novelraw Chapter 49: Card Draw Time!
Chapter 49: Card Draw Time!
Inside the cave.
Settlement time!
Chen Qi rubbed his hands together excitedly and looked at the prompt in front of him.
【Rift Settlement in Progress...】
【Rift Distortion reduced by 18%, current distortion level: 18%】
【Supervisor: Your strength has been acknowledged, reward +20%
Animal Friend: You did not attack the Red Wolf, reward +20%
Monster Hunter: You participated in defeating the hidden final monster, the Old Hunter, reward +200%
Top Damage: During the battle against the Old Hunter, you contributed the most damage, reward +300%
Final Blow: You dealt the final blow to the Old Hunter, reward +30%】【Settlement complete. Overall rating: S, Perfect Clear!
Received one Blade Affinity Skill Card Chest, and one Hunting Ground Exclusive Skill Card Chest.】
Chen Qi quickly scanned through the settlement rewards.
Another perfect clear—just as expected of me.
Normally, as long as you achieve both “Top Damage” and “Monster Hunter,” you can get the highest reward!
Defeating the Old Hunter grants a Hunting Ground exclusive skill card chest!
At that moment, another prompt popped up in front of him!
【Do you want to draw from the Blade Affinity Skill Card Chest? (Blade Affinity Epic 90%, Blade Affinity Rare 10%)】
“A 90% chance for Epic, huh...”
Chen Qi glanced at the card draw probabilities.
Normally, from an E-rank Rift, it's hard to get even a Rare-grade skill card, let alone an Epic.
But with a perfect clear, he could draw an Epic Blade Affinity Skill Card right away!
An Epic Blade Affinity Skill Card is a rare and powerful asset, even for Tier 2 or Tier 3 Transcendents.
Time to test my luck...
Chen Qi furrowed his brows as he stared at the 10% chance.
As long as he didn't land that ridiculously unlucky 10%, most Epic Blade Affinity Skill Cards could give him a serious boost in power!
But there was a high chance he wouldn’t meet the conditions to use an Epic card.
“Let’s hope I get one I can actually use...”
Chen Qi prayed silently.
Draw!
A card formed at his fingertips, appearing in his hand.
The back of the card was shaped like a blade, while the front showed a long-bladed explorer crossing the misty mountains at the edge of the New Sun World.
【White Mist Breathing Technique Lv1
Affinity: Blade
Usage Requirement: Constitution 15 points
Description: Breathe. Breathe. Only by constantly breathing can one cross the endless white mist.
Effect: Practicing this technique boosts endurance and agility.
Once initial mastery is achieved, it can resonate with the spiritual energy in your blood, unlocking a special power for defense and attack.】
A Breathing Technique!
Chen Qi was shocked.
He didn’t expect to draw another card that boosts base stats!
In the early stages, the most important cards are the three core stat-boosting skill cards:
Body Training Technique, Breathing Technique, and Meditation Technique.
Among them, the Meditation Technique is essential for mage-type classes, enhancing inspiration, while Body Training and Breathing Techniques are crucial for melee classes.
The endurance boost and unlocked power from the Breathing Technique are vital.
Chen Qi let out a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding—his current endurance wasn’t strong.
In just a few minutes of fighting the Old Hunter, he’d already started experiencing shortness of breath.
According to player guides, the earlier you get a Breathing Technique, the better.
If he hadn’t drawn this Breathing Technique, Chen Qi’s original plan was to save up two million and buy one from the black market in Moonstone City.
Core skill cards are often more expensive than regular ones. Even the most basic core skill cards are constantly out of stock.
Even with money, they’re hard to find.
Chen Qi beamed with joy.
If he could master an Epic-level Breathing Technique and unlock its power, then combine it with a Body Training Technique, he might be able to tank bullets even as a Tier 1 Transcendent.
“Not bad, not bad...”
This Breathing Technique would take some time to activate, so he’d use it later.
Chen Qi stored the skill card and looked at the second prompt in front of him.
【Would you like to draw from the Hunting Ground Exclusive Skill Card Chest?】
A skill card unique to the Hunting Ground.
Draw!
A blade-backed skill card formed in his hand.
On the front was a hunter’s eye, sharp like an eagle’s.
【Hunter’s Eye Lv1
Affinity: Blade
Description: In the forest, I observe every movement of every beast.
Effect: When activated, enhances your vision and awareness of your surroundings. You can even sense things behind you. (This skill scales with Inspiration)】
A perception skill...
Chen Qi was quietly pleased.
Perception skills are useful for avoiding rear attacks or predicting enemy gunfire.
Many powerful fighters have died because their perception wasn’t sharp enough.
He wasn’t a player anymore—he only had one life. Perception skills were crucial to him.
Sometimes, just a bit of intuition could help him dodge death.
It was an upgradable skill. Reaching Lv3 would cost 1000 Inspiration Points.
That Inspiration Point cost sure burns fast...
Chen Qi immediately used the skill card and upgraded Hunter’s Eye Lv1 to Lv3.
Lv2 added a passive effect, about one-fourth the strength of the active one.
Lv3 added “Dynamic Vision,” boosting his ability to track fast-moving objects and enhancing his reaction time.
“Dynamic Vision—nice!”
Chen Qi grinned. He hadn’t expected that maxing out Hunter’s Eye would unlock dynamic vision too.
Back in the Sea Beast Cave, whether it was Captain Blackeye’s strikes or the Blood-Eye Wall’s tentacles, they had looked like afterimages to him.
And of course—bullets!
Especially in the Goldenfinch Kingdom where guns are common, dynamic vision would help him dodge bullets better.
Two really solid skill cards!
Chen Qi clapped his hands—this had been a very fruitful haul.
Next, he walked over to the Scarred Rabbit’s corpse and retrieved the dagger and third-gen Black Rabbit mechanical armor, storing them in his backpack card.
He didn’t need either of these, but they’d probably sell well on the market.
“That should do it...”
Chen Qi then packed up his lantern and glanced at the Pool Dweller in the cave.
It had been the biggest contributor to this Rift run.
The Pool Dweller was a typical territory-bound monster—once it leaves its home, it can’t survive.
Time to say goodbye...
The Pool Dweller seemed to sense something and let out a soft whimper, its round body scooting closer.
“Goodbye, Pool Dweller...”
Chen Qi reached out and bumped fists with its tiny tentacle one last time.
Then, he left the cave, holding his key ring, heading toward the Hunter Warehouse marked on the Supervisor’s map.