Chapter 162: Welcome to the Family
Chapter 162: Welcome to the Family
The android, Soga, felt as if he had just awoken from a terrifying nightmare.
In his dream, he was just a step away from resurrection. But as he was about to take that final step, a demon appeared before him.
An incredibly powerful duelist. Their duel not only made Soga aware of the vast gap in strength but also showed him the cruel nature of the world.
Elemental spirits really need to learn to protect themselves when they're out and about. Otherwise, you might find yourself on the opposing side, controlled by your opponent, and subjected to your own sealing effects. What a disaster.
Of course, the nightmare ended with his defeat, and he even fell to his own signature move. His life points dropped to zero, and a violent pain coursed through his body. For a moment, he felt as if he had sunk into the depths of the sea, drifting along with the pitch-black vortex.
Like icy seawater from the underworld, it swallowed him, dragging him into an endless, lightless abyss. He struggled desperately but to no avail, only feeling his consciousness, which had just revived halfway, being devoured by darkness once more...
And then he jolted awake.
That was close, too close. Thankfully, it was just a dream.
Soga, the elemental spirit, breathed a sigh of relief and took a moment to compose himself.
It was indeed a nightmare, but it was also incredibly frightening. It took him a while to regain his senses and start observing his surroundings.
Hmm? Where am I?
Soga paused, realizing he seemed to be in some sort of special space.
As a Duel Monster spirit, he could recognize that this was a sub-space, a unique domain that only the spirits of duelists could enter—a temporary camp for warriors awaiting their deployment into battle.
In other words, a "deck."
However, Soga was a half-dead spirit summoned by three reckless youths, a lonely ghost without an owner. What was he doing in a deck space?
With a hint of confusion, Soga tried to leave this space, poking his head out to take a look around.
And then he shuddered involuntarily, his entire body feeling as if it had fallen into an icy pit.
It was him!
The devil from his dream!
"You're awake," said You Xuan, who had been studying and constructing a new deck with the cards he had just acquired. He paused and turned around with a smile.
He believed he was flashing a warm and gentle smile, the kind that a good leader would offer. But contrary to his expectations, the spirit reacted as if it had seen a ghost, shrinking back in fear. "What... what did you do to me?"
"Why are you making it sound so strange? Someone might think I did something inappropriate to you." You Xuan muttered.
"Did you forget about the contract of the Shadow Duel?" Soga asked, startled.
Then, the conversation before the duel flashed in his mind.
"If you lose, you will become my card."
He couldn't remember the exact words, but in his imagination, You Xuan resembled a devil, grinning sinisterly as he waved the "Android—Psycho Shocker" card.
Soga's body trembled uncontrollably.
So the nightmare was real.
If there's anything scarier than a nightmare, it's waking up and realizing you're still trapped within it.
He had agreed to a Shadow Duel, wagering his very being. And it was clear that he had lost.
Soga, the android spirit, felt dejected.
In the nightmare, at least it was just his avatar that had been stolen by the opponent. But now, he realized that he himself was the traitor. It was hard to say which was more frightening—the dream or reality.
Oh well, what's done is done.
As his emotions calmed down, Soga carefully thought back to the duel he had played the night before. He felt that, all things considered, he hadn't made a bad deal.
If one were to set aside the duelist's actions that could easily spark personal grudges, Soga had to admit that this person was quite strong, even among duelists.
"This won't do," he thought to himself, determined to regain some sembl of face.
With a resigned acceptance of his situation, Soga crossed his arms and nodded slightly.
"Hmm, I acknowledge your strength, Duelist," he said, assuming an air of superiority. "But I am a high-level spirit, and to harness my power, you must pay a corresponding price.
How about this, I don't need three tributes. One tribute will be enough for my allegiance."
Swish.
The sound of a sword being unsheathed filled the room.
Two more spirit shadows, those of the Silent Magician and the Chaos Soldier, appeared out of thin air, their weapons pointed directly at Soga's head.
Soga looked back and forth between the staff and the sword, deep in thought.
But not for long, as his contemplation lasted only a second.
"No tributes needed," he quickly amended, his voice softening.
"Damn, I can't afford to offend either of them."
At that moment, the android truly became aware of his situation and his position within the team.
Just a moment ago, he had considered himself a noble six-star, a high-level spirit. But now, he realized he was the weakest link in the team.
The Silent Magician, with his innocent and harmless appearance, could change his size at will. He could go from big to small, cute to majestic, and was far more versatile than Soga had anticipated. Though he may seem like a four-star at first glance, his true power was evident as he could easily take on Soga with one hand tied behind his back.
As for the Chaos Soldier, well, he was a legend.
Who in their right mind would dare to provoke him?
"Now, now, let's not be like that," You Xuan said with a cheerful smile. "We're all partners now, so let's not resort to drawing weapons on each other. Put them away, please."
The Chaos Soldier and the Silent Magician exchanged a glance and sheathed their weapons, stepping aside.
"That's more like it," You Xuan continued. "From now on, let's all get along and not bully the new teammate, alright?"
"Yes, yes," Soga thought to himself, feeling relieved at his master's words. "We mustn't bully the new teammate."
Unbeknownst to him, he had already unconsciously moved behind You Xuan, cautiously eyeing the two expressionless spirits across from him.
The Chaos Soldier and the Silent Magician shared another glance and nodded in agreement.
"Then, let's all duel happily together from now on~"
Soga quickly nodded along, indicating his willingness to be a part of the team.
The room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
"By the way," You Xuan said, "your deck from last night's duel was impressive."
Soga waved his hand dismissively, downplaying the compliment. After all, his deck had been torn apart by his master.
"No, no, it was quite impressive. And there were several exclusive cards for the Android deck that I've never seen before. They're considered rare cards in our world, so it's quite something."
You Xuan expressed his admiration.
In truth, after the duel had ended, he had wanted to inspect Soga's deck up close, but he realized that Soga's deck had disappeared along with his consciousness, much like in the animations.
However, it didn't matter now.
Now that Soga had joined their family, what was his was theirs. There was no distinction between their possessions.
Soga paused for a moment, processing this new development, and then he reacted.
He flipped his palm, and a torrent of electricity danced in his hand, transforming into a deck of cards that he presented to You Xuan.
"Yes, yes, it's right here!"
(End of Chapter)
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