Match Point!
7: Simulated Construction!
Match Point!
Chapter 7: Simulated Construction!
Match Point!
Through simulated construction, a Magic Card Master could map out and refine the creation process entirely within their own mind.
It consumed mental energy rather than physical resources, offering a far more stable alternative to burning through precious materials in reality.
According to Luke’s understanding of the system, if monster cards could be forged, then Spell Cards and Trap Cards should logically follow.
Yet, having lived in this Magic Card Civilization for years, he had never once heard of a Spell or Trap Card existing.
He needed to test the waters.
Just because this world hadn’t discovered them didn’t mean they were impossible to create.
Hearing Luke’s murmured plans, Mana’s emerald eyes sparkled.
She leaned in slightly, the faint, sweet scent of her magic lingering in the air, clearly eager to see what new equipment her master would conjure for her.
“Mana, I’ll leave the judgment calls to you for these next few waves,” Luke said, his voice calm and understated.
Having gauged the Dark Magician Girl’s overwhelming baseline strength, he felt entirely comfortable stepping back.
“I’m going AFK for a bit.” Even if the encroaching fierce beasts continued to scale in power, at their current rate of progression, it would be a long time before they posed any real threat to her.
His so-called ‘AFK’was simply a tactical meditation.
He needed uninterrupted focus to test the feasibility of crafting Spell and Trap Cards via the simulation.
Even if the theory held up, his pockets were currently empty; every last scrap of material from his starter package had been poured into summoning Mana.’Hopefully, the next batch of beasts will be a little more generous with their drops,’ Luke thought dryly.
“Not a problem, Master!” Mana puffed out her chest, the movement emphasizing her absolute devotion.
Knowing this concerned his future power, she flashed a radiant, confident smile.
“I absolutely won’t let a single beast disturb your rest.” “Good girl.” Luke reached out, gently pinching her soft cheek.
The brief, warm contact left a dusting of pink on her face before he withdrew, closed his eyes, and completely tuned out the ongoing examination.
“Holy shit!” The live stream chat exploded the moment he sat down.
“The absolute arrogance!
I have never seen an examinee disrespect the unified exam like this!” “It might not be the official college entrance exam, but it’s still the city-wide unified test!
Damn it, he literally just went AFK.
I wish I had the balls to do that.” The students from Third High School were practically vibrating with hype.
Regardless of the risk, Luke’s sheer audacity was currently leaving Wang Ping and Bei Hanyun in the dust.
“Hmph!
Don’t get too smug, Third High trash!” The bitter rivals from First and Second High School immediately fired back.
“Yeah, watch him capsize in a ditch on the next wave.
That’s going to be hilarious.” The chat dissolved into a toxic, heated war of words.
Meanwhile, inside the luxurious viewing room of the City Lord’s Mansion, Cang Fenghua leaned forward, his eyes locked on the screen.
“This is the overwhelming advantage of a high-intelligence Magic Card.” As a Sovereign Realm Magic Card Master, Cang Fenghua possessed his own highly sentient spirits.
But to forge a Magic Card Spirit with such terrifyingly high autonomy on the very first attempt?
Even he felt a twinge of sharp envy.
He hadn’t successfully created his first Perfect-grade, high-intelligence card until he reached the late stages of the Monarch Realm.
By comparison, Wang Ping’s Inferno Knight and Bei Hanyun’s Water Azure Beast—both solid intermediate-tier summons—possessed only average intelligence.
They still required constant, micromanaged verbal commands to function in combat.
“Indeed,” Principal Gu chimed in, stroking his chin.
“Though this is still the unified exam.
One cannot afford to be careless.” He paused, adopting a tone of faux-humility.
“Once this test concludes, I will be sure to lecture Luke properly.
Even a lion must use its full strength to hunt a rabbit, after all.” Despite his modest words, Principal Gu’s face was split into a grin of pure, unadulterated satisfaction.
Luke’s performance was giving him the ultimate face.
‘Flexing on these old fools feels incredible!’ Watching Gu’s insufferably smug expression, Zhao Chengyuan and Da Baiman felt their eyelids twitch violently.
If they weren’t sitting in the City Lord’s Mansion under Cang Fenghua’s watchful eye, they would have already flipped the table.
If Luke were present to witness this, he would have instantly thought of that classic internet meme—’I just love seeing that look of absolute, helpless jealousy on your face.’ [Do you want to enable simulated construction?
Please select the object for simulated construction!] Sitting cross-legged with his eyes shut, Luke cleared his mind, letting the noise of the arena fade away.
‘Spellbook.’ After a brief moment of deliberation, he selected the most fundamental magical equipment for his first test.
[Selected simulated construction object: Spellbook!
Simulation started!] The moment the system prompt faded, Luke felt a distinct, steady drain on his mental energy.
It wasn’t painful, but the pressure was heavy, like wading through deep water.
‘It works.
I can actually forge Spell and Trap Cards.’ A thrill of genuine excitement cut through his calm demeanor.
This revelation would exponentially multiply his tactical options in the future.
Simultaneously, a flood of complex knowledge regarding the creation of a Spellbook poured directly into his brain.
Runes, material synthesis ratios, and mana pathways etched themselves into his memory.
A translucent progress bar materialized in his mind’s eye, slowly ticking upward.
As long as he pushed that gauge to one hundred percent in the simulation, he would be guaranteed a flawless success rate when crafting the actual Spellbook in reality.
Time bled away.
Inside the massive examination center, flashes of white light continuously illuminated the hall as eliminated examinees were forcibly teleported out of the virtual space.
“Which round did you wipe on?” a breathless student asked, clutching his knees.
“My spirit got shredded in the fifth wave.” “I lasted a bit longer.
Got kicked out on round seven.
I wonder what my final grade is going to look like.” “Who cares about that right now?
Get to the monitors!” a student who had bombed out in the first stage yelled, waving frantically.
“It’s match point!” Match point?
What the hell does that mean?
Isn’t the exam still going?
The newly eliminated students exchanged confused glances, but after a rapid-fire explanation from the crowd, they surged toward the massive live stream displays.
“A Four-Star Legacy-grade Inferno Knight…
Wang Ping is a monster!” “Only Legacy-grade?
Bei Hanyun from our Second High forged a Four-Star Collection-grade Water Azure Beast!” “Who gives a damn about a knight or some wet dog?” a Third High student roared.
“In front of our Dark Magician Girl, they’re all garbage!” As the elimination count skyrocketed, the number of active feeds dwindled.
Once the fierce beasts scaled up to the terrifying Four-Star threshold, the entire unified exam space was wiped clean—save for three lone survivors: Luke, Bei Hanyun, and Wang Ping.
The entire student body from all three rival academies was now crammed into these three remaining streams, and the verbal crossfire in the hall reached a fever pitch.
“Wave twelve is spawning!
Holy shit, the beast is Five-Star this time?!” “A Five-Star beast…
Even Luke and the other two are going to hit a brick wall here.” Back in the simulated environment, the ground ruptured.
Five-Star ordinary fierce beast: Wood Spirit Vine!
A flash of raw tension tightened Wang Ping’s eyes.
Even though his Inferno Knight held a massive elemental advantage over the Wood Spirit Vine, the sheer stat suppression brought by a full level disparity was suffocating.
“Inferno Knight, attack!” Facing the towering, writhing mass of spiked vines, Wang Ping screamed his command.
He had to seize the initiative, or he would be crushed instantly.
Roaring through the virtual forest, the Inferno Knight charged the colossal plant beast.
Searing flames erupted from the knight’s heavy armor, coalescing into a dense, destructive barrier of pure heat.
Flame Shield!
Without breaking stride, the knight leveled its massive spear.
The weapon spun at a blinding velocity, whipping the surrounding fire into a localized, devastating vortex that tore across the battlefield.
Flame Tornado!
Even through the digital screens in the real world, the audience could see the air distorting and warping from the sheer, blistering heat.
In that fleeting moment, the Inferno Knight looked like an unstoppable god of fire, radiating a lethal, powerful aura.
[Akarin’s Note: Enjoying the story?