Chapter 70: Dark Game
As Hayato pursued Ryo Bakura, whom he had spotted in the crowd during a duel at the Duel Arena, guided by the Card Spirits he had dispatched earlier, he checked the updated System.
[System patch loaded, Spirit Power sent, Mind Barrier loaded]
[Current Duelist environment detected, DP acquisition rules modified, welcome to continue using this System]
["Dark Game" Module unlocked, each activation costs 500 DP, please explore details on your own]
Hayato first accepted the "Spirit Power." While no strange phenomena, such as "black sludge oozing from his pores," manifested on his body, his mind felt much clearer. His Card Spirits, including (Rainbow Kuriboh), also reported their bodies had become much stronger, even gaining the initial ability to materialize.
The existence of Card Spirits can roughly be divided into three stages: In the first stage, they can only be seen and communicated with by specific individuals, but cannot interact with ordinary external objects; in the second stage, they possess simple materialization abilities, can still only be seen by specific individuals, but gain the ability to interact with the outside world; in the third stage, they can fully materialize in the human world and independently use their true powers.
Previously, Hayato's Card Spirits were all in the first stage. However, after receiving this System patch Reward, (Gaia) and (Rainbow Kuriboh) both simultaneously ascended to the second stage, beginning to possess the ability to affect reality. Although the (Ojama) brothers were still in the first stage, they were much freer than before, even able to leave the cards they resided in for extremely long distances. This is how Hayato had them track Ryo Bakura.
Hayato couldn't test "Mind Barrier" by himself. The newly unlocked "Dark Game" function required spending his already limited DP, and being a miser, he was utterly unwilling to experiment with it. Thus, the only thing left for him to check was the modified DP acquisition rules.
After only a few glances, he already felt like cursing.
According to the System, although Hayato's current Dueling strength hadn't yet reached the "Sai Q Duelist" level that the System wanted to help him achieve, with the responsiveness of the Monsters in his Deck, he had essentially surpassed the majority of Duelists. Therefore, the System intended to nerf him—or rather, weaken his DP acquisition.
Originally, even losing a Duel guaranteed 1000 DP. Now, winning each Duel only granted 100 DP, though bonus points for special conditions like using Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or reversal plays were retained. Moreover, the System also added an ability to "randomly drop Cards based on the Target Duelist."
For example, if Hayato Dueled Kaiba, there was a certain chance to drop Cards like *Enemy Controller*, *Kaiser Sea Horse*, or even *Blue-Eyes White Dragon*. If he Dueled Yugi, there was a chance to obtain Cards like *Dark Magician*, *Dark Magician Girl*, regardless of victory or defeat.
Hayato felt this System was becoming more and more like a certain Mobile Game.
Furthermore, a special function had been added to the [Shop]: the [Archetype] section. Hayato could now draw related cards based on Archetypes. Although it was limited to Archetypes Hayato had already unlocked, he felt that drawing cards was more suitable for him than buying those [Basic Card Packs], which were no different from scam packs.
Hayato's current 10,000 DP hadn't diminished due to the System's DP rule update, so naturally, the prices of Cards in the [Shop] hadn't either. Taking a rough look, the Archetypes Hayato had currently unlocked included (Gaia), (Ojama), (Noble Knight), (Goblin), (Spirit), and (Kuriboh).
Watching Ryo Bakura on the opposite side, who had mimicked him by donning a System-simulated Duel Disk and placing his Deck into it, Hayato snapped his fingers. A Counter appeared above each of their heads, with both numbers stopping at 4000 points.
Another Coin, imprinted with the Eye of Udjat, appeared out of thin air between the two. Hayato pointed, "Come on, choose which side faces up!"
Ryo Bakura thought for a moment: "The front isn't really suitable for me. I'll choose the blank back."
"Then I choose the front, the Eye of Udjat."
The Coin tossed itself into the air untouched. It fell from the sky, spun a few times on the ground, then landed, revealing the front side, imprinted with the Eye of Udjat.
Seeing this, Hayato drew five cards to his hand, then drew an additional card: "Then the first turn is mine. My turn, draw!"
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 6]
Dueling Ryo Bakura, Hayato's Trump Card was the "Dark Game" function that the System had just unlocked. Although he hadn't yet experienced its actual effects, for now, it seemed the System's "Dark Game" could even forcibly activate despite Ryo Bakura's Dark Power, so its effect shouldn't be too shabby.
Moreover, in this System version of the "Dark Game," Hayato gained a certain degree of "wish-fulfillment" ability. The Duel Arena, Life Points counter, and even the Coin that decided the first or second turn were all "manifested" by him. Not just manifestation, Hayato even slightly modified the ground, transforming it from a tree-lined path into a flat concrete surface.
Unfortunately, these abilities were limited to outside the Duel. In the instant he drew, Hayato had actually been hoping for a Heart of the Cards Card Printing of a Hand full of *Cyber Dragon*s, but he still ended up drawing the same old cards from his Deck.
"I Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position on my Field, then Set a Card. My Turn ends." Because it was a Dark Game, the decrease in Life Points also meant the Duelist himself would take real damage. Hayato's first Turn ended his turn cautiously, without resorting to flashy plays as he used to.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 4]
[Face-down Monster]
[Set Card]
"My Turn, Draw."
Bakura glanced at the Card he Drew, then smirked at Hayato. "Since you also possess the ability to activate a Dark Game, there's no need to explain the Game's Rules, is there? The Monster I'm Summoning is this one, *Newt*."
[*Newt* [Level 4/Wind]]
[Fiend-Type/Effect]
[1900/100]
"Let my powerful Fiend wreak havoc on you, Hayato! *Newt* Attack that Set Monster!"
The blue-faced puppet Fiend, wielding a large axe, performed a leaping slash towards Hayato's Set Monster. That monster in Face-down Defense Position was easily pulverized and Sent to the Graveyard. But before Bakura could even gloat, Hayato spoke:
"The Monster you Destroyed was *Newt*! Because of its Effect, the ATK and DEF of the *Newt* on your Field will decrease by 500 points."
"What?!"
Under Bakura's disbelieving gaze, a phantom image emerged from Hayato's pulverized Set Card, looking identical to the *Newt* on Bakura's Field. The phantom *Newt* directly possessed Bakura's *Newt*, causing its base stats to begin decreasing.
[*Newt*]
[ATK 1900 → 1400] [DEF 100 → 0]
"You! You Summoned the same Monster as me?!" Bakura cautiously glared at the smiling Hayato. "Could it be that you already obtained the Millennium Eye from Pegasus ahead of me!?"
"Who knows?" Hayato thought to himself that it was truly just a coincidence that he had drawn a *Newt* and Ryo Bakura had also Summoned a *Newt*, but he didn't say that out loud. "Perhaps I also took a liking to the Millennium Items' effect of opening the Underworld's gate, so I forcibly dug the Millennium Eye out of Pegasus's eye."
(end of chapter)