Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2567: Limitless Barrier

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Jillians’ Pub

Jill and I turned our heads at the same time to see who was trying to play the prince rescuing a damsel in distress. To my surprise, it was a young card demigod. He had sharp features, fiery red hair, and striking green eyes—looked like he’d just crossed his first century. Not a bad-looking guy at all. He clearly inherited the best of his parents’ genes in terms of appearance... but when it came to common sense, the line must have skipped him.

Jill’s brows drew together the moment she saw him, a flicker of irritation crossing her eyes. The women on the couch reacted the same way—they just didn’t dare show it as openly. Their expressions told me everything I needed to know. He may be one of Jill’s persistent suitors, the kind who didn’t understand the word "no."

"What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear me? Let her go, or I’ll make you," the demigod warned, his glare fixed on me.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I released Jill’s waist and raised both hands in mock surrender.

"Relax, man. You’ve got it all backwards. She’s the one hanging on to me. Please—by all means—help me get her off."

Before I could even finish teasing the red-headed demigod, Jill cut in with a kiss to my mouth. Her tongue rushed in, fiercely teasing mine. Ignoring the demigod, I indulged in the kiss. Jill’s technique had gotten a lot better. I couldn’t help but let out a shameful moan; she was too damn good at it. It was as if she had gone to university just to learn kissing and aced it. I knew Jill was fiercely competitive, but this was just insane.

Seeing us kiss and ignore him, the demigod’s eyes flared in rage. His right fist suddenly lit on fire, and he threw a punch aimed at my head. I felt a strong flame rule power from it; I’m sure Jill did too. However, she closed her eyes tighter and kissed me fiercely, as if there was no tomorrow. When she, a woman, could be so daring, how could I back down? My left palm grabbed her right ass cheek, and my fingers dug in. My right hand bundled her loose hair and pulled her head back while I leaned in, taking control of the kiss.

Meanwhile, the red-headed demigod stared in disbelief as his punches failed to reach us. Every blow lost momentum mid-air before bouncing harmlessly off the empty space around us. No matter how much force he poured into it, he couldn’t break through the invisible wall.

If all he relied on were flame rule power and brute strength, he never stood a chance. With my space rule mastery, I had woven a thin space bubble around Jill and me. To normal senses it was invisible—barely even a shimmer—but in truth its walls were stretched to an extreme.

Using my space rule mastery, amplified by the Limitless Strain rune and my celestial force, I pulled the bubble’s boundaries outward until they became an impossibly thin membrane—thinner than a strand of hair, yet extending limitlessly long.

I called it the Limitless Barrier. Despite its name, it was just a trick I came up with on my feet.

Every attack aimed at us had to cross that limitless stretch of warped space before it could reach our bodies. And by the time his punches traveled that limitless distance, all their energy bled away and eventually rebounded straight back.

Unless he figured out the principle behind the Limitless Barrier—and had some way to counter the limitless strain woven into it—his fists were never going to reach us.

Earlier, when I saw his good looks, his realm, his barely-a-century age, and the fact that he stepped in for Jill without hesitation, I wondered why she wouldn’t at least give him a chance. But the moment he attacked me just because Jill kissed me, the answer became obvious.

Jill tapped my shoulder urgently, struggling to keep pace with me. When I finally broke the kiss, she sucked in a deep breath—only to grab my face and pull me right back for round two. She clearly wasn’t ready to surrender. She had mastered the theory, but her practical experience was still lacking, so in the end she couldn’t keep up with me and my hybrid physique.

Meanwhile, the red-haired demigod launched attack after attack from every direction, each one failing to reach us and instead stirring chaos throughout the pub. Students panicked and scrambled for the exits. Jill’s companions ran for cover as well, though they didn’t flee altogether. Despite being unable to help, they stayed close enough to watch over her.

That surprised me. I’d always assumed Jill was a loner and had no real friends—especially after Luna left to join the freedom fighters.

"You done? Or do you want to go another round?" I asked Jill, who still looked unconvinced even after losing three times in a row. She clearly didn’t want to admit defeat, but with the chaos the redhead was causing in her pub, she chose to pull back for now—planning to return in full force once the nuisance was handled.

Even then, Jill didn’t rush. She remained in my arms, using my pupils as a makeshift mirror to fix her hair and wipe the trace of moisture from her lips. After straightening her dress, she leaned in, gave me a light peck on the nose, and said, "I’ll be right back."

As soon as Jill left my embrace and turned to face the red demigod, calling out, "Uncle!" The latter stopped his relentless attacks and stared back at his niece with a blank but polite face. Meanwhile, I blinked in confusion. Since when did Norley have such a young brother?

As Jill stepped out of the protection of my barrier, I dispersed it completely. After watching the red-haired demigod’s attacks up close, I’d already determined he wasn’t anywhere near elite level. He barely registered as a threat to me.

"Your Highness, please stop acting out," the redhead demigod said respectfully. "You’re the one who reached out to the Brothwork family’s heir. He helped you, and whether you like it or not, you’re expected to attend his party. Otherwise, you’ll put the master in a difficult position."

His tone was polite, but every few seconds his gaze flicked toward me with a sharp, dangerous glint that hadn’t been there before. That was when it hit me—he had been suppressing his true power this whole time. He wasn’t weak; he just wanted Jill’s full attention.

From the way he spoke, he sounded like one of Demigod Norley’s loyal subordinates. But as far as I knew, Norley preferred working alone—especially after adopting Jill. Seeing someone this young and this strong serving under him didn’t add up... and it raised even more questions.