Chapter 310: Seeking the Teacher's Guidance
Chapter 310: Seeking the Teacher's Guidance
"It's almost winter break, and You Xuan is still in the lab?"
Professor Da De Si narrowed his eyes, gently stroking the soft fur of his Pharaoh cat.
As a long-time cat owner, his skill in scooping litter was quite adept, and the Pharaoh purred contentedly, letting out a soft "meow."
Sometimes, You Xuan felt that even Professor Da De Si's cat, named Pharaoh, was no ordinary feline. On more than one occasion in the show, the cat had sensed anomalies and seemed capable of detecting the scent of Sprites or related objects.
Moreover, when Professor Da De Si's spiritual essence finally left his physical body, it was this cat that swallowed it whole, becoming its new vessel. While the animation made it seem comical, upon closer inspection, one would realize that for someone like Professor Da De Si, an external-hang level alchemist, his final container was likely chosen with great care.
So, his act of keeping a cat might have been laying the groundwork for his future plans all along.
"Yes, I'm only heading back tomorrow. I figured I'd make use of the remaining time here."
You Xuan sat across from Professor Da De Si, his expression serious.
"Teacher, I've had a rather interesting idea lately, but I'm not sure if it will work. I'd like to seek your guidance on it."
"Oh?"
Professor Da De Si narrowed his eyes, his interest piqued.
"What is it about?"
"This deck."
You Xuan pulled out a deck from his card box and placed it on the table.
"Deck construction, huh."
Professor Da De Si smiled as he continued to stroke the cat.
"Well, even if you ask me, you know, student You Xuan, that I'm not really good at dueling."
You Xuan couldn't help but laugh.
He's still putting on an act.
"It's fine, Teacher. Just take a look and share any thoughts that come to mind."
You Xuan insisted, even taking out a small notebook as if he were ready to take notes.
"Alright, if student You Xuan insists,"
Professor Da De Si half-reluctantly, half-obligingly took the deck from him and began examining it.
At this point, their relationship had become somewhat delicate. It was like everyone knew the truth but was waiting for someone to break the ice, so they continued to maintain a tacit understanding and play along.
Professor Da De Si had a hunch that You Xuan had figured out he wasn't the bumbling fool he pretended to be. However, he couldn't be sure how much You Xuan truly knew.
But he felt confident that he had hidden his true self well over the years, leaving no obvious clues behind. So, he believed that his student had likely deduced that he was a hidden master based on his sharp observations and instincts, but he probably didn't know the full extent of his true identity, origins, or motives.
On the other hand, You Xuan had become increasingly enigmatic to him.
Initially, he was merely intrigued by You Xuan's innate talent for research and creative deck strategies. But now, Professor Da De Si felt that You Xuan's background, connections, and true intentions were shrouded in mystery, and the secrets he kept might even rival his own.
However, he also sensed that You Xuan's attitude when seeking his guidance was sincere. Regardless of the secrets he harbored, You Xuan was genuinely dedicated to his craft, and from Professor Da De Si's observations, he seemed to be a well-behaved student.
Well, most of the time, at least.
As someone who knew his physical body wouldn't make it past the next year, Professor Da De Si was keenly aware of his mortality.
While he had prepared a backup plan using alchemy, the boldness of his idea meant that success was far from guaranteed.
At this point in his life, there were only two things he truly cared about.
The first was his benefactor, the one who had provided him with ample research funds and access to forbidden alchemical knowledge—his boss and the chairman of the Duel Academy's board of directors, Ying Maru.
Chairman Ying Maru was now old and frail, his health failing despite the money and technology used to prolong his life. Desperate to survive, he sought out dark and forbidden powers, and Professor Da De Si was deeply concerned about his physical and mental state.
In the original story, the one he favored was Yugi Judai, whom he described as a natural-born alchemist. However, Da De Si now saw new possibilities in You Xuan.
Although he wasn't entirely clear about You Xuan's background, Da De Si didn't really mind. As an alchemist who researched forbidden techniques and a high-ranking Dark Duelist, he himself had done things that were less than savory.
So, he wasn't too concerned about You Xuan having a few secrets of his own. He only cared about talent and potential.
"Hmm? It's actually an Emperor deck."
Da De Si flipped through the deck that You Xuan handed over, somewhat surprised.
"This is an incredible series. It's already challenging to collect so many different attributes of the rare Emperor cards, yet student You Xuan has managed to acquire quite a variety. Your sources and resources are impressive, haha."
As he continued to flip through the deck, he soon noticed something.
Flashlight Exile
3 stars, 1600 ATK
Effect: As long as this card is face-up on the field, cards sent to the graveyard are banished from the game instead.
This immediately reminded Da De Si of a certain card that he had exclusively developed.
Indeed, as an alchemist who could create unique artifacts like the "Macro Cosmos," Da De Si was perhaps one of the few in the Dueling World who truly understood the power of banishing effects.
His signature artifact, the "Macro Cosmos," banished all cards sent to the graveyard as long as it remained on the field. This could be devastating to many modern decks that relied heavily on the graveyard as a resource.
Flipping further…
Dimensional Scout, 800 ATK
Effect: During the End Phase of the turn this card was banished from the game, Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position.
Dimensional Survivor, 1800 ATK
Effect: During the End Phase of the turn this card was banished from the game, Special Summon this card back to the field.
Giant Spine Dinosaur, 2000 ATK
Effect: This card cannot directly attack. Once per turn, if this card is banished from the game, you can Special Summon it to the field, and its ATK increases by 200 points for each banished Dinosaur-type monster except this one.
While others might need a moment to process this deck's strategy, Da De Si, as the creator of the Macro Cosmos and a pioneer in dimension-related cards, instantly grasped the concept.
By banishing all cards in both players' graveyards, this deck effectively shut down any strategies that relied on the graveyard.
Moreover, all of You Xuan's monsters had similar effects that allowed them to resurrect themselves when banished. This combination essentially granted You Xuan's monsters an indefinite presence on the field.
The ability to resurrect indefinitely also provided an endless supply of tributes for the powerful "Emperor" monsters. Each Emperor monster boasted a strong removal effect, targeting either monsters on the field, face-down Spell/Trap cards, or even the opponent's hand. Among them were the Evil Emperor's banishing effect, the Wind Emperor's removal and control effect, and more.
This was a dimension-focused, banish-oriented control deck centered around the Emperor monsters!
In the moment he grasped this concept, Da De Si immediately sensed the deck's strength. He could almost envision his opponent's frustration as they faced the sealed graveyard, indestructible monsters, and the oppressive might of the Emperors.
Of course, he also thought of…
This deck seemed to have incredible synergy with a certain secret, exclusive artifact of his.
"Teacher, I think this deck idea is quite good, but I've been racking my brain, and it feels like it's missing something. Just a little something. It's like there's one crucial card missing."
You Xuan put on a troubled expression.
"But I just can't figure out what card to use. Teacher, do you have any suggestions?"
Da De Si: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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