Working Together

"It's impossible. There's only one Pandora's Eye!" Caroso said decisively. "Something like that can't be replicated!"

[Heh, Boss Caro, this world runs far deeper than you imagine. The treasure you cherish so dearly is something every one of us has.]

[Except those who didn't even pay for the first recharge.]

[Boss Caro, tell us what to do. If we make it ourselves, we can even save you some materials.]

[Yeah, yeah, let us see your talent!]

Caroso took a deep breath.

He did not know whether the comments were telling the truth, but if they were, then the world they lived in was truly terrifying!

Pandora's Eye, Kolia's family heirloom, and everyone had one?

If Caroso had not produced that card, Osiris probably would not even have allowed him to use Pandora's Eye!

Every single one of those people had one... Could they all be gods?

"Fine." Caroso picked up a pen and paper and began writing. "First experiment: use Pandora's Eye, enhance turquoise, add two milligrams of Clear Jade Water..."

Very soon, Caroso recited a formula.

The card from before had inspired him, opening up a new line of thought for Priest Cards.

A Spell Card made this way might... be similar to a rogue's card.

Who would have thought that a priest could use a rogue's card?

As the times advanced, rogue cards had become something that could not see the light of day. The law would never permit rogue cards to exist.

Even if someone used a Rogue Card, it would only be one circulating on the black market.

No one studied them, and Rogue Cards had been lost from generation to generation, causing the rogue style of combat to gradually vanish.

By the time dungeons appeared, it was impossible to use rogues to make class combinations more balanced.

If a priest's card could produce the effects of a Rogue Card, it could make up for many shortcomings.

[Failed!]

[Failure +1.]

[Even using the character with the highest success rate, it still failed.]

[Did you use your own materials directly instead of the simulator?]

[Damn, I didn't react in time. Switching to the simulator now.]

[Isn't this formula unreasonable so far?]

"What does the failure state look like?"

[The card looks like it got soaked...]

"Adjustment." Caroso continued, "Change the Clear Jade Water to one gram."

[Failed.]

[Still failed...]

[How about adding some Demon Blood?]

"Demon Blood in a priest's card..." Caroso's eyes lit up. "Add one drop!"

[It failed. This time, there was a huge stain in the middle.]

[The materials still need adjustment.]

[Keep going, keep going!]

"Fine-tune the order of addition. Put in the Demon Blood halfway through."

"Add a Prayer Rune to the runes."

"Still failed? Increase the magic output when adding the Demon Blood and make its effect stronger."

[Success!]

[Hahaha, I was the first one to make it! I even named it in the game!]

"What is the effect?"

Holding pen and paper, Caroso wrote as he recorded the netizens' experimental results.

Every different kind of failure gave certain answers through the card, and Caroso made targeted adjustments each time.

[Epic Card, Three-Star Spell Card, randomly copies three cards from the opponent's deck!]

[Damn, with so many players, not one of us is smarter than an NPC?]

[It's not that we aren't as smart as NPCs. Once we clear a quest, we just don't keep researching new cards...]

[Who would have thought a Three-Star Card needed something like Clear Jade Water?]

[Uh... NPCs give us ideas when we make cards. We never studied it systematically, so how would we know all those principles? We only know how to blindly fucking experiment.]

[Only the big shots have probably studied formulas.]

[This event is in the bag. If I bring this card in, won't that Boss cry?]

"Three cards?" Caroso's eyes widened. "As expected, just as I thought. As long as Pandora's Eye is used, the ability can be upgraded."

Most people brought powerful high-Star Level cards, especially the strong ones. Low-star cards were of little use to them.

Card battles in this world were not turn-based. Many people preferred quality over quantity.

However, this sort of card was also somewhat situational. If it faced a deck with a chaotic assortment of cards and luck gave it three worthless ones, that would be truly miserable.

"I'll make it first." After saying that, Caroso took a deep breath and temporarily stopped looking at the comments.

Soon, the servants brought lunch and Demon Blood.

Once the preparations were complete, every step of the card-making process appeared in Caroso's mind.

First, prepare a third-tier card face.

Demon Blood, Clear Jade Water, powdered turquoise, and so on were mixed into special ingredients for drawing the card.

The rune used to draw the card was the priest-exclusive Prayer Rune... Pandora's Eye was used to enhance a pen made from Snow Wolf Fur.

He focused his mind, poured in magic power, and drew the image in his heart.

Caroso entered a state of intense concentration, and at such a time, no one dared disturb him.

After an unknown amount of time, a card appeared before Caroso.

[Name: None]

[Category: Spell]

[Star Level: 3]

[Grade: Purple Epic]

[Class Restriction: Priest]

[Description: Randomly copy three cards within 5 stars from the opponent's deck into one's own deck. The copied cards disappear after ten minutes. Copied cards may be used across classes, and their power depends on the user's own attributes.]

[Note: Only one copy may be included in a deck.]

"Success."

Looking at the card before him, Caroso revealed a rare smile.

Normally, creating an Epic Card required a great many experiments.

Caroso was already an exceptional Third-tier Card Maker, yet even after discussing it with the netizens for a full three hours and using countless failures to find success, it had still taken this much effort.

But like a Legendary Card, only one could be included in a deck? That was enough!

[Holy crap, why does this feel so fulfilling?]

[This is a card we researched together.]

[Wuwuwu, my bond with Boss Caro has grown even deeper. When are we moving in with him?]

[Bond actually isn't a good word, it's...]

[As if only you know.]

[Boss Caro, get some rest. Your eye sockets are dark. It hurts to see.]

[Damn, it's already morning?]

"I have only a few hours before I set off." Caroso could barely keep his eyes open. "Sorry, I need to meditate first."

"This card was made through our cooperation. It benefits us both..."

"Perhaps I am not of much value to you right now, but if you believe in me, then once I am strong enough, I will definitely give you ample returns."

[I'm crying from how moved I am. It makes no sense for someone like him to become a villain!]

[Actually, many villains aren't ordinary people. They work especially hard.]

[He's still thinking about making a deal with us? He really doesn't want to freeload off us.]

[I finally understand why Boss Caro could become emperor.]

[I feel a little sorry for him. He's only thirteen or fourteen, right? When I was thirteen or fourteen, I was still figuring out how to skip class...]

After saying that, Caroso staggered over to the bed with the card in hand, sat down, and began meditating.

Even though he was exhausted to the point of nearly collapsing, he did not choose the more comfortable option of sleeping...