Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3027: I See Me As You See Me, Spotlight Bias

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Void

[ Rune: Mirror Heart

Type: Acquired, Hybrid

Rank: Ultimate Tier

Durability: 100/100 (unborn spirit)

Effect: Mirror Heart is a hybrid rune forged from the Ice Rule meaning Speculum and the innate ability ‘If You See Me, I See You.’

i) I See Me As You See Me: Mirror Heart allows the Card Apprentice to perceive themselves exactly as they exist in another’s perception, revealing the observer’s genuine thoughts, emotions, prejudices, and intentions toward the Card Apprentice.

ii) Spotlight Bias: Mirror Heart allows the Card Apprentice to intensify or diminish another’s perception of them.]

✦ ✦ ✦

After intensifying their perception of me, I glanced over the devil mercenary team once more.

Every one of them was trembling and none dared meet my gaze let alone breath loudly.

Even the jackfruit-skinned devil, who had gathered the courage to speak moments ago, could no longer think straight. His judgment had been clouded by his amplified fear and reverence toward me, leaving little room for rational thought.

I had to admit, when I first forged Mirror Heart, I never expected it to be this entertaining to use, especially against Ruler-class devils.

Then again, the circumstances were heavily in my favor. They had already been defeated.

Mentally, they were only a step away from surrendering before I even activated Spotlight Bias. All I had done was amplify their existing perceptions of me. Under their current mental and spiritual conditions, amplifying their fear and awe was effortless.

Had this been our first meeting, things would’ve been very different. They would’ve been wary, but not overwhelmed. Their minds would’ve still been grounded, their spirits unshaken. In that state, Spotlight Bias would’ve struggled to take hold of them and they might even completely repelled it.

After all, Mirror Heart wasn’t designed to dominate those who were stronger than me.It excelled against opponents whose mental or spiritual defenses were comparable to mine or weaker. Physical strength had little bearing on the rune. What truly determined its success was the resilience of the target’s mind and spirit.

Even then, Spotlight Bias couldn’t create emotions out of thin air. It merely amplified what was already there. Like sunlight passing through a carefully shaped crystal of ice, it gathered scattered impressions and focused them into overwhelming certainties. Fear became terror, respect became reverence, suspicion became paranoia, etc.

However, once Mirror Heart slipped past a target’s mental defenses and established its reflection…

There was no stopping it. Especially its first effect: I See Me As You See Me.

‘Your Highness, I was the one who repaid your generosity with ingratitude. They tried to stop me, but I refused to listen.’

At last, the robed devil’s body responded to his will. He immediately dropped to one knee and lowered his head, accepting full responsibility before pleading on behalf of his companions.

‘I alone made the mistake. Please punish me, not the others…’

‘Monitor, don’t try to play the hero…’ the jackfruit-skinned devil barked, snapping out of his daze as he stepped forward to interrupt him.

But the robed devil, Monitor, had already made up his mind. Driven by guilt and the shame of nearly getting his companions killed over his wounded pride, he reached into his chest and tore out his Unholy Core, intending to crush it with his own hands as atonement.

Unfortunately for him, Maworm was faster. Before Monitor could exert any force, Maworm lunged forward and swallowed the Unholy Core in a single bite.

All five devil mercenaries stared at Maworm in utter disbelief before slowly turning their eyes toward me. Their gazes repeatedly shifted between the two of us, unable to decide how to react.

Keeping their attention firmly on me, I casually extended my hand toward Maworm. Without the slightest hesitation, it obediently spat Monitor’s Unholy Core into my waiting palm. I tossed it back to its owner as though returning a misplaced coin.

‘There’s no need to resort to such desperate measures.’

Monitor instinctively caught his Unholy Core, staring blankly at it before looking back at me.

‘Instead…’ I said calmly, a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips, ‘run an errand for me. If your work satisfies me, we’ll continue doing business in the future. What do you say?’

The mercenary team didn’t look particularly thrilled by my offer. It wasn’t that they didn’t value their lives. Quite the opposite. They valued them far too much.

In their minds, any errand I assigned them was almost certainly connected to the Snow Elven Empire. If they had possessed the strength to oppose the Empire, the Snow Elven Crown Prince would’ve never been able to hire them in the first place, much less treat them as disposable pawns.

Accepting my request only to end up standing against the Snow Elven Empire was little different from signing their own death warrants. Should they incur the Empire’s wrath, they wouldn’t be the only ones to suffer.

Their loved ones, families & friends, affiliated forces, would all see a tragic ending at the hands of the Snow Elven Empire. Every trace of their organization would be hunted down and eradicated by the Snow Elven Princes and the Empire.

Between offending the infamous Curse Master and provoking the Snow Elven Empire… the latter was the greater terror. Sensing their hesitation through Mirror Heart, I understood exactly what was troubling them.

‘I give you my word,’ I said calmly. ‘This task has nothing to do with the Snow Elven Empire.’

The moment those words left my mouth, the tension in their hearts visibly eased.

The jackfruit-skinned devil immediately stepped forward without even consulting the others. Refusing the mercy I had just extended would only appear disrespectful.

‘If that’s the case, then please leave it to us, Your Highness,’ he replied respectfully, bowing his head. ‘I promise the Outlander mercenary group will complete your task to your satisfaction.’

The remaining mercenaries nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with genuine resolve as activated Mirror Heart’s Spotlight Bias, amplifying the gratitude and trust they already held toward me.