Chapter 318: Planned

The issue of the team leader was set aside; unlike before, the room fell into a long silence.

No one uttered any more foolish remarks like, "Then I'll go grab the first prize."

The last person who said that was Ye Ying, who instantly claimed the seventh spot—and now he's reported to their Serpent God.

The remaining few dared not say they didn't want to come face-to-face with the Serpent God, but if given a choice, they'd rather choose to cherish their lives.

If they had once looked down on this man upon hearing he was a Duel Academy student, that notion had long since vanished.

This man defeated Ye Ying in just a few rounds, using nothing but a bunch of comical black scorpions—there's ample reason to believe he didn't even exert himself.

The duel footage offers little practical reference; the opponent's true cards remain entirely unknown.

Who knows if the next one to step up will be the next Ye Ying?

"No one willing to go? Hmm, then it seems I have no choice."

The black-robed team leader slowly rose from his seat.

Those around him couldn't help but glance over in surprise.

Could it be… the team leader is actually deciding to fight himself?

They had heard the story behind their division's leader.

Before joining Xin Xin Duoma, the leader was once a formidable figure, a rising star in the professional circuit. He won match after match, sweeping forward with unstoppable momentum, and was highly anticipated by the community.

But excessive expectations and praise made him arrogant back then; he came to believe he was invincible, that even the legendary Duelist Kaiba was nothing special. Had he been born a few years earlier, the title of Duel King would have never belonged to Yugi—the Three Sacred Beasts would have changed hands.

This state lasted until the day he got the chance to secretly challenge the legendary Kaiba Seto.

Ace versus ace, tip versus point—a legendary clash between the professional circuit's rising star and the old era's legend.

He had thought it would be exactly that.

But the moment they clashed, he quickly realized his naivety.

There was never any "ace versus ace." If anything, that duel was nothing but an egg smashing against a stone.

He never even saw the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon—he was shattered against XYZ Dragon Cannon.

Since then, the leader's condition plummeted; he began losing even in later professional matches. Eventually, he quit the professional circuit entirely and sank into self-destruction.

Until he met Xin Xin Duoma, where he regained his former state—even surpassing his past strength.

Now, in the underground world, he is revered by dark duelists as "The Necromancer," his real name long forgotten. Every time he strikes, a powerful soul is inevitably harvested.

Everyone held their breath.

Is the Necromancer about to personally take down this boy?

"I have a plan," someone suddenly spoke up.

All eyes turned to him.

The speaker was a member codenamed Black Flame.

"You've all surely heard of the legendary dark duelist Marik from the underground world," Black Flame said gravely. "He once manipulated Cityman Katsuya to fight Yugi, nearly seizing the Duel King title. You know about that, right?"

Several nodded.

"Of course. But so what?"

"Hehe… since we've found this Wang Fujiki You Xuan to be troublesome, why not emulate our predecessor's method?" the black-robed man sneered smugly.

"Oh?"

The Necromancer frowned and asked.

"You mean…?"

"I've already investigated the match records. Wang Fujiki You Xuan didn't come here alone."

The black-robed man continued.

"He brought a classmate from Duel Academy—a close friend, they say. My informant claims Wang Fujiki You Xuan personally petitioned the Kaiba Corporation's review committee to secure this student's entry."

"So it seems they're indeed very close friends," the Necromancer nodded. "If we can control this person, we might indeed replicate Ma Like's earlier method."

Back then, Ma Like brainwashed Cityman Katsuya and forced the corrupted Cityman to gamble his life against Yugi. Cityman, of course, stood no chance against Yugi—but Yugi could never bring himself to truly strike down Cityman to win his freedom.

If you can't guarantee victory over your opponent, make your opponent voluntarily surrender. That's not a bad idea.

As for whether this violates dueling ethics…

After all, everything they do is already hidden from the light. Serving the cult requires no scruples—so long as the Serpent God's will is fulfilled, the means are irrelevant.

"But if Wang Fujiki You Xuan is hard to handle, will his friend be easier?" the Necromancer asked.

"Don't worry. I've looked into it. His name is You Cheng Yucheng Shidai, a student in the Osiris Red Dorm at Duel Academy."

"Red Dorm?" the Necromancer nodded.

He'd heard—apparently, it was the academy's infamous collection of weaklings.

"Exactly. I checked his records—he's at the bottom even within the Red Dorm, completely negligible."

Black Flame confidently patted his chest, declaring the plan foolproof.

"Taking him will be child's play. We capture him first, brainwash him, grant him the power of Orichalcos, and make him activate a barrier to duel Wang Fujiki You Xuan."

"Brilliant idea."

Instantly, his comrades clapped in approval.

"Once brainwashed, he'll attack without mercy, while Fujiki You Xuan, bound by friendship, will be unable to resist—so it's only a matter of time before he's overwhelmed by his best friend's relentless assault."

"Precisely," Black Flame sneered. "And even if the plan fails and we don't win, Fujiki You Xuan will have personally destroyed his friend—leaving behind a powerful darkness in his heart."

"And then…"

"Our cult excels at exploiting inner darkness, using it as a breach to shatter the opponent's defenses."

The Necromancer nodded.

"Correct. Even if he survives this ordeal, his condition will be severely damaged—he'll be able to unleash no more than one-tenth of his true power." Black Flame sneered. "Then when we strike, won't it be effortless?"

"It's a good plan. But I'd like to make a slight modification."

The Necromancer said.

"Since you know Ma Like used Cityman Katsuya against Yugi, you should also know the outcome was failure."

Black Flame pondered: "I don't know the details, but I heard… maybe the Millennium Puzzle broke the mental control?"

"Unclear. But I believe brainwashing isn't the most reliable method—duelists risk awakening their self-awareness mid-duel, like Cityman Katsuya supposedly did."

"Then what do you suggest, my lord?"

"Cut to the chase: directly steal the soul through duel, then control his body to fight." The Necromancer sneered. "That way, no such mishaps can occur."

"My lord is wise!"

"And furthermore, to be absolutely safe this time…"

The Necromancer paused, then a dangerous green glow flickered in his eyes.

"I will strike personally."

"Elemental Hero Wingman, direct attack!" Yucheng Shidai shouted.

"Ughhh!!!"

【Professional bystander, LP 0】

A low-tier professional duelist knelt on the ground, his face twisted in existential doubt.

He lost.

Even as a low-tier professional, he was still a pro—yet he'd lost to a Duel Academy student, and a Red Uniform at that.

He stared blankly up at Yucheng Shidai.

Has the professional level fallen so low that even Duel Academy students now exceed graduation standards?

Yet even after his life points hit zero, Yucheng Shidai didn't stop—he kept pressing the attack.

"Victory! What a thrilling duel!"

Yucheng Shidai struck his classic pose.

The professional clutched his chest, heart writhing in pain.

"Ha! Dueling's the best! Competitions are the best!"

Yucheng Shidai, victorious, stretched lazily as he walked out.

"I wonder how Fujiki You Xuan and Caesar are doing…"

He shook his head and slapped his own cheek hard.

"Alright, I can't lose either. Let's find the next opponent! Duelist, duelist—where are all the duelists…?"

A sinister voice echoed from behind him at that moment.

"You're… You Cheng Yucheng Shidai, right?"

This interlude was short, but tomorrow's update will be explosive.



(End of Chapter)