Chapter 51: Bumper Harvest
Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Bumper Harvest
A black bullet streaked through the air in an arc.
DING!
The golden gleam that had been zipping around the room suddenly froze, then burst with a soft POP.
The golden candy shattered, turning into a fine powder that rained down.
It shimmered magnificently in the candlelight.
"He hit it..."
Sofia and Bev were both staring in amazement.
The Wolf Housekeeper, Igor, looked slightly stunned, his gaze lingering for a moment on the strange weapon in the young man’s hand.
"Gai! You hit it!"
Pinocchio cheered excitedly.
"Haha, I lost! I lost!!"
DING!
「Target defeated!」
「Capture "Pinocchio’s" ability?」
It was the first time Wang Xi had seen someone happier to lose than to win, but he knew Pinocchio was genuinely delighted by his friend’s victory.
A smile touched his lips as he mentally confirmed, ’Yes.’
The next second, Wang Xi’s pupils contracted.
A black light flickered over Pinocchio’s body before transforming into an orb of light that shot straight into the space between Wang Xi’s eyebrows.
A Black Card...
It was a Black Card!
A unique, unknown Universal Card on the same level as "Chekhov’s Gun"?!
Wang Xi’s heart suddenly began to race.
He inspected his mind.
One black, one deep blue, and three blue...
A total of five orbs of light hovered there quietly.
A jackpot!
A massive jackpot!!
Wang Xi knew perfectly well.
An opportunity like this was once in a lifetime, impossible to replicate.
Although he had sacrificed some of the potential rewards by using a shortcut like this little game, what he desperately needed right now was power.
If he waited until he was strong enough to defeat all these powerful individuals fair and square and take their Cards... by then, it probably wouldn’t mean as much.
One hundred thousand when you’re destitute and a million when you’re rich are two completely different things.
The former is a lifeline, the latter merely icing on the cake.
Wang Xi had already weighed his options.
Even if he could do it all over again, he would still choose the former without hesitation.
...
...
「In the middle of the night.」
Wang Xi was staying in a giant mushroom house.
’Kaos.’
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
Then, with a calm mind, he began to draw the Cards.
’Let’s begin...’
Wang Xi chose the three Blue Quality Cards first.
「100 Energy consumed (1200 remaining)」
VMMMM—
"Shhh... true bewitchment requires no poison, only a single sweet seed to take root and sprout in the heart."
Bev’s languid voice echoed.
「Sweet Words Candy Jar (Artifact Card)」
「Quality: Blue One Star (Not-upgradable)」
「Candies meticulously crafted by a certain Witch. They contain a kind of bewitching Magic Power, but their effect is temporary. One must be continuously fed the candies to remain hopelessly lost in their sweetness.」
「Upon use, you will possess the candy jar. The candies inside can distract the mind, making a person extremely susceptible to verbal persuasion and manipulation. This Card will disappear when all the candies have been used.」
’An Artifact Card for mind control!’
Wang Xi’s eyes lit up.
This kind of thing wasn’t much help in a fight, but in other respects, it was a superweapon. Used correctly, it was a million times better than simple violence.
「100 Energy consumed (1100 remaining)」
"Hey! I don’t need such an ugly Cloak! Demon Wolf fur is gray, so how could it be woven into red cloth? It’s hideous! Lucy, Huo Ni, and the rest of those stupid dogs... even after being killed by humans, is this how they have to stay with me?"
Sofia’s clear, sharp voice rang in Wang Xi’s mind. But by the end, her voice was choked with emotion.
「Wolf Witch’s Red Cloak (Artifact Card)」
「Quality: Blue One Star (Not-upgradable)」
「A certain Witch’s beloved Cloak. Woven from the blood-soaked fur of her subordinates who died fighting humans, all so they could continue to protect their queen.」
「Upon use, you will possess it. If you don the Red Cloak, you will temporarily transform into a Demon Wolf, your physical body greatly enhanced. This Card will disappear after use.」
A one-time use Artifact Card...
It was like a new ace up his sleeve.
Wang Xi rubbed the Card and sighed internally.
Now he understood why Sofia hated humans so much... and that beneath the girl’s deliberately tough exterior, she hid an incredibly soft heart.
「100 Energy consumed (1000 remaining)」
The last Blue Card was drawn.
The rushed panting of the Wolf Housekeeper, Igor, sounded in Wang Xi’s mind, followed by a flat, low voice:
"Cherish every moonlit night. Value every breath. Only by getting stronger, endlessly stronger, can I burn out this broken body and stand guard before Lady Sofia’s throne."
「Moonlit Night Breathing Technique (Technique Card)」
「Quality: Blue One Star (Upgradable)」
「The unique training method of the Moon Castle’s Werewolf housekeeper. Under a moonlit sky, one can absorb Magic Power through a special breathing frequency to continuously reshape and strengthen the physique. In theory, it can allow one to transcend the ordinary.」
「Upon use, you will master the Breathing Technique. Through continuous practice, you can strengthen your Physique, which will indirectly increase your maximum Magic Power capacity. Each use of this Card will consume a large amount of stamina.」
’A Blue Technique Card!’
Wang Xi was thrilled.
This was a Breathing Technique far more advanced than the "Randall Body Refining Technique," and it could break through human limits to achieve transcendence!
His heart pounded.
His fists clenched.
"Good!" Wang Xi murmured, suppressing his excitement. "Very good!"
He put away the three Blue Cards.
He paused for a moment to calm himself before continuing.
This time, it was the Deep Blue Card’s turn.
VMMMM—
Memories from the girl in the white dress, Lillian, echoed in Wang Xi’s mind. Her voice was cold, detached, and devoid of any emotion:
"The first time I lit a fire in the palm of my hand, my father and mother both praised me, but I saw the fear in their eyes... I later realized that the fire didn’t just burn through the roof, the dining table, the cabinets, and the hands they used to choke me with in the dead of night... it also burned through my heart."
"The fire isn’t the toy. I am. If only someone could extinguish my flames completely... how wonderful that would be."
「Self-Immolation (Skill Card)」
「Quality: Deep Blue One Star (Upgradable)」
「The innate ability of a certain Witch upon her Awakening. It erupts with terrifying Magic Power from within the body, triggering uncontrollable Fire Elements. Overcome with extreme fear, she released a great fire that burned down her familiar past. With her small, broken, and twisted body, she painstakingly crawled from the ashes toward an unknown future.」
「Upon use, you will enter a berserk state as uncontrollable flames erupt from your body. Using this Card consumes a massive amount of Magic Power. Insufficient Magic Power will result in death.」
"..."
Wang Xi felt the coldness of the Card in his hand, lost in a daze.
In that brief description, he felt as if he had seen Lillian’s tragic past. He also understood why the girl had proposed such a strange rule for their game during dinner.
Lillian possessed terrifying Fire Magic, but she also hated that power...
’Looks like I won’t be able to use this Card for now.’
Wang Xi felt a tinge of regret.
At the same time, his craving for Magic Power grew even stronger.
Only by mastering Magic Power, and having enough of it, could he unleash this Card’s true potential.
"The last one, Pinocchio’s Black Card!"
With that, he began the final draw.
「100 Energy consumed (800 remaining)」
VMMMM—
"My father once said he wanted me to be an honest person... But only Mechanical Dolls are honest; people only lie. I don’t get it. I don’t understand."
Pinocchio’s innocent and naive memories echoed in Wang Xi’s mind.
「Pinocchio’s Heart (Unknown Card)」
「Quality: Black One Star (Unique/Uncategorizable/Upgradable)」
「A legendary engineer poured his life’s blood and wisdom into creating a mechanical masterpiece, which he regarded as his beloved son. But the expectations he placed upon it plunged the Mechanical Doll’s heart into a paradox, giving rise to an incomprehensible power.」
「Upon use, you will temporarily gain this power, allowing you to obtain Experience Points through lies. (Warning: Using this Card will trigger unknown consequences.)」
"?!"
Wang Xi was stunned.
Getting stronger just by lying?!
What kind of conceptual ability is that!
"As expected of a Black Card on the same level as ’Chekhov’s Gun.’ The only thing is, using it comes with unknown side effects..."
Wang Xi murmured, his expression grave.
"I’ll have to find a chance to test it out a little. I have a feeling this card is very dangerous."
...
...
「Projection Hosted」
「Current World: Fairy Tales」
「Exploration Level: 7.87%」
「Legend Level: 4 (The name of the brain-eating "Scarlet Warlock" is still spreading in the Human Kingdom. In addition, the story of you becoming the Witch Messenger is gradually circulating around Moon Castle and the Candy House, slowly becoming known among the Demons.)」
「Arrival Cooldown: 43 hours, 59 minutes」
「Retirement Preview: You befriended the Three Witches of the Magic Forest and learned the truth of the disaster set to occur on the day of the Queen’s wedding.」
「Unwilling to see the innocent people of Daphne die needlessly, and also unwilling to see the Magic Forest destroyed, you agreed to the Witches’ request and attempted to resolve the conflict before it could begin.」
「You attempted to contact Queen Xianna through Minister Ando and Coinage Officer Dick, but you unfortunately failed. Dick recognized you and secretly sent assassins after you.」
「You and Pinocchio killed the pursuers and sought another way, secretly investigating the Magic Workshop, but its tight security made it impossible for you to advance.」
「Your training and investigation took too much time with little to show for it. Months later, on the eve of the Queen’s wedding, you decided to risk everything, sneaking into the Imperial Palace with Pinocchio to find Queen Xianna.」
「Unfortunately, you only had proof of Ando and Dick’s corruption, which wasn’t enough to convince the Queen. Calvin arrived with the Mechanical Puppet Legion and began to surround you under the pretext of capturing assassins.」
「The Three Witches appeared just in time to save you and prematurely set off the great fire in Daphne. At the critical moment, snow and ice fell from the sky as a powerful being descended and battled the Witches. In the end, both sides were grievously wounded.」
「You saw Goddalir arrive in a pumpkin carriage, but as Calvin laughed maniacally, he killed the Witches one by one right before your eyes...」
「Wounded by Calvin’s Mechanical Dolls, you had no choice but to fight desperately to escape Daphne with Pinocchio and Goddalir. The Stag Kingdom was completely occupied by the Mechanical Puppet Legion.」
「The Ice and Snow Queen was imprisoned and fell into a deep slumber.」
「Half a year later, you turned into an ice sculpture in a remote wooden cabin. Goddalir and Pinocchio, overcome with grief, decided to avenge you and headed for Daphne once more...」