Chapter 54: A Request from the Sprite World
Chapter 54: A Request from the Sprite World
【Masked Spellcaster, LP 0】
As the life points reached zero, the storm of magic dissipated, and You Xuan never saw the sprite of the Spellcaster again after the battle.
It seemed that the final blow to the Silent Magician had completely obliterated it, leaving not even a trace.
With the duel concluded, You Xuan casually clapped his hands and turned to face the remaining goblin minions. Unlike the Masked Spellcaster, who had vanished, the Silent Magician remained by his side, staff in hand, coldly eyeing the surrounding goblins.
The crowd of goblins watching nearby had turned to stone.
The final moments of the duel were still vivid in their minds—a formidable attack with over 5000 ATK, the terrifying might, and the desperate scream of their leader as he was crushed to bits, leaving an indelible mark on their psyche.
This Duelist was terrifying!
A group of goblins stood frozen, too afraid to move a muscle. As they watched You Xuan put away his duel disk and turn toward them, they felt as if they were staring at the Grim Reaper himself. Finally, one of the goblins at the back took a brave step forward. "I just remembered my wife is about to give birth. Brothers, I must take my leave."
With that, he turned and ran for his life.
As soon as he took the lead, the entire group scattered like a flock of startled birds. Another goblin slapped his forehead. "That's right! My wife is also about to give birth. I must be on my way as well."
"Me too! My wife too!"
"Oh, I just remembered, my father passed away last year and I never had a chance to bury him. I must go and take care of it now!"
Boom!
A magic light bullet exploded in front of the fastest-running group of goblins, creating a massive crater in the ground and sending the small creatures flying. The one running at the front couldn't stop in time and collided with the magic light, instantly turning into a pile of dust, leaving nothing to bury.
The rest of the goblins were petrified with fear, frozen in place.
"Don't be nervous," You Xuan said with a smile. "I'm not some kind of devil."
As he spoke, he walked over to the spot where the Masked Spellcaster had turned to ash. He then picked up the fallen deck from the ground, presumably from the remains of its ashes, and skillfully tucked it into his pocket.
This action caused the goblins to lower their heads even further, too afraid to meet his gaze. In their hearts, they thought that he was indeed too humble, and the devil himself would be afraid of such a powerful being.
"I didn't mean to intrude here, nor did I intend to get involved in your battle," You Xuan continued. "I was just passing by, and I would appreciate it if you could tell me how to leave this place."
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt Silent tug at his sleeve from behind. Turning his head, he saw the young female mage gesturing toward the back.
That was when You Xuan noticed that there seemed to be people appearing on the empty town streets.
Or more accurately, there were sprites.
Small sprites hid in the shadows of the surrounding buildings or peeked out from cracks in doors and windows, cautiously observing the scene. They had apparently been drawn by the commotion of the duel and were now secretly watching from afar.
A female sprite with golden hair and blue skin stepped out of the shadows, boldly approaching them.
Although You Xuan didn't recognize most of the sprites here, this particular one was familiar. Her name was "Holy Sprite," a four-star sprite with 800 ATK and 2000 DEF. He remembered her because he had summoned her as a Common card in the anime and game.
"Brave warrior, we finally meet," Holy Sprite said.
You Xuan: "?"
Warrior? That immediately brought to mind the classic trope of a brave warrior from another world defeating the Demon King and saving the princess.
"Ever since the catastrophe befell this world, a legend has been passed down," Holy Sprite continued. "It is said that one day, a warrior from another realm would come to vanquish the evil god and bring hope."
Quite a legend, involving an evil god, which seemed even more formidable than a Demon King.
At that moment, more sprites stepped out from their hiding places, although You Xuan couldn't recognize any of them. From their appearances, he guessed that most of them were one- or two-star Common sprites.
"Follow me," Holy Sprite said. "I will show you the way to leave this place."
The sprites bound and imprisoned the remaining Black Goblins, and the minions, cowed by the aura of someone so powerful, kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.
"I don't know when it started, but this world has been invaded," Holy Sprite explained. "The minions of the evil god have been wreaking havoc in various towns, capturing sprites, sealing them into stone tablets, and draining their life and power to nourish the resurrection of an evil deity."
"Does this evil god have a name?" You Xuan asked, wondering if this evil god was perhaps a card he knew from his previous life.
Holy Sprite shook her head. "No, no one has ever seen it. We are a peaceful race, and in the face of the evil god's minions, we are nearly powerless to resist. These past years, we have been hiding and running."
"But recently, it seems they are no longer content with slowly capturing sprites," she continued.
You Xuan followed her finger and saw an exaggerated tear in the sky, as if a startling rift had been torn open. The ruptured space formed a pitch-black vortex, like a greedy maw.
"What is that?"
"It leads to the Evil God," Holy Sprite said worriedly. "Every day, the rift widens, further devouring our world. When it opens wide enough, our world may cease to exist."
"I sympathize with your plight," You Xuan said, "but I don't think I can be of much help."
Holy Sprite smiled faintly.
"For so long, we've been hiding from the Evil God's minions while awaiting the legendary hero. A magician sprite prophesied that a hero would come from another world, wielding the power of cards to defeat the Evil God's forces and awaken the sleeping warrior."
"Sleeping warrior?"
"Yes, a legendary warrior with unmatched strength. He rose up and faced the Evil God's power with his sword. He was incredibly powerful and even managed to repel the forces of evil once. But in the end, the Evil God struck back. With unimaginable might, it defeated the warrior, who was this world's sole protector. The warrior's power was then sealed away, and legend has it that only the hero can awaken him and bring about a miracle."
In the world of Duel Monsters, sprites and duelists are interdependent. Just as powerful sprites grant duelists greater destiny power, they can only reach their full potential in the hands of a strong duelist.
Even the three Egyptian God Cards, the pinnacle of Duel Monsters, are at their strongest when wielded by the undefeated Pharaoh.
"And the warrior lies here."
As she spoke, Holy Sprite led You Xuan to a massive boulder.
On the side of the boulder was an engraving of the warrior, reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian stone tablets. He wore armor and held a sword, kneeling on the ground with unwavering determination in his eyes, even through the stone.
Just as he expected, the engraving depicted the Chaos Soldier.
This explained the connection between the ruins and the Sprite World.
"If you wish to leave this place and return to where you came from, this is the only way. The legendary warrior possesses the power to open space, and it was this power that brought you here. Only with this power can you go back."
Holy Sprite spoke softly.
"But you said you need my help to defeat the Evil God?" You Xuan asked. "What if I just leave now?"
"The Evil God's true body is not here. These are just its minions. No matter how many you defeat, more will come. It's pointless."
Holy Sprite shook her head.
"The Evil God's true form is in the world from which the hero comes. Its forces invade the Sprite World, enslaving countless sprites and absorbing their power to forge weapons. At the same time, it plots against your world as well. Both our worlds are under its threat."
You Xuan furrowed his brow.
In the world he came from, could this Evil God be a duelist with dark powers?
Hmph, although I don't know who this so-called Evil God is, it won't be easy for them to stir up trouble in my world.
After all, there are plenty of big shots over there.
He shared a glance with Silent Magician, who nodded slightly.
Perhaps due to the connection between duelists and their sprite partners, You Xuan could sometimes understand her without words. She was telling him that the seal here indeed possessed similar magic to the stone tablet they had encountered in the ruins, and it should be possible to return from this place.
Just as he prepared to step forward and touch the stone tablet, a muffled explosion sounded nearby.
Like a cannon firing. Before he could react, Silent Magician rushed forward, her staff sweeping out. A cannonball was deflected by the surging magic in her hand, changing direction and exploding in the distance, leaving a smoking crater in the plain.
You Xuan turned to see a man standing on the hillside.
His hands were tucked into his pockets, his blond hair concealed under a stars-and-stripes bandana, and he wore sunglasses.
"My apologies."
A playful smile hung on the man's face.
"But I'm afraid I can't let you go so easily."
(End of Chapter)
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