Letter Cards

Zhang Yang was no longer surprised by Zhou Ke's ignorance of the Divine Card ranking system. He patiently explained:

"J, Q, K, A—these four ranks of Divine Cards are commonly called the 'Letter Cards.' Compared to the numbered Divine Cards, their abilities are exceptionally powerful."

"And it's said that those who obtain these four ranks receive direct guidance from the gods themselves."

"I get it now!" Zhang Yang suddenly pointed mysteriously at the girl wearing a mask. "She must be the one who caused the citywide blackout yesterday! Only a Letter Card could have such a strong ability!"

"Look, she’s even hiding her face—afraid of being recognized!"

Zhou Ke chuckled. "Didn’t you say that person had a 'Club' Card?"

"I heard the detection gate announce that her suit was 'Spade.'"

Zhang Yang scratched his long hair. "Oh right, I forgot."

Soon, the two reached the front of the line.

"Our turn."

Zhang Yang looked slightly nervous as he stepped forward under the detection gate.

[Beep—Magic Level: 3. Divine Card: Heart 5. Qualified.]

"Whew, thank goodness."

Grinning, Zhang Yang took his uniform and freshman handbook from the senior student.

Whispers spread among the surrounding students.

"Only a Magic Level of 3?"

"That’s the bare minimum for admission, right?"

"Look at his outfit—another minor noble."

Zhang Yang, however, paid no attention to the murmurs, waving his arms excitedly.

"Divine Card Academy, here I come!!"

Zhou Ke took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Hello, I’m the senior overseeing this round of testing. Please pass through the detection gate," said the dark-skinned senior.

Standing under the gate, Zhou Ke closed his eyes silently.

Enrolling in the Divine Card Academy was the crucial step to climbing the social ladder, making a fortune, and rising above his station.

The gate beeped.

[Beep—Magic Level: 43. Divine Card: Club K. Qualified!]

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.

Then, the crowd erupted.

"Wha—what did it say?"

"43? A freshman?"

"Which family is he from?"

"Judging by his clothes, probably a minor noble."

"A minor noble with 43? And a Club? A K?"

Zhou Ke himself showed little surprise.

He already knew his Divine Card was "special" and had braced himself for this.

However, the detector didn’t seem to register his true Divine Card—the JOKER. Instead, it displayed the altered form.

Zhang Yang, who had already passed through, spun around, mouth agape, stammering:

"Cl-Club? So you’re…?"

Zhou Ke calmly accepted his uniform and handbook, giving the senior a slight bow.

Then, he approached the stunned Zhang Yang and said plainly:

"Let me introduce myself. I’m Zhou Ke, born a commoner."

"I was the one who blacked out the city yesterday."

……

In one of the academy’s towers, two professors quietly observed the entrance examinations.

"Director Chen, you truly have an eye for talent," a middle-aged man murmured, watching Zhou Ke from afar. "I heard you contacted him in advance and offered him financial support?"

Chen Yun chuckled. "Just luck. I happened to pass by East Street when he showed me a magic trick popular among commoners."

"Coincidentally, he turned out to be a genius with an extraordinary Magic Level."

"Meanwhile, Professor Yuan Xing, your class only admits students from mid-tier noble families or higher. Doesn’t that mean you miss out on many promising talents?"

The man called Yuan Xing neither confirmed nor denied it, merely frowning.

"I still believe talent and bloodline are paramount. A commoner with a Magic Level of 43 is an extreme rarity."

"Besides, Magic Level isn’t everything. His future performance remains to be seen."

"Still…" Yuan Xing hesitated.

Chen Yun glanced at him. "I know what you’re thinking. You noticed his Divine Card too."

Yuan Xing gave a quiet hum. "Club K… It’s been a long time since Dragon Country has seen a Divine Card of the Club suit."

……

"Hey, join our student society!" The dark-skinned senior who had overseen the entrance exams excitedly stopped Zhou Ke.

"I’m Li Hanfeng, president of the Black Blade Society—the best and most elite student group in the academy!"

"A genius like you absolutely has to join us!"

Li Hanfeng vigorously shook Zhou Ke’s hand.

So this was the enthusiasm of university clubs…

Before Zhou Ke could think of a response—

"All freshmen who passed the first round, gather here!" Another senior called from a distance. "The second round of testing is about to begin!"

Zhou Ke offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Senior. I still need to complete the entrance exams."

"Oh, right, my bad." Li Hanfeng scratched his head. "Later, other seniors might try recruiting you. Don’t agree to anything!"

……

Only a handful of applicants failed to meet the minimum Magic Level of 3 in the first round.

Zhou Ke now stood at the end of the line for the second round.

"No way, you’re that mysterious commoner genius?!"

Zhang Yang, still ahead of him in line, looked utterly shocked.

"Hey, did Senior Li just try to recruit you?"

"Seems like it."

"Did you say yes?"

"No."

Zhang Yang looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

"Why not?! Countless people dream of joining the Black Blade Society!"

"Li Hanfeng is a legend here! Top scorer in the entrance exams, achieved a Divine Card Ascension in his second year, and he’s drowning in scholarships…"

Zhou Ke’s head spun from the barrage of achievements.

"Though, rumor has it the Black Blade Society only accepts students with Spade Cards." Zhang Yang’s eyes gleamed mischievously.

"So… your Divine Card really is Club K?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Zhang Yang looked like he was about to kneel.

"Your Majesty, I bow before you!"

"Ah, rise, my loyal subject! This king cannot accept such reverence!" Zhou Ke, unsure of Zhang Yang’s meaning, played along.

Zhang Yang grinned. "Remember what I said earlier? Letter Card holders are said to receive divine guidance."

"And each letter carries its own meaning."

"J stands for Jack, Q for Queen, K for King, A for Ace."

"Your Card is K—maybe you’ll become a real king someday!"

"Hey, keep it down!" Zhou Ke quickly covered his mouth. "Even in modern society, loose lips invite trouble."

"At the end of the day, isn’t this just superstition? Wasn’t there a girl before who had the Queen Divine Card? Did she become a queen later?"

"Well, I wouldn’t know about that. But that’s what my mom told me—that those with the King Divine Card are destined for royalty." Zhang Yang scratched his head.

Zhou Ke didn’t pay much attention to Zhang Yang’s words.

After all, his own Divine Card was the JOKER.

He had only activated his special ability to temporarily make it appear as the King of Clubs.

If Zhang Yang’s theory held any weight, did that mean holding a joker card would doom him to become a clown in the future?