People in Yu-Gi-Oh! The hyper-converged audience is also integrated

Chapter 391 Heartbreak Duel
With a languid expression, Qiqi confirmed again, "The clown said he would use an epic card to exchange for Lin Chen."

After hearing this clearly, Li Guanqi's face contorted in pain: "This kid, is he worth an epic card?!"

He couldn't believe it until his supercomputing ring beeped and he received the message.

That wasn't an encrypted notification within the group, but a public situation briefing pushed directly to the terminals of all members of the Fifth Department, with the title highlighted in striking red font.

[Emergency Situation Report: Regarding the Redemption of Detainee Lin Chen]

[Notification to: All staff of Department Five]

[Content: The Joker, a member of the Clockwork organization, submits a trade request to the Fifth Department of Shen.]

[Transaction Details: The epic-level domain card [Mental Collapse] will be exchanged for the freedom of imprisoned inmate Lin Chen.]

The Joker's reason for the trade: "I like him."

[An emergency meeting is underway at the Shenju Bureau's senior management, and no response has been given yet. This matter has been elevated to the highest priority, and all members of the Shenju Fifth Department are on standby, awaiting instructions.]

Li Guanqi's pupils dilated in shock.

Epic... Domain Card?!
The reason is still... liking it?!

Li Guanqi felt that his worldview had been severely impacted.

This is so counterintuitive; it feels like the clock hand isn't normal.

Before he could recover from the shock of the briefing, the department's public channel was already buzzing with activity, and several messages were scrolling rapidly across the bottom of his screen.

"Holy crap! An Epic Realm Card can be exchanged for a second hand?! Is this information reliable? Has this clown gone mad?"

"The reason is 'I like him'?! Forced love?! This is unbelievable!"

"Sisters upstairs, calm down. The guy across the street is Zhong, a madman."

"To just throw away an Epic Domain card to save time, doesn't that seem suspicious?"

"It's also possible that Lin Chen did indeed hide something. After all, he's someone who came out of Granitea alive, so he must know something."

Li Guanqi shut down the messy discussions and felt a wave of dizziness.

The truth is even more outrageous than what Qiqi said.

"We can't let this kid go." Li Guanqi commented in the forum, "This kid can already withstand the [Red-Eyed Dragon Knight], what will he be like in the future?"

"...They must not be allowed to live!"

"Wait a minute!" Li Guanqi suddenly realized something.

What are epic cards again?

He scrolled up through the messages, having been so engrossed in reading them that he hadn't paid attention to the card names.

Now we can finally see it clearly.

The name of the Epic Realm card is—

Mental breakdown?!

“No.” Li Guanqi thought of the eunuch’s “The Upside-Down Underworld” and a sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.

"Really?!"

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He suddenly turned his head, wanting to talk to Qiqi about it, but found that the person in the back seat had already stopped moving.

In the spacious back seat, Qiqi had curled up into a small ball at some point.

She lay on her side, her cheek pressed against the cool leather seat. She was fast asleep, her breathing even and long. Her usually expressionless face was now filled with peace and tranquility.

The outside world is in turmoil, but she's sleeping soundly.

Li Guanqi opened his mouth, but all the words stuck in his throat.

"This world has gone completely mad."

The craziest one had to be Tang Xin: "???"

"Why--?!"

She stared at the messages on the supercomputing ring, completely stunned, and a sharp exclamation erupted in the conference room.

"Really?!"

Qi Mengsi, who was in charge of guiding her, was startled by the commotion and frowned as she turned around: "I know it's hard to believe the news, but the basic rule for an agent is to always remain calm."

"No...no, instructor." Tang Xin stammered as she hurriedly explained, "Using an epic card to exchange for someone is indeed...very outrageous."

"But what I want to say is..."

“That epic realm, [Mental Collapse],” she shrank back, “appeared in an online novel…”

"Oh?" Qi Mengsi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What book?"

Tang Xin's face flushed, and she stiffly turned on her phone, skillfully opened the novel website, found the book, and then handed the phone to Qi Mengsi.

She quickly turned her gaze away, unable to bear looking any longer.

"It's this one, 'The Upside-Down Underworld'." Her voice was barely audible. "In Chapter Three, Su Qing uses her domain for the first time..."

"Who is Su Qing?" Qi Mengsi asked casually as she took the phone.

"She's the female protagonist in the book." Tang Xin lowered her head even further, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes. "She's very beautiful, very smart, and has a great figure... She especially loves wearing red strapless dresses."

As she finished speaking, her voice became so soft it was almost inaudible, and her cheeks were so hot they could fry an egg on them.

"You are very, very similar to me, Instructor."

"..." Qi Mengsi paused in her hand holding her phone, and the atmosphere in the meeting room became strange.

She shifted her gaze and opened the novel.

As expected, in the story, the female protagonist named Su Qing possesses an epic-level domain card called "Mental Collapse," whose ability is to spy on and even publicly display the memories in the minds of the defeated.

The more Qi Mengsi looked, the more her brows furrowed.

To maintain confidentiality, the announcement did not detail the capabilities of the domain card.

But as a purger, she knew exactly what happened in the interrogation room. Lin Chen relayed the Joker's description of the card's ability, which was exactly the same as written in the book: to spy on or expose the memories of the losers.

The only difference is that the domain cards in the book have owners, controlled by the female protagonist, Su Qing.

In reality, this is an unclaimed territory card.

Even if you initiate an unclaimed domain, without a binding aura, once you lose, the initiator's will will be shattered by the domain, their memories will be spied on, and they may even be publicly executed.

Qi Mengsi's mind raced, and she immediately recalled a key piece of information mentioned during the interrogation—the original owner of the domain was dead.

And coincidentally, the author of this novel has also stopped updating it.

Is it...

Qi Mengsi raised her head, her gaze sharp as she stared at Tang Xin: "Why isn't this book being updated anymore? Did something happen to the author?"

This could be a crucial clue.

The author stopped updating, and the original owner died. It's possible that the author was the original owner, and further investigation might uncover some information.

However, Tang Xin's reply shocked her three hundred years ago.

"No...nothing happened." Tang Xin looked embarrassed and awkward.

Qi Mengsi's gaze sharpened: "Are you so sure?"

"Then why did you stop updating?"

“Because…” Tang Xin closed her eyes tightly, as if she was about to cry, “because she found a good job and doesn’t need that little bit of writing fee anymore…”

Qi Mengsi sensed something was amiss: "Are you very familiar with the author?"

"How could we not be familiar..." Tang Xin was on the verge of tears, but she gritted her teeth and pointed to the card in her hand, "Instructor, take a look at the author's pen name..."

Qi Mengsi looked back at her phone screen with a puzzled expression and found the author's name.

She subconsciously murmured, "Sugar Heart..."

"Uh."

Before she could finish reading, her voice got stuck in her throat.

Qi Mengsi suddenly looked up and stared intently at the cute girl in front of her who looked like she wanted to disappear into the ground.

An utterly absurd idea exploded in her mind.

"Could it be that……"

"It's that one, isn't it?" Tang Xin covered her face, completely too ashamed to face anyone.

Qi Mengsi felt she needed to slow down; the world was a bit too crazy.

She took a deep breath, trying to maintain the last shred of composure she had as a purger.

"So, that author who fabricated an epic card out of thin air, created a beautiful and universally loved female protagonist, and then stopped updating for a month..."

"It's you?!"

Tang Xin suddenly bowed ninety degrees, her voice loud and desperate.

"sorry--!"

I'm so sorry for the month-long hiatus!

"So, how did you come up with the idea to write such a card?" Qi Mengsi broke the eerie silence in the conference room. "Did you actually see it, or did you deduce it from some information?"

This problem finally pulled Tang Xin back from the brink of social death.

"No, I've never seen it." Tang Xin shook her head frantically, as if she wanted to turn her head into a rattle drum. "Purely fictional, artistic embellishment!"

Qi Mengsi's gaze remained scrutinizing, waiting for another reason from her.

Tang Xin was almost in tears from the intense stare, and forced herself to explain her creative process: "Ma... well, mainly because my brain... it doesn't really support me writing any brilliant mysteries, or subtle foreshadowing and plotting..."

"What can we do then? We'll have to take a shortcut."

She spoke more and more fluently, with a touch of the practiced ease of sharing creative experiences, completely forgetting who was sitting opposite her.

"Just think about it, how convenient is the [Mental Breakdown] ability!"

"I don't care about your conspiracies or your outrageous lies."

Tang Xin, getting carried away, slapped her thigh and shouted out the book's promotional slogan in an extremely childish tone:
"There's only one truth, let's have a heart-wrenching duel!"

"Uh." Qi Mengsi was embarrassed for a second, then her pupils shrank as if she had realized something. Not only her, but also Director Chen, Chen Mo and Li Guanqi realized something, and their minds went blank.

Yes.

The ability to spy on and publicly share memories is incredibly convenient.

It was so convenient... it was as if it had been tailor-made for the Spirit Control Division at this moment.

The Gulatia incident had just ended, and the survivors could not glean any useful information from it; countless mysteries remained buried beneath the ruins.

At this critical juncture when everyone was at a loss.

The Joker, the very word synonymous with chaos, has offered up an epic card that allows one to peek into and even publicly display memories.

This is hardly a transaction.

This is clearly a "gift" with malicious intent!
“His target…” Li Guanqi’s pupils suddenly contracted, a chill rising within him, “is me?”

If the Soul Control Bureau really accepts the deal, they will exchange Lin Chen for this card.

So, what's the first thing to do after getting the card?
Without a doubt, it should be applied immediately to the biggest suspect at present—the lover.

But then?

The lovers weren't the only criminals alive in the alchemy lab.

With him and Yuuki Hinai as witnesses, the Soul Reaper will definitely come to ask for his opinion.

If you don't accept it, you'll seem 'guilty'.

But if one accepts a duel within the domain, and is defeated...

Those memories that he had buried deep in his heart, those memories that he could never let anyone else know, would be revealed frame by frame to everyone, like a movie playing on a loop.

He will be doomed forever.

"What a troublesome card." A hint of coldness flashed in Li Guanqi's eyes.

He's like a werewolf now, and the person holding the epic [Mental Collapse] is the 'seer' who can verify other people's identities.

This is the culmination of seventh-generation technology: a human laboratory located deep underground.

The pure white walls gleamed with a cold, inorganic light. Rows of transparent glass containers contained numbered individuals, their eyes closed, with countless thin wires extending from metal rings above their heads, connecting to a buzzing server nearby.

On the screen, countless chaotic data streams swept across like a waterfall, sometimes piecing together fragmented and distorted images, and then turning into meaningless gibberish in the next second.

"Doctor." A researcher in a white lab coat walked quickly to the control panel and reported to a young man.

"Subject No. 3 in Zone B-07 has experienced a failed memory sequence implantation, resulting in irreversible damage to brain nerves and an inability to exceed the critical threshold for rationality."

The young man, who was called a doctor, did not look back.

He was tall and upright, standing quietly in front of the huge main screen, his figure flickering in and out of the view of the massive data stream.

His excessively handsome face was devoid of any emotion.

"Get rid of it."

He uttered four words, his voice as cold as the air.

"Yes." The researcher didn't dare say more, paused, and then couldn't help but add, "Doctor, with current technology, the success rate of editing memories without damaging the brain is too low. The brain's neural network can currently only be bypassed through brute force..."

“Implant a signal from the electronic world.” The doctor finally turned around and calmly looked at his subordinate. “Try again.”

He spoke in a very calm tone, as if he had said it many times before.

But the researcher felt a chill run down his spine.

By implanting electronic signals, they can only enter the 14th node of the metaverse themselves. At that time, they will likely be caught by the sixteen witches of the Spirit Control Division. That madwoman, Maris, will wantonly play with them until they die.

The researcher who had been toyed with was still drooling with a lewd look on his face. "Yes." The researcher nodded and left.

They spent a huge sum of money to build this laboratory with the aim of precisely controlling the emotions and rationality of the numbered people by artificially implanting memories.

Mass-produced patients with artificial illnesses are offered as sacrifices to "God".

But now, the plan has stalled at the most crucial step.

Just as the researcher turned to leave, a red alert marked with the highest priority suddenly popped up in a corner of the console.

[External Intelligence - Top Level]

The doctor's attention was drawn to it, and he clicked on it casually.

On the screen, a clear image of a card appeared, along with text descriptions urgently analyzed by the intelligence department.

[Epic Card: Mental Collapse]

[Ability: To breach the brain's neural network, spy on, and publicly project the memories of a designated target...]

The researcher instinctively leaned over for a look, and was immediately struck dumb.

"Breaking through the brain's neural network? Peeping into... publicly transmitted memories?!" he exclaimed in shock. "How is this possible! Current technology simply cannot do this!"

The doctor stared intently at the words on the screen.

"Epic Cards"

A crack finally appeared on his perpetually icy face.

It wasn't shock, nor was it ecstasy.

It was more of a...sneer.

"What a... generous gift."

He reached out his finger and tapped lightly on the image of the card on the screen.

"clown."

"Couldn't wait any longer?"

Department 5, Group 12, Interrogation Room, the focal point of the incident.

Representatives from various factions crowded into the small space, each with their own calculations and anxieties written on their faces.

As a newcomer, Luli didn't even have a place to stand; she was subtly pushed outside the door.

As soon as the door closed and Luli left, Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, instantly exuding that "dead pig doesn't fear boiling water" attitude.

He leaned lazily against the cold metal chair back, crossed his legs, and raised his chin at the important figures filling the room.

"Hey!"

"Have you reached a conclusion yet? Give me a definite answer, my time is very precious."

"Hurry up with the process, don't ruin my wonderful prison life, uncles."

No one in the room paid him any attention. Everyone's gazes were casually drifting toward Chen Mo, who was at the head of the group, anxiously awaiting the final decision from above.

Lin Chen pursed his lips, then, as if remembering something, casually added a remark.

"Oh, by the way, since I was so cooperative just now, all the points I should have given should be credited to that little girl."

"Don't steal my credit. The Joker can save my life with an epic card, and he can also take yours with an epic card."

Upon hearing this, the heads of several departments looked rather grim.

Is this kid a prisoner or a big shot who's here to give orders?
At this very moment, the upper echelons of the Soul-Binding Bureau are engaged in a heated discussion.

A dilemma lies before them: Is the "Mental Breakdown" card delivered by the clown a simple transaction, or an elaborate trap?

Another problem is whether Lin Chen, the person 'liked' by the Joker, is potentially more threatening than the value of an epic card.

Time passes minute by minute.

Finally, a very faint buzzing sound rang out from the supercomputing ring on Chen Mo's wrist.

Everyone's breath caught in their throats at that moment.

The director-level reply has arrived!

Chen Mo raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Lin Chen, and calmly relayed the instructions from above: "Tell the clown that we refuse direct transactions."

"Huh?" Lin Chen raised his eyebrows dramatically, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Is your bureau chief an idiot? Did he get his brain slammed in a door?"

He pointed to his nose.

"An epic card! In exchange for something like this!"

"Aren't you going to change?"

"Is locking me up here supposed to help you have babies or something?"

Chen Mo completely ignored his trash talk and continued, "We have another suggestion."

Lin Chen's chatter came to an abrupt halt.

Chen Mo's gaze pierced through Lin Chen's body, engaging in dialogue with the unseen, true opponent behind him.

"Since this epic card has the ability to corrupt minds and peer into memories..."

"Then let's have a heart-wrenching duel."

"We lost, release them."

"You lost, give me the card."

"……how?"

"Nonsense!" Lin Chen and the clown in his mind cursed simultaneously. "I don't trust you guys. This isn't the first time the Spirit Control Division has ignored our words!"

“We can ask a third party to act as a notary.”

"We don't trust third parties either; they're all in cahoots."

"So what exactly do you want?" Chen Mo's patience had reached its limit.

Lin Chen's roguish air vanished completely. He sat up straight, a hint of mockery and madness that didn't belong to him flashing deep in his eyes.

He repeated the clown's will, word by word.

"It's very simple."

"Have your king personally address the outside world and state the proposal you just made."

(End of this chapter)