Chapter 465: Emperor Qin · Zhou Ning
Overall, not bad at all. Even though this card didn't unlock any outfit blueprints, the sheer power of that synergy alone was already absurd. As a collector, Zhou Ning felt genuinely delighted.
The second card was dimmer than the other two, but still an orange card—and an old acquaintance. It was also the first template that looked like two characters fused into one, giving it a striking, dramatic appearance.
It showed two versions of himself on the same card. On the left was himself bathed in light, with golden star-shaped hair, wearing a school uniform, and a pyramid-shaped pendant hanging from his chest. Back-to-back with him stood another version of himself shrouded in darkness, wearing ancient Egyptian clothing and the same pyramid pendant. The one in darkness had slightly turned his head, looking past the card's edge, his cloak lifting faintly behind him.
Personality: calm, steadfast, values friendship
Talents: Shadow Game (red), King of Duels (orange), Lucky Draw (orange)
Skills: Ritual of Battle (master), Power of Darkness (master), Fated Draw (grandmaster)
Title: Nameless Pharaoh · Zhou Ning
Price: 900 Traversal Coins
[Note: Nameless Pharaoh · Zhou Ning enters with all decks he possesses. Outfit crafting unlocks the blueprint: Card—Dark Magician Girl. This function cannot be reversed.]
It's you—Yami Yugi! Zhou Ning hadn't expected his power level to reach the orange tier. Was there even anything to think about? Instant purchase!
Even though this template was more like a borderline orange card with uncertain overall strength, if it truly allowed him to manifest every monster from every deck he owned, clearing a world wouldn't be an issue at all.
After purchasing it, two new outfit blueprints appeared as expected.
Outfit: Card · Dark Magician Girl
Stats: Spirit +3
Effect: Contains Mana, disciple of Mahad—the priest who wielded the Millennium Puzzle under Pharaoh Atem three thousand years ago. Using this outfit unlocks her for 5 minutes. (Uses remaining: 5/5)
The materials weren't many, but the effect wasn't necessarily that strong for his own use. Zhou Ning considered selling it to players—better than nothing.
Then came the card he anticipated the most: the customary mediocre slot.
And when he saw it, Zhou Ning finally let out a breath.
It was here. It finally arrived!
He recognized it immediately—this was one he could actually afford!
It showed Zhou Ning wearing a black crown and a black imperial robe. His expression was cold as he sat upon a golden throne, exuding a crushing presence that made the very earth seem to bow beneath him.
Personality: proud, authoritative, ambitious, deeply inquisitive
Talents: Leadership Charm (orange), Mechanical Ascension (orange), Future Technology (red)
Skills: Outfit Crafting (master), Precision Mechanical Engineering (divine), Scientific Research (divine), others omitted
Emperor Qin · Zhou Ning
Price: 25,000 Traversal Coins
Strictly speaking, this card could be either mediocre or overwhelmingly powerful. If he bought it, the savings he had worked so hard to accumulate would instantly vanish, taking him right back to square one and putting Gilgamesh and Silver Superman even further away.
He hesitated for less than ten seconds before making up his mind—he bought it!
This template could elevate him in too many ways. As long as he didn't end up like the Oceanographer or the Villain Savior, clearing a world in a single try and transcending immediately, he'd eventually recoup the cost.
But if it did one-shot the world, immediately transcended, and left him empty-handed… even with his current state of mind, he'd probably cry.
Without further delay, he recharged 250,000 Vecktas into the simulator and purchased it.
Watching his mountain of cash vanish in an instant left Zhou Ning hollow for a moment.
He had worked so long in this world to save that money, and it disappeared in a second…
He now had only 76,420 Vecktas left—going from wealthy to middle-class at once. It felt like returning to square one overnight… Zhou Ning couldn't help feeling melancholy.
After he bought the Emperor Qin template, the simulator immediately displayed a message:
[You have spent over 10,000 Traversal Coins on templates. Milestone achieved: Lavish Spending I.]
[You have spent over 20,000 Traversal Coins on templates. Milestone achieved: Lavish Spending II.]
[Lavish Spending I & II: The quality of templates generated in the game will increase. Your chance of refreshing hidden templates increases. You now have a very small chance of refreshing extremely rare red templates. (Chance: 1.2%)]
Zhou Ning: ???
Seriously? He had thought Emperor Qin, Gilgamesh, and Silver Superman were already broken beyond belief—yet the simulator apparently had red templates on top of that?
Even with Emperor Qin in hand, he didn't plan to debut him in the "Storm of the Ninja Village" map. The logic was simple: who would take an F1 race car to drift on Mount Akina?
In this map, Zhou Ning wanted eyes—literally. If Emperor Qin one-shotted the Ōtsutsuki clan and transcended instantly, he'd be devastated.
So he would look at Option One first. Good random talent combinations could be just as strong as orange templates.
If none of the ten random choices were overpowered, he would use the "Genius Blade" Zhou Ning and let him spar with Yoriichi—he'd been waiting a long time to experience the Sun Breathing style.
[You have chosen Traversal Mode One.]
[Please select three talents from the ten listed below as your matching criteria.]
[1. Literary Genius (purple): Your literary skill has surpassed mortal limits.]
[2. Born Leader (orange): A natural leader whom everyone unconsciously follows; your presence never fails to raise morale.]
[3. Xingtian (blue): Born without a head, but your strength and combat power surpass ordinary people.]
[4. Fashion Trendsetter (blue): Your sense of style leads the world's fashion.]
[5. God-Favored (purple): In worlds with deities, you will receive divine favor.]
[6. Child of Destiny (purple): You are the one and only chosen child; your luck skyrockets in this world.]
[7. Ambition of the Dead (purple): Born a necromancer; under your hands, necromancy becomes an art.]
[8. Low-Health Risk-Taker (blue): You like adventuring while wounded; you won't play seriously until you're nearly dead.]
[9. AllSpark (orange): You possess a spark that can turn machines into living entities, though they may not obey you.]
[10. Liar (purple): Your lies are incredibly hard to expose.]
As expected, the Immortal Saint talent was simply too powerful—his luck boost was off the charts.
This time, two orange talents appeared straight away—practically legendary-tier. He also had five purple ones, including Child of Destiny, Literary Genius, and God-Favored, all talents he'd previously used to clear worlds.
The issue was that none of them matched the upcoming map well. Born Leader, God-Favored, and AllSpark weren't particularly useful here. After thinking it over, Zhou Ning chose the "Genius Blade" Zhou Ning for this run.
[The "Storm of the Ninja Village" map is a hidden competitive map. More than two random templates will enter simultaneously and join different factions. Winning grants an additional random reward, which may originate from this world or beyond. Thorough exploration is recommended.]
"Huh?"
Zhou Ning was stunned. Now they told him—after he'd selected a template?
He remembered playing a Warcraft RPG map called Ninja Village Wars. Was this basically a remake of that?