Mystery

Fifteen thousand Oudi... As Chris stared at the strange card, he felt torn. Without the long-standing goal of making a one-star illusion card to keep him grounded, his intense curiosity began to pull him in. The scales in his mind were quickly tipping in favor of the mysterious card.

"I will buy it!" Chris resolved firmly, thinking to himself that at worst, he could just spend a few more months earning the money back. Once his mind was made up, he no longer hesitated and headed out to buy a three-star energy card.

As Chris walked down the street, his mood was completely different from the last time he had gone out to bask in the sun.

The sky above was filled with hover cars, their tail jets faintly audible. These vehicles were far beyond what someone like Chris Wood could afford. The core of a hover car was a card capable of generating high-speed airflows, which, when channeled through the vehicle's special structure, created tremendous thrust. Those highly skilled card masters didn't even need hover cars; they could directly control such airflow cards to achieve flight, moving faster and more nimbly than any vehicle could. 

Unable to afford a hover car and lacking the skills to control an airflow card, Chris had no choice but to walk on foot. Chris couldn't help but glance up at the hover cars darting through the sky, his thoughts momentarily drifting. He knew that the three-star energy card he was about to purchase would be a significant investment, but the pull of the mysterious card he possessed was too strong to ignore. His steps quickened as he refocused on his goal, eager to uncover the secrets it held.

Three-star energy cards are only available at more upscale stores, as they are not cheap items. It was Chris's first time entering such a high-end card store. The floor was polished and shiny, reflecting his image, and the store was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance. In the glass display cases, various high-end cards were arranged on red velvet, with detailed descriptions of each card placed beneath them.

The beautiful and elegant saleswoman was dressed in a neat uniform, with a charming smile and a gentle demeanor. "Hello, how may I assist you?" The saleswoman showed no signs of disdain for Chris's shabby appearance; they all possessed excellent professional qualities. They were accustomed to seeing a lot of people, and many who looked unremarkable often spent lavishly here. Not all wealthy individuals are particular about their appearance. It was also common to encounter scholars who were deeply engrossed in their research and paid little attention to their looks.

"Three-star energy cards," Chris said, without any unnecessary words.

"Indeed, a wealthy person!" The saleswoman thought with quiet satisfaction. A three-star energy card costs fifteen thousand Oudi, and today's sales would hit the target perfectly. Chris was never one to dawdle; once he decided to buy, he would not hesitate or haggle, and he paid promptly. This further convinced the saleswoman that the man before her was indeed wealthy.

"Is there anything else you need, sir? We have everything here. This is the most comprehensive card store in the city. If we don't have the card you need, we can help you place an order and have it specially made by one of our affiliated high-end card makers," the saleswoman said enthusiastically, promoting the store with all her effort.

The dazzling array of high-end cards almost blinded Chris, and he swallowed nervously. Shaking his head, he said, "No need. There are no cards here that I need."

Stepping out of the card store, the cold air immediately cleared Chris's mind. After standing there for a moment, he suddenly chuckled to himself, realizing how easily he was affected by the dazzling display of cards. Putting aside these unrealistic thoughts, he remembered the mysterious card still at home, and his heart warmed with a surge of curiosity. Driven by intense curiosity, he ran eagerly, breathless, and burst into his home.

The questions about this mysterious card had been lingering in Chris's mind. What kind of card requires such realistic disguising? What is the purpose of this disguise? And those two layers of disguise film were also masterful—who could have crafted them?

All these aspects undoubtedly pique everyone's curiosity, but the most peculiar thing is not any of these. The most unusual feature of the mysterious card is that its surface pattern underwent a dramatic change overnight!

Chris had never heard of a card's pattern changing. Once a card's pattern is set, it is extremely stable; the material's fit is irreversible. This fitting is so strong that even the unstoppable force of time can only cause it to gradually loosen and peel away, but it cannot rearrange it in a different form.

If this card is indeed someone's work, what extraordinary skill must they possess? The mystery was like countless little bugs, making Chris itch with curiosity. Now, the time to unravel this mystery had finally arrived, and Chris was excited.

Taking the mysterious card from the table, Chris gently rubbed its surface with his palm. With a deft flip of his fingers, he inserted the card into one of the slots on the degree meter He then quickly inserted the three-star energy card into the other slot of the device.

Without hesitation, he pressed the activation button.

The surroundings suddenly darkened, and Chris felt as if he had been transported to an entirely unfamiliar space. This is an incredible illusion card! The shock Chris felt was beyond words! He had never imagined that an illusion card could reach such a level—this was a true "realistic illusion"! This was definitely a very high-level illusion card! Although he knew that what he was seeing was all false, Chris's expression still changed. The card completely severed his connection with the surrounding environment.

Around him, there was only vast darkness; he seemed to float alone in an endless void of blackness.

"Step one: Please complete the following eighteen movements."

Suddenly, an old voice sounded in Chris's ear. The voice seemed to be right next to him—soft, yet very clear. Chris instinctively turned to look behind him, but all he saw was the same boundless black void; there was nothing there.

As soon as the voice faded, eighteen realistic human-like mannequins suddenly appeared before Chris. These mannequins had indistinct features but perfectly proportioned bodies. They continuously repeated their movements, over and over. Each of the eighteen mannequins performed a different action, some of which were extremely strange.

Suppressing his astonishment, Chris began to carefully observe the movements of the mannequins. He focused on one of the mannequins, and a large amount of text suddenly appeared beside it. Chris quickly read through the text. It turned out that the text provided a detailed description of the movement and some important points to note.

After finishing the reading, Chris began to attempt to follow the movements of the mannequins.