Chapter 167 - 166 Fate’s Arrangement
The Impermanence Card is undoubtedly a divine artifact, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bring disaster—the risks far outweigh the rewards.
In tabletop role-playing games, you can play with it casually. Even if it leads to ripping your character sheet, at worst a head rolls, leaving a scar as big as a bowl. Eighteen years later, you can rise again as a hero. Just create a new character and start fresh.
In a situation where there’s only one chance, unless you’re a gambling addict or at the end of your rope, few would willingly draw a card knowing how disastrous the Impermanence Card can be.
Leon had read a story about the Impermanence Card. In it, a monastery happened to acquire a set of the cards, but only decided to draw one when forced—when invaders besieged the monastery, desperate to turn the tide using its seemingly destiny-changing power.
At the end of the story, centuries later, a red dragon occupied the ruins of the monastery. It took the set of Impermanence Cards not for frequent use but as a collectible—something to stash away rather than obsessively draw from.
Unless someone could leave Leon with no other options—which, while unlikely, wasn’t impossible—he would never draw a card. That kind of gamble just wasn’t worth it.
Leon toyed with the idea of stealing the Impermanence Card as a personal "ace in the hole," but mostly, he wanted it as part of his collection. Much like wealthy individuals who buy antiques they won’t use to eat or drink from, he was willing to pay a fortune to collect such items. After all, he had bought figurines that he could only look at but never use.
"We’ve worked so hard to conquer this dungeon, and all we get is one chance to draw a card? Isn’t that being stingy?" The Impermanence Card was a divine artifact containing immense power. Leon couldn’t casually toss it into the small space within the Sleeve of the Universe. "Rewarding us with a full set of Impermanence Cards is the least they could do."
To have the final reward of the dungeon be the chance to draw a single card—Leon had reasons to believe the dungeon’s creator was someone who delighted in causing chaos.