[Baron Nashor]! They Should Be Thanking Me

[Baron Nashor]

[Category: Summon Card]

[Quality: Three-Star Purple Card]

[Attributes: Void, Darkness]

[Racial Trait: Void Corruption]

[(Note: The Baron Protection Plan—there will only ever be one Baron in the world!)]

Looking at the summon card in his hand, suffused with an eerie purple glow, Gu Xin couldn't help but break into a broad grin.

A dual-attribute summon card, and a three-star epic purple card at that!

There was no doubt that this card was incredibly powerful. If he put it up for sale, Gu Xin wouldn't part with it even for thirty million Great Xia coins.

This was a three-star purple card!

"Hehe~ I knew it. I'm a genius cardmaker."

Gu Xin put away [Baron Nashor], intending to bind it to himself later. Then he stretched lazily.

He was only a second-tier cardmaker, yet he had created a three-star purple magic card beyond his level. If other cardmakers found out, their jaws would probably drop.

A cardmaker's card creation depended heavily on the mysterious and intangible concept of "fortune," because having high-grade materials did not necessarily mean one could create a powerful, high-star card.

Take Gu Xin's magic card [Heart Change], for example. Its effect was clearly absurdly powerful, so why did he dislike it so much now?

Because one of [Heart Change]'s base materials had been the third-tier [Eye of Darkness]!

A third-tier [Eye of Darkness] had resulted in nothing more than a two-star blue card. To Gu Xin, that was simply too embarrassing.

Even if its effect seemed terrifying to outsiders.

Gu Xin stored away the remaining materials, cleaned up the failed scraps, then left the laboratory and returned to his room.

After sitting down at his desk, Gu Xin took out his alchemy notebook and recorded today's failed sequences, as well as the material combinations used in his successful attempt.

"So, adding that [Young Dragon] was the right choice."

Resting the end of his ballpoint pen against his chin, Gu Xin pondered. [Baron Nashor]'s success had been accidental, but sometimes accidents implied inevitability.

[Young Dragon] was one of the second-tier materials Gu Xin had picked up from Uncle Chen's General Store. It was, in fact, the corpse of a dead young dragon.

Of course, despite its name, the young dragon was actually just a subspecies Flying Dragon. Once it reached adulthood, it would possess third-tier strength. It was only called a young dragon because it was still immature.

"What a shame there was only one young dragon. Old Chen really isn't pulling his weight. He should get me more treasure corpses."

Gu Xin said regretfully. Otherwise, if he bought another [Soul-Devouring Insect], he could try to see whether he could create a second [Baron Nashor].

Although he had succeeded this time, the same materials could still produce a different card. It was not guaranteed that he could perfectly replicate it again.

A cardmaker's magic, materials, state of mind, and mental condition were all important during card creation. It was all extremely mysterious.

The slightest difference could produce an entirely different result.

Well, though the odds of getting useless scraps were actually the highest.

After taking a drink of water, Gu Xin went to take a bath. He had activated the Alchemy Furnace so many times today that he had nearly exhausted all his magic power.

Gu Xin was still quite tired.

After his bath, Gu Xin lay down on his soft bed and decisively pulled out his phone to surf the web, browsing the university forum while he was at it.

But just then, a message addressed to the entire class popped up in the class group chat.

Gu Xin was a freshman at Yin City University, enrolled in the cardmaker program under the mage division. However, there were very few cardmaker students.

So Gu Xin had actually been assigned to Mage Class Four. Well, his liberal arts grades were not particularly good.

Yin University, First-Year Class Four: She Went to Learn a Trade: Holy shit, guys, did you see the news? I heard an demi-human monster has appeared in Yin City recently. (Shocked) Eighteen This Year: Seriously? Monsters can get into the city? (Scratches head) Big Bro, I Miss You: I saw that news too. Are the city guards just sitting around doing nothing? And apparently people have already died. You Can't Handle My Staff: Demi-human? What race is it? (Σ(ŎдŎ|||)) Magic Is the Best: Is it a lizardman? Is it, is it? I love lizardmen! ((≧ω≦))

Seriously, man. People can't—at the very least, they shouldn't.

Gu Xin lurked in the chat, watching his classmates enthusiastically discuss the demi-human matter. Every now and then, he sent an emoji to make his presence known.

Demi-humans were humanoid creatures that resembled humans in appearance, yet were fundamentally different.

They did not belong to the categories of magical beasts or monsters, but were an independent type of creature.

It was worth mentioning that demi-humans were essentially what Gu Xin remembered as beastmen.

There were foxfolk, wolfmen, minotaurs, weaselfolk, and many others. They possessed human characteristics while retaining beastly traits.

Tails, claws, ears, skin, even their heads and more.

Gu Xin had seen demi-humans before. He still remembered a circus troupe that had come to Yin City last year, where there had been a foxfolk big sister's performance.

Those bouncing milky-white breasts, that soft, swaying waist, that charming figure, that fluffy big tail...

It had truly been unforgettable.

"How strange. There aren't any demi-human clan secret realms near Yin City, so how did a demi-human suddenly appear? And it seems to be a particularly vicious one, too."

Gu Xin searched the Yin City forum for information about demi-humans, and sure enough, a post popped up.

Demi-human clans were not natives of this world. Several centuries ago, they had come here from a large secret realm world.

It was said that they had charged in while shouting, "For the Horde!" intending to conquer this world.

And then...

Then they had been beaten black and blue by the allied empires. After suffering devastating casualties, the demi-human clans signed a treaty with the human empires and eventually migrated in full to the Westwind Grassland.

However, over the past several centuries, there had still been several conflicts between the demi-human clans and the human empires. At least, based on the news Gu Xin had seen growing up—

Most demi-humans were more beast than human. They truly could not be called "people."

"The victim was drained of blood, and their organs were ripped out. Their death was too horrible to bear looking at?"

Gu Xin frowned slightly as he read a description posted by someone claiming to be an informed insider.

If it was true, then this demi-human really was extremely vicious. But how exactly had it gotten into the city?

"I hope the city guards catch it soon."

"Come to think of it, demi-humans can also be used as alchemy materials..."

Gu Xin suddenly thought of this. Creating magic cards required all kinds of bizarre materials.

They could be the flesh of monsters or magical beasts, various magic items, or even... people!

That was right. People could also be used as alchemy materials. Some extreme, depraved dark cardmakers used professionals with battle aura or magic power as alchemy materials to create magic cards.

And naturally, demi-humans could also be used as alchemy materials.

At that thought, Gu Xin's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

"There really does seem to be a Black Net that sells demi-humans, and ugly demi-humans probably aren't that expensive."

Gu Xin gradually began to feel parched.

If he truly used demi-humans as materials, the scope of his cardmaking possibilities would undoubtedly expand greatly.

Because he really wanted to create humanoid cards.

But no matter what, demi-humans were different from magical beasts. They had traits similar to humans, and using them as alchemy materials would undoubtedly lower one's empathy and moral limits.

Today it was demi-humans. Tomorrow, it could be humans!

Many dark cardmakers had perhaps fallen into depravity step by step in exactly this way.

So Gu Xin hesitated for a moment, but he quickly came to a realization.

"No, those evil, vicious demi-humans are beasts! Not people!"

"Using their bodies to make cards is eliminating evil for the people and making use of waste!"

"They should be thanking me. Once they become cards, they won't even need to be cremated and buried!"