Chapter 273: Dark Demon’s Attempt to Take Control (8k)
“Later, when I have time, I’ll go take a look.”
Dark responded politely and walked out from the tunnel entrance.
He could feel that the moment he stepped out of the tunnel, many gazes were focused on him.
Of course, it wasn’t because he was exceptionally handsome—though even if it were, it would only account for a small part.
However, he did not look around casually; such behavior would be unbecoming.
Walking steadily up the stairs to the competitors’ platform, Dark naturally turned his head to look at the nearby circular belt.
In the competitor’s rest area, due to the angle of his vision, he couldn’t find Senior Pandora.
But now, having climbed to a higher position, he naturally spotted that familiar figure.
Senior Pandora wore winter school uniform, wrapped a thick scarf around her neck, and wore gloves, fully prepared.
Even though the bulky clothing could not hide her unique aura.
Around her, there was a complete circle of seats naturally left empty.
It seemed she had noticed Dark’s gaze as she lifted her hand and waved toward him. Her eyes with long eyelashes shone brightly in the morning light.
“Another reason to win.”
Dark raised his hand to his chest, waved back, and secretly made an “okay” gesture before continuing upward to the red side’s competitor’s platform.
Looking down from the competitor’s platform towards the spectator area.
On the lower ring, Rose once again held up the “panda” sign.
Near her, Tudor and Pistons could also be seen.
In the next moment…
Tudor suddenly ran to one side, holding the edge of a red banner in one hand while the other hand was grabbed by Pistons.
As Tudor ran, a huge banner unrolled and spread out.
There was nothing written on it besides:
“Dark! Dark! Must Win! Must Win!”
Typical!
Dark helplessly curved his eyes.
Then he slightly raised his head to look at his mother and Aunt Claire in the front row of the spectator area.
As for Big Princess Eliza, he ignored her.
…
“He’s looking over! My darling is looking over! Should I greet him now?”
Alvaraite’s face flushed red, then she remembered Viscount Gretebail’s greeting and couldn’t help asking.
The expression of the Big Princess stiffened. She quickly grabbed her hand and advised, “Duke, I think the eyes are the windows to the soul. Given your kinship with Dark, just a gaze should be enough to convey your feelings.”
Alvaraite blinked, then suddenly said, “Big Princess, you don’t really think I would imitate that bear, do you?”
Big Princess: Really!
Alvaraite covered her mouth and laughed softly, “Seeing my darling participate is already more than enough for me. His complexion looks better than when he’s at home. It seems those halfling chefs are still as dedicated as ever. At least his picky eating habits should have improved a lot.”
Big Princess let out a sigh of relief.
She was genuinely afraid that the Valkyrie might lose her mind and forget about noble etiquette!
This was after all a public place, and certain things still needed to be considered.
“Mew!”
On the other side, Claire accidentally pinched Galileo’s chubby flesh.
She wondered how far Dark’s “zoo” had progressed?
And whether he had received her “paradise”?
…
The blonde teenager revealed a wistful expression as the sunlight pouring through the sky illuminated his skin, making it appear extremely fair.
He waved toward Alvaraite and Claire, finally feeling what Diana must have felt back then.
Humanity’s yearning for family does not weaken with age.
On the contrary.
The more mature one becomes, the more they appreciate the value of family.
It was just that Alvaraite didn’t wave back, which left him feeling somewhat disappointed.
But this thought vanished as quickly as it came, and with the sound of the whistle, he redirected his focus back to the duel, pressing his fingers against the spellboard and inputting mana.
The spellboard was reactivated, and the mana guidance device started up.
Dark took out his pre-adjusted deck from his mana card deck, placed it in the card slot, and quietly waited for the automatic shuffling to begin.
…
“Is this the only son of the Diemon family?”
Prince Charles frowned as he watched Dark, who immediately garnered high cheers upon appearing. He was puzzled.
In his memory, Dark Diemon was still that spoiled and arrogant scion.
He didn’t particularly dislike it; he just thought that kind of child would help slow Alvaraite down.
But now, it seemed that studying at Saint Maryann had helped him grow?
That natural aura was undeniable.
Prince Charles had some confidence in his judgment.
“Saint Maryann truly is the cradle that has nurtured countless heroes.”
He sighed slightly.
In fact, the Secret Rite Academy of the Saints was stricter in this regard, but he fundamentally favored Saint Maryann—the majority of people in the kingdom felt the same way.
Choosing the Secret Rite Academy now was merely for political considerations.
Between two transcendent forces, one had to choose.
He refocused, raising his spirits this time.
He had to see if the Valkyrie’s son would become a threat to him!
…
“It’s starting!”
The noble history club president, Angus Jeffrey, was chatting casually with Mike Owen in the ring.
Else Kevin was completely different from any other new student who had participated before.
Simply put, they were on entirely different levels.
He wasn’t worried at all about Kevin losing.
But today, the audience was quite impressive.
He even found his old man in the crowd!
Count Jeffrey belonged to the Iron Prince faction, which was the main reason for his current political inclination.
“The feeling of being brutally humiliated in front of everyone, I hope it doesn’t leave a psychological shadow for this little duke.”
“Sinful, sinful!”
…
“Brr—”
With the sound of the whistle, the highly anticipated duel finally began.
The customary exchange of banter during the standby phase was skipped.
Neither side was the type to blabber uncontrollably.
Everything will be settled by the duel!
“Oh! It’s unimaginable that such a coincidence could happen! Today is truly a day like no other!”
“Now, allow me to give a brief introduction to both contestants.”
“On the red side is our beloved Valkyrie, the only son of the esteemed Duke—the Great Dark Diemon, who is also the winner of the Crimson Star in this year’s Halloween event!”
“The first-year student Dark Diemon, who has shown superlative performance, once defeated a third-year student in the recruitment tournament, is this year’s most anticipated newcomer at the Noble Academy!”
“The contestant on the blue side, Else Kevin, is no less impressive. He comes from the ancient Kevin family and is also a winner of the Crimson Star—of course, from the previous year.”
“The winners of the Crimson Star from the last two years encountering each other in the novice tournament is truly a coincidence within a coincidence!”
Wilson shamelessly shouted, making the already heated atmosphere even more intense.
“The two sides, separated by a whole grade, who will ultimately prevail?”
“The duel does not yield to age. Let’s wait and see!”
“Clap clap clap!”
Wilson applauded himself.
…
“Standby Phase” [30s]
When the 30-second countdown appeared on the screen, the atmosphere in the spectator area intensified, while the atmosphere on the dueling arena froze instantly.
Whether it was confidence or pride, once the duel began, external factors were no longer relevant.
Both sides held their breath as they drew cards.
They silently counted to five.
Each side drew five cards and spread them out in a fan shape.
The opening strategy would be decided within these thirty seconds of the standby phase!
…
Dark looked at his hand.
In the novice tournament where the mana value of the life barrier of the mana guidance ball was only 2000, he actually had a guaranteed kill combination in his opening hand, but today he wasn’t so lucky.
But it wasn’t bad either!
[Ihuhu]
[Magic Beast: Ibut]
[Greed II]
[Big Milk Jar]
[Flash Spell]
Opening with “Ihuhu,” steady as a rock!
With a defense value of 2200, Ihuhu was practically an unbreakable iron wall among three-star mana spirits!
Its only disadvantage as the sole MT lay in its size.
Being unable to protect the mana guidance ball with its body was its primary limitation.
But as a manipulator of attack and defense, Ihuhu had terrifying control power that matched its gold card status in another aspect.
Even though the “Capital Sin III” series he desired most was not in his opening hand, with Ihuhu present, there was no need for concern.
If possible, he did not want to
“Huhu” was summoned as a sacrifice for the Big Milk Jar.
Thus, in this first round, the strategy will mainly focus on defense.
After a brief moment of strategic thinking, the 30-second countdown quickly passed.
“Ding dong!”
The duel entered the “Battle Phase”!
Both competitors initiated their summons simultaneously!
The usual summoning technique in the first round best demonstrates a duelist’s basic skills.
Dark’s fundamental skills were the result of diligence and talent working together; every day upon waking, his mana would increase slightly, making his diligent efforts more easily transformed.
In just one week since the last recruitment match, he had once again shortened the time limit for a regular summon by a few tenths of a second, coming very close to the ultimate three-second limit.
However, Senior Kevin, who received the Crimson Star, was no less deserving. The timing of their regular summons was very close.
Due to various factors affecting their states, this was about the limit for a general student.
“It’s decided then, Huhu!”
Dark pointed, and the white light emitted from the card face landed directly in front of the red side’s Mana Guidance Ball.
The “Huhu Bug,” with its soft limbs and hard shell, appeared on the battlefield!
“Huhu Bug” was indeed a rare Mana Spirit, but it was very famous in the dueling arena.
After all, there were always some media outlets that liked to create eye-catching rankings.
“Huhu Bug’s” terrifying defense ranked high on the list of defenses for first-tier Mana Spirits.
So, when it made its appearance, it attracted a lot of attention.
On the blue side’s competitor platform, Kevin frowned slightly, feeling the difficulty!
In his summoning area, a mechanical creature with a cubic head was slowly taking shape.
…
“Confirmed, it’s an unfamiliar Mana Spirit!”
Ashamed of his narrow knowledge base, Dark carefully observed the cubic-headed mechanical creature.
This Mana Spirit, named “Mechanical Component? Core,” had a character representing “Core” engraved on its forehead.
Its head took up about half of its body, and its body extended short and thin from below its head.
Its arms and legs were constructed like springs, with solid joints.
There was a circular depression on the upper part of its body, seemingly capable of holding a special component.
…
[Card Name: Mechanical Component? Core]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ?]
[Race: Mechanical Species]
[Attribute: Steel]
[Mana: 100]
[Attack: 100]
[Defense: 100]
[Ultimate Skill: Perfect Assembly]
…
In the initial summoning of Mana Spirits, it was already rare to see a Level One.
But for duelists with fast enough regular summoning speed, they have the confidence to summon a second Mana Spirit within a short time.
Just over three seconds later, Kevin began summoning his second Mana Spirit.
But Dark did not continue his actions.
Immediately afterward, Kevin’s second Mana Spirit appeared next to “Mechanical Component? Core,” a cubic-headed mechanical creature nearly three times larger than “Mechanical Component? Core”!
A large cubic-headed mechanical creature almost identical to “Mechanical Component? Core,” named “Mechanical Component? Mega,” had a character representing “Mega” engraved on its forehead.
…
[Card Name: Mechanical Component? Mega]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ??]
[Race: Mechanical Species]
[Attribute: Steel]
[Mana: 500]
[Attack: 100]
[Defense: 1000]
[Ultimate Skill: Perfect Assembly]
…
“Assemble, Mechanical Component!”
Kevin’s command was amplified by the amplifier. It would be better if it was accompanied by an enthusiastic tone, but his tone remained very plain.
To compensate for this,
Announcer Wilson exclaimed excitedly, “Appeared, Else Kevin’s iconic Mana Spirit, Mechanical Component! Capable of free assembly, these components possess astonishing charm. By stacking components, they can even surpass tier limits!”
Under the BGM of the commentary, the “Mechanical Component? Core” the size of a soccer ball jumped onto the top of “Mechanical Component? Mega,” with its lower body directly inserting into “Mechanical Component? Core’s” head, leaving only half of its cylindrical body as a neck!
Kevin’s two Mechanical Components instantly transformed into a Level Three “Mechanical Component? Mega-Core”!
…
[Card Name: Mechanical Component? Mega-Core]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Mechanical Species]
[Attribute: Steel]
[Mana: 600]
[Attack: 200]
[Defense: 1100]
[Ultimate Skill: Perfect Assembly, Mega Impact]
…
“Is it possible to do that?”
Dark blinked involuntarily, truly surprised.
Thinking about how much debt he incurred to forge a “Fusion” card, Senior Kevin’s Mana Spirit could just be summoned and immediately “fused.” It really wasn’t fair!
But the sensation of robots combining was truly cool!
Except those still unchanged spring legs didn’t look very agile.
So he only took precautions, without rushing too much.
Then, Kevin’s voice sounded clearly: “Target, Mega Impact!”
The body parts of “Mechanical Component? Mega-Core” suddenly rotated inward, forming a cylindrical depression, followed by a flash of white light, dazzling!
This assembled mechanical component was now a cannon!
“BOOM!”
The deafening sound shook the entire venue.
A thick and long beam of light shot straight at the red side zone!
The distance of a hundred meters passed in an instant.
“Huhu!”
Huhu’s limbs suddenly stood up, using its body to shield the Mana Guidance Ball behind it.
The beam instantly hit its armored abdomen, leaving a slight burn mark, reducing Huhu’s Mana Value by 1.
Wilson wanted to say something amid the atmosphere, but his words got stuck in his throat.
Many people in the spectator area gasped.
On the blue side’s competitor platform, Kevin’s gaze was heavy.
Even though he had anticipated such a result, seeing it in person still shocked him with the terrifying defense of “Huhu Bug.”
“Don’t get cocky, this was just a probing attack.”
Kevin clenched his teeth slightly, muttering as if explaining to someone.
Then he drew another Mana Card and performed a third summon!
“Mana Summon, Shell Armor!”
Instantly, a silver egg with a metallic luster descended from the sky.
Just before landing, cracks formed on the surface of the silver egg.
“Crack!”
Shell Armor deployed instantly.
Transformed into rotating metal eggshells in mid-air.
But contrary to some people’s expectations,
This Shell Armor did not attach to the mechanical component but directly enveloped the blue side’s Mana Guidance Ball!
“Whoosh—”
A strange sound echoed.
The fragments of Shell Armor rapidly contracted, each piece adhering to the Life Barrier of the blue side’s Mana Guidance Ball.
Seconds later, a tightly wrapped silver egg appeared in view.
Without a doubt, it provided considerable defense for the Mana Guidance Ball!
…
“As we all know, the Life Barrier of a Mana Guidance Ball is very fragile and has no defense at all. But Else Kevin used a magical Item Card, making it no longer fragile. At this moment, Dark Demon must feel quite surprised.”
Wilson regained his composure and continued his commentary.
…
On the red side’s competitor platform.
Dark indeed felt surprised. He originally thought that the eggshell could fuse with Emma’s “Gold Coin Beetle” and combine further with “Mechanical Component? Mega-Core,” making it cooler.
But it turned out not to be the case.
So it was insignificant.
While protecting the Mana Guidance Ball was necessary, it wouldn’t significantly affect the outcome of the battle.
“Ding dong!”
Time switched to the second round.
Dark quickly drew cards and spread them out.
[Magical Beast: Ditto]
[Bliss III]
“Here we go!”
Dark’s eyes fell on “Bliss III,” having a plan in mind.
Senior Kevin’s two mechanical components summoned in the first round were indeed unique, but they also revealed his system characteristics.
But the five cards in his starting hand seemed insufficient to fully support his system.
This second draw might become a critical turning point.
If Dark didn’t have enough countermeasures, he might fall into a disadvantageous position.
But fortunately, the appearance of “Bliss III” gave him choices, and even two choices.
[Magical Beast: Ibut]
[Magical Beast: Ditto]
These two Magical Beasts can both be strengthened by “Bliss III”!
Four-star Mana Spirits.
The appearance of the golem elemental was enough to handle the situation.
“Senior Kavin’s golem appears to be primarily of the Steel Attribute, while the Eevee’s Fairy Type is suppressed by the Steel Attribute.”
“Then choose Ditto!”
A simple binary choice.
At the beginning of the second round, Dark summoned the [Magical Beast: Ditto] using a regular summoning spell!
As the [Magical Beast: Ditto] card unfolded in the projection.
Seated on the commentator platform where he could clearly see the card face, Wilson couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s a Magical Beast! Contestant Dark Demon actually summoned his initial golem in the second round! Let’s look forward to what special abilities his Magical Beast might have!”
…
In the front row of the spectator area.
Valkyrie Alvaraite clasped her hands together, nervously saying, “Is this the initial golem of a treasure? It looks a bit like a slime monster?”
“Don’t be misled,” Claire shook his head. “Dark’s initial golem is another Magical Beast.”
Alvaraite: “Huh? Does he have two Magical Beasts?”
Claire smiled, “We usually consider the first Magical Beast as the best embodiment of one’s traits, and so is Dark’s initial Magical Beast. I think you’ll see soon enough.”
Alvaraite sighed, “You still love keeping things mysterious.”
She then looked worriedly towards the battlefield.
…
Ditto, with its light purple, goo-like appearance, stood up on Huhu’s shell, swaying its soft body with a joyful expression.
The first-year students all had fresh memories of this Magical Beast, some couldn’t help but show odd expressions.
If they had to pick one from Dark’s golems that they most desired, Ditto would definitely be at the top.
Those who didn’t understand would never know how enviable this golem elemental truly was!
…
For example, Else Kavin on the blue side competitor platform, just stared blankly.
The two golems Dark summoned were softer than each other, making him regret not having built a fast-attack deck.
But it wasn’t too late now.
After Dark, Kavin summoned his third golem—[Mechanical Component: Core]!
…
[Card Name: Mechanical Component: Core]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ??]
[Race: Mechanical Species]
[Attribute: Steel Attribute]
[Mana: 500]
[Attack: 1000]
[Defense: 100]
[Ultimate Skill: Perfect Assembly]
…
This mechanical component, marked with the symbol for “Core,” had a nearly two-meter cylindrical body with limbs and features standing on it.
Although it was also a Steel Attribute golem, this mechanical species was very soft, resembling a giant mochi.
Its appearance was quite comical.
However, the second-year students who understood Kavin’s deck were already excited!
The rivalry between first and second years began long before this match started.
Commentator Wilson was even more excited, “It’s the third Mechanical Component! Show us the fusion beyond tiers! The guardian of ancient civilization—the Mechanical Guardian!”
Kavin on the blue side competitor platform had a black line on his face, but he still issued the order under Wilson’s “command.”
“Perfect Assembly, Mechanical Guardian!”
The newly summoned [Mechanical Component: Core] immediately jumped onto the shoulder of [Mechanical Component: Megacore], assembling horizontally to form two powerful arms!
A white light flashed, and the [Ultimate Skill: Perfect Assembly] was successfully activated.
The mechanical body formed by the assembly of three mechanical components instantly fused perfectly under the effect of the ultimate skill, becoming more coordinated and powerful.
…
[Card Name: Mechanical Guardian]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ?????]
[Race: Mechanical Species]
[Attribute: Steel Attribute]
[Mana: 1100]
[Attack: 1200]
[Defense: 1200]
[Ultimate Skills: Perfect Assembly, Megacore Transformation]
…
“It’s over.”
Angus Jeffrey, the noble student club leader from the History of Nobility Research Club, revealed a slightly smug smile.
Each of Kavin’s mechanical components could perform “Perfect Assembly.” If there were three and they reached above three stars, they could assemble into a “Mechanical Guardian.”
And the [Mechanical Guardian] assembled from the “Core,” “Megacore,” and “Nucleus” mechanical components was indeed a five-star golem!
Summoning a five-star golem at the beginning of the second round to crush a first-year student—although he was somewhat overpowered, it wouldn’t be difficult.
“Pity.”
Jeffrey sighed again.
Mike Owen asked in confusion, “Why sigh?”
Jeffrey sighed, “Too fast. If it happened after a full-out fight, it would be more impactful.”
Owen smiled, “Club President, you really have a twisted sense of humor.”
Jeffrey: “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
…
The completed [Mechanical Guardian] had a large upper body and small lower body, looking rather clumsy and lacking the aura of a five-star golem.
Dark could only speculate based on its appearance and casually activated [Bliss III]!
Pink light focused into a beam under the control of mana.
Dark pointed [Bliss III] at Ditto, and the beam of light shone on Ditto like stage lights!
Since confirming that the “Capital Sin” series of golem cards could indeed help other golems awaken their consciousness, Dark paid particular attention.
Bathed in the light of [Bliss], Ditto’s forehead quickly lit up with the [Bliss] emblem.
Once the emblem was complete, the beam was instantly absorbed, leaving behind a faint, ambiguous aura.
Ditto, from a one-star golem, broke through to become a four-star golem!
The ultimate skill “Transformation” was also ready.
Dark tapped the spellboard with his fingers, thinking swiftly.
Abandoning the fast-attack mindset, he wanted to have more refined control over this duel.
While Senior Kavin’s “Triple Combination” was certainly impressive, and Wilson’s commentary was loud enough.
Before the [Mechanical Guardian] truly showed its strength,
Dark needed to carefully evaluate if it was worthy to be copied by Ditto!
Soon, Else Kavin met his expectations.
…
Under Kavin’s command, the [Mechanical Guardian] finally took the initiative to attack, hopping towards the red side’s summoning area with its short spring legs.
To be honest, it was quite rhythmic.
Dark hurriedly pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
When the [Mechanical Guardian] crossed the midline, the second round had even ended!
“Tik-tak!”
Entering the third round.
Dark instinctively reached for his deck, feeling a chill.
At that moment, it felt like the “trumpet had been sounded.”
The center of the [Mechanical Guardian]’s body suddenly blazed with dazzling light!
“Megacore Transformation!”
Else Kavin’s calm voice echoed clearly.
The [Mechanical Guardian] began transforming in the strong light!
First, the cubic body expanded outward, followed by the limbs and head.
One fold!
Two folds!
Three folds!
With each step, the [Mechanical Guardian] expanded by one fold.
But after three steps, it had grown to three times its original size!
What was originally less than two meters tall now exceeded five meters!
The appearance of this massive mechanical being finally stirred the audience’s enthusiasm.
This duel between two generations of the Crimson Star seemed to truly begin from this moment!
…
“Crush them, Mechanical Guardian!”
Else Kavin’s voice fluctuated.
The mechanical guardian, which had transformed from spring legs to giant spring legs, suddenly squatted down and then sprang up!
Its massive body actually flew into the air!
In an instant, its shadow surpassed the height of the competitor platform, engulfing the two small golems in the sunlight.
The audience’s exclamations surged like a wave.
The Valkyrie, too nervous, subconsciously grabbed the thigh of the Big Princess beside her, causing her face to contort.
“Indeed.”
“It seems it qualifies.”
Dark raised his head, murmuring.
The Ditto in the field, swaying its waist, suddenly turned serious, leaping forward from Huhu’s back.
“Come on, transform in front of everyone!”
In front of thousands of astonished eyes, the tiny Ditto fearlessly charged at the enormous mechanical being descending from the sky.
Then, its body rapidly inflated like a balloon.
In a single instant, it perfectly replicated every detail, size, and angle!
A completely identical giant mechanical being rose from below and pushed against the [Mechanical Guardian]!
The entire audience gasped in shock!
…
And the [Magical Beast: Ditto] in Dark’s hand displayed its current stats.
– [Mana: 800]
– [Attack: 2400]
– [Defense: 2400]
