Chapter 2504: You & I, We Are The Same

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

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

"What do you know, young man? You speak as if you know me, but you don’t. When I was your age, I had already traveled to the farthest point of the Way Beyond that any card apprentice has ever reached. I spent three months there—exploring, documenting the terrain, and studying the monstrous flora and fauna with the help of the local Supreme Beings. Don’t tell me I lack an adventurous spirit. I’m just as adventurous as any card apprentice out there. Maybe even more. And what about you? Have you ever even seen a Supreme Being, let alone spoken to one?" Lucine remarked, excitement flaring in her voice. It seemed I had struck a nerve. Truth has a way of doing that.

"Let me guess—you weren’t alone, but traveling with a team of demigods," I said, already knowing how her mind worked. She wasn’t aware of her privileged life. I wasn’t blaming her for being born into a powerful lineage; I was trying to help her understand that it was precisely that privilege which kept her from ever pushing herself far enough to trigger her origin card during any of her adventures.

Besides, I had not only seen and spoken to a Supreme Being—I had played with one. Her name was Bloodette, the Blood Supreme, and we were the best of friends.

"Of course. I’m not an idiot. I considered every possible scenario and made the necessary preparations before entering the Way Beyond. I even hired a team of diamond array masters from the Central Array Master Association, just to be safe. Why do you think my expedition was successful?" Lucine replied with a confident nod. She was more than a little proud of herself. I would be too.

A seventeen-year-old card apprentice pulling off a successful expedition into the unknown depths of the Way Beyond was indeed something to be proud of. In her, I saw the same overcautious nature and obsessive preparedness that I possessed. We were alike—we took calculated risks, always making sure the odds leaned in our favor. But sometimes, a person has to leap without thinking. She had done that when she rescued Ahalya, triggering her origin card for the first time—and now, she was doing the same to rescue me.

Because of my humble origins and ambitions, I took such leaps far more often than I should have. But in Lucine’s case, her royal background ensured she never had to take those leaps herself. Someone else always stepped in to take them for her. Until she was the only one left. Forcing her to take the leap this time. Otherwise, I don’t think that Morningstar University or Dean Faust would send her out to rescue me. I was impressed that Lucine gracefully stepped up when it mattered. Proving that Morningstar University was right to dot on their princess, the direct descendant of their founder.

I understood that there was nothing I could say or do. Lucine would have to realize it on her own. So, I simply shook my head and agreed with her. "Impressive. Now, let us get out of here."

Now that I learned I shouldn’t comprehend the time rule inside the time prison—unless I wanted to suffer from time rule dementia—it quickly lost its attraction to me. With Hive Spirit having already used my primordial soul pupils to collect and record all the data of this timeline, I was no longer interested in continuing to explore this past.

I planned to return to our present. So, I approached the lightning-struck stump in this past and, upon touching it, resonated with the frequency of the stump in our present, summoning the time vestige that was anchored there to retrieve us.

We could travel through the temporal river, but without Lucine’s support, I would be swept away by its current. This time, there were no temporal or spatial forces from the time tunnel that sucked me into this past to suck me back to our present. If I wanted to return, I would need to summon the time tunnel myself. Since, Morningstar University had no idea where in their Labyrinth of Myriad Pasts we were, to help us. And since I was already forming the time tunnel, I might as well call upon the time vestige to take us back with it.

Sensing the temporal and spatial shifts around us as I resonated with this timeline’s temporal anchor, Lucine quickly realized what I was attempting to do. Her astonishment only grew as she saw the time tunnel beginning to form, confirming that I had succeeded. Having heard earlier that I had not yet begun to comprehend the time rule, she couldn’t help but ask, "Wyatt, how are you doing this?"

"Told you I can cure your time rule dementia. Do you regret it now?" I teased, knowing this should be enough for her to understand that I hadn’t been lying—I truly believed I could help her. For someone in her situation, even that small promise was something worth giving a shot.

Lucine was left speechless when she realized I had taken offense at her not believing me about my claim about helping her cure her disease. Just as she was about to reply, we were both startled by a‌ loud, eerie laughter.

"Eheheh-eeeh! My patience and gamble have paid off. I finally get to be free of this damn place."

I turned toward the source of the laughter, only for Lucine to suddenly rise into the air. She summoned her diamond grimoire and ordered, "Wyatt, once the time vestige arrives, take it and leave. I’ll hold this devil back. Don’t worry about me. Sam will know what to do next."

"That’s brave of you, little girl. Unfortunately, neither of you is leaving this damned place. I am," the voice responded, mocking her resolve.

It belonged to Slay — one of the ten leaders of the fallen ’Ten Commandments’ dark faction from the Dark Realm.

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