Who said this card is outrageous?

Close the door and lock it.

He crouched down and opened the safe under the card-making station. Inside, the metal plaque engraved with eyes lay quietly, next to the cracked [Sixth Sense] and [Dream Eater].

Can't wait any longer!

The sheriff has already come knocking. Although he managed to get away with it this time, who knows when the next time will be? The longer these things remain in our hands, the greater the risk becomes. We must get rid of them as soon as possible!

Zhang Che took the plaque out of the safe, casually made a few card blanks, and then began to refine them using them as materials.

With his own safety at stake, Zhang Che performed exceptionally well in this card-making process. He not only succeeded on his first try, but the final product was also a second-tier blue card, and of the quality of blue with a hint of purple.

The fact that such a high-quality card could be made using only one material proves that his previous guess was correct; the quality of that plaque itself was at least top-tier among third-tier extraordinary items!

However, that's all in the past now. What we need to do next is to fuse this card with [Sixth Sense] and [Dream Eater].

After his special ability was activated, Zhang Che's mental power poured out like a flood, making Zhang Che's heart tighten.

The first time he fused a blue-quality card, the consumption far exceeded his expectations. He could clearly feel his mental energy rapidly draining away, like a breached riverbank that couldn't be stopped at all.

But having come this far, there was no way he could give up now. Zhang Che gritted his teeth and simply released the restrictions, letting his spiritual power flow into the merging liquid.

Then his face turned pale at a visible speed, and cold sweat poured down his forehead, but his eyes remained fixed on the liquid, not daring to relax for a moment.

After about ten seconds, the rate at which his mental energy was draining finally began to slow down. With a dazzling purple light, a brand new card floated in front of Zhang Che.

Card Name: Predicting the Future (Spiritual)

Type: Skill Card

Level: Tier 2

Grade: Purple

Effect: Predicting the future

The card depicts a pair of illusory eyes, half-open and half-closed, with countless points of light flowing deep within the pupils, as if peering into some unknown dimension.

Although the card's effect description was only four simple words and ridiculously vague, it was indeed the first purple-quality card he had ever created.

Zhang Che stared at the card, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his face. However, before he could rejoice for long, a sudden change occurred.

A fine crack suddenly appeared on the card "[Foresee the Future]", extending from the position of the illusory eyes in the center all the way to the edge of the card.

Then came the second, the third... cracks multiplied, spreading densely across the entire card like a spider web.

At the same time, the purple light of the card itself began to dim, flickering unpredictably, like a lamp that was about to burn out.

Zhang Che's expression changed.

Oh no, could it be because the fusion material contains that nearly damaged [Sixth Sense]?

Seeing that the newly created purple card was about to be completely destroyed, Zhang Che didn't care about anything else. With the idea of ​​"getting his money's worth" in mind, he made a decisive move and poured all his remaining mental energy into the card that was still disintegrating, trying to activate it once before it was completely destroyed.

The moment the card was activated, Zhang Che's consciousness was pulled into another dimension by an irresistible force.

Countless fragmented images flashed before his eyes, as fast as watching a movie on fast-forward—

Scene 1: A brightly lit, secret chamber, its walls covered with intricate runes. A figure in a black robe stands in the center of the chamber, holding an irregularly shaped black crystal. Dark red patterns flow across the crystal's surface, pulsating as if alive.

Scene 2: An irregular black crystal is thrown into a crack no bigger than a palm. The crack then begins to expand violently, tearing countless tiny fissures at its edges. Countless translucent tentacles emerge from the depths of the crack, like drowning people grasping at straws.

Scene 3: Back in the secret room, the man in black robes stands in a different spot than before, and the black crystal in his hand is gone. He stands motionless, seemingly deep in thought.

But the next second, the man suddenly turned around, and in the shadow of the hood, a pair of scarlet eyes stared straight behind him.

Across vast distances of time and countless fragmented images, those eyes met Zhang Che's for a fleeting moment.

There was no surprise, no anger, only a cold, scrutinizing calm, as if looking at an insect that had strayed into forbidden territory.

He saw me!

The moment this thought crossed Zhang Che's mind, all the images exploded into his mind at once.

[Predict the Future] emitted a piercing shriek, and then the entire card shattered into countless tiny powders, drifting through Zhang Che's fingers.

At the same time, a sharp pain exploded from the depths of his mind, as if a dozen red-hot steel needles had been pierced directly into him.

"what--"

Zhang Che screamed in agony, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head tightly with both hands and curling up into a ball.

Chapter 25: Fishmen again?!

Fortunately, as the card completely disintegrated, the burning sensation in my mind also stopped abruptly, as if it had never happened.

Zhang Che remained kneeling on the ground, his hands bracing against the cold wooden floor, his heart pounding wildly.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine, bringing a chill to my bones.

Although a slight stinging sensation still lingers in my mind, it's much better than before and is gradually fading away over time.

He was panting heavily, and it took him a while to catch his breath.

Meanwhile, deep within a rift far southwest of Binhai City, in a brightly lit secret chamber, a man in black robes slowly raised his head.

This is the secret room from the last scene Zhang Che saw: the walls are covered with densely packed runes, and a faint light flows between the patterns, making the entire space appear to be in a state of flux.

The black-robed man's scarlet eyes gleamed eerily in the shadow of his hood.

The feeling of being spied on came suddenly, but fortunately he reacted quickly and blocked the other party's "view".

However, what concerned him most was that the other party was able to sever all traces the moment he tried to counter-track, with clean and swift movements, leaving no clues that could be traced—this was something that no ordinary superhuman could do, and it was most likely a test from someone of the same level as him.

However, the man in black robes did not take the matter too seriously. Right now was a critical period for the plan, and as long as the other party had not really touched the core secrets, he did not need to make a big fuss about it.

He withdrew his mental energy, raised his hand to reinforce the runes in the secret chamber with another layer, and after confirming that everything was normal, he turned his attention back to the map spread out in front of him.

Zhang Che had no idea about any of this. He only knew that he had probably escaped a disaster by sheer luck. The relief and fear of surviving the ordeal were intertwined, and he was unable to calm down for a long time.

He didn't know how much time had passed until the excruciating pain in his mind completely subsided. Only then did he come to his senses, look down at his empty palms, and the card fragments scattered all over the ground.

The purple card I finally got...

He was at a loss for words. After all, it was a blue tag made with a lot of materials, and he had originally planned to make use of it, but now it was all gone.

Of course, the benefits are also obvious: the evidence that might have implicated him was completely destroyed, leaving not a trace, which put his mind at ease.

Zhang Che scratched his head in frustration, the fragmented images he had just seen through [Predicting the Future] flashing through his mind like jumbled pieces.

Although a while had passed, each image was as clear to Zhang Che as if he had seen it with his own eyes, but when pieced together, he couldn't understand anything and couldn't extract any useful information.

Predicting the future...

I have no idea what kind of future I'm foreseeing!

Zhang Che originally thought he could make up for some of the losses before the card was completely destroyed, but in the end he not only didn't get any useful information, but also got involved with some unknown powerful being for nothing.

"Sigh, what kind of mess is this..."

Zhang Che muttered to himself, forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart, and slowly stood up, supporting himself on the card-making table.

My legs are still a little weak, but at least I can stand up.

Although the evidence has been destroyed, he will not let his guard down and will have to be more careful in the future to avoid being caught out by the security team.

As for the mysterious man in black robes and the secret room, they seemed incredibly distant and unreal in comparison.

Compared to the real trouble at hand, someone you've never even met and don't know where you are is not so important.

Zhang Che forced himself to clean up the debris on the ground. Then, looking at the empty card-making table, he sighed helplessly. He didn't dwell on the bizarre scene during the fusion, but silently planned for the next few days: Fu Xing would be coming to deliver card recipes tomorrow, and he also needed to start preparing the lightning or fire card that Su Wanqing wanted.

One thing after another is happening, I don't have time to sit here and daydream.

When Zhang Che came out of the card-making room, he found that it was already pitch black outside. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly glanced at the wall clock and realized that it was almost ten o'clock.

Something's not right.

He returned just past noon. Even including the time spent making and fusing cards with metal plaques, it shouldn't have been this late.

Could it be the time to use [Predict the Future]?

Zhang Che thought of a possibility: those fragmented images only flashed through his mind for a few seconds, but in reality, most of the day had already passed.

So either the precognitive ability itself distorts the perception of time, or he was unconscious for a long time without realizing it.

In short, either possibility is frightening enough.

However, his thoughts were quickly pulled back by the hunger in his stomach—he hadn't eaten for over ten hours. Coupled with the immense mental strain from creating the card and foreseeing the future, he felt he was about to faint from hunger if he didn't eat something soon.

Now, whether he went out to eat or ordered takeout, it was clearly too late. Zhang Che could only quickly rummage through the remaining food at home to barely appease his stomach before dragging his tired body back to his room to lie down.

These days are driving me crazy.

……

When Zhang Che regained consciousness, he was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

I groggily opened my eyes, and the sunlight outside the window was already streaming into the room.

Before he could fully regain his senses, Fu Xing's loud voice came through the door:

"Brother Chang Cheh! Chang Cheh! Are you home?"

Zhang Che was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to remember that Fu Xing was coming to give him card recipes today.

He quickly got out of bed, threw on a coat, and ran to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Fu Xing saw him and visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "Phew, you're finally out. I thought you weren't home."

"Sorry, I went to bed too late last night." Zhang Che stepped aside to let him in, while wondering why the other person was in such a hurry.

"Ugh, it's all because of those mermen." Fu Xing slammed a large backpack on the coffee table, already complaining, "Something really happened last night, you know?"

Zhang Che shook his head. He had been busy making cards since he got back last night, and then he fell into a deep sleep. He had no idea what was happening outside.

“I heard it from the teachers at the external training department this morning. Last night, a large number of fishmen suddenly surged ashore from the sea and launched a surprise attack on two fortified cities in the northeast and southwest directions.” Fu Xing said as he sat down on the sofa. “Fortunately, the soldiers there were vigilant and discovered the attacking fishmen in time, preventing their plan from succeeding.”

Chapter 26 Soaring Mental Power

"How is the battle going?"

"It was horrific. The teacher said that the area outside the walls of the acropolis was littered with the corpses of merfolk, piled up in a huge heap. These beasts aren't usually this fearless of death!"

Fu Xing spoke with a hint of regret, revealing all the information he knew: "There were at least several thousand murlocs that came ashore last night, including quite a few elite murlocs of the third tier. In the end, it was only after the city defense forces and the Adventurers' Guild urgently dispatched a group of extraordinary individuals to provide support that they were barely able to repel them."