Chapter 217: Chapter 217

The two women offered no advice, simply watching him with unnerving calm. In the flickering firelight, everyone's face seemed distorted. Jenkins tore at his collar, oblivious as a button burst free and was lost to the shadows.

"You trust me that much?"

He asked in disbelief.

"That is what fate has foretold."

"Mr. Williamette, your expression betrays no hint of anxiety."

Such were their answers.

"No, I'm incredibly tense."

He answered with a wry smile, his gaze falling on his scorched cuffs. If they didn't end this strange trial soon, he doubted their divine protection could hold out against the inferno. Dıscover more novels at NoveI(F)ire.net

He scanned the cards in his hand, then threw one onto the table. "Disease Curse!"

"Just as I suspected. He's not human!"

To his surprise, Miss Miller actually chuckled. She pulled a small, palm-sized notebook from her coat pocket and jotted down a few notes.

Jenkins stared blankly at the cards in his hand, saying nothing.

"To hell with it. Next turn, I'm going all out. It's not worth dying here just to protect a few secrets. They're... my friends, I suppose. They'll keep quiet... probably."

The man gestured toward Audrey. Clearly, it was her turn.

A small smile played on the woman's lips as she tucked a sweat-dampened strand of hair behind her ear. Instead of carefully selecting a card, she shuffled her hand once and casually tossed a random one onto the table.

"Is this what it means to be a believer in Fate?"

Jenkins mused, squinting at the card. It depicted a pair of purple eyes.

Startled, he instinctively glanced at Audrey. Sure enough, the purple spiritual light that usually shone in her eyes was gone.

"So her eyes really are some kind of special ability?"

The pair of beautiful eyes materialized from the card. The fact that they were identical to the eyes of the woman beside him sent a shiver of unease through him. He glanced back at Audrey, half-expecting to see two black, empty sockets.

"Is something wrong?"

The eyes held no malice. They simply observed the strange man for a moment before vanishing.

Audrey offered no explanation, but she seemed to let out a quiet sigh of relief. Miss Miller's eyebrows shot up, and a grin spread across her face.

"Can someone please explain what's happening?"

He was desperate to ask, but the man gave him no opportunity.

He swiftly drew a card from the fanned-out deck and slapped it down in front of Audrey. Since her eyes had targeted him, it was now his turn to respond.

A pair of black claws erupted from the card. Before anyone could react, they plunged into Audrey's midsection and violently ripped her soul from her body.

"Soul Departure from Dream."

The man's counter was followed by Jenkins's turn. He tossed the card depicting a blue-skinned version of himself in front of Audrey. His vision blurred, the world spun, and suddenly he was emerging from the card itself.

He seized the claws and sank his teeth into one of the wrists. With a jolt of pain, the claws released Audrey's soul, which immediately fled back into her body. A moment later, Jenkins was back in his own flesh, and the black claws retracted into the card.

Before the man could speak, Jenkins declared, "My ability targeted Miss Audrey. That means she gets to play a card during my turn, correct?"

After a moment of silence.

"You understand the rules."

Jenkins broke into a grin. He wiped the sweat from his brow—be it from tension or the heat of the inferno, he couldn't tell—and let out a long, slow breath.

This damn game... The rules weren't rigid at all. It seemed as long as you operated within the dealer's general framework, anything was possible.

The woman beside him murmured. Jenkins gave a slight shake of his head, hoping she wouldn't play another cryptic card.

"B-07-4-8848, Mr. Prankster's Prank Pouch."

This time, she studied her hand carefully before playing a card. Jenkins glanced at the illustration; it looked just like the pocket on Audrey's own dress.

The pocket lifted from the card, becoming tangible. It then swooped in front of the dealer and, with a gentle flick, swallowed at least a third of his remaining cards.

"Why would you use an item from the 'Mr. Prankster' series? That's far too risky! Items with that prefix are entirely dependent on luck."

Miss Miller leaned past Jenkins to ask Audrey, who simply pressed her lips together. "Miller, we've known each other for more than a couple of years. You know what I'm like."

Miss Miller narrowed her eyes, then her gaze shifted to Jenkins. He looked up, confused, as an expression of sudden understanding dawned on the mathematician's face.

"You've found a way out?"

"That's right. We're not going to lose."

Audrey said softly, though she still seemed to have no intention of explaining anything to Jenkins.

Before he could voice his question, Miss Miller played a new card. It was her turn.

"B-01-3-5100, Venomous Dagger."

A short, black dagger shot from the card, not to attack, but to hover menacingly at Miss Miller's side.

"I'm not designating a target, simply putting it into play. Is that within the rules?"

She directed the question at the dealer. He regarded her for a moment before repeating his previous answer, "You understand the rules."

Now Jenkins was certain. This Mysterious Realm wasn't about playing cards at all. It was a contest to see who could most cleverly use their hand while staying within the boundaries of the rules.

Since Miss Miller's turn had no target, there was no counter-play, and the turn passed directly to the dealer.

He, too, didn't bother looking at his remaining sixty-odd cards. He simply plucked one from the middle of the deck and slapped it onto the center of the table.

As the card hit the table, a transparent mass of energy—visible only to his Eye of Reality—was hurled into the raging fire. The flames instantly surged, and the golden divine barrier buckled, shrinking back another few feet.

With a low thrum, a fist of pure flame materialized before them, quickly followed by the rest of the elemental creature.

"I have summoned a Spirit of Flame. And since the effect of Arson is still active, it gains even more power."

The dealer had barely finished speaking when the Spirit of Flame swelled in size, its roaring flames threatening to engulf the trio completely.

Jenkins hurriedly played his card, and Miss Miller immediately followed with one of her own. "Brief Fairness!"

A golden scale materialized between the elemental and the fist of ice. The scale immediately tipped, weighed down on the side of the enormous fiery creature, which was at least five times the size of the fist.