To be honest, the Untangling Game was no fun at all. It demanded tremendous explosive power. Only a powerful burst could rip someone free of the water plants entwining them. The catch was that this all took place underwater. Forget exerting force-even keeping steady was no easy task.
Chen Mu seriously suspected that the card's creator had deliberately dangled the word "reward" as bait. Otherwise, very few people would have stuck with such a monotonous game.
Charging forward again and again consumed an enormous amount of stamina. After just a few attempts, he was already panting with exhaustion. Even that was only possible because practicing the Body-Strengthening Exercise had greatly improved his physique. Before, he would not have been able to break free of even the lowest level's two water plants.
He had no idea what species these water plants were. They were incredibly strong and tough.
After three days of exhausting effort, Chen Mu finally broke free of two water plants. He had finally begun to get a feel for it: wriggling his body like a fish greatly reduced the resistance he encountered underwater. It was thanks to this discovery that he managed to escape the two plants' restraints.
This small discovery excited Chen Mu. He kept trying all sorts of bizarre poses to feel how the resistance around him changed.
Throughout his experiments, Chen Mu discovered that what played the greatest role was actually his Perception. This surprised him greatly. Had his Perception training not required him to spread it around his body, he would never have thought of this method.
He now keenly appreciated the benefits of this approach. He could detect minute changes in the water flowing around him.
It was through these minute changes that he grasped the knack of exerting force underwater and broke free of the water plants.
His excitement did not last long, however. Once four water plants wrapped around him, he could not break free no matter how he exerted himself. Fortunately, the plants would fall away on their own if he sat still for ten minutes. Otherwise, even breathing would have been a problem.
Left with no other choice, Chen Mu could only use his Perception to observe the changes in the currents more closely, try more movements, and increase his explosive power. Apart from training his Perception, he spent every day battling these water plants.
Chen Mu persisted with this tedious game. Every tiny discovery invigorated him and drove him to work even harder.
While he was battling the water plants, he received an invitation from the club, asking him to attend some Two-Way Meeting the following week.
When Lei Zi saw the invitation, he was astonished. He stared at Chen Mu as though he were an alien. "Are you kidding me? It couldn't have happened this fast! An advanced group Two-Way Meeting... Blockhead, don't tell me you're some goddamn genius!"
"A genius? Do I look like one?" Chen Mu gave Lei Zi an innocent look.
"True enough. If we're talking looks, I think I look more like one." Lei Zi nodded in agreement. "But you got into the advanced group after just one visit? Isn't that a little too impressive?"
"Could they have sent it to the wrong person?" After hearing Lei Zi's words, Chen Mu began to feel doubtful too.
Lei Zi nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing. "That seems the most likely explanation to me too. You need over four hundred contribution points to join the advanced group. Do you have that many?"
Chen Mu shook his head. "No." The contribution points on his membership card were still at zero. He remembered that perfectly well without needing to take it out.
"Then it's a mistake," Lei Zi declared confidently. Then he looked at Chen Mu with pity and said in an exaggerated tone, "Blockhead, suppose you go, and they tell you, 'Sorry, sir, we made a mistake.' Then you come slinking back with your tail between your legs. Tsk, tsk. How embarrassing!"
"Makes sense!" Chen Mu thought it over and delivered his verdict with great solemnity. He casually tossed the invitation into the trash, then turned and went back to his room to continue battling the water plants.
"People are so careless about their work these days. How could they make a mistake like that?" Lei Zi muttered to himself. He too turned and went into his room to wrestle with his script for The Legend of the Mecha Master.
At the Low-Level Illusion Card Club's advanced group Two-Way Meeting, the short-haired woman stood at the entrance, looking somewhat anxious.
"Why isn't he here yet? Could the invitation not have reached him?" she murmured. The advanced group's Two-Way Meeting carried considerable clout in Dongshang Guard City. No one had ever voluntarily declined to attend.
No matter how accomplished low-level card makers became, the treatment they received still fell far short of that enjoyed by intermediate- and high-level Illusion Card Masters. They had closer ties to business, and the club served as the bridge between the two.
"Big Sister Feng, is he still not here?" A rather shifty-looking fellow sidled up behind the short-haired woman and even sniffed at her fair neck.
The short-haired woman glared at him. "An Xiaoyou, are you looking to die? You've got the nerve to take liberties with me?"
An Xiaoyou chuckled. "Come on, Big Sister Feng. You're a natural beauty. What man wouldn't be tempted? That was purely an instinctive reaction. Uh, my body was moving faster than my thoughts and accidentally overtook them! Heh heh!"
He rubbed his hands together and asked with a doubtful chuckle, "Big Sister Feng, you're not pulling my leg, are you? Is that fellow called Chen Mu really coming today?"
"He should be," Lan Feng said, sounding a little uncertain herself.
"Good, good!" An Xiaoyou's face flushed with excitement. Smacking his lips, he said, "This guy is incredible. How did he come up with such a simple yet brilliant idea as attaching a Wrist Device to a hat and glasses? I've got to meet this master!"
Lan Feng rolled her eyes and snapped, "You? He racked up four hundred points in a single day. That's a first since our club opened! What are you going to do, carry his shoes?"
An Xiaoyou's expression went blank. He stammered incoherently, "One day... one day... four hundred points..."
"What? Don't believe me?" Lan Feng's expression was a little odd too. "Hmph, I'll have you know I checked it myself." With that, she patted the dumbstruck An Xiaoyou on the shoulder and deliberately rubbed salt into the wound. "While you're still young, go ask him to take you as his apprentice."
Four water plants, and still no reward. But Chen Mu no longer thought about rewards. He felt that what he had gained was more tangible than any prize. The techniques for exerting force underwater and the application of Perception were both so wondrous and captivating.
Most remarkable of all, this entirely new way of using Perception actually stimulated its growth. Chen Mu's Perception, which had stagnated for a long time, showed a tiny increase.
Though it was only the slightest increase, it was enough to make Chen Mu pour all his enthusiasm into his battle with the water plants!
(End of chapter)