Having made up her mind, Yan Qi didn’t waste any time.
Spotting a koi fish lazily swimming in the lake, she swung her massive scythe, barely grazing its scales.
Even the dumbest fish would realize something was wrong when attacked—but before it could thrash free, it found its soul forcibly separated from its body and dragged before Yan Qi’s eyes.
Seeing the fish’s floating soul confirmed that her skill had worked. A satisfied smirk curled her lips.
“Perfect. Now, time to test the other skills—but I’ll need a different target.”
After returning the fish’s soul, she scanned the area for a more… sinful creature.
It didn’t take long. Near a park trash bin, she found a scavenging rat.
Dragging the rodent to the lakeside, Yan Qi—now the Grim Reaper Girl—pointed her scythe at it with dramatic flair.
“You stand judged, sinner.”
The rat, bewildered by this sudden proclamation, had no time to react before Karmic Judgment took effect.
Flames of retribution erupted from its tiny body. A shrill, agonized squeal pierced the air—then, in an instant, the rat was reduced to ashes.
“Nice. Even a rat’s sins were enough to fuel the flames. I wasn’t sure it’d work.”
Pleased with the results, she considered testing the Grim Reaper Girl’s final skill, Eternal Silence—but quickly dismissed the idea.
“That one’s way too extreme. Even I’d die if I used it. Sure, my Rebirth talent would bring me back, but the respawn time is way too long. Pass.”
With that, she canceled her transformation and switched to her next six-star card—the Little Succubus Queen.
The moment the transformation took hold, Yan Qi’s face flushed.
“This outfit is practically nothing! Maybe I shouldn’t use her for combat too often…”
A breeze brushed against her exposed skin, making her shiver. Shaking her head to clear inappropriate thoughts, she summoned the Succubus Queen’s signature weapon—a Demonic Spear.
“Whoa, this thing is heavy! No wonder she has Monstrous Strength—without it, her tiny frame wouldn’t even be able to lift this.”
Twirling the spear effortlessly (thanks to her newfound power), she decided against testing it on another rat.
“No point. Definitely not because her outfit’s too distracting…”
Dispelling the Succubus Queen form, she moved on to her third new card—the Mermaid Princess.
A shimmering light enveloped her, replacing her legs with a graceful fishtail and draping her in an even more scandalous ensemble than the Succubus Queen’s.
“Well, she is gorgeous. And yeah, she’s barely dressed, but… she’s a mermaid. It’s fine.”
Her reflection in the lake’s rippling surface confirmed the transformation’s success. Knowing land was no place for a mermaid, she dove in.
“Ahhh… being underwater feels amazing.”
The cool water embraced her, her gills filtering oxygen effortlessly. For a moment, she just floated there, basking in the tranquility.
But she had work to do.
Focusing, she activated her first skill—Siren’s Song.
A haunting melody spilled from her lips, weaving through the water. Every non-allied creature within earshot—mostly fish—immediately succumbed to hallucinations, their movements turning erratic and confused.
“Perfect. This’ll be great for crowd control.”
She cut the song short, not wanting to torment the fish longer than necessary.
Next up: Raging Tides.
With a sweep of her arm, a massive conceptual tidal wave surged from the lake, crashing onto the shore—yet leaving no physical damage behind.
“Huh. Strong, but… not very flashy.”
The wave existed more as a metaphysical force than an actual tsunami. Still, the skill’s debuff effects would cripple enemies in battle.
Finally, she tried Sovereign of the Seas, expecting a healing surge—but nothing happened.
“Wait, why isn’t it working?”
Then it hit her.
“Oh. Right. This is a lake, not the ocean.”
Her Ocean’s Darling talent only granted full power in saltwater. Here, her recovery skills were practically useless.
“Well, that’s annoying.”
Sighing, she surfaced, already planning her next move.