Lu Chenxing breathed a sigh of relief as he left the breakfast stall, sipping on the tofu pudding in a disposable cup while heartily eating a fried dough stick.
Pedestrians came and went on the street, many wearing masks, seemingly to prevent the flu, which made Lu Chenxing decide he should also wear a mask.
After the baptism of the spiritual energy recovery, the current viruses had become incredibly potent; while high-level professionals didn't need to fear such minor viruses, it was better for low-level professionals to take precautions.
Thinking this, Lu Chenxing finished his breakfast and randomly found a pharmacy to duck into.
He expected to buy them smoothly, but as soon as he stepped inside, the salesperson slumped over the counter said lifelessly, "No cold medicine, no cough medicine, no fever medicine, no masks. Do you need anything else?"
"Oh, excuse me, goodbye!" Lu Chenxing immediately withdrew his foot and turned to leave. He then went to several other pharmacies along the way, all with the same result, which made him scratch his head. Was the flu so rampant lately?
He sensed that something was slightly off, but since the Loshen City officials hadn't issued a notice, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?
Anyway, when the sky falls, the taller ones will be the first to bear the brunt; it had nothing to do with him, a first-tier mage and Card Maker. He then pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
Before long, he finally arrived at his destination for this trip, the Card Maker Association of Loshen City.
The Card Maker Association of Loshen City was located in the city center, in an 18-story high-rise. In the context of the myriad races vying for supremacy, an 18-story building was already quite tall.
Thanks to the enhancement of spatial technology, even some psionic cafes could easily accommodate thousands of people, making it unnecessary to build so high.
Upon entering the Card Maker Association's main door, the interior space was indeed much larger than it appeared from the outside. In the spacious and bright hall, many people were moving about, and there were many instruments that looked highly futuristic.
"Hello, what service do you need?" a friendly female guide, dressed in professional attire and wearing a professional smile, walked up to Lu Chenxing and asked.
"Hello, I need to apply for a Card Maker license and then test the strength of my new card," Lu Chenxing replied politely.
"Alright, please follow me and fill out your basic information." The female guide maintained a flawless, beaming smile and gestured for him to follow.
The young lady led him to a counter, handed him a form, and then waited beside him.
Lu Chenxing looked at the form; it only required some basic personal information, so he filled it out according to the actual situation. After he finished, the guide glanced at it, found no issues, and then led him to another counter.
The guide handed in the form and then received a golden badge. On it was an image of a hand holding a tracing pen suspended over a blank card, with wheat-like plant patterns on both sides, and a blank circle at the bottom.
This was the Apprentice Card Maker's badge. If it were a formal Card Maker, the blank circle at the bottom would be replaced by a five-pointed star.
"Since this is your first time applying to become a Card Maker, we can only issue you an Apprentice Card Maker badge. If you can independently create a first-tier card and pass the assessment, you can officially become a first-tier Card Maker."
The guide patiently explained. After seeing Lu Chenxing nod, she led him to the largest testing machine and asked, "Regarding your second request, to test the strength of your new card, I'd like to ask, is your card offensive, functional, or supportive?"
"It's a first-tier offensive card," Lu Chenxing stated truthfully.
So the guide led him to a red testing machine and said to him, "Please place your card or original card into the slot. The machine will automatically scan and activate it. We just need to wait for the results."
At this moment, Lu Chenxing looked at the large words "First-tier Card Testing Machine" written on the machine and, after some thought, said, "Can I apply for the second-tier card testing machine? My card's power is a bit strong; it once destroyed a perfect first-tier defensive array. It wouldn't be good if your machine broke."
The female guide still wore an impeccable smile and nodded, "Logically, as an Apprentice Card Maker, you can only use the first-tier card testing machine at most, but I can help you apply. Do you need me to?"
"Yes, thank you."
With the application submitted, a man in a suit soon walked over, also smiling, and looked at Lu Chenxing, saying with a smile, "Hello, I am the head of the testing area. May I ask what you need?"
Lu Chenxing repeated what he had just said. The man nodded repeatedly as he listened, finally asking, "You're saying that you just turned eighteen, haven't yet become a formal first-tier Card Maker, and yesterday you independently made an extreme card whose power is close to mid-second-tier, so you need to apply for a second-tier testing machine, is that right?"
"Yes," Lu Chenxing nodded calmly.
The man's mouth twitched uncontrollably twice, but his professional demeanor kept him from saying more. He was about to invite Lu Chenxing to the special testing area nearby when, at that moment, a sneering voice came from behind.
"Seriously, buddy, can you really boast that much?"
Lu Chenxing turned his head and saw a chubby young man, who seemed not much older, around 16 years old, with a round face and squinting eyes.
Judging by his expensive clothes, he was likely from a wealthy or noble family.
Seeing that he was about to say something else, Lu Chenxing ignored him and only asked the head of the testing area, "Can minors enter here?"
The Person in charge was startled, seemingly not expecting him to ask that, but still replied, "Yes, but they cannot become Card Makers."
Upon receiving the reply, Lu Chenxing glanced at the Little Fatty again, said "Oh," and though he didn't say anything, it was as if he had said everything.
The Little Fatty's expression stiffened, and he quickly said, "Although I'm young, I'm well-informed! What you're saying is simply impossible to achieve simultaneously!"
At this point, Lu Chenxing also realized that this Little Fatty had no ill intentions; he just liked to wander around here, looking for entertainment, and his family was wealthy. At 16 years old, he wasn't even attending school.
So, in response to the Little Fatty's question, he answered irrelevantly, "First, I am already an adult, but you are a minor..."
"I..." The Little Fatty just opened his mouth to say something but was forcefully interrupted again.
"'I what I'? Listen to me. Secondly, I am already an Apprentice Card Maker, but you are not!"
"Finally!" Lu Chenxing held up a finger and wagged it, saying, "I have already awakened, and you haven't awakened yet, so... you should stay out of adult matters."
After speaking, Lu Chenxing no longer paid attention to the Little Fatty and politely said to the head, "Where will my test be conducted?"
Hearing their conversation, the head seemed to want to laugh but held it in, professionally saying, "Please follow me, there's a special testing area this way."