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Chapter 18: A Generous Gift
🕑 Added 2025-06-30 13:07:57 +0000 UTCStanding in front of the New Metro Cardmakers Association headquarters, Russell couldn't help but sigh. I still need to make new cards.
The pressure was mounting. Although few people knew the full truth of what had happened in the secret realm, he was terrified that the Spirit Begging Society would come looking for him. The attack on their training mission had to have been enabled by an insider at the Association. Who knew how many more traitors there were?
Russell began to calculate his current assets. If he sold the five green-quality [Poisonous Centipede] materials he'd acquired, his total cash would amount to 370,000 credits. In addition, he had three powerful purple and gold materials: [Elite Ghoul] (Purple), [Centipede] (Purple), and [Flesh Demon] (Gold).
Originally, he had been planning to create Kokushibo, which would form a bond with Yoriichi. But looking at the materials he now possessed, he felt there might be a better option. The most urgent task, however, was to find a way to trade his [Flesh Demon] material for one that would perfectly match the new card he was envisioning. He just hoped the trading website would have what he was looking for.
Riding Pidgeot, he rushed back home, turned on his computer, and began to search. Opening the filter on the trading site, he scanned the sparse listings for Black Iron, gold-quality materials.
Then, he saw it. His heart leaped. He couldn't believe it was real.
Item Type: Black Iron Grade Material [Type 1 Biological Colonization Suit] (Gold). Price: 660,000 credits.
When Russell saw the price, his eyes darkened. Even if he sold everything he owned, he couldn't afford it. Just as he was about to add the material to his watchlist, hoping to purchase it when he had enough money, a notification popped up.
[This item has been sold and can no longer be added to your cart.]
"Seriously? Are there really that many rich people out there!?" Russell's face grew even darker. The perfect golden material he had just found was gone in an instant. For now, his own [Flesh Demon] would have to stay off the market.
The next day, Russell came to class yawning. He had been thinking about the [Type 1 Biological Colonization Suit] all night. Alas, he thought, trying to comfort himself, if you get it, you're lucky; if you lose it, it's fate.
At that moment, the class was buzzing with discussion about yesterday's secret realm training. "Hey, what did you guys get yesterday? I only killed three centipede monsters. It's going to take forever to save up for my next card." "Yeah, it ended so suddenly! I was just getting ready to make a fortune." "Russell, what about you? What was your harvest?"
Seeing his classmates all looking at him curiously, Russell just scratched his head. He certainly wasn't going to tell them he had become unexpectedly rich. "I did okay, I guess," he said casually.
At that moment, Nancy Whitemore came over to his desk. "Thank you for yesterday, Russell," she said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude. "If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have been in great danger."
Russell just shook his head. "I think any of our classmates would have done the same. Besides, didn't you stay behind to protect Liam?" If Nancy had wanted to run yesterday, she could have. But she had chosen to stay and face the unknown monster head-on, even though her three-tailed fox had been shattered in an instant.
Speaking of the devil, just as Russell was about to ask about Darren's fate, Nancy sneered. "That might not be the case. Darren was perfectly willing to let me die for him." The anger in her voice was palpable. After a pause, she continued, "He's already dropped out of school. No other school will accept him now." Because he was still a student and Nancy hadn't been physically harmed in the end, that was the most severe punishment that could be given.
Hearing this, Russell just shrugged. "Finally. I don't have to watch that clown in class all day."
After a moment of silence, Nancy took an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Russell. "Russell, this is a thank-you gift from my father. He was originally planning to have you over for dinner, but he's been a little busy recently, so this will have to do for now."
Russell took the envelope, opened it, and the words of refusal that were about to come out of his mouth were instantly swallowed.
Inside was the [Type 1 Biological Colonization Suit] (Gold).
So YOU were the rich person!? he thought, silently labeling Nancy as a wealthy woman. He quickly put the envelope into his pocket. "I won't be polite then," he said, unable to hide his excitement. "I really need this material. Thank you."
With this, all the materials for the card he wanted to make were gathered. This time, he was confident he could create a gold, or perhaps even a red-quality, Iron-level card.
Seeing Russell accept the gift, Nancy smiled. "Do you have a goal for your next card? When my father gave me this yesterday, he told me to tell you that it would be best to make a prop card. It would be great whether you use it on a creature card or for yourself."
Russell just shook his head. He had already chosen his target and wouldn't be easily swayed. "I'm still planning on a creature card."
Just as he was about to explain his choice, a figure rushed in front of the two of them and dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Brother Russell! Sister Nancy! Thank you both for saving my life! From now on, I am your loyal servant! If you tell me to go west, I will never go east!"
It was Liam Blake. Although he had been seriously injured, after being treated by the hospital's cardmakers, he was well enough to attend school today, albeit covered in bandages.
Russell didn't pay attention to his vow, instead asking thoughtfully, "What if I tell you to go west, and Nancy tells you to go east?"
Liam looked up, completely confused.
Russell helped him up with a smile. "Just kidding, just kidding."
Ring, ring, ring.
The bell for class rang at the right time, and the students hurried back to their seats. Victoria Song slowly walked into the classroom, glanced at the students, and said, "I believe you have all now deeply experienced the dangers of a secret realm." "Here, I want to especially praise Russell and Nancy. They both adhered to the principle of never abandoning or giving up on a comrade, and successfully saved Liam from danger."
Russell nodded to himself as he listened. This was a good way to put an official cap on the incident and keep the students from speculating wildly.
At this time, the classroom was filled with whispers. "No wonder Liam looked like that just now." "Yeah, but luckily he had Russell and Nancy. If it had been Darren..." "Speaking of which, why didn't Darren come to school today?"
Ms. Song seemed to have heard his name, and she frowned. "Student Darren will not be studying at our school in the future due to family reasons." Considering the negative impact of his behavior, she did not reveal his true fate. Since she didn't say anything more, Russell and Nancy certainly wouldn't either.
"Okay," she said, "please take out your copies of 'High School Cardmaking, Version 2.3, New Metro University Revised Edition'."
"Ugh, school is finally over," Russell said that evening, leaning back in his chair at home and stretching. From the moment he had received the thank-you gift from Nancy's father, his heart had been set on returning home.
He rushed back and spread the materials out in front of him, a slow smile spreading across his face.
[Elite Ghoul], [Centipede], [Flesh Demon], and the [Type 1 Biological Colonization Suit].
If it was this card, he was confident he could bring all his opponents to their knees in the upcoming joint examination.
(End of this chapter)
