Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2572: Brolock BrothWork, Divine Heirs’ Club

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Jillians’ Pub

”Hold on—he only became that strong after inheriting your father’s life’s work? Then he’s either useless, or I’ve been giving the founders too much credit,” I laughed, realizing Sean was Demigod Norley’s heir.

From everything I’d learned and seen in Clown Mask’s future vision, the founders were frighteningly powerful—so powerful the Three Mischiefs had to scheme together and stab them in the back at their weakest. And yet this so-called heir of Demigod Norley didn’t even require me to dope myself with SSS-rank curses. I took him down with nothing more than a simple trick from my space-rule rune.

”What makes you think my father would share his life’s work with that joke?” Jill rolled her eyes as she pulled my free arm around her. I had no idea how much closer she expected to get to me. At this point, she was practically burying herself in me. ”Dad only teaches him just enough to keep the other founders off his back. That’s one of the reasons Sean hates him. It’s not that my dad has anything against the guy—he just doesn’t want to help the founders create another monster like he used to be before I was born. He’s willing to teach Sean other things that are just as good, but Sean isn’t interested. So, over the years, things just turned into what they are now.”

”So, he wouldn’t mind if I killed Sean, right?” I asked, breathing in her intoxicating scent. I’d considered turning Sean into a calamity daughter gem, but the thought of him being around the founders too often gave me pause. Those people were far too sharp and perceptive—a calamity daughter core would never hold up under their scrutiny like a bloodkin would.

”He wouldn’t, but the other founders would. After I was born, Sean basically became the only link left between my father and them,” Jill said with a small smile, reacting to my slight movements and warm breath. Her physique had smothered her passion her entire life, but when it came to me, I was like its kryptonite. Even my slightest touch let her feel the heat, the desire—everything that made her feel like a woman. For the first time in her life, she felt whole—at peace, exactly where she belonged.

”So he’s basically their snitch—the flimsy straw keeping them at bay,” I said, realizing Sean was more than just Demigod Norley’s designated heir. He was the only thing keeping them off her father’s back.

”A snitch, that he is, but he’s not what keeps them off my father,” Jill corrected. ”I am. They know my father would return to the past he abandoned for me... if it were for me.”

”Then what’s the deal with this young master Brothwork?” I asked, shifting the topic as Jill’s mood dimmed every time we mentioned Sean or her father or the founders. Besides, Hive AI couldn’t find anything on this so-called young master of the Brothwork family—or the family itself. I figured these people didn’t like being in the spotlight, just like their ancestors who preferred pulling the central government’s strings from the shadows.

”That’s Brolock Brothwork. The Brothwork family is grooming him to be their next leader. He became a card demigod just a few weeks ago, yet he’s already managed to kill a couple of elite demigods. You’ve heard of the Divine Heirs’ Club, right? He’s their current leader.

”Divine Heirs’ Club, it’s an old group started by the founders’ descendants. The younger generation in those families kept it going for the generations to come—”

”Are you part of that club too?” I cut in.

”No!” Jill snapped, genuinely offended that I’d even consider it. ”My dad never let me mingle with those families when I was young. And by the time I got older, I’d already developed my own interests and my own opinions—unlike those snobs who know nothing but bragging about their families. Besides, they didn’t want anything to do with me either.”

”Be that as it may, the reason I brought this up is because when I needed the funding and connections to launch the pleasure-card venture as fast as possible, I reached out to a few of those heirs. At first, plenty of them were interested. I had more investment and backing than I needed, so I was planning to launch the pleasure cards across all five regions from the start. But then, out of nowhere, they all rejected it in an instant.

And right after that, Brolock contacted me. I knew exactly what was going on. Still, I went into business with him because the deal was fair—more than fair, really—so I’d have been an idiot to turn it down. But ever since then, he’s been using it as an excuse to get close to me, almost making me regret the decision... until you showed up, just like I expected you would.

What took you so long? I thought you’d come running the moment I announced my venture. Since you didn’t, I had no choice but to take his money and see it through. My dad is going to lose his mind when he finds out I used his subpar card recipe to sell cards to the public—”

Jill kept ranting, going on and on about how I hadn’t taken her bait fast enough, forcing her to use Brolock’s money just to make more money for both herself and him. I let her complain until I’d heard enough, then pulled her small head into my arms and kissed her so hard she nearly felt her scalp blow off.

Jill slapped my shoulder, telling me to stop and let her catch her breath. I only eased up when I was sure she couldn’t hold on any longer. The moment I let her go, she gasped for air—and as soon as she caught her breath, she climbed on top of me, settling on my torso. Then she leaned forward, her hair spilling over my face as she bent down and sank her teeth into my neck. I couldn’t tell whether she was trying to hurt me or turn me on, but I was already worked up enough to go a few more rounds.