Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon: Let Me Die Once

Thanks to his simulated construction space, Luke had already rehearsed the creation process for the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon countless times in his mind. A massive wealth of virtual experience fed directly back into his muscle memory, rendering his entire card-making process incredibly fluid. Every stroke of his spiritual pen carried an effortless grace, turning the complex procedure into a visual spectacle.

, as his proficiency with Fantasy Construction deepened, the sheer magic power required to forge a new card plummeted. Not only did the creation of the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon proceed without a single flaw, but it also left Luke with a deep sense of absolute control.

Standing quietly by his side, Dark Magician Girl watched her master work, her large eyes wide and completely captivated by his focused rhythm.

[Magic Card background passed, please complete the card art and add materials!]

Having successfully forged several Magic Cards in reality, Luke would not arrogantly claim to rival the world’s grandmasters, but his hands were undeniably skilled. Coupled with his intimate familiarity with the original card artwork, it took only a few fleeting seconds for the majestic silhouette of the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon to take shape beneath his fingertips. As the final lines connected, a faint, ancient dragon’s roar seemed to echo directly into his mind.

It was not just Luke. Mana, who had kept her undivided attention fixed on him, also heard the deep, rumbling roar reverberating through the small room.

“The sound of a dragon’s roar… a unique phenomenon that only occurs when constructing Dragon-type Magic Cards, and only when absolute success is imminent.” Though Mana was a Magic Card Spirit, her intellect was remarkably high, possessing a learning capacity that rivaled or even exceeded that of ordinary humans.

During her time with Luke, she had absorbed a wealth of knowledge regarding Magic Card creation under his patient guidance. She knew exactly what that sound meant—her master’s current progress was flawless.

‘Which means Master is about to succeed.’ The thought made Mana’s heart flutter with excitement, though she pressed her lips together and managed to restrain her cheers so as not to disturb his focus.

With a sweeping wave of his hand, the Undead Infernal Dragon’s Reverse Scale and the accompanying supplementary materials shattered into brilliant streaks of light. Luke guided them directly into the Magic Card Editor. Under the influence of his unique system power, the hard materials melted down, blending into a thick, boiling red-black solution that splashed across the blank card, dyeing the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon’s artwork with vivid, apocalyptic colors.

Beneath Luke’s intense gaze, the beast trapped within the card art seemed to tear through the boundary of reality. It roared up at the heavens, its crimson reptilian eyes burning with a hellish flame capable of reducing the world to ash. The sheer visual impact was intoxicating.

At that exact moment, a torrential flood of Magic Power Feedback violently surged from the card and crashed into Luke’s body. A blinding pillar of golden light erupted from his core, threatening to pierce straight through the ceiling and soar into the sky.

Moving quick as a flash, Dark Magician Girl raised her staff. A dense magic power barrier instantly expanded to fill the entire room, perfectly sealing the golden pillar within their four walls and preventing a single speck of light from leaking outside.

“Good thing Master gave me a heads-up.” Mana stuck out her tongue in a playful, relieved gesture. Her gaze had been so glued to Luke’s handsome profile that she had nearly forgotten the critical task he had entrusted to her beforehand.

Had that blinding pillar of golden light broken through the roof, it would have undoubtedly attracted a swarm of powerful onlookers and unwanted trouble within seconds.

Immediately after the barrier stabilized, Mana felt waves of surging, heavy magic power radiating from Luke’s body. As his aura climbed higher and higher, the towering golden light shattered into countless shimmering specks, raining down and absorbing completely into his skin.

“Success!” Seeing the light fade into his body, excitement flashed across Dark Magician Girl’s face, her delicate features blooming into a brilliant, adoring smile.

[Construction successful, gained Magic Power Feedback, level upgraded to Two-Star Battle General!]

[Construction successful, gained Magic Power Feedback, level upgraded to Three-Star Battle General!]

[Construction successful, gained Magic Power Feedback, level upgraded to Four-Star Battle General!]

[Construction successful, gained Magic Power Feedback, level upgraded to Five-Star Battle General!]

Following four consecutive system chimes, Luke’s cultivation base skyrocketed directly to the Five-Star Battle General realm. The magic power flowing through his veins grew exponentially denser, carrying a heavy, viscous weight that he had never felt before.

As a Magic Card Master’s strength increased, the sheer volume of magic power required to break through to the next level became increasingly terrifying.

Back when he created the Six-Star Dark Magician Girl, the resulting feedback had propelled him all the way from a One-Star Soldier to a Nine-Star Soldier, carrying him right to the threshold of the Battle General realm. Yet now, creating the equally powerful Six-Star Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon only provided enough energy to push him from One-Star to Five-Star Battle General.

It was painfully clear that the further he walked down this path of cultivation, the steeper the climb would become.

However, Luke temporarily pushed the thoughts of his cultivation level aside. He reached out and pulled the newly forged Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon Magic Card from the editor, his eyes scanning its surface with deep satisfaction.

[Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon]

Race: Dragon

Quality: Perfect-grade

Level: Six-Star

Skills: Dragon’s Might, Star Flame Bullet, Dark Star Soul, Red-Eyes Soul

Dragon’s Might: When fighting non-Dragon enemies, reduces enemy unit combat power by 10%.

Star Flame Bullet: Condenses the black flames within its body into high-purity flame bullets and shoots them, dealing massive damage to the target.

Dark Star Soul: Upon appearance, quality increases by one level.

Red-Eyes Soul: After being defeated, temporarily transforms into Red-Eyes Black Dragon (Seven-Star Legendary-level) to continue fighting.

“Six-Star Perfect-grade… exactly comparable to the quality Mana achieved after fusing with the Spellbook and Magic Cylinder.” Luke muttered to himself, his thumb brushing over the smooth surface of the card. “However, the Dark Star Soul passive forces its quality up by an entire tier upon summoning. That means the moment this dragon hits the field, its actual combat strength will reach the Six-Star Legendary-level. It already surpasses Mana’s current raw output.”

“Coupled with the suppression from Dragon’s Might, if they were to actually spar, Mana wouldn’t be a match for it, even with her versatile arsenal of skills.”

“And then there is Red-Eyes Soul. It grants me the original Red-Eyes Black Dragon as an ultimate trump card. A Seven-Star Legendary-level beast… I can barely imagine the sheer devastation it could unleash. As expected, choosing to build this specific terminal monster was the right move.” Luke nodded, a sharp thrill of anticipation running through his chest as he recalled the card back into his spiritual sea.

Though every fiber of his being wanted to summon the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon right this second to witness its glory, a quick glance at the cramped walls of his apartment forced him to abandon the idea. His modest living space would be instantly reduced to rubble beneath the claws of such a massive creature.

Suddenly, Luke’s expression shifted into a grimace. A wave of deep exhaustion washed over him, leaving his limbs feeling strangely hollow.

Despite advancing to the Five-Star Battle General realm and vastly expanding his total magic power reserves, he was now facing a severe bottleneck. Both Dark Magician Girl and the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon were absolute behemoths when it came to energy consumption.

Under normal circumstances, a Six-Star Magic Card Spirit was meant to serve as the primary ace for a high-level Commander or even a low-level Monarch. The passive drain of sustaining such entities was astronomical.

Right now, just keeping Mana summoned in her physical form felt like a constant, heavy pull on his core, his natural recovery speed barely managing to keep pace with her drain. If he were to summon the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon on top of her, Luke estimated he would be sucked completely dry by his two spirits in a matter of minutes.

Compared to Liu Yanran’s setup—a Five-Star Silver Moon Fox paired with a Six-Star Nebula Rainbow Butterfly—Luke’s double Six-Star lineup demanded a horrifying amount of magic power. Of course, the resulting combat superiority was equally exponential, but power meant nothing if he passed out from exhaustion before the battle even began.

“It seems I need to resolve this magic power consumption issue as soon as possible,” Luke sighed, rubbing his throbbing temples with a helpless smile.

“Master, congratulations on your success.”

Unaware of his internal dilemma, Mana stepped in close. She wrapped her soft arms tightly around his neck, pressing her warm body against his chest. Her delicate face was flushed with a rosy, adorable tint, her eyes shining with pure admiration.

“Alright, alright.” Luke chuckled, the tension melting from his shoulders. He gently pinched Mana’s soft cheek, savoring the warmth of her skin, before glancing out the window. “Look at that. It’s already afternoon again.”

Creating Dark Magician Girl had taken a massive toll on his time. While the Red-Eyes Meteor Dragon had been a much faster process thanks to his increased proficiency, the intense focus required had still eaten away the majority of the day.

“Let’s go. It’s time to satisfy our hunger.” Luke smiled, lacing his fingers through Mana’s soft hand and leading her out of the apartment, ready to face whatever the rest of the day had in store.