"Sigh. It has already been ten years since I transmigrated to this world."
In a high school classroom in Academy City, Ye Fei rested his cheek against his palm and gazed out the window at the students having outdoor lessons on the field, muttering to himself.
Although some of his memories after transmigrating had mysteriously faded, his memories from before transmigration were crystal clear. He knew very well that he had originally come from another planet, a world without superpowers.
"Summers in Academy City are unbearably hot," he murmured.
Even after living here for ten years, he still could not adapt to the scorching temperature. Compared to other cities, it was always a degree or two hotter. After all, this place was filled with every kind of cutting edge technological facility.
Academy City has a population of 2.3 million, of which over 1.8 million are students. Approximately 40 percent of them are espers. In addition, it houses 60 percent of the world's researchers across various scientific disciplines.
It is a massive metropolis that integrates education, scientific research, and technological development, containing more than 800 schools and thousands of research institutions.
On the surface, Academy City is the global headquarters of scientific advancement and the only institution in the world dedicated to systematic esper development. However, Ye Fei understood the true purpose behind its construction.
But what was the use of knowing that now? It brought him no benefit. Although he was not completely powerless, his ability was merely a weak form of telekinesis that could barely bend a spoon.
Ten years had passed since his transmigration. It was not as if he had accomplished nothing, but the memories of whatever he had done had vanished for unknown reasons. Whenever he tried to recall them, a splitting headache would strike.
Based on his familiarity with the original plot, he could roughly guess why those memories were missing.
A figure with honey colored long hair and heterochromatic, star filled eyes flashed through his mind.
He was not certain whether his speculation was correct. If it was not, then he had truly misunderstood something.
"Sigh. It is already the end of May. There are only two months left before the main storyline of A Certain Magical Index begins. I wonder when the magic side will start making its moves. Without sufficient strength, even staying alive will be difficult."
He sighed again, feeling a trace of melancholy as he glanced toward the spiky haired boy seated in the second row.
This was reality. Events would not unfold exactly according to the known plot. There were simply too many variables.
In a true crisis, he could probably ask that kind hearted spiky haired guy for help. After all, Kamijou Touma was not the type to abandon a classmate in danger.
Feeling somewhat frustrated, Ye Fei thought to himself, "I am a transmigrator, yet I do not have a system or an old master to guide me."
Ding. The Infinite Card System has finished loading. Installing... 1 percent... 5 percent...
At that moment, a mechanically synthesized voice suddenly echoed within his mind. Ye Fei froze for a second before excitement surged through him.
A system? It really is a system? And it chooses to appear now? Wait. Loading complete. Does that mean it has been loading for ten whole years? Even if it was loading, could it not at least give a notification sound earlier?
"Dear Host, the Infinite Card System has been successfully installed and is ready to serve you," the system's synthesized voice announced.
"Infinite Card System, what functions do you have?" Ye Fei suppressed his excitement, discreetly pinching his thigh to steady himself before asking.
Ding. The system functions are as follows.
1. Unlimited cards will randomly spawn throughout the world. They may appear inside buildings, in remote mountains, or attached to living beings. Note: Cards attached to living beings require special conditions to unlock.
2. Infinite Cards are divided into one star to five star ratings, as well as Special Cards. One star is the lowest rank. However, even a one star card has a very small probability of containing high tier items or abilities.
"Simple and direct." Ye Fei nodded in satisfaction. The system's mechanics were easy to understand.
"So what can a one star card contain? And what about five star and Special Cards?" Ye Fei asked. This was crucial. The world he lived in was extremely dangerous. The upper limit of his system would determine his survival.
"One star cards mostly yield ordinary items without supernatural properties. Five star cards have no defined upper limit and depend entirely on the Host's luck. Special Cards contain unique items or abilities that cannot be duplicated."
"System, do you provide a world map or detection function to locate these cards?" Ye Fei asked immediately.
"Yes."
As the system's mechanical voice responded, a translucent virtual map appeared before his eyes.
It was a global map of Earth in the world of A Certain Magical Index. The territories of various nations and major factions were clearly marked, along with significant strategic strongholds.
At the same time, numerous card icons appeared across the map. The ones visible at the global level were all three star or higher.
There were seventeen four star cards and two five star cards in total.
One of the five star cards was located at St. George's Cathedral in Lambeth, London. The other was extremely close to him, inside the Windowless Building in District 7 of Academy City.
As for the four star cards, they were situated in places such as St. Mary's Basilica in Vatican City, the Queen Elizabeth Palace in London, and the headquarters of various magic organizations. Just thinking about it made it clear how difficult they would be to obtain.
When Ye Fei zoomed in on the region containing Academy City, the map expanded and the number of visible cards increased dramatically. Their locations became much more precise. Some card icons were even moving, clearly indicating they were attached to living beings.
Within Academy City, there was one five star card and one four star card. Unfortunately, both were located inside the Windowless Building.
Ye Fei felt a surge of envy. If he could unlock even one of them, he would likely gain the freedom to act without restraint. However, the difficulty of unlocking those cards was practically hell level.
Among the remaining three star cards, there were seven in Academy City. Two of them were very close to a certain prestigious girls' school.
"If I remember correctly, that should be Tokiwadai Middle School." Ye Fei clicked his tongue. "Too bad it is an all girls campus. Male students are strictly prohibited from entering."
"Oh right. System, you were ten years late. Should you not at least provide some compensation? There should be a beginner reward package, correct?"
Ye Fei suddenly remembered the standard transmigrator formula and rubbed his hands together with a grin.
"There should be a novice gift pack, right?"
"Yes."
The system's synthesized voice rang out in his mind once more.
Ding. The Host has obtained one Special Card. Please check your inventory.
"A Special Card right away? System, you are surprisingly generous. Does this mean I am invincible from the start?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Fei froze. He inhaled sharply, nearly exclaiming aloud. Special Cards were unique and could not be replicated.
In his understanding of this world, there were only a handful of things that could qualify as such.
It seemed that the patience he had endured for ten years had finally paid off. All the luck accumulated during that decade had condensed into this single card.
In short, from this moment onward, everything would change.