Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

689  The End of Hightower - First Half

— New Atlantis - Ivory Tower/Order of Ember HQ —

Within the opulent office of the Director of the Order of Ember, Envy was signing documents approving a budget of millions of dollars for various departments within the organization.

As she reviewed some of the more absurd research proposals submitted by mage families, her thoughts were interrupted by Nexus Prime.

[Lady Envy, there's an emergency Master has slipped out of reality!] Nexus Prime reported, there is a small tint of panic in his robotic voice.

"What? What did you just say?" Envy asked, her voice tinged with confusion. The report sounded utterly implausible. To her, it almost seemed like Daniel had gotten so high that he somehow transcended reality.

Recognizing her misunderstanding, Nexus Prime quickly clarified, explaining in detail what had happened in Elpis, how Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, and the events had unfolded, culminating in Daniel slipping out of reality.

After learning what transpired, Envy was shocked. For a brief moment, she stood frozen before regaining her composure. Without hesitation, she left her office.

As people approached to greet her or discuss matters, she swiftly dismissed them, canceling all her appointments for the day. She immediately made her way to Elpis.

When she arrived, Envy saw Pride investigating the site where Daniel had vanished. Nearby, Koyuki and Tian Xingyun sat in chairs, their expressions hollow and lifeless, as though they had experienced the end of the world.

Their eyes were empty, devoid of hope. Though alive, only their bodies retained the semblance of life; their vitality was gone. They were trapped in a state of denial, yet reality forced them to confront the uncertainty of their beloved's fate.

Envy approached Pride, hoping to assist in the investigation, though space magic was Pride's area of expertise. Pride quickly reached a conclusion.

"Well... all of you shouldn't despair too much. From what I can tell, Daniel wouldn't die in the dimensional gap. The residual traces left behind from the broken fabric of reality aren't that volatile. Daniel is strong; he won't die from this. He will definitely survive," Pride said, turning toward Envy.

Behind Envy, light began to return to the eyes of Koyuki and Tian Xingyun. Slowly, the vitality drained from their beings was restored, and hope reignited in their hearts.

"Can we do anything to help him?" Envy asked.

She didn't expect a positive answer. The dimensional gap was known as one of the most volatile and chaotic environments in existence.

"No, I don't think so," Pride replied. "You're well aware of the chaos within the dimensional gap. The best we can do is strengthen the fabric of reality in this area to ensure no one else accidentally slips through." Pride glanced at the spot where Daniel had vanished.

"Wait!" Tian Xingyun suddenly shouted, stepping in front of Pride as though shielding the spot where Daniel had disappeared.

"If you were to seal this place, what about Lord Husband!? Will he has a way to return!?" Tian Xingyun protest.

"Listen…" Pride start. "The dimensional gap, is not liek some kind og cave that when we close eh entrance and he won't have a chance to return. It's more complicated than that.

If I were to compare… then the dimensional gap is like a very violent stream of reiver that will carry the victim along with its current. But the worst point is, the said stream is very chaotic and its current is ready to change at anytime and anywhere in any direction. Teh best way for Daniel to get back is tah the need to get into some dimension or reality, use it as anchor and search for a way back to us. Because we don't even know where the current carrying him." Pride explained.

Hearing this, Tian Xingyun was stunned. Hope reignited within her dimms, but she didn't fall into despair like before. She is immortal; she can afford to wait or use her long life span to search for a way to find her husband.

What Pride said was correct. To this day, no one had gained enough understanding of the dimensional gap or its environment.

The limited experiments conducted by mages had all ended in failure, resulting in significant losses of resources and manpower. Only two facts about the dimensional gap were known with certainty:

First, the dimensional gap was highly volatile, with fluctuations ranging from the turbulence of a violent sea to conditions as lethal as Jupiter's chaotic and volatile storms or perhaps even worse.

Second, the gap was so dangerous that research in this field had seen little progress. Most researchers who ventured into it either perished or suffered severe injuries, with parts of their souls trapped within the dimensional gap. This theory was also believed to explain why Golden Scale always covered himself from head to toe with artifacts designed to anchor him to this world.

Rumor had it that Golden Scale was once a researcher who had been caught in such an accident.

Thinking it through, Envy realized that Golden Scale must be the only one capable of orchestrating something like this. Based on what Nexus Prime had told her, Golden Scale likely used a spell and relayed it here. Such a feat couldn't be performed just anywhere.

And where was the one place that could most effectively support this kind of advanced technique? The Hightower is the only facility equipped to relay spells across the entire world.

Realizing this, a cold and murderous glint appeared in Envy's eyes.

"Tian Xingyun… would you like to come to the Hightower with me?"

"Why?" Tian Xingyun, barely holding herself back from spiraling into despair, asked in confusion.

"I believe the one responsible for this is there," Envy replied.

At these words, a murderous aura exploded from Tian Xingyun, catching Pride, who stood closest to her off guard. She instinctively retreated and readied herself, but Tian Xingyun's intent wasn't directed at her.

"You know I'll kill everyone involved in this," Tian Xingyun said, her voice low and threatening. "If you're planning to stop me because it's your precious Hightower, I'll kill you too."

"Go ahead. I won't stop you," Envy reassured her. "But wait until I've interrogated Golden Scale to find out where he sent Daniel."

Tian Xingyun nodded.

After receiving Tian Xingyun's agreement, Envy took out her phone and dialed a certain number—one she rarely used unless it was a matter of great importance.

After several rings, someone on the other end picked up.

"Hello, Your Majesty. The favor you owe me from that time—I'd like to cash it in right now," Envy said, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.

— Night – London – Hightower —

Beneath London's obscured night sky, where the stars were hidden behind dark clouds, the sounds of swords clashing and explosions echoed across the city's outskirts. The battleground was none other than the Hightower.

Leading the charge was Tian Xingyun, a vision of a war goddess as she carved a path of destruction. Envy followed close behind, not to assist in the carnage but to ensure Tian Xingyun wouldn't lose control and kill Golden Scale in her fury.

Another one accompanied them is Albert who had come to collect valuable data and research that might still be hidden within the Hightower or items left behind by the families who once supported it.

The Enforcers under Golden Scale's command, as well as the Hightower's contracted Enforcers bound to serve it for life, had no choice but to face Tian Xingyun's wrath. Her sword cut through them mercilessly, their lives ending becoming the rust on her blade. Only in death were their obligations to the Hightower fulfilled.

The chaos was deafening, with explosions reverberating at intervals. The commotion could have easily drawn reporters or emergency services like firefighters or police. However, Envy have already called in her favor with the queen, and she had ensured that no one would interfere.

Now, they had roughly five hours until 6 a.m. to resolve everything. The Hightower had been completely isolated, and no help would come for those inside.

Envy walked purposefully toward the Hightower's familiar building. This was the tower that served as the office of the three Grand Councilors. Despite the destruction around them, neither Tian Xingyun nor Albert had found any trace of Golden Scale so far. There was only one place left for him to hide—the basement.

Albert began systematically searching the tower from the ground floor to the highest level, while Envy and Tian Xingyun descended to the basement to conduct their own search.

In the basement, a vast space stretched out, where a large magical ritual had been meticulously prepared. Envy's eyes locked onto Golden Scale, whose body was turning transparent just like what she had seen happen to Daniel in the footage Nexus Prime had shown her.

"What have you done to yourself, Golden Scale?" Envy demanded, her voice laced with murderous intent.

"Nothing much, just ensuring my safety… and making plans for a safe retreat," Golden Scale replied calmly, his tone unhurried.

Tian Xingyun swung her sword at Golden Scale, but it passed through his body as though he wasn't there, like an illusion.