The SSR Exclusive Lounge.

The arena is located below the VIP boxes; the spotless snow-white floor tiles shield it from the clamor of the spectators in the stands, making it as quiet as a chess room.

The chessboard lies still within its sixty-four squares.

The obsidian pieces are arranged with sharp, aggressive intent, and the chariots charge recklessly through the board.

The Battle Angel’s fingertip rests on a pure white ivory pawn; compared to the chariot, this piece appears exceptionally small, like Tang Mian’s slender, fair hand peeking out from behind his red cloak. 

【The card you bet on is currently in play…】

On the big screen, Tang Mian delivered those words with sincerity and gentleness; his speech contained not a trace of self-doubt regarding his combat value of 1, nor any fear of his opponent’s R card.

Battle cards adhere to the law of the jungle, with a strict hierarchy; if a card attempts to defeat a stronger opponent, its words and actions would betray a hint of uncontrollable madness. Yet the scene before him—which should have been like an ant trying to shake a tree, a mantis blocking a chariot, or a fool overreaching—had become remarkably peaceful because of Tang Mian’s presence.

His Muse Baby, neither humble nor arrogant, shook hands with the ill-mannered R card out of courtesy—it’s truly rare to find a card as well-mannered as his Baby. 

Generally speaking, battle card players tend to make tough talk and use profanity before a match—a vulgar behavior that the Battle Angel has long grown tired of. Yet his pet, however, approached the opponent as an equal and extended an invitation to spar.

It’s not about winning or losing—it’s all about the battle itself.

After all, if his Muse companion wanted to win, he could have simply removed his hood from the very beginning. 

The Battle Angel placed the pawn on the board.

His fingers glided over the pristine white pieces, finally gently picking up the queen; his fingertips caressed every exquisite detail on the slightly cool piece.

He never imagined that one day, he would witness such a graceful and courteous scene in the arena.

It’s just a shame that the vulgar monster from the opposing dark deck ruined such a lovely atmosphere. That R card had even forgotten to pull his hand back, his expression as foolish as if he were savoring some memory. 

The demon’s nostrils flared on the big screen. If this weren’t in public, with a thousand people watching, that R card would probably raise his hand to sniff the spot that had just had the privilege of being touched by the baby. 

How vulgar.

The Battle Angel picked up a silk handkerchief and carefully wiped the Queen piece in his hand.

A shrill outburst from the male player came through the big screen: “Coming for you? Or should I tell Violet to hold off on attacking you for now? Do you really think you can still stand here and talk?!”

Battle Angel paused in his wiping motion and looked up at the big screen. A towering demon stood between Tang Mian and the male player. The male player was clearly curious about the battle, jumping up and down inside the transparent box, but he couldn’t see a thing and could only curse furiously in frustration.

So noisy.

【You have added “Take My Beatings” to your block list】

An SSR-level block will remain permanently in this player’s profile. Not only will all members of the light deck be able to see it and automatically block the player as well, but a much larger number of Battle Cards seeking to join the light deck will also see it. 

The Battle Angel, who had been permanently banned from the industry, finally finished polishing the Queen piece in her hand. The piece landed on the board.

“Click.” As light as snow falling into a deep pool.

The raucous voices of the players behind him brought Violet’s sanity back just a little. His heart racing, he blurted out, “You’re so weak—even if I go easy on you, I’ll still wipe you out in a second!” 

This standard pre-battle taunt from the Battle Card world sparked a thunderous roar from the spectators in the stands—“Kill him!” “Violet!” “Teach him a lesson!”

The comment stream was flooded with comments wildly supporting Violet:

【I’ve had it with this N card for a long time. Doesn’t he have any sense? Seeing an R card and not even kneeling to beg for mercy?】

【This game is so boring—there’s absolutely no suspense. Can Violet pull off a big move and show this N card what he’s made of?】

These voices, which should have thrilled Violet, sounded strangely irritating for some reason—especially when he saw the N card’s slender, snow-white neck, delicate jawline, and slightly parted lips that seemed ready to utter words of vulnerability at any moment.

“Haha, what I mean is you’re too weak—you’re not even worthy of me using my full power!” Violet clenched his fists, yet his fingertips still seemed to retain the soft sensation of being touched by this N card. 

How could his hands be so soft and so small? Could he even hold a weapon?

Violet hadn’t seen this N card’s weapon—could it be that this N card… fights bare-handed?

For a moment, Violet’s blood seemed to race through his veins. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his voice took on a slightly electronic tone: “Fine, I’ll just stand here and let you hit me—let me see what you’ve got.” 

The Thunder Demon’s aura of intimidation was overwhelming, but fortunately, Tang Mian had already faced a Demon King and had developed some resistance to this kind of demonic pressure. 

Tang Mian nodded earnestly: “I’ll give it my all!”

His right hand, hidden beneath his cloak, gripped the dagger tightly. Mimicking Karl’s stance, Tang Mian crouched slightly, pushed off the ground with both feet, and felt a surge of power travel upward along his Achilles tendon, calves, and spine. As he twisted his body violently, this force surged through his thrusting shoulder and concentrated at the very tip of the dagger in his right hand.

His dagger struck Violet’s abs like a nail, where purple veins were visible.

In an instant, a purple current surged from the demon’s otherwise unblemished abs, traveling upward along the iron dagger. With a clang.

The dagger tumbled to the ground.

Her silky golden hair stood on end from the electric shock, like a cat with its fur bristling. 

【Health: 8/10】 

Tang Mian stood there dumbfounded, a bit dazed by the shock. A dark gray hue spread across his cheeks, making him look like a wronged little tabby cat: 【…If only I’d bought a protective Defense Charm 】

Before setting out, Tang Mian didn’t have enough exchange value, so he had to choose between a defense talisman and an agility talisman.

The system’s recommendation at the time was: Buy an agility talisman to pair with a dagger; this way, you can chip away at your opponent’s health bit by bit, and most importantly, you can make a quick getaway if you’re about to get hit.

In theory, this setup would allow him to die with a bit more dignity when facing N cards with average combat value—at least he wouldn’t be instantly wiped out—and it would also help hone Tang Mian’s combat skills. If he were lucky enough to encounter a relatively weak, slow, and fragile N card, he might even win.

But instead, he ran into an R card.

And an Elite R card from the dark deck.

System: 【………. 】

The system made a decision that went against its principles: 【Why not use your face to charm the card across from you?】 

Tang Mian: 【Seducing a love rival is a major no-no—baby, are you trying to ruin me?】 

System: 【?】 What love rival? What’s all this nonsense?

Not only was Tang Mian stunned by the electric shock, but even Violet, who had delivered it, was taken aback.

A moment ago, he’d only felt a fragrant breeze carry Tang Mian’s hand toward him, a faint cold gleam flashing as it swept toward him like a kitten’s paw.

Before Violet—who’d been startled by the cuteness—could even process what had happened, Tang Mian’s face had already darkened. 

The tip of his nose had turned grayish-black.

His pale pink lips parted: “That’s not fair—weren’t we supposed to stand still and let me hit you?”

Violet froze.

A player’s voice called out from behind him: “What an idiot! I said to stand still—I never said I couldn’t zap you!”

Wait a minute! That’s not what he meant!

Violet wanted to explain that he really hadn’t struck a blow just now; he wanted to tell that player to shut up, and he wanted to ask Tang Mian if it hurt—in that split second, his mind was in a complete whirl, and the only word that came out of his mouth was “Fuck”! 

Yun Jianyue widened her eyes as she watched the increasingly dazzling electrical current gather at the horns of the R card demon, who seemed completely enraged by the presumptuous remarks of the N card she had summoned.

The N card stood with its back to her, its face hidden from view. Compared to the R card demon, its body was so slender and fragile—it looked like a being in need of protection.

Yet this N card demon spoke with such resolve: “Take it out on me—don’t hurt my player.”

Yet this was merely a card she’d summoned at random; prior to this, she hadn’t sent the N card any gifts or boosted its favor points. If she’d played the game a little more seriously and put in a little more effort earlier, she could have saved up some exchange value to exchange for items to help this N card. Instead of standing by helplessly, watching Tang Mian get toyed with by her opponent’s cards.

For the past month, Yun Jianyue had always felt as if she were separated from this game by an invisible cage—an outsider, so she remained aloof, watching from the sidelines.

Winning is certainly great, but losing isn’t a big deal either.

But at that moment, she suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, “Tang Mian! Let’s both concede defeat!” 

If both the player and the card choose to concede, the game ends.

“Damn it! No way!” The male player panicked. Cards have a limited duration—the higher the level, the shorter the duration. He’d thought Violet still had some time left and could toy with this N card for a bit, but he never expected his opponent to surrender so quickly. “Forget about this noob! Go for it! Break her shell!”

【The player you’re protecting, Yun Jianyue, has forfeited】

【Do you choose to continue the battle?】

Tang Mian froze for a moment. His face, which had remained expressionless since he’d been electrocuted, suddenly tightened as he pressed his lips together.

Failing to protect his lover—that was a serious dereliction of duty. 

To let her lose alongside him… That’s a total failure. 

A single, crystalline tear slid down his dust-covered cheek, trickling along his slightly pointed jawline. “Plink.”

The sound of the tear hitting the ground was as light as snow falling into a deep pool.

To Violet’s ears, however, it sounded like a thunderous roar.

His mind went blank. The player behind him was still chattering away—this player had only luckily formed a temporary summoning through the card pool, yet he’d been bossing him around the whole time and even slandering him!

As an R card in the dark deck, did he really need to trick an N card?!

Violet spun around abruptly, his face as dark as storm clouds in a tempest. He suddenly raised his hand; the electric light in his palm tore through the air, transforming into a furious purple whip—

“Shut up!”

A bolt of lightning, charged with furious energy, lashed viciously against the transparent box. Spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly from the point of impact, the sharp cracking sound as piercing as bones snapping.

Take My Beatings stumbled back in panic. “Wait! W-what are you doing?!!”

Electric sparks danced through the cracks, casting a distorted reflection of the demon. With a clattering sound, the protective shield shattered piece by piece.

“Help! Help!”

“Aaaaaah!!!!!!”

【Take My Beatings, you’re out】 

【R card · Violet violated the Summoning Code; Black Card; Eliminated】

The demon dissolved into a blue speck of light and vanished. Just before disappearing completely, he turned his head to catch one last glimpse of the N card, but all he saw was the opponent’s back as they walked toward the player.

A flurry of question marks floated across the chat:

【What’s going on? Holy crap? I was winning just fine. What happened?!】

【You can actually lose like this!】

【Seriously, that idiot player must’ve pissed the card off. He was yelling his head off just now—it was driving me crazy.】

【Damn! I’m speechless! I bet 500 exchange values on this!】

【That N card player really got lucky—she just coasted to victory】

Tang Mian quietly walked toward the player stuck in the transparent box.

They were very close—just a few steps away.

Yet they were also far apart, separated by an untouchable transparent barrier. The young player sat there in the box, like a princess.

Tang Mian placed one hand over his chest and bowed slightly, as if performing a knight’s salute, while his other hand pulled back his hood, revealing his soft golden hair cascading down over his cheeks. 

The intricate stream of comments floating on the transparent dome vanished at that moment. The entire audience fell silent; the air was so still that one could almost hear a pin drop.

Tang Mian raised his hand, his fingertips resting on the cool glass dome; his green eyes, washed clean by tears, shone with extraordinary brightness and clarity.

As their eyes met, Tang Mian curled the corners of his lips into a warm, endearing smile—a smile that would have looked nothing short of perfect, were it not for the tear streaks lingering on his dark gray cheeks. 

“I’m sorry. I was supposed to give you a meal…” 

The unspoken words, along with Tang Mian, dissolved into white specks of light and vanished.

The stunned player finally snapped out of it, but only managed to touch the tip of Tang Mian’s finger as it faded into a speck of light. 

【Match Winner: Yun Jianyue】

Even if the player forfeits, as long as the card hasn’t forfeited, it can still secure victory for the player.

A card floated gently back into her hand; the question mark that had been there vanished, replaced by Tang Mian’s face, which looked just like a little kitten.

【Card Name】: Tang Mian

【Rarity】:N card

【Combat Value】:1

【Your Summon Evaluation:..】

As a series of cold, mechanical voices rang out from the system, the game ended, and Yun Jianyue suddenly opened her eyes. Before her was the familiar ceiling. 

There were tiny flying insects crawling on the lamp, but she seemed to still be lost in the scene from just moments ago, locked in a gaze with those indescribably beautiful green eyes. In the past, every time she won a victory, her blood would boil, and she’d feel as though she had boundless energy, but this time it was a little different.

Her fatigue had vanished once again, and she felt a steady stream of energy—only that energy wasn’t flowing through her limbs, but flowing out from her heart and spreading to every fiber of her being.

It was as if she’d had a truly beautiful dream; even after waking, she could still feel that sense of tranquility and happiness. All her restlessness, anxiety, sadness, and unease seemed to have been gently soothed away.

Yun Jianyue unlocked her phone and looked at the photo of the little gray tabby’s face several times before getting up. She walked into the kitchen—a place she hadn’t set foot in for half a month—and cooked herself a bowl of instant noodles. 

She added two eggs and a sausage bar. 

【Your Summon Review: The Little Prince】

“If you want to tame someone, you must be prepared to shed tears.” —The Little Prince