Two SSR-Level Cards!

The short-haired young man was the same type as the "spirited young men" from Lin Xia's old world.

Though he was about the same age as Lin Xia, he had dropped out of school early and learned to fend for himself in society.

So it hadn't taken him long to figure out why Yang Ming had traveled across several cities to get his cards reinforced.

The young vice president was keeping it a secret from his family!

Sure enough, after the young man sent the president a photo of Yang Ming and Sun Qi standing in front of the Reinforcement Pillar, he received a reply:

"Stop him! Don't let that kid put his Main Card into the Reinforcement Pillar. I'll reward you when I get there!"

The Blue Eagle Guild's president was named Yang Hui. He had just turned forty, and even without counting the strength of his Cards, his own level had already surpassed 63.

That made him the second-highest-level president among the major guilds.

Yang Hui had just finished "battling" and was basking in the afterglow when he learned that his son was trying to reinforce his Main Card. He immediately sprang out of bed.

"Damn it, that kid thinks he can do whatever he wants now? He's treating my words like they mean nothing?!

The success rate for going from +7 to +8 is so high, and he still dares to combine Cards without a Protection Scroll!"

Yang Hui had a stern face and a perfectly sculpted, bronze-colored physique. Trembling with anger, he tried to calm himself as he hurriedly got dressed and headed outside.

As soon as he stepped out, he broke into a run, then BOOM! He shot into the sky!

The sonic boom that followed meant Yang Hui had already broken the sound barrier.

And that wasn't all. With another thunderous boom, he launched himself forward like a spring let loose, his speed visibly surging to another level.

All he had to do was fly to the teleportation gate that led straight to City S, and he'd reach Yang Ming before long.

Meanwhile, after receiving the order, the short-haired young man prepared to stop Yang Ming by force when he tried to reinforce his Main Card!

As for Sun Qi's decision to blow up the Buffer Card, the young man didn't care at all.

Let him blow it up if he wanted. It wasn't like he was wasting the young man's resources.

At that moment, Lin Xia stepped forward and held Sun Qi's arm. Then he turned to Yang Ming and said:

"I'm a card reinforcer too. If it were me, I wouldn't use a Buffer Card for this attempt. I'd put the Main Card in directly."

Yang Ming's lips parted slightly, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You... you're a card reinforcer?!"

"What?!"

The short-haired young man and his companion jolted, staring at Lin Xia in disbelief as they rapidly searched their memories for anyone in the entire reinforcement world who fit the description.

"I've been around for years, and I've never heard of a card reinforcer as young as you!"

Sun Qi gritted his teeth and spat angrily, "If you want to con people, you should at least know your own limits!"

He pushed Lin Xia's hand away and shot him a warning look.

It was as if Lin Xia would get beaten up if he interfered again.

"Heh..." Lin Xia sneered, lifting his chin confidently. He didn't avoid Sun Qi's gaze; instead, he met it head-on. "It's normal you haven't heard of me, because I only decided to become a card reinforcer today... no, just now!

"As for being a con artist... I think that title suits you better!"

"You're asking for it!"

When Sun Qi heard himself called a con artist, it was as though Lin Xia had touched a raw nerve. The veins in his neck bulged, and he swung a fist toward Lin Xia's pretty face.

THUD~

Lin Xia caught the punch with ease.

That wasn't because Sun Qi was weak. It was because of the blue device stuck in the ground beside them—

The blue device was shaped like a three-dimensional box. Blue liquid energy flowed inside it, and it constantly emitted energy waves in an invisible spectrum.

The area covered by the waves was exactly the same size as the reinforcement hall.

This was the Ability Inhibitor, a product of the Vincent Military Industry Group. It suppressed awakened power, making Awakeners no different from ordinary people in every way except their ability to withstand the Reinforcement Pillar's radiation and use their panels.

Many public places in cities had these inhibitors.

Sun Qi had apparently forgotten about it in a moment of anger.

Once he realized, he pulled his hand back.

Lin Xia, meanwhile, suddenly had an idea.

His plan could lead to one of two outcomes.

First: he could get Material Cards for free and reinforce Vegeta to +2.

Second: he could help Yang Ming successfully turn his Main Card gold.

Either way, Lin Xia had everything to gain!

So he took out his SSR-level Card, Vegeta, propped his head up with one hand, sighed, and deliberately put on a dejected expression.

"If I'd only managed to save up enough Material Cards, I would've gone for it this time!"

"This kid has two SSR-level Cards?!"

The short-haired young man gaped at Lin Xia, then exchanged a stunned look with his companion.

At Lin Xia's age, having even one SSR Card already made him stand out among his peers.

And the Cards Awakeners acquired as they leveled up followed a clear pattern of ups and downs.

For example, if an Awakener got an SSR-level Card the first time he received one, then the Card he got the next time he leveled up would have to be lower than SSR.

There was absolutely no way he could get two SSRs in a row!

That would defy the laws governing an Awakener's growth!

Of course, no one knew that the Card Lin Xia had gotten from leveling up was actually the A-rank Tien Shinhan, which followed that rule perfectly. He had obtained Vegeta through his affinity compendium.

So the young man guessed that Lin Xia had bought the SSR-level Card on the market.

But a Card with a rating of 94... That was the kind of thing money couldn't buy. Even if someone were willing to sell one... it would cost a fortune!

Could Lin Xia be a rich kid hiding his background?

The same thought crossed Sun Qi and Yang Ming's minds.

After all, they had seen Lin Xia's other SSR-level Card on the way here.

Even though the revelation had shocked Sun Qi about Lin Xia's background, it still didn't improve his attitude.

After all, Lin Xia hadn't come to reinforce his own Cards. He'd come to "cause trouble"!

Then Sun Qi suddenly realized something, and his voice grew louder.

"Hahaha, even if you had Material Cards, a successful reinforcement would only get you a +2 Card..."

Sun Qi's laughter was loud, a sharp contrast to his earlier low, mocking chuckle. "Do you seriously think the odds of going from +1 to +2 can compare to the odds of going from +7 to +8?

"You claim to be a card reinforcer, yet you don't even know that much? Go find somewhere else to cool off!"

Hearing this, Yang Ming—who had begun to doubt Sun Qi's claims about Lin Xia—furrowed his brows again and looked at him, curious to hear how Lin Xia would respond.

"Mr. Sun, I see you still don't understand what I mean."

Lin Xia raised his chin high and smiled knowingly. "I said this attempt would succeed, but that has nothing to do with whether it's +2 or +3. No matter what level of reinforcement it is... this attempt will succeed!"