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墨書 Inktalez
Counting and calculating, Cui Ming realized that Enhancement was a secondary focus for him, while Strengthening was a half-major focus. Spiritual Connection was also a half-minor focus, and the Magic System was his main focus. Card Play fell under the Magic System, making it his primary level. What remained for him to hope for?
Gradually, Cui Ming fell asleep, though not very well. The main reason was the psychological pressure; this was the first time he had taken a big gamble since debuting. If he lost, he would have nothing left. In his dreams, he saw a giant die rolling, and he shouted beside it: "Six, six, six." On the other side sat the Lich calmly, with three fives in front of him—a three-of-a-kind that could only be beaten by three sixes.
But the die just wouldn’t stop rolling. No matter how desperately Cui Ming shouted, it kept spinning. Suddenly, a stone hit him, and he instinctively woke up, sitting upright on the tree trunk with wide eyes, gasping for breath, drenched in cold sweat.
"Breakfast is ready. After a short rest, we need to continue up the mountain," came the voice of the female doctor.
"I’m not eating," Cui Ming replied as he lay back down, feeling mentally drained. He closed his eyes and saw the die rolling again, but this time it was different—there was no sign of himself or the Lich; instead, he watched from a god's perspective.
The fundamental difference was that the die had stopped—three dice suspended in space. Cui Ming saw three sixes and felt an overwhelming surge of Force; his physical resilience increased. He opened his eyes as a flying card shot out of his hand, staring blankly at its trajectory. It was a doubling effect—not just an increase in Force but also in speed and everything else; it wasn’t just doubled but multiplied beyond measure. He felt an unstoppable surge of energy coursing through him; even a falling leaf seemed to reveal its finest details to him without any conscious effort to observe it. His confidence soared as he decided to challenge the Lich to a duel.
Cui Ming sat there in a daze, contemplating. About a minute later, that feeling suddenly vanished, and he returned to his normal state. Without hesitation, he lay back down and closed his eyes again, focusing intently as the die reappeared. This time he didn’t shout; instead, like an outsider watching, he saw the die stop at 112—the lowest possible score in dice.
Then Cui Ming felt as if all his strength had been drained away; not only was his Force thin like it had just recovered from being extinguished, but his stamina felt like someone recovering from a severe illness—weak and feeble—and his reflexes were shockingly poor; he even dropped the flying card.
A minute later, Cui Ming regained his composure and focused again on establishing a mental connection. However, this time the result was 225—nine points—not too bad but still below average. He felt slightly weakened but managed to cope.
Cui Ming wanted to curse; how could this new ability be so dependent on luck? He couldn’t cheat either—what good was gambling without cheating? Determined to improve, Cui Ming continued practicing with the dice until he became increasingly familiar with them; within seconds he could sense the outcome of each roll. There were three-of-a-kinds as well as sequences like 1-2-3.
Cui Ming quickly got the hang of it; dice were something he knew well—second only to cards. Based on experiments so far, each roll’s effect lasted about a minute and was uncontrollable. The maximum for three identical numbers was three sixes. Then there were distinctions between high and low numbers—the dividing line being ten points: four to ten were weak numbers while eleven to seventeen were strong. Each category had seven numbers in total. However, as an experienced player, Cui Ming immediately recognized Cat's Paw—a special advantage when rolling three-of-a-kinds. Since there was no betting involved yet, only he could benefit from rolling three-of-a-kinds; theoretically speaking, his chances of becoming stronger exceeded 50%. If he played a thousand rounds of betting, he would surely win. But in a single round where everything depended on one roll? Cui Ming felt uncertain about his chances.
It couldn't be used, so first, let's see if cheating is possible. The simplest way to cheat with dice is to fill them with lead or mercury. Cui Ming had a preference for mercury. There are two types of mercury dice: one type lacks any technical skill, where mercury is poured into one side, resulting in mostly rolling sixes. By controlling the point of release, one can increase the winning odds. Cui Ming favored the second type, which involved controlling the numbers. As the banker, you can't keep rolling sixes; that would raise suspicion. The first type of mercury dice would inevitably roll sixes and trigger doubts. The second type involves liquid mercury; theoretically, if mercury is on one side, like the one position, and you hold the dice in your palm with six facing down, the mercury will flow from one to six. After waiting three seconds, when you throw it, the result will be the opposite of six, which is one. In a situation where the banker has both wins and losses, few would suspect any foul play with the dice. Moreover, unless you're an expert, it's hard to feel the presence of mercury with your hands.
Previously, it was about deceiving easy targets; this time it's about deceiving oneself. Is that even possible? Would someone connected spiritually end up with a split personality after pondering and researching this?
Cui Ming didn't know, but he felt good; at least he had gained another trick, even if it currently had no practical use. Before mastering control, Cui Ming believed it was useless because he wasn't a gambler—50% or even 60% odds were too low for him. However, he was very drawn to the momentum and strength that three sixes could bring. So he had to trick himself into believing it was possible, even if theoretically it wasn't. He could study it further; like card play, enhancing the output while sacrificing the odds of getting a triplet. It seemed that on this island, he wouldn't be bored or lonely.
Suddenly, Cui Ming thought of a possibility: if he killed the Lich Son in the magic circle and teleported while in a state of rolling three sixes, how far could he teleport? Damn it, he couldn't test that now. If he could indeed run very far and foolishly return, the Lich would definitely make him pay for it. He needed to figure out how to leave for a while. Of course, first he had to control his winning odds; if he could achieve probabilities similar to drawing a fixed card without needing a triplet—seventeen points would suffice; naturally, a triplet would be better. Seventeen points were close to doubling; three ones equaled double his amount; three twos equaled four times his amount; three threes equaled five times; three fours equaled six times; three fives equaled seven times his amount. Logically speaking, three sixes should equal eight times his amount; however, Cui Ming rejected this because he knew that three sixes far surpassed three fives.
This meant that he alone could take on many challenges; however, whether or not he could still perform well remained unchanged regardless of rolling three sixes—his methods wouldn't multiply just because of that. Speaking of which, after getting a triplet and drawing cards felt like using a cheat code; cards flowed smoothly through his hands as each card contained enough lethal force. With three fours, Cui Ming's cards became a dragon flying out—unless someone had exceptional eyesight, they wouldn't notice any gaps in between. The lethality was strong enough that combined with Light Whisper could sever limbs and heads.
Binding them all together—a dragon sweeping through everything—killing men when they block your path and killing gods when they stand in your way... Haha... let the wind take care of itself.
The female doctor was frightened by Cui Ming's erratic expressions and unstable demeanor; he seemed like a madman—laughing loudly at times and then appearing dejected at others. Only after getting used to it did she weakly ask, "Shall we set off?"
Cui Ming was interrupted and felt displeased; he had been enjoying himself until he checked the time—it was already eleven in the morning. Due to being near the Arctic Circle, nights were getting longer; dawn only broke around nine o'clock in the morning. He had been daydreaming for over an hour. Cui Ming jumped down and said, "Let's go."
...
Cui Ming was very concerned about South Reef; from what he gathered from the female doctor, all he knew was that the Lich liked fishing there. Cui Ming also enjoyed fishing but wondered why the Lich would go so far when there was a freshwater lake rich in fish resources right outside his door? Moreover, according to what the female doctor said about South Reef being rocky and prone to snagging lines made it an unsuitable fishing spot—the best place for sea fishing was actually near where they lived.
The female doctor was familiar with herbs but not their growing locations; upon hearing Cui Ming mention more herbs in the south, they decided to head south from the volcano instead of west this time. Whether it was luck or something else entirely, Cui Ming noticed that the female doctor became busier with her work and indeed discovered many herbs. With her busy schedule, they didn't have much time to converse—which was fine by Cui Ming since he didn't want to discuss anything from last night.
While the female doctor continued her work, Cui Ming stood atop a branch under the pretense of determining direction but was actually observing South Reef. Although it might not be apparent from South Reef itself, when Cui Ming looked down from above at first glance he spotted a magic circle. Despite having little knowledge of magic theory, Cui Ming recognized this type of magic circle as a Five-Pointed Magic Circle due to its five corners—while those with six corners were called Hexagrams...
The Five-Pointed Magic Circle is a relatively rare magic formation, closely associated with creation and the soul. In contrast, the Hexagram is more focused on defense and territory. The Four-Point Magic Circle is the most stable and is generally used for magical experiments. The Triangular Magic Circle is the simplest of all, primarily utilized for concealment and hiding.
However, the most impressive is undoubtedly the Seven-Pointed Magic Circle. The number seven holds significant power in both magical and religious contexts, as seen in references like the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Kings. The Seven-Pointed Magic Circle is referred to by mages as an uneven yet stable type of magic formation. It serves as a fundamental magic diagram for summoning Otherworldly Creatures on the continent of Eternity. Yet, this circle has a unique characteristic: it is difficult for humans to control. In simple terms, one cannot be certain what will happen once the magic circle is activated. Thus, summoning magic within the Force Alliance is considered a Forbidden Technique. For instance, Young Li Qing caused great disaster due to the Seven-Pointed Magic Circle. At that time, Li Qing believed he was familiar with and understood the seven-pointed star, only to find out otherwise.
Currently, the key point is the Five-Pointed Magic Circle. In Cui Ming's magical knowledge, there is a direct relationship between the Five-Pointed Magic Circle and creation. It is used for souls, soul summoning, and even Cyborgs. From a high vantage point over South Reef, one can clearly see the magic circle. It occupies an area of approximately three thousand square meters, filled with numerous reefs; however, it is evident that there are signs of human processing at the five points, with no more than bare reefs exposed at critical points. At the center of the five points lies an exceptionally smooth large stone. This suggests that during high tide, the magic circle would be concealed; we are now approaching the final stages of low tide. This means that activating the magic circle must occur during low tide. (To be continued.)
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