My exclusive card pool

Chapter 231 Arrival at the Eastern Continent

The afternoon after the practical simulation class ended.

There were no classes at Spade Academy. After having a free lunch in the cafeteria, Wang Xi was about to return to the student villa to rest when Zhao Leng'an and his men intercepted him at the door.

"Senior, what's going on?"

Wang Xi stopped and looked at the four or five people in front of him with a puzzled expression.

"Wang Xi, come with me."

Zhao Leng'an smiled, his tone quite excited.

"Where are we going?" Wang Xi looked at Zhou Ziming and the other men and women, but they just smiled kindly and didn't say anything.

"Don't ask yet, come on."

Seeing that Wang Xi was still standing there, Zhao Leng'an simply grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.

Not long after.

The group arrived at the square near the gate of Kunwu Camp and stopped in front of the towering sword monument.

"look--"

Zhao Leng'an pointed to the Kunwu Ranking on the sword monument and gestured to Wang Xi.

Wang Xi looked up, his eyebrows slightly raised.

At the top of the list, the names of Cao and Pang had clearly changed hands—

First: Zhao Leng'an (289 points)

Second: Cao Pang (288 points)

Third: Sun Chenglu (272 points)

Fourth: Zhou Ziming (265 points)

……

"Thanks to you this time, Wang Xi."

Zhao Leng'an turned around, her bright eyes looking at Wang Xi, a genuine smile on her face, her tone sincere:

"If you hadn't increased the team's points coefficient, I wouldn't have had a chance to overtake Cao Pang and take the top spot this month. Thanks."

Zhou Ziming, who was next to her, nodded slightly and said in a clear voice, "Me too, I rose a rank thanks to your help."

He also looked at Wang Xi: "Thank you."

Faced with the gratitude of her seniors, Wang Xi shook her head:
"As a member of Spade Academy, I should do my part. Moreover, the points system is the result of everyone's joint efforts, not just my achievement."

"Tsk, how come you're so good at talking?" Zhao Leng'an couldn't help but laugh, his expression a bit strange and teasing. "One person winning sixteen games in a row, directly raising the coefficient by 16%, do you even understand the value of that record?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and said seriously:
"The top ten on the Kunwu Ranking each month receive generous rewards. Especially the first place winner, who not only gets high-quality universal cards, but more importantly, 'special training qualification'! At that time, Kunwu Camp mentors will provide one-on-one guidance, analyze and optimize the student's core deck, and allocate a lot of resources."

"Under such circumstances, our strength will surely achieve a leap forward."

"I see." Wang Xi suddenly realized and smiled, "Then congratulations, senior, on getting what you wanted."

"Don't rush to congratulate me." Zhao Leng'an raised his chin, his eyes flashing with fighting spirit: "Don't forget, today is the last day of September, and tomorrow is October. The list will be refreshed, and your name will appear on it... At that time, we will be rivals."

Wang Xi turned his gaze to the sword monument standing not far away, where the names of the top ten shone brightly.

He smiled slightly: "Now that you mention it, the reward for being in the top ten is indeed tempting. Then I, your junior, will do my best to compete for it next month."

"That's more like it!" Zhao Leng'an patted Wang Xi on the shoulder: "I'm looking forward to your performance. Let me make it clear beforehand, I won't hold back."

After chatting for a few more minutes in the square, Wang Xi took his leave.

Watching the tall figure disappear at the edge of the square, Zhou Ziming withdrew his gaze and calmly said, "I heard some things from friends in other colleges this morning. In this practical simulation class, all the students who encountered Wang Xi... had almost the same result."

"Hmm?" Everyone cast curious glances at them.

"They were all one-hit kills."

Zhou Ziming's voice sounded slightly solemn.

"It is said that even the duration of a fight is less than three minutes... in most cases it ends within a few dozen seconds."

"So strong?" Zhao Leng'an and the others around him were all surprised. They knew Wang Xi was strong, but they didn't expect him to be this powerful.

"Really strong."

Zhou Ziming nodded.

"Furthermore, according to those who have played against him, Wang Xi's core deck is not only based on the Fairy Tale system, but also on the Mysterious system. The two systems are working in tandem, making it somewhat complex."

Upon hearing this, a female student next to him frowned, her tone tinged with worry: "Cultivating two systems simultaneously? This... may have excellent results in the short term, but in the long run, the resources will be scattered, and his energy will not be able to keep up with the progress, which will limit his future potential."

"Well... there's no need to worry too much about that."

Zhao Leng'an shook his head.

"Given his performance today, how could the Kunwu Camp's leadership, instructors, and even our Dean Rosa not see him? The Kunwu Camp has no shortage of mentors."

She gazed in the direction Wang Xi had disappeared, a meaningful smile playing on her lips:

"To have this kind of strength so soon after enrolling, tsk tsk, I feel like 'Taiyu' isn't even the end for this guy."

...

...

When Wang Xi returned to the dormitory, he happened to meet three roommates chatting in the living room.

The content was the same practical simulation lesson from this morning.

"...At that time, I couldn't move when he hooked my finger. My body was completely out of control, and I was forcibly pulled over."

Feng Lingyun patted the sofa armrest, his expression varied.

"Then, a black dragon about ten meters long flew over and gnawed my head off."

He then revealed a lingering fear in his expression and vividly described the battle.

"The supernatural domain I created is completely ineffective against him; I can't catch him off guard no matter what I do..."

In the living room, Chu Yichen and Ji Xin huddled around the coffee table, listening attentively to Feng Lingyun's story.

"No wonder he had a sixteen-game winning streak; his skill level has already surpassed most of the trainees."

Chu Yichen sighed.

At that moment, as the door opened, the three of them turned around in unison, their words abruptly cut off.

When Feng Lingyun saw Wang Xi standing in the entryway, his voice choked. He had just experienced being beheaded in the simulator that morning, and his neck was still feeling a chill.

"Ahem, Wang Xi, you're back?" Chu Yichen was the first to stand up, his former sense of superiority and pride as a local of Longcheng vanished without a trace.

He pointed towards the kitchen and said enthusiastically, "I just ordered a case of Mozi soda online, it's in the fridge, want a bottle?"

Wang Xi replied naturally, "Okay, I'm a little thirsty."

He changed his shoes and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Chu Yichen hurriedly went to the kitchen, took four bottles of Mozi soda from the refrigerator, Ji Xin took them and opened the bottle caps, while Feng Lingyun took out straws from the coffee table cabinet, straightened them one by one and inserted them into the bottle openings.

The three moved smoothly, yet subtly revealed a hint of obsequiousness. Only Wang Xi did nothing but sit on the sofa, watching the silent play with a strange look in his eyes.

"Thanks," Wang Xi said, then started drinking his soda and chatted with the three of them for a while.

Only after he finished drinking, put down the empty bottle, and went upstairs did Chu Yichen and the other two exchange glances and secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

After learning about Wang Xi's strength, they felt uneasy for some reason.

The gap is too big.

"Ahem." Chu Yichen, making conversation, turned to Ji Xin and Feng Lingyun and asked, "What ranking do you think Wang Xi will achieve next month?"

The only sound in the brief silence was the whirring of the straw stirring the ice.

"I think he can make the top five."

Feng Lingyun thought carefully for a moment and said in a deep voice.

...

...

Wang Xi returned to her room on the second floor, changed her clothes, and lay down on the bed.

He closed his eyes and silently thought to himself:

'Chaos, descend!'

A crack appeared in his mind, and his consciousness was captured.

"The Projection Has Arrived"

World: Fairy Tale

Exploration: 21.9%

"Legendary Status: 55 (...)"

When Wang Xi opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on the deck of the Flying Dutchman, gazing at the vast sea.

A salty, damp sea breeze brushed against my face.

Godaril was nowhere to be seen. Pinocchio sat on the railing not far away, his legs dangling in the air, holding a fishing rod in his hand.

The sailors were busy around them.

"Gai!" Pinocchio turned around and shouted at Wang Xi, "How much longer until we reach the Eastern Continent?"

Wang Xi looked at Pinocchio, the puppet boy's dark eyes sparkling with anticipation in the sunlight. Ever since leaving the Western Continent, he seemed to have been longing to return to his homeland, the Clockwork Kingdom.

"I'll go ask Captain Hook."

Wang Xi smiled.

Immediately, he turned and walked toward the captain's cabin.

Hook was smoking a pipe, steering the ship with one hand. Seeing Wang Xi enter and ask a question, he laughed without hesitation:
"Lord Gai, according to the nautical chart drawn by Mr. Pinocchio, we are almost there... If all goes well, we will be able to land in the next few days."

Wang Xi thanked him, returned to the deck, and told Pinocchio the news.

The puppet boy seemed very excited after hearing this.

The light in their eyes shone even brighter.

Just then, Godaril walked over.

"How fast." Cinderella, with a faint fragrance, stood beside him, her flaxen hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

Wang Xi's gaze fell on the girl; she seemed much more mature than when they first met. More importantly, the magical energy emanating from her was much stronger.

"Cinderella Godariel (Loyal/5-Star/Hero)"

Silver frame with five stars.

Wang Xi took the opportunity to glance at the Pinocchio entry again.

"Masterpiece Puppet - Pinocchio (Friendly/High-Rank 1-Star/Hero)"

Silver frame, one star above.

Godaril and Pinocchio are both "chosen ones" in the fairy tale world, growing up extremely fast.

Cinderella noticed Wang Xi's gaze and smiled slightly: "Jai, I haven't been slacking off lately, and my magic has improved quite a bit."

She stretched out her hand as if showing her homework to a teacher, and a swirling ball of wind gathered in her palm.

With precise control, the wind mass remained spherical and very stable.

Immediately afterwards, she suddenly clenched her five fingers together and threw a punch, which made a whooshing sound.

Bang!
The windball was crushed by her punch.

"Moreover, after digesting the medicine and pills you gave me, I made time to sunbathe every day... Now my body is very healthy."

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow, indeed sensing that Godariel's physique was comparable to that of the elite knights of the Stag Kingdom.

Even without magic, she could achieve a three-star rating based solely on her physical attributes.

Wang Xi reached out and gently stroked the girl's hair: "You always bring surprises, my Cinderella... You have now surpassed your teacher, the fairy Bettina, which is truly amazing."

Godaril's cheeks flushed. She lowered her head slightly, but then suddenly looked up and stared directly into Wang Xi's eyes: "Is it just verbal praise?"

Her voice was very low, with a hint of coquetry.

Wang Xi smiled and asked, "So, what reward do you want?"

Godariel didn't answer, but instead grabbed Wang Xi's hand and dragged him towards the cabin. Pinocchio watched the two walk away, then pursed his lips and cast his fishing rod back into the sea, muttering, "Foolish Godariel, always thinking about inefficient procreation rituals."

three days later.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the morning mist, the Flying Dutchman finally arrived at the coast of the Eastern Continent.

In the distance, a desolate beach gradually comes into view, and further away, there are rolling mountains.

Although Captain Hook had reverted to his youthful appearance, his bold and unrestrained character remained unchanged. Standing in front of the wheelhouse, he shouted loudly, "We have arrived at the Eastern Continent!"

Wang Xi, Godard, and Pinocchio stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the approaching land. The ship slowly approached the shore and came to rest on a desolate beach.

The Flying Dutchman was not afraid of running aground; other ships would not dare to dock like that.

"Lord Gai, this is where I'll leave you."

Captain Hook walked over and bowed to Wang Xi with his hand on his chest.

"We will continue sailing eastward to complete our round-the-world journey."

"Thank you," Wang Xi said with a smile. "I wish you a safe journey."

The sailors waved goodbye on the deck, while Wang Xi and his two companions disembarked and set foot on the land of the Eastern Continent.

Turning around, I saw the dilapidated pirate ship hovering, slowly leaving the shore, its sails billowing in the sea breeze, gradually disappearing into the distance.

"let's go."

Wang Xi said, and the three began to head inland. The roads in the desolate wilderness were rugged and difficult to traverse, but that was no problem for them. Pinocchio walked in the lead, his dark eyes constantly scanning the surrounding terrain.

"This should be the Horn Mountains south of 'Macauley,' a border city of the Clockwork Kingdom."

Pinocchio analyzed.

"Once we cross this mountainous area, we should be able to see the McCauley complex."

As they continued onward, the surrounding scenery gradually changed. The barren mountains became sparse forests, and then neat farmland.

However, the crops in the fields had long since withered and were left unattended.

at dusk.

They finally saw Macaulay's silhouette—

A typical steampunk town, with towering chimneys, gear-decorated buildings, and a huge clockwork tower.

Yet the entire city was shrouded in an eerie silence; there was no sound of steam billowing, no clattering of gears turning, and not even the sound of human voices.

“No…” Pinocchio frowned. “I remember Macaulay is a border trading city, it should be very lively at this time of year.”

Based on the deductions from the "Seclusion Preview," Wang Xi knew very well that the city must have experienced a puppet riot, which was why it was so quiet.

The three of them finally entered the town of Macaulay through a small path.

However, the road was littered with collapsed walls and broken windows, and the streets were littered with debris, with dark red marks visible from time to time.

Godaril covered her mouth: "Is that blood?"

"Hmm." Wang Xi nodded. "Something must have happened here."

As they ventured deeper, they witnessed an even more dilapidated scene—steam pipes burst on the exterior walls of buildings, spewing out scalding gas; streetlights hung askew in mid-air; shop windows were all shattered, and goods were scattered about.

You can even see some severed limbs on the street, some of which are already rotting and emitting a foul stench.

“Oh my God!” Godariel exclaimed. “What on earth has happened here…”

Suddenly, a metallic scraping sound came from afar.

Wang Xi quickly pulled the two behind a wall to observe from the shadows.

Two figures were seen staggering across the street.

They were humanoid automatons, but their movements were stiff and uncoordinated, and their eyes emitted an eerie red glow. One was dressed in a tattered gentleman's suit and held a steel pipe, while the other wore an elegant but blood-stained long dress and held a kitchen knife.

It looks like a monkey wearing a hat, a poorly made imitation of a couple.

"δ Universal Doll Assistant (Darkened/Nemesis/Three-Star)"

The blackened version of the white Samsung.

“Something’s wrong with these machines,” Pinocchio said quietly after examining them for a few seconds, his tone full of doubt. “They seem to be out of control.”

Just then, the door of a bakery not far away moved slightly.

A young woman cautiously peeked out from under the door, clutching several pieces of obviously moldy bread. She looked around, and just as she was about to leave quickly, she suddenly spotted Wang Xi and his two companions hiding behind the wall, and was so startled she almost screamed.

The woman quickly gestured for them to hide, her face filled with fear.

But the two corrupted puppets seemed to have sensed the movement, and their stiff smiles suddenly turned in this direction.

"Found... pests..."

A cold, indifferent mechanical voice rang out.

"Execute... erasure procedure."

The two robotic puppets suddenly accelerated and rushed towards the woman, their movements more than ten times more agile than before. The woman was terrified and turned to run, but she seemed to have gone without food for a long time, her steps were unsteady and she could not run fast, and it looked like she was about to be caught.

“Godalier,” Wang Xi said, gesturing.

Cinderella immediately understood and raised her hand to chant a spell.

shhh-

Two sharp wind blades flew from her fingertips, expanding to about a meter long during flight, and accurately struck the necks of the two robot puppets.

Bah! Bah!
The puppet's head flew off, and its body crashed to the ground while it was running wildly. Dark brown engine oil gushed from the severed neck, sparks flying everywhere.

The woman, still in shock, collapsed to the ground, staring incredulously at the fallen robot, then at Godaril who had come to her rescue not far away.

Wang Xi and the other two walked over.

"Th-thank you..." she said, panting and her voice trembling. Then, suddenly realizing something, she quickly stood up: "Quick, come with me, it's too dangerous here!"

Wang Xi and his two companions followed the woman quickly through several alleys and arrived at what appeared to be an ordinary single-person apartment.

The woman gestured for them to be quiet, first knocking on the door three times with a short knock followed by a long knock, before taking out her key to open the door and leading them inside.

The room was dimly lit, with all the windows boarded up and only a few oil lamps providing illumination. In a corner, a middle-aged couple huddled together; the man's leg was wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and the woman was tending to him.

"Claire, you're finally back." The injured man visibly relaxed upon seeing the young woman, then looked warily at Wang Xi and the other two: "Who are they?"

“They saved me, Mr. Raymond.”

The woman named Claire put down the moldy bread and added, "Two crazy automatons found me, and this lady came to my rescue."

She pointed at Godardi.

Claire had no idea where these three people came from, and judging from their retro attire, they didn't seem to be locals at all.

Moreover, she didn't understand how the lady in the gray dress managed to cut off the heads of the two mechs.

Wang Xi looked around. Although the temporary shelter was simple, it was clear that the owner had put a lot of effort into strengthening its defenses.

He began by giving a brief self-introduction, then approached the injured man and asked, "What happened to your leg?"

"I was injured by a crazy robot two days ago." The man smiled bitterly. "My wife Karen and I are employees who came to Macaulay on a business trip. We never expected to encounter something like this..."

A married couple of employees on a business trip?
Wang Xi immediately thought of the couple mentioned in "Preview of Retirement".

He stared intently.

"Raymond Riddle, an employee of Isaacs Technologies (mildly corrupted/neutral)"

"Karen Riddell, an employee of Isaac Technologies (mildly corrupted/neutral)"

This couple, both employees, were just ordinary people, yet they have already been corrupted and tainted...

Wang Xi glanced at the man's injured leg without leaving a trace, secretly guessing that perhaps it was because he was injured by the corrupted mecha that he was corrupted.

His wife, who took care of him closely, was also unfortunately infected by this contamination.

'There's no solution to their corruption; they're both probably beyond saving.'

Wang Xi sighed inwardly.

At this point, Claire picked up the conversation: "Two weeks ago, the automatons in the city suddenly started attacking humans. Without any warning, they went berserk and killed anyone they saw."

"The city hall organized a defense, but it was no match for them. Most of the survivors are now gathered in the city center, where there are still defensive facilities protecting them."

According to her, the Raymonds were being chased by crazed robots on the street when Claire saved them and took them in.

However, because the supplies were insufficient for the three of them, Claire had to risk going out to find food.

Wang Xi nodded approvingly: "You are very brave and kind, Miss Claire."

He looked at Godariel: "Godariel, can you treat them?"

Godaril glanced at Wang Xi with a captivating allure, as if to say, "How could I possibly refuse your request?"

She immediately chanted an incantation, and her hands emitted a soft green light, which was a healing-type natural magic.

Soon, the green light seeped into the man's injured leg and Claire's cuts from the fall, and both of their injuries healed rapidly.

Claire and her two companions watched this scene in shock.

"My God, what is this?!" Karen, Karen's wife, asked in awe.

"magic."

Wang Xi offered a casual explanation.

"We come from the Western Continent."

Western Continent?
It was a remote and ancient land.

The three exchanged glances, feeling that Wang Xi and his group were becoming increasingly mysterious and unpredictable.

"Thank you!" The man stood up again, stretched his legs, and looked pleasantly surprised. "Because of my injury, I was worried that I would be a burden to Claire and Karen..."

As they were talking, Raymond's wife, Karen, looked saddened: "Macauley is in complete chaos right now, and we're stuck here. We don't even know how Alice and Dorothy are doing."

"Don't worry, Karen."

Raymond immediately hugged his wife and comforted her.

“Our two precious daughters are both very smart and know how to take care of themselves. They should be safe in Márquez.”

“Marquez?” Pinocchio suddenly spoke up, turning to Wang Xi to explain, “That’s the capital of the Clockwork Kingdom. My father and I used to live there.”

The office worker couple looked at the porcelain doll-like boy in surprise, never expecting that he was also from the same hometown.

Wang Xi tentatively asked Raymond a couple of questions.

Sure enough, his two daughters with Karen, Alice and Dorothy, were staying with Márquez's relatives because he was away on business.

"May God bless Márquez and may he be well."

Karen offered two sincere prayers.

After chatting for a while, Raymond said that his leg injury had healed and he planned to take his wife and Miss Claire to the city center for refuge.

There are more people there, and there are protective facilities, so it's much safer than hiding in this apartment.

“Mr. Kai, I wonder if you could accompany us? Uh, I have some savings that I could offer as payment…”

Raymond asked somewhat nervously.

Through Godariel's magic and Claire's words, he came to understand that these three mysterious travelers from the Western Continent possessed incredible power.

It would be safer to travel with them.

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Since we've run into each other, I'll take you to the municipal center while I'm at it."

Claire said gratefully, "Thank you so much!"

It was getting dark, so they decided to wait until dawn before setting off.

In the dead of night.

Godaril quietly approached Wang Xi: "Gai, I feel that the riots of the puppets here are related to the black pollution."

Wang Xi nodded: "Yes, you guessed right."

"But didn't we come here to find a way to stop this corruption?"

Goddariel was somewhat worried.

"Is even the Clockwork Kingdom helpless?"

"Lets see."

Wang Xi said softly.

At dawn the next day, they escorted Claire and the staff couple toward the city center. The scene on the streets was even more horrifying than the day before—more bodies, more signs of destruction.

Occasionally, you can see wandering riotous automatons, but they are easily dealt with by Godariel and Pinocchio.

Wang Xi didn't even need to make a move.

Raymond and his two companions were very surprised, but at the same time felt a deep sense of security.

“Turn around the corner and you’ll reach the City Hall Square,” Claire pointed ahead. “The City Hall is just across the square.”

Just as they were about to arrive, a screeching metallic scraping sound came from all directions.

A dozen or so dark figures darted out from the rooftops and alleyways.

This is a group of guards wearing blue-black mechs, with helmets shaped like ferocious wolf heads and eyes emitting red light. They are much more agile than ordinary mechs and have a more ferocious aura.

"Wolf Guard Captain - Freytus (Darkened/High-Rank 3/Elite)"

"Wolf Guard Member - Hippo (Darkened/High-Rank 3)"

"..."

"They are the 'Wolf Guard Corps' city patrol officers!"

Raymond exclaimed in alarm.

"They were originally a mechanized force to maintain order in the city, but they all went mad, just like the puppets!"

Wang Xi noticed that the mechs worn by these police officers were called "β Defense Mech - Werewolf", which was even more advanced than the Onion Mech.

Presumably, in the past two years, the technology of the Clockwork Kingdom has undergone several iterations, resulting in the development of more powerful mechs, which have even been adopted by military and police agencies in various regions.

The guards, clad in mechs, spoke in hoarse, cold voices from beneath their helmets: "Execute the highest orders: neutralize the residents of Macaulay..."

now.

In the nearby municipal building, dozens or even hundreds of people were hiding behind the windows, watching this scene.

"Mayor Kelton, survivors have been found by the crazed 'Wolf Guard,' what should we do?"

A middle-aged sheriff wearing a hat turned his head and spoke in a deep voice to the bald, fat man in the crowd.

"Mobilize the 'Clockwork Sentinels' to cover their entry."

Kelton gritted his teeth and gave the order.

Immediately, someone objected, shouting, "This will attract the attention of the 'Wolf Guard Corps'! Besides, we're running low on energy and supplies!"

“Shut up!” Kelton said resolutely, glaring fiercely at the man. “As the Supreme Commander of Macaulay, I have a responsibility to protect every resident!”

"At this point, if we don't unite, none of us will survive until rescue!"

The bald, fat man raised his hand and waved: "Sheriff Jefferson, go, shoot anyone who tries to stop you."

(End of this chapter)