CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 149: CONFRONTATION, BATTLE_3

The surroundings suddenly fell silent. Alka turned to look. Although their location hadn’t changed, there was no one else around.

Only he and Jack remained.

"Come on, child. Embrace your fate."

Jack spoke, stepping back a few paces to give Alka some distance, as if intending to duel him head-on.

Alka leaped from the bow of his own ship.

"What is this place?"

Even in the midst of battle, Alka wasn’t anxious at all and asked leisurely.

"A space designed for duels. Unless one of us dies, this space cannot be dispelled."

"How about it? Not bad, right?"

Alka nodded. "This place is nice, although I don’t know who you are or why you possess my father’s body. But this space is indeed a fitting grave—perfect for burying you."

"Hahaha... You’re asking who I am?"

Jack laughed heartily, unperturbed by Alka’s remark, and seemed ready to stop hiding.

He waved his hand. Several cards appeared, and he threw them directly at Alka.

The cards flew in arcs from three different directions, darting toward Alka.

Then they exploded near Alka. Several chains shot out, wrapping around him.

It was the Screw Vortex Water Chain.

Luckily, as the cards flew toward him, Alka skillfully jumped back, avoiding their crossfire. Then, with a backward roll, he dodged the chains that burst forth.

As a fellow card player, he could easily discern their irregular flight arcs, allowing him to dodge accurately.

However, after rolling to his feet, he wore a shocked expression and furrowed his brows.

He looked at the Water Chains, then at the smiling Jack ahead.

"Cards? Screw Vortex Water Chain? What’s your connection to the Jack from 200 years ago?"

Jack seemed to enjoy Alka’s disbelief. It gave him the thrill of a successful magic trick.

However, the Sifus within him fiercely clenched a fist. "Great acting. Who taught you?"

Then Jack threw another card, but this one was merely a sharp metal one.

Alka, holding his Bat, blocked it directly.

At this point, Jack calmly said, "Why must there be a connection to Jack? Couldn’t I *be* the real Jack?"

Upon hearing this, Alka squinted slightly and slowly retreated.

His face showed an expression of sudden realization.

"So when my parents were treasure hunting, your soul invaded, and you possessed my father’s corpse?"

Jack chuckled and shrugged. "Not entirely, but close enough."

Alka’s voice now carried anger as he demanded, "My mother could be considered your descendant, couldn’t she? Why did you kill her?"

"No choice, I’m afraid. I needed the blood of kin to awaken the soul from Deep Sleep."

Jack replied with an uncaring smile, then looked at Alka. "Alright, prepare to reunite with your mother. Your father will follow soon."

As he spoke, countless cards shot toward Alka—Red Cards, Blue Cards, and Silver Coins weaving through the air.

Countless cards also appeared in Alka’s hands, and he flung them out.

Then, he dodged backward, continually jumping side to side, even leaping to evade Jack’s attacks.

Their styles of attack were so similar that, for the moment, neither seemed able to overpower the other.

They exchanged volleys of cards as they battled.

Chains, flames, and the sharp gleam of silver filled the deck space.

Water Chains, flames, and sharp cards—each one was deadly.

Yet, there were too many Blue Cards, and two of the resulting Water Chains still managed to wrap around Alka.

Experiencing it firsthand, Alka realized just how troublesome these cards were.

However, half the cards Alka threw ended up stuck in various places.

Jack easily dodged the remaining cards.

"Your technique is quite impressive; it shows you’ve studied hard. But why not use a Pocket Ring to store these cards? It’s much easier than hiding them on your person, isn’t it?"

This left Jack puzzled. Why wouldn’t Alka have a Pocket Ring? For a Magician, it’s essential equipment. Being part of a Treasure Hunting Team, he shouldn’t be that poor.

Thinking of Alka’s youthful appearance and looking at the ring on Alka’s hand, Jack seemed to find an answer to his own puzzlement. He said, "Don’t be confined by your identity as a Magician. Technique is important, but external tools matter more."

Even amidst battle, Jack had the leisure to advise Alka, delivering lessons like an elder or a seasoned veteran.

He sounded like a genuine teacher—a truly nauseating display.

Alka had already broken free from the Water Chains. Looking at Jack, he disdainfully spat to the side.

Then he raised his middle finger at Jack.

Though Jack didn’t know what the gesture meant, it clearly wasn’t a compliment.

Alka then snapped his fingers.

The scattered cards instantly glowed, condensing one after another into wide Mirrors.

A single card even produced more than one Mirror; these Mirrors combined and stacked, forming an enclosed Mirror Maze.

Moreover, these Mirrors were sufficiently hard; they couldn’t be easily broken without considerable force.

Jack stood at the center, looking at the layers upon layers of Mirrors surrounding him.

He saw his own reflection in the Mirrors, as well as reflections of Alka.

Reflections of Alka appeared everywhere around him. The visual confusion disoriented Jack, leaving him unsure of Alka’s true location.

Gazing at the Mirror Maze that now enclosed him, Jack’s face showed a curious expression. "What kind of Magic is this? Did you invent it yourself? Quite interesting, using it in battle like this."