Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 33

Chapter 33: This Sounds Familiar

“Look at you, strutting around. Anyone who didn’t know would think you were the one who actually won this exchange match.” Seeing Cang Fenghua’s insufferably smug expression, Lin Heling practically vibrated with fury. She snapped her wrist, summoning a Magic Card into her fingers with a sharp crack of energy. “Since you are in such high spirits, why don’t we settle things right here and now?”

‘Damn it all! Who in their right mind wants to fight a crazy woman like you?’Cang Fenghua was momentarily thrown off balance by Lin Heling’s aggressive leap in logic, but he quickly smoothed his features back into a mask of composed elegance. “This is a formal exchange match between academies. If you are so desperate for a duel, you can wait until the City Lord’s Battle.”‘And by the time the City Lord’s Battle rolls around, whether we actually cross paths is entirely a matter of luck,’ Cang Fenghua added silently in his head.

The City Lord’s Battle was a massive tournament held only once every ten years, drawing in every ruling lord from the twelve prefectures of the Ancient Kingdom. As long as his luck held out, Cang Fenghua was fairly certain he could avoid crossing blades with a madwoman like Lin Heling.

Releasing a cold, frustrated snort, Lin Heling knew her demand was entirely unrealistic. She reluctantly dispersed the energy around her Magic Card, letting it vanish back into her deck. Turning her sharp gaze toward Luke, she offered a deep, measuring look. “Do not worry. I will keep my word.”

“I lost?”

Standing at the edge of the deeply cratered battleground, Liu Yanran stared blankly ahead. The lingering magical heat from the Dark Burning Attack still warped the air, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake. Her eyes were wide, swimming with a mixture of absolute shock and heavy disbelief.

She had deployed her absolute best. Her ace combination, the Silver Moon Fox and the Nebula Rainbow Butterfly, was supposed to be an unstoppable force at her current level. Yet, not only had she completely failed to gain even a fraction of an advantage, but her prized summons had been cleanly and instantly obliterated by Luke’s Dark Magician Girl.

The contrast between them was staggering. From the very first second of the exchange match to the final devastating blow, Luke had only summoned a single Magic Card. He had not bothered to cycle his deck or call upon any secondary support.

Worse still, before even stepping up to face her, that same Dark Magician Girl had already dismantled the other four members of her elite team.

To be utterly suppressed and eradicated under such exhausting circumstances left a bitter, suffocating weight in Liu Yanran’s chest.

This meant that the grand exchange match initiated by Cang Yue City against Cangling City had ended in a total, humiliating defeat. Including herself, all five of the top-ranked prodigies of this year’s Cang Yue City roster had been swept aside by Luke and his lone spellcaster.

It was a reality no one had dared to predict before the tournament began.

Liu Yanran was not the only one struggling to process the sheer scale of their loss. Zhou Chen, Li Yu, and the rest of the elite exchange students from Cang Yue City stood in dead silence, their shoulders slumped in heavy dejection.

Just a moment ago, they had been riding a high of adrenaline, thrilled that Liu Yanran had broken through to the Battle General Realm mid-fight and summoned her second Magic Card. The very next second, all those soaring hopes were violently shattered by a single, blinding Dark Burning Attack. The emotional whiplash was sickening.

“I told you! I told you Luke would absolutely crush them into the dirt! Look at that! It feels so damn good!”

“Cang Yue City came knocking on our doors looking for trouble, so it serves them right to get completely dismantled by Luke!”

In stark contrast to the deathly quiet Cang Yue City delegation, Bei Hanyun and Wang Ping were practically jumping out of their skin, cheering loud enough to rattle the stadium barriers.

One against five. Using only a single Magic Card across every consecutive battle, and walking away with a flawless victory. The sheer dominance of the display sent a rush of exhilarating heat through the veins of every Cangling City student watching.

“Do you want to continue?”

Luke’s calm voice cut through the noise. He looked across the ruined arena at Liu Yanran, who was still frozen in place, offering a polite reminder of her options. Unless she could somehow produce a high-tier Seven-Star Magic Card out of thin air, it did not matter how many beasts she summoned. They simply were not a match for Dark Magician Girl. Luke possessed absolute, unshakable confidence in that fact.

Even now, after tearing through five opponents, Dark Magician Girl still had her Silence Spell and Magic Cylinder hidden in reserve. If pushed to her absolute limits, her combat output could soar even higher.

“The Silver Moon Fox and the Nebula Rainbow Butterfly are my strongest combination.” Liu Yanran slowly shook her head, her teeth sinking into her lower lip until it turned pale. “This time, I lost.”

“However, the next time we meet, I will absolutely not lose to you again.” Despite conceding the match, her underlying resolve remained entirely intact. She was a prodigy for a reason, and she quickly adjusted her shattered mindset, replacing her despair with a burning competitive drive.

Hearing that dramatic declaration, Bei Hanyun and Wang Ping exchanged very strange, knowing looks from the sidelines.

Those exact words sounded incredibly familiar. It was the classic parting line of every defeated rival.

Luke merely offered a faint, amused smile in response to her challenging glare. He turned away, raising a hand toward the floating spellcaster. “Come back, Mana.”

“Coming!”

Hearing her master’s call, Mana descended from the sky with a graceful twirl, her boots lightly touching down before she practically threw herself into Luke’s arms. The scent of ozone and sweet perfume washed over him as she pressed close. “Master, how was my performance just now?”

“My Mana is always the absolute best.” Luke chuckled, reaching up to pinch her soft cheek. The intimate gesture drew a sweet, breathless groan from the girl, a heavy flush of crimson spreading across her fair skin as she leaned into his touch.

The crowd instantly erupted.

“Damn it all! Luke, you absolute scoundrel, how dare you touch my wife?!”

“What do you mean, your wife?! Back off, explain yourself right now! Who are you calling your wife?!”

“No way, I refuse to accept this! Even if he won the tournament for us, I cannot stand for this level of public teasing!”

Outside the barrier, the male students of Cangling City were instantly up in arms, watching the incredibly intimate chemistry between Luke and the beautiful Dark Magician Girl with burning jealousy.

You bastard, how dare you show off such sickeningly sweet affection in broad daylight!

Still standing in the center of the ruined arena, Liu Yanran watched the display with a complicated mix of amusement and deep frustration. He could have at least waited for her to walk off the stage before turning the battlefield into a romantic rendezvous. Caught in the middle of their sweet moment, she stood awkwardly, unsure if she should quietly slip away or clear her throat.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chen, Li Yu, and the rest of the Cang Yue City elites were entirely silenced by the casual display. Watching Luke flirt with his summon, a chilling realization washed over them. Had he never even considered them a genuine threat from the very beginning?

“Luke, your performance today was nothing short of excellent.” Cang Fenghua approached with a broad, beaming smile. He reached out, offering a beautifully crafted ring toward the young man. “Take it. This is your reward for securing our victory.”

Beside the City Lord, Principal Gu and the other academy officials wore expressions of deep, warm approval. After all, Luke had single-handedly crushed the historically oppressive Cang Yue City delegation, defending their honor with overwhelming force.

With the exchange match officially concluded, the VIPs had descended from the rostrum to the field. Lin Heling, Yu Chengye, and the rest of the opposing leadership had followed suit, gathering around the cratered center.

Through the ensuing conversation, Luke finally pieced together the background politics. During the matches, Cang Fenghua and Lin Heling had established a private wager. The stakes of that bet was the very item now resting in Cang Fenghua’s palm: the Moon Spirit Ring.

Luke had never encountered the name before and was completely in the dark regarding its function. He was not alone. Wang Ping and Bei Hanyun leaned in close, their eyes locked onto the exquisite, faintly glowing band with intense curiosity.

Liu Yanran and her peers, however, stared at the jewelry with wide eyes, their expressions twisting into sheer astonishment.

“The Moon Spirit Ring is a highly restricted, unique artifact exclusive to Cang Yue City. They only produce five of these a year, and it is perfectly suited for any Magic Card Master below the Sovereign Realm.” Seeing the quiet confusion in Luke’s eyes, Principal Gu stepped forward to offer a proper introduction. “Its primary effect is highly focused. It constantly nourishes the wearer’s spiritual power, gradually expanding your total capacity while drastically accelerating your natural recovery speed.”

The Principal smiled warmly. “You have only just began the true path of a Magic Card Master. With the constant nourishment of the Moon Spirit Ring, your spiritual reserves will eclipse anyone at your current level. As your realm improves, even the creation of higher-tier Magic Cards will become significantly easier.”

It can passively nourish spiritual power, increase total capacity, and accelerate recovery speed?

Listening to the explanation of the Moon Spirit Ring’s potent effects, a brilliant light ignited in Luke’s eyes.