Ita Era

Chapter 84: Not acclimatized
Ding Shi used a facility scratch card to unlock a new self-service restaurant on the island. For $10, you can order anything you like, from the eight major Chinese cuisines to international dishes. Dining time is limited to two hours, and drinks and beer are free. Whether you eat lobster until you're sick of it or steamed buns until you're sick of them, the price is $10.

My friend uses this facility and is charged $25 each time, of which $10 is for food and $15 is for facility usage. As the facility owner, Ding Shi can keep $15.

The restaurant maintenance fee is $50 per month. For that reason alone, Ding Shi wants to make more friends.

7 of Hearts, Skill Card, Lightness Skill, lasts for 1 minute, cooldown is 10 minutes, during the duration, body weight is halved.

Great card, great card.

On the stone table in front of Ding Shi, there was a Spade 7 with Water Substitution Technique on the left, a Heart 7 with Lightness Technique on the right, and a Fusion Card in the middle.

Should they merge or not? Logically speaking, the skills gained after merging should be more powerful. But sometimes the system doesn't follow logic. Ding Shi looked at the 7 of Spades; its background was blue wavy. Then he looked at the 7 of Hearts; its background was tan wavy.

Ding Shi possesses three skills and the dual attribute of Force Enhancement, all of which are support abilities. His only offensive item is the Five Thunder Talisman and the throwing knife, which has low power; its only highlight is the paralysis effect, making it, more accurately, a support skill.

Look how cool Su Su's little flying stick is; it can directly shoot down the Bloodthirsty Eagle.

Little Tangtang, who has mastered emotional management, has reappeared. Ding Shi glanced at Little Tangtang out of the corner of his eye; this little thing is full of mischief.

Little Tangtang rarely showed a smile: "Would you like to hear my advice?"

Ding Shi, on guard, asked, "What do you want?"

Little Sugar: "I don't want anything."

Ding Shi: "Get lost."

Little Tangtang was exasperated. "I want it but you won't give it to me. I don't want it but you want me to get lost? I won't get lost."

Little Sugar kept smiling: "I can tell you something. These two skill cards, when combined, will create an attack skill card. It's a very vicious attack that can be used against any target."

Ding Shi asked, "Including you?"

Little Sugar nodded: "If you attack me, I can strike you down." Ding Shi had experienced the love of lightning, a love that shattered the soul.

Ding called out, "Xiao Ji."

The machine operator immediately went to Ding Shi's side: "Master, what are your orders?"

Ding Shi asked, "Do you think she has ulterior motives?"

The administrator replied, "My master, I cannot be sure."

Ding Shi said, "I'm sure it's encouraging me to merge, so I shouldn't merge. But her attitude is strange. Should I think about it from the opposite perspective?"

The administrator earnestly said, "Master, this kind of thinking will not lead to the correct answer."

Little Sugar said, "After the fusion, with your intelligence, you will be able to deduce the fusion operation system."

Ding Shi still expressed doubt.

Little Sugar decided to add more bait, saying, "Skill cards have a hidden statistic: rarity. When an A-grade and a B-grade skill card are fused, the skill card's level will drop to C-grade. For example, your Water Substitution Technique has a 5-second cooldown. After the level drops, the cooldown might become 10 seconds, and the range and cooldown will also decrease."

Little Sugar: "The reason I support your fusion is because both of these skill cards have truth hints and are A-grade skill cards. Fusing skill cards of the same grade may increase their rarity."

Ding Shi smiled and said, "You are trying your best to help me integrate."

Little Sugar spread her wings: Yes. Ding Shi maintained his smile: "But I don't trust you, so we shouldn't merge."

Little Sugar spreads out her wings: See for yourself.

Ding Shi: "But you're very clever. You suddenly gave me a nice look because you wanted me to think the opposite way."

The administrator advised, "Master, this is pointless; spare the brain cells."

Ding Shi said, "I will merge." After saying that, he confirmed the merging.

Two playing cards emitted a golden light, rose up, touched each other, and then flashed with a bright golden light. A new playing card appeared and slowly landed on the table.

The new playing cards have a blue and yellow background, and the spades are now half spade and half heart, hence the name "splits and hearts". The most ridiculous card isn't the 7, but the 14.

Seeing the 14 black and red hearts densely packed on the black and red 14, Ding Shi was momentarily stunned. He couldn't help but look at Xiao Tangtang, who asked with dissatisfaction, "Do you want 49 black and red hearts?"

A single sentence can awaken someone from their dream: the key is not quantity, but skill.

Ding Shi picked up the black and red 14.

技能：水土不服。类型，术法。前置，无。对目标使用技能，目标将获得1-5个持续时间1-12个小时的负面BUFF。24小时内不得对同一目标使用。冷却时间1小时。

Ding Shi couldn't make a judgment for a moment, but he regretted it. He had given up two powerful support skills in exchange for a skill that applied status effects to the enemy. No matter how he looked at it, it was a loss.

Why is it "unaccustomed to the local environment"? Ding Shi flipped through the black and red 14. The 7 of spades had blue ripples on the background, representing water, and the Water Substitution Technique. The 7 of hearts had yellowish-brown ripples on the background, representing earth, and the Lightness Technique. Combined, they form the phrase "unaccustomed to the local environment," which is the idiom for "unaccustomed to the local environment." He then developed the skill based on the literal meaning.

Xiaotangtang wasn't lying; Ding Shi did indeed deduce the fusion operation system, but isn't this system too arbitrary?
Little Sugar sighed, "Fusing means combining two unwanted cards into a new, unknown card. I'm glad you fused two useful cards."

Ding Shi asked, "Then why are you sighing?"

Little Sugar: "I didn't expect that the fused skill card would still be a practical card."

Ding asked in confusion, "Are there any other idioms besides 'unaccustomed to the water and soil' and 'to cover up the water with soil'?"

Little Sugar said, "Who told you it has to be an idiom? It's just that idiom skills have their unique effects. After water and soil are combined, it might become a depression card, which can turn a piece of land into a depression. It might also become a mud card, which can throw mud at a target." It's infuriating that someone with only 1 point of luck can be so lucky.

Ding Shi finally understood the situation. Little Tangtang only knew the development direction of the fused cards and was jealous that his two old cards were both useful, so she tricked him into fusing them. However, Ding Shi, with only 1 point of luck, fused them into idiom skill cards.

To use the "unaccustomed to water and soil" technique, you need to first set up a hand gesture, eye gesture, or some other incantation. You could set it to release the skill by twitching the corners of your mouth twice, or even by burping or farting.

This technique can't be a common action; if it's set to unleash a skill just by talking, it will definitely get out of control. Also, the action needs to be as subtle as possible. After much thought, Ding Shi decided on the action of digging his toes into the ground, either his big toe or the big toe, digging twice in succession to release the skill.

After setting up the toes, Ding Shi's first target was Little Sugar; there was only one of them on the island. You mean the machine operator? That's a fine.

Little Sugar instantly gained 4 buffs: dizziness, abdominal pain, stomachache, and sneezing.

For a moment, Ding Shi and Xiao Tangtang were both stunned.

Ding Shi didn't expect that "unaccustomed to water and soil" meant exactly what it said, that it was a physical condition caused by not being used to the local environment, rather than a strong negative condition such as poisoning, bleeding, or being easily injured.

Little Sugar was stunned because it didn't expect Ding Shi to attack it without hesitation. Facing Ding Shi, who had already fainted from crying, Little Sugar still raised its little stick and summoned a divine lightning bolt to strike Ding Shi, shattering his soul once again.

Little Sugar put away her little stick, rubbed her temples with one hand and her stomach with the other, sneezed, and flew away wobbly with her back hunched over. She wanted to go home.

(End of this chapter)