Kairo and Nyx progressed unhindered in the abyss. With the card fossil leading the way, they had little to no problem navigating the area. As they moved, Kairo noticed more and more tunnels appearing, each going in a completely different direction. At first this place looked like a cavern or network.
But he had the vague feeling it was more than that. "What exactly is this place and those stones?" Kairo kept turning the question in his mind but to no avail.
"The origin of fossils all started somewhere here," the card fossil said. As they entered a grand circular chamber, at the command of his voice, torches on the walls began flaring up like lit matches one after the other in a smooth circular manner, casting enough light into the area.
Kairo and Nyx squinted their eyes, shielding their faces from the sudden burst of light. "This is…" Kairo stared at the walls in surprise.
On each of the walls that surrounded the area were drawings of moving people. They were crude but extremely precise, sharp enough for Kairo and the others to guess what had happened.
"The First Arch Mage Donatello created us, the card fossils. An artificial life form under the will of card magic," the fish-like figure explained, his rugged palm on the walls.
"Artificial life," Kairo held his breathing as he listened. He knew card fossils were different but was far from the real truth about what they really were. "Why would he create an artificial life form? With card magic we already have semi-sentient summons," Kairo asked, as he thought of his sand paladin, devourer, and the others. Most of the summons of card magic were not completely mindless, although not sentient like the card fossils in front of them.
"It's pretty obvious our old archmage had ambitions bigger than the world. Humans cannot be controlled, whereas life created out of his magic could," Selis explained, not surprised by the revelation as if she had always guessed something like that. "As the most influential and powerful mage of the past thousand years, it's not surprising to imagine he wanted more freedom. You see, even in the past there were people like the card mage police, whose only job was to limit people's freedom," Selis added, her eyes in Kairo's direction.
Kairo was far from the careless mage he had been at the beginning. A determined smile on his face, he said, "There must have been a reason for all of this. We don't limit card magic. We ensure it stays safe. There is a clear difference between oppression and regulation."
"There is no point in arguing about that with her, Kairo. She sees nothing other than her ambition, and that's what will cause her fall when the time comes," Nyx said. In her mind, it was just a matter of time before all of them paid for their crimes.
The card fossil smiled, clapping his hands together, causing the entire group to redirect their attention to him. "Slayer once said that after so much time, there would be people who start seeing things for what they are, not what they want them to be. At last, that time is still far away," he shook his head. Pointing at the dioramas on the walls like a scholar giving a lesson, he recounted.
"After the creation of card magic, the first arch mage wanted something more…"
...
Ten thousand years back…
In the grand capital of the mages, within the castle of the great arch mage.
"What else is there left to do with this system, Donatello? You have perfected every aspect of card magic. Why do you keep working on it?" a man asked, dressed in a long magical robe similar to that of those mages of the old era.
"What do you think will happen once we disappear, Leo?" Donatello asked, a young and vibrant voice echoing from his mouth. As Leo prepared to answer, Donatello waved at him and continued talking, not expecting an answer. "You see, Leo, you haven't thought of it. This is so sad. We will fade into the dust, but our creation will continue to live. What if the mages of the future are unable to understand how this is supposed to work?" Donatello held his chin, deep in thought.
Leo shook his head in exasperation. Donatello had always been a little too obsessed with his achievement. "We created card magic not for you to live eternally but for magic to stay safe over the centuries to come. This was the goal. But this card fossil stuff you're about to start doesn't sound good to me. What will you do with an army of puppets that can't deny anything to you?" Leo found it hard to understand. Where would be the joy of challenging his creation if there was no challenge in it?
"Leo, it's not about eternal life. But eternal control. You see those fools of mages? They think they can dictate what I can do with a system I created. Can you believe it?" Donatello asked as if surprised by his own words. "Impossible! I created everything and I can do whatever I want with it. Card fossils will come to life. And this first baby, I feel like calling him Slayer," Donatello smirked, observing the little black ball in the floating orb on the table.
The orb was like a foetus. A humanoid figure bubbled into it like a baby in a stomach. Unlike a normal baby, however, this lifeform had completely pitch black skin. Without its eyes, it would have been hard to figure out what exactly it was.
"They aren't trying to dictate what you can or cannot do, but ensuring you don't burn all of us with this new form of card magic. It's for our children and ourselves, Donatello, not to restrict you," Leo wanted to explain but held his words. His friend was a very complex individual.
"Slayer, you say," Leo murmured in a low voice. Long after Donatello left the lab, Leo leaned closer to the orb, a worried expression on his face. "I can't stop you, but this thing maybe…" Leo stuck a card into the orb before leaving the lab in his turn.
...
Kairo fell silent at the revelation. "Donatello created the card fossils in an attempt not to defy life but to defy control on life," he mused. This sounded so far-fetched he had no idea what to think about it.
"That would mean the very first card fossil created was Slayer. But he rebelled with Donatello's best friend to stop and seal him. Yet I find it hard to believe they could defeat the strongest arch mage of the century," the Collector voiced his opinion.
Kairo glanced in Selis's direction; in her eyes he could see the same skepticism of the Collector's words. After all, how could the creation defeat the creator?
"He wasn't defeated. Slayer believes the castle is his prison, and as long as it stays frozen in time, we would never have to worry about it," the card fossil explained. Then his fish-like eyebrow turned serious. "If you want some advice, you should call back your people and leave the island. We are sealed on this place and are bound to never leave. Live your lives away from us, and we shall do the same. Continue on this path, and all you will meet is your demise here." The fossil spoke not in a warning tone but a more friendly one, like an ally reasoning with the others.
The entire group fell silent. Kairo and Nyx exchanged silent glances. Even if it sounded good to the ears, giving up was not something any of these card mages wanted to hear. All that existed in their eyes now was the deck of origin, and even the gods would not be able to stop them from getting their hands on it.
"If Donatello was sealed, it simply means even the strongest are not invincible. After all, if immortality could be defeated, then power can be restricted. No matter how scary that Slayer is, I will not leave this island without chosen destiny," Selis said, her conviction beaming in her eyes, giving Kairo and the others the impression that her figure was larger than it should have been.
"We can't retreat. Not now," Kairo said. His reason advised him to recall the card mage police, but that was not something he could do. They had to go through this. If Selis dared to continue, how could he cower back now?
"I am here. Not leaving either," Nyx added by the side.
The card fossil stepped into the watery pod, its body sinking halfway into it as it slowly disappeared from sight. As it dove away, its voice echoed in their ears.
"Continue with the gallery to the left. Follow it, and you will get out of the abyss. From there, if you manage to get through Card Zero, it would be a miracle."
After the card fossil disappeared, the Collector moved his lantern and continued onward, followed by Selis, and then Kairo and Nyx. Slowly getting closer to their next challenge.