Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 179

Chapter 179: The Zero-Point Enrollment

“I just thought Luke’s performance was quite satisfying.” Meng Ningdie’s heart hammered against her ribs under Zhan Tai Mingyue’s scrutinizing gaze. She forced her expression to remain a mask of placid calm. “Sister Mingyue, I actually think your reaction is the abnormal one. Are you being too suspicious? Don’t you think watching that scene play out was incredibly cathartic?”

Zhan Tai Mingyue paused, the sharp edge of her gaze softening slightly. “Is that so? Perhaps I was overthinking it.” She shook her head, conceding the point. Meng Ningdie wasn’t entirely wrong. Watching Luke dismantle the arrogant freshman had been undeniably satisfying. Hu Wenyang’s earlier remarks had aggressively crossed her bottom line.

The East Territory Heavenly Palace maintained a strict policy of treating examinees from all Four Great Regions with absolute equality. However, that institutional neutrality didn’t mean Zhan Tai Mingyue had to personally tolerate Hu Wenyang’s regional elitism. His condescending attitude had thoroughly eradicated any trace of goodwill she might have held for him. Even if he managed to scrape together a decent score on the Trial Road, his official enrollment would be met with cold shoulders; very few mentors would ever give him the time of day.

Under those circumstances, watching Luke flawlessly swipe Hu Wenyang’s Trial Crystal—indirectly crippling his assessment and setting him up for the humiliating milestone of a “zero-point enrollment”—brought a deep sense of vindication. Zhan Tai Mingyue just preferred to keep her satisfaction veiled, unlike Meng Ningdie.

The most brilliant aspect of the heist was its legality. Luke’s actions hadn’t triggered a single violation of the Trial Road’s rules. Even if Hu Wenyang somehow deduced the identity of his phantom thief, he had absolutely zero grounds for an appeal. And currently, the arrogant Northern student was completely in the dark. On the surveillance screens, he was still pacing frantically around his stronghold, praying to uncover the very Trial Crystal that was already resting comfortably in Luke’s inventory.

Seeing Zhan Tai Mingyue drop her suspicions, Meng Ningdie finally exhaled a quiet breath of relief. She quickly shifted her attention to Chu Yun’s feed, pretending to be deeply engrossed in the junior’s progress.

Chu Yun was currently engaged in combat. Her movements were clean and decisive as she dispatched the released Mimicry Beasts, her magic flowing with practiced precision. Yet, compared to Luke’s audacious, active strikes, her performance felt entirely orthodox. It lacked that dazzling spark of ingenuity. Meng Ningdie couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Both were her juniors, so why was the gap in their tactical brilliance so vast?

“Wen Xiuyuan? What brings you to my channel with so much free time?”

While the two women were locked in their subtle battle of wits, Palace Lord Wen Xiuyuan had already initiated a holographic communication link with Mansion Master Mu Zhan, the Lord of the Northern Territory Palace. The projection flickered to life, revealing Mu Zhan’s rugged, puzzled features. He clearly couldn’t fathom why his Eastern counterpart was calling him mid-exam.

However, a distinct glint of vigilance hardened Mu Zhan’s eyes. They had been bitter rivals for decades. Based on his extensive history with Wen Xiuyuan, this old fox reaching out unprompted never heralded anything good.

“Mansion Master Mu Zhan, I simply stumbled upon something fascinating that I felt compelled to share with you.”

As Meng Ningdie and Zhan Tai Mingyue watched with expressions of mounting disbelief, Wen Xiuyuan gleefully transmitted a video file. The holographic display replayed Hu Wenyang’s entire humiliating sequence—from his arrogant, self-important soliloquy right up to the moment Luke ruthlessly raided his stronghold.

Meng Ningdie winced inwardly. She had almost forgotten that their Palace Lord wasn’t just a man of formidable power; he was also the most notorious old prankster among the Four Palace Lords.

Watching Mansion Master Mu Zhan’s face darken into a thunderous scowl through the communication screen, the two women suddenly felt a twinge of genuine sympathy for the Northern Lord. Being publicly trolled by a lifelong competitor was a bitter pill to swallow.

Yet, that fleeting sympathy evaporated almost instantly, replaced by a shared, secret thrill of amusement.

The Four Great Academies were locked in a perpetual state of fierce competition. The rivalry between the Palace Lords was a never-ending war of prestige, and the Lord of the East Territory Heavenly Palace was a heavyweight champion of psychological warfare. Presented with a golden opportunity to humiliate his rival, Wen Xiuyuan was never going to let it slide. Given his eccentric personality, the women really shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Old Man Wen, you didn’t contact me just to waste my time with this trivial nonsense, did you?” Mu Zhan’s voice dropped an octave, abandoning his formal title. He wouldn’t let himself fly into a true rage over a student’s blunder, but he certainly wasn’t going to give Wen Xiuyuan the satisfaction of a polite response.

He knew this bastard had ill intentions.

“How is this trivial?” Wen Xiuyuan replied, his tone dripping with mock earnestness, completely ignoring the murderous glare radiating from the hologram. “Am I not just trying to inject a little joy into your day? You don’t have to keep that stiff, miserable look on your face all the time. Honestly, it’s not just me saying this, but the temperament of your Northern Region students is severely lacking. They really need to be properly disciplined in the art of situational awareness.”

Hearing the thinly veiled insult, Mu Zhan knew exactly what this was: a blatant flex. “I have actual administrative matters to attend to. I don’t have the luxury of wasting time with you.”

With a sharp swipe of his hand, Mu Zhan severed the connection. The hologram fizzled out. He knew Wen Xiuyuan too well; if he let the old man keep talking, the gloating would continue until dawn.

Though deliberately provoked, Mu Zhan retained his composure. This was just another petty skirmish in their endless cold war. Wen Xiuyuan knew the boundaries, which was why the banter remained strictly superficial.

“Have Hu Wenhua report to my office immediately. Let him take a good, long look at the kind of embarrassment his Huwen family is producing.” Mu Zhan’s voice echoed coldly through his chambers. He might not have exploded at Wen Xiuyuan, but he wasn’t about to swallow the insult quietly. Hu Wenhua, a senior figure from the same clan, was the perfect target for his simmering frustration.

A student was free to choose their academy, but for a Northern Region prodigy to lose face so spectacularly in the East Territory was a disgrace that demanded correction. Even with the home-field advantage of his stronghold, Hu Wenyang had been robbed blind and left wandering like a fool for an agonizingly long time before realizing it. It was a complete humiliation.

Back in the East Territory, Wen Xiuyuan leaned back in his chair, a thoroughly satisfied grin plastered across his face as the call disconnected. “Cathartic! That’s exactly what you get for daring to show off in front of me last month!”

Zhan Tai Mingyue and Meng Ningdie immediately averted their eyes, pretending they hadn’t heard a thing. To put it diplomatically, their Palace Lord was a man of bold character. To put it bluntly, he was a massive child.

Still, seeing the stoic Lord of the Northern Territory Palace suffer a stroke of frustration was undeniably entertaining.

As the hours ticked by, the atmosphere within the Trial Road underwent a drastic shift. The previously quiet zones erupted into absolute chaos. Across the sprawling landscape, numerous freshmen returned to their strongholds only to discover a soul-crushing reality: the Trial Crystals required to calculate their final points had inexplicably vanished into thin air.

Agitation quickly spiraled into frantic panic. If the assessment ended and they failed to recover their stolen crystals, their final scores would be abysmal, regardless of how long they survived the harsh environment. It was an outcome none of the proud prodigies could stomach.

Standing amidst their plundered bases, the victims finally realized a harsh truth: the Trial Road assessment was infinitely more ruthless than they had ever imagined.

Unfortunately, before the frantic students could even begin to formulate a plan to hunt down the thief, the fabric of the dimension warped. Two full hours had officially passed since the start of the Trial Road.

Without warning, every single freshman within the zone was violently pulled into a designated battle space.

The scenery blurred and shifted. When Luke’s vision cleared, he found himself standing on the solid ground of the combat arena. A familiar presence materialized beside him. To his mild surprise, Sistermon Ciel, who had been deployed far away on a scouting and raiding mission, had been forcibly teleported right back to his side.

‘So, after being pulled into the combat space, all summoned Magic Card Elves are forcibly recalled?’Luke analyzed the mechanics instantly, his sharp eyes scanning the new environment.’It’s a hard counter to prevent stronghold raiding while the masters are locked in combat,’he mused silently, a faint, dry smile touching his lips.’It’s a bit of a pity. I was just getting started.’