Chapter 42: What the Heck is a Field Spell?
"Go, (Flame Swordsman)! Pulverize that fodder monster with 0 ATK!"
Just as Gorō the Pig-Head played (Flame Swordsman) and was about to declare an attack, Chumley interrupted him.
"You did just say you were going to attack, right?" Chumley flipped over one of his three Set Cards. "Before you attack, I activate the Spell Card, (Mysterious Chinese Pot)! Its effect allows me to Tribute one monster on my Field to gain Life Points equal to its ATK or DEF."
"Heh heh heh, I wonder which unlucky fool is getting Tributed?" Watching Chumley activate the Spell Card, (Ojama Yellow) laughed so hard its eyes squinted shut. From its perspective, Tributing either (Baby Dragon) or (Flying Dragon Warrior) would restore more Life Points than Tributing it.
"I'm Tributing (Ojama Yellow)!"
"Yep, the one being Tributed is—huh? (Ojama Yellow)!?" It didn't register at first, and (Ojama Yellow) even wiggled its butt cheerfully. But it quickly caught on, whipping its head around to stare at Chumley pointing a finger at it with an expression of utter disbelief.
"This monster is just a useless piece of junk with 0 ATK. If it stays on the Field, its fate is to be destroyed by you anyway. I might as well cook it up and eat it."
Chumley ignored (Ojama Yellow)'s cries of "Nooo, Big Bro~!" and mercilessly sent it to the Graveyard, choosing to gain Life Points equal to (Ojama Yellow)'s 1000 DEF.
[Chumley: 2000 LP → 3000 LP]
"So you were just messing with me. In that case, I'll attack your (Baby Dragon)."
Although the game of Duel Monsters didn't have the "Battle Reversal" mechanic at this point in time, because Chumley activated (Mysterious Chinese Pot) before the battle took place, Gorō the Pig-Head was able to re-select the attack target for his (Flame Swordsman). This time, (Baby Dragon) was successfully destroyed by battle.
"My turn en—"
"The moment you try to end your turn, I have a card to activate." Amidst the discussion between Joey and Tristan at the side—"Knew it, it's that card again"—Chumley revealed his Set Card. "(Time Machine)! Thanks to its effect, the destroyed (Baby Dragon) will return to my Field!"
Chumley once again performed his signature 'back and forth' maneuver, putting (Baby Dragon) back on the Field before it even had a chance to get acquainted with (Ojama Yellow) in the Graveyard.
"You're like a persistent ghost! End Turn!"
[Goro: Hand 6→7→6]
Gorō the Pig-Head's mood didn't affect Chumley's plays in the slightest. He drew a card from his Deck. "In my Draw Phase, I'm activating another Set Card."
"Again?!"
"Relax, it's not some absurd effect. With the effect of (Reload), I return my entire hand to my Deck, shuffle it, and then draw the same number of cards." After flipping (Reload) and sending it to the Graveyard, Chumley placed all five cards in his hand back into his Deck. After shuffling several times, he drew five new cards.
"Gorō the Pig-Head, right? To be honest, I'm a pretty introverted guy. I prefer to be passive, even in Duel Monsters." Chumley said nonsensically as he set two cards from his hand onto the Field. "I Set two cards and End my Turn."
[Chumley: Hand 4→5→3]
"Here's a joke: Chumley isn't good at attacking, he's an introvert," Joey quipped. "He must have Set some cards whose effects can only be activated when he's attacked."
An idle comment, but the listener took it to heart.
"My turn, draw!" Gorō the Pig-Head drew a card. He didn't summon a monster right away, instead eyeing the two cards Chumley had just Set. Last turn, he had attacked the monsters on Chumley's Field. While he'd achieved some results, one could also say he'd achieved nothing at all.
Except for that worse-than-fodder (Ojama Yellow) being Tributed and sent to the Graveyard to raise Chumley's Life Points to 3000 LP, his other two monsters were exactly as they were before. Moreover, having to change his attack target, destroying a monster only for it to be immediately summoned back, Chumley's series of plays made Gorō the Pig-Head feel like he was being completely played.
*'I haven't summoned a monster this turn. Should I? If I do, I can clear out all the barriers on that guy's Field in one go.'* Gorō the Pig-Head clutched a card in his hand, hesitating. *'But that blondie over there didn't seem to be lying. This guy might have Set some other weird trap.'*
"I attack that (Baby Dragon) with my (Flame Swordsman) on the Field!" After much hesitation, Gorō the Pig-Head decided not to summon a monster and instead attacked with (Flame Swordsman). Its ATK was more than enough to deal with the current monsters on the Field; there was no need to give his opponent any unnecessary openings. So Gorō the Pig-Head thought.
Then, Chumley made no move, sending his (Baby Dragon) on the Field to the Graveyard.
"He didn't activate his Set Card?!"
Chumley put on a troubled expression. "Oh dear, I wanted to, but the conditions for activation weren't met. Now one of my walls has been destroyed. How vexing."
*Damn it, I was fooled by his bluff!* Glaring resentfully at Joey, who looked on in confusion, Gorō the Pig-Head said, "I end my turn. My hand size is over the limit, so I discard one card."
[Goro: Hand 6→7→6]
"Then it's My Turn."
Drawing a card, Chumley glanced at the monster Goro had discarded—it was a common fodder monster. After confirming it wasn't a Graveyard Effect Card like (Electromagnetic Turtle), Chumley smiled. "Hey Goro, I hear you're a fan of Pegasus. In that case, have you heard about the new card type he's planning to release soon?"
"I activate the Field Spell Card, (Ojama Country)!"
"What? A Field Spell?!" For the first time, a flustered look appeared on Gorō the Pig-Head's face. "Impossible! I've memorized every card produced by Industrial Illusions, and there's definitely no such thing as a 'Field Spell'!"
"Unfortunately for you, Field Spells are very real, and this card in my hand is proof. And soon enough, even more new types of cards will be released." Chumley placed (Ojama Country) in the center of the Field and then activated its effect.
"The first effect of (Ojama Country): While it's on the Field, once per turn, I can send one 'Ojama' card from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon one 'Ojama' monster from my Graveyard."
Revealing an (Ojama Black) in his hand, Chumley revived (Ojama Yellow) from his Graveyard. Then he played another card: "(Dark Factory of Mass Production)! It allows me to add two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll add the (Ojama Black) I just sent to the Graveyard and the previously destroyed (Baby Dragon) to my hand!"
"And now, I activate my previously Set (Polymerization)!"
(end of chapter)