What Is Card Play

Ray gritted his teeth and said, "Chris, I know what you're thinking. You can do it! Trust me, when have I ever lied to you? Those fifty thousand Oudis will be our initial capital, and I plan to invest it all. Chris, what are you hesitating for? Let's do this together!" Ray's eyes were filled with fervor.

The two of them stared at each other for a long time. After a moment of hesitation, Chris nodded, "Alright. I'll give it a try."

"Yeah!" Ray jumped up like a child.

Seeing Ray's joyful excitement, a faint smile appeared on Chris's lips.

The two of them immediately started planning. Fifty thousand Oudis wasn't much for producing a card play, so Chris also invested his savings, and they finally pooled together a hundred thousand Oudis. But even that was too little for a full-length card play, so they decided to start with a short play.

Ray took on the task of writing the script, while Chris had only one job: to understand what a card play really was. It just so happened that Ray knew there was a card play lecture at East Guard Academy the next day, so they decided to go check it out.

The next morning, Ray showed up at Chris's place with tired eyes. He had been too excited to sleep the previous night, and when he saw Chris, he was yawning constantly, looking weary and listless. "Why are there so many people?" Chris asked, a bit puzzled.

The East Guard Academy was much more crowded than usual, with people everywhere.

"It's because the Star Academy is coming. These people have nothing better to do, so they're here to join the excitement," Ray said while yawning.

Chris was shocked, "The Star Academy is coming to East Guard Academy?"

"No way, you didn't know about this big news?" Ray looked at Chris as if he were from another planet. "Ha, that's so you, Chris!"

In the eyes of Chris and Ray, East Guard Academy was a very sacred place. If it were placed side by side with the Star Academy, no one would even notice its existence. The Six Academies were almost like something out of a myth or legend to ordinary people.

Three years ago, a boy from East Business City was selected to enter Center Academy, one of the six academies, which caused a sensation throughout the city. The boy was even personally received by the mayor.

The six academies have a highly rigorous selection process, primarily recruiting residents from the five major districts and the capital. For the twenty-two general regions, however, the admission requirements are much stricter. If a young person from one of these regions is able to enter one of the six academies, it speaks volumes about their exceptional talent.

The six academies have always held themselves in high regard, often showing some discrimination towards the general regions. So now, with the Star Academy actively coming to East Guard Academy, it's no wonder Chris found it a bit strange. It seemed that East Guard Academy was about to enter a period of rapid development. Chris thought to himself.

Riding this momentum, East Guard Academy could gain numerous benefits, greatly increase its reputation, and reap countless other advantages.

After the initial shock, Chris regained his composure. The news was indeed startling, but it didn't affect him much. He wasn't a student at East Guard Academy and wouldn't gain any advantages from it. His life would remain unchanged.

In the crowd, Chris and Ray managed to carve out a path. Chris was fine; his recent training had made him much stronger, so he didn't struggle much. Ray, on the other hand, looked much more disheveled, panting heavily, his clothes wrinkled from being squeezed, and his shoes were covered in layers of footprints. Ray paid no attention to his appearance, stretching his neck and looking around.

"Over here, over here!" Someone not far away was waving their arms. Ray was overjoyed and quickly led Chris in that direction.

"Oh my gosh, your school has really developed! We almost couldn't get in," Ray complained.

In front of Chris stood a student in a school uniform, but with a shifty look, short stature, and a decidedly untrustworthy appearance.

"Haha, that's right. It's said that this year's financial revenue has skyrocketed, and the school is even considering waiving next year's tuition fees," the student said with a hint of pride.

"Alright, alright, enough boasting," Ray said, seeming quite familiar with him. He casually introduced Chris, "This is my buddy Chris."

Then, turning to Chris, Ray continued, "He's my friend, named Lawson, but everyone calls him 'Mouse.' He's the local big shot around here."

Curiously observing the people seated around him, Chris realized this was his first time entering a classroom at East Guard Academy. Most of the people were students, but Chris also spotted a few who, like him, were here to find their way. The students were casually discussing recent card plays worth watching, and the atmosphere in the classroom was relaxed.

A female student took the stage, and the room immediately quieted down. "Everyone, please be quiet. Today, we'll be screening the highly acclaimed Summer's Whisper. This card play has garnered a lot of attention since its release, with its outstanding storytelling and well-developed characters. It can be said that this is one of the most noteworthy card plays recently."

Chris suddenly noticed that Ray's face showed an expression of pain, and his hands resting on the seat were trembling slightly. Startled, Chris realized what was happening and asked softly, "Is it your work?"

"Yes," Ray said, biting his lip, his face looking quite distressed. With a sigh, Chris didn't press further and turned his attention to the upcoming card play. This was Chris's first time watching a card play, and he found it fascinating.

While a regular degree meter could also be used to play card plays, there were now specialized devices for this purpose on the market. The device in the classroom projected clearer illusions and had dedicated audio slots, providing exceptional sound quality.

Half an hour later, the card play finally ended.

"Is this what a card play is like?" Chris asked Ray, still in disbelief. Ray had returned to normal and, knowing what Chris was thinking, chuckled softly, "Yeah, now you have some confidence, right?"

Chris was taken aback by how the card play turned out. In his view, both the objects and characters in it were not very realistic and seemed to have undergone some exaggeration and simplification. In terms of difficulty, the card play was far less complex compared to the flame dragon card he had created, let alone the illusion card billboard at the Dual Ring Card Shop.

Although Chris wasn't sure how the production quality of this card play ranked compared to others, he felt that its strongest point was definitely the story. He had to admit that Ray's talent in this area was undeniable. Even someone as reserved and introverted as Chris found himself thoroughly engrossed.

Chris thought that if the visuals were made more realistic, the overall effect would be even better.

But then, Chris reconsidered. If they aimed for such realism, the cost would probably skyrocket to astronomical levels! It suddenly dawned on him why card plays relied on these simplified and exaggerated illusions. What he didn't realize was that this was only part of the reason. Making a card play that looked completely lifelike not only dramatically increased costs but also significantly raised the difficulty. Card makers with the skill to achieve such realism were incredibly rare. 

After that, several classic old card plays were screened.