Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

— London - Hightower —

Within the Hightower, Golden Scale watched the live broadcast alongside Henri Montmorency, who was seething with rage.

"He's exposing the existence of the Curtained World! How dare he!" Henri spat, his voice trembling with anger.

"Of course, he dares," Golden Scale replied calmly to his fellow Grand Councilor. "We lack the power to enforce our laws against him. Moreover, he has his own mage organization, which means he doesn't need to abide by our rules."

"But... isn't he a mage? Shouldn't he be concerned about mana depletion? If the masses become aware and demand the right to use magic, the situation will only worsen!" Henri exclaimed, his frustration evident.

"He may have a solution for that," Golden Scale speculated, "or perhaps he simply doesn't care. Regardless of his motives, we must stick to the plan." Golden Scale's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

—

"Now, it's time for the Q&A session. I'll only answer three questions, randomly selected from the reporters present in this room," Daniel announced. The moment he finished, hands shot up across the room, hundreds of reporters eagerly vying for his attention. Daniel raised his hand, scanning the room, then pointed to a blond reporter wearing glasses.

"You there, the guy in the blue shirt with glasses," Daniel called out.

"Thank you, Mr. Emberweave. I'm Harrison Norland from the Scandinavian News Network. I'd like to ask you this…" Harrison cleared his throat before continuing. "Is what you said really true? I mean... the magic and everything about the Hightower? No offense, but it sounds like fantasy to me."

Daniel didn't respond immediately. Instead, he extended his hand. In an instant, a ball of flame appeared, floating just above his palm. Gasps filled the room, and the sudden burst of light drew every reporter's attention. Camera flashes exploded as the reporters scrambled to capture the spectacle.

Calmly, Daniel rolled up his sleeves, showing the room there was nothing hidden within. Then, he closed his fist, extinguishing the flame. A moment later, he opened his hand again, and an ice crystal began to materialize, slowly growing larger until it reached the size of a table tennis ball.

"What shape would you like it to be?" Daniel asked, turning his attention back to the reporter.

"Wha... What!?" Harrison stuttered, clearly caught off guard.

"A shape. Tell me what you want it to be," Daniel clarified. "I'll shape it into whatever you choose, to prove this isn't preplanned. Pick something simple enough to carry out."

Harrison hesitated, flustered. After a moment's thought, his mind drifted to his son at home. "Then… a T-rex. Can you shape it into a T-rex?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Oh, so you're the type of guy who likes T-rexes huh? You need to work on your taste a bit more. But, well… here you go!" Daniel said, teasingly, as he shaped the ice into a roaring T-rex, resembling the king of dinosaurs, and handed it to the reporter.

What do you mean by calling me 'a type of guy who likes T-rexes'? And that I need to work on my taste? Please, I just wanted this to be a gift for my son! Besides, what's wrong with liking T-rexes? This is discrimination! the reporter fumed internally, annoyed by Daniel's remark.

"I made it so it won't melt unless you put it in a place hotter than 100 degrees Celsius," Daniel explained as he passed the icy dinosaur to the reporter.

"Er… thank you," the reporter murmured, accepting the gift before returning to his seat.

At that moment, a reporter from the Qing Empire's news channel spoke up loudly, his tone filled with skepticism. "This is bullshit! How can we know this man isn't someone hired by you to stage this… performance? To me, it looks like a magic trick. Everyone knows New Atlantis has advanced technology. You probably have some kind of ice-creating machine hidden in the ceiling, making this all look convincing."

Hearing this, Daniel didn't seem offended. Instead, he smiled calmly and snapped his fingers. A spark of fire shot toward the skeptical reporter, and then—

Boom!

A burst of flame enveloped the man, eliciting a loud cry that quickly faded as the fire vanished. The flames left the man unharmed but burned away all his clothing… even his underpants. Female reporters screamed and turned their heads away, though some feigned embarrassment while peeking through their fingers. A few, however, looked at the man with disappointment and disdain as their gazes drifted to his crotch.

Realizing his predicament, the reporter from the Qing Empire hastily covered himself with his hands and fled the room, too humiliated to remain.

This scene was broadcast across the globe, leaving people questioning their understanding of reality. If this proves to be real, does it mean magic, supernatural beings, and all the myths and folklore passed down through generations are true as well? And more importantly, if magic exists, can ordinary people use it too, or is it a privilege reserved for the rich and powerful?

These questions echoed in the minds of most viewers watching the broadcast. However, many remained skeptical. After all, they were only witnessing it through a screen and not in person. Furthermore, a wide array of misinformation and biases in their respective countries compelled them to question the authenticity of Daniel's claims and lean toward disbelief.

Returning to Daniel: once again, he had used his Acidic Fire spell card.

—

Card: Acidic Fire

Picture: The picture of a fire spell burning someone alive while the background has a naked dude running away.

Rarity: Uncommon

Type: Quick Spell

Mana Cost: 1 Fire, 1 Non Element

Description: Choose one : [Deal 3 Damage to target creature]/[Destroy target artifact]

Flavor text: This fire could make you naked or it could make you baked.

—

"I don't think technology can replicate this," Daniel remarked, turning back to the podium with a calm demeanor. "I hope that answers your question."

He smiled at the first reporter, who nodded repeatedly, now entirely convinced. By this point, any lingering skepticism about magic in the room had evaporated.

"Next Question!" Daniel announced.

This time, the selected question came from a reporter representing Long Xin Island. "Mr. Emberweave, what is your opinion on the ongoing hate campaign against you, your company, and your country?" The reporter posed the question, knowing that Long Xin Island maintained friendly relations with New Atlantis, making it a relatively easy inquiry.

Daniel smiled and nodded appreciatively before responding. "If you ask for my opinion, I'd say this hate campaign is stupid… very stupid. Especially in countries where they already have access to the clean and cheap energy derived from ether, a resource our company has heavily invested in. Do they not want clean and affordable energy?

If that's the case, then congratulations. I hear you. I know you hate us and don't want to use our products. So, we'll honor that sentiment. Effective immediately, for the safety of our employees and Astral Corp's assets, we will cease all operations and reclaim every investment we've made in any country with significant ongoing protests.

There will be no more phones, no more amenities or Astral Corp electronics, no more military or food aid, and no more energy programs. Congratulations, you've finally achieved what you've been clamoring for over these past months." Daniel's tone was solemn, yet resolute.

The people in countries benefiting from Astral Corp's cheap energy immediately panicked. However, some remained skeptical, thinking, If they leave our country, fine. They can't possibly take back the infrastructure they've already built. To these skeptics, it seemed like a win-win scenario: Astral Corp's leave but left their money bags with us, what's not to like?

As Daniel concluded his answer, an uneasy silence fell over the press conference, like a cold wave sweeping through the room. The reporters typically stationed in New Atlantis to cover technological breakthroughs had enough connections with Astral Corp employees and New Atlantis officials to understand Daniel's reputation for keeping his promises. They knew he always followed through on his words, and Astral Corp's technology was advanced enough to literally pull out all the infrastructure it had invested in.

"The last question," Daniel announced. This time, the selected reporter was from London, representing a country most likely to go to war with New Atlantis if things took a turn for the worse.

"Mr. Emberweave… what would you do if… if…" The reporter stammered, then took a deep breath before asking, "If things escalate into World War Three… against you?"

Hearing this, Daniel nodded in acknowledgment. The possibility of escalation was real, and he understood the reporter's question came from a place of obligation rather than malice.

"That's a good question." Daniel nodded and gave a polite smile to the reporter before turning to face the camera directly, his eyes cold and unyielding. "Here's my answer: we will not declare war on anyone first. But to those who want a piece of New Atlantis or our technology... feel free to start a war. Just know this: once you begin, it won't be you who ends it... it will be us."

As Daniel spoke, a tense silence enveloped the room. Some reporters instinctively swallowed hard, the weight of his words heavy in the air. It was clear to everyone present—Daniel meant every word he said.

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM