practically handing the prestigious title away. Seven-Star cards belonged to the advanced tier, and the difficulty of crafting them was exponentially higher than anything in the intermediate range.

Since Luke had already proven capable of forging an Original Six-Star, producing two standard, non-original Six-Star cards would be a walk in the park. The failure rate of card crafting always posed a risk, but Chairman Yu was essentially paving a golden road right to the boy’s feet.

Despite the shock, Cang Fenghua understood the strategy perfectly. If he were in the chairman’s shoes, he would do the exact same thing. It was always better to extend a hand and offer shelter when a genius was still young and growing, rather than waiting to curry favor after they had already conquered the world.

Zhao Chengyuan and Da Baiman exchanged quiet glances, the bitter sting of envy clear in their eyes. Even the prestigious First and Second High Schools had never produced a student worthy of being fast-tracked by the Association. Now, the historically average Third High School had claimed the ultimate prize. It was a tough pill to swallow.

Meanwhile, the digital chat scrolling alongside the live broadcast was moving so fast it blurred into a river of text.

“Why aren’t any new fierce beasts spawning? I need to see how far Luke can push this!”

“This is insane! I never expected the joint examination to deliver such a blood-pumping slaughter.”

Having witnessed the absolute destruction of the Storm Cloud Sparrow, the examinees watching from the safety of the staging area were starving for more. They desperately wanted to see the absolute upper limits of Dark Magician Girl’s power, and just how high Luke could climb in this trial of blood.