Chapter 77: Bonding
The moment the final word left my lips, an explosive wave of pure, velvety darkness erupted from the obsidian box.
SWOOSH!
The shadowy essence surged upward, completely enveloping my hands, arms, and the deck in a thick, swirling vortex. Yet, despite the intimidating visual, I didn’t feel a single trace of pain or cold. Instead, a profound, breathtaking warmth washed through my spiritual pathways.
A second later, the dark vortex receded into my skin, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
I looked down at my hands. The obsidian box was now hovering effortlessly two inches above my palm, bathed in a soft, ethereal azure aura. A deep, undeniable connection thrummed between my mind and the artifact, making it feel less like an object I was holding and more like an extra limb attached directly to my soul.
Smiling to myself, I gave a subtle mental command: Unseal.
CLICK!
The obsidian box snapped open automatically. With a dazzling, crystalline chime, all fifty-four cards erupted from the box in a brilliant, cascading fountain of gold and azure light!
SHHH-SHHH-SHHH-SHHH!
The cards scattered through the air, fanning out in a wide, mesmerizing orbital ring that hovered directly around my body.
I looked at the hovering cards in awe. Each card was crafted from flawless, semi-translucent crystal, edged with liquid gold. The card backs depicted a magnificent, sweeping crest of Origin, while the faces shimmered with blank, radiant canvas light, waiting to be assigned to allies. The sheer aura of power, elegance, and beauty radiating from the hovering ring was genuinely breathtaking.
I raised my hand, gently tracing my fingers along the edge of a floating Ace card, a bright, satisfied smile spreading across my face.
Suddenly, I realized the vast sanctuary had fallen into complete, absolute silence.
I paused, lowering my hand as I looked up from the hovering cards.
Every single member of the High Council of Seven Seats was staring down at me in stunned silence.
Genghis Khan had stopped leaning on his broadsword, his ferocious eyes wide with genuine shock. King Solomon had taken off his glasses, staring at the fanned-out ring with a trembling jaw. Empress Wu Zetian had straightened her posture on the golden throne, her icy, unblinking eyes locked onto the glowing cards with absolute astonishment. Even Grandfather stood at his balcony railing, his hands gripping his silver cane so tightly his knuckles were white.
I blinked, looking from the council members back at the hovering cards, thoroughly confused by their reaction. ’Did... did I do something wrong?’
The very next second, Cyrus broke the heavy silence, bursting into a loud, hysterical, and utterly delighted laugh that echoed through the entire ziggurat.
"HAHAHAHAHA! HOLY SHIT!" Cyrus roared, slapping his armrest repeatedly as he practically doubled over with laughter. "ALISTAIR, YOU LUCKY OLD BASTARD! You didn’t just bring a successor, you brought an absolute monster! I am so damn jealous right now."
I scratched my cheek, looking up at the azure balcony. "Uh... Grandfather? What’s going on? Why is everyone looking at me like I just grew a second head?"
Alistair slowly let out a long, shaky breath, a look of profound pride flooding his weathered face as he looked down at me.
"Seth..." Alistair spoke, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. "Normally... when a newly Awakened Sovereign bonds with a Sovereign Deck for the very first time, their spiritual capacity can only handle unsealing a single suit."
He gestured toward the hovering ring surrounding me. "That means an ordinary Sovereign begins their journey with only thirteen available cards. They must train for years, fight countless battles, and expand their soul just to unlock the second and third suits. On extremely rare occasions, an absolute prodigy might unlock two suits at once, twenty-six cards, upon their initial awakening."
Grandfather’s dark eyes locked onto mine, shining like stars. "You... unsealed all four suits and both Jokers simultaneously on your very first try. All fifty-four cards are fully operational."
My eyes widened slightly as the weight of his words clicked in my mind.
"Unlocking the complete deck at awakening means your spiritual capacity is virtually boundless," Alistair declared, his booming voice ringing with absolute authority. "You do not need to wait years to build your full deck, Seth. You have been granted the immediate authority to form an entire, fifty-four-member Sovereign Deck right from the very start!"
I looked around at the fifty-four fanned-out cards hovering in a brilliant, glowing orbit around my body. While I didn’t fully grasp all the technical benefits yet, hearing that I had pulled off something unheard of was pretty damn cool.
’Hey, Paige,’ I addressed my system mentally, raising an eyebrow. ’Did you use your reality manipulation to force all fifty-four cards out?’
[Nope!] Paige answered instantly, her tone full of smug, teasing amusement inside my head. [That was 100% all you, Host! Though... if you want my honest opinion, your subconscious desire to build a massive, legendary harem of top-tier beauties probably shattered the deck’s locks out of pure greed!]
I nearly choked, violently shaking my head to ignore her chaotic commentary. ’Shut up, Paige.’
Looking back up at the Seven Seats, I closed my hand into a loose fist. On my mental command, all fifty-four glowing cards instantly collapsed back into the obsidian box, which sealed shut and settled neatly into my pocket.
"Thank you, everyone," I said, offering a calm, confident smile to the council members. "I’ll make sure my Sovereign Deck becomes the strongest deck in existence."
"Hahaha! That’s what I like to hear!" Cyrus cheered warmly from his silver balcony. "If you’re looking for top-tier talent to fill your suits, Seth, you should definitely check out Avalon Academy! The academy gathers the absolute finest prodigies, heiresses, and descendants from across the globe!"
I nodded, storing that piece of advice away. Then a sudden, curious thought crossed my mind regarding the rules of the deck.
I looked up at Alistair and King Hammurabi, asking directly, "Grandfather... am I strictly required to recruit human Awakened for my deck? Or am I allowed to recruit people from other races and foreign pantheons too?"