Su Hong strolled down the street, fanning two Spirit Cards back and forth in his hand.

The Weapon Spirit Cards had indeed been successfully crafted—and even Su Hong felt a faint flicker of joy. It wasn’t luck. Beginner-level Spirit Cards were inherently simple and limited in function, just like how a tiny battery could never power a car.

So he’d optimized the designs to the absolute edge of their performance limits.

To his surprise, both cards succeeded. A quiet smile touched his lips.

Tucking them into his pocket, he slightly quickened his pace toward the small shop, eager to borrow Lia’s Spirit Card Slot and test their power.

But the moment he reached the shop entrance, the atmosphere felt… off.

Normally, queued customers chattered noisily. Today, an eerie silence hung thick in the air. The second he stepped closer, every pair of eyes swiveled toward him.

Inside, both Lia and her grandfather were present. Unusually, Lia wasn’t in the kitchen—she’d changed into neat clothes and stood waiting in the living room.

Most striking of all: two girls with long cyan hair sat by the counter, clad in sharp black-and-white checkered uniforms.

“Lia, what’s going on?” Su Hong asked.

At his voice, gazes previously fixed on the Spirit Card Cinema screen snapped toward him.

Lia hurried to his side. “The Imperial Capital’s Spirit Card Academy sent someone to enroll me. I want you to come with me. This is Senior Diana—"

Before she could finish, Diana rose and pinned Su Hong with an icy glare.

“So you’re Su Hong? How far behind Lia are your Spirit Card skills?”

No pleasantries. No hesitation. The room temperature plummeted.

Su Hong sensed her hostility but had no clue why this fiery girl targeted him. He simply shrugged. “I’m a beginner.”

“Then you know you won’t get into the Academy. We’re taking only Lia to the Imperial Capital. Any objections?”

Su Hong barely registered her words. A cold thought pierced his mind.

Hadn’t Lia lost her Academy chance because of *his* bad luck? Why was the Academy suddenly reaching out? So abruptly?

Lia’s talent made sense. But this… felt like impossibly good fortune.

He remembered someone who’d wanted to be his friend. Days later, the man found a chest of cash—only to be crushed seconds later by a falling flowerpot.

If this were normal enrollment, fine. But what if it was another luck trap? His resolve hardened instantly.

“No. I can’t feel reassured leaving Lia. I’m coming with her.”

Lia, about to mediate, froze—flustered, cheeks warming, words caught in her throat.

Diana gritted her teeth, eyes blazing. “How shameless! If you truly cared for Lia, wouldn’t you *think* of her?”

“I *am* thinking of her—that’s exactly why I’m going.”

The words detonated Diana’s temper. She stepped back twice, whipped out a Spirit Card, and slammed it into her Spirit Card Slot.

“Fine! Dodge ten of my attacks. Succeed, and I’ll move heaven and earth to get you admitted!”

The card flashed.

In a heartbeat, over a hundred deep blue bird-shaped lights swirled above her. Smooth, featherless, textureless—pure luminous silhouettes. With every wingbeat, shimmering ribbons of light trailed behind them.

—Dazzling. Overwhelming.

A single thought echoed in every onlooker’s mind.

A sharp cry pierced the air. One bird shot downward like an arrow toward a chair.

As it skimmed past, a crisp *snap* echoed.

Before the chair could splinter, the bird spun midair, beak flaring—a breath blast erupted. *BOOM!* The chair vaporized into dust.

Amid stunned, trembling stares, the bird fluttered gently onto Diana’s shoulder. Over a hundred more hovered behind her.

“Su Hong, Lia is *my* friend. I won’t let you deceive her! Won’t let you drag her down! If you insist—survive ten attacks!”

Before Su Hong could speak, Lia darted in front of him, Frostlight Blade materializing in a flash.

“Senior Diana… I know you care. But please—don’t hurt Su Hong!”

Seeing Lia shield him so fiercely, Diana stomped her foot, finger jabbing at Su Hong. “Lia, wake up! What does he have besides a pretty face? He’s *using* your feelings!”

Su Hong almost bristled—then paused. He pinched his own cheek, mentally giving Diana a thumbs-up. Full of genuine admiration.

d(￣▽￣*)b Awesome, awesome!

This Diana… no wonder she’s from the Spirit Card Academy. Even her insults were razor-sharp, logical, utterly unassailable.

Still. A tiny compliment wouldn’t shake Su Hong’s resolve.