Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

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

Holy shit! Lucine gasped, staring at me using celestial force to fight the worlds celestial wills intent with her mouth hanging open.

She couldnt believe what she was seeingme, a mere card apprentice, actually using celestial force against the worlds celestial will itself. It was, in her words, the most absurdly stupid and impossibly brave thing she had ever witnessed.

Bizarre didnt even begin to cover it. As far as Lucine knew, a card apprentice could only wield celestial force by borrowing it from the Card Worldthe very same entity I was now challenging. To her, watching me do this was like seeing a son flaunt his fathers money before his father. Was it not the stupidest and daring act?

And from the look on her face, she was absolutely certain that at any second, that father was going to make me regret every reckless word and action.

But thensomething no one expected happened.

The divine presence vanished. Just like that. The crushing weight that had been pinning me down disappeared as if it had never existed.

With the sudden release of pressure, my celestial force erupted uncontrollably, launching me skyward like a cannonball. I tore through the air, the world below shrinking in an instant, the echo of Lucines shocked gasp fading beneath me.

For a heartbeat, I hung there amid the clouds, gasping for breath, half-expecting the will of the world to return and finish what it started.

But there was only silencevast, heavy, and impossibly still.

Dont leave, you owe me an explanation, I yelled in both human tongue and celestial voice. Before long, I calmed down thinking, Who knew the Card Celestial would be so reasonable?

If I were in the Card Celestials place, I wouldnt have let things end like that. Knowing that something capable of threatening me was still out there, walking free, wouldve gnawed at me. Even if the odds of it ever being used against me again were almost nonexistent, I wouldnt take that chance.

No, Id make sure it was goneutterly erased. Thats what any being with real power would do. Mercy was a luxury only the invincible could afford. I wonder if the Card Celestial was aware that it couldnt particularly be considered invincible in the Myriad Realms. Did it ever talk with the other celestials? Did it even have friends? Or was it some kind of aloof, divine loner hovering in this corner of the Myriad Realms?

No… that didnt seem right. Considering how deeply the dungeons were woven into its ecosystemeach one connected, thriving, and interdependent on other realmsId bet the Card Celestial wasnt a recluse at all.

If anything, it probably was the social butterfly among celestialsnetworking through celestial channels, exchanging insights into rules source and the origin source, taking a step toward their version of transcendence.

If that werent the case, then I might just have to ask Dalie to reach out to the Card Celestialto try and befriend this possible loner among the celestials. If anyone could charm a solitary celestial, it would be someone like Dalie, desperate enough for a friend to chat up even a cosmic recluse. Otherwise, Card Celestial might continue to stupidly show mercy to its enemy believing it was invincible when it was totally not.

Besides, with the coordinates I will be providing Dalie, finding it through the celestial channels would be childs play for her. All shed need to do was show up, smile, and start talkingand knowing Dalie, shed keep talking until even the Card Celestial gave in and listened.

I know I shouldve been relieved that the Card Celestial had dropped the matterthat it hadnt pursued me further for using the stake carved from the World Calamity Trees twig. But instead of relief, a strange unease coiled in my chest. Something about its silence didnt sit right.

Was it really that laid-back? Or was this the calm before something worse? Did all celestials just… let things slide like this?

Before I could think further, Lucines voice cut through the air.

Wyatt, what just happened? she demanded, flying closer, her eyes wide with disbelief. How did you even use worlds own celestial force to clash against the worlds will? Not only thatyou made it back down!

Her tone was half awe, half panic. To her, what Id done wasnt just impossibleit was sacrilege. And yet, I had done it.

I cant believe what I just saw, Lucine went on, not even giving me a chance to reply. Her voice trembled with lingering disbelief, yet there was a strange spark in her eyesa kind of wild excitement pushing through the shock.

The fear that had frozen her moments ago was now replaced by a rush of awe and curiosity. It was as if witnessing something so impossible had jolted her out of reason itself.

She hovered closer, her words tumbling out in a rush. Youare you the chosen one? The true son of the card world?

I ignored Lucines excited rambling and made my way toward Slays egg. My focus shifted entirelyaway from the celestial and Lucines disbeliefto the fragile, grotesque thing that pulsed faintly with life before me.

The egg throbbed in a steady rhythm, its surface glistening with faint curse energy. As I drew closer, it gave a heavy thump, almost as if recognizing my presence. I could feel the dark, intricate weave of the thousand and twenty-four curses at work within, feeding and reshaping Slays essence into her new body.

I had fed her enough primordial energy. Anymore would do her no good. Primordial energy was more about qualitative change than quantitative change. Besides, with the Card Celestial around I didnt dare to use primordial energy.

I crouched beside Slays egg, examining the flow of energy, making sure there were no disruptions or anomalies. I trusted the card celestial but I had to do my due diligence. Everything seemed stable. The curse nourishment was holding steady. It was enough.

Satisfied, I turned back toward Lucine, who was still talking a mile a minute, half in awe, half in confusion. Stretching out my hand, I cut her off mid-sentence.

Lucine, I said calmly, lend me your dimensional storage card.