Chapter 106: The Secret Manual of Dueling
Chapter 106: The Secret Manual of Dueling
In a distant corner of the Spirit Dimension, darkness blanketed the forest under the ink-like night sky, with the faint moonlight creating an eerie atmosphere. A figure clad in black, his face hidden beneath a hood, moved silently through the shadows, merging seamlessly with the bushes.
He approached a cave concealed by dense vines, from which a faint glow emanated. The black-robed man paused briefly before entering the cave.
A chill wind blew from the depths of the cave, carrying with it a mournful wail. The place was initially dark and quiet, but as he ventured further, faint sounds of commotion, fighting, and chaos reached his ears.
It was a horde of insects.
In a spacious cavern, a variety of insects were engaged in a fierce battle. Some were massive, resembling giant beetles, while others were small and agile, darting swiftly through the swarm. Roars and crashes filled the air, causing the cave walls to tremble. They tore at each other with fangs and claws, each attack accompanied by a spray of bodily fluids and shattered carapace.
This was the lair of the insect tribe.
With their leader absent, the armored beetle knight was defeated, leaving the horde leaderless and in disarray. The remaining insects were now locked in a power struggle, fighting to determine who would take charge next.
Then, suddenly, they noticed the black-robed figure at the entrance.
"The scent of humans!"
"Humans? Here?"
"Seeking death!"
The insects momentarily forgot their internal strife and surged towards the intruder, their claws and fangs bared, intent on tearing him to shreds.
But the man in black merely lifted his head, his eyes glowing with an icy green light from beneath his hood. A hexagram appeared on his forehead, like a slowly rotating magic wheel.
Boom!
...
A few minutes later, the battle within the cave had ceased.
The insects lay scattered across the ground, their shattered carapaces and mingled fluids painting a gruesome picture.
The man stood in the center of the cave, his eyes coldly surveying the defeated insects at his feet. The hexagram on his forehead shone brightly, and his black robe billowed slightly, as if stirred by an unseen wind.
Behind him, an immense shadow slowly faded, leaving behind traces of an eerie azure flame.
"Stop, we're your allies!" A mantis-like insect coughed up blood as it pleaded for mercy.
"We didn't know it was the messenger of the gods who had arrived."
The black-robed man asked coldly, "Are there duelists from another world in this dimension?"
One of the insects immediately nodded.
"Yes. I heard that the White Bone King's wife defected to the other side, and then he followed suit."
"That's just a rumor," another insect interjected. "It's too far-fetched."
"It's absolutely true! My intelligence network is completely reliable."
...
The black-robed man gestured for them to be quiet and continued, his voice cold, "Where is your leader now?"
The insects exchanged embarrassed glances.
"Well, the boss heard that the White Bone King was defeated, and he said he was going to pay those guys a visit..."
"And then?"
"... and he hasn't returned since."
The man fell silent, deep in thought.
The mantis-like insect cautiously asked, "Messenger, with our leader gone, do we need a new acting leader? I could-"
The man shot it a cold glare, and the mantis quickly cowered, falling silent.
"One last question," the man said, his eyes gleaming with a green light.
"... Is there a Phoenix God relic in this dimension?"
Spirit Dimension, Campsite
"Come, come, come! Line up if you want to practice dueling!"
The tenth-generation student wore a broad smile.
"One at a time, no pushing. There's enough for everyone."
...
Upon learning that You Xuan had once guided the spirits in card games, the tenth-generation student couldn't resist joining in on the fun, eager to be a part of such an intriguing endeavor.
The warriors soon realized that this Duelist had a vastly different style from the previous one.
If dueling with the prior Duelist left them feeling powerless, unable to play their cards effectively, this new Duelist effortlessly countered every move with surprising ease.
For instance, when a "Dark Magician of Chaos" dueled with the tenth-generation student.
Tenth-generation student: "I activate the Spell Card, 'Polymerization'! Fusion Summon 'Elemental Hero Bubbleman', 'Avian', and 'Sparkman'!
Appear now, my strongest hero, 'Elemental Hero Tempest'!"
Elemental Hero Tempest, ATK 2800
Dark Magician of Chaos: "What?! An attack of 2800?! But as long as I, 'Dark Magician of Chaos', remain on the field, I cannot be destroyed by any means as long as there is a Continuous Spell or Continuous Trap present on the field!"
Dark Magician of Chaos, DEF 2000
"I have the Continuous Spell, 'The Dark Door', on my field, which limits both players to only one monster attack during each Battle Phase. Even Tempest cannot break through my defense!"
"Hold on," the tenth-generation student said confidently. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'De-Fusion', to return Tempest to the Extra Deck and Special Summon 'Avian', 'Bubbleman', and 'Sparkman'!
Then I activate the Spell Card, 'Feather Shot'! By forfeiting the attacks of all other monsters this turn, 'Avian' can attack a number of times equal to the number of monsters I control. I have three monsters, so I can attack three times!
Next, I activate the Spell Card, 'H - Heated Heart'! Increase the ATK of 'Elemental Hero Avian' by 500 points, and it gains piercing battle damage!"
Elemental Hero Avian, ATK 1500
Dark Magician of Chaos, DEF 200
"What?!? Three attacks and piercing damage?!" Dark Magician of Chaos exclaimed in shock.
"That's right! Go, Avian! Feather Shot triple strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos: "Waaaaah!!!"
Dark Magician of Chaos, LP 0
"I win!" The tenth-generation student happily struck a pose. "What a fun duel!"
Dark Magician of Chaos: "..."
You Xuan watched all this, deep in thought.
How should he put it?
Feather Shot, a card that granted Avian the ability to attack multiple times, was one of those questionable cards in the Elemental Hero deck.
With Avian's measly 1000 ATK, what good was having multiple attacks?
And the effect of being able to attack a number of times equal to the number of monsters he controlled meant sacrificing other monsters' attack opportunities for Avian.
Normally, it seemed like a pretty useless card.
But the tenth-generation student proved that perception wrong. He played it, and he won. What now?
The tenth-generation student's training continued.
".
"I activate the Trap Card, 'Golden Blade Attack'! Destroy one of your opponent's monsters by tributing my 'Elemental Hero Golden Lord' and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster!"
".
"I activate the Counter Trap, 'Featherwind'! When 'Elemental Hero Avian' is in Attack Position, negate the activation of any Magic or Trap Card and destroy it!"
You Xuan: "..."
It was undeniable that despite his deck appearing to be full of useless cards at first glance, when played together, they had negation, destruction, and resistance effects.
Whether the spirits could learn any dueling secrets from this was another matter.
Tenth-generation student: "Huh? Dueling? Isn't it just about drawing the cards you want to win?"
(End of Chapter)
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