Chapter 33: Broken Black Hair, Transferred Pain!-Mass Job Change: My Skills Are All Forbidden Spells with a Ten Thousand Times Boost(By the banks of the Ruoshui River, the wine cups drift along the gentle current.)

At the same time, the commotion on the stage drew the attention of the judges.

“That Card Master has quite a talent. That last prediction was rather impressive. If his opponent hadn’t been an assassin, he would’ve been done for—any other class would have been skewered right through,” the young man couldn’t help but praise Wang Qiang’s skill.

“Indeed. With some proper training, he might become a fine warrior in the future,” the white-haired elder agreed, then added, “If I’m not mistaken, the deck at his waist should be a gold-tier weapon.”

“Seems like another rich kid,” the middle-aged woman remarked with a smile, her gaze ever fixed on the girl contestants. The hypnotist on the field had already been scared out of her wits, still unable to recover. The other girl was tending to herself, showing nothing remarkable, which had long since lost the woman’s interest.

“But it’s only a gold-tier item. Some dungeons do drop them on occasion—maybe the kid just got lucky, or perhaps it’s a family heirloom,” the middle-aged man offered in Wang Qiang’s defense, still holding a trace of interest in him.

The woman snorted. “You think gold equipment is as common as cabbage? Just because it can drop doesn’t mean you’ll get one, let alone one that fits his class so perfectly.”

“I say, he’s just a privileged brat, decked out in the best gear his family could buy.”

The man rolled his eyes, replying coldly, “Forget it. There’s no point arguing with a lunatic like you.”

“And you think I want to talk to you?”

...

By now, the match had reached a stalemate. Xu Jiamei was so shaken by the earlier attack that she was on the verge of surrendering.

Meanwhile, Zhang Siwen dared not make a reckless move; if he were hit by a card, he might be seriously injured. Hypnotists were support types, but even a level-three healer couldn’t make him forget the pain. Yet, to break the deadlock, he had to get close to Wang Qiang.

“Xu Jiamei, one more time. Put Wang Qiang under hypnosis—I need to get close to have a chance,” Zhang Siwen urged, but she hesitated, paralyzed by fear.

“Xu Jiamei!” he shouted, snapping her out of her terror. “Are you really this scared? If we get into a good school, fighting will be an everyday thing. If you can’t overcome even this, you might as well quit now. Besides, there are rules—do you really think Wang Qiang could kill you?”

“This is our chance to show what we can do.”

Hearing Zhang Siwen’s words, Xu Jiamei realized this was only a competition—what was there to be afraid of?

“Fine, leave it to me!” Her eyes grew resolute. “You may not be much as a person, but you’re a decent fighter.”

“You don’t have to tell me that!” With that, Zhang Siwen charged forward again. Wang Qiang immediately drew two cards, about to launch them, when Xu Jiamei began to chant.

“Esteemed God of Illusions, grant me the power to change all things.

I will make faith in you the purpose of my life.

I will worship you as the heartbeat in my chest.”

In that instant, strange marks appeared in Xu Jiamei’s pupils, faint lines swirling in her eyes. When she moved them, they spun like whirlpools.

“Confusion!”

With her final word, Wang Qiang felt a sudden surge of anxiety just as he released the cards. A bizarre thought echoed in his mind.

“You won’t hit him!”

The cards flew, but instead of striking Zhang Siwen, they veered off to either side, embedding themselves in the ground.

“Well done!” Zhang Siwen praised her, then strode up to Wang Qiang, sneering.

“Let’s see if you have any close combat skills now that you can’t use your cards, Card Master!”

“Esteemed God of Assassins, grant me the ultimate power of assassination!

I will make assassination my life’s creed!

I will worship you as my sole faith!”

In that moment, Zhang Siwen’s movements became ghostly—he seemed weightless as he lunged, claws bared.

Wang Qiang tried to dodge, but that voice echoed in his mind again.

“You can’t escape!”

A brief hesitation—then the iron claw tore into his arm, leaving a deep gash. He could feel the heat of his own blood; if he didn’t stop the bleeding soon, these two would wear him down.

“Wang Qiang, I doubt that arm can throw cards anymore,” Zhang Siwen said smugly. But this was the entrance examination—victory by any means necessary; he didn’t care about honor.

“And what use is a Card Master who can’t throw cards? Utter trash!”

With that, he lunged again. Wang Qiang’s left arm was limp; even the slightest movement sent pain coursing through him. With his right hand, Wang Qiang drew a card from the silkwood deck and blocked the iron claw. Sparks flew as metal scraped against card, and Wang Qiang lashed out with a kick—not strong, but enough to widen the distance between them.

Zhang Siwen sneered, “Wang Qiang, no matter how you struggle, it’s pointless. You’re just wasting everyone’s time.”

Was this really the end?

Wang Qiang struggled to accept it. How could he face Lin Han like this? He hadn’t managed to bring out the true power of the Aoki deck. Did he even deserve to possess it?

As Wang Qiang doubted himself, the three of them were suddenly interrupted by Liu Yun’s voice, rising in a high chant.

“All things awaken, all creatures rejoice.

Rouse those who slumber, let spring’s song ring forth.

Esteemed Goddess of Spring, I am your most devoted follower—grant me the power to heal all things...

Double Silken Threads!”

Suddenly, the pain in Wang Qiang’s arm faded. When he moved it again, it was as if the wound no longer existed.

“Wang Qiang, it’s all yours now!” Liu Yun called through gritted teeth, clutching her right arm.

She had transferred all of Wang Qiang’s injuries onto herself—and she would bear the pain in his place.