Hunter x Hunter: Card Master, the Strongest in the World.

Chapter 114 Card Upgrade! The Idea of ​​Replacing the Twelve Earthly Branches!

The battle was quite protracted.

It wasn't just that Kang Zai was strong; it was also because Lynn hadn't used his full power, since it was just a sparring match. He also wanted to increase his combat experience through sparring with Kang Zai.

Currently, he is only at the A- level, so finding opponents is not too difficult. However, as his strength continues to improve, there will be fewer and fewer suitable targets for sparring.

There are many monsters on the Dark Continent, but when they fight, it's a life-or-death struggle, and there's no way to have a proper spar.

At the same time, it seems that starting from Rank A, the gap between each rank segment of card cards begins to widen, and within the same rank, simply looking at the rank is no longer enough to distinguish the difference.

Therefore, it is possible that the gap between the S-class segments will be even greater.

Using this sparring match, Lynn also roughly assessed his own strength. Although both were A-level, according to Hisoka's rating, Kangzai was 85 points, and he himself was at least 90 points, which was very close to Illumi's rating.

In the end, the contest concluded with a winner and a loser.

Peng!

Trapped in the freezing trap, Kang Jae had no time to dodge and was sent flying by Lynn's combined [Ice Fist], [Armament Haki], and [Iron Body] punch, crashing heavily onto the open ground outside the arena.

Everyone rushed over. Fortunately, Kang Zai was only slightly injured, and his energy was quite depleted, so he was a bit exhausted.

Lynn took this opportunity to examine the cards that Kang Zai had dropped.

As expected, it is the Tiger Talisman among the twelve talismans.

【Name: Tiger Talisman】

[Grade: A—]

[Type: Item Card]

[Background: Jackie Chan Adventures]

[Introduction: One of the twelve talismans, the Tiger Talisman governs balance. Effect 1: It can downgrade cards below S-rank and split them in two, such as splitting an A-rank card into two A-rank cards. Effect 2: It can maintain a good balance when possessing different types of energy without causing conflict. If all twelve talismans are collected, the Holy Lord can be summoned.]

He got the Tiger Talisman, but he was more concerned about something else—cards weren't guaranteed to drop. So far, things were fine; both Gail and Kangzai had gotten cards. Let's assume that all twelve Earthly Branches dropped talismans. If he had bad luck defeating other Earthly Branches later and didn't get any talismans, he'd be doomed.

The missing talismans are unknown where they can be found; it's all a matter of luck.

There are two ways to deal with this.

1. Next time, choose an auspicious day to consult the twelve earthly branches. For example, use divination paper towels beforehand to ensure your luck is good today before consulting the branches. However, the recipient may not be able to wait.

II. Add new members to the twelve Earthly Branches.

The twelve Earthly Branches are not static. Currently, these twelve people are the same as before, but once the story begins, the twelve Earthly Branches will be changed. For example, the Rat (子鼠) Pariston will be replaced by Kurapika, and the Pig (亥猪) Gold (金) will be replaced by Leorio.

Perhaps he could indirectly influence the card drop rate by changing the twelve earthly branches, giving himself more chances. This method also offers a chance to avoid fighting against strong opponents like Jin and Bo Bai.

It just so happens that Leorio is already his apprentice, so we can find an opportunity to promote Leorio to a position in the twelve earthly branches later.

However, this is just his conjecture, and it is not yet certain whether it is credible. Even if it succeeds, it will only give him more chances, and he is not guaranteed to get the card he wants.

After a moment's thought, Lynn turned his attention back to the Tiger Tally itself.

Perhaps it was because of good luck, and because Kang Zai was stronger than Gailu, that the Tiger Talisman that dropped was an A-grade item.

The Tiger Talisman has two effects: it can downgrade a card and split it in two, and it can also maintain the balance of different energies.

The former is good, but he doesn't seem to need the latter right now, because all his abilities are based on Nen, and the only energy he possesses is Nen. If we're being honest, Haki is the second type, but it wouldn't cause any conflict.

Relatively speaking, he still prefers effect one the most, because it can be used in conjunction with the card upgrade of the [Onmyoji Guild]!

Lynn stepped off the ring, and Kang Zai recovered just then.

Kang Zai straightened up, his clothes torn in several places. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but still ran to Lynn with an excited smile.

"Okay." He gave a thumbs up, his face showing no sign of disappointment. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you; your skills are truly impressive."

"You're very strong. Today is my own fault—no, what's that word again—"

Having spent so much time together and witnessed Kang Zai's utterly lacking Chinese language skills, Gai Lu and the others were now able to remain unfazed.

He frowned and thought for a long time, while Lynn waited quietly.

"Do whatever you want! Yes!" Kang Zai slapped his thigh. "I lost today completely and without hesitation! But you just wait and see, next time we meet, I'll definitely make you—"

He clenched his fist, then got stuck again.

"Will you be impressed?" Lynn tentatively offered her help.

"Not that one!" Kang Jae waved his hand. "Something even more ruthless!"

"To make you bow down and submit?"

"No, no, it's that—" Kang Jae stamped his foot in frustration, finally giving up. "Just you wait! Next time I'll definitely do better, and I'll make you—make you feel really good!"

Lynn was silent for two seconds, then added tentatively, "You mean I'll lose just as easily?"

"Yes, that's it." Kang Jae nodded emphatically, grinning and revealing two rows of teeth mixed with blood.

It must be admitted that communicating with someone who is not good at Chinese can be quite difficult.

Lynn then took Chopper and Leorio and left. On the way, he asked Leorio, "Have you finished copying the book I asked you to copy?"

"Since it's Master's order, the speed is naturally beyond question," Leorio said, feigning seriousness. "I guarantee there won't be a single typo."

"Then I'll have to take a good look." Lynn nodded slightly.

Upon entering Leorio's room, six books were already laid out on the table. Two of them were the originals, and the other four were copies that Leorio had copied down.

And this is the last card revealed in the trait bar a couple of days ago, a B+ grade [Dual-Color Haki Manual], two manuals that record how to get started with and learn Armament Haki and Observation Haki in depth, and that's it.

It's a bit of a shame that it's not a Devil Fruit, but it's not entirely useless.

This thing provides a more systematic explanation of how to cultivate dual-color Haki. It can not only be used by him, but also passed on to his disciples and subordinates.

Thinking about it carefully, this is just a city in the Kingdom of Reges, so it's already pretty good that it dropped a B+ grade trading card and a dual-color Haki manual.

Perhaps when I travel to the capital of the Kingdom of Reges in the future, I will be able to obtain better cards.

As for now, let's leave it at that.

Amy invited him to the capital, but he declined.

Gai Lu had previously revealed that the reason Yingren Kingdom was able to locate them was most likely due to competition between the princes.

Just like in the Kakin Empire, the "struggle for the crown prince" is not uncommon; it happens in almost every country. The capital city is an even more exciting battlefield than this place, and it would be too dangerous for him to go there now.

Furthermore, he could not guarantee the moral standards of the Reges royal family.

Given the value he has demonstrated, people might start trying to bribe him as soon as he arrives in the capital. If that fails, they might even resort to threats of force.

He carried a knife but no umbrella on a rainy night; he could take you down without hesitation.

We should always anticipate the worst-case scenario.

A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. He should wait until he has enough strength before considering visiting the capital.

After checking the previous text and confirming that Leorio's writing was indeed word for word, Lynn gave him appropriate praise, then took the six books back to his room, while Leorio went to Chopper's class.

Back in his room, Lynn sat on the sofa and casually tossed the four copies into the shadows at his feet, where Gengar swallowed them for safekeeping.

Thanks to Amy's abundant Death Thought, Gengar now possesses A-rank strength and has become one of the A-rank members.

Poor Capone, he's already the fourth oldest in the team.

Then, Lynn transformed the two original documents back into their card form.

He planned to sacrifice both the A-rank Chakra Refining Method and the B+ rank Dual-Color Haki Manual!

This is the use of the third effect of the [Onmyoji Guild]: it can convert cards into points, which can be used to upgrade cards, but this is limited to A+ grade and below.

After a period of exploration, he has determined the points corresponding to each level of card, which is very systematic.

C - 10 points, C 30 points, C + 50 points.

B—100 points, B 300 points, B+ 500 points.

A—1000 points, A3000 points, A+5000 points.

Meanwhile, the card upgrade requirements are also in the ratio of 1:3:5.

Take a B+ grade card as an example. It is equivalent to 500 points. It takes five B+ cards, or 2500 points, to upgrade it to A grade and complete the card's ascension!

Five B+ cards are needed to exchange for one A- card, which seems like a huge price to pay and a very impractical option, but upon closer inspection, it's not bad at all.

Because there is only a one-third chance of creating an A-grade card through [fusion]. Putting aside whether the A-grade card is useful or not, the probability alone shows that it is not stable. If you are unlucky, you may not be able to create one even after ten or eight attempts.

Upgrading a card only requires meeting certain point requirements.

In his view, [synthesis] and [upgrade] are a perfect match, with each function complementing the other.

Take Category B as an example:

B-rank cards are used for crafting because crafting only considers the higher rank, not the lower rank.

B+ grade cards are more cost-effective to sacrifice for points.

For B-level cards, either option is acceptable, depending on the specific circumstances.

This principle applies to all levels.

[Upgrade] is most suitable for cards that cannot be upgraded and are useful but cannot exert their full effect due to insufficient level.

For example, the C+ grade [Divination Paper Towel], the B+ grade [Substitute Scarecrow], [Fantasy Simulation Helmet], and [Enemy Controller] are all good, but their levels limit their effectiveness.

In comparison, cards like [Armament Haki] and [Gourmet Cells], which can be developed through effort, are not so urgent.

Most cards can be upgraded, but it seems that technique cards like the [Chakra Refining Method] cannot. Since copies can be manually copied, he had Leorio copy them all down so that they could be sacrificed for points.

The Chakra Refining Method is worth 1000 points, and the Dual-Color Haki Manual is worth 500 points. In addition to the part he sacrificed before, he has already collected 2500 points.

After careful consideration, he finally chose the unique and rare life-saving ability, the [Substitute Scarecrow].

It is no exaggeration to say that it is precisely because he possesses this ability that he has more confidence to take risks.

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