The First Card!
Lyra called forth the Book of Cards, the familiar weight of it resting in her hands as she stared at the cover. In the center, the card slots gleamed faintly, bathed in a soft, pulsing white light. She leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make out the faint shapes dancing in the light, and then paused; there, etched faintly in Chinese characters, was something familiar.
For a moment, she froze, the familiarity of the characters jolting her. How could this be? But then it made sense; the card must have taken form based on her own thoughts, her own ideas. Of course, it would appear in the language closest to her heart.
With renewed focus, Lyra began to decipher the details on the card. The words slowly became clearer:
{Unnamed 1}
Race:
Level:
:
:
[Developed cards: 0]
[Cards in development: 1]
[Storage Energy: ]
[Card Making History: Unnamed Card 1]
[Card design: can be newly created]
And then, more specific details:
[Card slot: Unnamed card 1]
- Estimated consumption: mana
- Expected appearance: None
- Expected Function 1: Guide the development of the card book. (Completion 60%)
- Expected Function 2: Guide to improve one's own abilities. (Completion rate: less than 1%)
Below these, two problems stood out starkly:
- Current Difficulty 1: Card-making energy is seriously insufficient.
- Current Difficulty 2: Ability classification and grading unclear.
Suggestions:
Lyra's gaze lingered on the words "Card-making energy is seriously insufficient." So that's what was holding the card back. The lack of energy was preventing it from fully forming. Her eyes drifted to the completion rates. Function 1, the ability to guide the development of the card book, was at a respectable 60%. But Function 2, guiding her own growth, was alarmingly low, less than 1%.
The realization hit her like a cold wave. The magic she'd expended earlier: nearly draining herself; had barely made a dent in Function 2. Was it worth continuing to funnel more of her magic into this?
She didn't even have to think about it. No, it wasn't. With the limited reserves of magic she had, pouring more into an impossible task would be foolish. There was some hope for "Expected Function 1", at least.
Maybe it was time to be practical. She'd only just begun forming the cards, after all. There was no point in trying to stretch beyond her capabilities. Lyra thought for a moment, then made her decision; she'd delete the over-ambitious function of "guiding her own abilities". Better to cut the losses now and focus on what she could achieve.
With a soft sigh of relief, she erased the unnecessary feature. The path ahead might be unclear, but at least she was moving forward.
In an instant, the details about Lyra herself vanished from the card, leaving only the information tied to the Card Book. The updated card now displayed:
{Unnamed 2}
Developed cards: 0
Cards in development: 1
Storage Energy:
[Card production history: Unnamed card 2, Unnamed card 1]
[Card design: can be newly created]
[Card slot: Unnamed card 2]
- Estimated consumption: mana
- Expected appearance: None
- Expected function: Guide the development of the card book. (Completion rate: 90%)
And then, the warnings:
- Current Difficulty 1: Card-making energy is slightly insufficient. It is recommended to either replenish energy, reduce expected functions, or set a limit on the card's capabilities.
- Current Difficulty 2: The magic power grading is unclear. It is recommended to gather more knowledge and refine the necessary grading for the card.
Lyra let out a small breath of relief. "Looks like I made the right call," she murmured, seeing how close she was to success; just a small push away.
She gently summoned a sliver of her magic, carefully guiding it into the card's groove. The moment her magic touched it, she felt a sudden and powerful pull. That delicate sliver was sucked in, turning into a torrent she couldn't control. Panic flared inside her as she tried to regain control, but the magic kept draining from her uncontrollably.
Just as she feared she'd overexert herself again, the pull stopped, as suddenly as it had begun. It lasted only for a second, but her heart was racing. She glanced down, trembling slightly. Perhaps the card had finally drawn enough energy, because the suction disappeared before she could pass out.
"That was close," she whispered. She had to be more careful next time; not to push herself into creating cards beyond her limits. The lesson was clear.
She examined the card again, and to her satisfaction, the completion rate had risen to 95%. Only one issue remained the magic power level was still unknown.
Lyra furrowed her brow, thinking about the problem. She knew that magic power was quantified in Mana, which was considered the highest form of energy across the continent of Valen. The rankings of extraordinary people in Valen were based entirely on the amount of Mana they possessed. But that knowledge was still vague. Here's what she did know:
- Less than 100 Mana was apprentice-level.
- Between 100 and 500 Mana was beginner-level.
- Between 500 and 1,000 Mana, you were classified as intermediate.
- 1,000 to 5,000 Mana marked advanced status.
- 5,000 to 10,000 Mana was peak level.
- More than 10,000 Mana? That was beyond the peak; few ever reached that stage.
But this information wasn't enough for her now. She had no concrete sense of what one unit of Mana was, or how much magic power was flowing through her. And without this understanding, progressing any further would be difficult.
It was late, too late to disturb any senior students with questions about magic power. But her curiosity was bubbling, and she couldn't help wanting an answer right away. On an impulse, she glanced around the room and called out into the empty air, "Dean?"
If the Dean had been sharp enough to catch her and her friends sneaking honey bread juice the night before, maybe he'd be able to hear her call now.
"Dean, are you there? I have an important question I need to ask you!" Lyra's voice echoed in the quiet dormitory, her heart racing with anticipation.
For a moment, the stillness hung in the air. Just when she was starting to doubt whether anyone would respond, a familiar voice cut through the silence.
"I've been teaching for many years, but you're the first student to inquire about the guardian clone in such a way," the Dean replied, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Guardian clone?" Lyra's curiosity was piqued, but she quickly realized that wasn't her focus right now. "I mean, that sounds interesting, but what I really need to know is; are you going to answer my question or not?"
The Dean's tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "I'll answer only one question. Are you sure you want to ask this?"
"No, no, no! I mean, yes! I need to know how much mana equals one magic power. This is crucial for condensing my first card with the Book of Cards. Please, Dean, you have to help me!"
"To turn the developing paper into pure red, you need to consume one mana or the equivalent of one mana," he explained, his voice steady.
Lyra's eyes widened as understanding dawned on her. "Thank you, Dean! I get it now!"
With this vital piece of information, she turned her attention back to the card slot. The function completion rate had finally reached a perfect 100%. The earlier ambiguity about the estimated mana consumption was gone. All it took was a name to finalize the card.
Concentrating intently, she thought, {Unnamed Card 2} will now become {Book of Cards}.
Instantly, the card in the slot solidified, transforming into a clear card adorned with black letters on a pristine white background.
{Card Book}
Developed Cards: 1
Cards in development: 0
Stored Energy: 0
Card Making History: Book of Cards, Unnamed Card 1
Card design: can be newly created
Card slot: empty
Lyra carefully pulled the card out of the slot. It was incredibly simple, featuring bold black text against a stark white backdrop. No intricate patterns or designs, just a plain card, yet it felt sturdier than it appeared.
"It's too simplistic," she mused, realizing that if she didn't put some thought into the design, the card might look rather dull. Luckily, thanks to her memories from Blue Star, she had a treasure trove of design ideas and artistic styles to draw from.
After ten focused minutes of sketching, she finally produced a design she was satisfied with.
With a determined look, she returned the {Card Book} back into the slot, ready to remake it.
[Card Slot: Card Book]
—{Card Book}
—Estimated consumption: 1149/1200 Mana
—Expected appearance: Appearance template 1
—Expected function: Guide the development of the card book. (Completion 100%)
Just a little more magic, and the card would truly take shape. Lyra gathered her focus, ready to channel the mana and bring her vision to life.