The forest grew darker as Milla walked deeper into the mist.
The trees seemed taller now, their twisted branches stretching toward her like fingers.
Purple fog thickened, curling around her legs and climbing higher with every step.
Every shadow felt alive. Every rustle made her heart leap.
Her hands were sweaty. Life-force still drained heavily from her last battle with the Ultimates.
The cards in her hand—Heart of Flame and Diamond of Speed—glimmered faintly.
She didn't dare use them again so soon.
"Okay… calm down. Observe. Think."
Milla forced herself to walk slowly, eyes scanning every shadow.
Then she heard it—a soft shuffle, like cards being dealt across a giant table.
"Cards… again?" she whispered.
She stepped into a clearing.
The ground here was different. Smooth, black stone, etched with faint golden patterns.
Floating above it, hundreds of cards rotated slowly, their edges glowing.
Some spun like wheels. Others floated lazily like drifting leaves.
Milla's heart skipped.
A new text appeared in front of her.
---
[TRIAL ALERT: LABYRINTH OF THE CARDS]
Objective: Collect at least 10 cards to proceed.
Warning: Cards may contain abilities, traps, or enemies.
Hint: Not all cards are safe. Analyze before touching.
---
Milla gulped.
Ten cards? And some might be traps?
She surveyed the floating cards. Hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs—all colors glimmering.
Some pulsed with red fire. Others oozed black shadows.
"Okay… first things first. Observe before touching."
She crouched behind a twisted tree and watched.
A heart card floated lazily in a circle. Then a spade zipped past another card, darting like a bird.
A diamond shone brightly in the distance, as if calling her.
Milla's hand twitched. "I can do this. Just slowly… carefully…"
---
She moved toward the heart card first.
As she reached out, a small spark shot from it.
She flinched. "Trap or test?"
A golden screen appeared:
---
[CARD TRAP DETECTED]
Heart of Fire — Touch to activate ability.
Effect: Fire Burst + Explosion in radius.
Life-Force Cost: Low-Medium
---
Milla clenched her teeth.
"I can handle a small explosion…"
She grabbed the card.
Immediately, a burst of flame shot out from her hands, scorching the nearby mist.
A fiery circle expanded for a moment and then vanished.
---
[CARD ACQUIRED: Heart of Fire]
Ability: Fire Burst (short-range explosion)
Life-Force Cost: Medium
---
Milla exhaled. "One down. Nine to go… hopefully safer this time."
She glanced at the black spade card hovering nearby.
Its edges flickered like static. The shadow of a wolf danced around it, but no attack came yet.
Careful observation was key.
She moved slowly, Diamond of Speed ready in her hand.
Then—she felt it. Eyes. Watching.
"Not the cards… someone's behind this."
A rustle.
The mist parted slightly.
A figure stepped out—a humanoid, tall, dressed in black with glowing red eyes.
Cards floated around him, spinning violently.
Milla froze.
---
[CHARACTER DETECTED]
Name: Jack of Spades
Rank: Ultimate #4
Abilities: Card manipulation, shadows, teleportation
Warning: Highly aggressive
---
Jack of Spades tilted his head.
"You… collecting cards?" His voice was smooth, cruel.
"Careful, little girl… those cards can kill you faster than my blades."
Milla swallowed. She knew she couldn't fight him head-on.
"I need strategy… think… think…"
She glanced at her cards.
Heart of Fire and Diamond of Speed.
"I can use fire to force him back… then speed to grab more cards."
Jack raised his hand. Hundreds of black spade cards shot toward her like arrows.
"Here we go…"
Milla activated Diamond of Speed.
Her body blurred, weaving between the flying cards.
Some grazed her arm, cutting slightly, draining life-force.
"Not bad… I can do this."
She aimed Heart of Fire at the nearest cluster.
Flames shot out, incinerating dozens of the flying cards before they reached her.
Jack hissed. "Clever… but not enough!"
More cards shot at her, but Milla's life-force was running dangerously low.
She ducked behind a tree.
"I need more cards… something to balance this fight."
Her eyes scanned the clearing.
A red diamond floated above a rock pedestal, glowing warmly.
It seemed… safe.
"I need that. But can I get it without dying?"
---
Milla dashed toward it using Diamond of Speed.
Cards flew at her from all directions, but her speed let her dodge most.
She leaped, grabbed the diamond card—and immediately felt warmth surge through her body.
---
[CARD ACQUIRED: Diamond of Speed]
Ability: Short burst of extreme speed, move faster than the eye can see
Life-Force Cost: Medium
---
Jack of Spades snarled.
"You think a single card can stop me?" He vanished into shadows.
The mist shimmered unnaturally.
Milla blinked.
"I need to combine… Heart of Fire and Diamond of Speed… quickly."
She dashed forward, flames bursting from her hands.
Cards exploded around her, burning, cutting, and flying.
Jack of Spades reappeared in front of her, cards forming a spinning barrier.
Milla jumped, flames scorching the ground beneath him.
He was staggered.
"Yes… yes, I can do this!"
---
Milla glanced at the next cluster of cards:
A heart card glowed softly nearby, a spade shimmered menacingly behind it, a club hovered lazily in the mist.
"I need to grab all ten… but carefully. Every mistake drains life."
She moved like a shadow herself, using Diamond of Speed.
Flames from Heart of Fire cleared her path.
Every card she grabbed added new abilities—but some tried to trap her.
A club card exploded in black smoke, making her cough.
"Trap… got it. I need to stay sharp."
She collected:
Heart of Flame (Fire Burst)
Diamond of Speed (Extreme Speed)
Heart of Fire (Explosion)
Club of Shadows (Summon shadow tendrils)
Spade of the Wolf (Summon shadow wolf)
Halfway there. Only five more to go.
---
Jack of Spades reappeared, spinning cards into a storm.
"You… cannot survive this!" he shouted.
Milla gritted her teeth.
"I don't care what you say. I will survive."
She combined Diamond of Speed and Heart of Flame again.
Her body blurred. Flames shot out from both hands.
Cards exploded into sparks around her.
Jack vanished again, but she didn't stop.
One by one, she grabbed the remaining cards, using strategy, speed, and fire:
Heart of Ice (Freeze)
Diamond of Lightning (Electric strike)
Club of Wind (Push enemies back)
Spade of Shadow Strike (Quick shadow attack)
Red Joker (Wildcard—unknown ability)
The final card—Red Joker—hovered above a misty pond.
Milla stared. "Unknown… but I need it."
She activated Diamond of Speed and dashed across the mist.
Cards shot at her from all sides.
A shadow wolf appeared from Spade of the Wolf—she ignored it, focusing on the Joker.
Her hand closed around it.
A surge of unknown power coursed through her.
The Red Joker flared bright, then settled into her palm.
---
[CARD ACQUIRED: Red Joker]
Ability: Unknown (Extremely powerful, can combine with other cards)
Life-Force Cost: High
---
Milla collapsed onto her knees, chest burning, vision blurred.
Life-force almost completely drained.
---
[Life-Force Drain: 89%]
---
She looked up. The forest seemed… calmer. The mist shifted gently.
Jack of Spades and Scarlet Thorn were gone for now.
The cards she collected floated around her, ready for use.
A golden text appeared.
---
[TRIAL COMPLETE: 10 CARDS ACQUIRED]
Hint: Use collected cards and abilities together. Observe patterns to survive.
---
Milla exhaled.
Her chest burned. Her hands trembled.
But a small smile crossed her face.
"I… I survived. I did it… I actually survived."
From the shadows, a whisper returned.
"Good… Milla. This is only the beginning. The Wonderland will test you more… and the Ultimates will not stop."
Milla clenched her fists, feeling the power of ten cards orbiting her hands.
"I don't care what comes next. I will survive… no matter what."
To be continued....