Russell cleared his desk, carefully laying out the three material cards and the blank card in a row.
Cardmakers could create various types of cards, primarily Creature Cards and Item Cards.
There were even more complex ones — Link Cards, Legion Cards, and so on.
But those were still far beyond Russell's reach.
For now, he was focused on a single goal: crafting a creature card.
Recalling the figure that had flashed across his mind, Russell took a deep breath.
"It's decided. You'll be the one."
He picked up the school-issued Card Illustrator Pen and began sketching, slowly outlining a young man with jet-black hair and a strange, reddish-brown birthmark etched across his forehead.
Time passed.
When he finally lifted the pen, Russell exhaled deeply, his energy drained by the sheer mental effort.
But this was only the beginning.
He stacked the four items together — the materials and the blank card — and let his consciousness flow over them, focusing his mental force.
In an instant, he found himself drawn into a vast, boundless void.
A whisper echoed from the unknown:
[Begin composing your narrative.]
[Yorichi Tsugikuni. Born in the Warring States era. Twin brother to Michikatsu Tsugikuni.]
[Despised by their father due to a strange, ominous birthmark on his forehead.]
[Yet deeply bonded with his brother.]
[At the age of seven, Yorichi displayed extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. Their father, stunned, named him heir to the family.]
[But Yorichi had no desire to usurp his brother's place. After a heartfelt farewell, he quietly left home.]
[He met a girl named Uta during his wanderings. They lived together in peace.]
[At eighteen, Yorichi married Uta.]
[While Uta was pregnant, Yorichi left in search of a midwife. On the road, he helped an elderly man, delaying his return.]
[When he came home, it was to the bloody aftermath of a demon attack. Uta and their unborn child were gone.]
[He sat motionless in grief for ten days.]
[Until he encountered a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps.]
[To avenge his family, Yorichi joined the Corps, teaching his unique sword style—Sun Breathing—to its members.]
[During one mission, Yorichi discovered Muzan Kibutsuji—the progenitor of demons—in a bamboo forest, accompanied by his follower Tamayo.]
[Though Muzan trembled before Yorichi's immense power, his regenerative abilities allowed him to narrowly escape.]
[Tamayo, burdened by a tragic past, stirred Yorichi's compassion. He chose to spare her.]
[Because of this, and due to Michikatsu's betrayal—killing the Corps leader and joining Muzan—Yorichi was exiled from the Demon Slayer Corps.]
[He later met a kind family, the Kamados, and slowly opened his heart once more.]
[Yorichi passed down Sun Breathing to the Kamados, and Tanjiro Kamado vowed to preserve it for generations to come.]
[At the age of eighty, Yorichi encountered his brother once more—now a demon called Kokushibo.]
[Yorichi struck first, his blade slicing through Kokushibo's neck before he could react.]
[But Yorichi never landed a second blow. He had reached the end of his life.]
As the final words of the tale settled, Russell waited silently for judgment.
Soon, he felt it: a whisper of recognition, a subtle affirmation from the unseen forces that governed card creation.
He returned to his small room.
Before him, shadows writhed—ghastly specters with gnashing fangs and gleaming eyes—manifestations of man-eating demons.
Their oppressive aura pressed in on him, paralyzing his limbs.
Just as fear threatened to root him to the spot, a young man stepped forward, long blade in hand.
His crimson eyes burned with fury, and his fiery sword cleaved through the darkness — cutting down every demon that stood before him.
[Ghost Hunter: Yorichi Tsugikuni]
Rank: Black Iron
Rarity: Purple (White → Green → Blue → Purple → Gold → Red → Prismatic)
Type: Creature
Abilities:
[Crimson Blade]: By applying immense grip strength or striking against another weapon, the sword heats up, transforming into a "Crimson Blade." A Crimson Blade significantly boosts damage dealt to demon-type monsters and greatly impairs their regenerative abilities when struck.
[Sun Breathing Technique]: Enhances heart and lung function, allowing the user's blood to rapidly absorb oxygen in a short time. This temporarily grants the body explosive power, rivaling that of a demon.
[Transparent World]: Upon entering the Transparent World, the user's perception heightens dramatically. They can predict movements, dodge attacks with uncanny precision, and even see the rise and fall of an opponent's lungs and the flow of blood through their veins.
Traits:
[Mark]: Activating the Mark grants a powerful surge in physical attributes.
Profile: A vengeful warrior sworn to exterminate all demons.
Synergy:
When deployed alongside [Michikatsu Tsugikuni], unlocks the special effect [Brotherhood & Rivalry].
Russell held his breath, trying to suppress the excitement in his chest as he gently picked up the card in front of him.
"It worked."
It was worth noting: even if you compiled the same story, the quality of the resulting card varied depending on the materials used.
After all, you couldn't expect to create a high-tier card using low-grade materials.
Some cards had already exhausted their growth potential and couldn't be upgraded any further.
Fortunately, this time, the materials Russell had chosen aligned well with the essence of the story.
He had successfully crafted Yorichi Tsugikuni — though, limited by the quality of the ingredients, this version was far weaker than the legendary original.
He pressed the card gently to his forehead and released a stream of mental energy.
A faint glow flickered, and [Ghost Hunter: Yorichi Tsugikuni] seeped into his consciousness.
Within his mind, Russell reached out and brushed the card with a sliver of psychic force.
In that instant, a figure materialized beside him — a man with black-and-red hair, gripping a katana.
It was none other than Yorichi Tsugikuni.
The warrior scanned his surroundings with calm eyes, then gave Russell a small nod before leaning against the wall and closing his eyes, quietly conserving his energy.
Russell drew a deep breath, quickly pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture.
He sent it directly to his homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang Ming.
"Mr. Wang, I just crafted a card — it's Purple grade!"
[Image Attached]
At that moment, Wang Ming was staring at his phone screen in stunned silence.
Purple.
To get into the elite class at Shanghai First High, students only needed to produce a Blue-quality Black Iron–rank card.
A Purple-quality card? That was more than enough to qualify someone as a seeded candidate — a future star in training.
And yet Russell had always been an average student in class. He'd never stood out. Producing a Blue was already beyond what most expected of him, let alone Purple.
Suspicious, Wang fired back a message:
"Russell, are you sure? If you submit a false card for certification, you'll lose your right to become a Cardmaker — forever."
"I swear it's real! I can take the test first thing tomorrow when school starts."
He wouldn't lie.
Even if he managed to trick me, there's no way he could fool the official exam.
Wang Ming stared at the message on his screen and sighed to himself.
Then he replied:
"Alright. Come find me tomorrow when school begins. I'll take you to the testing center myself."
"If you pass, you're in the elite class."
Russell's heart finally relaxed when he saw the response.
"Thank you, Mr. Wang."
He put his phone away and quietly studied the man in front of him — Yorichi Tsugikuni.
He had to admit, the figure was visually striking. The dark, expressionless face, framed by red-and-black hair, bore its crimson-brown mark with eerie prominence.
Exhaling deeply, Russell felt as if he had finally taken a solid step forward in this world.
Just then, the television — still quietly playing in the background — flashed red with a sudden emergency broadcast.
"Anomalous activity detected in the Demon Nest. All citizens are advised to evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately."
"Repeat: Anomalous activity detected in the Demon Nest. Please evacuate to the nearest shelter at once."
(End of Chapter)