What the younger sister suggested was simple, but practical.
Indeed, Rhode had a venue card in his arsenal, which was the only venue card he owned—[Casali under the night sky]. The unique feature of this venue card was that it could drag enemies into the core world of its deck. It was like how a legendary figure could pull enemies into his or her realm but with less pressurizing might. And now, what Rhode needed to do was to use his ‘authority’ as the Void Dragon and grant [Casali under the night sky] the identity of a ‘real world’. As a matter of fact, it was like creating a brand new world, just that the world was only as huge as a grassland. But it was more than sufficient for the current situation. Even though it seemed small, it was still a perfect ‘world’, wasn’t it?
But there were still flaws.
According to the younger sister, in order to eliminate that Chaos Creature completely, not only would Rhode need to defeat it inside the Venue Card to prevent it from breaking through the limitation of space and starting all over again, but he also had to offer the card as a sacrifice. This also meant that Rhode had to give up on his one and only Venue Card. In that case, the strength of the Ultimate Army Deck would surely drop. However, this was still a worthwhile deal to him considering the benefits that came with it after defeating the Chaos Creature.
Later on, Rhode explained to the rest what they would be doing next. Since he couldn’t possibly bring the powerless Thomas and the rest along for the battle, he decided to leave them behind. Of course, even though there weren’t many issues now, it didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be in the near future. For safety’s sake, Rhode left some people in his group behind and they were…
“Why?! Leader!”
Mini Bubble Gum pouted and stared at Rhode in discontentment.
“Why must Big Sister and I stay back, while the two impostors follow you and fight the BOSS together? That’s not fair…!”
“Ha! A brat will always be a brat!”
Before Bubble No. 1 finished her complaint, Bubble No. 2 interrupted with total contempt.
“Are you even aware of the situation? Leader means well for both of you. We are different from you two. We are projections who won’t die even if we want to. But you two are humans who will be done for if anything were to happen. Do you really think you can revive just like in the game? The upcoming battle will be really dangerous. You two aren’t inhabitants of the Dragon Soul Continent either. If you’re dead, you can only reflect upon yourself in your graves!”
“Tsk…!”
Bubble No. 1 gnashed her teeth in rage. Of course, she understood what her other self meant. If it were Canary who said it, she wouldn’t mind. But how could she tolerate her other self saying that to her?
That was why humans were only capable of seeing the problems and errors of others…
“Why are you acting all so arrogant like you’re someone high and mighty? Aren’t you the same as me!”
“Oh? I’m much more mature than you. Besides, I did something that you can never, ever compete against!”
Upon hearing Bubble No. 1’s grumbles, No. 2 revealed a proud expression. The latter extended her hand, cupped her almost flat chest, and narrowed her eyes to scan her original self. After witnessing No. 2’s actions, No. 1 felt even more upset as she glared back at her. Upon seeing her stare, No. 2 displayed a satisfied smile as though she were the winner and this pissed No. 1 off. However, just as No. 1 was about to blow her top, No. 2 presented a smug smile and spoke.
“I have done it with Leader. How about that? Am I not better than you?”
“What!!!”
Bubble No. 1 widened her eyes, turning to Rhode who stood at the side. On the other hand, Canary also turned to him with a slightly surprised expression. As for Lydia and Erin, they didn’t have any particular reactions. After all, the customs of Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent were very much different, where it couldn’t be more normal for a noble like Rhode to have many servants around him. Besides, even though it was a crime to do it with Mini Bubble Gum according to the laws on Earth, her age was basically legal for marriage in the Dragon Soul Continent. But even so, Lydia and Erin watched the show amusingly as bystanders, which went to show no matter in which world, the ‘gossip’ talent in females was definitely maxed out.
“Ugh…”
Upon detecting everyone’s gaze, Rhode felt somewhat awkward. He let out a cough quickly, turned to face the sky, and blew a whistle.
“I wonder where’s the summer, where’s the summer… summer…”
“Leader, how dare you go for this impostor instead of me!”
The enraged Mini Bubble Gum interrupted his whistles. Facing her accusation, he could only turn around and feign innocence. In such a scenario, the more he said, the more mistakes there would be. Moreover, women were unreasonable at such moments. Whatever he said would be deemed as excuses and used against him. Furthermore, it was a delusional brat like Mini Bubble Gum he was dealing with, which was why he pretended to not hear anything, turning around and getting ready for battle. Fortunately, Thomas and the others were already tossed aside and didn’t hear the commotion.
“Hmph!”
Upon staring in rage at Rhode and the others leaving, Mini Bubble Gum stomped her foot on the ground and clenched her fist. At that moment, Canary came over with a forced smile, placing her hand on Bubble’s shoulder.
“Alright, Bubble, don’t be angry. You know Rhode didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know, but I just don’t feel good… Hmph. I shall let this matter go for the bigger picture. But once everything is over, I will demand an explanation from Leader!”
While Mini Bubble Gum grumbled, she gazed at the crowd that had disappeared into the depth of the shadowy plaza. Then, she raised both middle fingers.
“Leader, you idiot!”
“Achoo!”
Rhode shivered from head to toe and sneezed. He rubbed his nose and at that moment, Lydia’s exquisite face appeared before him. She brought upon a witty and elegant smile, while gazing at him curiously.
“Your Majesty Rhode, your reaction earlier isn’t gentlemanly at all.”
“Now isn’t the time for that, Your Highness Lydia. When I have the time in future, I shall let you meet my ‘gentlemanly’ side,” Rhode responded, gazing at her eyes. Lydia shrugged, the corners of her mouth lifted into a peculiar smile. She turned around and continued strolling ahead.
After strolling across the ice-sealed plaza, the group’s journey hadn’t ended yet. What stood before them was a pitch-black flight of stairs leading downward. The dim magic crystals on both sides of the wall emanated a green radiance. But despite that, they weren’t able to disperse the deep darkness around the stairs. One felt a bone-piercing cold as soon as one stood on the spot and gazed downward into the darkness. It was an instinctive reaction from when an unknown feeling throbbed deep down in one’s soul, instead of being influenced by the external environment.
“Your Majesty Rhode?”
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“Down there.”
Gazing at the flight of stairs, Rhode took in a deep breath of air before looking solemnly at the rest, especially Lydia and Erin.
“Remember, this Chaos Creature is entirely different from the ones we faced earlier. According to what I witnessed, not only is it incredibly powerful, but it is also as elusive as mist. It can also control purple thunderbolts from the clouds and use them to contaminate beings that are struck. That is why we need to defend ourselves fully. Never take risks and don’t stop protecting yourselves from the start and to the end of this battle. Understand?”
Upon hearing his words, everyone nodded in response. After ensuring there were no issues, Rhode turned around, looked at the stairs, and took in a breath of air.
“Let’s go.”
He commanded.
The stairs remained shadowy. As everyone descended deeper, the black mist became increasingly denser, where not even Lydia’s and Mini Bubble Gum’s holy light could eradicate it fully. Along the way, the group wasn’t attacked by any monsters that leapt out of the darkness. But this didn’t mean that the enemies weren’t aware of their arrival. On the contrary, everyone sensed a mysterious, sinister, and tyrannical gaze staring at them from the darkness. At that moment, they were as though about to have an audience with a king. The atmosphere grew heavier and the tranquil depths of darkness reverberated with strange bellows.
This is the place.
Rhode came to a halt. He looked up at the enormous stone door that was three-meters-tall and five-meters-wide. Unlike other stone doors, this was covered with translucent and sparkling ice-crystal chains that were as thick as thighs. They flickered in clear, bright, magical radiance as though introducing themselves as the presence sealing the creature inside.
Rhode raised his right hand and moved his palm slightly. Shortly after, a card appeared in his hand. At the same time, lines of system prompt appeared before his eyes.
[Detected Venue Card——Casali under the night sky]
[Activate Authority of Void——Target detected. Casali under the night sky]
As the two texts emerged, the card in his hand trembled all of a sudden. The still scenery on the card picture began to cycle. The sun rose, illuminating the plains before setting into the horizon. Then, the silver moon appeared, taking over and bringing a gentle radiance to the land. At that moment, the card was like a looping cycle of day and night, switching between them quickly. Rhode also had a fascinating feeling emerging from inside his heart as though he were playing a construction game. He witnessed growth and development on an empty, desolate land. From desolate to bustling and from an empty desert wasteland to luxuriant prairies… Sky and land separated and light and darkness re-emerged… this was the start of a world and it would also become the end of it.
“Phew…”
After a few moments, Rhode finally returned to his senses, gazing silently at the card in his hand. Even though it took less than a minute for his authority to activate and until the process was completed, he felt as though thousands of years had passed. He finally understood a little as to why the five Creator Dragons strived to find a suitable space for the Dragon Soul Continent at all cost. Rhode merely gave an illusory space in the card some authority and felt like this tiny world was as though related to him, like the relationship between a father and son. If it were said that Rhode didn’t have much emotion about sacrificing this card, right now he did feel somewhat reluctant. For him to feel this way over this ‘jerry-built’ world, it was imaginable what emotions the five Creator Dragons had after doing their best to build the Dragon Soul Continent, yet having to separate from it.
Let’s do it.
At this thought, Rhode focused his attention and threw the unrelated thoughts to the back of his head. Then, he raised a card in his hand.
Smash!
As soon as he lifted his hand, the card shattered all of a sudden. The fragments scattered and almost immediately after, golden rays of light emerged from the fragments and linked as one.
In only an instant, the surroundings changed.
The solid slab underneath their feet turned into soft grasslands. The walls on both sides also went missing. At a glance, Rhode could see the boundless horizon. What was above everyone was no longer a pressuring ceiling, but the azure sky instead. After taking a closer look, one would discover that in the west and east, the silver moon and scarlet sun existed at the same time, making the beautiful grasslands into a more captivating scene.
This was Rhode’s masterpiece. Of course, the reason why he did it was to borrow the strength of his most powerful assistants. Lydia and Erin who possessed the authority of the sun and moon respectively would take over the authority in this aspect. In this case, the battle would be much simpler.
Meanwhile, their enemy was just ahead.
Rhode lifted his head. Right in front of them, an enormous, stone coffin wrapped in chains lay quietly on the plains. Dense black mist revolved around it continuously, attempting to break free from the restraints of the ice-crystal chains. At that moment, it seemed to have realized that it was sent to another world and began to wrestle even harder.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
A series of loud slams sounded from the coffin cover. The radiance of the ice-crystal chains began to turn dull. As Rhode isolated the entire stone coffin from that world, the ice-crystal also lost its source of power. Rhode knew that they were gradually becoming weaker. If his group failed to kill the enemy and it crumbled here, there would only be two choices. They would either perish with this world or return to the original world, before being deemed as ‘equal’ by Marybelle and be sealed in her ice.
But it was a pity that Rhode didn’t want any of these choices at all.
“Get ready, everyone. Canary, cast the elemental enchanted field. Bubble, maintain your Divine Edifice and individual defensive shield. Your Highness Lydia, Your Highness Erin, and everyone, remember to never touch the enemy!”
Boom!
Right after Rhode gave his commands, the ice-crystal chains wrapping the stone coffin shattered entirely. Then, a dense black mist erupted from the enormous coffin that was as tall as a skyscraper, spreading in all directions wildly and obscuring the entire sky in an instant. Shortly after, the cooling night winds turned chilly. The lush grasslands began to dry up. Everything was like the reappearance of everything that Rhode experienced earlier!
Rumbles…!
Dense clouds rolled and thunder clapped. Rhode stretched his hand out and a holy sword flickering in a silver radiance appeared in his hand. At the same time, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Lydia, and Erin launched their attacks. Vibrant and colorful magical radiances flashed across the sky. The dark clouds that expanded in all directions earlier shrunk abruptly. The sky concealed by the black mist restored its peace. The black mist gathered around the stone coffin swiftly, coalescing into an enormous human-shaped giant. Then, a deep voice resounded.
“Lackeys… of Order…!”
Along with this curse-like bellow, more and more black mist coalesced, rolled, and formed facial features on the empty face. Blinding purple thunderbolts flashed from the openings of the dark clouds. Several thunderbolts burst out and struck the ground. Fortunately, the thunderbolts weren’t able to penetrate their defenses and meanwhile, the giant seemed to discover Rhode’s group and its eyes glinted splendidly.
“Lackeys… of Order…! Kill…!”
“Attack!”
Rhode hesitated no more. He raised his sword high into the air and gave a command. At the next moment, dazzling streaks of blade lights turned into stars that streaked across the sky, striking at the giant.
The battle began.