The moment Luya saw the card, a surge of safety filled his heart.
[Pot of Greed]
This [Pot of Greed] was an absolute classic!
Whether it was Yugi Muto or Jaden Yuki, both had relied on this card to turn duels around. Truly a god-tier card!
No matter the Deck, you could always toss in a [Pot of Greed].
Its effect was simple: draw two cards, with no drawbacks whatsoever!
It was like the "Unexpected Gains" card in Three Kingdoms Kill—one card becomes two. For Decks needing to draw their core pieces, it sped up everything.
If Hu Tao had run [Pot of Greed] instead of [Terraforming]…
Who knows…
She might have drawn a card to clear Luya's backrow.
In any case, Hu Tao had fallen victim to the information gap. Still, that made her more like an early tutorial boss, perfect for Luya's teaching role.
Without another thought, Luya chose to activate it.
"I activate a Spell Card!"
"[Pot of Greed]!"
Since Hu Tao had no counter cards, the moment he spoke, a dark green pot with a grotesque grin full of yellow teeth appeared before Luya.
The instant it manifested, the crowd burst into chatter…
Hu Tao grimaced in disgust.
"Ugh…"
"Shopkeeper, this card is gross…"
"That ugly green pot is hideous!!!"
"Especially those nasty yellow teeth…"
She mimed gagging, then dramatically vomited a rainbow.
Even Zhongli stood silent…
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Normally an avid collector of antiques and art, Zhongli had refined taste. Yet even he could only remark:
"This pot… is truly unsightly."
Regardless, Luya didn't care about appearances—only utility!
Being able to draw two cards for free was far too good.
To him…
Though everyone sneered at [Pot of Greed] now, one day, everyone would run it.
As the saying goes on Blue Star: "If you bloom, the butterflies will come."
Pot of Greed was just like that. Today, they mocked its ugliness, but in the future, they would call it one of the most beautiful cards!
With its effect activated, two green hands stretched from the pot, pulling two cards from Luya's Deck.
"Effect of [Pot of Greed]!"
"I draw two cards from my Deck!"
The beginners in the audience didn't yet grasp the significance of a +1.
They simply watched him add the cards to his hand.
Luya peeked at them and grinned.
[Monster Reborn]
[Horn of the Unicorn]
"Perfect!"
Seeing [Monster Reborn], Luya knew the next plays might be a little brutal for Hu Tao.
Just as the name suggested, it could revive a monster from the Graveyard. Its artwork matched its effect—a cross inlaid with a radiant ruby, with an almost sacred aura.
[Horn of the Unicorn], by contrast, was simple: a card that boosted a monster's Attack.
As Luya smiled at his haul, Hu Tao sighed and complained:
"So what if you drew two more cards? Don't get so smug! Do you really think you can beat my two Kings of the Skull Servants?!"
"Hmph~ Both have 4500 Attack!"
Ignoring her bravado, Luya pondered how to end the duel without crushing her too harshly—keeping it even.
From the start, he'd had [Mystical Space Typhoon] in hand.
Its effect was straightforward: destroy one Spell or Trap on the field.
Hu Tao's [Wangsheng Funeral Parlor] was a Field Spell, vulnerable to it. Had he blown it away at the start, she'd never have reached 4500 Attack on her Kings.
At most, she would have had two with 2000 Attack.
That said, to give her the thrill of playing, Luya had let her keep it. Now, thinking ahead, he decided—
First, clear her backrow. Even though it was just [Terraforming], he'd play it safe.
What if it had been [Mirror Force]?
That card was infamous—able to wipe out all attacking monsters at once. Terrifying!
Best to eliminate the unknown.
Besides, with no more Skull Servants left in her Deck, her Kings wouldn't gain any further boosts. In fact, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's effect could even help him now.
Resolved, Luya declared:
"I activate [Mystical Space Typhoon]!"
"This card destroys one Spell or Trap on the field!"
Hu Tao panicked.
"Ahhh!!!"
"My Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's going to be destroyed!!!"
"Nooo!"
But Luya's next words made her beam with delight.
"I target your Set card!"
A blue whirlwind tore into Hu Tao's backrow, shattering her Set card and revealing it as [Terraforming].
Luya feigned regret:
"Ah~ it was this card… If only I'd destroyed your Wangsheng Funeral Parlor instead!"
"Hall Master Hu, you really outplayed me!"
Grinning, Hu Tao stuck both thumbs in her ears, wiggled her fingers like elephant ears, and crowed:
"Hahaha! That was a useless card!"
"You fell for this Hall Master's trick, hehe~"
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]