69novels Page 334
Page 334
Yuki carefully typed in the long string of complex characters on the back of the black card.
The moment the Enter key was pressed, the screen changed again. On a deep, dark blue background, points of light flowed like the Data Star 07 River, creating a highly technological interface. The words "Welcome, Newcomer" flashed by, followed by several options: "Personal Information," "Alliance Rules," "Duel Rankings," "Tournament List," "Trading Market," and "Forum."
Youji first clicked on the [Alliance Rules]. The lengthy and densely packed terms quickly caught his attention:
1. Anonymity: All registered members of the alliance use pseudonyms, and their real identities are protected by the alliance (unless they voluntarily disclose them or commit serious violations).
2. Points System: All official duels affect points. Victory earns points, defeat deducts points. Points are the sole criterion for ranking, participation in higher-level tournaments, and resource exchange.
3. Duel Mode: Divided into [Ranked Duels], [Challenge Matches], [Tournaments], and a special [Death Roulette] mode. The rules follow Master Rules, but some special events may have additional rules.
4. Duels: This is crucial. The League encourages duels with stakes, which can be in-game currency, rare cards, or even real-world currency (guaranteed by the League). However, all stakes must be clearly agreed upon and confirmed by both parties before the duel. Any post-duel coercion is strictly prohibited.
5. Security and Sanctions: The Alliance claims to protect the personal and property safety of duelists and has severe sanctions for cheating, fraud and breach of contract, but the notes also subtly mention that "at your own risk".
6. Advanced: Reaching certain point levels unlocks higher-level tournaments and trading privileges, allowing you to encounter stronger opponents and rarer cards.
Yuki took a deep breath. The strictness and cruelty of the rules exceeded his imagination. This was definitely not a place for fun; the points and betting system meant that every duel could come at a substantial price. But on the other hand, it also provided a clear ladder to becoming stronger and a channel to acquire rare cards—if he wanted to further refine his Saiyan deck, this might be the only way.
He clicked on the [Duel Rankings]. The list was long, displaying only the top 100 and some random mid-to-lower-ranked names. The top-ranked user was codenamed [Joker], with an astonishingly high score, and their avatar was a distorted smiling mask. Kaito's codename wasn't among them; perhaps he had only recently joined, or perhaps he used a different codename. Yuuki noticed that the higher the ranking, the more mysterious or aggressive the codename tended to be.
The [Event List] is filled with various small tournaments and challenges with cool names, all requiring points to register. The most eye-catching, however, is a large-scale tournament announcement at the top – the "Darkmoon Tournament," starting in a month. The champion's prize includes a huge amount of points, as well as a previously unreleased, supposedly game-changing Limited Edition card voucher. Registration is very difficult, requiring a certain current ranking.
Yuki felt his blood begin to boil again. The Dark Moon Tournament… this sounded like the stage he needed!
He clicked on the [Trading Market]. The interface resembled a massive online card exchange, with countless cards listed for sale or purchase at prices in points or real currency. He subconsciously searched for the "Saiyan" field.
The results were few and far between. He only found a few cards he was already using, but the prices were outrageously high, clearly indicating someone was trying to hoard them for profit. He also saw cards like the Senzu Bean and Instant Teleport, which were also quite expensive. However, many key cards, such as the Ultra Instinct and Saiyan Pottinger he envisioned, were completely unavailable.
"As expected, I still have to rely on myself," You Ji murmured. He closed the market and turned his gaze back to [Personal Information]. He needed to register a username.
What should he call them? He pondered for a moment, recalling the Saiyans' indomitable fighting spirit and the moments when they broke through their limits time and time again.
He entered the code name—【S-Cell】. Saiyan cells, the foundation of limitless potential, and a symbol of continuous evolution and inheritance.
Registration complete, his initial points are 100. His profile is empty, and his ranking is tens of thousands of places below him. Everything starts from zero.
Instead of rushing to find a ranked match, he opened the forum. It was more like an information hub, with various posts constantly popping up.
[Seeking Advice] How to deal with the current meta's dominant Infernal OTK? [Leak] "Joker's" previous new deck is suspected to be related to "Chronogoth"! [Trade] Urgently selling three "Pot of Greed," only for points, name your price! [Warning] Beware of "Serpent" ranked around 7980, they often use card nerfs and betting fraud! [Analysis] Predictions for potential Darkmoon Faire Tournament champions
Yuji browsed carefully, absorbing the information voraciously. He learned about some of the most prevalent and problematic decks in the current underground meta, memorized some names to be wary of, and also saw some discussions about new tactics. The waters here are far deeper than he imagined.
Suddenly, a particular post caught his attention; the poster's alias was 【Craftman】.
[Discussion] In-depth construction and potential exploration of "themed decks" - taking "hero" and "mecha" as examples, seeking like-minded individuals.
Clicking through, the original poster elaborated that not all powerful decks rely on stacking generic strong cards. Some meticulously constructed themed decks, through in-depth exploration and synergy with their own archetypes, can also unleash tremendous combat power. The comments below were a mix of agreement and mockery, labeling the poster as a "nostalgia player," leading to a heated debate.
Yu Ji's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this the path he was meant to take? He hesitated for a moment, then replied below.
"【S-Cell】: Newbie. Currently trying to build and optimize a 'Saiyan' themed deck, aiming for explosive bursts and form evolution in desperate situations. I agree with the original poster's point of view and would like to ask for advice on how to further improve the stability and resilience of the themed deck when facing the mainstream meta."
After replying, he closed the forum. It was late, but he wasn't sleepy at all. He took out his deck, added the newly bought cards, and repeatedly adjusted the configuration of his main deck and extra deck, constantly simulating various possible scenarios in his mind.
The next day after school, he logged back into the underground alliance platform. He discovered that [Craftman] had actually replied to him.
"【Craftman】: 'Saiyan'? An unheard-of series, interesting. Its stability stems from a smooth initial movement and search chain within the system, while its resilience relies on strong graveyard sustain or hand trap interference. Recommendations: 1. Include more cards from your own archetype or general-purpose decks (such as 'Planetary Modification' to search your field). 2. Consider including hand traps like 'Granulator' and 'Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring' to deal with mainstream deck compositions. 3. Examine your Extra Deck to ensure you have solutions for different situations (removal, sustain, lethal). Looking forward to your performance. 【S-Cell】."
A brilliant and insightful piece of professional advice! Yuji was overjoyed. He immediately began making adjustments, adding one copy of "Planetary Transformation" and his only two copies of "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" to his main deck. He also adjusted his extra deck, adding "Cosmic Transformation Dragon" as the ultimate defense for Synchronization (although its summoning conditions are demanding), as well as "Holy Spellcaster" and other cards to deal with Xyz Monsters in the back row.
Ready? It's time for the first ranked duel!
Chapter 413 Senzu Beans
He took a deep breath and clicked on [Ranked Duel Matchmaking].
The system searched rapidly, and a few seconds later, a match was found!
Opponent's codename: 【GearChronicle】. Rank: 叄笼咝jiu 奇w7氵#死.月-漪12508.
Duel Mode: Master Rule 4. Bets: None (New player protection period, bets cannot be set for the first 10 matches).
The virtual projection system, activated via his computer webcam and a special spatial mapping technology, created a simple dueling arena within his room.
The opponent's image gradually became clearer; he was a rather composed-looking man using a deck with a strong mechanical feel—[Machine Bug]?
"First strike is mine." [GearChronicle] calmly secured the first move. "Activate Field Spell [Machine Bug Nest]. Summon [Machine Bug Bulb], and Special Summon [Machine Bug Beak] from my Deck based on its effect. Two Level 3 monsters are stacked on top of each other, Xyz Summon! Rank 3! [Machine Bug Neuron]!"
A seemingly standard but extremely efficient resource management unfolds. The [Machine Monster Bug] deck is known for its powerful resource recovery and disruption capabilities.
Yuki was completely focused, responding to every move his opponent made. He successfully negated a crucial search by using Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but his opponent still managed to create a Neuraloid with two materials and a backrow card.
It was Yuuki's turn. After drawing his card, he quickly calculated. "Activate [Call of Namek]! Special Summon [Saiyan Girl Chi-Chi], search for [Saiyan Nappa]. Normal Summon Nappa, and Special Summon [Saiyan Raditz] from my hand!"
The familiar setup, but instead of choosing Xyz, he... "I'll adjust Nappa and Raditz to level 4! Synchronize Summon! Descend! [Super Saiyan God Son Goku]!"
The Red Warrior Descends (ATK3500)!
"Activate the Super Saiyan God effect and gain Raditz's 'Special Summon High-Star Saiyan from Graveyard when banished' effect!" Yuki chose this effect to deal with possible banishment situations.
"Battle! [Super Saiyan God Son Goku], attack [Machine Monster - Neurogen]!"
"Activate the effect of [Neurogen]!" the opponent responded immediately, "Remove one Xyz Material and change your Super Saiyan God to Defense Position!"
The light of Super Saiyan God dimmed, and it switched to Defense (DEF3000).
“Defense power 3000, your Neural Attack power is only 1800, you can’t destroy it,” Yuki said. “I’ll set one card face down, end of turn.”
The situation is currently at a stalemate. Yuki has a Super Saiyan God with high defense, while his opponent has a Neural Source that can change the form of the attack.
After several rounds of back-and-forth exchanges, Yuki seized the opportunity when the opponent's resources were temporarily depleted, and finally summoned Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta by combining Super Saiyan God with graveyard resources, breaking through the opponent's defenses in one fell swoop and winning the victory.
A notification appeared: "[Points +20]".
Yuji breathed a sigh of relief; he had won his first ranking battle. Although his opponent wasn't top-tier, the [Machine Monster Bug]'s resilience had given him a hard time.
Over the next few days, Yuki immersed himself in ranked duels whenever he had free time. His record was mixed. He lost to a [Beastmaster] deck with an extremely fast board presence, whose [Beastmaster Rat Rider] combo in the first move and subsequent backline made it difficult for him to break through. He also narrowly defeated a heavily trap-heavy [Golden Lord] deck, relying on Broly's effect to force his way through the traps before securing the kill. His timing for adding [Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring] and [Gross Glory] became increasingly precise, and his choice of Extra Deck cards became more rational. His points increased slowly but steadily, and his ranking gradually improved.
Meanwhile, he also had some exchanges with [Craftman] on the forum, from which he benefited greatly. He even used the points he won to exchange for a card he had been planning for a long time in the trading market - [Sai-Breaking Limit: 20x Kaioken].
That night, he was matched with an opponent ranked over two thousand places higher than him, codenamed [Bloodeye]. The opponent was using the insidious [Vampire] deck.
The duel was exceptionally difficult. [Bloodeye] relentlessly used the Vampire's effect to deplete his resources and life points. Yuuki's life points were reduced to only 500, his field was empty, and he only had one card in his hand. Meanwhile, his opponent had a [Vampire Red Baron] with 2800 attack and a face-down card on his field.
"My turn, draw!" Yuuki looked at the card he drew—it was the [Sai-Breaking Limit: 20x Kaioken] he had just acquired! But at this moment, he had no monsters on the field...
"Desperate, kid?" [Bloodeye]'s voice was mocking. "A set card? Or just end your turn and wait to die?"
Yuuki ignored him, his mind racing. In his graveyard were the [Saiyan Doctor Senzu Bean] and the [Young Saiyan Son Goku], both previously sent there by an effect…
"Activate the Spell Card [Saiyan Limit Break - 20x Kaioken]!" Yuki resolutely slammed the card down. "Pay half of my Life Points (LP: 500 → 250) to Special Summon up to two Saiyan monsters of different Levels from my Graveyard! Negate the effects of the monsters Special Summoned by this effect, and destroy them during the End Phase! Revive! [Young Saiyan Son Goku]! [Saiyan Doctor Senzu Bean]!"
(ATK1200, ATK800)
"What's the use of such a weakling with such low attack power?" [Bloodeye] scoffed.
"Then, activate the effect of [Saiyan Legacy] in the Graveyard!" Yuki continued, "Ban this card from the Graveyard, and this turn, the ATK of all [Saiyan] monsters I control increases by 100 points for each [Saiyan] monster in my Graveyard!"
There are three other Saiyans in his grave!
（孙悟空ATK：1200→1200+300=1500）（仙豆ATK：800→800+300=1100）
"Still not enough!"
“还没完！”游纪眼神锐利，“我通常召唤手牌中的【赛亚人栽培人】！”（地/战士族/1星/ATK800/DEF0→ATK800+300=1100）
"Adjust the Level 1 [Saiyan Trainer], the Level 3 [Saiyan Doctor Senzu Bean], and the Level 4 [Young Saiyan Son Goku]!"
Yuki's voice rose with excitement: "The gathered fighting spirit will transcend life and death, and bloom with the strongest brilliance on the edge of destruction! Synchronous Summon! Descend! Level 8! [Super Saiyan 2 Son Gohan]!"
Boom! Golden flames erupted once more, but unlike the divine power of Super Saiyan God, and unlike Broly's ferocity, this was a powerful energy containing extreme anger and sorrow! Within the flames, the figure of young Gohan appeared, his hair standing on end in golden yellow, surrounded by lightning, his eyes filled with unwavering fury (Light/Warrior Race/8 Stars/ATK 3000/DEF 2500)!
"The effect of [Super Saiyan 2 Gohan]! When this card is Synchronized Summoned, you can destroy 1 face-up card on your opponent's field! I choose to destroy your [Red Baron]! Magic Flash!"
Gohan conjured a massive energy blast in his hand, instantly engulfing the Red Baron!
"And!" Yuki shouted, "Because of the effect of the [Saiyan Limit Break - 20x Kaioken] in the graveyard, when this card is activated, all my [Saiyan] monsters that attack the opponent directly this turn will have their ATK doubled!"
(Super Saiyan 2 Gohan ATK: 3000 → 6000)
"6000 ATK?! A direct attack?!" [Bloodeye] finally panicked. "Activate my face-down card! Trap Card [Vampire Transfer]! When the opponent declares an attack, they Tribute one of my DARK monsters. Negate that attack!"
"(Good, Zhao Hao) Too late! This is a direct attack, there was no declaration of attack!" Yuki waved his hand, "This battle is over! Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, direct attack! Father and Son Kamehameha! Light!"
A torrent of Kamehameha energy, brimming with boundless rage and power, instantly engulfed [Bloodeye]!
【Bloodeye】LP: 3200→0
victory!
Yuki clenched his fist in excitement as he watched the victory notification and the increased points pop up on the screen. In such a desperate situation, relying on new cards and precise use of graveyard resources, he had once again pulled off a comeback!
[Super Saiyan 2 - Son Gohan]... This is the new form he summoned simultaneously! The possibilities of the Saiyans are far greater than he imagined!
He glanced at his ranking; it had improved significantly again. He seemed to be one step closer to meeting the entry requirements for the Darkmoon Tournament.
The road ahead remained challenging, but his confidence soared. He knew his Saiyan deck was rapidly evolving in this brutal ranking battle!
And even more powerful opponents, such as Kaito, or the mysterious Joker, must be somewhere waiting to clash with him.
The battle has only just begun to intensify.
Chapter 414 Instantaneous Teleportation
The golden aura of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan slowly dissipated, the virtual imaging system shut down, and the room returned to silence, save for Yuki's heavy breathing and the hum of the computer fan. He had won; another battle where victory had been forcibly torn open from the brink of defeat. He watched as the ID [Bloodeye] on the screen turned gray and disconnected, his points rose again, and his ranking jumped forward a small step.
But the excitement of this victory didn't last long. A deeper sense of fatigue washed over him, not physically, but mentally, from the strain of precisely calculating resources. Every ranking match in the underground league was like dancing on a knife's edge; there were no weak opponents, and every mistake could be magnified and lead to defeat. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Stability... resilience..." He pondered Craftman's advice. The battles of the past few days had given him a deeper understanding of these two words. Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan 4 were undoubtedly powerful, but they relied on specific combos and a large amount of resources. Once the combo was interrupted, or if they were constantly worn down like against Vampire, they would fall into a very passive position. Cards like 20x Kaioken and Legacy offered the possibility of a comeback, but at a high cost and unreliable.
He needed a smoother transition, and more importantly, he needed ways to disrupt the opponent's turn. He thought of Kaito's almost flawless [Photon Lord] combo, the annoying resource cycle of [Machine Bug], and the lightning-fast deployment of [Zootopia].
“Hand traps…not enough.” He checked his sideeck. He only had two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and one copy of Multiplying Golem. While they were necessary in the main deck, they sometimes clogged his hand. He needed more, more targeted options. Effect Veiler? Infinite Impermanence? These cards were quite expensive on the black market.
Points… He glanced at his remaining points. Most of what he'd won had been invested in deck building. After exchanging for [20x Kaioken] and a [Planetary Modification] card, there was hardly anything left. He needed more victories, and even more so… victories with stakes.
The thought made his heart tighten. His rookie protection period was about to end, and he had won seven out of ten ranked matches without betting—a respectable record. Next, he would face the league's true core rule—betting duels.
He opened the registration page for the Darkmoon Tournament. There were still three weeks until the registration deadline, and the minimum ranking requirement was to be within the top 8000. He was currently ranked around 11000, a significant gap. This meant he had to win a large number of duels within three weeks, and would likely need to participate in staked battles to quickly accumulate points.
The pressure increased sharply.
Just then, a notification sounded on the computer; it was a private message from the underground alliance platform. It came from [Craftman].