Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2776: Space-Time Manipulation

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Guild Headquarters, Card Lab

Had it been only my Limitless Celestial Rule Domain or the Celestial Blood Fate Rule Domain, Corey’s Super Mortal Star would have not only killed her but likely taken the entire Sky Blossom City with her. The sheer energy packed into that miniature star was far beyond what either domain alone could safely contain by themselves.

However, within the Double Celestial Rule Domain, things were different. The infinitely stretched space of the Limitless domain was reinforced by Celestial Blood Fate, giving the entire domain far greater stability. Because of that reinforcement, the space itself wouldn’t collapse or shatter under the pressure of her attack. Instead, the infinitely stretched expanse simply absorbed the explosive energy, dispersing it across its boundless distance until the power of the attack was eventually smothered within the limitless space.

The same couldn’t be said for Corey. She was standing right at the center of the impending explosion, and unless she managed to chuck that Super Mortal Star at me in time, she would be the first to be caught in its blast. I wasn’t even sure Lil’ Baem’s scale armor could save her from an explosion of that magnitude. Even if it did protect her from the explosion, what about the radiation? Definitely not.

If Corey and Lil’ Baem ended up dying because of her ignorance, I would still be the one blamed for it, accused of taunting her reckless ass into committing double suicide while trying to commit homicide. It would be both funny and sad as I was beginning to get used to the new her.

”Wyatt, see you later!” Corey shouted as she hurled the Super Mortal Star at me.

The moment it left her hand, I was relieved that she had managed to throw it. It wasn’t because now she had enough chances of surviving the explosion. It was because the instant the star left Lil’ Baem’s gray mist, it entered the full influence of my domain.

And once it was inside my domain, it was no longer entirely under her control. It was something I could turn against her.

Before the Super Mortal Star could reach me, time within the Double Celestial Rule Domain abruptly slowed to a halt, freezing the triumphant grin on Corey’s fused face.

On my own, I didn’t have enough leverage to manipulate time inside the domain. But Corey had just handed me exactly what I needed. Her Super Mortal Star contained an enormous amount of mass and energy compressed into a tiny space. In simple terms, space and time are tied together. When space is compressed or bent by enough mass and energy, time around it begins to slow down.

Using my authority over the space rule, I compressed the surrounding space around the Super Mortal Star and forced its mass and energy to fold inward even further. That distortion in space naturally dragged time along with it, slowing everything inside the domain to a crawl until it finally came to a complete stop.

I casually walked over to the frozen, grinning Corey and lifted her up. Her body was stiff in the slowed time, the gray mist around her hanging motionless like smoke trapped in glass. Carrying her back with me, I placed her where I had been standing before and brought her into the slowed-time zone within the Double Celestial Rule Domain.

”Ahhh!” The moment Corey saw what was in front of her, she screamed in absolute terror. Her own Super Mortal Star hovered right before her face, close enough that she could feel the scorching heat washing over her skin. The blazing sphere was only a breath away from hitting her.

Fear gripped her instantly. For a split second, she genuinely thought she was about to die and nearly lost control of her bladder. Nobody understood better than Corey what the Super Mortal Star was capable of. And yet, she had unleashed it on her boss, in a fit of rage, who has been nothing but good friend to her, during what was supposed to be a friendly spar.

Soon, her screams died down, yet the Super Mortal Star didn’t move even a millimeter. Corey blinked in confusion, realizing the blazing sphere was suspended in space as if it had been nailed to that exact spot.

Carefully, she leaned to the side and looked around the glowing orb, only to find her boss standing a short distance away, trying his absolute best not to laugh at her.

”What the fuck? What’s going on?” Corey cursed, utterly stupefied, unable to make sense of what had just happened.

Their positions had somehow been switched, and the Super Mortal Star that had nearly destroyed the home world of her fifth and sixth reincarnations now hung motionless in space like a decorative lantern during a festival. She needed answers, and the only person who could give them was her boss, who was most likely responsible for this bizarreness she was witnessing and experiencing.

”Want me to tell you?” I asked with a gentle smile. Corey nodded immediately, only to hear me say, ”Then admit your defeat, and I’ll explain.”

The moment she heard that, Corey’s expression darkened. The realization slowly sank in that she had lost to her boss again, even after all her recent power-ups. What stung the most was that Lil’ Baem’s realm was supposed to be far higher than his, yet somehow she still ended up in this humiliating situation.

Seeing her hesitate, I sighed and decided to be the bigger person.

”Corey, you’ve grown strong enough to fight me on equal footing,” I said calmly. ”But those strengths still aren’t truly yours. Practice them. Understand them. Polish them until they become second nature. Only then can you give me a real run for my money.”

I paused before adding bluntly, ”Right now, you’re nothing more than an athlete who juices themselves. Understand what I mean?”

Corey finally gave in, shaking her head with a reluctant sigh. ”Yeah, I admit my defeat,” she said. Then, lifting her chin with stubborn resolve, she added, ”But I’ll challenge you again soon... and next time, I’ll win.”