Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Above Perfect
Star Card Masters were divided into Bronze, Silver, Gold, Shining Star, Radiant Moon, Burning Sun... various levels.
A high school student like Su Yuan had not yet reached Bronze Level. He was just a Star Card Master Apprentice, laying the foundation for breaking through to become a Bronze Star Card Master.
Star Card Master Apprentices were divided into nine stages. The first five stages were relatively easier. However, starting from the Sixth Stage, the difficulty of each progression increased significantly. Those without "talent" might never become Star Card Masters.
This so-called "talent" was the Lifebound Star Card awakened from each Star Card Master's soul, also known as the Soul Card!
From the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage onwards, the accumulation of Star Power was enough to support the awakening of the Soul Card. To increase the probability and potential of awakening the Soul Card, specially crafted "Soul Awakening Cards" were often used.
In Great Flame, Soul Awakening Cards were white Star Cards that every high school student reaching the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice was eligible to apply for.
A strong youth meant a strong country. The more young people became Star Card Masters, the stronger Great Flame Country's future would be, standing firm through various natural disasters.
Although Soul Awakening Cards were white cards that could be applied for, their high-level counterparts were extremely few in number and precious beyond measure.
Including Soul Cards, all Star Cards were graded into six tiers: Ordinary White Card, Elite Green Card, Master Blue Card, Epic Purple Card, Legend Golden Card, and Myth Red Card.
All Star Cards had five skill levels: Entry-level, Skilled, Master, Great Success, Perfect.
Generally, the Soul Awakening Cards that all high school students could apply for were of Entry-level.
Skilled-level Soul Awakening Cards were so rare that Guangchuan Fourth Middle School could apply for only ten from the Guangchuan Education Bureau each year.
The rules for competing for these ten Skilled-level Soul Awakening Cards at Guangchuan Fourth Middle School were simple: whoever broke through to the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice first would get them.
Therefore, both Su Yuan and Jiang Jun, who had just given a reminder, received a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card after breaking through the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice.
As for Master-level Soul Awakening Cards, Guangchuan City had only one or two, but they were usually monopolized by First Middle School and Second Middle School. Guangchuan Fourth Middle School had no chance.
If purchasing independently, a Master-level Soul Awakening Card cost an astronomical sum—impossible without a few million in hand. This price was even higher than most Blue Cards!
Higher levels like Great Success and Perfect-level Soul Awakening Cards were beyond most common people's reach, often available but with no market.
As the most ordinary White Card, the high price of a Soul Awakening Card was due to its special manufacturing costs and, more importantly, its ability to increase the awakening probability and determine the quality of the awakened Soul Card!
The quality of the awakened Soul Card was influenced by only two factors. First was the soul strength of the Star Apprentice. Second was the level of the Soul Awakening Card!
The greater the soul potential and the higher the level of the Soul Awakening Card, the higher the quality of the awakened Soul Card would be!
A year ago, Su Yuan had crossed over and inherited the memories of his past life.
In his past life, he had a talent for cultivating Star Power, reaching the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice early on. However, he repeatedly failed in awakening the Soul Card.
The first time, he used a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card issued by Fourth Middle School, and he failed!
His father, Su Yang, and his mother, Tang Shiyang, encouraged him by spending tens of thousands to buy another Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card from the market.
Yet, the second attempt of his past self also ended in failure!
Su Yuan's family was not wealthy. His mother, Tang Shiyang, was an elementary school teacher, and his father, Su Yang, ran a small fruit shop in the neighborhood. Though their family was not poor, they were far from well-off.
Spending tens of thousands was a heavy blow to the Su Family, using up all their savings on that one Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card. Even so, Su Yang and Tang Shiyang gritted their teeth and borrowed ten thousand more to buy another Entry-level Soul Awakening Card for their past son.
Generally, an individual's first awakening attempt had the highest probability of success if they had the "talent" to become a Star Card Master. The probability decreased with each attempt. If unsuccessful after three attempts, there would be no further chances.
That night, holding the Soul Awakening Card, the past Su Yuan was overwhelmed and fainted from the pressure.
At that moment, Su Yuan crossed over...
It seemed as though he had inherited the will of his past self. Su Yuan not only crossed over but also brought along a system, a system capable of enhancing cards!
Suddenly finding himself in a transcendent world, Su Yuan was immensely curious about "Soul Cards" and "Star Power."
However, even with such curiosity, Su Yuan did not blindly use the ten-thousand-worth Entry-level Soul Awakening Card.
He knew very well that his past self had failed twice with a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card. How could he succeed with just an Entry-level Soul Awakening Card?
Moreover, he had not adapted to anything after crossing over. Blindly awakening would be fatal.
But most importantly, it was because of the Golden Finger.
This system had an "enhancement" function, seemingly capable of enhancing cards, so he had to study it well.
After a period of observation and experimentation, Su Yuan roughly grasped the enhancement function.
The system used "Star Dust" as energy, automatically recovering 1 point of Star Dust per day. Every 10 points of Star Dust could enhance a card already embedded in the Star Power Vortex, commonly called a point addition.
Without awakening, the Star Apprentice's Star Power Vortex could support only one Soul Awakening Card. So, Su Yuan could only experiment with the Soul Awakening Card.
When he elevated the Entry-level Soul Awakening Card to a Skilled-level with the first point addition, Su Yuan immediately realized his potential for success!
Inheriting the memories of his past self, Su Yuan understood the significance of high-level Soul Awakening Cards. He decided on the spot that regardless of whether he could successfully awaken the Soul Card or how much time it took, he would enhance the Soul Awakening Card to Perfect Level!
Since then, Su Yuan embarked on the point addition path.
One addition from Entry-level to Skilled,
Two additions from Skilled to Master,
Four additions from Master to Great Success,
Eight additions from Great Success to Perfect,
A total of fifteen additions, costing 150 points of Star Dust, and taking 150 days.
When the card reached Perfect Level, Su Yuan prepared to awaken his Lifebound Star Card but found the Soul Awakening Card still upgradable!
This was completely unexpected for Su Yuan, as the highest level of Star Cards taught in the Star Apprentice Class was Perfect Level.
Although it was excellent that the Soul Awakening Card could still be upgraded, it presented a dilemma for Su Yuan.
The Soul Card significantly accelerated the cultivation speed of Star Power. From the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice onwards, each stage was much more challenging than the first five. Without the Soul Card, one could hardly move forward.
Being surpassed by others did not matter. Still, if he failed to awaken the Soul Card by the age of 18, he would never have another chance.
Based on the previous point addition pattern, ascending to the sixth level beyond Perfect would require 16 additions, around 160 days—almost half a year!
And that was in an ideal scenario. If it required 32 or even 64 additions, it would take even longer. He might not achieve the sixth level by graduation.
However, after contemplating for a short while, Su Yuan decided to try, aiming to make at least 16 more additions.
After all, such an upgrade opportunity for the Soul Awakening Card was unique! Not trying would waste the system's capabilities!
If he did it, he would do it to perfection!
If 16 additions did not reach the sixth level, he would use the Perfect-level Soul Awakening Card to awaken, leaving him more than half a year to prepare for the college entrance exam.
So, Su Yuan embarked on the long journey of enhancing the Soul Awakening Card again.
Until today, the last day of the first semester of his senior year, Su Yuan had made 15 additions on the Perfect-level card, just one point shy of 16!