Russell cleared off the desk and laid out the three materials and the blank card one by one.
As a card maker, the cards one could craft generally fell into two categories: creature cards and item cards.
Beyond those, there were also more complex types like chain cards, legion cards, and so on.
But those were far beyond Russell's reach right now.
What he was preparing at this moment was a creature card.
Recalling the figure that flashed through his mind, Russell took a deep breath. "Alright, I've made up my mind. It's going to be you."
Picking up the standard-issued school drawing pen, Russell slowly began sketching on the blank white card—a young man with black hair and strange reddish-brown markings on his forehead.
After some time, Russell exhaled deeply as he finished the drawing, feeling his energy significantly drained.
But the most critical step was just beginning.
Stacking the four items together, Russell slowly channeled his mental energy into them.
Suddenly, he found himself in a void.
A distant voice echoed in his consciousness.
[Please begin composing your story.]
[Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a man of the Warring States period, born of the same mother as his older brother, Michikatsu Tsugikuni.]
[Due to the strange markings on his forehead at birth, he was disliked by his father.]
[He shared a deep bond with his brother.]
[At the age of seven, Yoriichi displayed astonishing swordsmanship talent. Because of this, his father decided to pass the family legacy to him.]
[Yoriichi, unwilling to steal his brother's position, said farewell and left home.]
[After leaving, he met a girl named Uta, and the two began living together.]
[At eighteen, Yoriichi married Uta.]
[When she was pregnant, Yoriichi went out to find a midwife. On the way, he helped an old man and returned too late—Uta was killed by demons.]
[Upon returning home and witnessing the tragedy, Yoriichi sat in silence for ten days.]
[Eventually, he encountered a demon-slaying swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps.]
[To avenge his wife, Yoriichi joined the Corps and taught its members his own breathing technique.]
[During a mission in a bamboo forest, Yoriichi encountered the progenitor of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, and his subordinate Tamayo. Yoriichi's overwhelming strength terrified Muzan, but due to the demon lord's powerful regeneration, Muzan managed to escape.]
[Tamayo's tragic backstory moved Yoriichi, and he chose to let her go.]
[Because of that decision, and the betrayal of his brother Michikatsu—who joined Muzan and killed the Corps leader—Yoriichi was expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps.]
[After his expulsion, Yoriichi met the Kamado family. Through his interactions with them, he slowly opened up.]
[He passed on the Sun Breathing technique to Tanjiro Kamado, who vowed to carry on his legacy.]
[At the age of 80, Yoriichi confronted his now-demon brother, who had taken on the name Kokushibo.]
[Yoriichi swung his blade and struck Michikatsu in the neck before he could react.]
[However, Yoriichi never made the second strike—his life had reached its end.]
Once the story was finished, Russell waited quietly for judgment.
Before long, he felt a mysterious force acknowledge the story he had crafted.
His consciousness returned to the small room.
Suddenly, man-eating demons appeared before him.
He was frozen by the overwhelming pressure of their presence—until a young man wielding a long blade stepped in front of him.
His crimson eyes gleamed with blood-red intensity, and his flaming sword cut down the demons one after another.
[Ghost Hunter · Yoriichi Tsugikuni]Rank: Black IronQuality: Purple (White → Green → Blue → Purple → Gold → Red → Rainbow)Type: CreatureSkills:– Crimson Blade: Through immense grip strength or weapon clashes, the blade's temperature rises and turns crimson. This dramatically increases damage against demon-type enemies, and greatly slows their regeneration.– Sun Breathing Technique: Enhances the cardiovascular system, allowing rapid oxygen intake to temporarily boost physical capabilities to a demon-like level.– Transparent World: Once activated, it significantly improves the user's ability to predict movements and dodge attacks, even enabling them to see lung movement and blood flow in opponents.Traits:– Marking: When the special forehead markings activate, the user's physical performance increases greatly.Description: A vengeful ghost hunter who vowed to eradicate all demons.Bond: When used together with any Michikatsu Tsugikuni series cards, activates [Brotherly Rivalry].
Russell held his breath, suppressing his excitement, and gently picked up the card. "I did it…"
It was worth noting that the same story could result in different cards depending on the materials used.
For example, high-tier materials wouldn't yield a beginner-level card. Similarly, some cards were "fixed-form" with no growth potential.
Clearly, the materials Russell used this time matched the story very well.
He successfully crafted Yoriichi Tsugikuni—though, due to the low-tier materials, this version wasn't nearly as strong as in the source material.
He gently pressed the card to his forehead, releasing a trace of spiritual energy.
[Ghost Hunter · Yoriichi Tsugikuni]
The card turned into a faint glow and entered his mind.
Inside his consciousness, Russell touched the card lightly with his mental energy.
In an instant, a black-haired, red-eyed man wielding a katana appeared beside him—Yoriichi himself.
Yoriichi scanned the surroundings, then gave Russell a slight nod and leaned silently against the wall with his eyes closed.
Russell took a deep breath and quickly snapped a photo with his phone.
"Mr. Wang, I made the card. It's a purple-tier."
[Photo attached]
At that very moment, Mr. Wang, his homeroom teacher, stared at the message in disbelief.
Purple.
To get into the elite class at Shanghai No. 1 High School, students only needed to make a blue-tier card of the Black Iron rank.
A purple-tier card was good enough to be considered a seed-level prospect.
But Russell had always been a mid-tier student in class. Even a blue-tier card would've been surprising.
Somewhat skeptical, Mr. Wang replied:
"Russell, are you sure? If it doesn't pass the verification test, you'll lose your card maker qualifications forever."
"I'm sure. I'll test it at school tomorrow."
This kid shouldn't be lying. Even if he fooled me, he wouldn't be able to trick the test.
Mr. Wang looked at the messages and sighed, then replied:
"Alright. Come find me when school starts tomorrow. I'll take you for the test."
"If it passes, you'll move up to the elite class."
Seeing the reply, Russell let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mr. Wang."
Putting away his phone, he quietly observed Yoriichi in front of him.
It had to be said—Yoriichi's appearance was stunning. The emotionless face and the red-brown markings stood out vividly.
Exhaling slowly, Russell felt like he had taken a solid first step in this strange new world.
Just then, the television—still playing in the background—flashed red with an emergency broadcast.
"[Demon Nest] has experienced an unknown mutation. Citizens are advised to head to the nearest shelter immediately."
"Repeat: [Demon Nest] has experienced an unknown mutation. Please evacuate immediately."