Card Fusion

As soon as he stepped through the door, Lin Qi carried the heavy cow skeleton straight to the backyard. All he could think about now was the Fusion Card.

He threw the cow skeleton to the ground with a thud, kicking up a little dust. The fresh bones were still streaked with blood and gave off a faint bloody smell.

Lin Qi rubbed his hands together and eagerly pulled out the Bone Card and the Vortex Rule Card, placing them alongside the cow skeleton.

"With a cow skeleton this fresh, I should be able to fuse a strong Skeleton Foot Soldier!"

He took a deep breath, gathered Source Power at his fingertip, and slowly channeled it into the rule card.

The familiar vortex appeared. Immediately afterward, the Dust Star Card began to glow white, and sure enough, a Skeleton Foot Soldier appeared on its face.

Summoning Card: Skeleton Foot Soldier

Star level: one star

Quality: white

Card description: Evolved from the bones of a strong animal. Mom will never have to worry about my osteoporosis again.

Evaluation: Cannon fodder that can deal a little damage.

"It worked!"

Although its quality was still white, it was at least much better than the one pieced together from scraps.

He took out his Natal Card, the Skeleton Soldier, and the fusion card went to work again.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

A white card with a faint green tint appeared.

Summoning Card: Strong Skeleton Soldier

Star level: one star

Quality: white

Skill: Basic Combat. Masters simple punching and blocking techniques, allowing it to attack enemies more effectively in battle.

Card description: A skeleton composed of multiple sets of strong bones, possessing a certain degree of toughness.

Evaluation: A soldier who can continue to charge at the enemy, even after dying and becoming a skeleton.

"It even came with a skill!"

Lin Qi's eyes lit up, and he eagerly channeled Source Power into it.

"Summon, Skeleton Soldier!"

A brilliant white light flashed, and a huge skeleton over two meters tall appeared in the backyard.

The Skeleton Soldier was pale brown all over, with thick bones and tightly connected joints. An eerie soul flame flickered in its empty skull, and it gave off an oppressive aura, looking far more imposing than the previous Skeleton Foot Soldier.

Lin Qi walked around the Skeleton Soldier twice, unable to contain his excitement.

"Skeleton Soldier, show me your strength!"

The Skeleton Soldier seemed to understand his command. Without a word, it strode toward the old locust tree in the backyard, its footsteps heavy.

It raised its right fist, its knuckles creaking, then slammed a punch into the trunk.

"Bang!"

After the dull impact, its sharp finger bones pierced straight into the trunk, leaving a deep fist print and sending wood chips flying.

Lin Qi leaned in for a closer look, but his brow furrowed slightly. "That seems a little weak, doesn't it?"

Though he couldn't leave a fist print like that with his bare hands, he could easily do that much damage with an iron sword. For a "Strong Skeleton Soldier," that didn't seem like much.

"An iron sword?"

An idea struck Lin Qi.

"Since the Skeleton Soldier has the Basic Combat skill, wouldn't its power double if I gave it a weapon?"

He immediately took out three Iron Sword Cards and placed them with the rule card.

"First, I'll try fusing iron swords and see if I can make a usable weapon!"

He channeled in Source Power, and the vortex appeared again, drawing in the three Iron Sword Dust Star Cards.

This time, the vortex spun for a moment before disappearing, leaving only a dull gray card behind.

Implement Card: Sharp Iron Sword

Quality: none

Evaluation: Sharpness +3 compared to an ordinary iron sword.

"Sure enough, that's not enough."

Lin Qi tossed another card into the vortex.

He was gradually beginning to understand how the vortex worked.

When the number required for a complete transformation had not been reached, the vortex would not give off even a trace of light.

"One more."

He tossed in another iron sword, and this time, a white light finally lit up.

The iron sword on the card looked clear and sharp, and simple patterns were carved into its hilt.

Lin Qi picked up the card, and its information appeared at once.

Implement Card: Mercenary's Saber

Star level: one star

Quality: white

Attribute: Sharpness.

Evaluation: The blade has undergone special treatment, making it far sharper than an ordinary iron sword. It is suitable for slashing in close combat. As a white-quality sword, it is well loved by mercenaries.

"It worked."

Lin Qi excitedly gripped the card and channeled Source Power into it. A white light flashed, and an iron sword over a meter long appeared in his hand.

The blade gleamed coldly, reflecting a sharp glint in the setting sun. Its hilt was wrapped in dark strips of cloth and felt especially comfortable in his grip.

He swung the sword a few times. His wrist trembled slightly and the blade whistled through the air; it was much lighter and easier to handle than an ordinary iron sword.

"It feels so sharp."

Lin Qi couldn't help glancing at the Skeleton Soldier beside him, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "With a sword this sharp, I wonder how many blows your bones can take."

"Hah!"

He raised the sword with both hands and slashed at the Skeleton Soldier.

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic impact rang out, and sparks flew.

The bones didn't break as he had imagined. Only a sword mark appeared on the Skeleton Soldier's bones.

Lin Qi froze for a moment, then realized what had happened. "It's not that the Mercenary's Saber isn't sharp enough. I'm not strong enough!"

"I'm only a one-star Card Apprentice right now. My Source Power is limited, so naturally I can't put enough strength behind a sword swing. If Dad were the one striking, his strength as a four-star Card Master should be enough to cut through the bone in one blow."

He waved a hand and recalled the Skeleton Soldier to his Card Slot Space, then used Source Power to summon it again.

The Skeleton Soldier had returned completely intact, and the sword mark he had just left on it was gone.

"The injury disappeared, but it takes my Source Power to heal it."

Lin Qi stared intently at the Skeleton Soldier, then began hacking wildly at its skull.

"Hah!"

"Take this, and this, and this!"

After more than ten strikes, a crack finally sounded. The Skeleton Soldier's skull fell to the ground, and its enormous body collapsed after it.

"Phew..."

Lin Qi caught his breath and waved a hand to put it away.

Immediately afterward,

"Summon, Skeleton Soldier."

The Skeleton Soldier was summoned again, once more completely intact.

But Lin Qi felt a sudden emptiness inside him. His legs gave way, and he nearly fell to the ground.

"Whoa, reviving the Skeleton Soldier uses that much Source Power?"

He inspected the Source Power inside him and found that half of it had been drained!

"This is still my Natal Card. If it were a Secondary Card, wouldn't reviving it once cost me two-thirds of my Source Power?" Lin Qi frowned and began seriously considering the problem of Source Power consumption.

Because a Natal Card was awakened by the Card Master, their lives were linked, and using it consumed very little Source Power.

Secondary Cards were also linked through the Card Slot Space, so the Source Power they consumed was considered acceptable.

But cards other than those consumed a great deal of Source Power.

The Mercenary's Saber in his hand was one example.

Summoning it had consumed a tenth of his Source Power, and once activated, it could no longer be turned back into a card. It could only be used as a physical weapon.

For that very reason, Card Masters on the Source Card Continent usually only used their Natal Cards and the Secondary Cards in their Card Slot Spaces. Unless faced with an emergency, they would never use temporary cards lightly.

If they found a better Secondary Card, they could also use it to replace the old one.

Low-level Card Masters might use cards as disposable items like Lin Qi did, but high-level Card Masters' cards were often three- or four-star.

Anyone with a card like that would certainly link it to their Card Space, making it a reusable Secondary Card. They would never use it as a disposable card.

"Dad said the mercenary corps buys lots of Mercenary's Sabers whenever they go on a mission. One of these sells for two hundred Ka'en."

"Five Iron Sword Cards only cost fifty Ka'en. If I sell this, I'll make a profit of one hundred and fifty Ka'en! And I still have twenty-five Iron Sword Cards, enough to fuse another five Mercenary's Sabers."

In just a few dozen seconds, he could earn seven hundred and fifty Ka'en!

"Whoa, at this rate, it won't be long before I'm the richest man in Stone Iron City!"

Lin Qi excitedly swung the Mercenary's Saber, its wind sweeping across the ground and stirring up a cloud of dust.

It was as if he could already see mountains of Ka'en, and himself fusing even higher-level cards.