Chapter 2585: Disappointing Standards
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Brothwork Manor
"Is that it?" I murmured, my tone deliberately provocative as I gazed up at the distant clouds scattered across the night sky. Through my primordial soul pupils, I picked up a cluster of powerful soul energy signaturesâeach one several times stronger than the demigods I had just handled. Judging by their intensity, they were all at the peak of the chivalry-class within the demigod/devil rank.
They had clearly sent cannon fodder to do their dirty laundry while they remained far away, watching closely, ensuring none of their prior arrangements failed to keep potential reinforcements from reaching me. Anyone attempting to interfere would be intercepted long before they got close.
My words werenât meant solely to lure them into a direct confrontation. I was genuinely disappointed by the standard of the card demigods I had faced. I had killed everyone of them without drawing on the entirety of my strength or even bothering to summon my Frosling corpse puppet spirit cards.
I supposed it was unfair of me to compare them to demon or devil merchants, who had access to the knowledge and resources of the myriad realms, not confined to a small, isolated world tucked away in the backwaters of the myriad realms. But fairness had nothing to do with reality. They still had to face it. The enemies poised to invade their world wouldnât show mercy or turn back simply because the situation seemed unjust.
If anyone deserved blame, it was the foundersâthe so-called masters, or whatever grand titles they preferred. They were the reason the card demigods performed so poorly. These people clearly possessed the knowledge and the means to uplift their forces; the existence of the World Decree alone made that obvious. Yet they refused to share it, afraid their own card apprentices might one day become threats to their rule.
A relic with the potential of the World Decree could allow the demigods to reshape and elevate the card world to unimaginable heights. Instead, these greedy fools used it merely to tighten their grip over the five regions.
I couldnât help but wonder whether any other race, given the ability to commune with their realmâs will and command it to act on their behalf, would make the same choices.
Just thinking about it made my blood boil. I wanted to storm their bases right then and smash their skulls open just to see what kind of filth sloshed around in their so-called brains. Had they lived under the comfort of authority for so long that theyâd forgotten to wonder what lay beyond the boundaries of the card world? How much longer did they intend to cling to such a hollow existence?
Ah, rightâthey were still "waiting," still "accumulating," preparing for their grand raid on the unranked dungeons.
Cowards, the lot of them. They had stalled the growth of the five regions for millennia because they were too terrified to step into the myriad realms for the unranked resources they needed, and too distrustful of the dark races to trade with them honestly.
In contrast, my respect for the descendants of the unparalleled bloodlineâJJ and Annaâs ancestorârose sharply. The one who left behind the Ruby Vault, JJ was now in possession of, had not wasted his life trapped within the card world. He had dared to explore the Myriad Realms. I had no idea what became of him, but at least he hadnât lingered in the Southern Region, leeching its fortune like the founders had. With his talent and potential, he certainly could have, had he chosen to.
However, I now understood why the Masters werenât truly worried about a second demon invasion. With something like the World Decree under their control, they had little reason to fear devils entering the card world.
"Donât worryâthey wonât make a move against us," Jill said, following my gaze toward the figures hidden in the distant clouds.
"Why?" I asked, genuinely puzzled about the certainty in her voice.
"For the same reason someone like Field Marshal Lorn doesnât rush to handle every minor disturbance along the Southern borders. Itâs all to preserve the illusion of peaceâthe illusion that keeps the five regions from fracturing into endless small civil wars fueled by hunger for power and authority. Once a card demigod reaches a certain level of strength, the rest expect them to abide by a set of unwritten rules if they want to continue living within the five regions. Otherwise, theyâre free to explore the Way Beyond and carve out a land for themselves, like the Empire did. But most choose to rebelâlike the freedom fighters youâre sheltering nowâand eventually end up on the most-wanted list."
Her words settled heavily. It was another crucial piece of history and regional law I had never come across. I had always believed the Empire was founded solely by the followers of Demigod Michel Angelo. While that part was true, it was also a fact that they had been forced to do so because the Founders of the Five Regions refused to let their practices spread within their territory.
"Thatâs a pity," I sighed, glancing at nearly half a dozen divinities and diamond grimoiresâso close, yet completely out of reach.
"You know... my dad created it," Jill said suddenly, watching me take out the World Decree after storing away the divinities and diamond grimoires.
"Really?" I stared at her in astonishment. I had never imagined Demigod Norley as the one responsible for creating the World Decree. It wasnât that I underestimated his capability, but his demeanor and personality never hinted at such monumental accomplishments.
"Can you tell me what it actually does and how it works?" I asked, pretending not to understand the mechanics behind the World Decree. I wanted to hear how a card apprentice perceived it. They were the ones who created it, so of course they knew its functionâbut I was more interested in understanding why the Card Celestial responded to them.
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