Stone Skin Card

Crack—

A One-Star Blank Energy Card was inserted into the card slot of the meter in his hand. At once, several strip-like light sources for conducting energy lit up across the rectangular meter's surface.

This was equipment commonly used by card masters, a special device that connected Energy Cards with other cards. Its purpose was to use the Energy Card's power to activate other cards, thus avoiding the consumption of the card master's own card energy.

Without a meter, a card master could only activate cards by consuming their own card energy.

The meter in Tang Jian's hand was merely the most common two-slot model.

He swiftly picked up the other Energy Card and card obtained after killing one person. As for the meter the other party had dropped, he quickly picked it up and strapped it onto his other arm.

At this moment, the other students in the distance had also received their respective starting items. While warily keeping their distance from one another, they examined the item cards they had obtained.

Tang Jian was no exception.

There was nothing worth examining about a One-Star Blank Energy Card. What Tang Jian inspected were the other two cards he had acquired.

One was his starting card, while the other was the starting card of the person he had killed.

Both cards had white faces.

This white was not the natural color of the material itself, but a color bestowed after being acknowledged by the laws of the four supreme stars, signifying that they were white-quality cards.

One of the cards had a gray interior. The card patterns on its surface appeared rigid and obscure rather than smooth, yet they possessed the beauty of hard lines, forming an image resembling a Stone Golem.

Tang Jian recognized it at a glance. It was a combat-type physical enhancement card—Stone Skin Card.

The rigid lines on the card's surface were not the result of the creator's clumsy technique. Rather, such rigid lines were themselves a necessary element in creating this kind of card.

The techniques used in card-making were not fixed and unchanging.

Nor did softer lines necessarily mean better work.

Cards of different natures required different drawing techniques.

Stone Skin Cards came in varying grades, from the lowest White Grade Three-Star to Green Grade One-Star. Naturally, their power varied by grade.

Getting such a brute-force card as his starting card left Tang Jian rather helpless.

It was not a ranged combat card, which meant he had to fight people at close quarters. The danger level was somewhat higher.

Still, since he had obtained a combat card, he was fairly satisfied.

He examined the other card.

This card had a transparent interior, and the lines of its surface pattern were exceptionally soft, as fine as silkworm silk. They looked like threads of spring rain, forming an image of a shower falling from the sky.

An auxiliary healing-type card—Rejuvenation Card.

It was likewise a card of varying grades, ranging from the lowest White Grade Two-Star to the highest Green Grade One-Star. Different grades meant different power.

Tang Jian identified cards extremely quickly. With barely two glances, he had already determined their grades, functions, and properties.

He equipped the cards just as swiftly. Both arms moved at once, and he fitted all the cards onto the meter strapped to his other arm.

Each of the two meters held a One-Star Blank Energy Card and an "Effect Card."

"Effect Card" was a professional term referring to the four major categories of cards that acted upon Energy Cards.

As Tang Jian equipped his cards, he was already sprinting toward a student not far away, his target unmistakably clear.

At the same time, people began appearing one after another on the scoreboard overhead. Some had even earned three points already.

Tang Jian looked up and saw that the person with three points was none other than Wu Chun from Class One.

Besides Wu Chun, top students from the school such as Wang Ba also began appearing on the rankings one after another.

As for their Senior Year Class Twelve, he was the only one currently on the board, and he had gradually fallen to somewhere past twentieth place.

The entire scoreboard displayed only the top thirty.

He did not know whether that meant reaching the top thirty in this stage was enough to pass, or whether it meant something else.

In any case, Tang Jian had made up his mind to remain within those thirty places.

As he sprinted toward one of the students, the other party quickly reacted as well.

"Join forces and take him out!"

A ponytailed girl immediately ran over from near that student and spoke decisively. The meter in her hand was already glowing.

Clearly, the two knew each other. Having sensed Tang Jian's threat, their eyes gleamed with eagerness as they prepared to join hands and take him down first.

Whoosh—

The meter in the ponytailed girl's hand flashed. A sharp whistling sound tore through the air as a pale green air bullet shot toward Tang Jian.

"Air Bullet Card. A green air bullet means its grade is no higher than White Grade Three-Star. Standard firing rate: 1.1 shots per second. Its power can pierce a one-inch-thick wooden board, but not a one-inch-thick stone slab."

The instant Tang Jian saw that pale green air bullet streaking toward him, information about the card flashed through his mind.

His speed did not change in the slightest as he charged straight ahead.

The pale green beam passed directly a foot from his side, posing no threat whatsoever.

"Go! My card is an auxiliary Water Wave Shield Card. I can put a shield on you!"

Seeing Tang Jian charge directly at them with such ferocity, the pair immediately panicked. The youthful-looking boy directly placed a shield on the ponytailed girl.

The meter in his hand lit up, and a cool aura instantly swirled around the ponytailed girl. A ring of rippling water formed around her body, creating a water wave shield.

During this time, the ponytailed girl fired Air Bullets one after another. However, her aim was abysmal. Tang Jian predicted them in advance and easily dodged, instantly closing the distance.

"Cover me!" the ponytailed girl cried out, quickly retreating in an attempt to widen the gap between herself and Tang Jian.

The boy gritted his teeth, placed a water wave shield on himself, and charged directly at Tang Jian.

"Take out the support first. The other one will be much easier to deal with." Tang Jian did not pursue the ponytailed girl at all.

Her shooting accuracy was simply painful to watch.

One had to adapt to the situation in battle. If she had been an expert marksman, Tang Jian would naturally have stuck to her relentlessly to eliminate the threat.

But in this situation, the girl holding the Air Bullet Card was not much of a threat. The boy who could continuously apply water wave shields was the real nuisance. Only by dealing with him first could Tang Jian break through their defensive measures.

Break the line of defense first, then kill.

Tang Jian was utterly decisive. The moment he came into contact with the boy, the Stone Skin Card activated. A stench like lime powder seemed to rise from his body, and his movements immediately became somewhat stiff and inflexible. Yet a powerful force and a solid sense of sturdiness burst forth from within him.

His five fingers spread wide, then clenched fiercely!

The instant Tang Jian drew near, he threw a punch. His fist transformed into a bowl-sized, bluish-black fist that rapidly grew larger in the boy's terrified eyes.

Bang—

The water wave shield rippled violently.

Tang Jian seemingly carelessly exposed most of his body.

"Now!"

The girl in the distance, who had been tensely aiming, did not hesitate to drive the Air Bullet Card to its limit.

Whoosh—

A pale green air bullet came hurtling toward him.