Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2783: Card Spirit Lotto

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Teleportation Hub

”Yes,” I nodded. As Field Marshal Lorn lifted her head, I asked, ”Are you up to speed?”

”Yes, I am. And I also visited the trophy sector, as you asked. The Forsling corpse puppet card spirits were trying to contact the Elder Anesthesia Dragon,” the Field Marshal reported in concern. She had no idea her lord had imprisoned an entity of that caliber in the Ceed World.

Honestly, when she visited the trophy, she had no clue what it housed beyond the card spirits. Only later did the card spirit that chose her revealed everything to her. The card spirits disliked their creator for trying to enforce his will on them so much that they tried to free the Elder Anesthesia Dragon, hoping it would free them in turn, allowing them to choose their apprentices without their father’s influence.The Field Marshal understood where they were coming from. As a young girl, she had hated the idea of an arranged marriage.

”Did you bring them with you?”

When I sent Field Marshal Lorn a message to return, I had also attached the latest developments along with a set of instructions she was to follow before coming back to the card world. One of them was to visit the trophy room and claim a card spirit for herself. With her strength and no visible connection to me, I expected the more rebellious card spirits to compete to choose her as their apprentice.

I had also asked her to bring the rest with her in her Mystic Dimension.

Facing the Field Marshal, I took out a pseudo calamity soul gem. Together, we used its spiritual channel to transfer the nine card spirits from her Mystic Dimension into the gem.

Then I turned to my loyal, hard-working employees, including Corey, Agatha, Aba, and Laura, and said, ”Congratulations. You’ve been chosen for my card spirit lotto. If you win, your destiny will change overnight. Don’t worry, there can be up to nine winners.”

Then, dragging them into my double celestial rule domain, I released the card spirits inside along with Field Marshal Lorn while I waited outside. The idea was to give the card spirits the illusion that the Field Marshal had brought them to capable apprentices unconnected to me, just as promised. Though the card spirits were clever enough to resist the will of their creator, me, they were still too new to see through everything.

I waited for the Field Marshal’s signal before entering the double celestial rule domain, once they were done. I didn’t dare peek, fearing they would sense my presence and ruin my plan after all the effort I’d put into scrambling my energy signature within the domain. Believe me, it was easier said than done.

However, the first news I heard was that Lil’ Baem had tried to eat the card spirits and failed against their combined strength. Corey reacted in time, stopping things from spiraling out of control and ruining my plan.

Finally, the Field Marshal signaled me that the selection was over. When I entered I found among the nine unclaimed card spirits now only five remained, and the lucky chosen ones were Corey, Aurelia, Aba, and Laura. Not a single demigod from the freedom fighters. I glanced at them and asked, ”Did you try bribing or coaxing them?”

I would have told them to force it, but I knew they were no match for the card spirits. What surprised me, however, was that the spirits hadn’t chosen Henricks. Even more curious, the remaining spirits were still divided over Aba, even though she already had a card spirit. My arrival only made the card spirits take it more seriously. But ultimately chose not.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but wonder what Aba had that the rest of us didn’t, for the card spirits to act so crazed over her. I knew she was supposed to be the Hero, but still.

It also made me wonder if I was forcing two card spirits onto the same apprentice. They clearly didn’t like sharing. Maybe it wasn’t just about their individual identities as part of the Duodecuplets. I couldn’t put my figure on it, but next time I create a card spirit, I should do it one at a time to avoid developing this kind of complex.

”Choose someone already, you shallow jerks! All of them are good card apprentices. They may not be powerful, but each of them has their own strengths. With your help, they can reach the heights you seek in an apprentice,” I urged the remaining card spirits about the consequences of being too picky. Startled, they hid behind Aba.

”Wyatt, calm down. You’re scaring them,” Aba said, immediately coming to their defense.

I laughed at that. ”Scaring them? If they knew fear, they wouldn’t have rebelled. These jerks just know how to act.”

Then I glanced at the card spirits peeking from behind Aba and added, ”Choose someone already, or I’ll overhaul you into decent cards that don’t rebel against their creator and no, you can’t all choose Aba. I don’t think she even empty card slots in her grimoire for all of you.”

From the way the card spirits were acting, one would think Aba had created them. The scene looked like I was bullying a mother and her daughters.

I waited for a while, but the card spirits didn’t move an inch from Aba, as if she could protect them from me. Nor did anyone step forward to win their favor.

I turned to the demigods from the Freedom Fighters and, barely hiding my irritation, asked, ”Do none of you desire power? There is no better opportunity to gain it than here and now.”

Finally, everyone acted. Aba even tried to put in a good word for Agatha, while Aurelia did the same for Cindy. But it didn’t work. Those jerks were too stubborn. I was also a little disappointed in the demigods from the Freedom Fighters. I couldn’t help but wonder if the card spirits would have chosen Luna and Joy, had they been here.

In the end, I was still left with five unclaimed Forsling Corpse Puppet card spirits. I stored them in the pseudo-calamity soul gem and canceled the double celestial rule domain. Then I reassured my dear employees, ”Don’t be disappointed. There will be more opportunities in the future. I’ll create more card spirits and try to refine their temperament.”