Ten consecutive draws

The Lizard Monster's fate had been sealed the moment it was turned into a Fantasy Card.

Lizard Monster: ...Stay away from me!!!

As a certain terrifying upright ape turned his gaze toward it, the Lizard Monster's soul inside the card desperately wanted to scream "Nooo!" one more time.

Unfortunately, trapped in two dimensions, it could not make a sound.

The next instant, his Stand Ability activated. Cracks spread across the card's surface, joining into a shattered spiderweb before the whole thing crumbled.

A cloud of blue motes, like dust or fine debris, burst from the fragments. Most vanished into the air, while a small portion flew into Josen's broad chest like iron filings drawn to a magnet.

[Strength +1, +1, +1...]

According to the feedback his Stand Ability sent to his mind, the enhancement materials extracted this time contained none of the Lizard Monster's special abilities, only ordinary base attributes.

The entire enhancement process was brief, but the losses were considerable. If the Lizard Monster's strength were an iceberg, the portion used to enhance him might have been only the ten percent above the water.

The loss rate was so high that Josen briefly suspected his Stand was acting as a middleman and pocketing the difference.

Still, even if that were true, he could only let it slide. How could he not spoil his own Stand?

Within a few rises and falls of his chest, his strength, which had long since hit a plateau, increased slightly. It was not enough for a qualitative change, but it was better than nothing.

There were still subtle improvements, though.

His pectorals, lats, biceps, and other muscle groups grew even more imposing, bringing him another step closer to becoming a Live-Action Platinum Ape.

In that case...

As he considered it, Josen opened his hands and summoned a stack of blank Fantasy Cards. Including the draw awarded by yesterday's Lizard Monster, he had just enough for another ten consecutive draws.

[Current Fate Draw count: 10.]

After enduring a nightmare stretch of daily single draws that yielded nothing but N-rank Strength cards, Josen had decisively joined the ten-draw camp.

Fate Draw had no guaranteed drops, but superstition was a matter of faith.

Then let's draw!

[Strength (N): Attribute card. 1 unit of strength, which determines melee attack power, bodily strength, and carrying capacity. Used to enhance the user.]

[Speed (N): Attribute card. 1 unit of speed, which determines balance, reflexes, and speed. Used to enhance the user.]

[Strength (R): Attribute card. 10 units of strength. Description omitted.]

[Twenty Years of Power in One Punch (N): Ability card. A charged attack that enhances a punch's penetrating power.]

[Constitution (N): Attribute card. 1 unit of constitution, which determines stamina, various resistances, defense, and vitality. Used to enhance the user.]

[Spirit (N): Attribute card. 1 unit of spirit, which determines perception, psychic power, and energy levels. Used to enhance the user.]

[Speed (N): Attribute card. Description omitted.]

[Constitution (N): Attribute card. Description omitted.]

[Senzu Bean (R): Item card. A miraculous plant seed from the Dragon Ball world. Eating one prevents hunger for ten days, instantly restores all stamina when severely exhausted, and heals all injuries. Ineffective against disease. Quantity: 1.]

[Heart of the Freljord (SR): Character card. Heart of the Freljord, Kennen, a member of the Kinkou Order from the League of Legends world, proficient in Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Skill tree: 1. Ninja Art: Lightning Binding Seal, 2. Secret Art: Chidori Shuriken, 3. Secret Art: Lightning Blade, 4. Secret Art: Lightning Armor, 5. Secret Art: Ten-Thousand Thunder Prison.]

"Tch, another boring day... huh?"

At the familiar sea of blue and white, Josen was about to let loose a string of curses.

A closer look revealed that, besides the usual attribute cards, he had actually pulled something worthwhile.

With a wave of his hand, seven attribute cards sank into his chest one after another. The overwhelming pleasure of his rising attributes surged endlessly through his body.

The R-rank Strength card in particular truly delivered ten times the pleasure of an ordinary N-rank attribute card.

Meanwhile, the remaining three cards landed in Josen's hand.

[Fantasy Card: Twenty Years of Power in One Punch]

[Card type: Ability card]

[Rarity: N]

[Description: This punch carries twenty years of power. Can you withstand it?]

[Effect 1: Charge]

[A charged attack that enhances a punch's penetrating power.]

Twenty Years of Power in One Punch was Number One in Tianjin's finishing move. It was a decent martial arts technique by ordinary human standards, but unfortunately, it had a windup and needed to be charged.

[Fantasy Card: Senzu Bean]

[Card type: Item card]

[Rarity: R]

[Description: A miraculous plant seed from the Dragon Ball world.]

[Effect 1: Sustenance]

[Eating one prevents hunger for ten days.]

[Effect 1: Potent healing]

[Instantly restores all stamina when severely exhausted and heals all injuries. Ineffective against disease.]

Senzu Bean, the lifesaving medicine every Supa Saiyan Gold needs for a power surge. In a pinch, it can even serve as emergency food. Good stuff. I'll keep it.

Now for the main event: the character card, Heart of the Freljord!

[Fantasy Card: Heart of the Freljord]

[Card type: Character card (Hero)]

[Rarity: SR]

[Description: Kennen, the electric rodent, a member of the Kinkou Order from the League of Legends world, proficient in Lightning Release Ninjutsu-balance! It exists in all things!]

[Effect 1: Ninja Art: Lightning Binding Seal]

[Lightning-infused attacks apply 1 stack of Stormfront Mark to enemies. At 3 stacks, the enemy is stunned (passive).]

[Effect 2: Secret Art: Chidori Shuriken]

[Throws a lightning-wreathed Shuriken at an enemy, applying 1 stack of Stormfront Mark.]

[Effect 3: Secret Art: Lightning Blade]

[Every fifth attack is empowered with lightning and applies 1 stack of Stormfront Mark (passive); releases lightning to attack all nearby enemies bearing Stormfront Marks, applying 1 additional stack of Stormfront Mark.]

[Effect 4: Secret Art: Lightning Armor]

[Transforms into lightning to gain movement speed, striking all enemies along the path with lightning and applying 1 stack of Stormfront Mark.]

[Effect 5: Secret Art: Ten-Thousand Thunder Prison]

[Summons a lightning storm around the user that continuously attacks enemies. Each attack applies 1 stack of Stormfront Mark, while increasing the user's defensive resistances.]

As he absorbed the card's information, Josen's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

After more than a month, he had finally pulled another SR.

The abilities manifested through Fantasy Cards differed slightly from their in-game counterparts. They had no rigid numerical values, but their mechanics were largely the same.

Character cards did have a limit on how many he could equip, but that was not the point!

The point is, my basic attacks finally have special effects... scratch that! I can finally control lightning!

Josen casually slapped Twenty Years of Power in One Punch into himself and stored the lifesaving Senzu Bean in his deck. He polished off the food in the pot in a few mouthfuls and quickly tidied up. When he reappeared, he had already changed into workout clothes and was standing at the front door.

The whole sequence flowed seamlessly, with his sheer impatience shining through.

Leaving the apartment, Josen jogged out of the city center, passed through the outlying residential neighborhoods that had not yet been completely abandoned, and reached the mountains beyond the city.

With this world's limited population, there was scarcely any sign of human activity outside the cities.