"I'm such a fool, really."

 

Ginger Tea lifted her listless eyes, speaking weakly, "I knew Chronicle was strong, but I didn't expect him to be this strong. I was still hoping that I could beat him if I tried hard enough… As expected, I was utterly defeated…"

 

She sighed deeply, her eyes vacant as she put away the card that had returned to its original state, the "Bride's Grudge".

 

"Don't be discouraged. You didn't use the phasing state, but my card was at full strength. This was an unfair match from the start. Relax."

 

Chronicle, standing nearby, recalled his Green Zombie with a wave of his hand. His face was expressionless, but he was very satisfied inside.

 

Although this battle wasn't under the heavy Yin environment, and the opponent wasn't a living unit, it didn't fully showcase the Green Zombie's combat power.

 

But just this small test was enough to show its robust physique and unpredictable moves.

 

"Pure physical attack is enough at this stage. I'll keep the 'Corpse Poison' and 'Bloodthirst' as trump cards."

 

With that thought, Chronicle said goodbye to Ginger Tea and prepared to go home.

 

At this moment, she emerged from the grayish art style and quickly recovered to her full-spirited state.

 

"Thanks for today, Chronicle. This battle was indeed 'enlightening' for me," Ginger Tea said lightly.

 

Although she emphasized the last four words, it was indeed her heartfelt sentiment.

 

In the past, like most Card Craftsmen, she believed in the principle of "overpowering with brute force", thinking that battle experience was nonsense.

 

As long as the cards she created were good, she could fight anyone, even if the opponent was Dragon Uncle from the furniture city.

 

But after this battle, she realized the importance of practical experience.

 

She pondered that if she hadn't lacked so much in this aspect, she wouldn't have ended up in such a "blue beats green but still loses" situation.

 

So, to avoid becoming the second… or third "Bai Ziliang", she decided to start training more from today!

 

"I might need to bother you more in the future. If it's inconvenient, please let me know," Ginger Tea said with a smile.

 

Chronicle responded, then nodded slightly and prepared to leave.

 

He couldn't guess Ginger Tea's thoughts, otherwise, he would have laughed louder than anyone else.

 

In this world, who could embody the principle of "overpowering with brute force" better than him?

 

Humming a tune on his way home, he walked to his front door, but suddenly felt that something was missing.

 

Then he remembered the word he had used to tease Ginger Tea earlier – "stone lion".

 

These sculptures and "door god New Year pictures" are arguably the two most famous evil-warding items in Chinese folk culture.

 

Unlike niche items like the Mountain Ghost Coin, they are very common. You can probably see them within a few hundred meters of a stroll.

 

In terms of cost, aesthetics, and the various miracles in legends, they are very suitable for disposable cards.

 

But thinking about how he hadn't even researched a disposable protective charm, he shook his head, took out his keys from his pocket, and prepared to open the door.

 

Unexpectedly, his phone in his pocket vibrated with a "ding dong".

 

Chronicle picked it up and saw that it was a voice call request from Su Wen. He immediately clicked to accept.

 

The next moment, he heard the other party's voice from the receiver, "Chronicle, are you free now?"

 

"I am." Chronicle put away his keys, "What's up, Teacher Su?"

 

"Come and collect your spoils from last night." Su Wen was as straightforward as ever.

 

Chronicle's eyes lit up at his words. Just as he was about to ask for the location, a one-eyed, crimson-eyed, glossy-feathered crow slowly landed.

 

The image of "Osiris swinging his chain to kill the strange bird" flashed in his mind, and he subconsciously wanted to activate the Mountain Ghost Coin hanging around his neck.

 

However, Su Wen on the other end of the phone said at this moment, "That crow is my card spirit, just follow it."

 

Hearing this, Chronicle was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood some mysteries that he hadn't figured out before.

 

"So that strange bird was one of 'us'…"

 

Chronicle thought to himself, then followed the dark crow that had taken off again.

 

After a journey of "crossing mountains and ridges", he finally found a tent on a small hill that looked like a grave mound. Su Wen and the others were temporarily stationed here.

 

Bypassing the bustling staff, he entered to see a surveillance wall several meters high standing in the spacious space.

 

On it, a group of young people in school uniforms were shown from different angles, looking at each other in front of a large group of tombstones.

 

Chronicle glanced and saw that they were wearing the uniforms of First High School, Second High School, Peach and Plum, and other card high schools in the city.

 

And in the place they couldn't see, a group of evil spirits were quietly sleeping, gathering their energy…

 

"Hey, you're not allowed to target these ghosts."

 

At this moment, Su Wen's slightly nervous voice came from the side, interrupting his thoughts.

 

Chronicle turned his head to see the other party staring at him from an inconspicuous position. He quickly went over and greeted, "Teacher Su, I'm here to collect the materials."

 

"Mm, they're all here."

 

Su Wen took a card box out of the drawer and handed it to Chronicle, joking with a smile, "You really act fast. We didn't 'catch' many ghosts in this secret realm invasion, but you alone accounted for one percent."

 

"It's just luck."

 

Chronicle modestly replied.

 

To be honest, before receiving the call, he had given up hope of getting the materials back.After all, he had passed out before he had the chance to capture these ghosts into the blank cards.

 

Even if the training was not provided, he couldn't complain.

 

Unexpectedly, the other party turned out to be so generous.

 

"Excessive modesty is arrogance." Su Wen, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but comment, "You're the least honest."

 

After a brief chat, he finally hesitated and changed the subject, "I have a rough understanding of your current situation…"

 

Su Wen paused abruptly after only half a sentence, seemingly taking into account Chronicle's feelings.

 

Seeing his reaction, Chronicle could only smile lightly, indicating that he didn't mind, but his feelings were somewhat complicated.

 

He found that since he came to this world, whether it was Su Wen and Wei Ya, who were his mentors, or Ginger Tea and Lu Youyou, who were his classmates, they all seemed to have a "sympathetic" attitude towards him.

 

But honestly, he didn't think he was pitiful at all.

 

As a certified Card Craftsman, he not only had the ability to protect himself, but also had a knack for making money.

 

It was just that he was a beginner, which made him seem a bit miserable.

 

But as soon as the one-time protective money was introduced, or he was certified as a gold or even higher level Card Craftsman, he would immediately become very wealthy.

 

Compared to him, weren't those ordinary people who lived day by day more pitiful?

 

After a brainstorm, Chronicle could only attribute this sympathy to the bonus of being a "genius from a humble background".

 

Although he didn't quite understand, as the beneficiary, he wouldn't actively debunk it, but rather was happy to see it happen.