[Huge Size - Passive]: The Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon occupies 1 row and 3 card positions, Health Points +200

[Red Devil Dragon Scale - Passive]: The Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon possesses a coating effect

[Golden Claw Fist - 2 Point Energy]: The Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon attacks the target, accompanied by [Dizziness]

[Golden Claw Scissors - 4 Point Energy]: The Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon attacks the target, accompanied by [Full Penetration]

[Golden Claw Cloth - 2 Point Energy]: The Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon attacks the target, accompanied by [Seal]

After several practical attempts to summarize, he believed the Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon was the best.

The card’s attributes were reflected onto the puppet followers, they were huge and fleshy, possessing magic immunity as soon as they hit the ground, then they knew three ultimate moves.

In the end, coupled with the unchangeable [False Saint], these were the five cards he would bring to the trial today.

Having familiarized himself with the procedure, Ree Shil immediately assumed a stance with Wind Messenger.

At the first level, he encountered a test of strength.

Ree Shil thought for 2 seconds and directly abandoned this challenge opportunity.

Previously, every time he encountered this test of strength, he never got far.

Because there were only a handful of followers in his deck that could overpower that robotic arm.

Before, the Sheep God and the Golden Dragon could win, but winning would leave him with one less powerful follower.

Whereas now, in his deck, probably only the Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon could battle that robot.

Using up his trump card so early, he was certain not to pass.

Therefore, he sent out the Exorcist to accept the challenge.

It was just to try, for there was a chance that this follower excelled in strength and might win.

The result was without doubt, of course, a loss.

Thus, the first of the three chances was so hastily wasted.

For the second challenge, this time the checkpoint was no longer the test of strength.

It was the meditation level.

After many entries into the Instance, Ree Shil reckoned he had experienced 95% of all levels.

Basically, any type he had encountered before.

The meditation level required the followers to endure the smelting flames in the alchemy furnace; whoever lasted longer was deemed the winner.

Ordinary flesh and bone would not suffice for this level.

Thus, the Exorcist and the Great Demon Monk could be ruled out.

That left choosing one out of the False Saint, Beginning Stick, and the Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon.

After brief consideration, Ree Shil decided to choose the False Saint.

The False Saint couldn’t be burnt to death, so using it to overcome this level was the safest.

The other two S-rank cards were reserved for other purposes.

Sure enough, the second level came the chance to perform.

The second challenge was the Ingenious Puzzle level, where one must solve 77 puzzles.

This level was torturous for followers lacking in wit.

But Ree Shil, manipulating his own puppet and wielding the Beginning Stick, participated in this level.

In truth, it didn’t require a very smart mind; just a normal person’s thinking would definitely solve it faster than the puppet.

So, he breezed through the second level.

The third level, Demon Sea level.

This was a completely new one, which he had never encountered before.

Ree Shil could only say that it seemed tailor-made for the Exorcist.

The content was similar to the previous Abyss level, involving combat in the midst of a tide of demon beasts.

Not only did one need to survive, but also to kill as many demon beasts as possible within a set amount of time.

The side that killed more demon beasts would be the winner.

This level was even easier than the last, because Ree Shil didn’t need to do anything himself; he was just in charge of watching.

After the third gate, he had a premonition.

His S-rank task might be accomplished today.

There was no basis, just a feeling.

After all, no challenge before had ever gone so smoothly.

The fourth level was again a familiar one.

The Sword Mountain level.

Followers were required to find the only famous sword among the millions of knives and swords forming a mountain range.

There was a time dilation factor, 1 minute outside equated to 1 year inside the Sword Mountain.

At this level, Ree Shil was slightly indecisive about whom to dispatch.

Truthfully, neither the Great Demon Monk nor the Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon seemed quite suitable.

The most appropriate one was the False Saint.

Its fiery golden eyes were incredibly useful for finding things.

But now that the False Saint was gone, he could only choose between the two.

Ultimately, Ree Shil decided to gamble on luck.

He kept the potentially more useful Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon for later stages and sent out the Demonic Monk.

The last time he encountered this level was during his first entry into the Instance.

At that time, he had also sent a monk character card, the Sweeping Monk.

As a result, the opponent, who was also purely searching by hand, was faster than the Sweeping Monk.

In 10 years, the Sweeping Monk hadn’t even searched half of the Sword Mountain, and the opponent found the famous sword by a sheer stroke of luck.

This time, Wind Messenger dispatched the same follower.

It seemed that she also had no good answers for this checkpoint.

This time, luck stood on the side of Ree Shil.

In the 13th year of the checkpoint’s progression, the "Big Demon Monk" finally discovered the famous blade.

The followers of Wind Messenger had actually moved faster, having searched through three-quarters of the entire mountain of blades.

But fate favored the "Big Demon Monk" more, completing the mission after only searching half.

"Finally, phew..."

The Fourth Gate ended, and Ree Shil exhaled deeply.

This was the first time he had reached in front of Level 5.

His previous best accomplishment was only completing the third level.

"It seems you are only one step away from success," said Wind Messenger, not appearing to be in a hurry as she sipped her tea.

She put down the cup and snapped her fingers.

Snap!

Hum...

A lottery-style drawing machine appeared out of thin air in the pavilion.

Inside the round glass casing, a bunch of crystal balls was housed.

Every ball’s surface was inscribed with two characters like [Escape], [Secret Exit], [Fierce Battle], and so on.

"Since it’s your first time challenging the last level, I’ll let you draw the content for this checkpoint," the Wind Messenger said, giving Ree Shil the opportunity to draw.

"Alright, I’ll give it a try."

Ree Shil, not superstitious about such things, walked straight up and pulled the machine’s lever.

[Beep Beep Beep Beep Brrrrr Brrrrr!]

As he pulled down the lever, colorful flashing lights lit up on the spherical glass vessel.

A strong current of air flooded into the vessel, causing the crystal balls to dance chaotically.

They collided against the glass walls, moving in quite irregular patterns.

The crystal balls moved so fast that even his good dynamic vision couldn’t make out one from another.

It was not until one crystal ball stood out and fell into the glass tube that he could vaguely see two characters from the tumbling—the words [Card Game].

"Oh, this level is a Card Game checkpoint."

Wind Messenger also spotted these characters.

"Card Game checkpoint?"

This was a checkpoint that he had never encountered before, and Ree Shil expressed his confusion.

Card Game checkpoint was definitely for playing cards.

Now, having only one card in hand, how could he set up a card game?

Could it be that the followers would take on the role of card players and handle simulated card games or incomplete games?

Isn’t playing cards, such a complex matter, a bit too much to ask of the puppet followers?

"Card Game checkpoint, as the name suggests, means to play cards.

Let the puppet followers revert to their card form and then duel."

Wind Messenger chuckled and explained, "We each put forward one card to have a duel.

From the Reveal Card to the End of the card game.

1v1, all following card game rules."

Ree Shil: "Are there any point restrictions?"

Wind Messenger: "No restrictions."

Ree Shil: "Any special rules?"

Wind Messenger: "None."

Ree Shil: "Then aren’t you dead?"

Wind Messenger: "..."

Ree Shil was not talking nonsense.

No matter what card the other party had in their hand at this moment.

First, let’s see what he had in his own hand.

S-level, 100 Points. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A Giant Card with a massive size of 300 Health Points.

If there was a King Card mechanism in a 1v1 card game, that would be 600 points of health.

It also had [Coating], immune to any negatives.

It came with control, too, capable of controlling others and resisting control as well.

Even if the Kung Fu Sheep God were to come, it wouldn’t possibly defeat the [Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon].

Moreover, he knew what cards Wind Messenger had left.

That fairy card, you could tell it was extremely weak just by the appearance of the follower.

Not to say it was weak, but it was absolutely impossible to win against the [Five-Clawed Spirit Dragon].

There was no battle to be had.

This 1v1 card game had no battle to be had.

So this S-rank task, today he was going to resolve it himself.

...

...