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Among the handful of secret realms Marcus had shown him, one immediately captured Russell's full attention: [Sword Lake]. The material it produced, the [Heart of Reflection], was perfectly suited for the prototype Zanpakutō he envisioned. In the stories from his past life, a Soul Reaper's sword was not merely forged metal, but an extension of their own soul, its power released through a dialogue with the wielder's mind. This material, combined with the gold-quality [Ghost] core he already possessed, was the perfect foundation for the new lore he planned to write.
"I'll choose [Sword Lake]," he told Marcus, his decision firm.
Marcus simply nodded. "Okay, you're registered. Come to the Association tomorrow morning, and someone will take you there."
A secret realm like this, one already completely controlled by the Association, was what was known in-house as a "welfare realm." The most dangerous threats—the initial, powerful demons—had been cleared out when the realm was first conquered. What remained were captive populations of lesser demons, carefully maintained by the Association to continuously produce materials, much like livestock on a farm. The Association had discovered long ago that demons could indeed reproduce. As for whether demons and humans could… that was a question that remained unanswered.
Because of the controlled nature of the realm, entry was typically a solo affair, a stark contrast to the mandatory team-based expeditions into unexplored territories. Of course, some powerful cardmakers preferred to work alone regardless, a personal preference the Association generally respected. Russell nodded his understanding and left the Evergrove branch.
Early the next morning, Russell was up and on his way. He picked up his entry permit from the Association and got into a car bound for the Sword Lake secret realm. This was his first time entering a realm completely alone. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous, but the three bronze-level cards resting in his mind gave him a solid bedrock of confidence. He couldn't let Zoro or the [Mark 3] be seen by others, but if he found himself in a true life-or-death crisis, he wouldn't hesitate to use them. In a desperate situation, all bets were off.
Just as he was closing his eyes to rest, the car slowed to a halt. "Sir, we've arrived," the driver called out softly.
Time to get the next component for Yoriichi.
The Sword Lake secret realm had first appeared six years ago, primarily producing the bronze-level creature [Sword Seeker] and the item material [Heart of Reflection]. In the beginning, the demons of the realm had attempted to invade the outside world. But the Federation at that time was far from the strained power it was now; a small, bronze-level incursion had been quickly and brutally suppressed. Since then, [Sword Lake] had become one of the Association's many "back gardens"—a place where cardmakers could operate with relative impunity.
Standing before the shimmering, watery portal, Russell recalled the information provided by the Association, took a deep breath, and stepped through.
The world shifted in the blink of an eye. He steadied himself, taking a moment to observe his new environment. Just as the briefing said, he thought. He was standing in a dark, quiet bamboo forest. As he was getting his bearings, two cardmakers approached him quickly. They were the guards the Association had stationed here. Just like in [The Thousand-Foot Woods], controlled realms like this were monitored in real time to prevent any demons from escaping.
"You must be Russell," the leader greeted him, though he didn't bother to introduce himself. In their eyes, their interaction with this student would begin and end today. As for the rumors of his talent, what did that have to do with them? The cardmakers who pulled guard duty in these low-level welfare realms were men whose careers had stalled, with no hope of advancing their own rank. There was no magic elixir in this world that could instantly improve a cardmaker's strength. Even if they tried to curry favor with this supposed genius, it wasn't as if he could magically grant them power in return.
"By the way," the guard continued, his tone bored and rote, "I see from the information that this is your first time entering a welfare realm alone. Regardless of what the Association has already told you, I am required to reiterate the rules."
"We will give you a map. You can choose any of the marked demon gathering places to harvest materials. But remember this: do not kill them all. You must leave some behind to repopulate."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over Russell with disinterest. "After all, you are not the only one who will enter this secret realm."
Russell was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the logic. It was a matter of sustainable development. Otherwise, if any bronze or silver-level cardmaker came through and wiped out the entire monster population, the secret realm would be ruined as a resource. He nodded to indicate he understood.
Seeing no objections, the leader handed him a rolled-up map. "This has all the relevant information marked on it."
After taking the map, Russell thanked them. Seeing that the two guards clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation, he left without another word.
Following the instructions on the map, he soon arrived at the shore of a massive lake. This had to be Sword Lake itself. According to the map, it was nearly three thousand square kilometers in size; even in the [Mark 3] armor, it would take some time to fly across it. Dozens of islands dotted the lake's surface. Originally, each island had been home to a different family of demons, but after the Association's initial purge, only a few captive monster populations remained on a handful of the larger isles.
As for why it was called Sword Lake, the reason was simple: the entire bottom of the lake was covered with a dense, packed layer of swords of every imaginable style. In the very center of the lake, a single, massive broken sword was stuck in the lakebed, its design clearly different from all the others. The Association had tried various methods to pull it out but had always failed. High-level cardmakers had even come to observe it, but in the end, they found nothing special about it, and the matter was dropped.
Fortunately, Russell's target was not the broken sword. The material he was after, the [Heart of Reflection], was not found at the bottom of the lake, but was nurtured by a specific demon clan that inhabited it.
In the early morning, a hazy mist hung over the lake, making it difficult to see far into the distance. Russell noted the small boat tied up on the shore—the standard transportation provided by the Association—but he had no intention of using it. With a vague glance at a surveillance camera perched almost invisibly in a nearby bamboo stalk, he summoned Pidgeot, who soared into the sky with a powerful cry.
In mid-air, he selected a direction based on the map, then urged Pidgeot to fly quickly towards his destination. The information on the map was clear.
Target: The Sorrow Clan. Population: eleven Black Iron-level, two Bronze-level. Status: [Heart of Reflection] has matured.
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