Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2959: Here And Now

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

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

Seraphina shot Aqualas a look, silently begging her not to provoke Southern Hope any further. They had already pushed their luck far enough. In Seraphina’s eyes, it was time to retreat while they still could, not continue challenging him.

The battle was long over, and they had lost. The only reason they were still standing on the battlefield was because Southern Hope allowed it. By pushing further, they were giving him a reason to strip away the one piece of leverage they had left against him. If they didn’t leave now, they would end up imprisoned—assuming leaving was even an option anymore.

Sure, he had said that Veerott would act as their warden, taking care of their daily needs and ensuring they behaved themselves. On the surface, it sounded almost reasonable. But Seraphina immediately saw the flaw. Who decided when they had truly come to their senses? Who decided whether they still intended to reset the Card World? Who decided when they had earned their freedom?

The answer was obvious: Southern Hope. And that meant only one thing. Their imprisonment would last for as long as he wished, perhaps even indefinitely. Seraphina’s expression darkened. Having only recently escaped captivity herself, the memories remained entirely too fresh. She knew exactly what it felt like to be sealed away and have her fate resting in someone else’s hands. She would rather die.

As for whether Southern Hope could truly imprison even the Ocean Supreme… Seraphina had no doubts. He wasn’t the type to make threats he couldn’t carry out, and that was precisely what made him terrifying. When he threatened someone, he usually already had three different ways to get it done.

“That won’t be necessary,” Seraphina finally said, lowering her head slightly. “Since Veerott has decided to uphold the wager, we will respect his decision and take our leave.”

Her sudden surrender shocked everyone. Especially Aqualas.

“We will?”

Eyes wide with disbelief, Aqualas turned to Seraphina as though she had just grown a second head. She had genuinely thought they were prepared to die for Veerott—or worse, destroy all life in the Card World as they knew it.

That had been the plan, hadn’t it? At least, she thought it had.Seraphina looked at her friend and nearly sighed. Sometimes she forgot that Aqualas possessed enough power to drown continents while simultaneously lacking the self-preservation instincts of a particularly reckless fish.

Of course she was giving up. The circumstances had changed, and they no longer held any leverage. Continuing now would only get them locked up for good, leaving Veerott to live under the thumb of Southern Hope forever.

That was a gamble she wasn’t willing to take. Because if Veerott truly became Southern Hope’s right hand, then the five regions wouldn’t stand a chance against him. And she and Aqualas wouldn’t be able to stop it, because they would be locked away in a cell.

“Seraphina, you leave if you want. I am only leaving here with Veerott,” Aqualas said, looking at Veerott with a complicated expression.

Never in her long lifespan did she think she would one day risk her life—and every life in the Card World—for someone she had initially considered a mere plaything to pass the time and cure her boredom.

Then, turning her gaze back to Southern Hope, she repeated the threat: “Let Veerott leave with me, or I will kill myself.”

“Aqualas…” Seraphina was stuck in a desperate dilemma. She wanted to live to fight another day, but her friend seemed dead set on ending it all right here, right now.

I chuckled looking at the duo. Especially Aqualas. For someone her age, she had a remarkably stunted EQ. However, as a friend, she truly moved me. Yes, she was hurting Veerott while trying to help him, but you had to admit her heart was in the right place. Also, she had just proved she was willing to sacrifice the entire world for their friendship.

It made me wonder why Bloodette would ever betray someone like that. I’m guessing it was for the exact same reason Veerott was choosing to side with me rather than her. Though her heart was in the right place, her aim was terrible. Instead of helping, she was only making things worse.

Be that as it may, I had previously said this was an opportunity for Veerott to prove whether he would stand behind me or beside me. But now that Seraphina had filled Aqualas’s head with dangerous ideas that might reset all life in the Card World, the responsible thing to do was step in and handle it myself. As for Veerott, he had already proven himself enough.

I stared deep into Aqualas’s resolute eyes and asked, “Do you know why the Supreme Beings are helpless in the void?”

Aqualas, like a hypnotized little prey, shook her head and asked, “Why?”

I smirked. Suddenly, Aqualas’s liquid body lost its shape and began to spill outward like a ruptured dam. Interestingly, the water didn’t fall. It continued to float, hovering in the sky far above the blood-storm clouds.

“Aqualas!” Seraphina and Veerott screamed in panic, horrified by the state of their friend. Their expressions grew grim as the floating water began to solidify into one massive, sprawling sheet of ice. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this vast expanse wasn’t just ice—it was her solidified water rule power.

Then, Aqualas’s voice echoed from within the frozen mass: “Guys, what’s going on? I suddenly lost control over all of my rule power. I can’t sense the water rule stream!”

“Other than that, are you okay?” Veerott asked in distress, while Seraphina glared at me, absolutely certain I was the one behind Aqualas’s condition.

“Relax, she is just experiencing exactly what she would if she were thrown into the void,” I revealed with a hint of satisfaction.

This was my first time applying my celestial force this way, and I was glad to see it work flawlessly on the first try—ignoring, of course, the countless simulations run beforehand by the Hive Spirit.