Chapter 76: Poverty-stricken

    It couldn’t be...

    Shen Nianzu stared at the playful jester on the phone screen with utter disbelief.

    Joker, the ever elusive and mysterious skill card that was rumored only to be bestowed upon the Nightmare’s favorite players. It was a character that defied conventions and danced on the fringe of order and chaos; an embodiment of unpredictability that challenged the notions of logic and reason.

    No one knew whether the Joker still card would replace Ace as the strongest card, or whether it would stay at the bottom of the rung below level 2, but one thing for certain, it was a skill card full of enigma waiting to be unfolded.

    And today, he finally had the chance to see it for himself.

    "Hello? Earth to Nian’er~" Jin Jiuchi waved his hand in front of Shen Nianzu’s face when he saw that the man was lost in thought, effectively snapping him out of his trance. "What’s wrong? Is it so shocking? I think this Joker suits me quite well, no?" He flashed a mischievous grin at the jade doll and winked.

    ...Jin Jiuchi was not wrong. The Joker skill card indeed looked like it had been tailored made just for him. Not that Shen Nianzu would ever admit it out loud.

    Shen Nianzu came back to his senses with a gasp, and as soon as the full realization dawned on him, he immediately exclaimed out loud, "Jin Jiuchi!"

    Jin Jiuchi was taken aback, not expecting that the jade doll’s reaction would be this excessive. "W–What?"

    "You got the Joker skill card!" A flush rose on his cheeks and his pale purple eyes gleamed in excitement. "Oh my God, you really got the Joker! All this time, I have actually been skeptical whether it’s really the truth because no one has come forward to attest that they own one, but now, it seems like Joker really exists as the fourteenth level among the skill cards!"

    Jin Jiuchi had never seen the jade doll look so excited before, and he couldn’t help but become thrilled as well even though he had no idea what was this card’s appeal save for its rarity. He punched the air and grinned from ear to ear, "Yes, I got the Joker!"

    "Let’s see what the skill card is all about!"

    "Okay!" Jin Jiuchi nodded. With both of their heads nuzzled against each other, they sat close to read Jin Jiuchi’s profile together.

    Name: Jin Jiuchi

    Age: —

    Rank: Intermediate

    Total Cycle: 1

    Total experience points: 1000

    Skill cards: [A Wild Beast’s Psyche], [Yin Yang Beast]

    Props: —

    Organization: —

    Total Rank: Calculating...

    Shen Nianzu’s jaws dropped. Not only because of the massive experience points which could usually be amassed through four low level Cycles, but also because of the skill cards. There were two... Oh God, Jin Jiuchi obtained two skill cards on his very first Cycle!

    He was so occupied by these two shocking facts that he failed to notice how the column on Jin Jiuchi’s age was left empty, which was a matter worth ruminating after.

    "You have two skill cards..." he murmured in daze.

    As far as he knew, a player would obtain skill card only after they went through their first Cycle and became an intermediate player. Skill card symbolized the Nightmare’s acknowledgment, and it would be an unique power that entirely relied on the player’s luck and affinity.

    Take Zhi as example, his skill card ’Flame Larceny’ implied that he had natural affinity toward element of fire and he only got that because he was a thief in real life. Suppose another player also had a natural affinity toward fire, but if their real occupation was a firefighter, then the skill card they received might be the exact opposite of Zhi’s.

    No one had the identical skill card in the world, the same as how no one could obtain two skill cards.

    Or... was it because of the Joker?

    "Is that so shocking?" Jin Jiuchi asked, still utterly oblivious that he would become a trending topic for sure if this matter were to be exposed in the forum. He eagerly clicked on the first skill card to reveal the full description.

    Skill Card: A Wild Beast’s Psyche

    Skill Type: Shape-shifting

    Skill Level: 8

    "Huh?" Jin Jiuchi tilted his head in confusion. "This is not the Joker. But level 8... it should be fairly powerful, right?"

    Skill Description: With a mesmerizing metamorphosis, he transcends his mortal form, shedding the constraints of humanity and embracing the essence of a colossal beast. He is the guardian of the wild and the symbol of untamed majesty.

    Number of usage per Cycle: 4

    Question marks flew above Jin Jiuchi’s head as he read through this. "Nian’er, what does it say? Why can’t I understand anything?"

    Shen Nianzu barely managed to recover from his shock to snort at Jin Jiuchi’s adorable remark. "It’s okay, you will find that the Nightmare is unusually... poetic. It likes to give obscure and mysterious description and asks players to explore their own skill card instead. But at least, we know something about yours. Here, look at this. You got a shape-shifting skill card so you will be able to change form into..." his gaze landed on the words ’colossal beast’ and he fell silent for a second. "...something inhuman."

    Jin Jiuchi’s eyes lit up and he asked eagerly, "Can I try it right now? I want to see what kind of form I will shift into!"

    Unfortunately, Shen Nianzu shook his head, dampening Jin Jiuchi’s excitement in an instant. "You can only use your skill card in the real world after you reach the level of Queen, King or Ace. This is to prevent players from carelessly using their power to create chaos and disorder."

    "Aww, it’s such a pity..." Jin Jiuchi’s shoulders slumped. "Then how do I reach level Queen?"

    Shen Nianzu let out a scoff and he reached out to tap on the level bracket. A pop up appeared – ’To upgrade skill card to level 9, you need 6000 experience points.’

    "S–Six thousand..." Jin Jiuchi sputtered out in shock. "I only have 1000 points, and I still need to buy props! When will I be able to upgrade my skill card?!" For the very first time, Jin Jiuchi learned how horrible it was to be poverty-stricken.

    His passionate remark earned him a knock on his head, and Jin Jiuchi let out a dramatic ’ow!’ and gave the jade doll puppy dog eyes. "Nian’er, what was that for?!"

    "Be patient," Shen Nianzu clicked his tongue in exasperation. "You have only gone through one Cycle, so what do you expect? Actually, you should be grateful already because low level Cycle only yield 250 points at most. I only got 200 points myself."

    "Oh..." Jin Jiuchi immediately felt better when he heard that, and he rubbed his nose sheepishly. "So I’m richer than all of you, huh?"

    "One more thing," Shen Nianzu added. "There are five rank distinctions between players: Newbie, Intermediate, Veteran, Elite and Legendary. Look here, you have gone through one Cycle so you are an Intermediate player now. Don’t worry, you will receive more points after you level up and there are also some special Cycles that yield twice or thrice the experience points."

    Jin Jiuchi nodded like chicken pecking rice. "How about you, Nian’er? What rank of a player are you? And come to think of it, you have never told me your skill card!"

    Shen Nianzu was really helpless against how oblivious Jin Jiuchi was. "Next time, you should not ask someone about their skill card. Remember what I said that other players can steal your skill card after they kill you? If you ask a question like that, they will misunderstand that you are aiming for their skill card, understand?"

    "So many rules," Jin Jiuchi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "So I can’t ask what your skill card is?"

    "You can, but..." Shen Nianzu pondered for a while, then he cleared his throat and said, "It’s hard for me to explain it to you now. Well, you will see it later in the Cycle sooner or later. And oh, by the way, I am a veteran player."

    "You are a veteran player?" Jin Jiuchi stared at him like a child seeing jars full of candy being displayed on the glass cabinet, his eyes twinkling in awe and fascination. "Nian’er is so powerful, how can he be—hmph!" His mouth was shut once again by the jade doll, causing him to put on an aggrieved look.

    "I am just average, okay? There’s no need for you to exaggerate so much!" Shen Nianzu glared at him with his cheeks heating up in embarrassment, and only when Jin Jiuchi nodded did he deign to let go of the hand clasping the man’s mouth.

    However, Jin Jiuchi immediately opened his mouth again, "But still—"

    Shen Nianzu cut him off with a sharp hiss, "Do you want us to stay here until morning or do you want to have a look at your Joker skill card?"

    ’Both sounds very appealing...’ was the thought that crossed Jin Jiuchi’s mind. But knowing that the jade doll disliked it when he praised him, Jin Jiuchi could only let out a harrumph and turn back to the phone.

    The second skill card – [Yin Yang Beast]

    He clicked on it.