Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

Daniel, still in the command room of the research center at the weapon testing site, let out a sigh of relief. Envy had safely arrived at Oceanos, which was moored not far from the British Isles, and she was already receiving medical attention.

It would take some time before he received an update from the medical team aboard Oceanos. For now, he needed to focus on preparing for the inevitable aftermath of recent events.

"Prime," Daniel called out, addressing the AI.

[Yes, Master. How may I assist you?] Nexus Prime responded in its familiar tone.

"Increase weapons and munitions production. If you require anything specific, like your bastion, I'll materialize it for you," Daniel said solemnly, his voice heavy with determination.

—

Card: Prime Bastion

Picture: A towering structure resembling a massive church constructed from black steel and metal. Its colossal height rivals that of a skyscraper, emanating an aura of imposing dominance.

Rarity: Legendary

Type: Unique-Artifact Location

Description:

Tap: Generate 1 non-element mana.

Tap Pay 8: Prime Bastion becomes a 12/12 Artifact-Creature with, When attacking or defending, the player may delegate the damage to any available target. Prime Bastion is still a Location.

Flavor Text:

The Last Bastion of the Machine, housing the main processing core of Nexus Prime. It can transform into a walking titan, becoming a nightmare for the resistance whenever it desires.

—

[Bastion? Master, you mean the super fortress I designed but never completed because the resistance attacked and destroyed me first?] the AI inquired.

"Yes, that's the one. Just select where you want me to materialize it, and I'll take care of the rest," Daniel replied firmly.

The AI went silent for a few moments, its circuits calculating before responding. [Please materialize it in the newly built military district of New Atlantis. The fortress has exceptional defensive capabilities. By placing it there, I've calculated that the defensive capacity of New Atlantis Island will increase by 151.72%.]

Daniel nodded in agreement and turned his focus to the next step in his plan. He pivoted toward the microphone, ready to address the researchers and artificers stationed in their respective workshops and manufacturing chambers.

"Proceed to the next phase of the plan! We need at least three more God Slayer cannons in orbit by the end of this month!" Daniel announced, his voice resonating with urgency and authority throughout the weapons testing site.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum," Daniel murmured. He had lived by those words and would continue to do so, even if the world tension isn't as high as right now.l.

(Author Note: "Si vis pacem, para bellum" is first mentioned by the Ancient Roman military writer Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, in "De Re Militari" 'On Military Matters'.

— Meanwhile - Britain —

Within an opulent conference room, an urgent meeting was underway among Britain's higher-ups privy to the Curtained World. Seated in the place of highest honor was none other than Golden Scale, the last Grand Councilor himself. To his left sat Henri Montmorency, the newly appointed Grand Councilor, who had secured his position through shrewd political maneuvering across Europe.

The room was divided. The attendees debated heatedly over whether to retaliate against Daniel Emberweave or escalate the situation following his use of an orbital cannon. Two factions had formed: the pro-war advocates and the pro-peace supporters, while a number of fence-sitters watched, waiting to align with whichever side gained momentum.

"As I've said before, Daniel Emberweave is dangerous! He's a direct threat to our nation!" one pro-war council member bellowed, slamming his fist on the table.

"The level of technology he possesses is enough for him to start a new colonial era! With himself as the sole power! Do we need to wait for him to make his move, or do we strike now to snuff out this threat while we still can? He's already got a f*cking orbital cannon pointed at us! A f*cking Orbital CANNON! What are we going to do about it?"

"That so-called 'threat' only arose because rogue mages were causing trouble within our borders!" a pro-peace advocate fired back.

"Let's not forget the Vatican's involvement! Do you want to escalate this further and risk exposing them? If we do, we'll have millions of Christians bearing down on us! Besides, other than the outlaw mages, there were no casualties. The smartest move is to negotiate, seek monetary compensation and perhaps even secure some technological benefits from him.

"And as for his technological power," the pro-peace member continued, "yes, it's terrifying. But starting World War III will only ensure that we lose control of the situation entirely. Mark my words: we won't be the ones to end it if it comes to that."

"So, what then? We just sit here and let him sh*t on our heads like this?" a pro-war member snapped back. "This was a blatant provocation! Are you so spineless that you'd let him walk all over us?"

The heated exchange escalated, voices growing louder as the room descended into chaos. Watching silently up until this point, Golden Scale and Henri Montmorency, the two Grand Councilors of the Hightower, and finally, they lost their patience.

"Enough!" Henri thundered, his voice cutting through the roaring and debating voice like a blade. Rising from his seat, he glared at the gathered officials. The room fell silent immediately.

"I called this meeting to discuss our course of action, not to start this…. childish shouting match! What are you? High schoolers?" Henri's sharp rebuke echoed in the chamber, and the chastened attendees lowered their heads. Slowly, Henri sat back down, his piercing gaze sweeping over the table.

At this point, the previously silent Golden Scale finally spoke.

"We'll rally the world against Daniel Emberweave and New Atlantis. The Qin Empire is already displeased with them. I believe that if someone leads the charge, those whose interests have been affected by his rise won't hesitate to seize this opportunity to knock him down—or even eliminate him entirely."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "Additionally, financial giants and energy conglomerates, the true powers behind many governments, will ensure their countries join our cause. We only need to conceal the fact that he possesses an orbital cannon. Spin this as an incident involving a long-range missile, fabricate a plausible story, and make it stick. Smear him with everything we can. Rile up those simpletons who love to hate others, feed them a sense of moral superiority, let them believe they're harbingers of justice. Demonize Daniel as much as possible."

A member of the pro-war faction raised a hesitant question. "But… will the masses actually believe what we tell them?"

Golden Scale snort. "Heh… you say that as if you've never done this before. What about all those smear campaigns you've done against your political opponents? Don't tell me you're sitting in this room purely because of your competence and the trust of the people?" His sharp retort silenced the pro-war member.

Golden Scale continued with a calm yet sinister tone. "Humans are unique creatures, they believe what they want to believe, even when it contradicts the facts. Don't worry too much. If it helps, we can use mild mind control spells to nudge public opinion, making them more inclined to accept whatever narrative we feed them."

This reassurance seemed to appease the pro-war faction, their initial unease dissipating. However, one member of the pro-peace faction, visibly unsettled, finally spoke up.

"Mi'lord, do you intend to start a third world war?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Golden Scale let out a dismissive chuckle. "This is merely us applying pressure on Daniel, we are just responding to the provocation he dared to make against us. As for what the common folk want, that's up to them. If they desire war, they'll start it. It has nothing to do with us."

"Besides," he added nonchalantly, "wars aren't so bad. Admit it, many of the technological advancements we enjoy today came from wartime innovation. And why worry about war? It's not as if it'll affect you or your family. The ones who will die are those fools sent to the battlefield, not us." Golden Scale spoke with a chilling indifference, as though he were stating an indisputable fact.

The pro-peace faction member fell silent, realizing this was as far as he could go in trying to halt the madness. If he pushed any further, it might be he and his family who would face the wrath of the Grand Councilor.

Noticing the silence, Golden Scale continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "To reassure you of our inevitable victory, I will mobilize all the resources of the Hightower. This includes even the treasures within Merlin's secret cache that we uncovered, as well as everything salvaged from Lady Envy's old Sanctum Sanctorum. All of it will be put to use."

Hearing this declaration, the pro-peace members could only nod reluctantly. This was far beyond their control. All they could do now was hope, for the sake of humanity, that this war would not be the end of it.