Apocalypse Transmigration - The Card Captor System

Eight years had passed since Leo first arrived in the Void Dimension. Today, however, the Forgotten Battlefield sat completely quiet.

No explosions shook the ground. No weapons clashed. The familiar thud of Leo being launched across the terrain was absent.

In a secluded corner, Leo and Gill sat across from one another. Each held a hand of playing cards crafted from an unknown material. A small pile of Soul Crystals rested between them.

Gill studied his hand one last time. Then—

Slap!

He tossed the cards onto the dirt. With a lazy sweep of his wing, the raven dragged the pile of crystals closer to his side.

A nerve near Leo’s eye twitched. Gill produced a small pouch from beneath his robe and went to work stuffing his winnings inside.

Leo stared at the bird in sheer disbelief before throwing his own cards down.

”Shit!” He pointed accusingly at the raven. ”What the hell is this?”

Gill paused. Leo narrowed his eyes.

”How come I haven’t won a single hand all these years?”

”You can’t possibly be this lucky, right?” He leaned closer, eyes filled with suspicion. ”Are you cheating?”

The raven’s crimson eyes went wide. Turning his head, Gill let out a deeply offended snort. The sheer indignation made it clear that accusing him of cheating was a grave insult.

Leo rolled his eyes.

”Hey, don’t give me that attitude.”

”If you’re not cheating, then how do you explain winning every single time?”

Gill took hold of his cane and traced a pattern in the air. A glowing image materialized, showing a gigantic bird looking down at a tiny, pathetic stick figure with a mocking smirk.

Leo gaped at the drawing.

”Are you saying I’m a sore loser?” He pointed a thumb at his own chest. ”And that I simply suck at gambling?”

Gill gave an enthusiastic nod. Leo’s face turned grim.

”I don’t mind telling you, but I was a gambling king in my previous life.”

”I’ve never lost this badly before.” He glared at his feathered opponent. ”You definitely cheated.”

Gill snorted a second time. Before the bird could make another drawing, a calm, familiar voice drifted over from behind.

”He isn’t cheating.”

Leo looked over his shoulder. The mysterious man stood just a few paces away, wearing his usual composed expression.

”He is simply blessed by Lady Luck.”

”Gambling against him is practically pointless. Even if you win once in a hundred games, you’d already be extremely lucky.”

Leo blinked, taking in the words.

”That’s actually a thing?”

The mysterious man nodded. Leo cast a side glance at Gill. At the praise, the raven puffed out his chest with absolute pride.

”After everything you’ve experienced, don’t tell me you still don’t believe in metaphysical forces like luck.”

Leo rubbed the back of his neck.

”Well... I’m not exactly a believer in that kind of thing.”

The man gave him a strange look.

”You should think about it.”

”Even your transmigration after death was a form of luck.”

Leo fell silent, his face shifting into a thoughtful frown. The man pressed on.

”And luck isn’t the only thing you should be aware of.”

”There are curses, blessings, fate, and other forces that ordinary people know nothing about.”

”I once knew a witch who could take the lives of millions with a single curse.”

The playful mood vanished from Leo’s face.

”Millions?”

The man gave a firm nod.

”Once you leave this place, keep an eye out for things like that.”

Leo dipped his head in agreement. He knew his mentor wasn’t the type to make up scary stories just for fun. If he bothered to give a warning, there was a very real reason behind it.

The man shifted his gaze toward the silent battlefield.

”Anyway, that’s enough about that.”

”Your time here is slowly coming to an end.”

”Your training will stop here.”

He turned his back to them.

”Follow me.”

Leo scrambled to his feet.

”Wait.” He jogged over to match the man’s pace. ”Why is the training stopping?”

”I think I can contend with Gill if I train for a few more years.”

The mysterious man merely shook his head.

”You wouldn’t be his match even if you trained for another thousand years.”

Leo raised a skeptical eyebrow.

”What do you mean?”

The man looked at him from the corner of his eye.

”Do you actually think this is the extent of Gill’s strength?”

”This isn’t even one percent of his true power.”

Leo froze in his tracks.

”One percent?”

”While you fight with everything you’ve got, Gill has merely been using casual attacks.”

A sour look crossed Leo’s face.

”Come on, man.”

”Even if that’s true, couldn’t you let me keep my illusion of accomplishment?”

”You just brutally crushed whatever confidence I had left.”

A rare chuckle escaped the man’s lips. Leo let out a long sigh.

”I know I’m not some kind of genius.”

”Even after training all these years, I can tell I’ve barely scratched the surface.”

The mysterious man slowed his steps.

”There’s no need to be so discouraged.”

”You actually grasped Zen relatively quickly.”

”Many clans with a Zen heritage have members who spend their entire lives without understanding its essence.”

”Compared to them, you’re... somewhat decent.”

Hope returned to Leo’s eyes.

”So you’re saying I’m a genius?”

The man ruined it with a shake of his head.

”Not at all.”

”You’re average.”

Leo stopped smiling.

”But you just said—”

The man turned to face him fully.

”I said most people fail.”

”You only succeeded because you had an enormous advantage.” He swept his arm toward the endless dark around them. ”This entire dimension is formed from Chaos.”

”Zen exists here in incredible abundance.”

”Some worlds don’t even have an ounce of Aether, much less Zen.”

”So after you return to your world, absorbing Zen will be far slower and less effective than it was here.”

Leo took a moment to digest the harsh truth. The man started walking again.

”There were many other things I intended to teach you.”

”But we don’t have enough time.”

After a short trek, the two passed through the unseen barrier. The absolute darkness of the Void Dimension swallowed their surroundings once more.

They walked in silence until a familiar glow caught Leo’s eye. The golden dome. The protective shell, kept alive by the floating cards, sat exactly where he had left it.

Stepping inside the dome, Leo caught sight of a major change. The massive black crystal remained in its place. Yet, right at its base... a pool had formed.

Its surface rippled with a thick, inky liquid. Down at the bottom lay a massive pile of rainbow-colored Soul Crystals, packed together like a dragon’s hoard.

Leo stared blankly at the water.

”What’s that?”

The mysterious man ignored the question. He only pointed a finger at the liquid.

”Go inside.”

Leo paused. A dozen questions sat on the tip of his tongue. Still, eight years of training had taught him an important lesson. If the man chose not to explain something, asking was a waste of breath.

So, with a heavy sigh, Leo waded into the pool. The dark water clung to his legs, bringing with it an unusual, comforting warmth.

”Sit down.”

Leo submerged himself up to his chest. On the edge of the pool, the mysterious man raised his hand. A golden card popped into existence between his fingers.

Unlike the others, this card carried complex, swirling patterns that seemed to move each time Leo blinked. The man’s face turned completely serious.

”I’m going to transfer another technique into your mind.”

”This time, it is a meditation technique.”

”Sit inside the pool and meditate using it.”

Leo nodded.

”Understood.”

With a flick of his wrist, the man sent the card flying forward. But instead of breaking apart into glowing dust, it hovered right above Leo’s head.

A heartbeat later, dozens of thin threads sprouted from its surface. They draped downward like fine strands of golden silk, binding themselves to various points on Leo’s skin.

Panic flashed in Leo’s eyes.

”What is—”

The sentence died in his throat as a massive flood of information rushed directly into his brain.

An ancient and heavy meditation technique began to unfold within his thoughts. The sheer depth of the knowledge far surpassed anything he had learned so far. Intricate breathing rhythms. Deep mental imagery. Pathways for his soul to circulate. Precise energy control.

It felt as if every single rule and instruction was being carved into the walls of his mind. Leo’s awareness began to drift. The physical world faded away to a dull hum, and the presence of his mentor vanished entirely.

Even the warm pressure of the black liquid became numb. Without realizing it, Leo matched his breathing to the new, complex rhythm. His posture shifted, falling perfectly in line with the ancient teachings.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The turmoil in his soul settled like dust. His mind turned perfectly still.

It did not take long for him to slip into a profound trance. Hours or days could have gone by; he had no way of knowing. He simply let himself drown in the practice.

High above his head, the golden card kept spinning, feeding bright threads of light into his body. Down below, the black pool rippled in absolute silence. Hidden beneath the dark water, the massive pile of Soul Crystals began to pulse with a faint, rainbow-colored glow.