Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

Chapter 1851 General, please take this side path

"It's so quiet around here today. There aren't any cries from the prisoners in the camp. Perhaps a batch of slaves has already been sent to the fortress?"

"You're so carefree and easygoing."

"Because none of those important figures are here, it's just the two of us standing guard here, so no one will notice if we're slacking off."

In front of the "Overlord Army" camp, two elite soldiers from the dark world, Becky, were on guard duty, chatting idly.

“I can’t be like you, content to be an unknown nobody. My dream is to be famous and become a big shot, so even if I’m just standing guard, I’ll put in extra effort.”

"Keep it up!" Becky said, then suddenly noticed several figures in the distance. He raised his spear warily, "Lord Zul and the others haven't been gone long; they couldn't possibly be back so quickly. Could it be the enemy—"

"Yeah, right, don't make any unnecessary movements!" Unlike his companion, Becky, who was slacking off, noticed something and quickly patted him to stop him. Then, he straightened his chest, maintaining a serious and attentive posture. "The 'big shot' you were talking about is here!"

Although he didn't know what his companion meant, Becky, who was determined to "keep up the good work," also stood up straight. A few seconds later, the figures he had seen earlier approached. They were none other than their superiors in the "Overlord Army," the two great figures, the "God of War of the Dark World - Sylva" and the "God of War of the Dark World - Gold"!

—At least compared to these [Dark World Vanguard - Becky], whose status is like that of "gangster clones," the two level 5 beings whose names are derived from "silver" and "gold" are indeed considered "big shots."

However, what appeared in their field of vision were not only two "big shots," but also four people with their hands bound by ropes behind the two demons.

"Is this...the camp of the 'Overlord Army'?" Judai subconsciously wanted to peek inside, but remembering that he was a prisoner, he said stiffly, "This is...this is a truly gloomy place."

"Waaah, are we going to be locked in a terrible dungeon?" Asuka cried, pretending to cry. "I'm so scared, I can barely walk."

'Yeah, right! You weren't like this when you attacked me with that monster called [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law]!' [God of War of the Dark World - Gold] thought to himself, but dared not show it on his face. Instead, he tugged at the ropes binding Judai and Asuka: 'What are you babbling about? Haven't you realized your status as prisoners yet, you bunch of trash!'

The more arrogant he was, the more nervous he was inside, fearing that his words would anger Judai. Fortunately, Judai didn't seem to care about what he said, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

【The God of War of the Dark World - Sylva】 nodded to the two 【The Vanguard of the Dark World - Becky】: "Good, guard this place well. The prisoners held here are very important to Lord 'Overlord'."

"These are the ones we captured on the road. Were the last batch of prisoners sent to [Bron]?"

"Lord Sylva, the previous batch of prisoners has been sent away. However, there are still a few left, all of whom look about as thin as the ones following you. Lord Zul suspects that someone has captured the wrong ones and is not in a hurry to send them to Lord Bron."

Upon hearing the report from [Bege, the Vanguard of the Dark World], [Gold, the God of War of the Dark World] felt a chill run down his spine. The previous batch of prisoners was no longer here? Did that mean it didn't matter if Judai and the others were exposed now? Would they be treated as useless objects and killed off casually?
Looking flustered at her companions, [Sylva, the God of War of the Dark World] couldn't help but look at Judai, and a sudden idea struck her: "Then let's lock these few up with the remaining one. I remember it was that little brat from the last batch of slaves who looked young, the one with green hair, right?"

"Yes, you have a good memory. The one who was left behind was that little brat."

'Yada Thief!' In their hearts, the gold and silver demons cheered and high-fived each other. Thank goodness that brat who might be called "John" was still here!
Seeing one of the Dark World's elite soldiers, Becky, about to take the ropes binding Jaden and the others, the Dark World's War God, Gold, frowned and looked angry: "Did Sylva just praise you for nothing? Did we say we needed you to lead the way?"

"Yes, yes! I'm so sorry, Lord [Gold]!" [Bege] was startled by the sudden anger of [Gold, the God of War of the Dark World] and quickly returned to her original position. "We understand, our duty is to stand guard and watch out for the enemy!"

"Hmph, a gatekeeper should act like a gatekeeper." With an arrogant snort, [God of War of the Dark Realm - Gold] walked into the camp without looking back, with [God of War of the Dark Realm - Sylva] following behind him, holding a rope.

(The area is actually quite large; this is the front part, and the entire mountain behind it has been hollowed out.)

As they walked into the camp, the "Overlord Army" dug out some holes in the small hill next to the camp, installed iron doors to serve as prison cells. They looked simple, but the effect was quite good. At least until now, the escape rate of the slaves captured here is 0%, but after today, it may be different.

As the group of Judai followed them into the camp, a member of the Goblin Assault Force who had joined the Overlord Army came out of the cell carrying a bucket of food. It seemed that he had just finished distributing food to the prisoners—so theoretically he might be considered a member of the Supply Force?

However, its appearance also means that the Gold and Silver Demons were not exaggerating when they said they were trying to save their lives from Jaden and his group. If Jaden and his group were to force their way in, even this unarmed goblin would be able to threaten the lives of the prisoners who had no way to resist.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Gold and Silver Demons, the goblins of the Supply Squad, whose status was even lower than that of Becky, the Dark Elite standing guard at the gate, quickly bowed to show their respect, then picked up their buckets and left, so as not to get in the way of the important figures. They did not concern themselves with anything that was not their business.

After confirming that no one was around, the Gold and Silver Demons loosened their grip on the rope. Without the two of them pulling at one end, the rope, which was actually not even tied in a knot, slid loosely to the ground. Although O'Brien and Fubuki had suggested that tying it up a bit would make it less likely to be exposed, the Gold and Silver Demons dared not lay a finger on Jaden or the woman who seemed to have a crush on him.

—In contrast, Fubuki and O'Brien, who took the initiative to make the suggestion, were indeed firmly bound by the [God of War of the Dark World - Gold], and needed Jaden and the others to help them untie them.

"I regret it. If I had known it would go so smoothly, I wouldn't have bothered to tie my hands so tightly." Fubuki complained, stretching her wrists. Asuka rolled her eyes at him. "You can't even handle a little bit of hardship, which is why I told you before that you didn't need to come and infiltrate with me."

"I can't just stand by and watch my sister be in danger, can I?" Fubuki, grinning, once again earned a pair of eye rolls from Asuka.

O'Brien didn't even need help untying the ropes; he broke free on his own. He glanced at the Gold and Silver Devil, who obediently raised their hands to indicate that they wouldn't do anything, and then turned to Jaden: "So, let's start looking for people now."

"The prisoners should be around here, they're easy to find. After all, they don't hold too many people here; once they reach a certain number, they'll be sent away." "And as you just heard, a batch has already been sent to the fortress."

Upon hearing this, Asuka said with some concern, "So, Mr. Fried and his companions are very likely not here, John too?"

"No, John is definitely here, there's no mistake!" Jaden said firmly, perhaps because he could only believe that John was here now. (Just because of the hair color, Jaden recognized that it wasn't John, and the voice actress wasn't Kanako Irie either.)

Just as the Gold and Silver Demons said, the place was not big. After passing through a few empty cells, Jaden and his companions found a cell with a tightly closed iron door in the direction that the goblin had just left. Inside, there was indeed a person with his head down, bound to the rock wall by chains—and his hair was exactly the same as John's, both being bluish-green!

"John!?" An excited Jaden unhesitatingly unfolded his Duel Disk, took out a card, and slapped it on. "Cheer up, John, we're here to save you!"

"Wait a moment, we'll open the door right away." Seeing that he seemed to have a chance to make a move, [Sylva, the God of War of the Dark World] wanted to step forward and flatter him.

But he saw that next to Judai, [E·hero Foam Man] was summoned. After looking at the keyhole of the iron gate, he pressed a few buttons on his arm, adjusted the output of the foam gun on his arm, blew out a key-shaped foam, inserted it into the lock, turned it casually, and actually opened the lock!?
"No, why is this door so easy to open?"

"Because I'm Bubbleman!" Facing the astonished Gold and Silver Demon, [E·hero Bubbleman] left behind this inexplicable sentence, flicked his cape, and turned into a pile of broken bubbles and disappeared.

However, he seemed to be in a very good mood, just like how the ban on [E·hero New Bubble Man], which caused [Sudden Mutation] to become a card of unknown cause, was suddenly lifted years later.

(Because the January 2023 report will reveal the sudden mutation)
But no one cared about the golden and silver demons who were slipping away from their only chance to flatter. Without the slightest hesitation, Jaden pushed open the door and rushed in to check on "John's" condition, but when he stood in front of him, he suddenly froze.

The others didn't follow, since the cell wasn't very big and there was no need for everyone to go in. Only Asuka followed Judai, and she also stopped when she saw "John's" face under his drooping hair.

"Hmm, who is it?" Slowly raising his head, "John" revealed an unfamiliar face. Although the hairstyle and hair color were almost identical, the completely different appearance and the voice he spoke told Jaden and the others that the person in front of them seemed to be just another person who happened to look somewhat similar to John.

But after a brief pause, Judai continued, helping to untie the chains binding "John's" hands: "Are you alright? We're here to rescue you and get you out of here."

"I... I was mistaken for a warrior and captured by the 'Overlord Army,' but while they were escorting the others away, they discovered I couldn't actually fight, so they abandoned me." After explaining his identity, "John" looked at Judai and the others before him and forced a smile. "Thank you so much, thank you so much."

"That's enough, don't force yourself to talk." Asuka helped Judai lift the boy up and led him out of the cell. Looking at the other two waiting outside, she shook her head and said regretfully, "This child isn't John."

"That shouldn't be the case! If he's not a warrior, why would he be arrested?" [Sylva, the God of War of the Dark World] couldn't understand the situation. "Besides, I've heard somewhere that someone who looks like this is incredibly powerful. Could it be that he was arrested simply because he looks like someone else?"

“Those lower-level monsters are truly useless; they can’t even distinguish between the strong and the weak.” [Gold, the God of War of the Dark Realm] nodded in agreement.

"What do we do now, Judai?" O'Brien frowned as he looked at "John," who was unable to move on his own. "The prisoners here have already been moved, and there shouldn't be many left. If we take this person with us, we can get away safely. The fact that the prisoners in the camp have gone missing is enough to attract the attention of the 'Overlord Army' here, and to cover the evacuation of [Fried]'s side."

Jaden looked at John and nodded, saying, "Then, let's do it that way. But I think we should also look around for any Sonic Ducks that were looted by the Overlord Army before we leave. We can use them as our mounts for our next mission."

"Please come this way, everyone." [The God of War of the Dark World - Sylva] had already skillfully assumed the role of a "lackey," and the "guide" [The God of War of the Dark World - Gold] reminded without hesitation, "This direction is towards the stables. If it's [Sonic Duck], it should be kept here with the warhorses."

With the help of two "traitors," "black-line figures," and "gangsters," Jaden and his companions found Sonic Duck, which had been taken away by the "Overlord Army," as mentioned earlier by Freed the Wandering Hero.

The bad news is that a considerable number of the ducks seem to have been eaten as food for the Dark Sword, the mount of the Dark Demon Warrior Captain. The good news is that there are still quite a few left, enough for at least one for each of the Jadens and the others to use for transportation.

Pushing the Gold and Silver Demons along, letting them repeat their old tricks, Jaden and his group swaggered out of the camp's main gate. The addition of "John" didn't arouse any suspicion from the sentries at the gate—the Dark World's Vanguard, Becky. The Gold and Silver Demons' reason was that they were going to the fortress and would take all the prisoners with them. The reason for bringing out a large number of Sonic Ducks was to save them travel time and use them as transportation.

After leaving the camp for a while, Jaden and the others didn't continue to take "John" with them. Instead, they had him ride the [Sonic Duck] towards the evacuation point they had visited before. If they were lucky, he might be able to find the [Wandering Hero - Fried] and the others who had left. As for the town where he originally lived, since it had already been plundered by the "Overlord Army," there was no reason or need to go back, because there was no one or anything there anymore.

Everything was going according to plan and proceeding smoothly. Just as Jaden and his team were about to complete this operation, which only required a simple "search," no "fight," and all that was left was to "retreat," a beam of light suddenly shot in from afar and, right before Jaden and his team's eyes, struck "John," who was riding away on [Sonic Duck]!?

"Hmph, hmph, ugh ...

Amidst agonizing screams, "John's" body melted away, disintegrating into specks of light right before Judai and the others' eyes!

Marufuji Sho and the others, who were rushing from other places outside the camp to meet up with Judai and the others, were also stunned by this sudden scene and stood there dumbfounded for a moment.

After the first attack instantly killed "John", a series of similar attacks came from a distance. However, the target was not Judai and his group, but Marufuji and his group who were not far away. If Amon and Manjoume had not reacted quickly and summoned monsters to defend against the attacks, they might have been injured or even died like "John"!
Just as Jaden and his companions were wondering what was happening, a massive army appeared on the hilltop. Several monsters with ranged attack capabilities tirelessly unleashed their attacks. These were the same monsters who had just killed "John" and were the ones who had been relentlessly bombarding Marufuji Sho and his group.

Upon seeing a large army gathered here, the first guess that Jaden and his companions could make was that the Gold and Silver Devil had betrayed them!

"It definitely wasn't us!" [Sylva, the War God of the Dark World], who also realized this, quickly protested, "We absolutely did not betray you!"

"Our lives are still in your hands! That card that houses our power... that 'backup hidden energy'! That thing is still in your possession!" In a panic, and having no choice but to accept the title the other party had given him, [Gold, the God of War of the Dark World] tried his best to clear them of suspicion, "How could we possibly risk our lives to betray you!"

"But you are still traitors." Just then, a sinister voice reached Jaden and the others' ears, "However, not for betraying these brats from another world, but for betraying the supreme 'Overlord'!"

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why you two would come to this camp so unusually. So you've betrayed us? It seems our 'Gold, Silver, Bronze' trio will be disbanded from now on, and I—[The Mad King of the Dark World - Braum]—will punish you two traitors!"

A figure stepped out from the army, his arms and clothes bound together with chains, a rather strange sight. It was none other than [Bron, the Mad King of the Dark World], whom the intelligence Jaden and his group had obtained indicated was supposed to be stationed at the distant "Overlord Army" fortress!
Fun fact: The naming convention for monsters in the Dark Realm is based on color, and that color is also reflected on their appearance. Knight Zul is Azure, Vanguard Bege is Beige, War God is Gold and Silver, and Mad King Braum is Bronze.
Meanwhile, there is also a monster in the Dark World that corresponds to the rainbow. The Dark World's Demon God - Raine corresponds to the rainbow color Rainbow. He is also the only monster in the Dark World with "three stages of evolution", one more than the designated Dark World's greatest villain, the Dragon God - Demon God Raine, then Demon King Raine, and finally, the Chaos King of the Dark World - Kaleres, who is created using Raine as a fusion material. His corresponding color changed from the rainbow color to the final colorless (Clorless/Colorless).