Skeleton Soldier

"Cooked bones... should still work, right?"

Lin Qi stared at the bones he had just scooped into the basin. Rising steam blurred his vision, and bits of meat still clung to the bones, giving off the rich aroma of bone broth.

He gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes. "I'm betting on it! Even if I fail, I'll just have to wait for Dad to buy some fresh bones!"

Lin Qi raised a hand, and his gray-white bone Natal Card appeared out of thin air, drifting into the basin of cold water.

Then he took out the vortex rule card, gripping it tightly between trembling fingers.

"Heavens above, please let me succeed this time. I'll set out the best offerings for you afterward and burn three sticks of incense!"

Muttering under his breath, Lin Qi channeled Source Power into the card.

The next second, a vortex suddenly appeared in the basin. The spinning current gave a faint whistling sound as it swept up all the bones.

Lin Qi held his breath and stared at the vortex without blinking, his heart racing.

In the space of a single breath, the vortex vanished. The bones in the basin were gone, leaving only a card lying quietly at the bottom.

"It worked!"

Lin Qi's voice trembled with excitement as he reached in and fished out the card. It felt cool and familiar against his fingertips.

A strange-looking skeleton was pictured on the front of the card.

It was much shorter than the Skeleton Foot Soldier Laifu had left behind, standing less than a meter tall. Traces of cooking were still faintly visible between its bones, and it looked loosely put together.

Summoning Card: Skeleton Foot Soldier

Evaluation: An osteoporotic skeleton cobbled together from assorted pieces, barely fit to serve as cannon fodder and material

As the information appeared in his mind, Lin Qi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The result was far from perfect, but it was still the first card he had fused with his own hands!

"Summon, Skeleton Foot Soldier!"

He channeled Source Power into the card.

There was no dazzling light, only a faint wisp of gray mist.

Immediately afterward, a short, squat skeleton appeared before him.

The skeleton stood unsteadily, its bones creaking with every movement, as though it might fall apart at any moment.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha."

Lin Qi could no longer contain himself and burst out laughing.

The frustration of awakening a useless card, the humiliation of being mocked, and the anxiety of cultivating without results all vanished with his laughter.

He reached out to pat the Skeleton Foot Soldier on the shoulder, but as soon as his fingertips touched its bones, the skeleton fell apart with a clatter, sending bones rolling across the floor.

"Uh..."

Lin Qi's laughter stopped short. Looking at the pile of bones on the floor, he shook his head helplessly.

"It's so fragile. No wonder my Natal Card still has no color."

He waved a hand to recall the skeleton, then looked at the one-star Skeleton Foot Soldier Summoning Card Laifu had left behind.

"If cooked bones can be fused into a basic version, then two skeleton cards should be able to evolve further, right?"

He eagerly took the two skeleton cards and the rule card in his hands and channeled Source Power into them again.

The rule card floated in the air, the vortex on its face spinning rapidly as it sucked in both skeleton cards.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The moment the vortex stopped, a card glowing with white light slowly descended.

The instant the card appeared, a sudden hum sounded deep within Lin Qi's consciousness, as though something had opened.

A translucent space emerged in his mind, and the outline of a card slot was clearly visible inside!

"Card Slot Space! I've broken through to a one-star Card Apprentice!"

Lin Qi jumped up in excitement. The card in his hand seemed to come alive as a steady stream of information flooded his mind.

Summoning Card: Skeleton Soldier.

Star rating: One star

Quality: White

Card description: An enhanced version of the Skeleton Foot Soldier, with thicker, more closely joined bones and a stable soul fire. It has mastered basic combat techniques and is capable of basic combat.

Evaluation: Cannon fodder capable of dealing a little damage

Lin Qi looked at the picture on the card. The skeleton was indeed much taller than before, and its bones had changed from gray-white to pale brown. It was visibly sturdier.

"Well, would you look at that? It's not a Skeleton Foot Soldier anymore. It's a soldier."

He couldn't help grinning. "Good thing my Natal Card is a Summoning Card. As long as I have enough Source Power, I can summon it again even if it's smashed apart. Unlike a Beast Taming Card. So what if you can summon it and keep it by your side? If it's killed, it's really dead, and your path as a Card Master ends with it."

Lin Qi took out the two-star Beast Taming Card, Wind Chime Cat, as well.

"I'll try using it first. If it really doesn't work out, I can still sell it or give it to Dad."

With a thought from Lin Qi, the card instantly linked to the space. A pale green light flashed, and the card's information appeared clearly in his mind.

Beast Taming Card: Wind Chime Cat

Star rating: Two stars

Quality: Green

Talent: Wind's Acuity. It has extremely keen senses and can detect faint changes in air currents and hidden fluctuations of energy, making it an excellent scout.

Skill: Bell Sound Interference. By shaking its wind chimes, it can emit invisible sound waves that slightly disrupt an opponent's concentration.

Card description: Several small, translucent bell phantoms, naturally formed from condensed wind energy, hang from the tip of the Wind Chime Cat's tail and the tips of its ears. When it moves, these wind chimes emit a clear, pleasant vibration of energy that is not a physical sound.

Evaluation: A cute-looking card beast, but don't underestimate its fighting power because of its adorable appearance.

As Lin Qi channeled a little Source Power into the card, an elegant cat appeared on the table in front of him.

Its fur was pure white, its ear tips were pale green, and three little bell phantoms hung from its tail. It was curiously pawing at the corner of the table.

When the Wind Chime Cat saw Lin Qi looking at it, it stopped, raised its head, and gave a soft meow.

"Meow~"

Its voice was sweet and clear, carrying a hint of a cool breeze.

"So this is a Beast Taming Card. It really is amazing."

Lin Qi carefully reached out, and the Wind Chime Cat rubbed against his fingertips. The fluffy sensation warmed his heart.

At that moment, he finally felt that he had truly put down roots on this otherworldly continent. He was no longer that bewildered outsider.

"Son, I bought every bone at the market for you! Come see what you think!"

Lin Feng's booming voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard gate, interrupting Lin Qi's thoughts.

A tall figure strode in, carrying a complete cow skeleton over his shoulder and several thick marrow bones in his hand. The skeleton still bore fresh streaks of blood; clearly, the meat had just been stripped from it.

"I made a special point of asking the butcher to strip the meat off on the spot. They're absolutely fresh..."

Lin Feng's voice suddenly stopped. He stared fixedly at the Wind Chime Cat on the table, and the marrow bones fell from his hand, hitting the floor with a heavy clang.

"Meow!"

The Wind Chime Cat jumped in fright and gave its tail a gentle flick. The clear energy chimes rang out in the quiet kitchen, but they had an ethereal quality, unlike a real sound.

"Son, d-did you make this?"

Lin Feng's voice trembled as he rubbed his eyes, afraid he was seeing things.

Lin Qi nodded with a smile, his voice full of pride. "Dad, I broke through. I'm a one-star Card Apprentice now."

"Good! Good! Wonderful!"

Lin Feng said "good" three times in a row, his eyes reddening with excitement.

He stepped forward and grabbed Lin Qi by the arm.

"I knew it! You're a genius!"

Lin Feng pulled Lin Qi along, ready to head outside.

"Come on, son! I'll take you to the best restaurant in town and order your favorite braised beast meat. We'll have a proper celebration!"

Lin Qi hurriedly waved him off. "Dad, don't. There'll be two Card Masters in the family now, and cultivation and buying cards both cost money. We should save where we can. Don't we still have some air-dried meat at home? We can just stir-fry a couple of dishes."

"Right, right, save money!"

Lin Feng slapped his forehead, turned, and ran outside.

"I'll buy a couple of jin of fresh vegetables and get a jug of good wine! We have to celebrate properly today!"

Lin Qi smiled helplessly as he watched his father hurry away.

"He's only a young man of thirty-five himself!"

Lin Qi looked at the cow skeleton in front of him and took out the Skeleton Soldier and the rule card.

He placed the two cards beside the cow skeleton.

But the expected vortex didn't appear. The cow skeleton remained undisturbed on the floor.

"Strange. Why didn't it work?"

Unwilling to give up, Lin Qi channeled the Source Power he had just condensed into the cards. Although nothing happened in front of him, a piece of information reached him from deep within his consciousness.

"Unable to fuse with unequal materials."

"Unequal materials? What does that mean?"

"Bones, cards, bones..."

Muttering the two words over and over, Lin Qi suddenly understood.

"It's because these are bones, not cards, so the two can't be fused."

The moment the thought occurred to him, Lin Qi froze.

"Wait, that's not right. Why was my Natal Card able to fuse with bones the first time, then?"

Lin Qi thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. Still, his Natal Card had grown, and that was a good thing.

"If I can't use them, I can't use them. Good thing the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion sells Skeleton Minion Summoning Cards."

He tossed the cow skeleton back into the pot and added some water and herbs.

"Since I can't fuse it, I'll make bone broth to replenish my depleted body."

A detailed explanation of the ranks and realms.

Zero stars: Trainee Card Apprentice.

They have not opened a Card Slot Space and cannot use secondary cards. They can only cultivate to increase the Source Power in their bodies and strengthen the basic attributes of their Natal Cards, if those cards have attributes. This is the starting point for all Card Masters. Most people remain at this stage for one to three months, while a few with poor talent stay for six months or more, with no upper limit.

One to two stars: Official Card Apprentice.

They awaken a Card Slot Space and can link secondary cards. A one-star Card Apprentice has one card slot, and a two-star Card Apprentice has two. In other words, each additional star provides one more slot for linking a secondary card.

A Card Apprentice's total Source Power and storage capacity increase substantially, allowing them to use secondary cards in combat or for support. This is the foundational stage for Card Masters and also the one with the most people. Most ordinary people remain at the Card Apprentice stage for their entire lives. Those who can break through to Card Master possess both talent and diligence.

Three to five stars: Card Master.

This is the first major stage after breaking through the Card Apprentice realm. Total Source Power grows by geometric multiples, and the Card Slot Space expands to three to five slots, gaining one with each additional star. They can use higher-star cards and may even comprehend their cards' advanced skills.

In a small city like Stone Iron City, a Card Master is already considered an important figure. They can hold positions in mercenary groups and the city lord's mansion and enjoy a certain social standing. For example, the guard captain mentioned earlier is a five-star Card Master.

Six to eight stars: Grand Card Master.

They can control multiple high-star cards at once and secure a place for themselves in any major city.

The elite among Card Masters, they reach an elite level of control over Source Power and can control multiple high-star cards at once. They can even produce "synergy effects" between different cards, such as having Summoning Cards and Beast Taming Cards fight in coordination.

Across the entire duchy, Grand Card Masters are scarce talents. They can serve as city lords of major cities, academy instructors, or generals in the kingdom's army, wielding immense prestige and power.

To make the realms easier for readers to remember, I'll reveal only these for now.

Thank you all for your support.