Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

A communication hiccup? Zhuge Liang doubted it. It had already been 30 minutes since the last scheduled contact. Even if it truly was a minor issue, it shouldn't take this long to re-establish communication.

Seeing Zhuge Liang's concern, the man in the owl mask spoke. "You seem overly worried, Mr. Zhuge Liang. Don't fret. Even if the team failed, and Mr. Achilles returned to Lord Hades, the necro plague device will still do its job whether it activates on the island or in the water."

"If it activates on the island, the air currents will carry the necro plague to New Atlantis. If it triggers underwater, marine life will be affected, and the plague will spread through the surrounding waters. Either way, we win. Most likely, the sea creatures will mutate into monsters, causing New Atlantis great trouble.

We could even use this opportunity to tarnish their name, turning them into the world's enemy. Your plan to incite a global war and position New Atlantis as the number one adversary would succeed."

"I hope you're right, Lord Owl," Zhuge Liang replied. "As Lord Sun Tzu said, 'Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.' I've tried to gather information about Daniel Emberweave, but there are still too many unknowns—his power limits, his forces, his trump cards. The man is too well-concealed.

The information we have is outdated, and any new details seem irrelevant to the bigger picture."

"For example, we know his weakness is most likely his adopted daughter, Sylvana Emberweave. We know her school schedule and daily routine, but it's impossible to send anyone into New Atlantis. It was difficult enough when the city was still connected to the mainland, but now it's even harder to infiltrate.

All the spies we've sent who were capable of making a significant impact have been killed—they even sent their heads back to us! This… this is beyond frustrating!" Zhuge Liang vented, then let out a sigh as he closed his paper fan.

"I'm afraid that, with only myself, our limited resources and power, I may not be able to protect the Qing Empire," Zhuge Liang admitted.

Hearing this, the man in the owl mask chuckled to himself. Zhuge Liang had no idea he was serving the enemy of the Han—like the Qing Empire, which originated from the Manchu, invaders from the north of the Ming Empire.

He wondered what Zhuge Liang's face would look like if the charm and memory modification spell casted on him were dispelled, revealing the truth. It would certainly be a sight to see, he mused silently.

"It will take about six hours for the device to activate. I'll take my leave now, and we'll talk again once we hear from the news that the device has been triggered. There are many things I need to take care of," Golden Scale said, then cut the connection.

"Well, I should go too. It's about 2 AM on my end, so I'll rest for now," said the man in the owl mask.

Zhuge Liang merely nodded in acknowledgment before the man in the owl mask disconnected. He had done everything he could. Now, he could only leave the rest to fate.

— The Republic of Ottoman Levant —

In the remnants of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, this region is all that remains of the once-great empire. It is referred to as The Republic of Ottoman Levant, as all other vast territories had all been carved up by the victors after World War I.

Had it not been for strong ties within the Curtained World and a certain secret reason, the entire Ottoman Empire would have already been divided, with its name surviving only in history books.

It was now 8 AM in the Republic of Ottoman Levant, and rush hour was in full swing, just like any other day. People hurried about—heading to work, taking their children to school, or simply trying to make ends meet, surviving like everyone else.

Amidst the chaotic noise of car engines and honking, deep in an alley of the capital city, a bloodied man staggered toward the main road. His eyes were clouded white, devoid of any sign of life, and his movements were unsteady, resembling a zombie. As he stumbled forward, he noticed a few people walking in his direction.

"Hey! You idiot, who the f*ck are you? Did someone mug you?" one of the men called out, laughing along with his companions at the man's disheveled state. "I'll tell you now, walking around here isn't safe. Idiots like you tend to end up in dangerous situations."

Without warning, the bloodied man roared like a beast and pounced on the nearest person, biting into his neck. Read exclusive adventures at mvl

"Argh!!! F*ck! He's biting me!" The man screamed in shock, trying to push him off, but the bloodied man's strength was unnatural—far greater than he had expected.

"Shit! Let him go, you f*cker!" one of his friends yelled, pulling out a knife in an attempt to scare the attacker.

"Stab him! Kill him! Kill him!" the man being bitten cried out in desperation.

His friend gritted his teeth and stabbed the bloodied man in the shoulder, hoping the pain would make him stop. But it didn't. The attacker didn't even flinch, continuing to tear into his victim's flesh.

"Arrrgggghh, kill him! Kill him!" The man's agonized screams filled the alley as the bloodied man devoured him alive. His friends desperately tried to pull the attacker away, while another stabbed him in the neck, but even that didn't stop him.

After a few more minutes of struggle, they finally managed to drag the bloodied man off their friend, but it was too late. A large artery had been severed, chunks of flesh were missing, and he had lost too much blood.

In a terrifying turn, the bloodied man shifted his focus, biting one of the men who had pulled him away.

"Arrrghhh!! F*ck!" the bitten man cried out, yanking his arm away, but a piece of flesh was missing.

"Die, you freak!" The man, now enraged, pulled out a gun and fired at the bloodied attacker.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets tore through the bloodied man's body, but he didn't stop. Desperate, the man aimed for his head.

Bang! Bang!

Two bullets punctured the bloodied man's skull, destroying his brain. He staggered a few more steps before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

"Shit… damn freak!" the man who had been bitten muttered, scratching at his arm where the bite mark was. "Ugh… it itches so bad," he said, feeling an unbearable itch from the wound.

"What the hell!? Did you just kill him!?" one of the thugs shouted in alarm. Using a gun to kill someone was a disaster waiting to happen for them. They were small-time goons with few connections, and the cops only tolerated them as long as they didn't kill civilians. But now, they'd just killed someone.

"That freak killed Kemal! F*ck, it itches so much!" the man growled through gritted teeth, scratching furiously at his wound. Black lines were spreading from the bite, and his blood had started to turn black. "Shit… I'm so sleepy… what the hell?" He dropped to one knee, struggling to stay conscious, the overwhelming drowsiness taking over.

Unable to fight it, he collapsed, closing his eyes as sleep overtook him.

"Hey! Ali! Ali! What the hell? Why are you sleeping here?" one of the thugs called out, shaking his friend, trying to wake him.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he spun around and saw it was Kemal.

"F*ck, Kemal, you nearly gave me a heart attack," the thug muttered, but before he could react, Kemal lunged forward and bit into his head.

"Arrrgggghhh! F*ck! What the hell are you doing!?" the thug screamed in agony as he fell to the ground.

At the same time, Ali, who had passed out moments earlier, opened his eyes. His pupils were clouded white, empty, devoid of life. Without hesitation, he bit into the thug as well.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgghh!"

The alley echoed with screams of pain. The struggling soon ceased as the thug's skull was cracked open by the force of the bite. The sickening sounds of tearing flesh and bones echoed as the two thugs—no, zombies—began devouring their prey.

Time passed, and the zombies staggered onto the main road, attacking people during the capital's rush hour. There were countless potential victims, and with each bite, another person turned into one of them. The unstoppable chain of infection had begun. Screams filled the streets as chaos erupted, and the police quickly intervened.

However, lacking proper weapons and unaware of the true nature of the threat, the officers soon fell victim to the zombies as they attempted to arrest them, still unaware they were dealing with the undead. The infection spread rapidly, spiraling out of control as panic gripped the city.

— Estate near the Capital —

In a secluded estate nestled deep in the mountains, a bearded man with short curly hair was jolted awake by the sharp blare of the alarm system. It wasn't his usual alarm clock; this was the danger alarm.