The Twelve Cards

The rain poured heavily, turning the slum into a fragmented mire, and the abandoned buildings blurred into a gray haze behind the water curtain. Wang Yanfei stumbled through the muddy alleys, his body soaked in blood. His right hand pressed tightly against the wound on his side, fresh blood mixed with rainwater dripping incessantly, flowing down his torn clothes into the puddles at his feet.

From behind came faint, low growls of mechanical hounds mingling with the droning hum of drones. He glanced back to see a group of corporate elites' children in high-end raincoats chasing after him. The cold gleam of their firearms shone in the rain, their eyes filled with mockery and murderous intent. One boy shouted tauntingly through the rain, "Run, you worthless trash! Let's see where you can hide!"

The mechanical hounds' sniffing and the whirring of the drones drew closer. The corporate kids laughed uproariously, herding their prey, occasionally firing warning shots that shattered what little cover the streets offered. Wang Yanfei's breathing grew heavy, his heartbeat thundering in his chest, and everything around him seemed to dissolve into a symphony of despair.

Clenching his teeth, Wang Yanfei raised his bloodied hand and forcefully dug out the terminal chip embedded in his arm, throwing it into a puddle. The pain from detaching the terminal blurred his vision momentarily, but he remained silent. Without the terminal, their tracking would at least become less precise.

As he panted and leaned against the wall, trying to staunch his wound, a sudden flash of light caught his attention. Amidst the rain, a strange sense of summoning startled him. Twelve floating cards materialized before him, each with a dark golden metallic sheen on the back and intricate. These cards had no discernible edges, emitting a faint glow, appearing both surreal and eerie.

Drawn to the cards, Wang Yanfei's heartbeat quickened, an instinct urging him on. With trembling hands, he randomly picked one. As the card turned, an uncanny image emerged on its surface—a white figure stood with hands covering its eyes. However, behind it was a massive eye wide open, seemingly noticing Wang Yanfei's gaze and looking back at him.

A line of text appeared on the card:

"Lost soul, you have gained eyes to see through yourself."

As the words surfaced, the card transformed into a dark mist, surging into his chest. He felt a spark ignite deep in his mind, and the world before him twisted briefly. Moments later, a translucent black misty panel appeared in his view. White text began to emerge on it:

[Name]: Wang Yanfei

[Attributes]:

 Body: 0.8 (Adult standard is 1)

 Spirit: 1.2 (Adult standard is 1)

[Ability]: Unnamed

[Refresh Time]: 00:02:02

His breath froze instantly. "What… is this?" Wang Yanfei murmured. Before he could delve deeper, gunshots rang out, and a bullet grazed his ear, striking the wall beside him and scattering shards of stone. His heart tightened, and without a second thought, he stumbled deeper into the alley.

Rain streamed down his hair and face, his vision obscured by blurred light and shadow. Yet the panel in his mind remained vividly clear, the white text flashing persistently as if reminding him there was still hope. Crossing a puddle, a loud "bang" resounded behind him. A bullet hit his calf with a force that tore through muscle and bone.

"Ah—!" Wang Yanfei groaned, losing balance and collapsing heavily into the mud. He panted violently, mud and water filling his mouth and nose. The suffocating pain clouded his consciousness, but he propped himself up, his gaze piercing through the rain to see the group slowly closing in.

The boy leading the group held a cigar in his mouth, a cocky grin on his face. He crouched down, gun barrel tapping Wang Yanfei's forehead disdainfully. "Trash, you ran pretty far. But in the end, here you are, crawling at my feet."

The group burst into laughter. Some fired shots into the air, bullets whizzing overhead with an ear-piercing buzz. Mechanical hounds growled and advanced, their breath steaming in the rain, while the drones' lights blinded Wang Yanfei.

Determined not to collapse, Wang Yanfei's fingers clawed into the ground, mud mixing with rainwater in his grip. Anger burned within him, yet the crushing weight of reality left him clenching his teeth in silent defiance.

"Oh? Still trying to fight back?" The boy smirked, raising his gun and aiming at Wang Yanfei's other leg. "I'd like to see how you'll run without your legs."

Suddenly, the countdown on the panel flashed in Wang Yanfei's mind.

"Refresh Time: 00:00:04."

His pupils contracted, his heartbeat thundered, and an instinct told him that if he could survive these few seconds, there might still be a chance. With all his strength, he pushed his hand against the ground, his expression shifting from pain to an eerie calmness laced with determination.

The boy frowned, seemingly puzzled by Wang Yanfei's reaction. "Game over, trash." He smiled, finger tightening on the trigger.

Bang!

As the bullet left the chamber, Wang Yanfei felt a surge of dizziness. Just as all eyes focused on him, that strange summoning sensation washed over him again. The twelve cards appeared silently before him, cutting through the rain like phantoms, glowing faintly in dark gold.

With a trembling hand dripping blood, Wang Yanfei felt time freeze. Trusting his instincts, he reached out and grabbed one.

As the card turned in his hand, its surface displayed a magnificent image—a shirtless man standing atop a shattered mountain, fists clenched as fire and destruction roared behind him. Below the image, bold words emerged:

"Neither fly shall land, nor feather shall settle."

The words vanished as the card dissolved into red light and entered Wang Yanfei's body.

Wang Yanfei felt his body become lighter, as if the pain and exhaustion from before had been completely dispelled. He raised his hand and saw the red glow dancing on his skin, resembling flames, yet without any sensation of heat. In his mind, the panel reappeared, but this time, it was different—the text glowed with a fiery red hue, as if burning with rage.

[Name]: Wang Yanfei

[Attributes]:

 Body: 6.8 (Adult standard is 1)

 Spirit: 3.2 (Adult standard is 1)

[Ability]: Unnamed

[Refresh time]: 23:59:59

[Additional Trait]: Indestructible Body (Neither fly shall land, nor feather shall settle)

[Duration]: 00:19:59

The countdown at the bottom of the panel flashed continuously, the bright red numbers burning like flames.

Wang Yanfei could feel a dramatic transformation taking place in his body. His skin seemed to become tough and smooth, with raindrops bouncing off it without leaving a trace, as if repelled by an invisible force.

A bullet hurtled toward him at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, but to Wang Yanfei, the bullet's trajectory was as clear as that of a slowly moving snail. He slightly shifted his body, pressed lightly with his foot, and a faint ripple spread from beneath him. In the blink of an eye, his entire figure disappeared like a phantom.

"What… what is this?" the boy exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes widening. As the bullet missed its mark, all he saw was a blur of Wang Yanfei's silhouette in the rain.

Before he could react, Wang Yanfei appeared behind him. With a thunderous elbow strike, Wang Yanfei smashed into the boy's shoulder, sending him flying several meters. The boy crashed into a puddle, his shoulder grotesquely twisted at an unnatural angle.

The rest of the group descended into chaos, screaming as they turned their guns toward Wang Yanfei, firing wildly. The mechanical hounds barked and lunged forward, while drones swooped down from above, their bullets raining like a torrential downpour.

But Wang Yanfei was no longer the frail figure from moments before. His movements were swift and nimble; each step seemed to leave no trace on the ground, with not even a single splash of water. His figure flickered through the rain, disappearing and reappearing as if out of thin air. Bullets grazed his clothes but couldn't touch a single thread. His body was like an indestructible fortress, impervious to any attack.

"What the hell? He's cheating! Dodging bullets?!" one of the rich kids stammered, his face filled with terror. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and he could barely hold onto his gun.