Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2520: Surprisingly Benevolent Celestial

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

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

"Wyatt, I’m sorry. I have to take out the egg," Lucine said hesitantly, her tone heavy with uncertainty. On one side stood their creator and provider; on the other, a teenager she had once considered a friend—a teenager who had hidden things from her and let her make a fool of herself.

Come to think of it, why was she even hesitating? She respected his intelligence and strength he achieved at his age. Also, Sam spoke so highly of him. True, but he was also an arrogant manipulator who liked to play the wolf in sheep’s clothing. No matter how hard she tried to justify it, she couldn’t find a single good reason to risk offending the celestial will of the card world for his sake.

"No, Lucine, don’t," I warned, my voice laced with both urgency and desperation. "Just ignore it. It’s nothing more than a big old crybaby throwing a tantrum to get its way."

Lucine froze, her grimoire hovering over her hand. The words I’d just said echoed in the air, and she turned to me with a look of sheer disbelief. Had she really just heard me call the Card World’s Celestial Will—the supreme consciousness of their realm—a big old crybaby? And at a time when it was already furious?

"Wyatt, have you completely lost your mind?" she shouted, her voice trembling with panic. "Do you have a death wish? Shut the hell up before you drag me down with you!"

Her terror was so raw it almost made me laugh—if the situation weren’t so dire. The way she looked at me, anyone could tell she was seconds away from throwing her hands up and screaming, ’I’m not with him! I don’t even know this idiot!’

Instead, she hurriedly pulled out the egg from her dimensional storage card, terrified that the celestial will might crush us both like bugs in its fury. I could only watch helplessly as all my effort, all the careful planning, went straight down the drain.

But just as I braced myself for the celestial will to obliterate Slay’s egg, something entirely unexpected happened—the divine pressure pressing down on Lucine and the egg suddenly disappeared. Instead, it intensified several times over and focused entirely on me. It felt almost... deliberate, as if the celestial will was silently commanding me to bring out the gigantic stake carved from the twig of the World Calamity Tree.

I was taken aback by the Card Celestial’s actions. Why would the Card Celestial spare Slay’s egg? Could it be that it had finally confirmed Slay no longer posed a threat now that she was a calamity daughter gem? If so, that was uncharacteristically merciful of it. Come to think of it, it hadn’t even tried to override Lucine’s grimoire or her cards to destroy the egg, even though it easily could have just when it found the egg in Lucine’s card. Instead, it allowed her to make her own choice—respecting her will.

For all its power and authority, the Card Celestial had always treated its children with fairness—whether it was outsiders like Corey the reincarnator, or even me, a mere transmigrator. Especially me as unlike Corey I wasn’t born here.

I couldn’t say for certain that the Card Celestial knew I was a transmigrator—but honestly, how could it not? Something that vast and all-seeing would have noticed the moment I set foot in its world.

"Wyatt, just take out the stake. Your life is more important than that thing," Lucine urged, her voice trembling as she watched me stand unmoving under the crushing pressure. She couldn’t understand why I was still resisting, why I wouldn’t just yield before the will of the world itself.

From her point of view, the celestial hadn’t bothered to destroy Slay’s egg—it might not even bother with the stake either. But if it did decide to act, I would be the first to die.

As she looked at me, frustration and confusion warred within her. How could someone clever enough to deceive her so easily be so foolish now? To challenge the world’s will over a single artifact—no matter how extraordinary it was—seemed like pure madness. The stake might have been powerful enough to shield this timeline from the celestial’s gaze, but it wasn’t worth gambling one’s life for.

Lucine couldn’t help but wonder what had come over me—what kind of stubborn pride or hidden reason made me defy a being that could erase me with a thought.

"I can’t take it out because I used it," I admitted, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. Within its domain, lying to the Card Celestial was impossible—it would see right through me. So I gambled on the truth, hoping honesty might earn me a shred of mercy.

But the moment the words left my mouth, the divine pressure bearing down on me surged. It was as if the very air turned solid, crushing my lungs and bones, each breath becoming a battle.

Lucine’s eyes widened in horror as cracks began to ripple through the space around me. The invisible weight was focused entirely on me now, pressing with a fury that made my vision blur. I could almost feel its wrath, its voiceless question reverberating through my mind—You used it?

At that moment, I realized my gamble had backfired spectacularly. The truth hadn’t earned me favor—it had only deepened its rage. I really wanted to find and strangle the idiot who said, ’The truth will set you free.’

Unless, of course, by free they actually meant dead.

In that case—my bad, my guy.

I’d had enough.

"If you don’t believe me, come on then! Let’s fight it out!" I roared, letting every ounce of my meager celestial force explode outward. The air around me trembled as my power collided head-on with the overwhelming intent of the Card Celestial.

It was like throwing a pebble at a mountain—futile, reckless, and utterly suicidal. But at that moment, I didn’t care. If it wanted a fight, I’d give it one, even if it crushed me to dust in the process.