Chapter 696 “Request for Subscription” Dark Demon Dak Demont – Black Erosion (8k)
This duel was filled with unexpected turns.
But the ultimate result seemed almost expected.
Lydia Emm had once had a chance; that was when she was closest to victory.
But whether it was regret or disappointment, the outcome of this duel had already been decided.
The frozen mana guidance ball could no longer escape, and the duel’s end depended solely on whether the 【Magical Beast: Eevee (Ice)】 wanted to shatter its life barrier.
…
“Beep—”
The referee finally blew the whistle.
【Magical Beast: Eevee (Ice)】 did not delay, attacking the red side’s mana guidance ball’s life barrier immediately after successfully freezing it.
Subsequently, the red side’s life barrier shattered, and the referee declared Dak Demont the winner!
It wasn’t until the match ended and the audience stopped cheering that they suddenly realized what might have happened at the beginning of the duel.
Thus, some murmurs began to quietly arise amidst the applause.
Drawing a ghost card at the start isn’t anything new for any duelists who frequently perform on stage.
While duelists try to minimize such occurrences by coordinating their decks during the construction phase, including too many high-star Mana Spirit Cards or unlinked spells, props, and secret rite cards inevitably leads to such situations.
However, this probability is extremely low, and neither the duelist nor their opponent can anticipate it.
This means that as long as the duelist remains calm when drawing a ghost card, they can buy some time at the beginning—because the opponent may not react either.
Dak Demont faced exactly this situation.
Of course, some aggressive duelists might attack aggressively at the start if they lack countermeasures, and they’d just have to accept their fate.
Therefore, there has always been a saying in the dueling circle: No duelist is ever invincible!
…
Lydia Emmson let out a quiet breath after putting away her mana cards.
Regardless of the outcome, the duel had finally come to an end.
Facing someone much stronger in strength is truly overwhelming.
She actually admired how Dak could remain composed even when facing seniors.
In terms of both skill and mental fortitude, this lower-year student surpassed her significantly.
At this moment, as a magnanimous senior, she should bless him.
Lydia Emmson softly said, “You’re indeed better than me, junior.”
Dak organized his mana cards and responded, “No, honestly, I nearly lost.”
Lydia Emmson said, “If you say that, I feel even sadder!”
Dak replied, “Haha.”
Lydia Emmson then smiled and said, “I really hope to see you continue to triumph. Have you thought about winning the ‘Golden Cup’?”
“Uh…” Dak.
“Alright, let’s talk about something else.” Lydia Emmson’s lips curled slightly, “If we get the chance, let’s team up again in the dungeon.”
Dak responded, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Such an official response is certainly not cute at all.
Lydia Emmson clicked her tongue and waved, stepping down from the competitors’ platform.
The competitors’ platform is indeed not a good place for chatting; any inappropriate remarks could be magnified at special times.
Many duelists have ruined their reputations by making mistakes on the platform.
And Dak also descended from the platform afterward.
But he didn’t leave the dueling arena—because he still had another duel ahead!
At eleven o’clock, he was set to face the fifth-year student—Angus Jeffrey!
…
Angus Jeffrey was still pondering.
He crossed his fingers and rested his chin on his hands, squinting in thought, seemingly considering how to break Dak’s system and defeat him—this should have been a very normal scenario.
But Stewart Fane, sitting beside him, sensed a hint of something eerie.
He frowned, looking at Angus Jeffrey’s profile, vaguely seeing a trace of blackness around him, which made him feel uneasy.
If he and Angus Jeffrey were truly close friends, he would be concerned about his health, reminding him not to let the upcoming duel pressure him too much, as losing his health would mean everything else falls apart. But he couldn’t possibly have a genuine close relationship with Angus Jeffrey.
Therefore, he just frowned slightly and paid no more attention.
…
Exiting the dueling arena, Dak arrived at the competitor’s rest area.
He specifically chose an empty rest room and started replenishing the mana for his mana cards.
Once the mana replenishment was done, he took out his alchemy class notes and continued studying.
Life is limited, and only by seizing time from the cracks can one surpass others in the race against time.
【Greed +1】
“Good!”
Of course, Dak wasn’t really racing against time.
He just needed to find something to do tonight, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to extract the “Capital Sin.”
So he went along with it.
Although so, with his current control, increasing greed isn’t as easy as before, proving his thirst for knowledge has unknowingly surpassed ordinary people.
Human behavior has self-corrective properties.
Habit formation is based on this principle.
Maintaining a certain behavior for a long time forms habits, thus changing one’s nature.
Dak Demont is undoubtedly changing for the better.
…
Nearly two hours of interval time.
As eleven o’clock approached, more students entered the outdoor dueling arena, with the majority being students from the noble academy of various grades.
Generally, most students were interested in Dak Demont, especially his rematch against a fifth-year student.
For the students of the noble academy, Dak Demont’s opponent in this round was the reason they came to watch the duel.
Angus Jeffrey, though retired from the stage, still had lingering influence.
And now, with Dak Demont continually defeating upperclassmen in the “Golden Cup,” the reasons for Angus Jeffrey becoming a laughingstock have gradually faded.
Even though Angus Jeffrey’s downfall was truly due to the current club president Edwin Clarissa taking over, the catalyst was his humiliating defeat in the duel against Dak Demont.
This was the main reason he became a laughingstock.
After all, Dak Demont was merely a first-year student who had just completed one year of studies.
A fourth-year student boasting excellence losing to a first-year student was indeed embarrassing.
But what if the first-year student was simply too powerful?
Perhaps it wasn’t that Angus Jeffrey was weak, but that Dak Demont was too strong?
The journey of the “Golden Cup” seems to be validating this claim.
If Dak Demont continues to triumph as Lydia Emmson said, even fifth-year students cannot stop his winning streak—then Angus Jeffrey’s rehabilitation would be imminent.
Though this kind of rehabilitation might not be acceptable to him personally, it is a possible outcome.
However, Angus Jeffrey did not wait for his rehabilitation; he challenged Dak Demont!
Is this a turning point or a reckless move?
What changes would he bring if he somehow won this duel?
If he suffered another crushing defeat, how would it affect his reputation?
Would he be labeled as “overambitious” besides being a “laughable weakling”?
What does Angus Jeffrey think?
The students of the noble academy are eager to witness this.
…
“What will be the final result?”
The current president of the noble history research club, Edwin Clarissa, lounged lazily in a chair, his hands casually resting on the armrests.
He was not worried about whether Angus Jeffrey could make a comeback.
Because the nature of the noble history research club dictated that when he wanted to be president, Angus Jeffrey would have to step aside!
Even if Angus Jeffrey unexpectedly won this duel, it wouldn’t pose a threat to him.
The most he could do was leverage this victory to establish a separate faction!
“Being in the fifth year, only a year and a half left until graduation. It’s time to consider my future career prospects.”
Edwin Clarissa speculated quietly.
In the event of graduation, Angus Jeffrey’s ZZ value would become extremely low.
Even with his father, a senator, supporting him behind the scenes, he wouldn’t attract many capable and influential followers.
Perhaps this is why Angus Jeffrey didn’t wait for redemption but chose to challenge actively?
Today’s duel should be a very important turning point in Angus Jeffrey’s life.
…
The second-year students of the Noble Academy mostly watched with the mindset of supporting their classmates.
Dark Demon vs Angus Jeffrey, there’s no need to say who they support, right?
However, since the other party is an upperclassman, they couldn’t show too much enthusiasm, so they just cheered verbally.
Tudor and Pistons were sitting together, discussing quietly, and Tudor was relatively relaxed.
Perhaps because Pistons was eliminated on the first day of the “Silver Cup” finals, the two had a bit of a kindred spirit.
“I heard that Dark didn’t draw the Mana Spirit Card during his duel with the third-year senior girl?”
“It seems so, maybe his luck isn’t good today?” Tudor speculated.
Pistons said, “After misfortune comes fortune. One’s luck won’t always be bad. Maybe Dark will get a lucky draw in his duel against Angus Jeffrey?”
“Let’s hope so.” Tudor nodded, “Although losing to a fifth-year senior is normal, I still don’t want him to lose.”
Pistons also nodded, “I really hope he can keep winning. Then our class could become legendary.”
Tudor shook his head, “That’s too hard. Unless Dark quits midway like in the ‘Silver Cup’, otherwise later on… if he makes it to the main round, he’ll face fifth and sixth-year opponents. Even if he’s strong, compared to those seniors, he still has a gap.”
Pistons said, “It’s true what you say, but we always hope for miracles. Maybe just like Dark this morning, those seniors also got unlucky when dueling him?”
“Oh, let’s continue discussing Senior Jeffrey.” Tudor said.
Pistons nodded, suddenly saying, “Come to think of it, does Senior Jeffrey have a grudge against Dark?”
Tudor asked in confusion, “Why do you think so?”
Pistons said mysteriously, “I heard that Senior Jeffrey was kicked out as president precisely because he lost to Dark in a duel!”
Tudor shook his head, “Though that’s true, winning and losing are common. Besides, that time was a normal public duel. Senior Jeffrey wouldn’t be so petty, right?”
Pistons shrugged, smiling wryly, “Maybe? Otherwise, why would he challenge Dark?”
Tudor said, “He wants to win back. One day, I will challenge Dark again!”
Pistons laughed and shook his head.
Though he didn’t believe Tudor could surpass Dark, challenging someone stronger was also a form of courage.
At that time, he would definitely support Tudor.
Then he added, “If you put it that way, Senior Jeffrey must be challenging with the intention to win. So Dark’s match might be difficult?”
Tudor said, “Senior Jeffrey has abundant resources. It’s not impossible for him to make rapid progress in this period.”
Pistons said, “Difficult.”
Suddenly, Tudor’s eyes lit up, “Look, Dark is on stage!”
Behind him, Diana’s energetic cheers echoed!
↖（^ω^）↗↖（^ω^）↗
…
As soon as Dark stepped out of the competitors’ passage, he faintly heard Diana’s voice.
He closed his book and smiled over, indeed seeing Diana waving her sign energetically.
Then he turned back, striding forward.
As he approached the field, Angus Jeffrey was already approaching from the other side.
The two walked towards each other, their gazes colliding.
Dark frowned abruptly, sensing malice from Angus Jeffrey’s eyes!
Thus, when he reached the competitor platform, he couldn’t help but stop.
Similarly, Angus Jeffrey also stopped short under the platform.
They did not follow the pre-duel etiquette of shaking hands in the center of the field.
Angus Jeffrey, standing below the blue side platform, gave Dark a slight sneer before quickly turning and stepping onto the tier.
“It seems he doesn’t wish for a friendly encounter.”
Dark shook his head and walked up the red side platform’s tier.
It seemed the loss of memory hadn’t made Angus Jeffrey any more amiable.
But if it were the previous him, even if he wore a false mask, he would at least maintain superficial courtesy.
“Seems his approach has changed, but at least he’s become more straightforward, hasn’t he?”
Reaching the red side platform, Dark placed his book on the corner of the spellboard, drew his deck from his mana card deck, inserted it into the slot, infused mana to activate the spellboard.
Then he slightly raised his head, his gaze becoming slightly solemn as he looked across.
“Since that’s the case, let me see how troublesome the changed Angus Jeffrey has become!”
…
Angus Jeffrey had also activated the spellboard. Originally, he planned to say a few words to Dark during the standby phase to savor the sweet fruits of victory after the duel.
But Dark inadvertently revealed his trump card during the duel with Lydia Emerson, making him realize his chances of winning weren’t as great as expected.
It wasn’t that he lacked ways to deal with the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon, but he suddenly found that despite all the probing, he still hadn’t fully uncovered Dark Demon’s hidden cards.
He couldn’t determine what kind of hidden cards Dark might still have?
Unless Dark encountered a ghost draw in their duel…
But he certainly couldn’t rely on such luck.
What he needed was a fair and square victory, not a侥幸win!
…
Thinking of this, Angus Jeffrey suddenly looked up, a thought flashed through his mind, making his thinking more aggressive.
“So what if he still has many hidden cards? Every one of my Mana Cards is a hidden card to him!”
His eyes lit up with confidence, he forcefully inserted his deck into the slot!
Shuffle!
…
The spellboard activated, automatically shuffling the cards.
The referee blew his whistle, reminding both duelists to prepare quickly.
The spectators outside also ceased their chatter, focusing intently on the impending match.
The upperclassmen of the Noble Academy were surprised by this scene: “Angus Jeffrey actually held back?”
What exactly made someone who usually talks more than anyone else now act this way?
Stewart Fane, sitting alone in his seat, furrowed his brows deeper.
He didn’t care whether Angus Jeffrey could win, but if Angus Jeffrey lost to Dark Demon again in this duel, he would have to consider how to deal with Angus Jeffrey’s anger.
“What a hassle…”
Stewart Fane half-closed his eyes, looking increasingly grim.
…
During the “Standby Phase,” the two duelists exchanged no words.
Even the audience, who knew nothing about what happened between them, sensed the tension.
But the love-hate dynamics between duelists were the seasoning for the audience watching the match.
With the gossip heart burning fiercely, the atmosphere in the spectator area became even more heated.
And this duel between second-year and fifth-year students began under such an atmosphere!
[Standby Phase] [30s]
When the projection above the field displayed the thirty-second countdown for the “Standby Phase,” the atmosphere instantly became tense to the limit.
Both duelists drew their starting hands simultaneously.
Dark Demon stood on the red side platform, his expression more serious than when he dueled Lydia Emerson.
His mana surged, his thoughts accelerated, and he immediately examined the five cards in his hand.
There could only be one outcome for this duel!
[Mewtwo]
[Trash Slime]
[Gluttony III]
[Solo Sword Sheath – Weapon Form]
[Bliss III Moon]
“Gluttony III… Trash Slime and Solo Sword Sheath…”
“Looks like Lady Luck has reopened her eyes.”
Dark picked up “Solo Sword Sheath” from his hand first.
Among these five cards, “Trash Slime” and “Solo Sword Sheath” could both use “Gluttony III” to evolve.
Choosing which Mana Spirit to evolve would lead to two completely different paths.
If he chose “Solo Sword Sheath,” he couldn’t offer it as a sacrifice after evolving it into “Double Sword Sheath.”
So, in the first round, he could only
Based on the “Solo Sword Sheath,” he engaged in a standoff with Angus Jeffrey.
However, although the “Solo Sword Sheath” was a six-star Mana Spirit, it only had five-star Attack and Defense. Apart from being able to split into two, it was fundamentally no different from the “Dual Sword Sheaths.”
On the other hand, if the “Trash Slime” were to evolve, it could obtain the sacrifice needed to summon “Mewtwo”!
Although “Mewtwo’s” offensive capabilities were slightly lacking, it possessed the means to stand firm, making it a slightly conservative but more stable choice.
Moreover, it was a genuine seven-star Mana Spirit!
Regardless of which choice he made, he first needed to summon the “Solo Sword Sheath.”
Since Angus Jeffrey had clearly targeted him, he must have conducted an in-depth study of his tactical system.
If he were to summon the “Trash Slime” first, there would be a very high probability of being instantly killed!
With this thought in mind, Dark raised his head slightly and looked towards the opposite side at Angus Jeffrey.
Angus Jeffrey’s hair was somewhat messy, with deep-set eyes and very noticeable dark circles. His face appeared much thinner, causing his cheekbones to protrude, making him look even more sinister.
—This was a sign of excessive lack of sleep.
At this moment, he tightly stared at the five cards in his hand, his expression gloomy, but not like when he drew a Joker card.
“Battle Phase” [30s]
“Tick!”
The moment the turn switched to the “Battle Phase,” Angus Jeffrey suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed on Dark, while his lips moved rapidly.
If he didn’t know that he was performing a Normal Summon, his appearance would seem more like he was cursing.
“In the name of Angus Jeffrey, Mana Summon — ‘Spawn Mother Spider!'”
“In the name of Dark Demmon, Mana Summon — ‘Solo Sword Sheath: Weapon Form!'”
Three seconds limit.
Above the summoning zones of both hands, summoning lights simultaneously illuminated.
“Clang!”
The “Solo Sword Sheath” in its weapon form began to “Elementalize” the moment it was summoned.
The three-star Mana Spirit summoned by Angus Jeffrey — “Spawn Mother Spider” — did not possess the ultimate skill for instant-killing from a distance.
But Dark certainly wasn’t thinking about what it would be like if he had summoned the “Trash Slime” at the beginning.
The moment he saw the “Spawn Mother Spider,” he decisively issued the command: “Solo Sword Sheath, Sword Dance, Cut!”
The ribbon-like tentacles of the “Solo Sword Sheath” immediately grabbed its sheath, then “drew the sword”!
Afterward, it lightly vibrated its blade, emitting a buzzing sound as it shot out like lightning!
During its accelerated flight, its aura soared, rising continuously. The vortex created by the “Sword Dance” wrapped around the blade like a hurricane, increasing its attack power.
Since Angus Jeffrey’s starting Mana Spirit was not of the aggressive type, he chose to go on the offensive!
Dark hesitated not at all in changing his strategy from defense to offense.
Although he was seeing the Mana Spirit named “Spawn Mother Spider” for the first time,
the distinctive features of its body made it easy to guess its purpose without needing any prior knowledge.
[Card Name: Spawn Mother Spider]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Insect Type]
[Attribute: Bug Attribute]
[Magic Power: 2000]
[Attack: 1000]
[Defense: 900]
[Ultimate Skills: Web, Bug Suction, Hatch]
Although spiders are not classified as insects in some places, in this world they are categorized under the insect race.
The “Spawn Mother Spider” is huge, nearly two meters long, with one and a half meters of its length occupied by its abdomen.
Its abdomen is abnormally large, adorned with a ring of spiky black patterns with a blood-red base.
Its eight legs resemble sickles with serrations.
This means that while it serves as a “mother,” it also has a certain degree of offensive capability.
However, its defensive capability is indeed fragile, with only 900 points of defense.
Moreover, its bulky abdomen makes it almost immobile, relying on a three-dimensional web to change positions.
But in a flat dueling arena, even if it spreads webs everywhere, there are no anchor points to secure the lines.
However, the “Spawn Mother Spider” does have attack skills.
But Steel-type Mana Spirits have damage reduction against Bug-type ultimate skills, so its only offensive ultimate skill, “Bug Suction,” is ineffective against the “Solo Sword Sheath.”
The core ultimate skill of the “Spawn Mother Spider” is “Hatch,” capable of hatching one-star or two-star “Baby Spiders” like the “Greed Slime II,” and using them as sacrifices for sacrificial summoning.
Therefore, after guessing the type of the “Spawn Mother Spider,” Dark decisively adopted a decapitation strategy.
However, the 120-meter-long battlefield was not within immediate reach. Although the “Solo Sword Sheath” accelerated to a rapid speed, it still couldn’t finish it off instantly.
The “Spawn Mother Spider” suddenly spat layer upon layer of “webs” into the air.
These webs were not particularly resilient but were extremely sticky.
The hurricane of wind tore through many of the webs, but as the “Solo Sword Sheath’s” momentum was impeded, more webs were sprayed out, adhering to its body like glue, further slowing it down.
Before the “Solo Sword Sheath” could strike, it had already hatched its first two-star “Baby Spider.”
On the blue competitor platform, Angus Jeffrey quickly summoned the second Mana Card!
“In the name of Angus Jeffrey, Mana Summon — ‘Dark Cell Bug!'”
A dark light flashed, and a Mana Spirit resembling a balloon materialized above the blue summoning zone.
The “Dark Cell Bug” is nearly a meter in diameter, with rough, spiky skin, two faces and two mouths, and soft-tube-like antennae on its head.
Without waiting for Angus Jeffrey’s command, the “Dark Cell Bug” opened one of its mouths after sensing the stimulation from the “Holy Sword,” and then sprayed murky, foul-smelling black water at the “Solo Sword Sheath” entangled in the web!
The “Solo Sword Sheath” drenched in the black water emitted a “sizzle” sound, as if burning, and white smoke rose.
The “Sword Dance” aura was completely shattered!
Even the state of the “Solo Sword Sheath” significantly declined!
“Huh.”
A cold sneer escaped Angus Jeffrey’s mouth, followed by a loud statement: “Continue hatching, Spawn Mother Spider! Dark Cell Bug, use ‘Corruption!'”
The “Spawn Mother Spider” on the ground remained motionless, with one-star or two-star “Baby Spiders” constantly emerging from its abdomen.
The “Dark Cell Bug” in the sky extended its two antennae after spraying the black water, tightly wrapping around the weakened “Solo Sword Sheath.”
The previously invincible “Holy Sword” was now suppressed by a mere insect!
…
“A dark substance that can corrupt the Holy Sword?”
On the red competitor platform, Dark frowned.
He had already summoned the “Trash Slime,” but his “Greed III” had yet to activate.
The Mana Card of the “Solo Sword Sheath” continuously conveyed a sense of agitation, with magic power draining at an extremely fast rate!
If he were to now use the “Greed III” on the “Solo Sword Sheath,” it might be possible to dispel the negative status with the power of the “Greed III” and evolution.
But what he saw now indicated that Angus Jeffrey had clearly prepared something to counter the “Holy Sword.” Even if he evolved the “Solo Sword Sheath” into the “Dual Sword Sheaths,” it would likely not be effective.
“In the name of Dark Demmon, Mana Summon — ‘Greed Slime II!'”
Hesitation leads to defeat.
Dark decisively abandoned the “Solo Sword Sheath” and seized the time the “Solo Sword Sheath” had bought to use the “Greed III” on the “Trash Slime”!
As the “Trash Slime” swelled under the light of the “Greed III,” the countdown for “Battle Phase (1)” entered single digits.
Dark was unsure if the “Solo Sword Sheath” could hold on, but he decisively initiated the sacrificial summoning just before the end of the first round!
“One star ‘Trash Slime,’ one two-star ‘Greed Slime I,’ and one four-star ‘Greed Slime II.’ Using these three Mana Spirits as sacrifices, I summon — ‘Mewtwo’!”
The “Greed Slime II” split into three “Trash Slimes” and two “Greed Slimes I” during this period, consuming a total of 1400 magic power, leaving 1600 magic power, just enough to ensure the success rate of the sacrificial summoning.
After the sacrificial summoning, two “Trash Slimes” and one “Greed Slime I” remained in the red summoning zone.
At this moment, the massive sacrificial summoning array floated in mid-air.
Amidst the dazzling light, the charming and adorable seven-star Mana Spirit — “Mewtwo” — smoothly appeared!
