The Starry Sky Cup is an annual event in the Origin World, and the card masters participating in it are of varying levels.
The reason why Lin Xiao regarded it as a baby cup and was extremely wary of it was precisely because:
We must despise the enemy strategically and pay attention to the enemy tactically!
Of course, proper relaxation after the A-level commission is indispensable.
The next morning, Lin Xiao and Dafu went to the river to fish together. Fortunately, there was no air force, so they caught a few rainbow trout and fed them to the baby seals.
"Oh~" Dafu narrowed his eyes and patted his snow-white belly with his flippers.
Boss, some more fish~
"Go down to the river and catch it yourself." Lin Xiao sat on the small maza, "and then throw it into my fish bucket... This is also part of the training."
"Oh!" Dafu's black eyes were bright, and his chubby white body crawled into the river, becoming brisk in an instant.
Harp seals are natural fishermen. Their hearing and vision are very sensitive, and they can hunt for food in deep water. Their whiskers can sense low-frequency vibrations to detect prey and natural enemies.
Lin Xiao saw only rippling waves on the surface of the river, and a small seal swimming quickly lurking underneath, close to large and plump rainbow trout.
With a slurp, Dafu picked up the rainbow trout in his mouth, and the water broke through the water. He raised his head happily and waved to Lin Xiao:
"Oh!" (Look, look, look!)
Lin Xiao held his chin in his hands and held the fishing rod by his side. He smiled and said, "I saw it. It's very suitable for cooking..."
Before he finished speaking, Dafu had already swallowed the rainbow trout in one gulp.
It didn't even react. It was stunned for a moment, and then smiled shyly at Lin Xiao:
"Ooo...ヾ(●′?｀●)"
I'll catch it for you again...
With the help of Dafu, a fishing expert, Lin Xiao carried the fish bucket and returned home with a full load.
Mrs. Smith was extremely surprised. When she learned that it was Dafu who had helped her, she squatted and rubbed Dafu's snow-white head, and said with a kind smile:
"You are really a lucky star, Dafu."
"Oh!" Dafu squinted his eyes and enjoyed a sumptuous fish lunch with Lin Xiao at the landlord's place.
Back in the attic on the second floor, the little seal was lying on the bed playing with the tablet, its flippers rubbing back and forth on the screen.
Lin Xiao picked up the "golden card-making pen" obtained from the trade with Brother Chu Yun, and used blank cards and second-level materials to practice card-making patterns.
'If you don't understand anything, just ask Liu Shisanniang. After all, she is a card-making professor at the United Nations University, so there is no problem in paying for consultation.'
Lin Xiao thought: 'When my card-making level breaks through to the third level, I will try to use "Deep Diving Spear" and "Blood Red Agate" to evolve the ice spear technique by optimizing the textures!'
The science of card making is extensive and profound, and is divided into four major areas: strengthening, synthesis, decomposition, and texture. Texture also includes subdivisions such as repair and optimization.
‘Card Master’s Guide’ has the world’s top strengthening, synthesis, and decomposition functions.
But when it comes to texture, Lin Xiao decided to practice more on her own.
Three days passed quietly.
During this period, Lin Xiao, Sigrid, and Chu Yun had a dinner at a ramen shop, and of course Chu Yun paid for it.
"Your promotion result has come out. Congratulations on becoming an elite operator."
Chu Yun announced, then whispered to himself: "Even the senior operators in the team can't beat you..."
"I was promoted from junior operator to elite operator in three days, setting a record for the fastest promotion!" Sigrid praised.
This position alone was not enough. Lin Xiao did not show it and thanked him: "Thank you very much, Tang Xiaomei."
The little secretary with chestnut hair and red eyes, her fair cheeks flushed, said with shame and anger: "Why, even you are called by this nickname."
Ignoring "Tang Xiaomei", Lin Xiao looked at the man in a suit sucking ramen:
"Captain, I plan to take a week off next."
"Well... I have just completed the A-level commission, and I am indeed eligible to apply for a long leave. Besides, the investigation of [Demon God's Resurrection] will not progress so quickly."
Chu Yun muttered: "But, can I ask more, what are you going to do?"
"The training room of the Card Master Association has updated its equipment. Don't you want to..." Sigrid looked over hesitantly.
Lin Xiao coughed dryly: "I plan to stay at home and play Source World for a week. There will be a large-scale event recently."
"Starry Sky Cup..."
Chu Yun heard about it and said hesitantly: "I heard that all sixth-level masters may participate. You should be mentally prepared."
I just broke through the sixth level yesterday. Do you think it was a coincidence?
Lin Xiao nodded silently and looked at Sigrit again, his eyes burning:
"What you said about updating equipment in the training room - is that true? Is it free for members of the investigation team to train?"
Chu Yun & Sigrid: "..."
In the end, you still want to dismantle the Card Master Association!
*
Wednesday, June 1st.
In this festival celebrated by children, the auditions for the Starry Sky Cup, the world's annual grand event, will kick off at 7 o'clock tonight.
Jolina ended today's training early, left the fencing club, and returned to the sea view villa on Second Street.
"Helen." Jolina returned to the boudoir, hugged the ragdoll cat in her arms, her red eyes shimmered, and said softly: "Wish me good luck tonight."
"Meow~" The Ragdoll cat opened its sapphire eyes and gently leaned on Jolina's arm.
"Coooo!" The snowy owl that was napping on the stand suddenly woke up and turned into light particles and flew back to Jolina's fire.
"Okay." Jolina lay down in the virtual cabin, adjusted her seat, "Get ready to go."
Her consciousness sneaked into the candle dragon network, passed through the white light, and when she came back to consciousness, Qiao Linna was standing in the Cloud Square with lights and colorful decorations and a strong festive atmosphere.
The billboards flashed with neon lights, and promotional posters for the Starry Sky Cup lit up one after another, attracting players with different images to stop and browse.
"Unparalleled National Scholar!"
Suddenly a player screamed, and the next poster was cut out from the billboard, and it was this year's big guest.
Free Federation, Unparalleled National Scholar, Roman Ulysses!
"I've seen movies starring him, and he's also a top student at Red Lion University."
"How can people be so perfect? It's so unfair!"
In the life-size poster stands a tall neighbor with short silver hair and a friendly smile, holding a silver sword.
However, this sword gave people an endless sense of crisis, and even his smile became oppressive.
With stern red eyes, Jolina stood in front of the huge life-size poster, looking up at the unparalleled national warriors of the Free Federation.
His right hand was quietly clenched.
That silver sword is a rare golden legend in the world, a deadly weapon recorded in ancient myths.
Legendary instrument, the hanging sword, the sword of Damocles.
Legend has it that there was a king who was wise, mighty, and loved his people like a son.
The empire under his rule was strong and prosperous, but it also fostered the king's arrogance and arrogance.
He was disrespectful to the gods and nothing happened until one day he drank too much wine and returned to the throne drunk.
Looking up, he saw a shining sword hanging above his head. He suddenly woke up and was frightened. He knelt down and begged for forgiveness.
Therefore, the Sword of Damocles symbolizes restriction, divine punishment, and endless danger.
Jolina didn't know where Roman got this 'golden legend', but there was only one thing that was certain...
'I must defeat this unparalleled national warrior.'
She calmly looked away, and while walking towards the Cloud Tower, she glanced at her friends list and was slightly startled.
The epee man is actually online too.
Moreover, the location he was in, like himself, was a low-level channel.
Jolina walked into the [Cloud Hall], looked around, and sure enough, she found a man wearing heavy black armor near the teleportation aperture.
He folded his arms and was silently thinking about something. His aura was so strong that other players did not dare to approach him.
The epee man raised his gaze casually and paused.
After that, the man raised his gauntlet and called out in a familiar voice:
"First on the list, here."
Qiao Linna stepped forward slowly and said:
"The [Starry Sky Cup] opens in half an hour, what are you doing here?"
Lin Xiao looked at the rich woman on the list through her mask, and found that she was not much different from reality.
The voice under the heavy sword man's helmet was dull, "I just heard that the 'Cloak Mage' hasn't been online for a long time, so I came here to take a look."
"Cloak Mage..." Jolina frowned slightly.
The wife who distributes free bread around here on time has not been online for a long time, which is really worrying.
The epee man looked at the players who were discussing with each other and crossed his arms:
"I realized one thing... In fact, people may not be as indifferent as they thought."
Jolina raised her head and looked at the man in confusion.
"In the past few days when the cloaked mage was away, players came here every day to visit. Even though they were filled with impatience at the time, deep down in their hearts, everyone still had sympathy for women..."
The epee man said: "This sympathy is sometimes considered unworthy, ridiculous, and harmful to oneself, so people do not choose to reveal it. But it still exists."
"I think this stems from..." The epee man crossed his arms and said solemnly, "Empathy is a virtue of human beings. It builds connections between people and allows people to understand the sadness of others.
pain, share their joy, happiness.”
Jolina listened quietly and said: "You mean, women have shared too much pain and the players have stopped sympathizing, but in fact the sympathy has not disappeared and still exists?"
"At least that's what I think." Lin Xiao looked around at the players gathered around him, "They will still remember the 'Cloak Mage', remember her suffering, remember her distributing bread here, and feel sympathy and gratitude."
"Are you too naive and think that other people are too kind?" Jolina asked.
"I just always feel that conscience exists in everyone's heart." Lin Xiao said.
"Everyone?"
"No matter rich or poor, environment, family, origin, everyone."
Jolina stared at the man in pitch-black armor, recalling his pitch-black fire like the night, and smiled softly:
"You are the most special card master I have ever seen."
"Cloak Mage!" The heavy sword man suddenly said.
"Um?"
"Behind you."
Jolina turned around and saw a line of light flashing, and a mage in a cloak walking towards her.
In an instant, the eyes of all the surrounding players gathered, and several players smiled and exchanged greetings:
"Auntie, give me a piece of bread!"
"Oh no, I thought you were being guarded by someone, and I was going to take my brothers to find you."
"Sorry... I was researching a new recipe a few days ago." The cloaked mage explained, "I will have to charge for bread in the future, but I promise it will taste better!"
"Huh?" The players were puzzled.
There was a hint of pride in the cloaked mage's laughter: "I have studied hard, and now I can make blue-level bread that is as delicious as my husband's."
The players were extremely surprised. The blue-level bread card was indeed eligible for sale, and it tasted very delicious!
"Auntie, let me see that blue card!"
"Don't squeeze, don't squeeze in the back!"
The cloaked mage looked around and saw a familiar figure. His eyes lit up and he walked towards the heavy sword man and Jolina.
Due to the heavy sword man's aura, the players did not dare to step forward and just watched from a distance.
"Mr. 'Epee Man', we meet again." The cloaked mage sounded respectful.
The epee man nodded and said, "You have been offline for so long, has anything unexpected happened?"
The cloaked mage shook his head: "It's the one hundred star coins you gave me that made me a little scared... I feel that the emotion I put into the bread is far from worthy of the one hundred star coins."
"But my husband is different. When he makes bread, he always smiles and his whole body lights up. So, I go to the store to rummage through the miscellaneous items...I couldn't bear to go in before...I found it in the cover of my diary.
A blue recipe."
She showed the recipe to Lin Xiao.
"Happy Bread·Blue Recipe: Bread with flowing honey and soft texture. Eating it will make people feel happy. After eating, 25% of the energy value will be restored. (Sweets will bring happiness to people.)"
Lin Xiao was slightly lost in thought, recovering 25% of his source power. This effect... was very powerful for him!
The cloaked mage continued to ramble: "I think that what I want to inherit is not only his actions, but also his wishes... The reason why he distributed bread was to let more people taste happiness... So I learned this recipe seriously."
"I will reopen his bakery with my child." Her eyes were firm, "I will also continue to stay here with Happy Bread."
The heavy swordsman and Jolina looked at each other. They looked at the cloaked mage, nodded in unison, and said in unison: "Come on."
The two looked at each other again, then looked away and saw the cloaked mage handing over the blue recipe with a smile:
"Mr. Epee Man, please accept this recipe."
"Give it to me? No, this is too precious..."
"Please accept it as a thank you for your generous gift that day."
Lin Xiao took a deep breath.
This is no ordinary recipe. As long as he learns it, he can master the method of making the blue food card "Happiness Bread".
And a food card can restore 25% of the source power... To him, this is no less than an artifact!
"Then, I accept it." Lin Xiao said seriously, "I promise you, I will study hard."
The cloaked mage smiled and bowed again to thank him.
She turned around and left, her steps becoming firmer, her shoulders seemed to be carrying her children, husband, and the blessings of many people.
Lin Xiao looked at the "Happy Bread·Blue Recipe" in his hand, slightly lost in thought.
On the way to participate in the audition, this was a complete unexpected gain...
Jolina folded her arms with one hand and turned her head to look up at the armored man in deep thought, her red pupils moving slightly.
Suddenly awakened, Jolina let out a soft cry, grabbed the epee man's left wrist armor, and ran towards the teleportation aperture:
"Hurry up, the [Starry Sky Cup] auditions are about to begin!"