Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3052: New Empire’s 2nd Assembly

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Five Regions, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City

Since I was already seated in the meeting hall, everyone entered one after another and quietly took their assigned seats.

The room gradually filled. So did the silence. It was so quiet that even the sound of a chair being pulled back seemed unusually loud. No one dared to raise their voice. Some barely dared to breathe.

Earlier, many of them had witnessed the catastrophe unfolding above Sky Blossom city. Although they didn’t know the exact cause, they had all seen the enormous spatial rift hanging over the city and their young ruler’s efforts to contain it before it swallowed everything below.

Now, through the meeting hall’s windows and their personal various observation cards, they could still see the aftermath as reality slowly repaired itself. Naturally, they couldn’t help but associate that incident with the sudden convening of the Second Assembly.

Everyone feared they might somehow be held responsible for allowing such a disaster to occur so close to the capital of the New Empire. What unsettled them the most was their complete ignorance. If questioned, none of them would have an answer.

All they knew was that, for reasons unknown, the space above the city had suddenly torn apart, forcing their young ruler to intervene before the spatial rift swallowed Sky Blossom city whole. As if that weren’t unsettling enough, many of them also caught sight of the colossal creature assisting in repairing the rupture.

Lil’ Baem was nothing new. After spending enough time around Corey, most people had grown accustomed to the white snake’s antics and frequent temper tantrums.

The other creature, however. The grotesque giant black worm. Its twisted cone-shaped head, thorn-covered body, and abyss-like aura were enough to send chills through even seasoned Card Apprentices.

None of them recognized it. Some wondered whether Corey had somehow contracted another terrifying beast. Others suspected it belonged to one of the New Empire’s upper leadership. Whatever the truth was, no one dared ask.

After everything they had witnessed today, they had already learned one important lesson. There were still many secrets within the New Empire that only its highest leadership knew.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, I rose from my seat and got straight to the point.

“Due to urgent circumstances that require my personal attention, I will be leaving the Card World for an indefinite period.”

The meeting hall instantly erupted. Gasps echoed from every corner, followed by a wave of hushed murmurs filled with disbelief.

The loudest reactions came from Tess and the leadership from Border City. Unlike the others, they had only recently joined the New Empire. To them, hearing that their young ruler was about to disappear indefinitely felt like the foundation beneath their feet had suddenly vanished.

I waited silently for the commotion to settle. It didn’t take long. The moment Field Marshal Lorn released a trace of her aura, the temperature in the hall plummeted. The oppressive pressure swept across the room like an icy tide, instantly freezing the discussions in their tracks.

“Most of you don’t know this, but my conquest has never been limited to the Five Regions.” Once silence returned, I continued. I swept my gaze across the hall before calmly revealing my ambition. “It has already expanded beyond the Card World and into the Myriad Realms. Our first foothold is the Lil’ Red Storm Realm. Our next destination…”

I paused for a brief moment.

“…is the Dark Realm.”

The room exploded into chaos once again. This time, even Field Marshal Lorn’s intimidating aura failed to suppress the shock. The announcement was simply too overwhelming.

The Dark Realm. To the people of the Card World, it wasn’t merely another realm. It was the domain of devils, demons, and countless terrifying existences that had appeared only in myths, ancient records, and the nightmares of civilizations. Seeing the discussion spiral out of control, Lorn released even more of her aura.

The crushing pressure forced everyone back into their seats, and the meeting hall gradually fell silent once more. Only then did I continue.

“Whether you realize it or not, the New Empire already possesses the strength and resources to conquer the Five Regions… and, ultimately, the entire Card World, even without me personally leading every campaign.”

My words were calm and matter-of-fact. Yet, judging by the expressions around the room, very few believed them. Apart from the Empire’s core leadership, nearly everyone looked skeptical. Border City Lord was among them.

Tess didn’t doubt my strength. What she doubted was whether the New Empire had truly grown to the point where it no longer depended on my direct leadership to achieve such an impossible feat.

“I don’t blame any of you for being unaware of the Empire’s true strength,” I said, my gaze sweeping across the hall. “The fault doesn’t lie with you.”

“The real problem is that we don’t yet have a proper system to ensure every leader, and eventually every citizen, stays informed about the Empire’s progress, achievements, and overall situation.”

I paused for a moment before continuing.

“Such a system cannot be built overnight. It takes time to establish efficient channels of communication, especially for a newborn sovereign state like ours.”

Looking around the hall, I smiled faintly. “But then again, who are we? We are the New Empire. From this day forward, every member of the Empire’s leadership, down to the lowest-ranking officers, will be granted access to the spirit governing the VR Universe, Hive Spirit.”

“Through your respective VR Slime Cards, Hive Spirit will keep you informed of the Empire’s latest developments, facilitate communication across every branch of the government and military, and assist you in making informed decisions regardless of where you are. Consider it the Empire’s shared consciousness.”

The moment those words left my mouth, the VR Slime Card of every card apprentice in the meeting hall simultaneously activated. At the same instant, Hive Spirit mentally greeted every leader individually through their respective VR Slime Cards. Seeing their attention fully captured, I calmly returned to my seat. From here on, Hive Spirit would handle the rest.