Mirage

"Don't blame me for forcing your hand, Dad."

Lin Qi gazed at the empty doorway and sighed softly. "What child doesn't want to see their father become a dragon? Besides, I'm definitely going to leave Stone Iron City to explore the Source Card Continent someday. If you aren't strong enough, how could I leave without worrying?"

He turned and sat back down at the table, holding the Source Crystal in his palm.

The Source Power flowing into his body felt warm and soothing. In just ten minutes, his depleted Source Power was completely replenished, and he felt considerably more spirited.

When he looked at the Source Crystal again, it had already lost most of its brilliant luster. Once as clear as amethyst, it had turned dull and cloudy. It looked like it could support one more absorption at most.

"I absorbed the Source Crystal that fast?"

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Dad's a Five-Star Card Master, and it takes him several hours to absorb a Source Crystal. I'm only a Three-Star Card Master who just broke through, yet I finished in ten minutes. Is it because of the Fusion Card?"

Source Crystals were useful for more than directly replenishing Source Power; they could also aid a Card Master's cultivation. The Fusion Card consumed his Source Power at a rapid rate, while a Source Crystal could instantly replenish it...

A bold idea took shape in his mind. If I had a sufficient supply of Source Crystals, wouldn't I be able to break through to the next star level again in a very short time?

Excitement spread across Lin Qi's face. He immediately took out a pile of junk cards and fused them into star-ranked cards one after another. Only when his Source Power was completely exhausted did he pick up the half-spent Source Crystal again.

A short while later, the Source Crystal lost all its color and dissolved into flecks of light that vanished into the air. He could clearly feel that his Source Power had grown a little more abundant than before.

"This is like turning on a cultivation accelerator!"

Unable to hide his delight, Lin Qi clenched his fist.

"Looks like I need to make money as soon as possible. The more Source Crystals I have, the faster my strength can grow."

Lin Qi placed ten Hazy Smokescreens on the Fusion Card and injected Source Power into it, his face full of anticipation.

The fusion activated instantly, and a vortex-like suction formed on the spot, swallowing all ten green cards. The swirling current spun faster and faster before soon erupting in a flash of deep blue light.

"It worked!"

A card shimmering with a faint blue glow drifted down into his palm. On its face, hazy white mist churned, with countless shapes of light and shadow faintly dancing within it. At times they looked like knights wielding swords, and at others like galloping beasts, dazzling the eyes.

Magic Card: Mirage

Star level: three stars

Quality: blue

Card description: creates a wide-area scene of distorted light. Within the scene, multiple kinds of illusory clones frequently appear, greatly confusing the enemy's choice of targets and inflicting a confused state on enemies within range.

Evaluation: a card with an exceptionally powerful confusing effect. Even a Grand Card Master cannot break the environment created by the card.

"Mirage. That sounds pretty impressive."

Lin Qi murmured the card's name, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

He linked the card directly to his Card Slot Space, and the method for using it instantly flooded into his mind.

He tapped with a fingertip, injecting a trace of Source Power into the card.

The next second, the tables, chairs, and bookshelves in the room began to twist and warp. More than a dozen identical images of him appeared on the walls, and even the tufts of fur the Wind Chime Cat had previously shed on the floor transformed into drifting points of light.

"So that's how it works. It's a bit like multiple mirror images. It can reflect my appearance and also mirror and distort things around me. It really is a way to confuse enemies."

As he observed, he suddenly felt his pupils grow slightly hot. The illusion before his eyes instantly became much clearer: all the phantoms took on a faint, transparent glow, while only his own outline remained completely solid.

"What's this?"

The description of the Illusion Breaking ability surfaced in his mind, and Lin Qi immediately understood. This was an ability Mirage had given him in return, allowing him to see through illusions and disguises within a certain range.

"With the strength of a Three-Star Card Master, plus the Hellfire Skeleton, Eerie Vine Demon, and Wind Chime Cat, as long as I have enough Source Power, I can absolutely defeat a larger force with fewer numbers under Mirage's illusion!"

Lin Qi's heart burned, and he wanted nothing more than to go to Stone Iron Mountain and test his skills against those bandits immediately.

But when he thought of the Wind Chime Cat, his excitement faded somewhat.

"It's a shame the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion doesn't have any cards suitable for the Wind Chime Cat's advancement. There are only two of the same type, too."

He rubbed his temples, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"The bishop has already recognized Dad as a card maker. Why not try my luck at the Furnace Church?"

After news of Oliver's death that night spread, Xiaoduo, the church's bishop, had personally visited the next day.

On the Source Card Continent, the church held an even more special position than the city lord's manor. The city lord's manor generally handled only the punishment of ordinary people, while the church had been established by the kingdom, and even the city lord had no authority over it.

At the time, with Lin Qi's help, Lin Feng had put on another display of his "card-making" skills, and Xiaoduo had immediately believed he was a card maker.

And after they recounted how Oliver had "taken them hostage and threatened them, then been killed in a dispute," Xiaoduo had ruled it an accident and cleared Lin Qi of suspicion on the spot.

"Come out, Wind Chime Cat."

He injected Source Power into the card, and a snow-white Wind Chime Cat leaped out gracefully.

"Meow~"

The Wind Chime Cat affectionately rubbed against his cheek, its amber eyes full of dependence.

"Come on, Little Wind Chime. Let's go take a look at the Furnace Church."

Lin Qi picked up the Wind Chime Cat and went downstairs. As he passed Lin Feng's room, he made a point of glancing inside. The door was ajar, and the room was empty.

"Huh? Where did Dad go?"

As he wondered, the Wind Chime Cat in his arms pointed its tail toward the courtyard. Lin Qi understood and leaned out to look.

Lin Feng was sitting cross-legged beneath the old locust tree, a faint halo of Source Power surrounding him. His expression was intensely focused. Clearly, Lin Qi's earlier words about danger had spurred him on, and he was eager to grow stronger.

"You're only thirty-five. You're at just the right age to push forward. Grand Card Master shouldn't be your limit."

Lin Qi quietly opened the door and went out with the Wind Chime Cat.

"Oh, Xiao Qi, where are you going?"

Inside the shop, Ruilian was wiping down the merchandise. When he saw Lin Qi heading out, he asked him.

"Uncle Ruilian, I'm going to the Furnace Church. Dad's cultivating in the courtyard, so I'll leave the shop to you."

Ruilian nodded with a smile. "Don't worry. As long as it isn't a card-selling day, the shop's traffic is fairly normal. I can handle it."

Although the Wonderful Tales Shop had expanded into selling cards, it was only open for card sales two days a week.

It wasn't that Lin Qi didn't want to sell them every day. The main reason was that he had bought practically all the Iron Sword Implement Cards at the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion, and its other Implement Cards had sold out as well.

Although he still had cards like Burning Trap, Obscuring Dust Spell, and Great Fireball that he had fused from junk cards, he had to sell them gradually. At the very least, he needed to wait until the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion had replenished its stock. If he threw the market into too much chaos, it would only bring trouble down on himself.

As soon as he walked out of the shop, people in the alley greeted him warmly.

"Brother Qi, come in for a mug of ale!"

"Young Master Lin Qi, my little sister talks about you all the time!"

Several youths waved, while his ex-girlfriend's older sister stood at the entrance to the alley, looking around repeatedly.

Lin Qi merely smiled and nodded without lingering.

Most of these people had been his "followers" in the past.

Growing up, Lin Qi had had many followers, but his mind was that of an adult in his twenties, after all. In his eyes, a bunch of little kids were simply too immature.

Even though these people had cut ties with him after he awakened his Natal Card, Lin Qi had never taken it to heart. Seeking gain and avoiding harm was only human nature.

Before long, Stone Iron City's tallest building, the Furnace Church, appeared in his view.

The church's walls were built from dark red volcanic rock, gleaming with a heavy, imposing luster in the midday sun.

It wasn't a Natal Card awakening day, so the area before the church was unusually quiet. Only two knights in silvery-white armor stood straight at the entrance.

Ruilian had once told him that the two knights were of the same generation as them. Xiaoduo had chosen them when they awakened their Natal Cards at twelve and had carefully trained them from childhood. They were now among the few Five-Star Card Masters in Stone Iron City, and their strength was at least equal to Oliver's, whom the city lord's manor had trained.

Lin Qi straightened his clothes and calmly walked forward.

"Honored knights, please announce me. I sincerely wish to visit Bishop Xiaoduo."

Both knights clearly recognized Lin Qi and had also heard about the recent events in town.

"Please wait. I'll inform the bishop now."