Relic: Clown's Myriad Mask

"Congratulations on clearing 'Anomaly 407 Containment Facility.'"

"Maze Exploration Progress: 87%. Received an A-rank reward, 100% fixed reward."

"Superior Strategy: Random card draw rewards +30%."

"Monster Slayer: Additional card draw rewards +20%."

"Defeating the Strong While Weak: Additional card draw rewards +25%."

"Minor Injuries: Fixed rewards +2%."

"BOSS Slay: A-rank Fallen Witch special reward +5%; A-rank Curse Gambler special reward +7%; A-rank Shadow Demon reward +7%."

"Completed Hidden Scenario exploration *3. Hidden rewards +15%."

"Overall evaluation: S. Received Victory Treasure Chest *1. Received Special Settlement Chest *1."

(Note: Treasure chests draw items by probability. The higher the settlement evaluation, the greater the chance of drawing high-quality items.)

Ji Xun looked at the string of settlement evaluations and did not quite understand them.

But since he had killed all the major bosses, the rewards should have been pretty good.

He looked again at the two treasure chests floating in midair. With a light touch, the scenario chest opened and revealed five hexagram cards.

Below them was a Revelation: "30% chance of drawing a White Card, 57% Black Iron Card, 10% Silver Card, 3% Special."

The second Special Settlement Chest contained only one card.

"Drawing cards?"

Ji Xun chuckled as he looked at them. It was another Gambling Dog's game.

One out of five.

He casually tapped one.

There was no silver glow. Two cards appeared before him.

"Opened Victory Treasure Chest. Received 'Skill: Advanced Firearms Mastery' *1."

"Opened Special Settlement Chest. Received 'Relic: Clown's Myriad Mask' *1."

Ji Xun's eyes lit up as he read the descriptions of the two cards in his hand.

He had not drawn the 10% Silver Card from the scenario chest, but it was not a Black Iron Card either.

The reward looked better than expected.

He looked at the card. "Did I draw that 3% Special?"

Skill: Advanced Firearms Mastery

Details: Black Iron skill cultivation card. Requires Intermediate Firearms Mastery. Upon use, you will master Advanced Firearms Specialization and gain near-divine shooting skills.

The gun skills he had painstakingly trained for years were only at intermediate mastery.

Yet this card was advanced.

"Another skill cultivation card?"

Ji Xun muttered to himself as he looked at the card bearing a firearm pattern.

He remembered Chujiu mentioning that skill cultivation cards were extremely rare and among the most valuable cards of the same quality.

He had not expected to obtain two of them in this Alternate Dimension.

Did that mean his luck with card draws was actually pretty good?

It seemed that a high settlement evaluation also increased the chances of drawing hidden rewards?

Either way, he had drawn one.

After checking his Attribute Panel, he saw that his Intermediate Firearms Mastery was at 654/800, so he could use the card.

With a thought, he crushed the card.

"Used 'Skill: Advanced Firearms Mastery.' You have mastered this skill."

Rather dramatically, the skill panel updated to Advanced Firearms Specialization (1554/3000).

"This skill card is incredible."

To understand exactly how the card worked, Ji Xun had been carefully sensing the differences in his body before and after using it.

Very clearly, he felt as though some mysterious force had added something to his memories.

It was like having a brief yet fulfilling dream.

He had swum in the dream, and then he truly knew how to swim.

Ji Xun felt exceptionally good.

After merging with the card skill, his hand instinctively rested on the revolver at his waist, and everything immediately felt different.

Previously, firearms had merely been external tools to him. But now, when his hand touched the revolver, it felt like an extension of his arm.

He had a feeling that if he drew his gun, he would hit whatever he aimed at.

He had read military interviews in his previous life, where some top firearms masters had described their realm as feeling that a gun was an extension of the body.

"So this is Advanced Firearms Specialization. It's really amazing."

Ji Xun felt immensely satisfied with his gains.

Perhaps firearms were not especially powerful in this world of Extraordinary Power, but his body was still weak. At present, the most direct way to increase his combat power was through gun skills.

This skill card might not have been the best, but it was definitely the most practical thing for him right now!

Without dwelling on it, he turned to the other card he had drawn.

Relic: Clown's Myriad Mask

Description: Once you wear the mask for too long, you won't be able to take it off.

Details: A sequence-exclusive Ancient Relic that has lost its divinity. It possesses extremely potent Mental Erosion. While worn, it consumes 10 Mental Power per hour and allows the wearer to alter their appearance at will. Based on the wearer's Mental Power attribute, it grants Illusion Resistance +35%, Curse Immunity +20%, Mental Detection Immunity +70%, Mystery +30%, Dark Affinity +20. Insufficient Mental Power causes Mental Mutation. It can absorb Mental Power to enhance its attributes and improve the relic's quality.

"A unique relic?"

Ji Xun looked at the card with a mask pattern on it.

The mask was flesh-colored, like freshly flayed human skin.

It was a piece of equipment.

Ji Xun did not understand why equipment had to be sealed inside cards.

But the instant the thought arose and the mask appeared in his hand, he immediately guessed the reason.

A human-skin mask as thin as a cicada's wing appeared in his hand. It was light and flimsy, yet merely holding it made his vision blur.

A Revelation appeared: "Mysterious Erosion. Mental Power -0.01."

Like the Extraordinary materials found within monsters, this mask carried energy contamination akin to nuclear radiation.

Ji Xun had gradually formed his own understanding of "Extraordinary contamination." It was not something to fear excessively. His body was probably just too weak to withstand certain overly powerful alien energies.

Like sunlight—getting too close to it, or staying under it for too long, could harm the human body.

Sealing equipment inside cards was probably meant to protect the user and prevent the equipment's Extraordinary Traits from leaking out?

Just as a kitchen knife would rust when exposed to the air, equipment had to be stored in cards to prevent its Extraordinary Traits from dissipating.

Ji Xun did not think too deeply about it.

He would have plenty of time in the future to explore this wondrous world.

Ji Xun estimated how long he could use the equipment and thought, Wearing it continuously consumes Mental Power. Does that mean my current Mental Power can only sustain it for a dozen or so minutes?

Normally, it should have lasted over twenty minutes, but he did not think draining his Mental Power dry was a good idea.

The mask's attributes were all terms that could not be understood precisely, so Ji Xun had no idea how strong it truly was.

But then, after putting on the mask, he noticed a very straightforward numerical change among the string of status buffs on his panel: Dark Affinity 25.

His original Dark Affinity had only been 5. The mask temporarily added 20.

"Dark Affinity has reached 25. Does that mean I can learn that Skill: Shadow Dive now?"

Ji Xun took out the skill cultivation card he had obtained earlier from killing the Shadow Demon and gave it a try.

The Revelation showed that he really could use it!

Compared to something like a mask, he felt that Shadow Dive was the true Life-Saving Divine Skill for the moment.

Ji Xun did not hesitate and directly used the cultivation card.

As the card crumbled into dust in his hand, dreamlike inspiration swept through him in an instant. Another entry appeared on his skill panel: Shadow Dive Lv0.

He had really learned it!

Compared to Firearms Specialization, a skill he had already mastered in his previous life, Shadow Dive truly counted as an extraordinary ability.

Ji Xun found the sensation incredibly strange.

When he tried using the skill, a magical scene unfolded before his eyes.

He watched as his body gradually merged into the darkness and vanished without a trace.

How could he describe that state?

It was like swimming underwater. Dark Element suddenly wrapped around and concealed his body, and he felt his entire body sink into the Dark Element.

The Dark Element, which had previously seemed completely intangible, now felt like water. He could clearly touch it.

Yet a few seconds later, a stumbling figure emerged from the darkness.

Ji Xun watched himself come out of the darkness again. It was his first time using an extraordinary ability, and he was still immersed in that magical experience.

Like a fish in water.

Only to suddenly be dropped back onto shore.

He immediately understood: he was out of mana.

His data panel showed: Curse Power 1/13.

This bit of Curse Power had come from the small amount of Extraordinary Traits he had absorbed from the two corpses earlier.

Ji Xun thought, Curse Power is the mana bar used by Spell Card Masters. This world should have cultivation secrets like Breathing Techniques.

He had previously seen Chujiu meditating. That rhythmic breathing might have been a secret method for cultivating Curse Power.

It seemed he would need to pay attention to such things after getting out.

That was what Ji Xun thought.

Those few seconds of experience had opened up too many possibilities for him. If he could remain hidden in darkness for long periods, this ability would practically be essential for everyday life.

The Clown Mask consumed Mental Power quickly, so Ji Xun took it off. His Dark Affinity also dropped from 25 back to 5.

Then he discovered that the Shadow Dive skill had grayed out.

Without sufficiently high Dark Affinity, he could no longer sense the Dark Element.

The skill was still imprinted in his mind, but his body could not perform it.

Previously, it was like swimming in water. Now it was like being in the air. The movements were the same, but he could not swim.

Just as expected.

Ji Xun did not think much of it and walked toward the twisted gate of light leading out of the Alternate Dimension.

He was going to see this new world.

Thanks to readers 'GT Wanlihong,' '20171111224239223,' 'Lord Luofeng,' and 'Pinky Promise' for their support.