Chapter 298 Enjoying It (1)
Kaguala chatted about the recent environment while restlessly fiddling with his cards. As a card player, he always kept his cards in his hand when chatting.
Summer vacation is just a week old, and with the pressure of homework still far off, it's the most relaxed time for students at Jingsha. That's why students from the Fifth Pulse are making the trek to the Third Pulse and participating in the store tournament. The students are still discussing the previous match: "Actually, Gu Li's card-poking skills are pretty good. This time, it was just the opponent's verbal abuse that was too strong."
"Gulibo is just kidding. The War Plant in his hand is simpler to create than a small potted plant," Kakuala said. "It's a shame a woman got the 'Fat Seal'. I want a Legendary card too..."
"Legendary cards are just so-so. They're just collectibles. Who would actually use them to play cards?"
"I want it for its collectible value. If I sell it, it'll cover my living expenses for three months." Kaguara felt his hands itching to touch the metal as he spoke. "What are your plans for lunch? How about a quick bite at a fast food restaurant?"
Some students timidly said: "No, it's not good if others see it..."
"Don't overthink it. Who wants to watch you play cards?"
Within minutes, the students found a cheap fast-food restaurant to play cards. Kakuala pulled out his favorite deck, while his opponent used the "Zanxinzhe Starter Set." The two were enjoying their game when a shadow suddenly appeared over the table. A young man with silver arms was watching from the side.
Kaguala subconsciously hid his cards: "You..."
"What kind of deck is this?" the young man smiled. "I think it's quite powerful, even more powerful than the Heartbreaker."
The student across the table exclaimed, "This is the great, super-mainstream demon! Even my specialized team of anti-demon fighters can't break his field."
The young man was obviously also playing cards: "Is there a dedicated supermodel terminal?"
"I'm laughing! From the bottom up to the end, they're all supermodels." Kakuala showed off his hand, unable to resist. "See this 'Entertainment Demon - Contractor'? This card can be Special Summoned and Graveyarded during the opponent's turn. The Graveyarded Entertainment Demon can also be Special Summoned further using its own effects. One card jumps through and you can transform it into a big monster during the opponent's turn!"
"I'm a devil."
"It's your turn or my turn."
"This is our modern extreme battle!"
The high school students started to boo. The silver-armed man stared at the rows of card effects, shook his head and laughed, "Cards are so powerful nowadays, and I'm still stuck in the age of comparing attack power."
"Uncle, the competitive environment and animation are different."
The young man wasn't angry at being called uncle. Before leaving, he glanced at the cards and said, "But the name of this deck is a bit sensitive, so it's better not to use it."
The "Entertainment Devil" card depicted a Q-version sea creature with multiple eyes and tentacles, resembling a fantasy demon. Kaguala curled his lips, "It's just a game of cards, why take it so seriously?"
"Uncle, please don't bring your tricks into the game."
"Is there something wrong with your brain if you have to make such a big deal out of things in an entertainment environment?"
The high school students were all unhappy to hear this, and hurled a few sarcastic remarks, only to find that the man had already left. Feeling disappointed, they decided to move on after finishing their game, but as they stood up, they noticed a new spectator at the table—a little squirrel in a Divine Guard uniform.
Kaguala's forehead was covered with sweat: "Officer, we haven't committed any crime..."
The little squirrel jumped onto the table, picked up a demon card, glanced at it, and smiled. "We have found traces of foreign contamination here. Please cooperate with the Divine Guards and come to the bureau for a simple investigation and record-keeping."
Kaguala's jaw dropped, and he threw the card away in fear: "I am contaminated by the outside world?!"
"Sir, I'm innocent!" "We just play cards occasionally, we really don't have any connection with the outside world!" "My family pays taxes on time, please let me go..."
In the discussion room, several terrified high school students cried and screamed, fearing they'd be hacked to pieces by the Divine Guards any second. The Squirrel Team members were overwhelmed by the sound. Across the wall, Trek lay unruly on the conference table, examining the confiscated cards.
"This is the third case this week." Trek frowned.
"The concentration is very weak, so it's hard to detect." Finder looked at the card intently, "But it does have demonic power. It's not some low-quality imitation."
"That Inspiration Mushroom trick?" Chu Hengkong looked across the conference table. Old Octopus Fratari had also been apprehended as a staff advisor and was carefully examining the Demon Cards.
"Similar, but the principles are different," Fratelli concluded. "My Inspiration Mushroom Ritual uses information as a gift and action as a reward, emphasizing mutual benefit. This ritual is designed with safety in mind. It cannot draw power from the user and will not affect them—though if manure is thrown into the mushroom field, that's another matter."
But cards are different; they explicitly use power as their medium! The power within cards can influence the user's thinking, causing them to ignore risk and prioritize pleasure. The more they use demon cards, the more addicted they become to the card game. And the emotional fluctuations generated during the game become a 'sacrifice' to strengthen their power, even becoming a 'connection' with the demon itself.
"Establish a connection, gain strength." Chu Hengkong and Fander looked at each other, "Sounds familiar."
"Yes, this is actually the most traditional devil contract ceremony!" said the old octopus seriously.
Chu Hengkong was all too familiar with these Imagination Demons. When he first arrived in Huilong City, he'd fought Demon Contractors daily. The first battle at the city's opening had proven that Kanin was a Contractor of the Ambition Demon. Killing them so many times, even the most amateurish of them became familiar. But as he examined these cards, he couldn't connect them to the twisted, eccentric Contractors he remembered.
"I didn't see those students' limbs twisted."
"Contractors of the Illusionary Demon usually have noticeable limb abnormalities. This is because the demon's possession distorts their ethereal bodies, thus affecting their physical bodies," said Vander. "But this doesn't apply to the Delusionary Demons and above. They have strong control over their ethereal bodies, and unless they're really careful, you can't see any abnormalities at all. That ambitious contractor you killed earlier should have been a decent person, right?"
Chu Hengkong thought of Kanin's refined gentlemanly attire, and then of Olek's childish appearance in a suit, and knew that Vander was right. He casually pulled out the large book and began to identify the cards.
【Card-type contract medium】
【Rating: 3 (4)】
[Origin: Senluo Secret Realm - Jingsha City-State]
[Effect: Provides double pleasure when participating in games and other entertainment activities, improves thinking speed and reaction ability during games and other entertainment activities, and intensifies emotions.]
[Curse:
1. This relic serves as a contract medium for the Entertainment Demon and the Addiction Demon. Positive emotions generated by games and other recreational activities become power for the Entertainment Demon and the Addiction Demon.
2. This relic has been contaminated by outsiders, and its power of destiny will continue to weaken while in possession. When the relic's level is raised to 4, it will randomly become a contractor of a fantasy demon.
[Missing: Hehehe. It's just a game, why take it so seriously?]
Chu Hengkong was thankful his girlfriend hadn't come along. Miss Disaster Knight was incredibly jealous and would have flipped the table if she saw this thing. He showed the appraisal document to the two people across the table: "Looks like two Fantasy-level items."
The old octopus tugged at his beard. "No. 'Indulgence' is a long-standing fantasy, but I know 'entertainment' inside and out. It's just a stronger fantasy. Even if I only contract one octopus now, I can easily defeat him!"
"But judging by their style of doing things, it feels more like entertainment is taking the lead..." Vander muttered, "Forget it, I'll ask them slowly after they arrest me. Captain Trek, what do you mean this time?"
Trick was still lying listlessly on the table, saying quietly, "This is the third case this week~~~"
Vander glared back, but his intimidation was ultimately no match for the shamelessness of his civil servant, and it had no effect at all. Chu Hengkong put Vander back in his pocket and said, "These cards are produced by the fifth meridian."
"Yeah." Trek nodded.
"The students are also traveling from the Fifth Meridian. I guess the demon causing the trouble is also from the Fifth Meridian."
"That's right." Trek continued to nod.
Chu Hengkong understood very well: "Mr. Cui Ke, as the captain of the third team, going to the fifth meridian to enforce the law impartially is not appropriate in terms of both emotion and reason."
Trek sighed: "It's so inappropriate~~"
"Official matters are indeed difficult to handle." Chu Hengkong changed the subject, "I heard that the Feiyan Amusement Park over there is very famous. I just happened to be planning to take my girlfriend there recently..."
Trick fished four crumpled tickets from his pocket and thrust them towards them with a smile. "What a coincidence! I'm close friends with the captain of Team Five, and I just stole four tickets from her last week. I'm giving them to you guys."
Chu Hengkong took the ticket and couldn't help laughing. Fander jumped onto the conference table and scolded, "Old Cui, aren't you being too shameless? Is that reasonable?"
"Uncle Trek, I have my reasons too. Honestly, it's not a big deal if it's not beyond my authority. The problem is that I'm not really suited to investigate this." Trek crossed his legs. "My work style is too aggressive."
"You mentioned violence to him? There will be bloodshed if you let this killer go!"
"It's okay, it's okay. I think Inspector Chu is brave and resourceful, and he's the perfect person to handle these kinds of tough cases." Trick clenched his fist. "Come on, come on!"
Chu Hengkong didn't take it seriously, so he put away Fander and left. The old octopus tried to sneak out quietly, but after seeing the look in Cui Ke's eyes, he stayed.
"I'm quite familiar with 'Entertainment'," it confessed. "It was also a member of the library back then."
Trick's face showed no emotion: "Now what?"
The old octopus smiled bitterly: "Now... I don't know how many 'entertainment's' I've seen!"
Trick nodded, let the old octopus go, and then took the card and looked at it carefully.
When Chu Hengkong returned to the bookstore, Captain Ji was fighting with a large seal for some dried fish. She poked her head out, holding a fish in her mouth: "Woo woo woo? (How's it going?)"
"Planning to go to the amusement park tonight."
"Great!" Ji Huaisu cheered.
(End of this chapter)
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