As soon as the instructor said they could move freely, Russell wasted no time summoning his Pidgeot.
Seeing the majestic bird appear, Nancy's eyes widened in surprise. "You already made a second creature card?"
She had expected him to maybe create a basic vehicle-type item card at best.
Russell gave a modest shake of the head, his expression calm. "It's just a green card, nothing special."
Nancy stared at him, speechless at the understatement. Many people go their entire lives without ever crafting a single green card of Iron rank.
Still, she smiled. "A forest-type space like this is perfect for your flying mount."
Or rather, any flying mount was suitable for nearly all types of spaces.
Around them, envious murmurs spread among the other students.
"Typical Russell..."
"I wish I had a flying mount too. My parents only got me a mountain bike."
"You're lucky. I've got nothing but my own two legs."
Listening to them, Russell couldn't help but reflect—if Nancy hadn't reminded him back then, he probably wouldn't have thought to make a ridable card either.
Among the crowd, Darren stared daggers at Russell, his eyes filled with jealousy and frustration.
"Russell again... always Russell. Is he supposed to be perfect or something!?" he thought bitterly. "If I just... No, if I get caught, I'm done for."
Russell seemed to sense the hostile gaze and turned toward him.
Darren quickly averted his eyes and feigned innocence.
Russell smirked. "Coward," he muttered internally, adding a third label to Darren in his mental notebook: petty, spiteful, and now cowardly.
Nancy noticed Russell chuckling and asked curiously, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Russell waved her off. "Just spotted a clown."
Before she could press further, Russell hopped onto his Pidgeot and took off into the skies.
Once he left, the other elite class students dispersed, heading off to explore the space.
Back near the gate, the supervising instructor watched Russell disappear into the sky and sighed. "Looks like New Metro First High's got a real gem this year."
He turned to his colleague. "Didn't you take leave to take care of your mom?"
The man, Mr. Walker, gave a bitter smile. "People like us, who struggled half our lives just to make it to Iron-rank... we don't make much. My mom's treatment needs money. No work, no income."
Spaces like this, which were fully secured and monitored by the Cardmaster Association, were typically overseen by aging, low-rank Cardmasters—folks with no hope of advancement.
After all, no one would waste high-tier Cardmasters on babysitting duty.
The lead instructor patted Mr. Walker's shoulder. "Let's not talk about depressing stuff. Come on, let's get back to the surveillance room. Hopefully nothing crazy happens today."
Meanwhile, Russell was soaring up the mountainside.
In mid-air, he began planning his next move.
"The Four School Joint Exam is just two weeks away... I've gotta gather more materials during this training session. Relying on Yoriichi alone won't be enough."
Though he had climbed to the top at New Metro First High, Russell knew better than to get cocky. The world was vast, full of powerful contenders.
When he made his first card, it was partly for fun—and to pay off his loan.
But after surviving the Magic Nest incident, he understood just how dangerous this world really was.
If Master Bright hadn't been in New Metro that day, who knows what kind of disaster would've unfolded?
That thought made him hunger for strength more than ever.
Clearing his mind, Russell examined the forest below.
Massive, black-trunked trees blotted out the sunlight with thick canopies, making it hard to scout from above.
With no choice, he guided Pidgeot down and landed on a clearing.
He recalled his mount and summoned Yoriichi.
"Stay sharp," Russell warned quietly. "This place feels dangerous."
Yoriichi gave a slight nod, his hand naturally resting on the hilt of his katana.
Crunch. Crunch.
Their footsteps rustled through the thick layer of leaves carpeting the ground.
Crack.
Suddenly, Yoriichi drew his blade and stopped Russell with the flat of it.
Russell instantly caught on—something was nearby.
He quickly resummoned Pidgeot and took to the skies.
On the ground, the leaves visibly bulged—something long and serpentine moving beneath them.
Yoriichi narrowed his eyes and tracked the movement.
Hiss!
A grotesque, fang-lined maw shot from under the leaves, striking like a whip.
But Yoriichi was far too seasoned. He sidestepped easily and countered with a blazing red slash.
The blade cut clean through the attacker.
From above, Russell got a clear view: it was a long, jet-black centipede.
Just as he was about to descend and extract materials, he spotted multiple trails pushing through the leaves.
"Yoriichi—watch out! More incoming!"
In the next second, four dark figures lunged from the underbrush toward his guardian.
But Yoriichi, eyes lit with the World of Transparency, saw their every move in slow motion.
"Sun Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorch Sky!"
With practiced calm, he unleashed a sweeping, flame-colored arc. The flying centipedes were instantly diced into uneven chunks.
Their purple blood sizzled as it splashed onto the forest floor.
Russell hovered above, waiting to be sure the danger had passed.
When the ground finally stilled, he descended next to Yoriichi.
"Nice work, man. That was amazing." Russell patted his arm with a grin.
To his surprise, the normally stoic Yoriichi gave a rare smile in return.
"Wait, you actually can smile?" Russell blinked.
But in the next instant, Yoriichi was back to his usual expressionless self.
Scratching his head, Russell decided not to dwell on it. He crouched beside the corpses and slowly drew his psychic energy across the remains.
The carcasses shimmered and condensed into five material cards.
[Venom Centipede] (Green)
"Man... easy money," Russell muttered.
He had barely spent any time in this training space and already gained five green Iron-rank materials.
And this was just a small, controlled space.
He could only imagine what kind of loot the bigger, high-level spaces held.
No wonder veteran Cardmasters were willing to risk their lives to explore those areas.
"If the mid-mountain only has green-grade drops, I wonder what's waiting at the summit," Russell mused.