The night was deep.
The streetlights on either side of the road cast a soft glow, illuminating the surroundings.
Lu Heng stepped forward, a teleportation array spreading beneath his feet, gradually swallowing his silhouette.
At the top of the Palais Mermonia.
Furina stood in the shadows, watching the figure disappear before silently closing the curtains.
Away from Lu Heng, her heart felt like this room with its lights off and curtains drawn—no light could penetrate.
Loneliness and helplessness threatened to drown her.
The emotions she had deliberately ignored for years came surging back, suffocating her.
If only she hadn't seen it… No, how could she think like that?
It was that glimmer of light that had given her warmth.
Furina curled up on the bed, her eyes filled with sorrow.
A large, furry paw rested on her head, silently comforting her.
...
Lu Heng stepped out of the teleportation array.
Back at the shop, he hung his coat on the rack.
Glancing at the system panel, he had no urge to draw cards at the moment.
At this stage, he wasn't as desperate for draws anymore. He'd save up and try his luck in a few days.
"I wonder if she'll sleep well tonight?"
Recalling Furina's sudden unease earlier, Lu Heng sighed.
Of course, he noticed how clingy Furina was with him.
The reason was simple: Furina only opened up when she was alone with him, saying whatever she wanted without reservation.
Such ease and comfort were exactly what she had longed for all this time.
"I hope the giant teddy bear helps."
...
The next morning.
"Boss Lu, good morning."
"Boss Lu, have you had breakfast yet? Let me treat you!"
Opening the shop door, Lu Heng smiled and responded, "Morning, everyone. I'm actually a bit hungry—let's eat."
"By the way, I heard Lady Furina pulled two gold cards yesterday?" someone asked curiously.
Aside from the Elemental Resonance card, this wasn't exactly a secret.
Lu Heng chuckled, "Her luck is pretty good."
"Sigh, when will I ever pull a purple card?" the questioner mused wistfully.
"You'll get your chance," Lu Heng nodded, glancing around. "Everyone eaten yet?"
"I have."
"I haven't—I'll join you. Don't cut in line—I remember my spot."
"Don't worry, we've got manners."
Whether they had manners or not was debatable, but the line outside the card shop was undeniably orderly.
After breakfast, Lu Heng checked the time—only 7:30 a.m. Without hesitation, he said, "Go ahead and start drawing."
"Awesome!"
Someone gave a thumbs-up to the person who treated Lu Heng to breakfast, who grinned proudly.
Lu Heng smiled wryly, then went inside to read a book.
Time passed slowly as the people of Fontaine took turns drawing cards.
Morning.
After arriving in the Court of Fontaine, Arlecchino headed straight for the Fortress of Meropide, while Tartaglia made his way to the Palais Mermonia.
"Sir, how may I help you?" a Melusine looked up at Tartaglia.
"Is Martial Arts Master Oliver here?" Tartaglia pulled out a newspaper, pointing at the photo.
"He is!"
The Melusine nodded. "Master Oliver is at the security team training grounds. At this hour, he's probably teaching martial arts!"
"Can you tell me where that is?" Tartaglia asked eagerly.
"Just behind the Palais Mermonia, this way," the Melusine pointed.
"Thanks!"
Tartaglia hurried off.
Soon, he found the security team training grounds.
The area was spacious, with off-duty security team members practicing martial arts.
Tartaglia immediately spotted Oliver standing in the open, arms relaxed at his sides, his posture natural.
Just standing there, he seemed perfectly in harmony with his surroundings.
Moreover, from a fighter's perspective, Tartaglia couldn't spot any obvious weaknesses!
A master among masters!
Coming to the Court of Fontaine was definitely the right move!
Tartaglia's face lit up with excitement. "Oi, Master Oliver!"
"?"
Oliver turned toward Tartaglia in confusion.
Upon seeing Tartaglia, he was taken aback.
Fighters often had a kind of intuition—the sense of recognizing a skilled opponent was unmistakable.
When did the Court of Fontaine get someone like this? The Palais Mermonia's files hadn't mentioned him.
"You are…?"
"Tartaglia."
Tartaglia's expression turned serious. "Master Oliver, care for a spar?"
So he's here for a fight.
Oliver understood but feigned reluctance. "Mr. Tartaglia, my body has reached the fourth tier—I might accidentally hurt you…"
"No problem! We'll each cover our own medical expenses—no blame games," Tartaglia said.
That's exactly what I wanted to hear!
Ever since getting that injection, Oliver had noticed no one dared to spar with him anymore.
Now that someone had volunteered, he was thrilled.
The nearby security team members cleared the area, eager to watch.
Oliver and Tartaglia took their positions on the field.
"Be careful, Master Oliver—I'll be using elemental power!"
Two streams of water formed in Tartaglia's hands, condensing into twin blades.
"Come at me."
Oliver smiled faintly.
"Then I won't hold back!"
Tartaglia combined the blades into a bow, instantly firing three hydro arrows at Oliver.
Splat!
The arrows struck Oliver's body, tearing his clothes but only splashing harmlessly against his skin.
Watching Oliver tank elemental attacks with his bare body, Tartaglia's jaw dropped.
Is this human?
Is this even human?!
"Mr. Tartaglia, shall we move past the warm-up?"
Oliver's grin widened.
"Uh… sure."
Tartaglia snapped out of it and nodded.
Before he could finish speaking—
Whoosh!
Oliver closed the dozens of meters between them in an instant.
His right fist clenched, striking like lightning.
Tartaglia's pupils contracted as he instinctively bent his knees, leaning back.
But Oliver, a true martial arts master, had predicted his move, twisting his body in an impossible contortion.
No normal human could move like that!
Tartaglia's face paled in shock.
The next moment, Oliver's foot lashed out.
Bam!
The kick landed on Tartaglia's side, sending him flying.
Crash!
He slammed into a weapon rack nearby, scattering equipment everywhere.
"Cough…"
Tartaglia spat out a mouthful of blood.
He could feel his internal organs slightly displaced.
The force behind that kick was terrifying—yet what was even more horrifying was that Oliver clearly hadn't used his full strength!
"Thrilling!"
Tartaglia's lips slowly curled into a grin.
He could feel his blood boiling.
"Ha!"
Electricity crackled.
Tartaglia activated his Delusion, donning the Foul Legacy Transformation.
"Transformation skill card? No… not card power."
Oliver observed briefly before understanding.
"Master Oliver, now—the real fight begins!"
With hydro and electro dual elements fueling him, Tartaglia's aura surged.
"Bring it!" Oliver shifted into a stance.
Three minutes later.
Tartaglia, currently being healed by a Melusine with a recovery card, stared at the shattered remnants of his Foul Legacy armor, lost in thought.
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T/N:
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