My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

The morning sunlight filtered through the branches of the old oak tree, casting dappled shadows in the courtyard.

Xiuqi sat cross-legged in the center of the courtyard, his eyes closed, his breathing steady and long.

A warm pulse emanated from the rare meditation stone on his chest, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy flooded his sea of ​​consciousness, repairing the mental energy that had been excessively depleted the previous night.

He was not fully immersed in meditation.

A part of my consciousness is reviewing last night's battle—every detail, every decision.

The performance of Xiuqi's Elementary Deflection Field exceeded expectations; it could not only deflect physical attacks but also form a localized force field binding.

However, the consumption also increased accordingly. After using it continuously last night, my mental energy was not fully restored until this morning.

Ado's fighting style leans towards pure domination, and his defense is astonishing when combined with [Blade Protection], but he lacks skillful variations.

The princess's [Void Walk] combined with the enhanced mace makes her a veritable assassin killer. However, her penetration power may be insufficient against heavily armored targets.

"We need more tactical combinations," Xiuqi silently planned in his mind. "Ado is good at frontal suppression, the princess is good at flanking harassment. And me..."

He opened his eyes and looked at "Bavarian Moonlight" placed on his lap.

The longsword gleamed with a cool light in the morning sun, and the fine lines on its blade seemed to breathe.

Xiuqi has always considered himself a mage, but the feeling of slaying the wanderer with that sword last night is still etched in his muscle memory.

With 8 points in Strength, 9 points in Agility, and 9 points in Constitution—these three attributes already surpass most level-one melee classes. Combined with this rare-quality longsword, his threat in melee combat is no less than that of a dedicated warrior.

"Perhaps I should redefine myself," Xiu Qi murmured to himself. "Not a pure mage, nor a pure swordsman, but... both."

Once this thought came to him, many of the questions that had troubled him before suddenly found their answers.

Why is it so difficult for him to learn other spells? Because his talent is almost entirely concentrated in the defensive school of magic.

Why did my swordsmanship improve so quickly? Because my physical attributes are naturally suited for close combat.

"A protective mage, also skilled in swordsmanship." Xiuqi gripped the hilt of his sword. "Using protective magic as a shield and the longsword in hand as a spear. Add to that the cooperation of Ado and the princess, and the Bird Poet..."

A clear path unfolded before him.

Xiuqi walked into the courtyard and opened the notebook.

The handwriting on the pages was neat and powerful, each sentence embodying decades of wisdom from Master Midas. The very first sentence immediately caught Xiuqi's eye:

"A force field is not a wall, not a shield, not a barrier. A force field is an extension of will, a shaping of reality by the mind."

He was so engrossed in his journal that he lost track of time.

It wasn't until the midday sun became scorching that Xiu Qi raised his head. The rare meditation stone on his chest continued to operate, fully restoring his mental energy, making it even more solid than before.

He stood up and began practicing swordsmanship.

There are no complicated moves, only the most basic thrust, horizontal slash, vertical chop, and diagonal sweep.

Every movement strives for precision, and every exertion of force seeks coordination.

The 8 points of Strength are fully displayed in the swinging of the longsword, the 9 points of Agility make the movements as smooth as flowing water, and the 9 points of Constitution ensure lasting endurance.

Combined with [Xiuqi's Elementary Deflection Field], he can maintain defense while attacking, achieving a perfect balance between offense and defense.

Ado had stopped carving at some point and was now intently watching him practice.

Curiosity gleamed in the ogre's eyes; he seemed to have taken an interest in swordsmanship.

"Do you want to learn?" Xiu Qi asked.

Ado nodded vigorously.

Xiuqi thought for a moment, then took out a spare longsword from his spatial ring and handed it to Ado.

The ogre's enormous hand gripped the sword hilt carefully, its movements clumsy.

"Practice your sword grip first," Xiuqi began instructing. "Yes, your wrist should be steady, and your arm shouldn't be too stiff..."

He began to instruct Ado on the correct way to hold the sword and how to apply force.

Of course, this is an extremely challenging task.

Xiuqi didn't actually intend to teach a 10-foot-tall, 1200-pound giant swordsmanship.

However, you can learn exquisite techniques from it, such as some simple slashing and sweeping moves, which can also be used with blunt weapons.

Ado now needs to quickly learn how to control its terrifying power so that the team's combat strength can be rapidly improved.

After about half an hour of training, Xiuqi discovered that Ado had a keen instinct for combat.

It may not understand complex tactics, but it has a beast-like intuition for grasping distance, timing, and force.

"A born warrior," Xiuqi thought to himself.

After doing all this, Xiuqi stood up and walked to the window.

The harbor city was still bustling in the early morning, with faint sounds of horns and cargo loading and unloading coming from the dock area in the distance.

But the Oak Street area was unusually quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the old oak leaves.

Xiuqi's perception was expanded to its limit with the aid of rare meditation stones.

He could sense everything within fifty feet—the old landlord in the next house was snoring, spiders were weaving webs in the corner, and he could even hear the rustling of mice crawling on the floor.

No exception.

But Xiuqi knew that this peace wouldn't last long.

The Fernand family has lost a four-person team and an expensive contract-breaking crystal, so they will not let this go easily.

The next attack will only be more intense and deadly.

"We need to prepare in advance," Xiu Qi murmured.

He returned to the table, took out paper and pen from his spatial ring, and began to plan.

First, enhance our strength.

[Shuqi's Basic Deflection Field] performed excellently in last night's battle, but there is still room for improvement. Midas's Notebook mentions more possibilities for force field structures—such as turning the force field from passive defense into an active force field attack, or other extension abilities.

Secondly, develop new spells.

His defensive spell, Blade Protection, has reached level four and is proving very effective. However, relying on a single spell system has significant limitations, and he needs to learn more defensive spells, especially those that can enhance allies or weaken enemies.

Third, strengthen your partners.

Ado's strength is undeniable, but he lacks combat skills. A combat skills training program suitable for an ogre's physique needs to be designed for him.

The princess's talent [Void Walk] and trait [Undying Ember] have great potential, but both need to be further developed and mastered.

The Bird Poet cannot be summoned yet, but he believes that the summoning problem will be solved once his Intelligence reaches 9 points.

Fourth, gather intelligence.

What businesses does the Fernand family own in Harbour City? What forces are they connected with? What are the strengths and personalities of the Fernand family members? These questions need to be investigated thoroughly.

Xiuqi quickly scribbled on the paper, his handwriting neat and clear.

"The academy's year-end evaluation is coming up soon. Tomorrow I'll head back to the Gray Forest and upgrade the princess's card to 2 stars!"

The sky outside the window gradually brightened, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the rooftops of Harbour City.

A new day begins.