Here is your polished and localized continuation, fully aligned with all your prior character, naming, and tone guidelines:
"Wait, this kind of thing actually happens?"
That was Russell's first thought.
Principal Shepherd smiled warmly and retrieved a thick, leather-bound booklet from his desk.
"Russell, take a look. As a reward from New Metro First High, you may pick one material from this list. We'll have it delivered to your home after school."
Russell accepted the booklet, flipping through the pages slowly.
[Steelblade Sword] (Blue)
[Bloodstained Amulet] (Purple)
[Corpse Hound – Muscle Enhancement Variant] (Purple)
Page after page revealed rare Black Iron–level materials, many of Blue-tier or higher.
Then Russell's eyes sharpened.
"Principal Shepherd, I'll take this one."
Everyone leaned forward to see which item he had chosen.
[Elite Ghoul] – Purple
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"Russell, I'd recommend a tool-type material. Equipment cards can enhance your current summon, and it's generally safer for beginners than crafting a second creature. Just a suggestion."
It was sound advice. Most fledgling cardmakers chose support tools for their second card. Jumping too quickly into creature crafting—especially without understanding card resonance—often led to failure and wasted materials.
But Russell shook his head.
"I appreciate the advice, Uncle Marcus. But I'm sticking with this."
His tone was respectful but firm.
Marcus exchanged a glance with Principal Shepherd. They didn't press the matter further.
After all, meddling in a cardmaker's creative direction was practically taboo.
Mr. Williams stepped forward.
"Principal Shepherd, President Marcus—if you don't mind, I'll take Russell over to get him settled in the honors class."
"Of course," the principal nodded.
As they left, Marcus chuckled.
"Old Shepherd… looks like your school might actually stand a chance at the Four-School Trial next month."
Principal Shepherd managed a faint smile—but his eyes were still tinged with worry.
"The other schools have some fierce contenders. There's even a rumor that a student from Central High crafted a Gold-tier card on their very first attempt."
Marcus snorted.
"Even if it's true, that doesn't mean much. Courage and decision-making matter more than raw card rarity. Russell made the right call when it counted. That alone puts him ahead of most so-called prodigies."
But just as Marcus thought that, Principal Shepherd turned solemnly.
"Marcus... there's something I'd like to ask you. I haven't called in a favor in years…"
Meanwhile, Mr. Williams glanced at Russell.
"Want to go say goodbye to your old classmates?"
Russell thought about it.
"I'm not transferring schools, just classes. If they care, they know where to find me."
"Fair enough."
They arrived at the honors classroom—New Metro First High's only elite class, reserved for those with verified potential as future cardmakers.
"Ms. Song, could you come out for a second?" Mr. Williams called.
The door opened, and a calm, sharp-eyed woman with shoulder-length hair and square-framed glasses stepped into view.
"This is Ms. Song," said Mr. Williams. "She'll be your new homeroom teacher."
"Good morning, Ms. Song," Russell said politely.
She nodded, studying him closely.
"Welcome, Russell. Go on in and introduce yourself."
As he stepped inside, she turned to Mr. Williams and murmured, "So he's the one…"
Russell walked up to the platform.
"Hey everyone, I'm Russell. Let's all get along."
He swept his gaze across the classroom—twelve students in total, now including him.
Only one girl among them.
She gasped.
"Wait—you're the Russell?"
Russell raised an eyebrow.
"You know me?"
She grinned.
"Of course I do. You're our new idol!"
"Name's Nancy."
Her father, a high-ranking Gold-tier cardmaker, had briefed her on Russell's exploits the night before.
Russell chuckled. There was something oddly sarcastic in her enthusiasm… but not unpleasantly so.
"The Association's just hyping me up, that's all."
"Alright, quiet down," Ms. Song said, entering.
"Most of you probably know by now, but yesterday, Russell here risked his life to protect civilians during the Devil's Nest incident. He'll be joining us starting today."
"Let's give him a warm welcome."
She clapped first. The others soon followed.
Russell smiled politely.
"Anyone here would've done the same in my position."
Humility went a long way, especially in a room full of future rivals.
After the applause, Ms. Song cleared her throat.
"Let's do proper introductions. Everyone, take turns."
Russell stepped off the platform and found a seat while the others introduced themselves.
He mentally noted two key students.
The first was Nancy, whose summon was:
[Three-Tailed Fox] – Black Iron, Purple
The fox-spirit lineage was famous—and in some cases, legendary. The final evolution of that line, [Nine-Tails: Daji], had once been a Red Diamond–tier summon.
The second was a wiry boy with a cold expression and a high ponytail: Darren.
His card was:
[Green Ghoul] – Black Iron, Purple
Zombies were a different beast altogether. While less flashy, the zombie line had a reliable and efficient evolution path, often yielding consistent gains across tiers.
Russell knew him well.
Darren had once been in his old class—and had led the effort to bully and isolate him.
Only Mr. Williams had stepped in to stop it.
Russell's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tch. Rabid mutt…"
Ms. Song clapped her hands again.
"Attention. Important announcement."
"Next month, the Four-School Trial will be held. The school with the highest ranking will earn access to a Rift Dungeon for training."
The room buzzed.
A rift meant access to rare materials—resources that could dramatically accelerate a cardmaker's growth or fortune.
"Only three students from each school will be selected."
"So starting today, we'll be using a—"
"Ranking system." Russell finished the sentence under his breath.
Ms. Song nodded.
"Tomorrow, we begin official rankings."
"The format: cardmaker duels."
In these battles, students couldn't attack each other directly—but their summoned units could. Once a participant's creatures or tools were destroyed, the match was over. Losing also placed the card on a 24-hour cooldown, limiting how frequently students could duel.
After giving final instructions, Ms. Song exited the classroom.
Darren immediately sauntered over to Russell, sneering.
"Well, well. Look who turned from trash into treasure."
He'd always considered himself the top dog among his peers. Now this orphan was making headlines?
Russell didn't even blink.
"You're right. You're way better than me. Congratulations."
The dry tone sent Darren's temper flaring.
"You smug little orphan! Tomorrow, I'll tear your precious card to shreds—in front of everyone."
Russell yawned.
"Cool. See you then."
Back in his old class, Mr. Williams returned to find total chaos.
"Mr. Williams! Mr. Williams!"
A wide-eyed student, Moe, ran up to him, panic on his face.
"Is it true? Russell dropped out to work full-time?!"
Mr. Williams blinked.
"What kind of rumor is that?"
"No. Russell's transferred into the honors class. He's a registered cardmaker now."
The classroom fell silent.
And then—
"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!"