Neuvillette and Shenhe both shook their heads upon hearing this.
Although they were already very familiar with Furina, they truly couldn't guess how long she would last.
Focalors saw this and silently calculated.
She estimated it would be somewhere between floors 54 and 55.
Given the stack of cards Furina possessed, if she had enough practical experience, her performance should reach at least floor 56.
But the key problem was, Furina had no practical experience!
So the appearance of the Rating Tower was actually a good thing for Furina!
Where there's training, there's progress. With greater strength comes sufficient confidence.
Focalors did have Furina's best interests at heart, though that didn't stop her from finding amusement in Furina's struggles along the way.
"Another fulfilling day~"
Focalors was in a pleasant mood.
Transforming from an Oceanid into a human was itself a cause for joy.
The events that followed later hadn't given Focalors any time to enjoy life.
But now, Focalors was very satisfied with her current life.
Doted on by Lu Heng, able to tease Furina a bit, and able to pass off the Archon's duties that should belong to the Hydro Archon to Neuvillette... This was practically the leisurely life of her dreams.
The more Focalors thought about it, the happier she became.
After basking in her joy for a while, she turned her head to look.
Neuvillette had somehow produced a chair and was already sitting down, working overtime.
Yes, Neuvillette was working overtime on her laptop.
Shenhe was also sitting beside her, chin propped in one hand, eyes fixed on the screen. A slight look of confusion on her face made it clear she didn't understand what she was seeing.
Focalors also conjured a chair, lay back on it, and began counting down silently.
Fifteen minutes later.
"Waaah!"
All three turned their heads at once.
They saw Furina running out, wailing as if she'd seen a ghost.
She plunged headfirst into Focalors's embrace, sobbing loudly.
"It was so scary!!"
Fifteen minutes earlier...
Furina had just entered the Rating Tower.
The first floor was just a few Hilichurls, how difficult could it be?
Even the weakest four-star card in her deck, [Super Polar Bear], could sweep through them easily.
Reality matched Furina's expectations—it was a straightforward sweep.
The stages before floor 50 posed no obstacle to Furina.
When Furina reached floor 51, the Super Polar Bear was instantly impaled and popped by the Unseen God's spear.
But that was no big deal!
In her nervousness, Furina stiffened her little face, forcing a calm expression.
The power of the [Throne of the Ancient God] activated.
The King's Will shared many similarities with the concept of "words becoming law."
With a single command of "Kneel," the Unseen God directly lost control of its body and knelt before Furina.
Floor 51, easily cleared!
As expected of me, Furina!
Floor 52 was also no pressure.
But on floor 53, Furina realized her King's Will seemed to have a bit less control over the Unseen God.
But don't panic.
She applied [Weaken].
Slapped a layer of Weaken on the Unseen God, then made it explode itself.
Easy clear!
During this process, Furina learned to combine card effects.
Then she opened floor 54.
Apply [Weaken] first.
[Throne of the Ancient God] hard control.
[Angel's Halo] to provide power, [Elemental Resonance] to coalesce the seven elemental energies into a single sword of light.
Without much effort, Furina easily cleared this stage too.
Remembering how the Traveler was stuck on this very floor 54 and couldn't beat it, while she cleared it easily, Furina felt smug.
This Rating Tower wasn't so tough after all!
Furina even stood there for a moment, hands on her hips, laughing before opening floor 55.
Same old procedure.
But then!
Something terrifying happened to Furina.
The Unseen God, under the effects of both [Weaken] and [Throne of the Ancient God - King's Will] control skills, stubbornly managed to move its body.
Once the enemy could move, Furina was at a loss.
She still held a significant advantage, but alas, the Unseen God wasn't stupid. It seized on her lack of practical experience, her weakness, and ruthlessly ran Furina through with its spear.
So...
Incredibly painful!
The kind of pain where the spear directly pierces through your abdomen instantly reduced Furina to tears.
Her mind went completely blank.
Before Furina could even process what was happening, her rating journey was forcibly paused.
"Wah... It really hurt so much!"
Furina spent a full five minutes recounting her ordeal.
She was still shaken, her heart trembling with residual fear.
Was this Unseen God even human?
How could it take control skills head-on and still take her out? Was that fair?
"Alright, alright~"
Focalors was pleased, but she still had to comfort her.
"Floor 55 corresponds to a level close to a high-level Demon God." First, she analyzed the Unseen God's strength.
Then she praised her.
"You're just lacking in practical experience. You're actually very powerful, you know. As long as you use your cards well, it really shouldn't be much of a match for you. Put in a little more effort, and the offense and defense will reverse."
Focalors was skilled at sweet-talk (deceiving/tricking) people, and equally skilled at comforting them.
Furina slowly stopped crying.
Her eyes red-rimmed, she asked half-believingly, "Really?"
The child looked rather silly and naive, but thankfully Focalors wasn't tricking her this time.
"Of course it's true!"
Focalors affirmed: "According to my estimation, with your card deck, reaching floor 56 should be very easy!"
"I actually have the combat power of floor 56?!" Furina immediately tossed her fear of the Unseen God to the wind.
Her face, tear-stained just moments ago, now broke into a smile.
She happily began analyzing the fight again.
"Is she really okay?" Neuvillette asked worriedly, pointing subtly at her own head.
"She's fine." Focalors shook her head.
If it were an ordinary person who had just experienced death, they would definitely need to relax their mind properly to avoid psychological issues.
But not Furina!
It wasn't that she wasn't scared, but the [Super Polar Bear] was right beside her, patting her head.
The Super Polar Bear was using its ability to soothe the spirit, so Focalors wasn't worried about Furina developing any mental problems.
"I know how to fight it now!"
Furina strode confidently back towards the Rating Tower.
Focalors smiled subtly.
One minute later.
Furina came out again, her little face crestfallen.
Upon learning that Furina had managed to stall the Unseen God for 50 seconds, Focalors immediately launched into praise mode.
Furina, who had just been disheartened by her inability to defeat the Unseen God, seemed to get a shot of adrenaline once more.
Blood pumping, she charged back into the Rating Tower.
"Is it really okay to sweet-talk her like that?" Neuvillette felt a bit sorry for Furina.
"It's for her own good too."
Focalors sighed and said, "Who told her she wants to show off in front of others?"
"Hard to understand." Neuvillette shook her head.
Shenhe thought for a long time and also shook her head; she couldn't understand it either.
Time flew by.
The sun rose from the distant horizon.
Furina stood with her hands on her hips, a hint of fatigue in her eyes, but an exceptionally proud expression on her little face.
After a night of effort, Furina herself could feel her progress the most.
As the number of "deaths" increased, her practical experience skyrocketed.
The current Furina dared to claim that if she were to return to floor 55, she could resolve the battle within three seconds, and wouldn't even let the Unseen God touch the hem of her skirt!
"Be astonished! Be in awe! Sing praises!"
"Your little Sister Furina has challenged the Unseen God of floor 56 and achieved victory, with a great time of thirty-two seconds—"
Furina was immensely pleased with herself.
This was floor 56!
In terms of power level, this was already at the level of a high-level Demon God, almost reaching the peak Demon God level!
It proved that Furina now had considerable strength!
"How was the view on floor 57?" Focalors asked with a smile.
"Hah..."
Furina's expression stiffened.
Why bring up floor 57 out of the blue?
Was Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto someone a normal person could challenge?
The moment she used the key, a blade came straight at her, putting her to sleep instantly.
Even going all out, Furina only lasted less than ten seconds against Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto before being taken out by her Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu.
And those ten seconds included the two seconds Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto spent charging up!
"Why so quiet?" Focalors asked with a knowing smile.
"Hmph!"
Furina pouted.
This Focalors... when she was good, she was really good, but when she was bad, she was truly awful.
"Aren't you going to go in and try?" Furina retorted.
"Me?"
Focalors spread her hands. "I won't try. There's completely no need~"
"Eh, why not!"
Furina grew anxious immediately.
If you don't go in and try, how can I properly make fun of you?
"I have no need for strength." Focalors shook her head.
"How can you be like this!"
Furina stamped her foot. "Have some ambition! What if you encounter a situation in the future that requires strength to resolve, and you just happen to lack the necessary power? The enemy will be ruthless!"
Focalors chuckled lightly. "I have my husband to help me~"
Furina argued urgently, "What if your husband isn't around!"
"Hmm... then there's nothing to be done~" Focalors shrugged. "No need to wait for the enemy to make a move, I'll destroy the evidence myself first, then wait for my husband to revive me. Wouldn't that work?"
"You... you incorrigible slacker!"
Furina was left speechless.
She could only condemn Focalors with words.
Furina turned to look at Neuvillette and Shenhe.
Unfortunately.
Neuvillette, sensing trouble early on, had already taken Shenhe and made her escape.
"Ah, my life is so hard."
Furina felt a bit sad.
Seeing Focalors's smiling face made her angry. She stamped her foot again, snorted, "Yae Miko isn't a good person either. When she joins the family, you're done for!"
"Why would I be done for?"
Focalors looked puzzled. "Won't it be the two of us teasing you together?"
"Ahhhh!!"
The poor Furina felt even worse. "I'm going to tell my husband!"
"So he can punish me?"
Focalors's eyes lit up, full of anticipation.
Furina: "..."
She was out of options.
Lu Heng had reached a level of cultivation where he could sense when his name was being taken in vain.
Of course, many people talked about him, and Lu Heng generally didn't pay it much mind.
But this early in the morning, Lu Heng felt an exceptionally strong sense of grievance.
Cyber-divination activated instantly.
Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh.
This Focalors, really... knowing the child is simple-minded, she still kept bullying her.
How outrageous!
He'd have to properly punish her later.
Thinking this, Lu Heng got out of bed leisurely.
At the same time, he tossed another million pulls' worth into the exclusive card pool.
Good news: a six-star gold card appeared.
Bad news: This card was so ordinary it wasn't even worth detailing its specifics.
"But no matter what, it's still a six-star card."
Lu Heng sighed, equipped it, and then started on his breakfast.
At the Akademiya.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had woken up earlier than Lu Heng.
After leaving breakfast for him, she went to the central system, having also summoned Little Suzaku, who usually followed Nahida.
Little Suzaku was very young, actually less than a year old since her birth.
But bearing the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird, she was at the peak of three-star from the moment she was born!
A natural-born peak three-star, only a step away from four-star!
This was the advantage of divine beast lineages.
Just think, she was just born.
As she grew, her strength would increase accordingly!
Typically, the Vermilion Bird clan could rely on growth and cultivation to become stronger, but the word "typically" didn't apply to card mechanics.
Card gameplay was all about breaking the norms.
So Little Suzaku could use card experience to substitute for cultivation and growth.
If the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was willing, she could easily have Little Suzaku possess peak five-star combat power before she even reached one year old!
"Master!! I want to become stronger!!"
As soon as she understood the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's intention, Little Suzaku began chattering.
Her little mouth chirped non-stop, which translated into frantic flattery and a thirst for improvement.
"Okay."
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata nodded. "After you become stronger, can you help me with a task?"
"No problem! I'll listen to whatever Master says!" Little Suzaku nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata extracted the 'scrap cards' filtered out by the scholars from the central system, took Little Suzaku, and headed to the Fontaine branch store.
The central system could decompose cards and upgrade equipment, but it was limited to below five-star.
To break through to five-star, one needed to operate at the store.
Upon arriving at the store, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata saw Furina slumped on a sofa, contemplating life.
"Little Furina, what's got you so down?" the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Ah... it's you, Dendro Archon."
Furina listlessly shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.
Noticing the little bird perched on the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's shoulder, she immediately perked up and hurriedly asked: "What kind of bird is this? So pretty!"
"I am the Divine Vermilion Bird, now pay your respects!" Little Suzaku held her head high.
"It can talk?! So amazing!"
Furina stood on her tiptoes and poked her.
"So rude!"
Little Suzaku's feathers immediately puffed up in anger.
A proud divine bird couldn't be touched by just anyone!
"We share the same beloved." The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata said casually.
"Huh?!"
Little Suzaku looked back in disbelief, and then one could see a fawning expression appear on a bird's face.
She fluttered down and landed in Furina's palm, rubbing against her hand, hehe-ing with laughter: "I could tell just now, you are..."
A stream of flattery left Furina dizzy with delight.
Overjoyed, she accompanied the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to feed experience to Little Suzaku.
Watching the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata decompose five-star material cards without hesitation, Furina exclaimed in shock, "Sis, are you this extravagant? You're decomposing five-star material cards just like that?!"
"Mhm~"
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata said with a smile, "Look at her." She pointed at Little Suzaku. "When she grows to her limit, even a single feather she sheds will be five-star quality."
Furina gasped sharply.
Wow.
Right!
Some material cards came from parts shed by certain great monsters. How could she have forgotten that!
Furina stroked Little Suzaku's feathers in amazement. "This is all Mora..."
Little Suzaku felt a bit panicked.
"Don't worry."
Furina shook her head. "We'll talk about it after you grow up!"
Sadness doesn't disappear innocently; it just gets transferred. The sadness that was originally with Furina had now been transferred to Little Suzaku.
Suddenly didn't feel like getting stronger anymore.
Whoosh!
Flames of the South blazed around the Vermilion Bird.
The blaze roared.
Her aura climbed steadily.
In the blink of an eye, her aura had broken through the rank barrier, officially crossing the threshold to reach five-star!
The intensity of her aura continued to climb without stopping!
Just as the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had said, a significant portion of five-star materials weren't as valuable as Little Suzaku's feathers, unless they were special in some way. So, directly decomposing them to invest in Little Suzaku was a hugely profitable deal!
Little Suzaku was family; her upper limit wouldn't stop at half-step six-star!
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata tossed another large stack of cards into the decomposer.
Crunch, crunch.
Streams of pure energy flowed into the card.
Among pet cards, the resource consumption for raising-type cards was terrifyingly high.
But their value absolutely warranted the investment!
As the final card was decomposed into experience...
Because the consumption for pet cards wasn't as high as for equipment, and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had also decomposed a couple of high-rank gold cards, Suzaku's experience progress reached eighty percent!
Converting that, it was equivalent to floor 58 of the Rating Tower. Using the new unit of measurement: it was Morax-level!
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T/N:
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