My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 86 [Princess] Two-Star Evolution (Seeking First Subscription) (1/6)

The wooden sign of the "Traveler's Rest" tavern swayed gently in the evening breeze, and warm lights shone through the windows, casting an orange glow on the stone pavement.

When Xiuqi pushed open the wooden door, the familiar noise and aroma of ale wafted towards him.

The hall was already filled with guests, mostly adventurers who had just finished their missions and were loudly discussing their day's gains.

The proprietress, Adeline, was wiping glasses behind the counter when she saw Hugh and his companions enter. Her face immediately lit up with a smile: "Mr. Hugh! And Mr. Ado and Mr. Link! Please come in!"

Her gaze swept over the three men, keenly noticing their travel-worn yet energetic state, and the barely concealed excitement on Link's face: "Looks like you had a good day?"

"It went very smoothly," Xiuqi replied with a smile.

Adeline led them to a larger table on the inside of the tavern, a spot specially reserved for Hodor, with the chairs replaced by sturdier wooden stools.

"What would you like to eat today?" Adeline handed over the menu. "Wild boar soup that's been simmering all day, freshly roasted ibex chops, and trout that was just caught from the river this morning."

Hugh handed the menu to Link: "Today is your decision. Let's celebrate our first successful collaboration."

Link's eyes lit up. He nervously took the menu, his fingers sliding across the rough parchment: "Then... a big pot of wild boar soup, three servings of ibex chops, two grilled trout, three white breads, and a summer fruit pie."

He paused, then looked at Ador: "Mr. Ador, is this enough?"

Ado blinked his bright yellow eyes, and a confused gurgling sound came from his throat—

It doesn't quite understand the concept of "ordering food," and when it was in the orchard, it would eat whatever Grandma Martha prepared.

"Add five more servings of ibex chops, and three more grilled fresh fish," Hugh made the decision for Ado. "And three barrels of ale."

Adeline quickly jotted it down and nodded with a smile: "Almost done! Please have a seat, I'll ask the kitchen to speed things up."

The three sat down. Ado sat awkwardly on the specially made wooden stool, his huge body causing the stool to groan slightly, but it was still quite stable.

Link looked around the tavern, his face filled with childlike excitement: "I've been here a few times with my grandfather before, but never like today... like the return of true adventurers."

"You are now a true adventurer," Xiuqi said earnestly. "Every arrow you shoot today in the canyon is crucial."

Link's face flushed slightly, but his eyes became even more determined: "Thank you, Mr. Hugh. But I still have a lot to learn."

My grandfather taught me hunting skills, but real combat... is completely different from hunting.

"Experience accumulates gradually," Xiuqi said. "The important thing is to keep learning and reflecting. After each battle, think about what you did well and where you can improve."

During the conversation, the first dish was served.

A large pot of steaming wild boar soup was served. The soup was milky white, with large chunks of wild boar, carrots, and potatoes bubbling inside, and it smelled delicious.

Next came the golden-brown, crispy ibex chops, sprinkled with herbs and coarse salt, the fat glistening in the firelight.

The grilled fresh fish has a crispy skin and snow-white, tender flesh, drizzled with lemon juice and butter sauce.

The white bread is baked to a crisp exterior and a soft interior, while the summer fruit pie exudes a sweet aroma of meat and fruit.

Adeline also brought an extra dish of cured meat and a jug of mead: "This is on me to celebrate your triumphant return."

"Thank you, Mrs. Adeline!" Link said happily.

The three began their meal.

Ado ate with the most focus, picking up a piece of ibex chop with its enormous paw and swallowing the whole thing in one gulp. It drank the wild boar soup directly from the wooden bowl, one bowl after another, drinking a full six bowls before it was satisfied.

Link ate politely, but his eyes gleamed with appreciation for the food. He cut off a piece of trout, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth, a look of enjoyment on his face: "Mrs. Adeline's cooking is always the best in Summertown."

Xiuqi ate slowly while observing the situation in the tavern.

In a corner, two middle-aged men who looked like businessmen were talking in hushed tones, discussing the safety of trade routes and the prices of goods.

Several tables of adventurers were discussing recent rumors—strange movements deep in the Grey Forest, the discovery of traces of demonic creatures, and gossip about the nobles of Harbor City.

This is all useful intelligence.

"I've heard that the second daughter of the Marquis of Moore in the Western Province has broken off her engagement with the genius knight of Solmar Academy, all because she was seduced by an apprentice from the Arcane Academy!"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's said that the apprentice's father was once the guardian knight of the Moor family's fiefdom!"

"That's outrageous!!!"

"Yes, yes, yes! How can people be so shameless!"

Of course, that's not entirely true...

Xiuqi suddenly found the food in his mouth tasteless, and with a dark face, he looked at the adventurers who had spread the rumors, secretly memorizing their appearance.

"Mr. Hugh," Link put down his fork and asked seriously, "what are our plans next?"

Xiuqi took a sip of mead, the sweet liquid sliding down his throat: "Rest for two days. You need time to process this experience."

"I also have some things to take care of."

"What is it?" Link asked curiously.

"To improve our strength," Xiu Qi said simply. "We've acquired quite a few spoils of war today, some of which require careful study. And..."

""

He paused for a moment: "The college is about to conduct its year-end evaluation, and I must prepare."

Link nodded, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes: "Solmar Royal Academy... I've heard that it gathers the kingdom's most outstanding young people?"

"Of course, you can learn a lot at the academy. I can take you there sometime."

He looked at Link: "You just said you want to become a real adventurer, I can give you some advice."

"What suggestion?" Link sat up straight.

"First, build a solid foundation," Xiuqi said. "You need to continue practicing archery, but you also need to start learning other skills—tracking,..."

Wilderness survival, first aid, and close combat skills.

Adventurers are not just reckless fighters, but versatile individuals capable of surviving and completing missions in various environments.

"I will!" Link nodded vigorously. "Grandpa said the same thing. He said a good hunter needs to understand the habits of his prey, and a good adventurer needs to understand the rules of the world."

"Your grandfather is very wise," Xiu Qi praised.

He pondered for a moment and made a decision: "We'll meet at the Adventurers' Guild two days from now. Take good rest these two days and spend more time with your family."

"Great!" Link's eyes lit up. "So, are we going to take on a new mission in two days?"

"Of course," Xiuqi nodded. "After the next mission, I need to go back to Harbor City to handle some academy affairs."

As the conversation continued, dinner came to an end.

Ado devoured most of the food on the table: six servings of ibex chops, six bowls of wild boar soup, three grilled fish, half a summer fruit pie, and two loaves of white bread.

It patted its belly contentedly, letting out a pleasant purring sound from its throat.

Link was also full, his face flushed with satisfaction.

Xiuqi beckoned to Mrs. Adeline to settle the bill.

"The total is 10 silver and 9 copper," Adeline quoted the price. "The white bread and fruit pie are free; they're regular customers, so just round it down to 10 silver."

This was indeed an expensive dinner, but for them, who had just earned 26 gold coins, it was still within their means to afford such an occasional meal.

Xiuqi took out 10 silver coins from his purse: "Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Adeline."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." Mrs. Adeline accepted the money. "Mr. Hugh, you've done a lot for Summertown."

Your extermination of the goblin tribe not only retrieved the caravan's supplies but also removed a major threat to the forest road. The merchants and farmers in town are very grateful to you.

Xiu Qi nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Night had fallen, and the streets of Summer Town had quieted down, with only a few streetlights casting a dim yellow glow in the darkness.

"That's all for today." Hugh stood up. "Link, go home now, be careful on your way."

"You too, Mr. Hugh." Link stood up and bowed to Hugh and Ado. "Thank you for dinner tonight, and... everything."

The boy turned and left the tavern, his back looking particularly tall and straight in the night.

"The best room on the second floor is still reserved for you." Adeline handed the key to Xiuqi. "The sheets have all been changed."

"Thanks."

Xiuqi led Ado up to the second floor.

The room is indeed spacious.

A large bed stood against the wall, the window was open, and the night breeze blew into the room, bringing the coolness of a summer night in the town. A thick blanket was spread on the floor, where Ado could sleep.

The ogre clumsily laid out its bedding on the floor, then carefully lay down, its enormous body almost filling half the floor of the room.

"Goodnight, Ado," said Hugh.

"Goodnight, Xiuqi," Ado replied憨憨地, and soon began to snore evenly.

Xiuqi sat down on the edge of the bed and took out the purple card from his pocket.

Princess Alice.

The card gleamed softly in the moonlight, and the silver-gray goblin on the card held a menacing hammer with a cold gaze.

After the previous enhancements, it is now a one-star rare (purple) card.

Now, Xiuqi is going to upgrade it to two stars.

He took out all the one-star cards from his spatial ring—a total of twenty-six—and arranged them neatly on the bed.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the cards: white common cards, green premium cards, and purple rare cards, each radiating different levels of light.

Xiuqi first selected nine cards as materials for advancement.

According to the system's rules, upgrading a one-star card to two stars requires sacrificing nine one-star cards as secondary cards.

He selected nine cards with relatively good attributes, including three Timber Wolf cards and six Goblin cards.

Then, he set Princess Alice as his main card.

Consciousness sinks into the [Monster Card Maker System].

In the virtual space, the main card [Princess Alice] floats in the center, surrounded by nine sub-cards.

Xiuqi locked his mind onto the main card and then began to guide it.

[Confirm promotion? Main card (Princess Alice), 9 sub-cards.]

【confirm!】

Instantly, the system space burst into a dazzling light!

The nine secondary cards transformed into nine streams of light, like nine streams flowing into the sea, and were completely absorbed and integrated by the main card.

The purple cards began to undergo a visible change. The borders changed from simple patterns representing one star to more complex and intricate patterns representing two stars.

The card's color changed to a deeper green, like the most serene dark green in a dark forest.

The image in the center of the card begins to reconstruct.

The silver-gray goblin's physique became more lean and its muscle lines more defined.

On the surface of the hammer in its hand, the dark red flames seemed to come alive, wandering and swirling among the spikes on the hammerhead, radiating an even more dangerous aura.

What is most striking is its eyes—in its originally clear, large eyes, there is now a sharp glint that seems almost intelligent, as if a battle-hardened warrior is surveying the battlefield.

At the same time, a series of messages flooded into Xiu Qi's mind:

Promotion successful!

Monster card [Princess Alice] has been upgraded to a higher rank!

Current Rank: Two Stars Current Quality: Premium (Green)

Attribute Boosts: Strength +2, Agility +2, Constitution +2, Perception +2

Awakening Talent: Abyss Incarnation

The stability of the [Undying Ember] trait has been improved, and the burning effect has been enhanced by 10%.

"Finally promoted to two stars..." Xiu Qi opened his eyes and looked at the brand-new card in his hand.

The card information has been updated:

Princess Alice

[Type: Summoning Card]

[Level: Two Stars]

[Quality: Premium (Green)]

【属性：力量7、敏捷13、体质8、智力6、感知6、魅力4】

[Skills: Stealth +8, Stealth +8]

[Senses: Dark vision 70 feet, passive perception 12]

【Characteristic: Undying Embers (Stable Version)】

[Special Effect: The undying embers surrounding the body inflict continuous burning damage on the target, and deal additional damage to undead and dark creatures.]

【Talent Skill 1: Void Walk (Tier 2)】

[Skill Effect: Directly enters any void location in the world. Cooldown: 50 seconds.]

【Talent Skill 2: Abyss Avatar (Tier 1)】

[Skill Effect: Condenses energy and will to create an avatar nearly identical to the original body, lasting for 10 minutes. The avatar inherits 90% of the original body's attributes and possesses unique characteristics and talents.]

[Note: "She is not a phantom, but another you from the depths of the abyss."]

All attributes have been improved!

Originally, when she was at the first star level, the princess's power was only 5 points. Now it has reached 7 points, which is 1.44 times that of an average adult male.

Agility improved from 11 to 13, which is an extremely good level. Constitution and perception also improved.

More importantly, there's the new talent, [Mirror Avatar].

Creating an avatar with 90% of the original's attributes and special talents, lasting for 10 minutes, may seem like a short time, but in battle, 10 seconds is enough to change the course of the battle.

Imagine this: the princess suddenly splits in two, launching an attack from both directions simultaneously; or she might use her avatar to draw fire while her true form attacks from the side; she could even use her avatar as bait to probe the enemy's attack patterns.

Tactical possibilities have greatly increased.

Just as Xiu Qi was overjoyed at the princess's promotion, the system notification sounded again:

[Host detected first synthesis of a two-star card...]

.】

[Monster Card Maker Rank Upgraded!]

[Current Rank: Two-Star Monster Card Maker]

[New Permission Unlocked: Monster Card Summoning Slot +1]

[Currently, the number of cards that can be summoned simultaneously is 2]

Xiu Qi was stunned.

The number of summon slots has increased!

"Dual summoning..." Xiu Qi repeated the phrase, a flash of understanding appearing in his eyes.

This means that he can now summon "Princess" and "Bird Poet" at the same time, or two other cards!

The diversity of tactical combinations has increased by several orders of magnitude!

Combat power doubled!

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