Heh. You dare lay a hand on Ye? Do you think I'd just stand by and watch?
At that moment, Mu Ning—who had been silent the entire time—spoke, her voice laced with cold fury.
She wasn't just any spirit; she was a high-ranked Duel Spirit, and one bound to the powerful Runick archetype. To her, most Earth-Rank Duelists were nothing but appetizers. Only Heaven-Rank Duelists could even hope to be her equals.
With her protecting You Ye, she couldn't imagine anyone in Hang City posing a real threat.
"Mu Ning, you're powerful, yes," Luo Hao replied slowly, a hint of unease flickering in his eyes, "but you're still a spirit. And as for Senior You Ye… he's only just completed the human Duelist certification. This world runs on more than just dueling power — there are… deeper layers to consider."
You Ye didn't flinch. He had expected this conversation.
The way the factions in this world hoarded cards, the way Luo Hao had acted earlier—it all pointed to one thing: this world valued personal and family interests far more than any sense of justice.
Sacrifice for others? What a joke.
People like Wang Cheng or Luo Hao only helped with rule enforcement and illegal duelist arrests because the system required them to. Nothing more.
In his own experience, the path from Yellow Rank to Mystic Rank (玄级) required:
Reaching Platinum in Master Duel,
Completing the "Wheelchair Tearlaments" field, and
Winning a city-level championship.
If not for the system's demands, he wouldn't have bothered with half of that nonsense.
So yes, he understood exactly how this world worked — everyone operated for self-interest.
And when people or factions couldn't get what they wanted from you through normal means, what did they do?
Simple.
Zero-cost acquisition.
"Don't worry, I get it," You Ye said with a calm nod. "By the way, do you know which nearby city has a duel tournament coming up?"
"A city-level tournament?" Wang Cheng's eyes lit up instantly. "Hang City itself is hosting one. It's already down to the top 32. If you want in, I can authorize one of our Bureau's semifinal slots for you — you'd start straight from the semifinals."
As a seasoned Earth-Rank Duelist, he immediately understood what You Ye was planning. And an opportunity to earn goodwill from someone like You Ye? He wasn't going to pass that up.
"That's a big help," You Ye smiled. "And Wang Cheng—if you ever want to obtain generic power cards like Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence, I'll grant you one free chance to commune with their spirits."
"Ah… thank you."
Wang Cheng's smile froze for a moment before turning into a helpless grin.
You Ye might look young, but he was sharp — impossible to manipulate, impossible to recruit.
"Senior, Director Luo, Bureau Chief Wang — I've brought the card catalog!"
Chang Xingge's cheerful voice rang from outside the door.
"Come in," Luo Hao said.
She entered, visibly excited, and handed her tablet straight to You Ye.
He accepted it without hesitation.
Two hours later, You Ye leaned back, genuine surprise glimmering in his eyes.
The Duel Association truly lived up to its reputation as a world-class organization. Even a single branch like Hang City's had a card catalog far broader than the Bai Family's.
Ten archetypes had complete card sets.
More than twenty had over half their lineup available.
And scattered standalone cards? Too many to count.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single one that truly synergized with Tearlaments.
"Alright," he finally said, "besides the Verte Anaconda I mentioned earlier, I want these eight:
Dark Magician, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Red-Eyes Fusion, Ceasefire, Card of Demise, The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode, Coral Dragon, and Stardust Charge Warrior.
No problem?"
These additions would make his Runick deck exponentially stronger.
Its setup speed and combo consistency would skyrocket.
And if his Spring of Runick ever got banished, he could still summon Red-Eyes Dragoon and fight on equal terms — especially with Little Night and Floral Runick backing him up.
"Of course not," Luo Hao chuckled. He was curious why You Ye wanted those Red-Eyes cards, but smart enough not to ask.
The rest — apart from Ceasefire, whose effect he didn't recall — he understood.
The Sphere Mode, for instance, was an excellent board-breaker.
After that, the group had lunch together, and Chang Xingge drove You Ye back to his card shop.
Back in his shop, Mu Ning, who had been unusually quiet all day, finally spoke with a worried tone:
"Ye… giving away the Drytron build like that — aren't you worried? That deck could become a real threat to us."
"It's fine," You Ye smiled. "That deck doesn't just work for Drytron. The Herald archetype can use it too — even ordinary duelists could, though at a higher cost."
"Two-card combos, five negates without needing Herald of Ultimateness — it's a solid structure," he continued, gently patting her silky hair.
"But…" Mu Ning began, still uneasy.
Before she could finish, You Ye handed her a golden card — a Level 4 Rock-type Spirit Monster.
"Use this well," he said softly. "Traditional Runick decks can crush average duelists… but not true powerhouses. Try the Sticker Runick variant."
Mu Ning blinked, realization dawning — and in that instant, a low voice echoed through the shop.
"Now I understand why the Organization is so interested in you."
Neither had noticed the cloaked figure that had appeared less than two meters away.
Mu Ning's instincts flared — she prepared to forcibly initiate a Duel under rule protocols.
But before she could, a black-armored knight spirit materialized in front of her, blocking her path.
Her expression hardened — she was ready to duel both the knight and the intruder if she had to.
But then You Ye raised a hand, signaling her to stand down, giving her a reassuring look.
He turned toward the cloaked man, eyes calm, and asked with a faint smile:
"The Organization, huh? That would be the Dark Duelists, wouldn't it?"
"Correct," the man replied, a note of surprise in his tone. "So — are you interested in joining?"
Most people would be trembling at the mere mention of Dark Duelists.
But You Ye? He sounded as if he were chatting with an old acquaintance.
"No pitch? No promises? The Duel Enforcement Bureau and the Association both made some pretty generous offers," You Ye teased.
"For someone like you," the man chuckled under his hood, "no condition would ever be enough. You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
"You're right," You Ye said simply. "No matter what the offer is — I won't join."
The cloaked man's voice darkened.
"You heard him. Begin."
Immediately, a wave of black mist erupted through the shop, swallowing the room in oppressive darkness — thick, suffocating, almost alive.
But instead of fear, curiosity flickered in You Ye's eyes.
He could feel the duel's rules pulsing within the mist.
As he began to analyze them, a gaunt, skeletal man materialized before him, wearing a duel disk and smiling with twisted glee.
You Ye glanced at him once, then turned back to the cloaked figure.
"Really? You send a half-dead man to duel me? That's the best your Dark Duelists can do?"
"Half-dead?" the cloaked man chuckled. "Hardly. He's a former quasi–Earth Rank Duelist — Dark Bug. We prepared him just for you. He may not be our strongest in Hang City… but he's the one with the highest chance of beating you."
Then, with an unsettling grin, he added:
And yes, this is a Dark Duel. The rules are simple:
If you win, he dies, and all his personal assets become yours.
If you lose, you join us, surrender all your dueling knowledge, and serve the Dark Duelists forever.