"Of course!" Jordan paid and pocketed the change, eating as he spoke. "After work, we're having dinner at Master Bang's dojo. I heard one of his new disciples is good at Chinese cuisine. His Mapo Tofu is especially delicious!"
Saitama's eyes lit up. "Really? Then I'll definitely be there on time!"
Saitama, who got drunk with the old man, ended up staying overnight at the dojo. His fast food restaurant job didn't open until noon anyway, so he could make it back the next day with time to spare.
Thanks to his newly acquired skill "Instant Teleportation," Jordan's mobility had been completely unleashed. In the One-Punch Man world alone, even going to A-City headquarters for a report in the middle of the night was just a matter of moments.
So when the drinking party ended, he was already back in his apartment.
Actually, staying overnight at the Flowing Water Dojo wouldn't be a big deal. But Jordan had important business tonight, so he wouldn't be involved in the Hot Pot Group's second round.
[Fantasy Card: Limiter Fragment] ×42
Fusion requires: 40 Limiter Fragments
After more than a month of preparation, tonight the accumulated Limiter Fragments finally reached the third critical point. The fusion prompt appeared again.
The number of cards required for fusion had doubled compared to before. Forty special N-cards stacked together were almost as thick as a deck of playing cards.
Based on this calculation, the next fusion would require eighty cards.
Moreover, the number of times fragments could be merged wasn't unlimited.
About a year later, when Saitama became completely bald and the fully-fledged "Bald Cape Man" officially debuted, this beginner's perk of ignoring bottlenecks and breaking through limits at will would completely disappear.
Jordan was prepared for this. But he wasn't in a hurry.
After all, his strength had always come from his own efforts (referring to his Stand), and had nothing to do with the outside world.
He also wanted to see just how far he could go without "Limiter Breaking."
No, wait. He'd mixed up the words.
Fantasy Cards, fusion!
Blazing white light burst forth. All forty fragments melted away like snowflakes. As the light faded, only a pale blue fantasy card remained, floating silently before Jordan's eyes.
[Fantasy Card: Limiter Break ACT3]
Type: Special Card • Rarity: R
Formed from the fusion of unknown fragments. Conceptual power that was originally invisible.
Effects:
Restriction Removed: Designate any target to break through one racial growth limit
Controllable Breakthrough: Choose a specific attribute of any target to break through racial growth limitations
Limit Deployment: Designate any target and randomly gain a new extraordinary ability
Compared to the previous two "Limiter Break" cards, the rarity level had finally broken through the N-card ceiling and entered R-rank territory.
A new effect had been added: gain a brand new extraordinary ability for free.
Jordan hesitated, wondering whether to allocate this breakthrough opportunity to his main body or his Stand. The usually inactive Fantasy Cards weakly raised its hand in his consciousness, indicating that the energy injected for its first breakthrough had been exhausted, so...
Hearing the Stand's words, Jordan couldn't help but sneer. "Oh? It's dawn, the rain's stopped, and you little brat think you're hot stuff now?"
Fantasy Cards: "..."
"Sigh. That's the downside of Stands having their own consciousness. I always feel guilty if I ignore them."
Jordan sighed and walked dejectedly to the balcony, feeling the slightly chilly night breeze.
In the void, the Fantasy Cards conveyed a sense of gratitude. The special R-card, floating mid-air, was instantly added to the deck and disappeared with possessiveness rivaling a golden retriever.
This time, the Stand undergoing its second evolution didn't revert to its original egg form.
However, Jordan, whose consciousness was connected to the real world, could vaguely sense that a stellar explosion-like upheaval was unfolding in the subconscious dimension that overlapped with reality. As the center of this revolutionary frenzy, the Fantasy Cards were constantly being unleashed by the power of "Limiter Breaking" concept. Layers of solid seals were violently torn open. Invisible shackles were ruthlessly broken. In just a few breaths, a world-shaking transformation was completed.
Jordan was slightly taken aback. In the blink of an eye, the Stand's breakthrough was complete. Compared to last time, it seemed to have completely adapted to the characteristics of conceptual power.
Similar to his own breakthrough, the Stand's panel options appeared on Jordan's retina.
Destructive power.
Speed.
Precision.
Growth potential.
Durability.
Range.
"Choose one of my panel attributes to break through?"
Understanding the Stand's thoughts, Jordan pondered for a moment, then suddenly suffered decision paralysis.
You're a deck of cards. What kind of stats do you need?
Your natural growth potential and durability are already maxed out. What do other stats have to do with you?
After thinking it over repeatedly, Jordan casually clicked one.
You're the one!
Selection complete. The conceptual power erupted once more. This time he completely lost connection with his Stand.
Having previous experience with Stand upgrades, Jordan knew there was no point rushing it.
After waiting a while and seeing that contact hadn't been restored, he removed his alcohol-scented clothes, tidied himself up, and went to sleep peacefully.
After a good night's sleep, Jordan woke up stretching and yawning. His perfectly sculpted body made a series of crisp cracking sounds as he stretched. Looking at the clear blue sky outside the window, he felt refreshed.
After getting up and washing, Jordan habitually summoned his Stand.
Unlike before, the Fantasy Cards didn't appear. He thought that after a night, the final evolution still hadn't completed.
The next moment, the updated Stand panel appeared in his mind.
[Stand: Fantasy Cards]
Destructive Power: A | Speed: C | Precision: B
Growth Potential: A | Durability: A | Range: B
Abilities:
[First Ability: Card Mastery]
Give things the concept of "cards," create fantasy cards, and control the power within them.
[Second Ability: Fate Draw]
One fantasy card will be randomly drawn each day. Draw attempts can be accumulated. (Currently: 4 times)
[Third Ability: Element Pickup]
Randomly collect fragments of extraordinary elements within ten-meter radius to create fantasy cards.
[Fourth Ability: Divine Draw]
Consumes 10 "Fate Draw" attempts; randomly draws one fantasy card from specified card pool/type.
It really awakened a fourth ability?
Jordan paused mid-brushing, then continued while thinking.
Specifying a card pool or type... that's similar to targeted draws in gacha games, right?