Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2371  Winter Bomb

”Uncle, how did Granduncle do that?” Dulas asked curiously.

Biore hesitated, not because he didnʼt want to answer, but because he wasnʼt entirely sure himself. The truth was, it wasnʼt a matter of knowledge—it was a matter of power. The gap between his own spiritual power and that of his uncleʼs rank was vast, and he couldnʼt begin to comprehend the full extent of what devils of that level were capable of.

Though he had a rough idea of what his uncle had done, understanding the precise mechanics of it was beyond him. That made it difficult to explain it to his adorable niece. Dulas wasnʼt just kind because she was nice to everyone—she was genuinely good-hearted, and one of the few reasons Biore hadnʼt completely given up on his family, the Ironholds.

”Master Crafter, do you know how he did it?” Dulas asked, turning to Wyatt for an answer, seeing her uncle unable to respond.

Wyatt adjusted his stance slightly, his gaze thoughtful. ”He ran his Crafterʼs Sense through the corpse puppet, creating a thin but sufficient layer of protection to let it dive into the magma without being burned. Then he infused it with spiritual power to sustain the Crafterʼs Sense, putting an insane amount of pressure on the puppet from all directions along with the extreme heat and pressure from the lava transformed the corpse puppetʼs skeleton frame into an SS-rank crystal structure as a result.”

He paused, his tone becoming more impressed as he continued. ”He delicately used his spiritual power to protect the puppetʼs core and joints, ensuring they werenʼt damaged. Honestly, it only survived because of the attribute of his Crafterʼs Sense that increased the items durability temporarily. After that, he used his lava-based spiritual arts to shape the new corpse puppet—using magma stones for flesh and molten lava for blood. Though in a sense its just the only corpse puppet wearing a magma stone armor capable of spewing hot lava.”

Wyattʼs soul pupils glinted faintly, a reflection of his growing interest. Though his eyes could unravel the secrets of nearly anything, leaving him rarely astonished, the Elder Chaos Dwarfʼs meticulous plan—crafted to adapt seamlessly to every twist Moon presented—genuinely intrigued him.

Despite having much of his original power and capabilities restrained, the Elder Chaos Dwarf had showcased an incredible ability to craft and adapt on the fly, a testament to his years of experience. In this battle, he wielded both his profound realm and unmatched expertise to execute what could only be described as a miraculous comeback.

”Yeah!” Bigoldʼs face finally regained some color, his enthusiasm returning. After both the Armixian corpse puppeters had failed him miserably, heʼd been at his witʼs end—until his uncle stepped in to defend the familyʼs name. Sure, for a respected elder to step into a contest meant for the younger generation was undeniably shameless, but losing to a non-native demon merchant from some unknown corner of the myriad realms would have been even more humiliating. The Ironholds would have become a mockery in the eyes of the rest of the chaos dwaven race.

For Bigold, this was enough. He might not be the one in the spotlight, but his would win the duel, and heʼd get to keep his workshop and learn the identity of the unknown demon merchant. Then he could have his fill of revenge and joy. That alone was a victory worth savoring. As for any punishment from the family for involving his uncle, it didnʼt bother him in the slightest—it wouldnʼt come close to the disgrace of being disowned, like Biore and Dulas, who had been labeled as traitors and nowhere near the torture he was going to put the unknown demon merchant through.

Things hadnʼt turned out quite as heʼd envisioned, but they were starting to shape up in his favor, and for someone who had been certain he would lose everything, that was more than enough.

”Finish it,” the Elder Chaos Dwarf muttered softly, his voice carrying through the colosseum like a resonating drumbeat. The audience, previously engrossed in heated debates over the unfolding events, turned their attention back to the arena. Their eyes widened as the amber-brown corpse puppet slowly ascended into the air, its molten gaze locking onto its opponent with an unnerving intensity. The puppeteerʼs crafterʼs sense surged through the reforged corpse puppet with greater intensity than before, bringing out the puppetʼs full potential and temporarily amplifying its abilities to a level that transcended the limits of the demon emperor realm.

Moon, who had already activated her corpse puppetʼs last-resort command, remained calm, her expression unreadable. She wasnʼt naive; she knew that victory against the Elder Chaos Dwarfʼs reforged corpse puppet—a creation now leagues beyond her own—was nearly impossible.

Still, she waited, her grip tightening slightly as her puppet stood poised on the glacial web. This wasnʼt a battle she could win. After being reforged her opponentʼs prowess solidify its supremacy in the arena erasing any trace of its earlier vulnerabilities. Previously, due to the subpar quality of the corpse puppet, neither of Bigoldʼs champions could fully showcase their prowess and were ultimately defeated because of its limitations. The same held true for the Elder Chaos Dwarf—at least, until he reforged the puppet. Now, with its enhanced sturdiness, greater power, and the ability to handle more of his spiritual energy and crafterʼs sense, the reimagined creation stood as a testament to his craftsmanship and ingenuity.

Though her armored corpse puppet matched her opponentʼs reforged creation in strength and functionality, Moon knew she lacked the immense spiritual power and the refined crafterʼs sense of the Elder Chaos Dwarf. Fighting recklessly would only lead to her inevitable defeat. However, if she made her final stand now, perhaps she could ensure neither of them walked away victorious.

Suddenly, the lava corpse puppet disappeared from her line of sight, reappearing mere inches away. Its molten hand pierced toward her armored corpse puppetʼs chest. The impact was fierce, but her puppetʼs mechanical glacier armor proved too formidable; the lava corpse puppet couldnʼt break through entirely.

”Winter Bomb!” Moon shouted, her voice carrying the weight of desperation and resolve.

A radiant light burst from her armored corpse puppet, followed by a deafening explosion that froze the entire arena in an instant. The lava pool solidified into jagged ice, molten stones crystallized mid-motion, and the once-intimidating lava corpse puppet was encased in a shimmering glacier of frost at the center of the explosion.

The crowd held their breath, their eyes fixed on the frozen arena. The lava corpse puppet stood frozen in place, its arm still extended toward its opponent. Just as whispers of a stalemate began to ripple through the audience, the puppet shifted slightly, cracking its icy prison. A collective gasp filled the colosseum.

But the slight movement was its undoing. A sharp crack echoed through the frosty silence, and in a split second, the lava corpse puppet shattered into countless shards of ice, scattering across the arena floor. A heavy, graveyard-like silence filled the colosseum. Everyone had anticipated Moonʼs defeat at the hands of the Elder Chaos Dwarf, yet she had managed to claw her way to a draw. The shock of her resilient mind lingered in the air. Now nobody seemd to care if she was necrophiliac.

But the silence didnʼt last long. A wail of despair broke through—it was Bigold, his face a mask of disbelief and horror as the realization sank in. Despite his elders stepping in to help and bending every rule to tilt the odds in his favor, he had lost. His anguish, however, was quickly drowned out by the roaring cheers of the audience, who couldnʼt hold back their admiration for the unknown demon merchant ingenious craft and Moonʼs unexpected tenacity.

The judges descended to the arena, their expressions stern and measured as they deliberated. Finally, their verdict was announced: the third round was officially a draw. With that, the unknown demon merchant was declared the overall winner of the duel, having two corpse puppets left standing to Bigoldʼs zero.

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers and groans, their voices echoing through the colosseum. The thrilling and unpredictable conclusion left the audience buzzing with excitement, their emotions a mix of awe, disbelief, and satisfaction after witnessing a spectacular showdown where they not only watched a Chaos Dwarf lose but also a Elder Chaos Dwarf be defeated.