Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

After leaving the blade archive, Daniel noticed Koyuki talking to the Yamato Nadeshiko woman who had escorted Kim Yuna. It was none other than Reiko, now inhabiting her new homunculus body.

"Lady Koyuki, please return to the Mori clan with me. Lady Mayumi is quite upset that you ran away mid-training. If you go back now, I believe she will surely forgive you," Reiko said with a hint of admonishment in her voice.

"Ugh... can it wait until the trip in Korea is over? I... I want to spend more time with him," Koyuki pleaded, her eyes full of hope as she tried to look cute.

"Lady Koyuki... you're a grown woman now. Please don't do this," Reiko scolded her gently and sighed.

"But it's effective, right?" Koyuki asked, still using her puppy-dog eyes on Reiko.

Reiko had arrived the night before because Mayumi wanted Koyuki to return to the Mori Clan for training. The goal was for Koyuki to incorporate at least four Orochi soul pieces to strengthen her abilities against the threats of the Curtained World.

Additionally, Mayumi wanted Koyuki to have the right to stay by Daniel's side as his first lady. She hoped Koyuki would manage the harem, rather than Envy, who seemed more mature and knowledgeable than her daughter.

Seeing this, Daniel chuckled. "Haha, Ms. Reiko, can you give her some space? I think we'll be finished here in a few days."

"Let me ask Lady Mayumi first, and I'll get back to you," Reiko said before excusing herself to contact Mayumi and inform her of the situation. She moved to a corner of the hall and made a phone call.

After a few minutes, Reiko returned with a slight smile. "Congratulations, Lady Koyuki. Lady Mayumi has agreed to your request, on the condition that you must incorporate five Orochi soul pieces upon your return."

Hearing that her training would intensify upon returning to Japan, all of Koyuki's happiness drained away, replaced by regret. She couldn't believe she had made things worse by asking her mother for three more days.

Incorporating and mastering five Orochi soul pieces could take months, even years!

Seeing Koyuki's despair, Daniel couldn't help but chuckle, which earned him a pout and several playful slaps on the arm.

—

Daniel spent the day working on the Order of Ember's ground rules with Envy and Koyuki's assistance. Michaela and little Sylvana occasionally popped in, eager to play, but were gently shooed away by Envy, who knew time was limited.

By evening, with the rules, benefits, and other details finalized and checked by Envy, Daniel sent them to the individuals he wanted as founding members: Cao Cao, Albert, Odysseus, Vlad, Hermes, Atlanteus, and Don Veneziale.

He then checked his tablet and noticed that since the assassination attempt, his points had increased by over 2,500. This was a significant gain, especially considering he had previously earned 10,000 points for actions that impacted the global community, such as altering the Qing Dynasty's political landscape and influencing the destinies of many.

He wondered if the assassination attempt had a hidden agenda, and what their goal was. However, his priority was to enter the shop and obtain the last key card needed to establish his organization.

Daniel locked his room, summoned the door to the shop, and stepped inside. He was greeted by the Keeper and his usual warm smile and British gentleman demeanor.

"Welcome, Mr. Emberweave. How may I help you today?" the Keeper asked.

Daniel walked up to the counter and inquired, "The rules have changed. Do you know what has happened in this space recently?"

"The rules have changed?" the Keeper repeated, confused by the question. He paused, thinking, then replied, "I'm afraid I don't quite understand your question. Nothing significant has happened here. The only changes are that you have gained more points and grown slightly stronger."

Daniel then recounted the assassination attempt from the previous night, explaining how the spells in his mindscape had become grayed out and unusable.

After listening intently, the Keeper nodded.

"Sir, please wait a moment. Let me check something," he said before vanishing from the shop.

He reappeared in the middle of a golden, starry space, gazing at the distant horizon where paths of stars interconnected like endless tree roots. After a time, he vanished again, reappearing in the shop.

"There is nothing wrong with the shop, sir. I've checked it thoroughly," the Keeper reported. "The only explanation I can offer is that someone is deliberately blocking your connection to the land, disrupting your mana flow when you try to use your reserve."

"Wait... someone can do that?" Daniel asked incredulously. "I mean, I've never told anyone about this secret of mine. So why...?" Indeed, Daniel had never shared the source of his power with anyone, not even his actualized companions or his wives, due to his paranoia about someone overhearing or deducing it from careless conversation.

"Yes, sir. In fact, anyone powerful enough and knowledgeable in magical theory could block your connection to the land, causing this... inconvenience. For example, Lady Envy, Mr. Worseley, highly skilled mages like your enemy Grand Councilor Golden Scale, powerful demons or yokai, and finally, gods and demigods, especially those who govern the land and domain of a country," the Keeper explained.

Hearing this, Daniel was certain that Envy and Albert wouldn't do such a thing, leaving only his enemies or powerful supernatural beings as possibilities. Since gods couldn't manifest in the mortal world, the most likely culprits were powerful demons, yokai, or his enemies. But which one?

He needed a contingency plan quickly. He had many enemies who were only deterred by his overwhelming power. If they discovered a way to block it, he could be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

Seeing Daniel's intense contemplation, the Keeper coughed politely to get his attention.

"Ahem!" Daniel looked at the Keeper, who offered a reassuring smile. He then picked up a card from under the counter.

"Sir, you seem troubled by this inconvenience, but let me assure you, there's no need." He placed the card on the counter and slid it towards Daniel.

It was a conversion card that would convert properties connected to the land into Daniel's personal domain, establishing a direct link to the shop's space. This would eliminate any outside influence over that domain, even from the god governing the land.

"This conversion card will transform your owned properties into your domain and link them directly to this space," the Keeper explained. "This will nullify any influence others may have over your domain. Even the god who governs the land cannot prevent you from drawing power from it."

Daniel considered the information and asked, "What if they enter the properties and block the connection at the source?"

"They could do that, but not without extensive and meticulous preparation," the Keeper replied. "They would also need to pay a hefty price to block such connections to a power they don't understand."

Hearing that this method could still be used against him, Daniel pondered a countermeasure.

"So, if the price is steep, I just need to own multiple properties and convert them. As long as one connection remains, I won't have to worry too much," Daniel mused.

The Keeper nodded, acknowledging the effectiveness of Daniel's solution. It was feasible and, considering the high cost of interference, his enemies couldn't block all connections simultaneously. The more properties Daniel owned, the more secure his access to mana would be.

Daniel then thought about his promise to Michaela: "The Sanctuary for the Oppressed." Initially, he had envisioned a small, prosperous nation for the people of Sector Alpha City. But perhaps he could go further.

What if he created a special economic complex with housing and essential facilities for the less fortunate? Not quite a country, but a haven where people could relocate and build a better life. A city-state within less developed nations.

Daniel made a mental note of the idea, planning to pursue it after establishing his organization. With an entire organization backing him, such endeavors would become much smoother.

He then turned his attention to the row of cards opened from the box set. Among them, he noticed a key card that could help him achieve this goal: the "Clockwork Enclosure." This card could potentially solve the issue of magical resource scarcity.

Card Name: Clockwork Enclosure

Illustration: A vast, verdant landscape teeming with magical creatures, thriving within a separate, enclosed space containing various biomes that support a diverse range of life.

Rarity: Legendary

Type: Location

Description:

Clockwork Enclosure enters the battlefield tapped.

Tap: Add one Wood mana and one Water mana to your mana pool.

Keep the adventure going with m|vl-em|p-yr

Tap, Pay 1 (Non-Elemental): Add one Light mana or one Water mana to your mana pool.

At the beginning of your turn, put a clockwork counter on Clockwork Enclosure. At the end of your turn, you may remove a clockwork counter from Clockwork Enclosure for each mana in the total cost of a non-undead, non-unique creature you control. Create a token that's a copy of that creature.

Flavor Text: A marvel of magic, created through the combined knowledge of the Clocktower and the Beast Master Gang.

After the transaction deducted his points, leaving him with only a few hundred, Daniel realized it would be some time before he could return to the shop. He said goodbye to the Keeper and left.