Chapter 694 “Nine-Tenths Countdown” Dark Demon Dak悬念 (8k)
The main event of the “Silver Cup” was in full swing.
Pistons Kellogg’s defense system indeed had its highlights; his ability to advance to the top eight was no fluke.
But his weakness was also very obvious—his defense was strong, but his attack was lacking!
And Heidi Euphemia, her mana spirit continued to maintain its style, being flexible, versatile, and capable of flying.
Moreover, she clearly had been influenced by Sarah Swati, mastering quite a few bizarre combat techniques.
Although Pistons’ defense was impenetrable, it could not effectively damage Heidi’s mana spirit and mana guidance ball.
On the contrary, Heidi always found opportunities to inflict damage on him.
Even though each instance of damage was extremely limited, as long as it accumulated repeatedly, it would eventually wear down the iron rod into a needle.
After a long and arduous battle, Heidi finally broke through Pistons’ steel fortress, advancing to the winners’ bracket with great difficulty!
And Pistons Kellogg, like Wit Gold, fell into the losers’ bracket!
…
“The situation in the losers’ bracket looks very grim,” Dak said with a hint of amusement.
Vanessa Bolt aside, although Wit Gold fell into the losers’ bracket, his deck strength was the highest among the top eight!
Classics, the strongest spear against the strongest shield. Will the shield break and the person perish, or will the spear be broken and the person die?
Tudor frowned and said, “Although I stand firmly on Pistons’ side, he has almost no chance of defeating Wit. The only hope is drawing Vanessa… or Justin Wayne.”
“Justin Wayne?” Dak couldn’t help but laugh, “He hasn’t even taken the stage yet, and you’re already pronouncing his death sentence?”
Tudor shook his head with a bitter smile, “I really can’t think of any possibility for him to defeat Sarah Swati. After you left this year’s ‘Silver Cup,’ Sarah Swati has become the most likely champion contender!”
Indeed, that was the case.
The fourth duel did not have any upsets.
Although Justin Wayne had made progress compared to before, he was ultimately no match for Sarah Swati and was defeated after a short time.
Following that, the list for the winners’ and losers’ brackets became clear.
Winners’ Bracket: Emma Maltis, Diana Gretbail, Heidi Euphemia, Sarah Swati.
Losers’ Bracket: Wit Gold, Vanessa Bolt, Pistons Kellogg, Justin Wayne.
As for the schedule for the losers’ bracket matches, they would be revealed after dusk!
Of course, Dak and others immediately learned of the news after Pistons finished drawing lots.
Pistons changed from his usual carefree demeanor, his expression filled with seriousness.
His opponent… was Wit Gold!
“Things look bleak.”
During dinner, Pistons took a huge bite of steak, chewing incessantly.
It seemed fate was against him; he ultimately couldn’t avoid Wit Gold.
Among the top eight this time, only Wit’s mana card stood out in terms of strength, capable of breaking through defenses with sheer power!
If he lost tonight, his journey in the “Silver Cup” would come to an end.
Ranks 8-7, although he didn’t get knocked out in the first round due to the tournament format, it was still a one-day affair!
“Why can’t the loser bracket elimination matches be held next week?” Pistons worried again.
Tudor comforted him, “Ranks 8-7 are fine too, there’s credit rewards, at least better than ninth place, right?”
Pistons glanced at him and burst into laughter, then started eating voraciously.
Lunchtime was relatively pleasant.
Pistons wasn’t someone who particularly cared about winning or losing. Even if he truly lost, as long as he gave it his all, he wouldn’t regret it.
After lunch, the five of them strolled around the castle to digest their food.
With winter arriving and the weather getting colder, the castle felt a bit more desolate.
But the students’ laughter always dispelled the chill.
Walking through the castle, one could see students occasionally taking out “flower cards.” From treating them as secret objects to using them to tease each other, they had subtly changed in meaning.
The night was hazy, with the evening glow floating over.
The students entered the dueling arena once again; the sky had turned completely dark.
And the losers’ bracket elimination matches of the “Silver Cup” officially began.
As the first contestant of the evening session, Pistons Kellogg was about to engage in a duel with Wit Gold under the spotlight.
One was from the Noble Academy, the other from the Knight Academy; the atmosphere tightened as soon as they stepped onto the competitor platform.
But Wit Gold’s aura was overwhelming, while Pistons Kellogg appeared much more conservative.
Both were in the losers’ bracket, but their states were markedly different.
As the battle phase began, the nervous Pistons made mistakes, which Wit Gold seized the opportunity to pummel him.
When Wit summoned a third-tier mana spirit, Pistons’ defenses finally crumbled.
Wit Gold regained some morale after losing to Emma Maltis.
…
The second losers’ bracket elimination match took place at eight o’clock.
Vanessa Bolt and Justin Wayne were both steady players; their duels were hard to find fault with, but the result of continuous field clearing was the final showdown of depth.
Justin Wayne had an advantage in the early stages, but Vanessa Bolt gradually turned the tide with meticulous management, ultimately securing victory.
Vanessa Bolt’s win undoubtedly brought a sigh of relief to the Fool’s Academy, with cheers echoing continuously.
Although Justin Wayne was the second-year class president of the Knight Academy, he actually ranked third among second years. His defeat didn’t cause much fluctuation in the Knight Academy.
The students of the Knight Academy believed that Wit Gold, with a third-tier mana spirit, could easily defeat the students of the Fool’s Academy without much trouble.
However, today’s matches had ended, leaving the suspense for the next week.
After watching the match with Diana and Rose, Dak did not linger in the dueling arena.
In fact, he himself had two matches tomorrow and needed some time to prepare tonight.
The first duel in the morning was against a third-year student from the Fool’s Academy, considered a warm-up.
The second duel was the real deal, as he faced off against Angus Jeffrey, the former president of the Noble History Research Society!
…
Angus Jeffrey was now a fifth-year student.
Dak had once dueled with him when he was possessed by the “Underworld Fire” and was impressed by his “Ice Emperor” penguin.
Of course, the core of what Angus Jeffrey displayed in that duel was the mana spirit card called “Netherworld Ice Coffin.”
That three-star mana spirit card could summon a seven-star mana spirit—the “Frost Wraith” from his deck!
This combination was overwhelmingly effective against lower-grade students. If he drew “Netherworld Ice Coffin” at the start, he could almost instantly defeat his opponent.
Even if that wasn’t possible, he could use the “Frost Wraith” as a sacrifice to summon a stronger mana spirit.
As for the two “Underworld Steles” created by the “Underworld Fire,” they should have been abandoned.
In short, although Angus Jeffrey hadn’t specialized in dueling in the past, his inherent strength was not weak.
Though unintentional, he happened to fit the essence of “accumulating and bursting forth.” The knowledge and resources he accumulated over four years would surely allow him to make significant progress during this fifth-year semester.
“I hope he brings me some surprises.”
Dak adjusted his deck while pondering.
That night, he drew 2 points from the 92 points of “Greed” he had naturally accumulated and went to bed early to ensure his condition.
Before going to sleep, he casually performed a “Magical Beast” transmutation and a “Secondary Transmutation,” accidentally creating a three-star [Magical Beast: Ditto]!
Thus, his deck now included three three-star [Magical Beasts: Ditto]!
Three [Magical Beasts: Ibut]…
Three [Magical Beasts: Ditto]…
These six mana spirit cards were versatile, suitable for any “Capital Sin” lineup.
And research on “Secondary Transmutation” could finally be put on hold.
…
Saturday morning, frost covered the eaves, icicles hung, and the wind blew harshly and sharply.
After waking up, feeling a slight chill, Dak picked a scarf from his wardrobe and put it on.
“I wonder if it’ll snow this winter.”
Dak walked out to the balcony, looked up slightly, and suddenly saw a small figure. He retreated back inside, sat at his desk, and waited for a moment.
Then the imp beast brought breakfast back.
It placed the basket
After putting it down, it dived into Dak’s arms like diving into water, lying in his warm embrace and rubbing its wingtips.
Dak slightly unbuttoned his coat to wrap it inside, then pulled out a newspaper from the basket and began reading.
As Christmas approached, the newspaper finally had some substantial content.
Prince Charles, Princess Eliza, and the bishops of the Saint Church all seemed to be vying for attention by appearing on the front page of the newspaper.
This year, unlike previous years, The Wise One Daily included many advertisements for the Public Dueling Society.
Backed by Saint Maryann Academy, the Public Dueling Society had officially entered the public eye, with simulation duels gradually becoming popular.
When Dak was chatting across servers with Claire, he heard that many nobles were already deeply engrossed in it.
Some even applied for authorization to host a simulated duel competition during Christmas, directed at Claire.
—Those nobles were usually idle, spending their days either gathering or socializing. Now, having found something interesting, they contributed significantly to the capital city’s security.
Of course, Claire decisively rejected those authorization applications.
However, she was considering whether to have the Public Dueling Society host a special Christmas duel tournament.
Tournaments and prizes have always been the best ways to promote games.
With the sales of related simulated duel products already quite impressive, at least in the capital city, there was a solid fan base, so hosting a tournament wouldn’t lack participants.
But once such a tournament began, it would inevitably be compared to mana duel competitions.
Moreover, the various organizers of mana duel competitions wouldn’t miss the chance to hold events during Christmas. In the capital alone, there were several amateur and professional matches scheduled.
If the Public Dueling Society forcefully inserted itself into this scene, it might face attacks from organizers and fans of mana duel competitions, making the competition pressure not small.
Yet, pressure breeds motivation. To make simulated duels more prominent, one needs the courage to go against the current.
Therefore, Claire had already considered hosting a Christmas duel festival.
…
After finishing breakfast, Dak put all the mana golems into cards one by one. Then he took his alchemy notebook and walked to the Outdoor Duel Arena.
His first match was after nine o’clock in the morning, so he wasn’t in a hurry.
For him, it was just a matter of changing places to read.
But for his opponent, third-year student Lydia Emerson, it wasn’t so easy.
To put it simply, Dak was quite familiar with this year’s third-year students.
Whether it was Senior Sister Mali or Scott, they had some interaction with him.
Additionally, he met many third-year seniors and juniors during his adventures in the dungeon, including Lydia Emerson.
He had slept two nights with Lydia Emerson, and later left the dungeon using Senior Sister Emerson’s gate key; they were quite acquainted.
However, familiarity aside, when it came to dueling, things remained as they were.
Lydia Emerson wasn’t particularly famous among third-year students. After asking two senior sisters in the club, Dak learned that her displayed dueling skills were only slightly above average, similar to the third-year students he had defeated recently.
However, as a student of the Mana Academy, Lydia Emerson’s extensive knowledge gave her the potential for constant transformation.
If underestimated too much, even an unexpected defeat wasn’t impossible.
…
In the ring…
Lydia Emerson wore a scarf and a cotton hat, wrapping herself up tightly.
She sat in her seat, huddled up and watching the ongoing duel, while the voices of the Mana Academy students buzzed around her.
“Alright, enough, I’ll do my best!”
Lydia Emerson couldn’t help but protest, but her voice was still soft and listless.
Since the second day of this week, she knew she was matched with second-year Dak Demon.
Her reaction at the time wasn’t significant.
Although she participated in “The Golden Cup,” she, like most students, registered solely to hone her own abilities, with no aspirations for the top eight or sixteen.
As of today, her record was a fifty-fifty win-loss ratio, slightly better than her classmates but not much.
Given that third-year students were effortlessly defeated by Dak Demon, she didn’t think she could create a miracle.
Therefore, this year, she originally intended to merely go through the motions of the duel and use it as an opportunity to show her presence in front of her younger classmates.
However, her classmates had unrealistic fantasies about her.
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Lydia, you can do it!” said the girl who had been her desk mate for half a year.
“We’re praying for you, right? Anything can happen in a mana duel!” another girl chirped.
Another girl with divination talent mysteriously added, “Maybe in this match, Dak Demon will draw five cards and none will be mana golems?”
“There’s no such possibility,” Lydia Emerson rolled her eyes and said, “Luck seems unpredictable, but anyone who advances far in dueling must have good luck.”
“Then let’s curse!” Another girl winked at her suddenly and said, “I recently discovered a method to make a cursed figurine from a book. Do you want to try it?”
Lydia Emerson: “…”
“Alright.” Lydia Emerson said, “It’s too late now anyway, I need to prepare for my match.”
Saying this, she put her legs down and quickly escaped amidst the background noise.
“For someone who can freely loot treasure chests in the dungeon, luck? Ugh, I really want to make a scarecrow to curse him!”
Lydia Emerson pursed her lips and turned towards the Competitors’ Passage.
…
“Beeep——”
A prompt sounded from the Selection Card.
Dak took it out to check and then closed his book, preparing to enter the arena.
They entered through different passages, with two directions.
Only when they arrived at the designated field did they finally meet.
“Long time no see,” Lydia Emerson raised her hand to her chest and scratched it towards Dak.
Dak smiled in response: “Good afternoon, Senior Sister Emerson.”
Lydia Emerson laughed and said, “I am honored to be your stepping stone on the path to rise.”
Dak was momentarily stunned: “Senior Sister…”
Lydia Emerson blinked rapidly and said, “Alright, I was joking. Next, please guide me.”
Dak replied: “It should be me who seeks guidance from you, Senior Sister.”
Lydia Emerson sighed again: “Well, let’s hope I don’t lose too badly.”
Dak said: “Senior Sister, being afraid before the battle is not good. Besides, I won’t underestimate you just because you pretend to be weak.”
Lydia Emerson wanted to say she was very weak, but she held back and waved her hand: “Time to get ready.”
“Yeah.” Dak nodded and turned his back to Lydia, heading towards the blue side Competitors’ Platform.
And Lydia Emerson stepped onto the red side Competitors’ Platform!
Outside the arena, without amplifiers, speaking casually was fine.
Once the spellboard was activated, every word would be heard by the public, so they needed to be careful with their words.
Students who died of embarrassment due to careless speech were not uncommon.
Lydia Emerson placed her prepared deck into the card slot and activated the spellboard.
On the other side, Dak did the same.
As the projection of the “Standby Phase” appeared above the arena, the spectators who had been discussing stopped their chatter.
In the ring.
Angus Jeffrey brought along Stewart Fane and entered the Dueling Arena.
Angus Jeffrey’s duel with Dak Demon was scheduled for eleven o’clock in the morning.
But since Dak Demon had another duel at nine o’clock, he naturally couldn’t miss it.
And after last week’s duel, Stewart Fane had gained Angus Jeffrey’s attention and was often taken along.
Stewart Fane, although unwilling to be seen closely with Angus Jeffrey due to his recent controversial status, was drawn closer to his goal by Angus Jeffrey’s attention.
Thus, he felt quite conflicted at this moment.
But sometimes, a person has limited choices.
He couldn’t refuse Angus Jeffrey’s invitation, as it would jeopardize his efforts.
As the two sat down, Stewart Fane looked up at the Competitors’ Platform.
He glanced and muttered: “A duel without suspense.”
One was a third-year student whose name he couldn’t recall, a mana golem specialist.
One was a super rookie who had recently defeated him.
The overwhelming strength disparity could make the duel less spectacular.
He didn’t want to waste time on this.
But Angus Jeffrey said, “Don’t be too hasty; patience is something I lacked before, but now I realize its value.”
Stewart Fane nodded slightly in agreement, “Hmm.”
Angus Jeffrey continued, “Dark Demon will undoubtedly win this duel, but based on the order of cards he can draw, we might see some things he hasn’t shown before. These things will provide me with the foundation to defeat him.”
Stewart Fane’s eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn’t help asking, “What’s the winning probability?”
“I never calculate such things,” Angus Jeffrey sneered. “I never thought I’d be so terrifying when I take things seriously. You won’t know how terrifying my progress has been this semester.
Defeating a mere Dark Demon is just the first step; I’ll wash away all past humiliations in today’s duel! Then I’ll set sail for the stars and seas, and you will become my helmsman.”
Stewart Fane: “…”
Can you not involve me?
…
“Beep—”
The referee blew the whistle.
“Standby Phase” [30s]
When the projection in the sky showed a thirty-second countdown for the “Standby Phase.”
Both contestants already had their hands on their decks.
“The battle begins!”
For duelists, there are countless ways to draw cards, but the essence remains the same.
After placing his starting hand in his left hand, Dark Demon looked at the five cards he drew.
These five cards would determine his overall strategy for this duel.
[Bronze Snake Mirror]
[Bliss III Moon]
[Lucky Dice]
[Netherworld Soul Ring]
[Gluttony III]
Dark: “…”
Huh!
It’s finally here?
The compensation after overdraft, the decline period of luck?
Dark looked at the five Mana Spirit Cards in his hand and began to recall the past.
The last time he drew five Mana Spirit Cards without a Mana Spirit Card was probably the last time.
But honestly, given his current deck lineup, drawing these cards wasn’t scary. What was scary was drawing five high-star Mana Spirit Cards that couldn’t be normally summoned—after all, that would leave him with no countermeasures.
If he really encountered such a situation, he could only rely on his操控Mana Guidance Ball for thirty seconds.
Such a start today… was actually okay!
Dark quickly calmed down and took out the “Netherworld Soul Ring” from his hand.
In fact, each of these five cards had significant uses.
The two “Capital Sin Cards,” if not used to promote Mana Spirit evolution, could be used as强化情绪 cards, usually making the opponent’s Mana Spirit lose combat ability in a short time.
But of course, he wouldn’t do that in a regular duel.
If he did, the opponent’s Mana Spirit would gain enlightenment due to the “Capital Sin Card,” exposing his secret.
This wasn’t about gains and losses; it was about exposing such secrets, which would give someone the basis to unravel them, potentially revealing his true secret.
This was a risk he couldn’t afford.
Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t reveal this card!
Apart from the two “Capital Sin Cards,” he also had two control-type Mana Spirit Cards—”Netherworld Soul Ring” and “Bronze Snake Mirror”!
“Netherworld Soul Ring” had full effects on First-tier Mana Spirits but only a brief restraining effect on Second-tier Mana Spirits.
“Bronze Snake Mirror” could petrify Second-tier Mana Spirits on the spot, rendering them useless throughout the entire duel.
With these two cards, he still had room to maneuver.
Moreover, there was the “Lucky Dice” to steady the situation!
“Why not start with the ‘Lucky Dice’?”
Dark suddenly felt a surge of inspiration, realizing this was a rare opportunity.
Without drawing any Mana Spirit Cards, “Netherworld Soul Ring” and “Bronze Snake Mirror” couldn’t be summoned without targets, so he could only start with “Lucky Dice,” right?
“Should I take a gamble?”
“Hopefully, no more banquet skills?”
Dark’s gaze shifted, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
He felt he had grasped another layer of the fun of dueling!
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana…”
The incantation suddenly stopped. Dark realized that items like “Lucky Dice” must be held by Mana Spirits to activate them in duels, just like “Weapon Cards.”
The rules of Mana Duels were very detailed about this aspect.
Similarly, “Bronze Snake Mirror” needed to be equipped on a Mana Spirit to activate.
In other words, he could only use “Netherworld Soul Ring” now!
“This is a bit tricky!”
Dark’s eyebrows subtly furrowed.
…
“In the name of Lydia Emerson, Mana Summon—’Water Elemental Lizard’!”
But at the moment the “Battle Phase” began, Lydia Emerson did not slack off.
She immediately summoned her first Mana Spirit.
It was a pure water elemental in the shape of a lizard, about two meters long, with a single ice-blue core floating inside.
[Card Name: Water Elemental Lizard]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Elemental Species]
[Attribute: Water Attribute]
[Mana: 1700]
[Attack: 1100]
[Defense: 500]
[Ultimate Skills: Water Pool, Melt]
The “Water Elemental Lizard,” with its two ultimate skills, was Lydia Emerson’s得意 work.
She still didn’t know that her classmate’s curse had come true.
The main reason for summoning this Mana Spirit was to lay the groundwork.
“Water Elemental Lizard, transform into a water pool!”
At the instant the command was issued, the “Water Elemental Lizard” reacted.
Its four feet melted into liquid from the bottom, causing its body to sink, spreading a water pool.
The “Elemental Water Pool” spread to a diameter of four or five meters, fully enveloping the “Water Elemental Lizard.”
Only its eyes remained above the surface, and the “Elemental Water Pool” expanded to over ten meters in diameter, slowly spreading!
Natural “Elemental Water Pools” expand as more water elements increase, and the “Water Elemental Lizard’s” ultimate skill likely had the same effect.
Lydia Emerson gave a slight indication, and the “Water Elemental Lizard” extended its tail, quickly dragging the Red Side Mana Guidance Ball into the water!
Although the “Elemental Water Pool” seemed shallow and the surface was crystal clear, leaving the Mana Guidance Ball exposed, the resistance of the water could at least mitigate some damage… hopefully?
Hah…
Dark held the only usable “Netherworld Soul Ring” in his hand, and after a slight frown, he quickly relaxed.
Thirty seconds wasn’t a long time; if he used trash talk tactics, they could drag it out.
But Dark didn’t do that.
He looked at Lydia Emerson’s “Water Elemental Lizard” and even smiled.
If all of Lydia Emerson’s Mana Spirits were like this type of water elemental, that would be great!
Then he just needed to pull the Mana Guidance Ball up into the air, wouldn’t he be invincible?
Of course, this scenario was unrealistic.
Indeed, although puzzled by Dark’s lack of action, Lydia Emerson began to summon her second Mana Spirit.
“In the name of Lydia Emerson, Mana Summon—’Water Elemental Eagle’!”
A water elemental in the shape of an eagle appeared amidst a loud cry.
The thick water element added to the field rapidly expanded the “Elemental Water Pool” on the ground to nearly twenty meters in diameter!
Under Lydia Emerson’s command, the “Water Elemental Eagle” dived sharply towards the Blue Side zone!
…
“Ten seconds!”
Despite the impending crisis, Dark remained calm.
He squinted at the rapidly approaching “Water Elemental Eagle,” calculating the time it would hit the Mana Guidance Ball, then released his Mana powerfully, causing the Mana Guidance Ball to soar into the sky just as it was about to collide!
At that moment, the “Water Elemental Eagle” fell to the ground due to inertia, half of its body turning into liquid, then quickly reforming and charging fiercely toward the Blue Side Mana Guidance Ball!
It was only at this moment that Lydia Emerson realized that Dark’s hand might have no usable cards!
“Opportunity!”
The thought flashed through her mind.
But unfortunately, time was almost up.
The first round was already halfway through!
