In another world, Lu Mingfei is learning card making.

Chapter 158 What is this?

"Huh? We need to read books too?"

Naya Fili visibly sank into a gloomy mood, even the corners of her eyes betraying her reluctance: "Isn't there any other way? Like card crafting, a simple method where you can just carve patterns onto it and use it?"

"If you don't even understand what the concept you're citing is, and you just say you want to 'cite' it, what will that ultimately lead to—who can say for sure?" Lu Mingfei frowned slightly. "Also, you think you can use a card just by engraving patterns on it? How could you even have that idea?"

"What do you mean by having this idea?" Naya Phili seemed to hear the hidden meaning in Lu Mingfei's words, and immediately put her hands on her hips. "What's wrong?! I engraved every card according to the teacher's instructions! There's absolutely no problem!"

'

The problem isn't that; the problem is that you have absolutely no understanding of the basic logic of card crafting? You dare to craft cards based on just a pattern?

Lu Mingfei's brows furrowed even more deeply. If that's the case, then the barrier to promoting this technology might be lowered to an extremely low level, to the point that ordinary people could create cards simply by obtaining the pattern and the source of magic power.

But no one does it. Why?

This cannot be explained by things like "knowledge blockade and aristocratic monopoly". Even before the last hero appeared, during the eight-hundred-year war against the demons, no one passed on this knowledge, no matter how urgent the war was or how much power was needed. The fact that the nobles did not pass it on could perhaps be explained by the fact that they needed people to be slaves. But why did the Holy Church not pass it on?

It could not possibly be due to the Holy Church's stance. After all, they possess paladins, which is enough to prove that their stance is absolutely lawful good; otherwise, they would never have gained the support of so many paladins.

After much deliberation without reaching a conclusion, Lu Mingfei could only abandon the idea and wait to unlock it later. Then, Lu Mingfei tapped the table and assigned the homework: "The most basic core scriptures of the Holy Church, those so-called 'books' and 'records,' just pick the ones you like to read. The focus isn't on the stories, but on the rituals involved."

"By using some simple methods to refer to one of those rituals during your alchemy, you can incorporate the concept of a deity related to the Holy Church into your alchemy."

"Well, if you don't want to see it, you don't have to—the simplest way is to go to the Traveler's Street, buy a golden basin, fill it with water, and after you've engraved the transmutation circle, soak the magic card in the water to wash it clean. That's the ritual that represents baptism."

"It's just that this ritual is too broad and can't be specified to any particular god, which is why I said you'd better come up with your own method of reference."

Nayafili listened very attentively until the halflings intervened and asked them to leave, at which point the two parted ways and headed to their respective dormitories.

On the way, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but wonder why she was able to create a card with just a design.

Even Lu Mingfei's first transmutation array wasn't created by simply copying a diagram—at that time, although he hadn't yet summarized a method for combining multiple transmutation arrays (and although he still hasn't, he's simply gone from directly copying results from books to copying ideas from books and then creating his own), he at least understood the significance of each transmutation array, rather than immediately assuming it was just a diagram.

In his view, a transmutation array can be broken down, and each of the basic transmutation arrays that is broken down has its own significance.

By simply replacing or altering the basic transmutation array, a transmutation array can be transformed.

"————However, strictly speaking, it's not impossible." Lu Mingfei took a deep breath.

If the forger's will is strong enough, and they are completely convinced that the pattern can be forged, then perhaps it will really begin to forge, and might even succeed. "What is this? Idealism?"

'

Lu Mingfei was not so shaken by this that he would have thoughts like, "If this is how it can be achieved, then what is the point of my hard work?"

Firstly, he didn't have such a strong belief. Without a solid theoretical foundation, Lu Mingfei felt he probably wouldn't believe he could master it. Secondly, diligent study before attempting to master it was indeed better than haphazard attempts.

Otherwise, Naya Fili wouldn't have been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the rookie cup, and neither of the two finalists would have relied on this kind of instinctive card-refining.

"But if it can be mastered through such rigorous training—then perhaps it means that the potential of this kind of mind-related technology is higher than I imagined?"

The further Lu Mingfei walked, the more serious his expression became.

Time flows quietly by, and before you know it, it's the weekend.

Lu Mingfei found the location of the Duel Club on Traveler Street.

Unlike the "Dragon's Claw" club, the Duel Club is open to the public, and all students can visit. There are also occasional lectures—though, according to the older students, these lectures are actually quite useless; they're just for upperclassmen to rack up credits. The lecturers are pretty much the same level as them—the kind of students who are academically excellent, but not good enough to warrant the professor's attention.

The truly highly skilled people live in the lab, and even if they want to go out and have fun, their teachers have to keep an eye on them, for fear that they will be misled by the outside world and will not want to go back.

So even after seeing the poster at the entrance, Lu Mingfei didn't linger. Instead, he went straight into a room in the club: "Hello? Is this where you collect your scoreboard at the Duel Club?"

.

"Yes."

A crisp, mechanical sound reached his ears. Lu Mingfei looked in the direction of the sound and saw a humanoid machine embedded in the wall, with several other similar-looking robots beside it. It was probably some kind of "automatic customer service" system; if there were many people, they would keep moving around the room. But now that the Duel Club had been open for a long time, the first wave of enthusiasm had subsided, so they had returned to the wall.

Please tell me your name, grade, and college, and we will make a scoreboard for you.

""

The robot sat in the chair, looking at Lu Mingfei, and spat out a blank scoreboard from its hand.

Registration and receiving the scoreboard were done without any extra procedures to delay things; Lu Mingfei got his scoreboard on the spot. He then slapped it against his chest, and a big "1" appeared above his head, quite conspicuously.

Good. As long as this exists, it will attract many battles. In this way, experience will continuously flow in with the battles.

As long as I can stay calm, I will be invincible!

Lu Mingfei was immediately filled with fighting spirit.