Fang Xiang

This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

The Card Apprentice

Apart from his excellent physical strength, Zola was able to take on the responsibility to be the caption of that team because of his extraordinary tactical literacy, which was another reason Tang Hanpei had him take on such an important job. To be a captain, making reasonably accurate judgements was far more important than his fighting strength.

"We need to land! I don't have enough in my power card!" A card artisan said in a panic.

Once he said that, the other card artisans' looks all changed, as they saw that the power cards in their apparatuses were all bottomed out! If they were to use up their energy, they could fall straight to their death from midair. When they most needed to do just then was to immediately land on the ground and swap out a new power card.

Zola's heart abruptly skipped a beat, as a bout of chill rose up along his spine. Could his adversary have included even the detail of the energy cards in his plans?

A Stunning Victory