Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2484: Mad Scientist’s Garden

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Morningstar University Campus, Garden of Beginning

”Dredre, what do you think about the garden? Do you like it?” I asked to change the topic. Not wanting to drop an axe on my own foot while waiting for the Morningstar University’s response.

”No, it’s depressing here. Can we leave?” Dredre said, glancing over the gigantic flora and stopping at the lightning-struck tree. She felt as though she had entered the lab of a mad scientist, only they were experimenting with trees, not humans.

Most of the flora in the ’garden of beginning’ weren’t supposed to be of colossal size or possess such long lifespans. However, they weren’t just colossal; they had been around for millennia now. Honestly, they were abominations, and she didn’t know how to help them.

She could use her pixie dust on them, but that would only help them return to the embrace of the soil, much like how one can only give the sweet relief of death to those subjects experimented on by the mad scientist. Even though they were miserable, they were alive nonetheless. She couldn’t bring herself to watch them suffer, nor could she bring herself to end their misery. Not to mention, Wyatt had warned her against using her pixie dust in the Card World or any realm for that matter.

Ultimately, Dredre chose to give up. Knowing that, if these floras wanted to die, no amount of external stimulation could keep them alive. That was to say if they chose to die, Morningstar University could only watch their heritage land be destroyed. But they were alive, which meant they wanted to live, despite it being a life filled with misery and pain.

”No, I can’t. But you can leave with Henricks to meet up with Corey, Susan, and others,” I proposed, seeing Dredre appeared to be really uncomfortable in here. Her presence and strength were slowly declining.

No wonder; it had been eight hours since we entered the Garden of the Beginning, but she never showed herself. Oddly, only showed herself when I said the lightning-struck stumps smelled nice. Knowing her, I should have guessed something was wrong. ”Don’t worry, I will join you guys soon.”

”...okay,” Dredre reluctantly agreed. Knowing that if she continued to stay here, she would die out of sadness for the flora in the ’garden of beginning.’

I signaled Henricks, who wanted to ask if he should return after dropping off Dredre, but I didn’t give him the opportunity and ordered, ”You don’t have to return. Just go and make sure the teleportation hubs are functioning and running before the Southern Royal Family reaches a compromise and green lights the expansion to the entire Southern region. I don’t want to, but if I have I will contract outside help to complete the project in time.”

”I understand, boss. I know what’s at stake here,” Henricks assured before teleporting to Sky Blossom City with Dredre.

My teleportation network’s five-region expansion plan was a huge project. The Freedom Fighters didn’t have enough array masters to take this project on. I will have to contract the array association of the five regions for the project.

A lot of capital was going to be invested to make my teleportation network’s five-region expansion possible. It will take a lot of array masters to complete. No single organization could swallow it as everyone has their limits. That included the array masters. There were only so many teleportation arrays one group could arrange within the specified project period. I.e. every array master will get to make money, some more than others based on their skill and sweat.

So, what was this stake Henricks spoke about? It involved what came after the teleportation network was expanded to all five regions. The five regions will have thousands of teleportation hubs, with tens to hundreds of teleportation arrays each. All these teleportation arrays would need periodic maintenance and repair, especially the ones used frequently. Creating hundreds of thousands of stable and high paying jobs.

However, not just anybody could maintain these teleportation arrays. Skilled array masters were required. Who better than the array masters that help expand the teleportation network to all five regions? These jobs will be eyed by all, especially the five array master associations of five regions.

That was a good thing because I planned to use that as leverage to maintain the upper hand in negotiations with the array master organizations across the five regions, including the five array master associations. If I don’t use these jobs to create a divide between these array master organizations and foster a competitive environment, these organizations will join hands to sit on my head and make unreasonable demands every turn, at that rate I might go bankrupt before the expansion was even halfway through.

However, I could just hand over such lucrative jobs to outsiders when I have array masters at home. Still, I couldn’t hand over these jobs to incapable array masters. Doing so would be akin to setting my project on blaze with my own hands.

Therefore, I gave the Freedom Fighters’ array masters a heads up, asking them not to waste this opportunity to increase their skills and secure their future. They got a head start, and if they still couldn’t crack it, I didn’t plan to give them another opportunity.

I favored the array masters from the Freedom Fighters over those from five regions because they were my people now and also because they were all honest and trustworthy people who were willing to do more than something to bring about the change they wanted to see in the world. I believed that if I uplifted them now, they would do everything in their power to uplift me for the rest of their lives.

I wasn’t just looking for capable staff but capable and trustworthy staff, who would protect and continue my legacy even in my absence.

”Wyatt, my young friend. I see you like our garden?” A voice interrupted my train of thoughts, my eyes rested on a curtly dressed old gentleman who appeared to have rushed over in a hurry.

”Yes. I don’t know why, but this particular stump is especially comfortable and relaxing. Is there something special about it, Dean Faust?”