Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Getting By with Cuteness, People Always Need Dreams

Seven-Star Magic Cards were not common goods. They had firmly crossed the threshold into the world of Higher Order Magic Cards—a mythical tier that the vast majority of Magic Card Masters could only dream of glimpsing in their entire lifetimes.

In this year’s batch of freshmen, for instance, a mere four candidates had successfully forged a Seven-Star Magic Card. Naturally, Luke was among them. Even prodigies like Liu Yanran and Su Xueyi, whose innate talents were only a hair’s breadth beneath the peerless Shangguan Wan’er, had yet to breach that formidable bottleneck.

But even Shangguan Wan’er and the other top-tier geniuses weren’t as utterly outrageous as Luke. Forging three distinct Seven-Star Magic Cards in such a ridiculously short timeframe defied all known logic. Even a wholesale manufacturer of Magic Cards wouldn’t dare produce them at such an absurd pace!

Of course, possessing a Seven-Star Magic Card didn’t grant a student an immediate graduation from Tianfu Academy. The rigorous four-year academic system remained firmly in place. Because the academy operated on a strict credit-ranking system, students perched at the top of the hierarchy were showered with an exorbitant amount of cultivation resources every year.

With such a massive influx of premium resources practically handed to them on a silver platter, no candidate would be foolish enough to graduate early and cut off their own supply line.

, even within the hallowed halls of the four major academies, not every elite student boasted a Seven-Star Magic Card. The mainstream standard for the upper echelons was still heavily dominated by Six-Star Magic Cards.

Standing in the courtyard, Liu Yanran stared at the imposing, obsidian-scaled behemoth resting before them. In her understanding, this magnificent Red-Eyes Black Dragon had clearly been created by Luke after the college entrance examination. Thinking back on her own grueling efforts over the past few weeks, only to see the chasm between her and Luke widening into an impossible abyss, Liu Yanran couldn’t help but let out a soft, wistful sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Catching the subtle drop in her demeanor, Luke asked casually.

The answer he received, however, nearly made him choke on his own breath.

“Nothing,” Liu Yanran murmured, tilting her head. “I just suddenly feel that Wan’er was completely right about you. You really are a freak.” After delivering the jab, she stuck her tongue out and made a playful, funny face at him, her expression overflowing with vibrant, youthful energy.

“Oh, I’ll show you what a freak is!” Seeing her cheeky defiance, Luke’s faux anger flared. He reached out with both hands, mercilessly pinching Liu Yanran’s soft, fair cheeks and stretching them from side to side. “Also, don’t think you can get away with insulting me just by acting cute.”

“Wuwuwu!” With her face squished between his fingers, Liu Yanran’s words slurred as she quickly batted at his wrists, begging for mercy. “I wash wong! Let go!”

“Good that you know your place.” Luke didn’t overdo the punishment, merely enjoying the tactile softness for a second longer before releasing her. “Let’s not waste any more time. Even with Red-Eyes Black Dragon flying at maximum speed, it’s still going to take a considerable amount of time to reach Cang Capital.”

“Red-Eyes Black Dragon, huh? That name sounds incredibly imposing,” Liu Yanran remarked, rubbing her cheeks. Her delicate face was flushed with an alluring, rosy blush—though whether it was from Luke’s pinching or the sudden, intimate proximity, only she knew.

As if fully understanding the beautiful girl’s praise, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon lifted its massive, jagged head and let out an excited, rumbling roar. The sheer force of its vocal cords sent a violent gust of wind sweeping across the courtyard. Their clothes flapped wildly in the sudden gale, and the hem of Liu Yanran’s elegant long dress was blown upward, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her snow-white calves.

“Hey, stop messing around,” Luke scolded playfully. The next moment, he unceremoniously smacked the Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s lowered snout. “Don’t be led astray by her.”

“You’re being way too petty,” Liu Yanran grumbled, walking up to Luke’s side. Hearing him blame the dragon, she couldn’t help but pout her lips coquettishly. Then, accepting his outstretched hand, she allowed him to hoist her up onto the broad, scale-armored back of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

“Hold on tight,” Luke reminded her, completely ignoring her teasing remark. He vaulted up behind her, settling into place before giving the dragon’s thick neck a firm pat. “Let’s go.”

An devastating roar tore through the tranquil morning air. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon let out a long, draconic cry, its massive leathery wings snapping open. With a single, explosive beat of its wings, the behemoth soared into the sky, tearing toward the distant horizon.

“Uh… I swear I didn’t do that on purpose. Do you believe me?” Looking down at the soft weight of Liu Yanran pressed flush against his chest, Luke couldn’t help but rub his forehead with his free hand.

The instantaneous kinetic impact of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s vertical takeoff was no laughing matter. Luke, having ridden the beast before, naturally braced himself and adapted to the G-force. But Liu Yanran was riding a dragon-type beast for the very first time. Even though a Magic Card Master’s physical constitution and body control were leagues beyond an ordinary person’s, she simply didn’t have the reaction time to stabilize herself under the immense, crushing pressure of the sudden ascent.

It was entirely fortunate that Luke possessed quick eyes and even quicker reflexes. He had immediately wrapped a strong arm around Liu Yanran’s slender waist, anchoring her against him. Otherwise, the proud young miss would have experienced the terrifying thrill of freefall from several thousand feet in the air.

‘Do you really think I believe you?’

Although Liu Yanran didn’t utter a single word, Luke perfectly understood the silent accusation radiating from her fierce, glaring eyes and her puffed-up, bun-like cheeks.

Alright, fine! Now I’m truly the villain here. Thinking this, Luke abandoned any further attempts at explaining himself. Instead, he simply tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her soft curves even closer against him. After all, he certainly wasn’t the one at a disadvantage in this arrangement.

Down below, the sudden departure of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon had attracted the stunned attention of countless citizens in the streets.

“Oh my god, is that a giant dragon?! Is it an Extraterrestrial Beast attack?!” a pedestrian screamed, pointing at the massive black shadow eclipsing the sun.

“Extraterrestrial Beast, my foot! That’s a Dragon-type Magic Card Elf!” a more knowledgeable bystander retorted, slapping the panicking man’s shoulder. “That’s why I always say you need to read more.”

“Hiss… our Cang Yue City actually has a Magic Card Master powerful enough to command a Dragon-type Magic Card Elf? How come I’ve never seen or heard of one before?”

“A big shot of that caliber must usually keep a very low profile. Perhaps he has an incredibly urgent matter to deal with today, which is why he summoned his Dragon-type to travel.”

“That dragon’s roar just now was utterly terrifying, yet so majestic,” a young student murmured, his eyes shining with envy. “If only I could obtain a Dragon-type Magic Card Elf, my life would be complete.”

“Don’t just say ‘this life’—you wouldn’t even have a chance in your next life!” his companion scoffed mercilessly. “The difficulty of forging Dragon-type magic cards is universally recognized as one of the highest in the entire Magic Card system. How could it possibly be that easy to make one?”

“Hey, don’t say that! People always need to have dreams, don’t they? Otherwise, what’s the difference between us and a lifeless deadbeat?”

“The problem is, you really are just a lifeless deadbeat.”

For ordinary citizens and even average Magic Card Masters, witnessing a Dragon-type Magic Card Elf was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Naturally, the level of fervent discussion echoing through the city streets was unmatched.

Meanwhile, within the grand estate of the Liu family, Liu Mengli had also noticed the colossal black silhouette of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon piercing through the clouds.

“A Dragon-type Magic Card Elf?” A deeply thoughtful expression flashed across the mature, beautiful woman’s face as she gazed at the sky. “I’ve never seen one in Cang Yue City before, nor have I ever heard of any local aristocratic family possessing a Dragon-type. Is that truly Luke’s Magic Card Elf?”

Her red lips curved into a faint, intrigued smile. “It seems Yanran’s little friend hides far more secrets than I initially thought.”