AutumnXd

Chapter 22: Hey, Can We Reconcile? (BONUS CHAPTER )

As the vampire card disintegrated into a fading mist, the cockscomb-haired man stumbled back, face contorting in disbelief and panic.

"Impossible!" he shrieked. "Why the hell didn't your card die?!"

He stared, trembling, at Kaneki, who stood unscathed—his kagune curling behind him like blood-soaked centipede tendrils. The man had foolishly believed that a bronze-level blue card would win him the fight.

What he didn't know—couldn't have known—was that Kaneki was no ordi...

Chapter 21 — There’s No Gate to Hell, Yet You Rush In

What met Russell's eyes were Darren and a lanky young man with a garish green cockscomb haircut—alongside the cards they had summoned: Darren's mold-green zombie, and the cocky punk standing smug beside him.

Darren sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
"I know I can't beat you—but today, Brother Gavin's here. I want to see you on your knees, begging!"

He jabbed a thumb toward the punk.
"Brother Gavin's a Bronze-level card maker!"

If Darren had come alone, there ...

Chapter 20: There Is a Road to Heaven, But Don’t Take It

The next day, Russell had a rare, deep sleep. It was more likely that he had simply exhausted his brain cells making cards the day before. For most cardmakers, "sleep" had been replaced by the practice of the "Deep Blue Meditation Method", and Russell, never one to lag behind, had adopted the same habit.

Riding Pidgeot through the morning sky, he quickly arrived at New Metro First High. Ever since getting his mount, he no longer had to worry about being late due to traf...

Chapter 19: Centipede

【Please start compiling your story.】

【Ken Kaneki began as an ordinary male college student, no different from anyone else. By chance, in the coffee shop he frequented, Anteiku, he met a girl his age named Rize Kamishiro and fell in love with her. It was a tragedy that he didn't know she was a ghoul, a man-eating monster from urban legends. After their date, as they parted, Rize revealed her true nature and mortally wounded him. By...

Chapter 18: A Generous Gift

Standing 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 ...

Chapter 17: The Hearing

Russell sat in the car dispatched from The Thousand-Foot Woods Base, looking at the city scenery rushing past the window. Commander Gordon was sitting quietly beside him.

If someone had told Russell just yesterday that he would be on his way to a private meeting with the legendary Blake Whitmore, he would never have believed it. There were only three Master-level cardmakers in the entire Daming Federation. Among them, Blake Whitmore was primarily statio...

Chapter 16: Drenched in Consequences

The Association's cardmakers guarding the portal at the base were startled to see Russell emerge from the secret realm alone. Did the training end this quickly? one of them thought. As they watched, Russell ran up to them, his face grim and serious. He spoke only three words.

"Something has happened."

Soon, after being alerted to the emergency, Victoria Song and the base leader, Commander Gordon, rushed to the scene. When Ms. Song had first heard that Rus...

Chapter 15: The Clown

The person who came was, of course, Russell.

After coming out of the centipede's cave, he found the top of the mountain eerily quiet. The lingering scent of the powerful centipede he had killed kept the lesser monsters at bay. With no more materials to be found there, he had returned to the middle of the mountain to continue his hunt. It was then, from his vantage point high in the air, that he saw a tree fall in the distance. If he had been on the ground, he never would have not...

Chapter 14: Ugly

On the other side of the forest, Nancy Whitemore and her Three-Tailed Fox walked quietly through the dark woods. Suddenly, the fox stopped, its small nose twitching as it tasted the air. Noticing her partner's strange behavior, Nancy couldn't help but stop as well. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

The fox didn't answer immediately, continuing to sniff intently. After a long moment, it trotted to Nancy's feet, tugging on her trouser leg with one paw while pointing in a specific directio...

Chapter 13: Centipede Lord

Riding on Pidgeot, Russell quickly reached the top of the mountain. The structure of the peak was strange. It wasn't a flat plateau but rather the gaping maw of a dark cave. If the cave hadn't been cleared out beforehand, its shadowy environment would have been extremely dangerous. However, the Association had installed numerous lighting facilities inside. It wasn't bright, but it was enough to see.

After a moment of thought at the entrance, Russell decided to go in and explore. The Ass...

Chapter 12: Thousand Legs

Hearing that they could move freely, Russell didn't hesitate. He summoned Pidgeot.

Seeing the great bird appear, Nancy Whitemore was surprised. "You made a second creature card so quickly?" She had assumed that, at most, Russell would have made a simple vehicle-type prop card.

Russell just shook his head slightly, his expression calm. "It's just a green-quality card. Nothing special."

Nancy was left speechless by his casual, almost Versailles-like humility. She knew how many...

Chapter 11: Driving Without a License Is Illegal

At the entrance of the Association branch, Russell stared blankly at the freshly printed "Flying Vehicle Driver's License" in his hand. The Association's efficiency was quite impressive. He had expected the process to take some time, but they had issued the license the moment his registration was complete.

Next, he headed to a shop adjacent to the Association building: "The Creature Outfitter." He needed a saddle. Because cardmakers often had creatures of bizarre shapes...

Chapter 10: I Choose You

Victoria Song's words were like dropping a bomb into the quiet classroom.

Liam Blake couldn't help but ask first, his voice filled with hopeful excitement. "Teacher, can all of us go?"

Victoria smiled and nodded. "Yes. This time, all twelve students in our key class will be able to enter this secret realm for practical training." She paused, then added, "Of course, it is the most basic type of secret realm."

A wave of slight disappointment went through some of the students. ...

Chapter 9: Trash Talk Is for the Weak

"Darren versus Nancy Whitemore!"

Following Victoria Song's announcement, both students stood up. Darren turned to Nancy, a smug look on his face. "I won't show any mercy just because you're a girl." Although Nancy's fox demon was strong, he was confident that his zombie was superior.

Nancy just gave him a gentle smile, ignoring his posturing.

The two took their positions. Instantly, the [Green Zombie] and the [Three-Tailed Fox] appeared on the field. The fox was the first to...

Chapter 8: Placement Test

The next day arrived quickly. Victoria Song stood before the class, holding a sealed box containing twelve slips of paper, one for each student. After giving the box a thorough shake, she reached inside and drew out two slips.

"I will now announce the two students for our first test." She slowly unfolded the paper in her hand, a small smile playing on her lips. "Russell versus... Liam Blake."

Hearing his name, Russell raised his eyebrows slightly. He hadn't expected to be the firs...

Chapter 7: Idiot

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a story-editing class. Russell found himself yawning constantly, his mind still buzzing from the morning's events. He forced himself to pay attention; even though he had a vast library of stories in his mind from his past life, learning how to properly structure and adapt them into a card's narrative was a critical skill.

The moment the final bell rang, he was blocked in the classroom by Darren. "Russell," he said, a smug look on his face. "Let's h...

Chapter 6: The Face-Slapping Show Begins

Is there really such a good thing? The thought couldn't help but cross Russell's mind.

Principal Shepherd smiled and picked up a booklet from his desk. "Student Russell, as a reward from the school, you may choose any one of these materials. It will be delivered to your home after school today."

Russell took the booklet and looked through it carefully. It was filled with Black Iron-grade materials of blue quality or higher.

[Fine Steel Sword] (Blue)...