Date- 7 April 2321

Time- 15:49

Location- Southern Region, Southern Capital, Southern Card Creationist Association, Auction House

To Chris’s disbelief, neither the referee nor the staff questioned his opponent when he used two similar cards for demonstration. He did not understand what was happening. The audience too was excitedly watching his opponents demonstrate, nobody seemed to care that the boy was using two cards for demonstration. 

In frustration, Chris summoned his grimoire and joined the viewers watching the challenge online under an alias. Then asked them why the representative of the Southern Card Creationist Association was using two cards for the demonstration. 

Learning the answer that in the time he created an A-rank card his opponent had created two A-rank cards and had 12 minutes to spare Chris was shell-shocked. His confidence had taken a strong hit. Ever since his maternal family’s treasure became his origin card, Chris believed that he was the chosen one, the protagonist of everyone’s story. Today he felt as if he was not the chosen one and the protagonist of his story was the Card Soldier representing the Southern card creationist association and not him.

Chris had such thoughts because in his mind he had already lost the trial and the challenge to the card soldier. He did not need the judges to tell him that he lost. It was obvious to him, the audience, and the viewers watching the challenge live on the Grimoire network. 

No matter the effects of the boy’s cards, the fact that he was able to create 2 A-rank cards 12 minutes faster than he created an A-rank was enough for the boy to win the trial. That was not considering the limitations of Chris’s A-rank item card Sleepy Cloak. If it were to be considered Chris stood no chance of winning the trial.

Once his opponent wins the trial, it would become the proof required to prove that neither Southern Emperor nor the Southern card creationist association had rigged the challenge in his opponent’s favor. With that handled his opponent will be declared the winner of the challenge. Chris could see it all playing in front of his eyes. 

Chris did not forget the fact that the Southern Emperor already knew his identity and was waiting to reveal it to everyone and arrest him after her minion defeats him in the challenge. How could he forget, he paid a huge price to turn back time and escape but failed. 

Chris also realized that he had lost the favor of the audience, they seem to favor his opponent for his amazing talent in Card creation. Chris knew once the results were announced his demise would begin, and the audience would not care for him once they realize he was not who said he was but a Western Prince. The Westerners in the audience may speak up for him but considering that they were hardly enough to be considered a minority in the audience, their voice would not be heard. 

Knowing that he had lost and had no hope to turn things around, Chris felt that it would be stupid of him to stick around till the end and watch things play out exactly as he imagined, being arrested by the Southern emperor under the charge of conspiring against the Southern region. 

Having thought it through, Chris decided to escape while everyone was still engrossed in watching the card demonstration of his opponent. However, the auction house isolation array formation was turned on, making it impossible for him to use the broken teleportation rune or the broken stealth runes of his ancestors to escape from here without alerting the auction house staff. 

Unless Chris used his last resort, a desperate measure, that could result in him harming his life force, damaging his soul, and also increasing his gross mental erosion. Chris was very reluctant to use his last resort as the last time he used it he was bedridden for weeks. However, if he did not use it now and continued to stay. His identity will be revealed and then he will lose the favor of the Western royal palace for losing face in the Southern capital. 

Being the Western prince, for Chris losing the favor of the Western royal palace meant death, which was more frightening than being bedridden for weeks. Therefore, after a lot of thought and consideration Chris decided that despite what it would cost him, he was prepared to use his last resort as continuing to stay here was nothing but him waiting for his death. He was willing to suffer the pain than die. 

“Space-Time Tunnel, location Western Capital,” Chris chanted.

With Chris’s Chant, the time all around the card world came to a sudden halt then a big hole ripped into the space in front of Chris forming a space tunnel of sorts, on the other end of the space tunnel the image of Chris’s safe house in the Western Capital was visible. 

Since the longer he used this ability the higher the price he will have to pay Chris immediately jumped into the tunnel and the space rift closed behind him. 

In his hurry, Chris failed to notice that despite the time being paused uniformly across the card world under the effect of his broken runes ability, a figure not only was able to move but also had rushed toward the Space-time tunnel behind him but it was a step late and failed to enter his space-time tunnel before it closed.

The Space-time tunnel used by Chris was the effect of his ancestor’s hybrid rune made using the meanings of the space rule and the time rule. Since Chris did not have the appropriate realm or mental strength to borrow the power of such an ability he could not use it like any other broken rune instead had to use it forcefully. However, forcefully using it would hurt his life force and soul. Hence Chirs only dared to use it as his last resort in desperate situations. 

ραndαsnοvεl.cοm …

As I was about to begin a conference call with the two volunteers for card demonstration so that I could help them use the VR Cocoon cards from outside their VR Cocoon, I felt the time suddenly pause. I immediately turned to look at Chris, only to find a space tunnel open in front of him, in a split second I decided to take action and implant my calamity daughter gem into him while he paused the time. 

“Fuck,” I cussed seeing the space tunnel summoned by Chris close behind him after he entered it.

A quarter of a second, I missed the window by a quarter of a second. I should have used my floating heads and arms to implant the calamity daughter gem in him. No, the time it would take me to summon them would have been the same as the time it took me to reach the space tunnel while creating a calamity daughter gem.

Also, what if the tunnel had closed with my floating heads and arms inside the tunnel, I would lose connection to my floating heads and arms. So, it would all be for nothing. I would not have achieved anything and instead revealed the fact that I am unaffected by his time ability to Chris and maybe even revealed the Calamity daughter gem to him. 

In a way, this was not the worst outcome. However, I let the candidate who could have become the strongest calamity daughter gem so far slip away. This pissed me off. I don’t know when I will see Chris next. And if I do see him, whether his control over his origin card would improve or his origin card will swallow his mind? 

Not wasting time on useless thoughts I quickly returned to my previous position on the stage before the time pause expires. I managed to make it to the spot a breath before the time pause was released. 

Then controlling my expression I continued with my card demonstration. I used my grimoire to start a conference call with the two volunteers using the VR Cocoon cards however before the call could connect, a Southern card creationist in the audience pointed out, “Chris Ainsworth is missing!”

Listening to his words I acted confused as if I had no idea what the Southern card creationist was talking about and turned to look at Chris Ainsworth’s card creation station. Then unable to find him just like everyone in the auction hall I acted surprised. 

“Silence,” the referee suddenly ordered the audience to maintain the order. As he used his mental strength and the auction house array formation to search for Chris Ainsworth. 

Ann, who heard the commotion in the audience, walked to the balcony of her family’s exclusive VIP room and overlooked the auction hall stage in search of Chris Ainsworth. Unable to find him, she turned to look at the director of the auction house and the city wall staff, seeing them not take action she yelled, “What are you guys waiting for? Go, find him.” 

…

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