Date: Unspecified
Ti: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City
*Slap!*
A crisp, resounding slap echoed throughout the One Thousand Curse Fields. The sound was so sudden that everyone froze. Seraphina’s head snapped to the side as a bright handprint appeared on her right cheek.
None of them had seen the attack coming. There had been no movent, no warning, no energy fluctuation, nothing. Yet they all felt it. An invisible presence within the curse field.
Petra’s eyes widened as she found the presence of the familiar and she excitedly asked, "Wyatt, is that you? Did you co back to haunt them as a ghost?"
The question caused Seraphina’s expression to change instantly. Unlike Petra, she knew that such a thing wasn’t impossible. She had fought enough monsters, demons, and devils to understand that death wasn’t always the end. So creatures persisted as souls, spirits, curses, or even concepts.
For a brief mont, she genuinely wondered whether Southern Hope had sohow returned as a ghost. Then reality beca even more horrifying. Space beside Petra distorted. A human figure materialized from thin air. It was the Southern Hope, perfectly alive. There was no hole in his chest or any sign of injury nor missing Ego Gem. Everything was exactly as it should have been.
Seraphina’s mind went blank. For several seconds, she couldn’t even process what she was seeing. It wasn’t just her. Veerott’s calm expression cracked for the first ti since the battle began while Aqualas stared in open disbelief. The three of them looked as though they had just witnessed a miracle or a nightmare.
Because according to everything they knew, the Southern Hope should have been dead. Seraphina had personally crushed his mutated Ego Gem. She had watched his body crumble into ash. Yet here he stood alive and slapping.
"Hi," I greeted them pleasantly. Then my smile widened. "How do you three prefer to die?"
The words were delivered so casually that they sounded far more sinister than any threat.
A chilling silence followed. The atmosphere inside the One Thousand Curse Fields grew noticeably colder. Because everyone present understood sothing important.
A few monts ago, Seraphina had been negotiating. Then she had been threatening. Then she attempted to kill . Successful or not, the intent had been clear. She hadn’t chosen capture or compromise but execution. And actions had consequences. Now it was their turn to face them.
The confidence Seraphina had displayed earlier was completely gone. Finally, Seraphina found her voice.
"How...?"
"How the heck are you still alive?"
The question burst from her mouth before she could stop herself. Pure disbelief filled her eyes. She couldn’t understand it. Neither could Veerott or Aqualas.
According to everything Seraphina knew, destroying the Southern Hope’s mutated Ego Gem should have killed him. Her grandniece’s information had been very clear on that point. Yet here he was.
Looking at the stunned faces of the trio, I couldn’t help but smirk. The reason I was still alive was actually quite simple. Seraphina had never destroyed my true Primordial Calamity Soul Gem.
With her strength, or even Veerott’s, destroying a mutated World Calamity Tree’s seed nourished by primordial energy was simply impossible. What she destroyed was rely a pseudo Primordial Calamity Soul Gem.
The real trick had happened much earlier.
Yes, Veerott had successfully dug my Primordial Calamity Soul Gem out of my chest. That part was true.
However, the mont he succeeded, I activated one of the privileges granted by the Devil rchant Code. Using that privilege, I transferred my soul into a pseudo Primordial Calamity Soul Gem I had been carrying on my person.
The transfer was instantaneous. The pseudo gem imdiately beca the true Primordial Calamity Soul Gem because it now housed my soul, while the gem Veerott had stolen was demoted into a pseudo one. The exchange was so seamless that neither Veerott nor Seraphina noticed anything had changed.
As far as they were concerned, they possessed my real mutated Ego Gem. And because they believed it was genuine, Seraphina crushed it without hesitation. Exactly as I had expected. Naturally, once the pseudo gem was destroyed, I played along.
My body crumbled into ash and dispersed into the surrounding One Thousand Curse Fields, creating the illusion of death. In reality, I had rely dissolved myself into the field. One of the greatest advantages of the One Thousand Curse Fields was that my Thousand Curse Incarnation Forms could completely transform into curses themselves. Within the field, they were no longer restricted to physical bodies.
They could beco part of the curse field. As long as I remained in that state, moving through the One Thousand Curse Fields was as natural as a fish swimming through water.
More importantly, it made nearly impossible to detect unless I wanted to be found. That was how I had casually walked up to Seraphina and slapped her across the face.
The best part wasn’t the slap itself. It was the look on her face afterward. For a brief mont, she had genuinely believed my ghost had returned from the dead to punish her. Considering how intelligent and composed Seraphina usually was, the mory alone almost made laugh. Scaring the life out of her had been worth every second of preparation.
Seeing my smirk in response to Seraphina’s question, Veerott stepped forward. Unlike Seraphina and Aqualas, he wasn’t interested in explanations. He was interested in fighting.
"I prefer to die in battle," he declared. "Bring it."
A grin spread across my face, remarking, "As expected of a Viltronian."
The mont the word left my mouth, Veerott’s brows furrowed slightly. It wasn’t hostility. It was a surprise. Among Card Apprentices, his people were never referred to as Viltronians. They only knew them with the derogatory label of demi-humans.
Previously, even Seraphina occasionally used the term without thinking much about it.
Yet I hadn’t. I had called him what he was. A Viltronian. A mber of a proud warrior race. The distinction was subtle, but Veerott noticed it imdiately. For the first ti since our confrontation began, he looked at differently.
Not as prey, not as an enemy, but as a worthy opponent. A warrior acknowledging another warrior.
"Interesting," Veerott said. His lips curled into a faint smile. The fighting spirit in his eyes only grew stronger.
anwhile, Seraphina seed to realize the significance of the exchange and remained silent. Aqualas, on the other hand, looked completely confused.
As usual, I ignored her and continued, "How about we make this a little more interesting?"
Veerott tilted his head. "A wager?"
"A wager," I confird.
The Viltronian’s smile widened. Unlike Seraphina, who imdiately beca wary whenever I proposed anything, Veerott appeared genuinely interested. After all, warriors loved wagers almost as much as they loved battles.
Especially when their pride was involved.
"Go on," he said. "I’m listening."
Around us, the One Thousand Curse Fields continued to hum quietly, while the tension on the battlefield shifted once again.
For the first ti since the confrontation began, it felt less like a battle and more like a duel between two monsters who had finally found soone worthy of testing themselves against.
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