Chapter 835: Victory Like Bamboo Breaking Through
[Point Finger Technique: Waving a finger stimulates the brain, randomly selecting any ultimate skill from nearly all available ones.]
…
“From being limited to transformation-type skills, it has become almost unlimited in terms of all ultimate skills?”
Dark’s mind stirred, and suddenly he had more ideas about the [Wishful Dice].
With the [Point Finger Technique] as a link, the [Wishful Dice], which could originally only release transformation-type ultimate skills, seemed to have suddenly transformed into a bug move that could release almost all types of ultimate skills.
So even a magical beast like the [Magical Beast: Sun Eevee] could not guarantee that it would not suffer negative effects when using the [Wishful Dice].
Of course, the probability of drawing the [Point Finger Technique] with the [Wishful Dice] was already extremely low, and the probability of drawing the desired ultimate skill would be even lower.
Therefore, one should not harbor too many fantasies about it.
Just like how he currently uses the [Wishful Dice], he is only doing so with the idea of hoping for the best, trying to take a chance with luck.
And then, at the moment the [Point Finger Technique] took effect, an invisible force suddenly arose within the field… nothing happened!
…
Dark couldn’t immediately discern what kind of ultimate skill the [Point Finger Technique] had released.
This also caused Eluria Clarissa on the Red Side platform to be filled with astonishment and suspicion.
Dark’s [Wishful Dice] had released different ultimate skills multiple times, occasionally turning the tide.
It was considered quite dangerous among magical cards in her estimation.
Thus, she was particularly wary of it.
But at that moment, nothing actually happened.
But just as Dark almost mistakenly thought that the [Point Finger Technique] had released something akin to [Water Splash], the flying [Priest Beast]… suddenly plummeted straight down!
The [Priest Beast] clearly hadn’t expected this, flapping its bat wings in panic, but still unable to stop its descent.
On the ground.
That magical sword [Death’s Sorrow], which had just risen into the air and emitted a powerful aura, also fell with a “plop.”
Only a second later.
The [Fantasy Heaven Law] formed [Heavenly Sea] suddenly fluctuated.
Immediately after, the [Charizard], [Solo Sword Sheath], [Jade Pot Immortal], and [Great Witch Bird] all plummeted through the [Heavenly Sea] like meteors.
The audience’s cheers suddenly erupted.
It was unclear whether they were surprised by the incomprehensible change or happy that the battlefield above the sky was finally brought back into view.
After a short while.
All the participants, magical beasts, and props fell to the ground.
But due to the suddenness of this change, both sides stopped fighting fiercely in a short time.
Dark observed immediately.
There were no obvious injuries on the [Charizard], and the reduction in mana was within acceptable limits.
But after being forcibly dragged into the [Fantasy Heaven Law]’s domain, its state began to noticeably decline at an alarming rate.
In contrast, the [Jade Pot Immortal] and [Great Witch Bird] were thriving like fish in water.
The [Jade Pot Immortal], being a fairy-type magical beast, benefited the most in the [Fantasy Heaven Law]’s domain.
The [Great Witch Bird] was slightly inferior, but it was an auxiliary type of magical beast, serving as a helper to the [Jade Pot Immortal].
Thanks to the help of the [Great Witch Bird], the [Jade Pot Immortal] wasn’t killed by the [Charizard].
However, the mana of the [Jade Pot Immortal] was already less than half.
Now, forced to the ground, the [Jade Pot Immortal] could no longer enter [Immortal Mist Concealment], making its defensive weaknesses impossible to hide, which might not be good for it.
“So that’s it, the ultimate skill drawn by the [Point Finger Technique] is [Gravity]!”
Dark had a firm understanding.
But [Gravity] should also be a transformation-type ultimate skill, and could be drawn even without the [Point Finger Technique] as a link.
— So this link is indeed unreliable?
[Gravity: Creates a special gravity field lasting five rounds, removing all targets’ flight and telekinesis states, and preventing any ultimate skills from being used in mid-air.]
The sudden increase in gravity could pull flying targets down, but gravity has its limits; targets with equivalent or stronger upward forces can counteract the gravitational pull.
But this [Gravity] ultimate skill clearly has additional effects similar to “no-fly,” making it impossible for targets to fly even if they have enough upward force.
Otherwise, with the flying power of the [Jade Pot Immortal] and [Charizard], they wouldn’t be pulled down so quickly.
Now, all magical beasts have landed, and except for the weakened [Flame Lion], all can withstand the gravity.
After landing, they were only partially affected in movement.
Those significantly affected were the [Great Witch Bird], which had difficulty moving on the ground!
“Jade Pot Immortal, draw your sword!”
Suddenly, Eluria Clarissa shouted out.
The [Jade Pot Immortal] immediately displayed incredible speed, almost teleporting to the side of the magical sword [Death’s Sorrow], reaching out to grab it.
Its small body and the long sword made the grip look awkward, but once in hand, it moved smoothly.
The negative effects of holding a magical sword can only be removed by death.
But magical beasts can easily die.
Thus, the most suitable magical sword for this world is undoubtedly a magical beast.
The [Jade Pot Immortal] discarded [Raging Blade], holding the [Death’s Sorrow] horizontally, allowing surging mana to wrap around it, its once benevolent face instantly becoming fierce.
The [Death’s Sorrow] is a weapon of the fairy and dark attributes, equally suitable for use in the [Fantasy Heaven Law].
In contrast, the internal power of the [Solo Sword Sheath] was clearly suppressed.
The gap between them was further widened by this.
“Charizard, Dragon Dance!”
Dark Diemon was clearly aware of this, to prevent the gap from widening further, he decisively ordered the [Charizard] to launch a strong attack!
The [Fantasy Heaven Law] gradually suppresses and infects attribute energy over time, the longer it drags on, the greater the impact.
“It’s time to decide the outcome!”
Dark’s mind flashed, and he tightened his grip on the magical card in his hand.
Seeing the momentum of the [Charizard] rising under the influence of the [Sword Dance] reach its peak, he immediately gave another command: “Sword Dance!”
“Roar!”
The [Charizard] raised the holy sword, letting the storm surge along the blade, causing chaotic winds to swirl around it.
“Protective Shield!”
The [Priest Beast] placed the magical ball on the ground, its bat wings transforming back into [Flying Fox of the Nether Mountains].
Its three main attributes dropped to their lowest.
But the [Flying Fox of the Nether Mountains] transformed into a talisman paper, falling into its palm.
It held the talisman, muttering incantations.
The [Yin-Yang Dao] enhances the [Yin-Yang Spell] by 50%, sufficient to negate the negative effects of the [Fantasy Heaven Law], allowing the spell to exert its full power.
“Now!”
Following the [Charizard], the [Priest Beast] ran swiftly in a straight line.
…
And after obtaining the magical sword, the [Jade Pot Immortal] pounced forward with only slight hesitation!
Behind it, the [Great Witch Bird] followed, stumbling.
The [Great Witch Bird] was severely injured, feathers scorched, and all usable ultimate skills exhausted, now merely boosting its aura by following behind.
This at least drew the [Priest Beast]’s attention.
Dark did not know that the [Great Witch Bird] was useless, and thus he remained fully focused.
…
On the Red Side platform.
Eluria Clarissa still had three cards left in her hand, tightly gripping them.
Time ticked away, and the distance between the [Charizard] and [Jade Pot Immortal] grew shorter.
Despite the vast difference in size, the [Jade Pot Immortal] emitted raging mana flames, and the deadliness of its tentacles danced wildly, hinting at a stronger presence!
“Roar!”
“Drink!”
At the moment the holy sword and magical sword clashed.
“Yin-Yang Spell·Spirit Binding!”
The [Priest Beast] suddenly roared.
The talisman in its hand turned into a black stream of light, covering the entire body of the [Jade Pot Immortal].
In that brief moment, perhaps less than half a second, the [Jade Pot Immortal]’s form was completely bound by the Yin-Yang Spell, unable to move even its sword-wielding posture.
But the hand holding the sword of the [Charizard] swept in an arc under the guidance of the [Solo Sword Sheath], avoiding a direct clash with the [Death’s Sorrow].
“Piercing!”
This sword struck.
The head of the [Jade Pot Immortal] was instantly shredded by the wind.
As the audience’s voices rose in the moment outside the arena, a dreamy fairy melody echoed within the arena.
The head of the [Jade Pot Immortal], which should have dispersed into mana, suddenly reformed.
Its body shattered the binding of the [Yin-Yang Spell·Spirit Binding], and the magical sword slightly lifted, its momentum undiminished, slashing toward the body of the [Charizard].
“Double Slash!”
Dark Diemon’s roar suddenly echoed.
The [Charizard]’s steps paused, turned, and the sword that should have continued forward was twisted by the [Solo Sword Sheath].
Almost simultaneously dodging the strike of the [Death’s Sorrow], the [Solo Sword Sheath] swept from behind at the back of the [Jade Pot Immortal].
“In the name of Eluria Clarissa, Mana Summoning—[Substitute Pixie]!”
A pink magical beast exploded upon being summoned.
A layer of pink film appeared on the body of the [Jade Pot Immortal].
The slash of the [Charizard] tore through this film, also exhausting its last bit of strength.
The magical sword of the [Jade Pot Immortal], after a slight adjustment, cut through—the body of the [Priest Beast]!
The subsequent [Priest Beast] appeared just in time between the [Charizard] and [Jade Pot Immortal], taking the brunt of the terrifying damage with its残肢.
“Prime Power!”
Dark Diemon’s voice sounded like boiling water.
The [Charizard] stomped the ground in that instant, causing the earth to tremble.
Amidst the near-bursting ground rumble, an energy halo appeared behind it, releasing a powerful force from within.
— The [Prime Power] was activated!
The already massive body of the [Charizard] expanded further.
The tiny [Solo Sword Sheath] became increasingly incongruous with its dragon claws.
But it still tightly gripped the holy sword, enhancing its attack to the extreme in the midst of energy fusion.
This sword, carrying immense prime power, encountered no hindrance.
The form of the [Jade Pot Immortal] disappeared completely as the magical sword tore through the skin of the [Charizard].
Not a trace remained.
The charging [Great Witch Bird] crashed heavily into the thigh of the [Charizard], then bounced back, sitting on the ground—instantly turning to light!
The sixth round had ended long before the two clashed.
The powerful combat experience allowed Eluria Clarissa to continue shuffling her cards even while watching the battle.
The [Great Witch Bird] was sacrificed.
Along with it, one of the remaining two rabbits from [Rabbit’s Magical Toy] also turned to light.
The magical ball from the broken [Jade Pot] fell to the ground.
Eluria Clarissa summoned and controlled the magical ball, urgently pulling it away.
But Dark Diemon would not give her that chance!
Eluria Clarissa suddenly felt a powerful force grabbing the magical ball, slowing her efforts to pull it away.
At this moment, the magical ball was almost at the center of the field, with minimal distance factors.
Eluria had not yet left more of her own marks on the magical ball.
Dark’s mana release firmly grasped it.
Then adjusting its direction and countering Eluria’s mana, it successfully halted the magical ball in place!
The third-tier magical beast emerging from the Sacrificial Summoning circle could no longer change the situation.
At that moment, Eluria felt extremely astonished by an unbelievable fact.
— Dark Diemon’s mana was actually stronger than hers!
As a result, she could no longer pull the magical ball away.
The [Charizard] raised a foot and stomped down!
“Bang!”
The protective life barrier around the magical ball cracked.
“Bang!”
The magical ball on the Red Side lost all its mana!
— [Battle End]!
“Bang!”
“Beeep—”
“Please stop the Red Side from stomping on the magical ball!”
“Bang!”
“Beeep—”
Dark hurriedly lifted the magical card, recalling the [Charizard] back into the card.
The multicolored sky continued to flow high above.
The magical beasts summoned by Eluria Clarissa floated in the air.
But a critical misjudgment prevented her from continuing the battle.
Though there were other factors such as luck involved, defeat was defeat.
However, she wasn’t without a chance to turn things around!
“Battle End!”
“Victor—Second Year, Noble Academy, Dark Diemon!”
Outside the arena, the crowd erupted like a sea.
…
…
[For the seniors, remember to bring your admission ticket, ID, 2B pencils, erasers, rulers, protractors, compasses, 0.5mm pens, stationery boards, and mineral water. If you’re the first one out of the exam room when interviewed, please say: ‘My favorite book is “The Villain Only Wants To Live a Buddhist Life.” Thank you for your moon tickets.]
[May you win at the start!]
[…]
Chapter 836
In the sudden boiling cheers.
Externally, Dark Diemon showed no sign of relief, but internally, he let out a deep breath.
The value of this duel far exceeded all previous duels.
Even from the perspective of the audience, his victory this time was exceptionally difficult.
Now that he relaxed, the tension accumulated in just a few minutes instantly dissipated, leaving him feeling refreshed.
Then slowly reflecting, he experienced an extremely unique sensation.
Dark narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly gaining a special insight into magical duels.
He suddenly looked up, gazing at the retreating light flood in the sky, and that insight flowed into his heart as the [Fantasy Heaven Law] faded.
It was as if something had suddenly become clear.
— Destiny is not predetermined, but there are true deities in this world who control destiny!
In a certain sense, these ethereal things like luck are not uncontrollable.
If it came to that point, luck would probably become an essential element for duelists.
Thinking of this, Dark’s pupils contracted slightly, vaguely sensing some scenes visible in the future.
But he soon shook his head, “At that time, whether I will stand on the platform remains uncertain. Luck is not something that can be manipulated artificially.”
At this moment, Dark had yet to realize that the future might come sooner than he imagined.
…
The cheers of the audience were both the banner of the victor and the bitter wine of the defeated.
After tasting this bitter wine, Eluria Clarissa felt suffocated.
Even though she admitted this defeat, she naturally couldn’t accept it easily.
She needed time to process it.
Usually, after losing, duelists might say things like “Let’s fight again next time” or “I’ll win back next time” to relieve pressure.
If it were her, she could say, “See you in the main event!”
But after taking a deep breath, she returned her magical beasts and tidied up her magical cards, walking off the stage with heavy steps.
She was the initiator of this duel.
On one hand, it was based on the same idea as Edwin Clarissa, wanting to test Dark Diemon’s depth.
On the other hand, she also harbored the intention of seizing preliminary round points from him.
As for the pre-match bet, it was just a spur-of-the-moment suggestion.
Now, with the kingdom’s situation undergoing drastic changes, as relatives closely tied to the royal family, both she and Edwin have reached a point where they can no longer remain indifferent.
If possible, she also hoped to engage with the
The son of the God of War, Dak Demon, sought to build a closer relationship with Aurora, thereby gaining more political capital.
Therefore, regardless of whether she won or lost the pre-match bet, it was advantageous for her.
This move, she believed, was well-executed.
Of course, she hoped to take this step with a victorious stance.
“Calm down, calm down. Smile, smile.”
As she descended from the competitor’s platform, Eluria Clarissa kept reminding herself over and over again.
But once she was off-stage, her smile remained stiff.
She was simply not suited for such games.
If Edwin were in her place, he would have handled it perfectly.
With such thoughts, Eluria stood coldly in place, waiting.
Yet, even when she was cold, she was still attractive.
…
After a while.
Dak finally came down from the Blue Side competitor’s platform, nodding subtly towards Eluria Clarissa’s direction.
“He seems unhappy,” he thought to himself, then added aloud, “It’s no wonder!”
He then walked toward the competitor’s passage he had come from.
The two parted ways under the audience’s gaze, entering different passages. The noise outside immediately dropped.
Dak paused briefly before heading to the competitor’s lounge he had previously stayed in.
Eluria Clarissa’s expression was clear to him.
In theory, at this moment, he should not provoke a defeated opponent.
But with their bet on, Dak was very serious…
He hoped that Eluria, too, was taking it seriously.
During this duel, Eluria Clarissa displayed three mana spirit cards that deeply moved him.
The first was the unreasonable [Fantasy Law].
The second was the [Fairy Corridor].
The third was [Death of the Fairy King].
Additionally, cards like [Wish Granter], [Jade Pot Immortal], and [Rabbit’s Magic Toy] were also extremely rare mana spirit cards.
Among these, especially the [Wish Granter], if possible, Dak really wanted to secretly add a bit of [Greed] during its formation process to see what happened.
Of course, that was just a thought.
Throughout the journey, Dak was contemplating which of the three captivating mana spirit cards he should choose.
“First, eliminate [Death of the Fairy King]!”
[Fairy King’s Death] was the only secret rite card among the three mana spirit cards.
If he could successfully form [Death of the Fairy King] under Eluria Clarissa’s personal guidance, he would undoubtedly make significant progress in his studies of secret rites.
However, the method of forming this mana spirit card was fully documented in the textbooks, and it was actually not very effective in mana duels.
In Dak’s view, [Death of the Fairy King] fell far short of [Fantasy Law] and [Fairy Corridor].
Therefore, this first elimination was not difficult.
But after eliminating [Death of the Fairy King], Dak found himself completely perplexed.
[Fantasy Law] could greatly enhance fairy mysteries and comprehensively suppress mana spirits that were neither fairy types nor fairy-related.
This mana spirit card had an extremely high versatility beyond imagination.
And judging by its ability to infect the [Great Sunny Day] of the Flame Lion Beast, it held a very high position in terms of field effects, belonging to a category of secret transmission mana spirit cards.
Today might be his only chance in his lifetime to learn how to form [Fantasy Law].
Similarly, this situation applied to [Fairy Corridor].
[Fairy Corridor] was also a secret transmission mana spirit card, and only Eluria Clarissa among all students at Saint Maryann Academy had formed it.
Moreover, its formation difficulty was not lower than [Fantasy Law]—it might even require a higher level of talent for fairy types.
Using [Fairy Corridor] was almost equivalent to giving each of the three fairy-type mana spirits an extra life and refreshing their ultimate skills’ cooldowns.
In mana duels, this was of extremely high value.
Outside of mana duels, the effect of refreshing ultimate skills’ cooldowns sometimes had greater significance than having an extra life.
The difference between the two was mainly that [Fantasy Law] had some effect on targets other than mana spirits.
On the other hand, [Fairy Corridor] only worked on mana spirits.
“If only I could learn both.”
Dak felt somewhat unsatisfied.
…
Not long after, he arrived at the competitor’s lounge he had visited earlier.
Eluria Clarissa was already seated inside.
“Senior,” Dak entered the room, tactfully avoiding any mention of the match.
Eluria Clarissa turned her gaze from the window, getting straight to the point: “What do you want to learn?”
Dak didn’t hesitate, pulling up a chair opposite her and saying, “Either [Fairy Corridor] or [Fantasy Law].”
Eluria Clarissa finally showed a faint smile: “I knew it. But you can only choose one.”
“Yes,” Dak replied, “Senior, which do you think is easier?”
Eluria Clarissa sized him up, “I see your talent in the fairy type isn’t inferior to mine. So forming [Fairy Corridor] shouldn’t be a problem. As for [Fantasy Law], since you’ve opened the Eye of Truth, there’s no obvious barrier. We’ll need to consider materials and time… hmm, how’s your knowledge of magic spell cards?”
Dak frowned slightly, “I’ve learned everything related to second-year content.”
Eluria Clarissa nodded, “That means you’re limited to second-year knowledge. But that’s fine; you’ve probably spent most of your time on the formation of mana spirits, so your research on magic spell cards likely focused on those [Star Spirit Cards]. This means your grasp of basic knowledge may not be sufficient to support directly starting the formation of [Fairy Corridor]. Therefore, I suggest choosing [Fantasy Law].”
“[Fantasy Law]?” Dak was somewhat puzzled, “Doesn’t [Fantasy Law] require less knowledge of magic spell cards?”
Eluria Clarissa shook her head, looking serious, “It’s relatively lower. The core focus of forming [Fantasy Law] lies in the [Eye of Truth]. Using the [Eye of Truth] to glimpse the truth of fairies is necessary to form [Fantasy Law]. I’ve consulted Professor Kazel about this.”
Dak’s heart stirred, understanding dawning on him, “What about materials?”
Eluria Clarissa said, “I’ll provide the materials until you complete the formation.”
“Thank you, Senior.” Dak smiled, “When should we start? It would be best to make a specific plan and set a clear schedule.”
Eluria Clarissa raised her hand, “No rush. Wait until I gather some necessary knowledge, compile it into a book, and give it to you. You’ll need to study it yourself, right?”
Dak pondered, “If it’s just basic knowledge, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Eluria Clarissa said, “Once compiled, someone will deliver it to you. Will it be at the tenth floor of the clock tower or your office?”
Dak replied, “Clubroom.”
“Alright.” After Eluria Clarissa finished speaking, she stood up, “It will be delivered within a week.”
…
After bidding farewell to Eluria Senior, Dak left feeling elated.
Anyone in his situation would feel the same.
But his overly elated state caused him to forget something important.
Only after he walked out of the competitor’s passage did he suddenly remember, “G, forgot the photo!”
…
“Forget it, I’ll deal with it later. There’s always a chance.”
Dak retreated back into the passage, summoning [Adventure Bird] and deploying the [Concealment Feather] barrier, then exited the passage once more.
At the entrance of the outdoor duel arena, Karen Newman was leading a few members of the fan club.
Dak suddenly felt a sense of becoming a “star.”
At the same time, he also felt the troubles of being a “star.”
Silently slipping past several seniors, he successfully left the duel arena.
This duel left him with deep impressions.
Apart from his understanding of [Card Luck], he also gained deeper insights into the application of magic spell cards and secret rite cards in duels.
As Eluria Clarissa Senior said, his learning and application of mana spirit cards other than magic spell cards were limited to the second-year level.
Mana spirit cards, secret rite cards, and item cards formed based on second-year knowledge were unlikely to be useful in high-level mana duels.
This was probably the biggest gap between him and upperclassmen.
Learning was not an overnight process. Even with the blessing of the [Intelligence Deity], he needed time to accumulate.
“However, many high-difficulty mana spirit cards are derived from simpler ones.”
“Take [Rabbit’s Magic Toy], for instance, which clearly integrates the effect of [Flash Spell].”
“Given this, can I also innovate?”
As Dak headed towards the clubroom, he carefully recalled the magic spell cards, item cards, and secret rite cards he had learned…
Suddenly, he had an epiphany.
“Is it possible to combine existing knowledge to develop a magic card with an effect similar to [Blow Away]?”
“This is challenging, but it could start with the [Handover] skill of [Magical Beast: Ibut].”
“Forcefully terminate the summon, blow the mana spirit back into the mana spirit card… If I can form this type of [Magic Card], wouldn’t it be advantageous in mana duels?”
“Think it over, think it over.”
…
Back at the clubroom, Dak released his mana spirits from his deck, gathering them around to review today’s duels.
Only through learning could one improve.
This principle applied equally to Dak and his mana spirits.
In this meticulous guidance, the bond between Dak and his mana spirits grew stronger.
At six thirty in the evening.
After dining in the cafeteria, he went to the secluded spot behind the teacher’s dormitory, continuing his research on the formation of [Demon King Two] with the professors, and summoned [Demon King·Alastor] to assist with the research.
The research on the formation of [Demon King Two] was not slow.
The professors had thoroughly separated the soul consciousness and physical body of [Demon King Two], immersing the physical body in life-sustaining fluids to ensure continuous utilization afterward.
As for the soul consciousness of [Demon King Two], it was temporarily housed in a palm-sized construct.
The construct was externally connected to the [Nightmare Barrier], causing its consciousness to remain in a prolonged artificial dream.
…
…
[Severe Insomnia, Poor Health, Take it easy. Once recovered, update after midnight; if not, update after noon tomorrow.]
…
Chapter 837
Apart from Professor Kazel and Professor Steven Harvey, the laboratory also included Sister Carrian’s sister—Lilyan—and Eralganie.
Eralganie was present to use the [Brain in a Jar] at a critical moment, ensuring that [Demon King Two] would not awaken in the dream.
Lilyan, on the other hand, had appeared in the laboratory a few days prior, primarily assisting Professor Harvey.
Lilyan and Eralganie got along reasonably well.
This was largely because she wasn’t allowed to wander freely within the castle and could only move between fixed locations.
Eralganie’s teacher’s dormitory was one of the areas she could visit.
Through these interactions, she and Eralganie became little playmates.
…
“Before conducting the mana spirit formation, I hope to extract as much memory from its brain as possible.”
Professor Steven Harvey stood at the lab table, holding a nearly transparent book.
According to him, it was the [Book of Souls], a collection of fragmented souls he had fused together, also known as the “Memory Recording Book.”
By guiding the dreams, he extracted [Demon King Two]’s memories and recorded them all in this infinite-page [Book of Souls].
If needed in the future, answers could be found within this [Book of Souls].
This was a profound necromancer’s spell.
However, it also meant that Professor Steven Harvey was preparing for the possibility of failure.
…
The successful formation of [Demon King One] was not enough to guarantee the success of [Demon King Two].
There was a vast difference in completeness between the two.
The difficulty of formation was also hard to grasp.
As researchers, they couldn’t afford to look only at the positive side; they had to consider the worst-case scenario and prepare accordingly.
If the experiment failed, they would need to launch another expedition!
Fortunately, they had prepared for this experiment.
The感应 continued,
All of them were direct competitors to him.
After four rounds of duels, Dark finally moved back from the sixteenth place to the fifteenth. The gap between him and Eluria Clarissa, who was in the fourteenth place, was merely the score of one round.
If he could win tonight’s duel, his score would surpass Eluria Clarissa’s, making him the fourteenth… or perhaps even the thirteenth.
The thirteenth-ranked competitor had only a one-point difference with Eluria Clarissa, and there would also be a match tonight. If the thirteenth-ranked competitor lost tonight, they would fall behind Eluria Clarissa.
If Dark won, he would surpass both of them and become the thirteenth.
This ranking would be quite stable.
However, winning tonight would still be very difficult.
Because the sixth-year challenger Dark faced was currently ranked twelfth.
It was quite rare for students in their sixth year to fully participate in the Golden Cup.
Matthew Billbrom was one such student.
Last year, he placed seventeenth in the Golden Cup preliminary rounds, just two points short of qualifying for the main event. That regret had lasted until today.
While most outstanding sixth-year students were busy with their graduation projects, he chose to participate again in the Golden Cup, aiming for the main event, and even hoping to reach the top three.
Although many of his classmates from last year were no longer around, he didn’t originally aim to defeat them.
He definitely wouldn’t get a chance this year for the Academy Cup, so entering the top few in the Golden Cup would still add to his resume.
Everyone has their own aspirations; there’s no saying which is better.
Matthew sat by the window in the competitor’s lounge, silently watching the rising full moon, his eyes flickering with a dark gleam.
He had carefully considered challenging Dark Demon, ranking sixteenth at the time, because he believed his combat strategy could effectively counter Dark’s tactics. Thus, he submitted the challenge.
But he never imagined that Dark would accept two opponents at once, and that Dark had even defeated the “Fairy Princess” yesterday!
Eluria Clarissa, known as the “Fairy Princess,” was considered a formidable opponent by Matthew because her combat strategy perfectly countered his.
However, Dark Demon, who should have been similarly countered by Eluria Clarissa, won the duel yesterday.
This made Matthew realize that he had underestimated his sophomore classmate.
“No problem.”
Matthew adjusted his deck, whispering to himself.
“Even if I lose, it’s only two points, not affecting my advancement.”
…
At the same time, Dark was sitting in the competitor’s lounge right next door.
Matthew Billbrom, who secured the seventeenth place in the strong competition of the Golden Cup last year, was certainly not an unknown figure.
Though not as famous as Eluria Clarissa, he had his own title.
— “Aggressor” Matthew!
As the name suggests, Matthew’s combat style was all about aggression, aggression, and more aggression!
From the beginning to the end of the duel, he did not defend or maneuver; he only attacked!
This combat method indeed imposed a certain degree of restraint on Dark’s tactics.
Knowing the opponent’s strategy, Dark naturally adjusted his deck to avoid being completely suppressed in this duel.
After setting up his deck, he sat by the window, reading a book and waiting.
…
At 8:20 PM.
Both contestants received the entry notification from the Dueling Club.
They stood up almost simultaneously, stepped out of the door, and looked at each other, slightly stunned.
Dark wasn’t familiar with Aggressor Matthew’s appearance, but the coincidence made him immediately guess.
Aggressor Matthew, on the other hand, paid more attention to him, grinning, “Hello, sophomore classmate Demon.”
Dark narrowed his gaze, smiling, “Good evening, senior. Have you finally lined up?”
“Yes.” Matthew nodded, pointing to one side of the passage, “Which way are you going?”
Dark pointed to the other side, “That way.”
Matthew smiled, “Then see you later.”
He then turned and walked away quickly.
Dark paused slightly, feeling a hint of doubt in his heart.
This Matthew Billbrom gave him an indescribable feeling, hard to put into words.
“What exactly is it?”
He muttered, turning toward the competitor’s entrance on that side.
Perhaps the answer would be found in the duel.
…
At 8:27 PM, both contestants stepped onto the competitors’ platform.
Dark Demon was on the red side, while Matthew Billbrom was on the blue side.
As soon as they appeared, the cheers from their supporters echoed from outside the arena.
Dark Demon’s support showed a decisive advantage.
But Matthew did not show any change in demeanor.
Although he excelled in offense, he was not a reckless knight academy student labeled as a “Brawler”; he was a Fool’s Academy student.
Standing on the platform, Matthew Billbrom had black-gray hair with lighter eyes. His facial features were deep, and his body was slender. Overall, he looked ordinary.
Therefore, his supporters mostly came for his aggressive combat style.
Attack, attack, attack!
No retreat, no evasion.
Either you die or I do!
Such an extreme style clearly attracted specific fans easily.
And these fans usually had high loyalty.
…
Dark activated the spellboard, inserted his deck into the card slot, and slightly raised his head to look at the opponent.
Night duels always felt more intense than those in daylight.
The moonlight pouring down from the sky made people want to reach out and catch it.
He smiled slightly, opening his mouth, “Good evening, senior. Sorry I couldn’t recognize you earlier.”
Matthew Billbrom also smiled, “There’s no help for it, after all, you’re much more famous than me. But this duel isn’t about fame.”
Dark pretended not to hear the sarcasm, remaining calm, “Senior, don’t belittle yourself. You’re still very famous. After this duel, we’ll know each other. If there’s a chance, I hope we can have afternoon tea together and discuss the art of offense.”
“Haha.” Matthew couldn’t help laughing, then lowered his voice, “Of course, but personally, I prefer Talon tea. It might not match yours.”
Talon tea was a special, salty tea.
Dark chuckled, “Indeed, we won’t match.”
With that, he didn’t say anything further.
Though he didn’t know why, he could feel that Matthew Billbrom didn’t hold a good impression of him.
There should be no reason for animosity before this duel.
Certainly, there would be after the duel.
“Beep—”
“Both contestants take your positions!”
The referee loudly reminded them.
Above their heads, the words “Standby Phase” appeared.
Both contestants placed their hands on their decks, waiting for the countdown to begin.
Matthew Billbrom suddenly spoke, “Be careful! You won’t have time to think after this.”
Dark couldn’t help being surprised.
[Standby Phase][30s]
Both contestants drew their cards.
“One, two, three, four, five!”
Dark Demon quickly lifted his hand, holding five cards.
“Let me see.”
(⊙o⊙)
…
…
[Let me think(ˇˍˇ)～]
…
Chapter 838
▼
[Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit]
[Bronze Snake Mirror]
[Little Cubone]
[Flame Dragon: Burst Dragon]
[Bliss III·Moon]
After having a large number of Bliss III magic spirit cards, Dark removed the Capital Sin Cards except for Bliss and Pride from his deck.
In response, he also removed cards like Trash Slime, Little Cubone, and Meow, which required Greed III to evolve.
Considering his opponent was Aggressor Matthew Billbrom, Dark eventually added Little Cubone to his deck and included the only Greed III card.
Unexpectedly, he drew Little Cubone in the first round!
Unfortunately, obtaining the only Greed III was not easy.
However, Little Cubone’s true value lay in its immense strength even without evolving!
Additionally, despite having only two stars, Little Rabbit had a defense of 2100 points, making it a good counter against Aggressor Matthew Billbrom.
Moreover, he had a Bliss III·Moon card in his opening hand.
Though temporarily lacking a matching mana spirit card for Bliss III·Moon, he could use the call ability of Little Rabbit to special summon a bird-beast kin mana spirit from his deck.
Then, using Bliss III·Moon to evolve… or special summon a fire-type mana spirit, he could sacrifice it to special summon Flame Dragon: Burst Dragon!
Thus, Dark’s starting hand was not bad.
But the prerequisite was that Little Rabbit must stand on the field!
Although the call ability of Little Rabbit did not require charging, it needed to summon a stump first and then climb down from it to meet the conditions for the call ability.
These steps took some time.
If Little Rabbit couldn’t stand on the field and was instantly killed, the call ability couldn’t be released.
Little Rabbit had a defense of 2100 points and mana of 1000 points. To instantly kill it, a long-range spell with nearly instant casting and an attack of over 3100 points would be required.
This was extremely difficult for most contestants.
But Dark was facing Aggressor Matthew Billbrom!
Matthew Billbrom was well-known for his opening three lightning spells that shattered the opponent’s mana guidance ball’s life barrier directly!
Each of his lightning spells had over 3000 points of single-target damage!
Such spells were already considered highly advanced even in the era of magic dominance.
A regular attack from a six-star mana spirit had similar power.
With such spell cards, Matthew Billbrom could instantly kill most first-tier mana spirits, leaving the opponent without basic resources at the start, and then bury them with overwhelming force.
Moreover, due to the instantaneous nature of the spells and their inherent locking mechanism, dodging was nearly impossible. At critical moments, he could choose to attack the opponent’s mana guidance ball.
In this situation, a magus could not rely solely on manipulating the mana guidance ball to dodge attacks, requiring a more rigorous defense.
In short, Little Rabbit might not be able to withstand Matthew Billbrom’s instant burst, so Dark chose to test the waters with Little Cubone first.
With Little Cubone’s size, it could serve as a shield for the mana guidance ball.
If lucky, it might even force the opponent to use a card from their hand.
Dark quickly pondered, glancing at the countdown of the standby phase.
With ten seconds left on the countdown, he had enough time to calmly observe his opponent’s expression and even exchange a few trash talks.
Of course, he was not that uncivilized a contestant~
Matthew Billbrom’s lips curled upward, revealing a clear sense of satisfaction.
However, this was his usual expression during duels, meant to keep his opponent guessing.
Once his opponent became cautious due to his burst, it would be his time to strike with overwhelming force!
“Ticking!”
[Battle Phase (1)][30s]
The round switched, and both contestants immediately performed normal summoning spells.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — [Little Cubone]!”
Three seconds later, in the red summoning zone, a deep blue, round mana spirit materialized from the summoning light.
Sitting on the ground, it rubbed its meat-white belly, then pulled out a small apple from under its fur and happily took a bite.
“Defend.”
During the three-second cooldown of the normal summoning spell, Dark issued the simplest command to Little Cubone.
Then, he drew the [Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit], preparing to summon it behind Little Cubone based on the situation to ensure safety.
But the expected lightning didn’t appear.
Matthew Billbrom, in the first round, summoned a three-star mana spirit quite ordinarily.
But this mana spirit itself was extraordinary!
“Lightning Ring Tree!”
A three-star plant type, electric grass mana spirit — [Lightning Ring Tree]!
In the electric mana spirits, it was quite famous.
Dark’s mind instantly flashed through the data of Lightning Ring Tree, causing him to feel alert.
[Card Name: Lightning Ring Tree]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ★★★]
[Race: Plant]
[Attribute: Grass/Electric]
[Mana: 1000]
[Attack: 2000]
[Defense: 50]
[Ultimate Skill: Lightning Aura, Lightning Beam, Overload Impact]
Almost defenseless, fragile like paper, Lightning Ring Tree was about two meters tall, with only two branches raised upward. Purple light flowed through the leaves, making them sharp like blades, forming a circular disk at the branch tips.
As a plant type grass mana spirit, Lightning Ring Tree lacked any grass-type ultimate skill.
But its body was rich in grass-type energy, which supported the release of Overload Impact.
“Zzz!”
In an instant, Lightning Ring Tree didn’t even release the defensive Lightning Aura or the Lightning Beam from its two branches. Instead, it directly chose Overload Impact, which would leave it in an energy depletion state!
The spectators watching intently saw a beam of lightning as thick as an arm flash by, leaving particles dancing in the air. A scorch mark appeared above Little Cubone’s belly.
Then, suffering a massive impact, Little Cubone fell backward violently.
But it managed to grab the mana guidance ball, rolling out of the arena.
Matthew Billbrom visibly paused.
He probably hadn’t expected that the Overload Impact, equivalent to 4000 points of attack, wouldn’t instantly vaporize Little Cubone.
Little Cubone had 2500 points of defense in its three-layer蓄力状态!
This Overload Impact was terrifying, reducing Little Cubone’s mana from 2000 points to 500 points.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — [Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit]!”
Dark did not hesitate to summon again.
After releasing Overload Impact, Lightning Ring Tree would be unable to use any ultimate skills for at least thirty seconds.
Matthew Billbrom, to pursue极致 attack, didn’t even release Lightning Aura.
Thus, Lightning Ring Tree was now in a defenseless state.
If Little Cubone recovered and returned to the field, a Seed Bomb would be enough to take it out.
And using this opportunity to summon Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit…
“Summon Stump, Call Friends, Special Summon [Magical Beast: Ibut]!”
…
Dark perfectly seized the opportunity for summoning.
Matthew Billbrom, due to an unexpected incident, did not immediately perform a second summon.
When Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit had already materialized, he was still in the middle of a normal summon.
And when Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit summoned the Stump and slowly rose on it, Matthew Billbrom finally completed his summon.
Adjusting output based on the opponent was a fundamental tactic.
Matthew Billbrom’
In the starting hand, there was always a ‘Lightning Spell.’ However, he judged that Dark would summon the strongest golem at the beginning, so he chose to summon the ‘Thunder Ring Tree’ and use the ultimate skill with the greatest power.
When facing the ‘Fairy Tale Animal · Small Rabbit,’ he opted for the slightly weaker ‘Lightning Spell.’
The power of the ‘Lightning Spell’ was roughly equivalent to a damage of 3500 points from an attack, known as a three-star nemesis.
Of course, if Dark chose ground, grass, electric, or dragon attributes, he still had a ‘Polar Light Beam’ which was only slightly weaker.
With these magic cards that could rapidly increase the concentration of corresponding elements in the field within a short time, Matthew Billbrom also included high-star elemental species with ‘Elemental Eye’ or ‘Elemental Heart’ in his deck.
This time, choosing ‘Lightning Spell’ instead of ‘Polar Light Beam’ was because he didn’t have any ice elemental species in his hand.
Moreover, with the ‘Lightning Spell’ capable of causing 3500 points of damage, the ‘Fairy Tale Animal · Small Rabbit’ couldn’t withstand it.
Therefore, Matthew Billbrom did not choose to finish off the relatively unknown ‘Little Cubone’ but instead decided to instantly kill the ‘Fairy Tale Animal · Small Rabbit!’
But one step late means every step late.
At the moment the thunder sounded, the ‘Fairy Tale Animal · Small Rabbit’ closed its eyes and bravely jumped down from the stump.
“Smack,” it landed on the ground, activating ‘Call Friends.’
Then, the thunder rumbled.
A thick and long lightning descended from the sky, turning it to ashes in an instant.
However, the ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ was successfully summoned!
Dark’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he decisively abandoned commanding the ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ at that moment. He even did not command the ‘Little Cubone’ to recover mana or use ‘Seed Bomb,’ but instead began summoning ‘Bliss III · Moon’ the moment the three-second cooldown ended!
He wanted to race against time and compete with Matthew Billbrom on speed!
Matthew Billbrom’s mind turned swiftly, immediately realizing he could no longer stop Dark Demon’s advance, and promptly interrupted the summoning of ‘Polar Light Beam,’ changing to special summon a six-star lightning elemental golem — ‘Thunder Cloud Giant!’
Both contestants reacted extremely quickly, their duel skills reaching a suffocating level.
But in those three seconds during the third summon.
The advantage of the golem’s intelligence came into play again.
The ‘Little Cubone’ ran back onto the field, and then—did nothing!
But the ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ successfully used ‘Pray’ during those three seconds!
—It did not use ‘Relay,’ because from the moment Dark did not immediately give it instructions, it understood that it was time for it to perform, not rely on others.
“Ei!”
The ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’s’ eyes were filled with excitement.
At this point, only fifteen seconds had passed since the start of the ‘Battle Phase,’ and the entire situation unfolded terrifyingly fast.
The bright moon peered out from the clouds, illuminating the field with a clean moonlight, like a gauzy veil covering it.
“Card Evolution!”
BGM!
The ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ raised its head sharply, the bliss light with moonlight raining down from the sky, making it seem like a moon spirit blessed by the gods. The water-like moonlight quickly gathered into its body.
And at the moment it began evolving, traces of lightning energy started gathering in the blue summoning zone.
Matthew Billbrom tightly watched the red summoning zone, the evolution path of the ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ varied, and he must plan his subsequent tactics based on its direction.
Under the gaze of thousands, the ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ finally transformed into that elf-like creature born from the moonlit night—the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee!’
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ was small in size, with black fur adorned with pink rings, and its ruby-red eyes were beautiful.
If not for the extremely fierce aura it emitted when it appeared, it would have been a lovable little cutie.
Few people knew that within its tiny body lay an extremely terrifying power.
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ was a golem specialized in defense!
With 3500 points of defense and 3000 points of mana, it was as sturdy as a shield.
Under the moonlight tonight, its ultimate skill, ‘Moonlight,’ could be greatly enhanced.
Simply strolling under the moonlight, it possessed the ability to regain 12 points of mana per second.
“This night is yours.”
Dark pressed his hand on the spellboard and whispered.
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ suddenly pounced out!
…
…
[The college entrance exam is over, let’s work hard next year.]
▼ (Free)
[Card Name: Magical Beast (Moon Eevee)]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ★★★★★★]
[Race: Avian-beast Kin]
[Attribute: Dark]
[Mana: 3000]
[Attack: 2500]
[Defense: 3500]
[Ultimate Skills: Moonlight, Evil Fluctuation, Black Gaze, Deception]
▲
Chapter 839
“Rumble!”
At the sudden flash of thunder, a dark thundercloud appeared in the blue summoning zone. Electricity danced within the cloud, forming a giant made entirely of lightning elements, with the cloud at the top, shaping downwards.
Moments later, a headless giant covered in lightning appeared in the blue summoning zone.
The ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’ was translucent, glowing blue, with an extremely robust body outline, like a god wielding lightning, exuding a terrifying destructive aura.
…
At this moment, both contestants summoned their own six-star golems.
Despite the huge difference in size between the two golems, they both emitted equally powerful auras.
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ crossed the field line like a black ghost.
The ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’ raised its right hand, palm up, channeling its mana through its arm to gather in its palm, then burst forth.
“Rumble!”
Lightning flashed, and the thundercloud above roared.
In the night sky, in response, another thunderclap echoed.
Immediately after, blue light tore through the night, like cracks snaking downward, exploding instantly!
“Rumble!”
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ sensed the gathering of lightning elements and immediately leaped sideways.
But the thunderbolt that fell from the sky suddenly changed direction, as if attracted by a magnet, striking it fiercely!
“Augh!”
The night’s fairy was struck by the lightning, freezing its running posture in place.
On the blue competitor’s platform, Matthew Billbrom smirked.
The ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’s’ ‘Thunderbolt’ was far more powerful than the ‘Lightning Spell’ or ‘Overload Impact.’
Even among six-star golems, and especially those with strong defenses, many could be instantly killed by this attack.
Even if the target survived, it would be left with minimal health and could be paralyzed by lightning, slowing its movement or rendering it immobile.
For now, although the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ managed to survive the first hit, it certainly triggered a “paralysis effect.”
At this point, he just needed to command the ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’ to deliver a finishing blow to destroy it—but he never did such troublesome and risky things.
“Thunder Cloud Giant, ultimate skill—’Thunder Fury’!”
[Card Name: Thunder Cloud Giant]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ★★★★★★]
[Race: Elemental Species]
[Attribute: Electric]
[Mana: 2950]
[Attack: 3050]
[Defense: 1000]
[Ultimate Skills: Lightning Element Eye, Summon Thunderbolt, Thunderstorm]
“Rumble!”
The thundercloud atop the ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’ rose suddenly, rolling black clouds spreading forward.
Angry thunder rumbled in the void.
Wherever the black clouds passed, small bolts of lightning rained down.
These initial bolts of lightning might not be as powerful as the ‘Lightning Spell,’ but this was merely the prelude to the ‘Thunderstorm.’
As Matthew Billbrom’s ace at the six-star level, the ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’ only had three ultimate skills, but two of them had extremely high killing power.
‘Summon Thunderbolt’ dealt over 6000 points of single-target damage.
‘Thunderstorm’ was even more devastating, dealing group damage. Although each individual hit was slightly less powerful than ‘Summon Thunderbolt,’ it had an enormous attack range that could cover the entire field.
Matthew Billbrom decisively used this ultimate skill to clear the field!
Otherwise, he would need to eliminate the nearly dead ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ and harvest the ‘Little Cubone’ that rolled back onto the field!
If lucky, it could deal significant damage to the red mana ball.
—Not allowing any golem to remain on the opponent’s field was Matthew Billbrom’s basic tactic.
Moreover, the thunder strikes from ‘Thunderstorm’ would recharge the ‘Thunder Ring Tree,’ draining its mana and restoring it after thirty seconds of weakness.
…
“Moon Eevee, Moonlight!”
Amidst the continuous thunderclaps, Dark Demon’s voice clearly rang out.
He rapidly calculated the damage the ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’s’ ultimate skill could cause. At the moment he issued a command to the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee,’ he immediately gave another command to the ‘Little Cubone.’
“Little Cubone, use ‘Seed Bomb’ on ‘Thunder Ring Tree’!”
The ‘Little Cubone’s’ ultimate skill, ‘Charge,’ allowed it to instantly refill its mana after consuming three charges.
But after the ‘Charge’ was used up, its defense would drop from 2500 to the base 1000.
Currently, its mana was only 2000, and it couldn’t withstand ‘Thunderstorm.’
Thus, the ‘Little Cubone’s’ death was inevitable.
At this point, the best choice was to maximize its remaining utility and destroy the ‘Thunder Ring Tree’ in the process…or perhaps not.
A thought flashed through Dark’s mind.
If the ‘Little Cubone’ used the red mana ball as a shield to endure the strongest part of ‘Thunderstorm,’ it might continue to survive and withstand the residual effects.
But doing so…would be better to protect the more important ‘Moon Eevee’ with the mana ball!
In just a few seconds, Dark completed a relatively complex calculation.
Afterwards, he released mana toward the red mana ball!
In an instant, the entire field came alive!
Rolling thunderclouds obscured the sky.
But the moonlight column from the night sky dispersed the clouds, pouring into the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee.’
The ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ rapidly recovered its mana, exceeding 2000 in a blink.
The ‘Little Cubone’ let go of the red mana ball, throwing the seed like a baseball.
The ‘Seed Bomb’ accelerated twice in mid-air, piercing the ‘Thunder Ring Tree’ and exploding inside it—its shockwave even affecting the weakly defended ‘Thunder Cloud Giant’!
Meanwhile, the two mana balls on the field moved in completely different directions under the control of their respective players.
Matthew Billbrom pulled his mana ball into the air to avoid being affected by ‘Thunderstorm.’
But Dark Demon pushed the red mana ball towards the ‘Moon Eevee’s’ head amidst the audience’s stunned gaze!
Even though Dark calculated that the strongest strike of ‘Thunderstorm’ wouldn’t be enough to instantly kill the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ with 2000 mana, ‘Thunderstorm’ wasn’t limited to a single strike.
Although subsequent lightning would weaken, if the damage exceeded 4000 points, it could still bring down the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee.’
Even if not, the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ with barely any mana left would lose its deterrent power.
Moreover, Dark had no summonable golem cards in his hand, and he had to consider the worst-case scenario of not drawing a golem card in the next round.
However, while considering using the mana ball to block the strongest strike, he also had to consider whether Matthew Billbrom would directly attack the mana ball with the next ‘Lightning Spell.’
But this rapid consideration couldn’t cover all angles.
When Dark considered the latter concern, the red mana ball was already flying out under his mana push.
Then, the thunder exploded!
…
The countdown for the first round ended amidst the ear-splitting thunder, and the second round immediately followed.
Both contestants subconsciously drew cards while closely watching the field’s developments.
The thundercloud formed by ‘Thunderstorm’ first scattered several thin bolts of lightning before suddenly becoming more violent. Thick bolts of lightning as thick as forearms rained down, their momentum unyielding, almost simultaneously striking the entire field.
The ‘Little Cubone’ indeed couldn’t withstand this wave of lightning, turning to ashes in the lightning.
But the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ stood under the mana ball, slightly tilting its head, its ruby-red eyes gradually surging with dark waves.
Its small frame was almost completely blocked by the mana ball.
That bolt of lightning falling from directly above struck the life barrier of the red mana ball.
The mana of the life barrier quickly weakened, dropping from 8000 to less than 3000!
This meant the damage from this lightning was at least equivalent to over 5000 points of attack!
If the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ had taken this hit, it should have been left with only a few hundred mana points, enough for a few ultimate skills.
The red mana ball absorbed all the damage, and the scattered electricity struck the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee,’ but it didn’t break its defense.
After adding two new golem cards to his hand, Dark’s expression became grave as he immediately controlled the mana ball to descend and stick close to the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee.’
Now it was the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’s’ turn to protect the mana ball!
This wave of lightning came and went quickly.
But the thundercloud did not dissipate.
Immediately afterward, lightning weaker by at least a third began to fall sporadically, hitting the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ and causing it to stiffen.
But at this moment, Matthew Billbrom’s gaze focused on the red mana ball.
…
During the gap, Dark observed his newly drawn hand.
‘Magical Beast: Eevee’
‘Mystic Soul Ring’
One could say that Dark’s luck with cards wasn’t too bad.
Not only did he draw a second ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ in the second round, but the other golem card—the ‘Mystic Soul Ring’—was also not useless.
In fact, he already had the capital to summon ‘Flame Dragon: Burst Dragon’ again.
Against a magical burst, ‘Flame Dragon: Burst Dragon’ was a very useful card.
But for now, the most crucial thing was still protecting the mana ball!
But how could he protect the mana ball with only four cards in his hand?
Dark’s eyes flickered, and he immediately chose to summon ‘Magical Beast: Eevee.’
Matthew Billbrom also had four cards in his hand.
He could almost be certain that at least one of those cards was a magic card similar to ‘Lightning Spell.’
This meant that once the protection of the ‘Magical Beast: Moon Eevee’ was removed, his mana ball would be in danger.
To move the mana ball, he could only take advantage of Matthew Billbrom’s summoning gap.
But at the same time, this also gave him an opportunity to summon ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’!
The ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ certainly couldn’t withstand a ‘Lightning Spell,’ but with the red mana ball’s mana below 3000 points and the need to end the game instantly with a direct hit, if Matthew only had one magic card similar to ‘Lightning Spell,’ he would likely waver between instantly killing ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ and keeping the card to attack the red mana ball.
This hesitation would be enough for Dark to achieve his goal!
This time, it was a psychological battle through and through.
And even if the psychological battle failed, it would be like trading one ‘Magical Beast: Eevee’ for one of Matthew’s cards.
A magic card with the ability to end the match.
No matter what, this was a risk worth taking.
Dark slightly slowed down the usual speed of the summoning spell, waiting until the thunder clouds of 【Thunderous Sea】 dissipated before summoning out 【Magical Beast: Eevee】.
Matthew Billbrom, as expected, did not target 【Magical Beast: Eevee】!
Dark smirked slightly and saw that Matthew Billbrom deliberately waited for him to finish the summon before choosing his magic card.
This time, Matthew summoned a magical creature known as 【Leviathan Fang】!
This 【Leviathan Fang】 was also an elemental species with the 【Eye of Lightning Element】, but besides having corresponding magical bursts, it also possessed considerable physical attack capabilities!
Although Matthew favored ranged magical attacks, there were occasions where physical attacks were necessary.
Therefore, he did not ignore this aspect.
Moreover, the running speed of 【Leviathan Fang】 was extremely fast, truly swift like lightning.
Matthew Billbrom likely wanted to use 【Leviathan Fang】 to directly attack the Mana Guidance Ball under the protection of 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】!
It didn’t need to break the Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier; it just needed to separate 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】 from the Mana Guidance Ball.
Then Matthew would summon 【Polar Light Beam】 to deliver the final blow to the Mana Guidance Ball.
But he underestimated 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】 too much!
Dark remained calm in his heart, issuing continuous commands to 【Magical Beast: Eevee】.
【Magical Beast: Eevee】 immediately used 【Prayer】, then used 【Relay Switch】 to summon out a fire-type magical creature — 【Fire Chick】!
The card of 【Magical Beast: Eevee】 smoothly returned to his hand.
Although 【Fire Chick】 was only a three-star magical creature, if it could unleash its full power, its instantaneous burst could even surpass that of a typical six-star magical creature.
Dark did not immediately offer it as a sacrifice but decisively issued an order for a strong offensive!
Judging from Matthew Billbrom’s reaction, he had determined that Matthew had no more than one magic card.
This time, he would lure Matthew out with 【Fire Chick】 and then trigger the 【Secret Ritual of Fire Dragon】 by sacrificing 【Fire Chick】!
…
…
[I’m still tired. I don’t know where the problem lies, but it seems I can’t rest anymore. I’ll strive to finish this segment tomorrow.]
▼ (Free)
[Card Name: Fire Chick]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ★★★]
[Race: Avian-beast Kin]
[Attribute: Fire]
[Mana: 1500]
[Attack: 2000]
[Defense: 1000]
[Ultimate Skills: Inferno, Revival, Flamethrower Charge, Substitute]
▲
Chapter 840
“Fire Chick, Flamethrower Charge!”
“Leviathan Fang, Thunder Run!”
Both contestants issued commands for their magical creatures to unleash their ultimate skills.
【Leviathan Fang】 unleashed first, resembling a fierce beast with long ears, which instantly transformed into a current of electricity, charging towards 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】.
The black tide in the eyes of 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】 surged, but the speed of 【Leviathan Fang】 was too fast, moving in zigzag like lightning, making it impossible to capture its form momentarily.
“Blah!”
A flash of irritability crossed the face of 【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】, lifting its right claw and pressing it down without needing Dark’s reminder.
When the paw touched the ground, a dark ripple spread out like waves.
A malevolent aura emanated from within, filling the air with terror.
Almost reaching its face, 【Leviathan Fang】 suddenly halted, but its body continued to move forward due to inertia.
【Magical Beast: Moon Eevee】 instantly widened its eyes, the dark ripple solidifying and surging outward like a tide.
“Bang!”
The charging 【Leviathan Fang】 was hit head-on, but the lightning on its body absorbed part of the impact, preventing it from being knocked away and allowing it to continue advancing!
However, the speed of 【Leviathan Fang】 had become extremely slow, leading to a pure energy clash.
Meanwhile, the blazing 【Fire Chick】 ran toward the range of 【Evil Fluctuation】, leaping up and transforming into a fiery ball, crashing down onto 【Leviathan Fang】!
On the other side, the 【Thunder Cloud Giant】 rushed over after releasing two ultimate skills, but its speed was not fast, falling behind.
But the 2v2 melee had thus begun.
[Card Name: Leviathan Fang]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ★★★★★★]
[Race: Elemental Kin]
[Attribute: Electric]
[Mana: 2800]
[Attack: 3000]
[Defense: 1500]
[Ultimate Skills: Eye of Lightning Element, Thunder Run, Thunder Fang, Thunder Wave]
The attack of 【Leviathan Fang】 was slightly inferior to that of 【Leviathan Giant】, but its defense was significantly higher, not as fragile as paper.
The lightning flowing around its body made it less susceptible to instant annihilation by magical bursts.
However, the lightning formed by 【Thunder Run】 was already unable to withstand the consumption of 【Evil Fluctuation】, and it was heavily hit by the 【Flamethrower Charge】 of 【Fire Chick】.
Its mana dropped sharply in an instant.
“Thunder Wave!”
Matthew Billbrom’s voice almost immediately echoed.
Still flying backward in mid-air, 【Leviathan Fang】 opened its mouth wide, and the surrounding lightning elements collapsed inward, forming a dazzling lightning ball in an instant.
“Roar!”
The 【Thunder Wave】 shot out!
“Gee—”
The chasing 【Fire Chick】 split into two, its eyes flashing with sharp light.
—Ultimate Skill: Substitute!
The substitute created with one-quarter of its mana was almost instantly consumed by the 【Thunder Wave】.
The real body of 【Fire Chick】 appeared some distance away, maintaining its speed to chase 【Leviathan Fang】!
At this moment, the flames of 【Flamethrower Charge】 still wrapped around 【Fire Chick】, its mana decreasing by 50 points per second, soon approaching the critical value of 500 points.
On the other side, the 【Thunder Cloud Giant】 couldn’t catch up with the speed of 【Fire Chick】, helplessly watching this three-star magical creature chase after a six-star magical creature.
Matthew Billbrom on the blue side competitor platform also showed an astonished expression.
He ordered 【Leviathan Fang】 to release 【Thunder Wave】 to kill 【Fire Chick】, but unexpectedly it dodged with the 【Substitute】 skill.
At this point, 【Leviathan Fang】 had only one remaining skill, 【Thunder Fang】, but it wasn’t usable at this moment.
In a mere thought, 【Fire Chick】 leaped up, its little claws fiercely hitting the side of 【Leviathan Fang】!
“Boom!”
Flames exploded.
【Fire Chick】 triggered 【Inferno】, instantly raising its attack to 3000 points.
The cheek of 【Leviathan Fang】 visibly caved in from the kick, its seemingly sturdy body being kicked away like trash, with less than 100 mana left and flames burning on its body, entering a burning state.
It released several ultimate skills, which had already consumed a lot of mana. Now with barely any health left and triggered burning effect, its last bit of mana was consumed in that instant.
It died definitively.
On the other side, the similarly low-mana 【Fire Chick】 was covered by 【Prayer】, restoring its mana to over 1000 points.
The acceleration effect of 【Flamethrower Charge】 also disappeared.
It stopped, its sharp gaze turning towards 【Thunder Cloud Giant】.
Almost the next second.
An aurora flashed across the sky, and a freezing beam of ice, emitting a cold chill, shot down, hitting the upright 【Fire Chick】!
—Magic Card: Polar Light Beam!
Matthew Billbrom finally couldn’t resist summoning that 【Polar Light Beam】!
Even though fire-type magical creatures had some immunity to ice spells, this 【Polar Light Beam】 still instantly killed the state-impaired 【Fire Chick】.
However, at the same time, the 【Flame Sign Dragon · Exploding Dragon】 in Dark’s hand lit up.
—The secret ritual of the Fire Dragon was triggered!
The secret ritual of the Fire Dragon was akin to a ritual card ultimate skill.
The sacrifice of any dragon or fire-type magical creature on the field was its activation condition.
The Magus could actively offer a dragon/fire-type magical creature as a sacrifice or wait for their death.
Matthew Billbrom probably never imagined that his actions in anger would fulfill Dark’s conditions for summoning the Fire Dragon Secret Ritual.
—Although this wasn’t a necessary procedure for summoning 【Flame Sign Dragon · Exploding Dragon】, doing so would give the opponent a strong sense of defeat.
Dark smiled, holding the card of 【Flame Sign Dragon · Exploding Dragon】 high, and roared, “Come out, Flame Sign Dragon · Exploding Dragon!”
Rolling magical flames instantly rose, and the card of 【Flame Sign Dragon · Exploding Dragon】 seemed to be engulfed by flames, with the sound of a dragon roar faintly echoing in the void.
Matthew Billbrom’s expression changed instantly.
The duel had just begun, yet his strength lay in establishing an advantage from the start.
Constantly bursting and aggressively attacking from the initial round could leave most opponents helpless, especially since he had been actively participating in the tournament from the beginning, accumulating points that led to his current ranking.
Thus, his matches often decided in the first few rounds, and his supporters loved his aggressive style.
But once his initial aggression was withstood, his so-called bursts would appear weaker.
Especially when his opponent formed a counterattack, disrupting his favorite “snowball” momentum, he might not have后续
