【Crack Distortion Reduced by 3%, Current: 9%】

【Total Elimination: You didn’t spare a single monster in the crack, reward +20%

Underdog Victory: As a Vision Awakener, you dared to come alone, reward +20%

Quick and Decisive: You were really fast, reward +20%

Mutated BOSS Kill: Even after feeding, it still couldn’t beat you? Reward +40%】

【Settlement complete, overall rating: S, Perfect Clearance for the Blade Aspect.

You have received a Skill Card Chest and a Transcendent Profession Card: Chef.】

As the prompt appeared, a red card fell into his hand.

On the front of the card was a chef grinning as he cooked a shark.

Transcendent Profession Card: Chef, acquired!

Chen Qi happily stashed it away and looked at the prompt in front of him.

【Would you like to draw the Skill Card Chest? (Rare Blade Aspect 16%, Common Blade Aspect 44%, Rare Cup Aspect 10%, Common Cup Aspect 30%)】

Aside from black market trading, the main way to get profession skill cards was through rewards from clearing cracks.

Common skill cards only slightly increased knowledge, most of which could be learned over time.

But rare profession cards either gave a medium boost to knowledge, or they were actual Transcendent Skills!

Normally, E-rank cracks only had a chance to drop rare profession cards under perfect ratings.

16% chance for a rare Blade Aspect card, 10% for a rare Cup Aspect card…

His luck was on the low side, so even with a perfect clear, the odds of drawing a rare card were slim.

This was undoubtedly a critical moment for testing his luck!

Cup Aspect skill cards might get overridden by the Chef’s Transcendent skills.

If possible, he wanted a rare Blade Aspect skill card to further boost his combat power.

Chen Qi rubbed his hands together, excitedly thinking to himself:

“Draw the card!”

Time to test his luck!

With a gust of wind, a bright red skill card materialized mid-air!

Rare!

Wait — Cup Aspect?

Chen Qi frowned. On the back of the card was the image of a blood chalice.

But something seemed slightly off.

Within the blood of the Holy Grail, there was a bright red, sharp blade.

A rare skill card from the Blade-Cup Aspect!

Chen Qi was stunned.

This could count as drawing a rare Blade Aspect skill card too.

【Blade Body Tempering Method – Beginner

Aspect: Cup, Blade

Description: There’s an insurmountable wall between armed and unarmed combat. So, make the body as sharp as the blade — I am that wall!

Effect: Practicing this skill increases Strength and Constitution, and grants the active skill “Burst.”

Burst: Consumes spirit power to greatly boost damage resistance and strength for a short period. (This skill scales with Constitution and Strength — the higher the stats, the stronger the skill.)】

A skill card that increases Constitution and Strength!

Chen Qi was thrilled.

He had expected to draw something like “Swallow Return,” “Flowing Fist,” or “Soul-Dissolving Palm,” but he ended up with a tempering technique instead.

Body tempering techniques, like breathing methods, were foundational skills and among the best ways to improve Constitution early on.

“Another attribute-boosting one, huh…”

As a strategy content creator, Chen Qi always focused on skill-based gameplay — his style was “outplay you.”

Of course, every flashy outplay was backed by at least ten embarrassing misplays.

But now, he was going further and further down the high-stat path.

This was just—

Awesome!

High stats meant higher error tolerance.

Chen Qi excitedly held the skill card, thinking:

‘Use it!’

The skill card dissolved into blood-red ink and dispersed in the air.

【You have learned Blade Body Tempering Method – Beginner.】

In that instant, Chen Qi felt a surge of knowledge flood his mind.

Countless images flashed before his eyes — training muscles, catching blades with bare hands, punching steel until it gave way…

Like a long, vivid dream.

As the dream ended, Chen Qi caught his breath, feeling slight changes in his body.

【Your Constitution +1, your Strength +1. Your body is digesting the Blade Body Tempering Method.】

【Your Constitution meets the requirement. Skill “Burst” acquired.】

“Whew…”

Chen Qi stretched a bit.

Skills like the Body Tempering Method still required physical training and proper diet to fully digest.

Eventually, it should provide at least +5 Constitution and +5 Strength — a solid stat boost.

Chen Qi stretched again.

With a creaking sound, a wound appeared in the restaurant wall in front of him. It slowly opened into a wormhole lined with sharp teeth.

【Crack complete. Please exit within 30 minutes. You cannot re-enter for two weeks.】

【Crack resetting…】

Many cracks generated extra exits upon completion.

And as long as distortion wasn’t zero, cracks would reset.

Chen Qi glanced at the prompt and looked around again.

Even though he’d obtained a Transcendent Profession Card and a rare body-tempering skill card…

There was still one important thing he hadn’t done.

Loot the place!

Items from within cracks were valuable — as long as he could carry them out, they’d sell for a fortune.

Chen Qi found a bag and started scavenging the crack.

The chef’s outfit was just worn-out cloth, the weapon was basic iron, and the food on the cutting board was all rotten fish…

Nothing valuable.

Chen Qi shook his head and crouched down to check under the cooking counter.

At that moment, he spotted a half-open cupboard.

Bang!

Chen Qi pried it open with his knife.

Inside were four bulging sacks.

At the same time, a strong fragrance wafted out.

Chen Qi’s eyes lit up:

“Is this… spices!”