Location: Lil Red Storm Realm, Realm's Womb, Seed World
"Okay, Wyatt, let's focus on my card creation now," Corey suddenly proposed, having decided to delay fulfilling the commitment she made with Wyatt for as long as possible. She trusted him to hold up his end of the deal, waiting patiently for her to deliver on hers. This meant Wyatt would save the hourglass relic for Susan, trusting Corey completely. Such was her faith in Wyatt that, if not for their clashes over Susan, they truly would have been best friends like they claimed.
"That will have to wait. We have a more important matter to discuss," Park dismissed the eager Corey, who couldn't wait to test the sudden inspiration she had. This eagerness was the main reason Park had joined forces with Wyatt to conspire against Corey instead of just being a spectator, as she usually was.
"What the heck, Park? You know how much I need that card. You're the one who told me not to break through to the higher realm without it, and now you're delaying its creation. What's more important than me?" Corey questioned, finding Park's behavior odd. After all, it was Park's idea that she should pause her cultivation until she got herself a strong mental defense card, focusing instead on her martial arts practice in the meantime.
"Corey, not now. Trust me, this is important. Go play with Lil. Baem," Park instructed Corey, speaking to her like a mother calming an unruly daughter. Honestly, Park was more of a mother to Corey than her real parents ever were.
"Fine," Corey pouted, proceeding to leave the duo alone. However, Wyatt stopped her. "Park, there's no rush. There are other factors I need to confirm before we put faith in that theory. Not to mention, we need to teach Clown Mask how to use a relic without turning it into an origin card, like the dark races do. There's no need to be impatient. Let me do the due diligence. Once everything is set, we can test it together."
Finding Wyatt's points reasonable, Park nodded in agreement, curbing her excitement about testing Clown Mask's compatibility with the hourglass relic. She then shifted gears, seeking Wyatt's opinion on a new idea. "Okay, before we proceed, I wonder if it would be better if we helped Corey acquire a mental defense-type physique or trait instead of creating a mental defense skill card. An acquired physique would be a more permanent solution compared to a skill card, unless it's an origin card. After all, a physique, trait, or origin card can grow stronger with her, helping her deal with the darkness that grows within her title demon core."
Park wouldn't have suggested this if she hadn't heard about Wyatt helping his
subordinates acquire powerful physiques and traits or fix their incomplete ones. While it might seem miraculous to the card apprentices who witnessed it, she, having spent nearly a century in the dark realm, was well aware of the concept of acquired physiques and traits.
The Infinity Library contained books on how to acquire various physiques and traits, but they were tailored to specific dark tribes, not card apprentices (a.k.a. humans). This was why she proposed the idea to Wyatt, hoping he could modify these methods to fit Corey, just as he had helped his subordinates.
"I like that idea. I'm guessing you have a specific physique or trait in mind," Wyatt said, knowing that since Park proposed it, she must have done her due diligence before bringing it to him.
Before Park could reply, Corey interrupted with an excited exclamation, "I'm getting a physique? Yay! Park, you're the best!" She began celebrating by performing the pixie dance she had learned the previous night. She was on cloud nine; after all, aside from her obsession with Susan, gaining power was her top priority. Acquiring a physique or trait, no matter how insignificant at first, would play an important role in her strength as it would grow with her.
Seeing Corey's antics, Park shook her head and poured water on her excitement, adding, "Corey, don't get your hopes up. Nothing is set in stone. This is only a possibility if Wyatt can modify the acquired physiques and traits developed for various dark tribes to fit you. Otherwise, we're back to our initial plan of creating a mental defense skill card."
Corey froze midway through her dance, turning to face Wyatt slowly like a robot, and pleaded, "Wyatt, promise me you can do it."
"How am I supposed to promise that if I don't even know which physique or trait Park has selected for you? But I can promise that I will do my best to help you acquire a physique or trait suited to your needs, and maybe if possible even more," Wyatt assured, not promising miracles but committing to doing his best. He didn't miss the chance to tease her, adding, "After all, you promised to help me date Susan. So, don't worry, I'll do my best."
Wyatt's last sentence caught Corey off guard. Losing her balance, she fell to the floor, then quickly got up and said, "No need to worry, I'm fine." She gave Wyatt and Park a thumbs-up, avoiding any comments about her promise to help Wyatt date Susan. She was having second thoughts about the deal she made with Wyatt but the hourglass relic was too tempting to pass on.
"Corey, get it together. We're working here to help you," Park admonished, fed up with her restless behavior. Looking at the way they interacted, Wyatt could not help but mentally comment, 'Anyone could easily mistake them for a mother and daughter rather than two of the same person from different lifetimes!
"What did I do now?" Corey complained, feeling wronged. However, she did not dare
to talk back to Park like she dared to threaten Park when they were in the title demon
"Wyatt, I've shared the detailed list of acquired physiques and traits I've chosen for Corey with your grimoire. Check them out."