Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Headquarters

As I announced that we would be following Ned’s plan, the Border City delegates froze. Ned, meanwhile, wore a faint, satisfied grin. Before the misunderstanding could spread and harden into something ugly, I clarified my decision.

"As the Field Marshal pointed out earlier, this area has a lower dungeon density—it isn’t enough to sustain its population. So I plan to open the Way Beyond to everyone, anyone with the spirit of adventure can operate there. For that, I need someone capable I can trust to monitor and regulate it. I couldn’t think of anyone better than the Border City forces and the Malvin family."

"My Lord, we will live up to your trust—and beyond." Tess and the others from the Border City rose from their seats at once, bowing deeply in gratitude, realizing I wasn’t sidelining them but handing them a golden opportunity.

The rest of the room was taken aback. They hadn’t expected the Border City to receive such a windfall, especially Ned and Aurelia. One remained unconvinced, while the other seemed genuinely happy for them. The former spoke up in protest.

"My Lord, opening the Way Beyond to everyone is not safe—not to mention the rampant smuggling it will invite. Please reconsider."

Tess immediately clenched her hands into fists, doing her best not to lash out at Ned. The points he raised were all valid, and she had no ready counter—she had never needed to consider them until now. Unprepared, she chose silence over making ignorant claims that might come back to bite her and the Border City later.

"Yuck, you Freedom Fighters are greedy. Wyatt has already given you so much, and you haven’t even paid for it yet, yet you still reach for more—even if it means stepping on our own people. Don’t get me wrong, I respect ambition, but not at the expense of our own."

Corey, who had been silently observing the assembly after promising me she wouldn’t stir up trouble, finally spoke. Her words hit the room like a detonation, accusing the Freedom Fighters of excessive greed and of sabotaging their own allies.

"Ms. Corey—"

"That’s Your Highness to you, asshole."

Ned was taken aback by Corey’s outburst. He looked at me, and I met his gaze with faint amusement—not because she was right, but to make it clear she was my right hand. She might be a loose cannon, but she was the only one in the room who could keep up with me if I ever expanded my campaign across the Myriad Realms. The Field Marshal, Aurelia, Jaya, Henricks, Tess—they all showed promise, but they lacked our explosive pace. Not to mention our special connection to Earth.

Ned gave a small nod and continued, "Your Highness Corey, I think you misunderstood the point I was trying to make. It was I who suggested that the Border City take over the Southern Watch base on the Way Beyond side. However, I don’t think opening the Way Beyond to everyone is wise. Aside from the rampant smuggling it would invite, it would also undermine our ancestors’ peace agreement with the Supreme Beings."

"Ned, you’re too smart for your own good. Back in the Dark Realm, I had people like you under my command. I made the mistake of mistaking their greed for ambition. I ignored the signs then, and I paid for it. I can’t change the past—but it’s not too late now. I won’t ignore the signs again..."

With that, Corey rose from her seat, stretched out her hand, and summoned three miniature suns that began orbiting one another, drawn into a tight dance by their overlapping magnetic fields. The temperature in the room spiked instantly, and every demigod’s senses screamed of imminent death. In that moment, they understood how she had managed to kill two devils on her own.

And yet, even that realization barely scratched the truth of what she was capable of.

"Corey, have you gone crazy? Cut it out right now!" the Field Marshal shouted in panic, thinking the lunatic was acting out again. What frightened her even more was that I showed no sign of stopping her.

In response, Corey extended her other arm and summoned another Bolas Supernova. With two of them hovering in her grasp, no one in the room dared to breathe. Panic flashed across Ned’s face as he reached for Henricks, who, for once, seemed to have forgotten he could teleport across the Myriad Realms in the blink of an eye.

Corey glanced around the room, and then mine, seeing me nod, she snuffed out both Bolas Supernovas with a satisfied smile. Then she casually reintroduced herself. "Hi, everyone. I’m Corey Bright, Wyatt’s Enforcer. I think I’ve made it clear that I have enough power to kill all of you together. Don’t assume you could’ve escaped if we were outdoors—be thankful we’re inside. Otherwise... tsk."

She dusted her hands lightly, as if she had just finished a trivial task. "Anyways, behave, be respectful of each other, and be content with what Wyatt gives you. He’s just as petty as he is generous. Trust me, I learned that the hard way."

Then she turned to Ned, whose face had drained of color, his panic still plain to see, and continued, "Ned, may be I misunderstood you. But you, of all people, should know Wyatt wouldn’t propose something without thinking it through completely. He already had a system in mind to deal with smuggling at the Way Beyond for the Southern Royal family, but they were too stingy to offer proper compensation. We can apply it for ourselves.

"As for our ancestors’ peace treaty with the Supreme Beings, don’t worry about that. We have two Supreme Beings on our side—Blood Supreme Bloodette and Rock Supreme Petra. We’ll make arrangements to ensure people operate within their spheres of influence, which will also add another layer of protection against smuggling. If that addresses your concerns, then be happy for the Border City and the Malvin family, along with the rest of us."