Training Class
Over five hundred years ago, the founder of card theory, Rosenberg, first proposed the concept and successfully created the very first card. Since then, card technology has undergone over five centuries of development, giving rise to a vast array of different cards. Before this breakthrough, primitive versions of cards were widely found in various religions, where they were considered a form of supernatural power. Even today, some religions still have highly skilled card makers and card cultivators, whose origins date back even further than Rosenberg's era. Their traditions are shrouded in mystery and remain largely unknown.
It was Rosenberg's sudden emergence that completely shattered the mystical aura surrounding the card system. He systematically studied and explained card structures, inventing numerous cards in the process. For instance, the standard structure of today's energy cards was first proposed by Rosenberg. The mysterious veil that once enveloped cards was thoroughly lifted, leading to the establishment of
About three hundred years ago, another great card maker, Haina Vincent, ushered in the golden age of card development. Remarkably, Haina Vincent was born exactly two hundred years after Rosenberg formally proposed the card theory. It was as if these two greatest card makers of the past five centuries were echoing each other in this manner.
The era of Haina Vincent was a time of great heroes. During that hundred-year period, countless cards were invented by many brilliant card makers. Haina Vincent, renowned alongside Rosenberg, led the invention of ninety-seven different types of cards. This period also saw the emergence of many future-famous card makers, such as Rozi, Chemo Sih, and others.
After so many years of development, cardology today is vastly different from what it was five hundred years ago. The discipline has become much more detailed, with numerous branches and increasingly in-depth research.
With the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between the Mohadi Domain and the Abyss Government, card theory was introduced to Sky Federation. The outstanding individuals in these areas quickly absorbed the theory and developed unique card theories tailored to their respective domains' characteristics. As a result, the card theory system was further enriched and expanded, with new types of cards emerging continuously. It was a glorious and radiant era, one that countless people deeply yearned for.
With the continuous development of card theory and the emergence of various exotic and unusual cards, classifying card types has become increasingly challenging. To this day, there is still no authoritative method for categorizing them.
If you want to know the exact function of a card, the most direct and straightforward method is to use it!
To use a card, you need a degree meter, which, coincidentally, was invented by Rosenberg, the founder of card theory, and later perfected by Haina Vincent. Although modern degree meters have become increasingly sophisticated with various additional functions—such as the spotlight on Chris Wood's device—the core functionality remains unchanged.
The degree meter, in appearance, is a rectangular box with three straps that can be fastened to the arm. At the top of the meter, there is a card slot designed for inserting cards. Typically, a degree meter has at least two slots: one for basic cards like energy cards and another for the card the user wishes to activate. Essentially, the degree meter is a device that connects energy cards with other cards, with the energy cards providing the necessary power to activate and use the other cards.
Chris's degree meter, of course, is not a high-end model. What could you expect to get for just over two hundred Oudi? Although the degree meter is a widely used item, Chris seldom makes use of it.
Without hesitation, Chris inserted the card into the top slot of the degree meter and placed an unused one-star energy card into the bottom slot. After completing these steps, he took a deep breath and pressed the activation button on the surface of the degree meter.
"Beep!"
A translucent screen suddenly appeared, displaying a message: "Energy card does not meet specifications. Please use a three-star or higher energy card!"
A three-star energy card! It actually requires a card of three stars or higher! Chris, astonished, realized that this card was indeed a high-end one. Generally speaking, the higher the card's level, the higher the energy card's level required, and the faster the energy consumption. This is basic knowledge that Chris was aware of.
Chris was in a bit of a bind. He didn't have any three-star energy cards. To find out what kind of card this was, he would need to buy a three-star energy card. The price of a three-star energy card was no small amount!
A one-star energy card has an energy capacity of 100 units, a two-star energy card has 1,000 units, and a three-star energy card boasts a capacity of up to 10,000 units.
The standard retail price for a one-star energy card is 110 Oudi, which means the average cost per unit of energy is 1.1 Oudi. A two-star energy card is priced at 1,250 Oudi, making the average cost per unit of energy 1.25 Oudi. The price of a three-star energy card is as high as 15,000 Oudi, with the average cost per unit of energy being 1.5 Oudi.
This is why one-star energy cards are the most widely used. After all, in this world, there are far more people with limited means.
In the past three years, Chris has saved, worked tirelessly, and has managed to accumulate only 80,000 Oudi. Spending 15,000 Oudi all at once makes him very hesitant. Having experienced a life of wandering since childhood, he values money more than most, understanding that it is a fundamental part of sustaining life.
After much hesitation, reason ultimately prevailed over impulse. Chris decided to set the card aside for the time being. He also kept the thin films that had been attached to the card, storing them for later.
Life returned to its usual calm, and Chris developed a new habit. Every day, he would unconsciously handle and examine the card. Each time he studied it, he would become immersed in the complex and perfect patterns etched into its surface.
Life still goes on, and during this time, Chris didn't remain idle. He successfully integrated the spiral compression structure from another one-star energy card into his own designs. This adjustment reduced the cost of producing one-star energy cards by another two Oudi. As a result, his daily income increased by 50 Oudi compared to before.
It can be said that the structure of the one-star energy cards he now produces is quite different from the standard structure, though it's not easily noticeable at a glance. Who would take the time to carefully study a newly purchased one-star energy card?
The lecture pass that Uncle Hua had given him was taken out, and according to the date, it was for today.
The training class was held in a building next to East Guard Academy. Chris originally thought that there wouldn't be many attendees, but when he entered the classroom, he was surprised to find it bustling with noise. The room was filled with young men and women, who quickly mingled and formed groups, laughing, joking, and having a great time together.
Chris picked a seat by the window and sat down. His years of wandering had given him a keen sense of observing people. With a quick glance, he could tell that most of these people likely came from ordinary backgrounds. It made sense—if their families had money, they would probably send their children to a more prestigious training program, like those offered at East Guard Academy.
Gazing out the window at East Guard Academy, just a wall away, Chris could see the entire campus from his vantage point. The neatly dressed students exuded confidence with their bright smiles and courteous greetings. The demeanor of the East Guard Academy students was truly impressive and striking.
For some reason, Chris felt a pang of discomfort and a hint of bitterness began to rise within him.
He withdrew his gaze and sat there in a daze for a while. When he came to his senses, he couldn't help but chuckle at himself. What was he doing? Three years ago, he could hardly have imagined living this kind of life. Now, what more could he possibly want? He reminded himself to be content and grateful, acknowledging how fortunate he had already become.
Having come to this realization, Chris turned his gaze back to East Guard Academy. His look was still tinged with a subtle envy, but it was now marked by an unusual sense of calm and peace.
At that moment, the instructor walked into the classroom, and the classroom immediately became silent.
The instructor, a young man in his twenties named Monroe Ja, walked in. He was of average appearance but spoke very fluently. He immediately began to boast, claiming that he was a direct disciple of Professor Zeller Ja from East Guard Academy and that the training program had a partnership with the academy. He assured the students that finding a job after completing the course would be very easy. His enthusiastic hype had the students below listening with wide-eyed excitement.
Chris, on the other hand, frowned as he listened. His years of wandering had given him a deep understanding of the world, far beyond the naivety of these young men and women. To him, the instructor seemed much more like a con artist than a legitimate card master.
The boasting took up the entire morning, and by the end of it, Chris was deeply disappointed. Ja Monroe turned out to be nothing more than a rote speaker. Over the past three years, Chris had been self-studying, reading countless foundational books, many of which he knew by heart. He even recognized that what Monroe was reading was the widely used Fourth Edition of Basic Introduction to Card Theory, which was a standard text across various academies.
He had read through this book no less than ten times, but due to his poor foundation, there were still many parts he didn't fully understand.
Soon, he focused his attention on the lecture, determined to grasp as much as he could...