Chapter 343: Carboniferous Period 15
The Ice Cicada’s method of attack was, without a doubt, completely wrong.
As for Perry Yates previously using the Cold Moon Guardian as a personal cooling ward, that was a different situation. She wasn’t in a fight at the time; the Cold Moon Guardian only needed to ward off sneak attacks and prevent unnecessary harm.
Realizing it was outmatched, the Ice Cicada prepared to flee, but Perry Yates had no intention of letting it escape.
In an instant, countless vines erupted from the ground, forming a veritable cage. Immediately after, Perry Yates unleashed her Flame Barrier.
The flames within the Flame Barrier had vanished, but the intense heat lingered, as did the ashen remains of the trees it had incinerated.
These elements seemed to have fused with the Flame Barrier, transforming it from a simple barrier into an ability more akin to a Domain.
Coincidentally, this new ability was the perfect counter for the Ice Cicada.
As the Flame Barrier expanded, the Ice Cicada instantly deployed its Cold Moon Guardian.
However, the recent battle had nearly drained the Ice Cicada’s stamina, while Perry Yates was still at peak condition. Soon, the Ice Cicada was completely exhausted, unable to even maintain its Cold Moon Guardian.
With a final, pained shriek, the Ice Cicada dissolved into a ray of light and reformed as a card.
Perry Yates took the card and was surprised to find that, just like the Flame Barrier, the Cold Moon Guardian had also changed.
The card’s face had changed from its original barrier design to an image of an Ice Cicada.
Fortunately, nothing else had changed, and the integration was exceptionally smooth.
Card mutations had happened before during Perry Yates’s Ascension process. In most cases, it wasn’t a bad thing.
Another card retrieved. Now, only Clone, Wargod Kai, Any Door, and Pointed Explosion remained.
Just then, Perry Yates’s foreknowledge suddenly activated, and a flood of images rushed into her mind.
When she came to her senses, Perry Yates couldn’t help but shudder. ‘So many bugs.’ And it seemed she now knew where the Any Door card was.
‘That damn man in black, hoarding my card.’
‘He casually tossed me two cards as a greeting gift, and I thought he was some kind of master. Turns out this is all he amounts to…’
Recalling what she’d seen in those fragmented visions, Perry Yates held out her hand. Countless seeds of all shapes and sizes, resembling tiny insects, tumbled from her palm.
The moment the seeds hit the ground, they began to sprout and spread in all directions.
With her work done, Perry Yates turned and left.
「The sixth day of the game.」
In places no one else had noticed, many new and different plants had appeared throughout the forest.
They were succulent roses, sun-seeking Sunflowers, or briar roses shrouded in dangerous thorns.
Some of the more perceptive players realized something was amiss, but they had no idea what the player activating these cards was trying to accomplish.
These plants weren’t merely growing; they would strangle any insects they encountered. If a player attacked them, they would be met with a ferocious counterattack.
After all, using cards consumed a player’s internal energy. No one could possibly sustain activating so many Advanced Cards at once, let alone have them fight for an extended period.
So, everyone was wondering what the person behind these cards was thinking.
What was she thinking? Nothing much, just sitting and thinking.
The subject of all this discussion, Perry Yates, was currently sitting in a sunny spot, basking in the light.
Leaves of various shapes had sprouted from her head and body to help her absorb the sunlight; some had even blossomed.
In truth, the burden of supporting so many Advanced Cards rampaging about wasn’t nearly as heavy for Perry Yates as others imagined. After all, she had three steadfast “Ministers of Revenue” to rely on.
That’s right: Abyssal Roots, Seed of Life, and Dodder Seed.
An hour later, sensing the situation elsewhere had completely stabilized, Perry Yates stopped sunbathing.
Popping a piece of candy into her mouth, Perry Yates turned to look in another direction.
“Have you seen enough?”
As Perry Yates spoke, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. It was Sage Bishop, whom she had met once before.
However, Perry Yates had been in disguise during their previous meeting, so the other woman didn’t recognize her.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to spy on you.”
A faint, apologetic look crossed Sage Bishop’s face. ‘Getting caught red-handed… In the past, I might not have cared about something like this.’
‘So I looked. It’s not like it hurts anyone. But now… all my cards are gone, and I haven’t found a single one. It’s better to just lie low for now. Bow my head when I have to. Dignity is something built on strength, after all.’
For Reina Quinn’s sake, Perry Yates hadn’t been planning on giving the other woman a hard time anyway.
Just as she was turning to leave, Sage Bishop suddenly called out to her.
“Wait. I want to team up with you.”
Perry Yates stopped and turned to look at Sage Bishop. “And why would I do that? You don’t seem to have anything to offer me.”
‘A partnership is based on mutual benefit. It’s not a partnership if the effort is all one-sided.’
Sage Bishop realized this as well and quickly changed her approach. “Then I’ll hire you. My payment is the location of two Advanced Cards. They’re at least four-star, maybe even five-star.”
Seeing how certain Sage Bishop seemed, Perry Yates was intrigued. “If they really are Advanced Cards, you’d be willing to part with them?” she asked.
‘Of course I wouldn’t want to, but it’s not like I have a choice.’
“As you can see, I haven’t even found my own cards yet. I’m in no position to claim two that clearly don’t belong to me.”
“What do you want?”
Perry Yates asked after a moment of thought.
‘Besides, I know who Sage Bishop is. If she tries to trick me, she can’t blame me for being ruthless.’
Just then, Sage Bishop suddenly shivered.
“I want you to protect me until I find all four of my cards.”
Hearing this, Perry Yates replied, “And if you can’t find them? Am I supposed to protect you indefinitely?”
Sage Bishop hesitated. “Then let’s make it four days. You protect me for four days, and I’ll tell you where the two cards are.”
“What if someone else gets to the cards during those four days? Tell me the location first.”
Sage Bishop was about to refuse when she met Perry Yates’s half-smiling, slightly threatening gaze. She instantly fell silent. ‘I almost forgot,’ she thought. ‘I don’t have the right to refuse.’
“F-fine. But after you get the cards, you have to keep your promise and protect me.”