The Card Apprentice

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Though the individual size of snow wasps was the smallest among these few types of beasts, its senses were the most perceptive. A few snow wasps stealthily fluttered towards Chen Mu, and the unsurpassably sharp stings glimmered with a palpitating metallic shine.

Chen Mu suddenly detected a whiff of danger. His heart was as settled as still water. The surrounding scenery was as though reflected on the peaceful surface of a lake, and so clear that it felt a little unreal.

His perception had always been slightly different from everyone else's. It wasn't quite sensitive towards energy fluctuations, but could always capture tangible objects with ease and accuracy.

Such as these few snow wasps.

They made use of the cover provided by the leaves. The entirely pure white body was hard to discern in an environment heaped with snow everywhere, but Chen Mu discovered them very easily.

Having witnessed the might of the snow wasp's sting, he dared not belittle it in the slightest. He cast a glance at Mo Ta. These card artisans were each crazed by bloodlust. Could it be that they had forgotten his own presence?

This thought merely flashed by in his mind, and his attention was placed upon the few snow wasps approaching him silently. He must get rid of these few snow wasps presently, and without causing too big a commotion. Otherwise, not only would it catch the attention of this group of card artisans, but also would those beasts not leave the matter be.

He was the culprit after all!

Chen Mu hid behind a stout trunk. The tree in front of him had a diameter of about eight meters and could easily conceal his figure. His perception was fixedly locked onto these few snow wasps. Evidently, they wanted to ambush him!

Chen Mu suddenly seemed like a lizard, climbing up the tree with odd agility. The view from the tree wasn't too good as the dense foliage could block one's view. Ordinary card artisans' perception could hardly be of any use in such complex geography and they could only rely on their eyes experience.

However, to Chen Mu, these branches and leaves were but a minor problem. The few snow wasps were still under the close surveillance of his perception.

Chen Mu's movements were exceedingly gentle, like a leopard cat. The Patterned Shuttle was actually most suitable for such an environment. This kind of long ranged attack cards, similar to the Whorled Sniper Shuttle, could easily obliterate beasts with lackluster defense abilities like the snow wasps.

After weighing his options for a moment, Chen Mu did not choose the Patterned Shuttle and intended to use the Hundred Changes instead. The Patterned Shuttle would make loud noises which would be extremely easy to alarm the card artisans and the beasts in the fray.

A light cyan, whip-shaped energy body the thickness of a thumb appeared, and if one to look closer, one would discover that the edges of this energy whip was covered with serrated blades and was extremely sharp. The energy blade-whip was about five meters in length. Though this length wasn't exactly long, the difficulty in control was smaller as well.

Mo Ta's energy chain had given him considerable inspiration and even triggered his memory of Mark Victor's Twisted Spinning Thorns. The energy blade-whip's advantages were an attack range further than a handheld wavy blade and a larger variety and increased flexibility of variations. Its weak points were the lack in power of its attacks and the high demands of perceptual control.

But Chen Mu's choosing of the energy whip at present was just right. Snow wasps' defense capabilities weren't strong and great attacking power wasn't necessary. Besides, to fight close up with a beast so nimble in flight and possessed of mid-ranged attacking abilities like the snow wasp was truly too dangerous.

Pity that he didn't know how the structure of that energy chain in Mo Ta's hands was actually built. Otherwise, he could have used it as a reference. He was very curious about that golden yellow energy chain, especially that "explode". He had racked his brains and still couldn't figure out its principle.

Nevertheless, he was still rather confident in the energy blade-whip formed from Hundred Changes.

The energy blade-whip coiled up in loops and was held loosely in his hand.

The branch of this tree was thicker than a man's thigh and Chen Mu could walk on it steadily. His body had an excellent sense of balance. Even without a jet stream card, he could calmly run on it speedily.

The snow wasps hadn't yet found out that Chen Mu was no longer at the original place. They took a roundabout route to outflank him and with the cover of leaves, they wanted to fly to behind Chen Mu. The surrounding was full of dense foliage and branches the thickness of arms, and with incredible grace, they flitted about amongst them.

They hadn't expected that the prey in their eyes had become the predator, lying in wait on the path by which they must pass.

A leading snow wasp stopped abruptly, and the snowy white feelers on its forehead seemed to be quivering gently. The other few snow wasps halted one after another too, hovering in mid-air among the leaves.

Sure enough, the six senses of the snow wasps are truly sensitive! Exclaiming inwardly, Chen Mu chose to make a move!

A ray of pale cyan light suddenly shot out from amidst the dense foliage and accurately impaled the body of a snow wasp. Before the other snow wasps comprehended the situation, this blade-whip formed from pale cyan energy had instantly retracted.

Chen Mu, who had ambushed successfully, conveniently rolled back like a rubber ball.

Thump!

A sting hit the place where Chen Mu had been a moment ago. The power of the sting was tremendous and the branch, thick as an arm, was actually forcibly snapped by the shot from the middle like pulp. The still powerful sting buried into the ground, leaving just a deep hole the size of a finger.

Chen Mu felt the branch under him quake and almost fell to the ground.

A sting this size actually contained so terrifying a power. If it were to hit a human body…

Chen Mu felt his scalp going numb. He hadn't felt it while spectating the battle between the black-faced burly man and the snow wasps, but presently while he himself was at it, he understood how deadly was the plain-looking sting! Actually, when he had heard the sound of the sting hitting the branch a moment ago, he had already known something was not right. An ordinary sting shot into wood would usually produce a sound similar to a "thud", but the sound Chen Mu had heard a moment ago was a dull "thump".

Nonetheless, he reacted exceptionally fast. His two legs encircled the remaining half of the incessantly shaking branch, his body swung as agilely as an ape and appeared instantly below this swarm of snow wasps, and the energy blade-whip looped into a coil in his hand was like the flicking tongue of a poisonous snake.

Whizz!

As though a piece of paper was stabbed by a sharp blade, another snow wasp was punctured by the long thin blade whip.

Hit with just one shot, Chen Mu's legs exerted strength instantly. Whoosh, a sting flew by against his shoulder. The agitated air was like a knife, a cut was slit on the shoulder area of Chen Mu's battle suit, and a trace of blood seeped out.

Chen Mu's heart felt a little chilled, but his movements were exceedingly quick. His attention had never been so focussed. The occasional sound of explosions from nearby and Mo Ta's bellows of rage were completely disregarded by him. His world was strangely quiet, with only the humming from the fluttering of the snow wasps' snowy white wings.

His speed was very fast, and he flew forward with odd agility in the gaps between the branches. Every now and then both hands and feet would be used together, and the humming close behind was like the sound of hastening death.

His nerves were strung tight and the strong sense of danger still clung about in his heart. Different from the tension in the nerves, he had to do all he could to maintain his body in a relaxed state. Only in such a state could he make use of his greatest capabilities.

This was the experience concluded from facing off with Wei-ah.

The spread-out perception allowed every grass and every tree around Chen Mu to be reflected in his heart with unparalleled clarity. Precisely with the help of perception could he find the best route among the overgrown and air-tight foliage and maintain flying at high speed.

Up ahead was a cluster of dense foliage and Chen Mu plunged in without any hesitation.

The snow wasps behind him sank lower and were attempting to outflank him from below the leaves.

Precisely at this moment, a sudden cyan ray shot out from the leaves above the snow wasps without any sign. A snow wasp which couldn't dodge in time let out a whimper and was impaled by the cyan ray.

The blade-whip was stretched taut and looked like a thin energy sword. The other end was buried among the leaves.

The enemy's there!

Without any hesitation, the last snow wasp shot out the sting on its tail end like lightning in the direction of the energy blade-whip.

Yet, the piteous cry expected did not ring out, and this snow wasp seemed confused about this. Past experience seemed insufficient in explaining the current situation.

Not far from where the straight blade-whip sunk into the leaves was an abrupt 90-degree corner and two meters further horizontally was actually Chen Mu's right hand.

When Chen Mu plunged into the foliage a moment ago, he hadn't chosen to move forward, but suddenly stopped instead and stealthily waited in ambush. Given his abilities, it wasn't enough to attack two snow wasps in one go. And after attacking the first snow wasp, he would definitely be counter-attacked by the other accompanying snow wasp.

The might of sting had almost caused him a significant disadvantage, the still shaken Chen Mu had a flash of inspiration and came up with this solution. Chen Mu was at present as though holding an L-shaped energy blade-whip.

Lucky that I chose the blade-whip. If it were an energy sword, I might have already been penetrated by this sting. Chen Mu was inwardly extremely relieved.

He was entirely unaware of how strong was the perceptual control required in maneuvering the energy blade-whip forward at high speed in an L-shaped trajectory as he had just done.

A snow wasp without its sting was akin to a tiger without teeth and claws.

However, Chen Mu didn't intend to let these stingless snow wasps live. If they attracted companions, then the unfortunate one would be himself.

The energy blade-whip lashed out and brilliant rays flashed. The snow wasps, unable to flee in time, were impaled one after another. They had long been locked on by Chen Mu's perception.

Bang bang bang!

Three concentrated explosions sounded from behind him in quick succession. Chen Mu was a little shocked and immediately hurried back in stealth.

While he was running swiftly, he was considering carefully. Not one of this gang of card artisans could be allowed to escape. Otherwise, he could forget about leaving this stretch of forest. The adversary's scouting card artisan was really too strong. If this guy didn't die, his own chance of survival would be minimal.

The Chen Mu who stole back wasn't aware that the Ah Xin in charge of scouting had already died.

When he saw clearly the scene on the battlefield, he couldn't help having a huge shocked.