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

Chapter 455 You should abandon the wild ideas in your head and start believing in [Yama], you know?
The Black Witch gave Li Guanqi a complicated look, then turned her gaze to Young Master Hua and asked in a deep voice, "The second floor, can we go in now?"

“Okay.” Young Master Hua nodded immediately. “Every six hours, a full-map simulated data explosion will be conducted.”

"The map has hidden lucky passages. Players in the lucky passages are immune to the explosions. The first six passages are located in my possession."

The explanation was very simple and easy to understand, but someone asked in confusion, "Wait, what's the deal with 'pathogen' and 'calamity' in the base announcement?"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Li Guanqi, looked at Hua Gongzi, waiting for an explanation.

Young Master Hua's lips twitched before he spoke with difficulty: "When we designed this level, we wanted to recreate the Big Bang of Divine Will, ignoring everything and eliminating players in large numbers. Intelligence, strength, money, and status were all useless."

"As for the 'Calamity Star' and the others... they are 'fun' elements added unilaterally by the Dream Collapse World, and have nothing to do with the conditions for clearing the game."

"..."

The square fell silent for a second.

"Fuck me!"

"Fun my ass! I wasted three whole hours just waiting around for people to help me advance to become that damn jinx!"

"Huh? Become a jinx? Isn't the goal to stop a jinx?"

"You damn planner! Are you kidding us?!"

After hundreds of players learned the inside story, their anger was instantly ignited. If they hadn't been relying on Young Master Hua to lead the way, they would have ganged up on the planner by now, even though this matter had nothing to do with him.

That's how game designers are; players just need to have fun, but the designers have to consider a lot more.

“Interference item…” Li Guanqi looked at the chaotic crowd, lost in thought.

He always felt that things weren't that simple, but the overall logic was sound.

"Let's go first, we'll fight later, we'll fight later." Young Master Hua reassured everyone, then quickly changed the subject, leading the way into the Shuoye Corridor, running wildly along the lucky path marked on the deciphered map.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone left the Nightfall Corridor unharmed and arrived at the third-level stronghold—the Memory Furnace.

The gate of the stronghold is simple and heavy, and above the gate plaque is also a number: 568.

“204…568…” Li Guanqi looked at the number, his eyes flickering slightly. “Is this a checkpoint designed according to the historical years of Biantana?”

The year 204 is a scar etched into the genes of all living things; it is the year of the apocalypse.

According to the "Duel Fairy Tale," the first duel took place in 568.

“That’s right, 568 is also a memorable year.” Young Master Hua gave him an approving look, and then explained the rules of the third level to everyone. “This level is very simple. By completing stronghold missions or exploring freely, you can collect magic cards, build a deck, and defeat the stronghold guard Melusin to pass the level.”

Upon hearing the rules, the tense atmosphere in the crowd immediately eased: "Merusin, that reptilian witch? I thought it would be much more difficult."

"Get out of the way, let me handle this. I, [Light Path], can beat the shit out of her."

"You think you can act all high and mighty like that? I, the [Dragon Rider Regiment], have something to say!"

After learning that the stronghold guard was the [Reptile Witch], they all put on their armor.

Li Guanqi pondered for a moment, then casually asked, "Is it really a tribute? Then does that mean we can't use our own cards, and can only use the cards found at the outposts?"

"I remember in the first duel, the scavenger boy used a deck of random cards."

“Uh—” Young Master Hua glanced away guiltily, nodded slightly, and then added, “In order to restore the original dueling environment as much as possible, there are a maximum of five cards of the same type in all the magic cards placed in the stronghold.”

"And they're all relatively old cards."

"..."

The clamor in the square abruptly ceased, leaving a deathly silence for a second.

"Damn it—the game planner!" One player lost control and was about to rush up and hit the playboy, but was stopped by another player. "Forget it, bro, let's not rely on him to reveal anything now. Let's finish the game first before we fight."

"There isn't an easy level at all."

"A maximum of five cards per field? And they're ancient cards? Is this even a deck?"

Amidst the jeers, the Black Witch said, "We've already calculated it. Back in 568, the scavenging youths who entered the ruins had no idea about the complete rules of the duel."

"At least we have the understanding of duels from those who came after us."

"If our predecessors could overcome this challenge, why can't we?"

“Exactly.” Sera swept her disdainfully over the crowd. “A bunch of nobodies~ If you don’t dare to let us do it, then let us do it. Go and search the cards obediently, you nobodies~” The shouting men were rendered speechless by Sera’s words, their necks stiff for a long time.

"Alright, everyone, say less." Young Master Hua clapped his hands, forcibly drawing everyone's attention back. "Time is of the essence. We'd better clear the level before the second explosion. According to the deciphered map, there are seven hidden card rooms inside the stronghold, which will open in rotation every hour. We must get out before the security system resets."

He pointed to a flashing red dot on the map: "First target, the archives in the northeast, the password is 'Melushin's Lullaby,' move out!"

At a command, hundreds of people charged out in a mighty procession.

It was more like a war than a card search.

"Left! Stay close to the wall! There's a gravity trap underneath the floor!"

"There's a card behind that gargoyle. Grab it and run, don't fight it!"

"Retreat! Security is about to be upgraded! Quick!"

Hua Gongzi's voice rang in everyone's ears through the system, like a battlefield commander urging them to their deaths. Following his route guidance, the group repeatedly leaped between a bunch of deadly traps and elusive guards, rushing in, grabbing cards, and then desperately retreating.

More than an hour later, the three waves of "search, attack and withdrawal" ended, and everyone collapsed in the stronghold square, exhausted like dead dogs.

"Huff...huff...damn it," Guangdao, the burly man, plopped down on the ground, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "That damn planner...finally did something decent. If it weren't for him leading the way, half of the B agency would have died in the first wave."

Those around him nodded in agreement, their gazes toward Young Master Hua lessening in contempt and becoming more complex.

Ignoring these "praises," Young Master Hua stood solemnly in the center of the hall: "Everyone, take out all the cards you've collected and put them together. We are a team now, and there's no point in hiding anything."

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and many people instinctively clutched the cards they had fought so hard for, their eyes gleaming.

Just then, Li Guanqi's team calmly stepped forward and placed the thirty-five cards they had found on the ground.

The Dark Witch squad followed at the same time and also threw out their cards.

With a leader in place, the rest of the group no longer hesitated and gradually gathered their spoils over. Soon, a "small mountain" of virtual cards had formed in the center of the hall.

When everyone could see the composition of the pile of cards, gasps rose and fell, eventually culminating in a unified "National Treasure."

"Oh my god..."

The card pile contains everything, yet it also seems to contain nothing.

"Four [Light Paths], just four? There aren't even enough to fill the graveyard for the planners."

"There are three [Empty Tooth Balls] here, what can they be used for? To stand on the field as mascots?"

"【Crystal Machine】, 【Other Shore】, 【Mech】, 【Machine Knight】... there are only three or four of each, how can we play like this?"

"I have five [Dark Realm] cards, but... I don't even have a single card that can accurately discard them!"

"【Ghostly Tactics】, 【Cursed Eye】, 【X-Swordsman】, 【Dragon Riders】, 【Paladin】, 【Dust Demon】..."

"Holy crap, even the [Dust Demon] is here! Which roadside is this?"

"Don't even mention it, the [Dust Demon] has a Light Demon, but unfortunately not that one."

Besides the more than 300 unsigned cards, there are also 38 types of cards with different signatures. However, the number of cards for each signature is limited to one to five, and they are all from older series. Newer cards like [Thunderfire] and [Glamour], which have only appeared in the last ten years or so, are nowhere to be seen.

This is a card graveyard, a pile of junk discarded by the times.

"You damn game designer!" A player finally lost his temper, pointing at the Flower Prince and cursing, "You fucking tricked us? You're using this pile of trash to fight Melusin? Tell me how we're supposed to fight!"

An atmosphere of despair spread once again, and they finally realized the significance of the "First Duel".

The opponent, the [Crawler Fairy], is indeed not very strong, but our resources are also limited.

Within ten minutes, Seth and another reckless player entered the fray, but both were defeated in less than three minutes. They lost because of bad luck with their cards. These cards were data cards, lacking any special qualities, and had a high chance of being unplayable.

"Holy crap, how are we supposed to fight this?"

"Losing will cause card drops? My search for 'Lightsworn Dragon' got destroyed!"

"If I don't use any cards on the first turn, will my hand be stuck like this?"

"How do we fight this? Should we call in cards from other outposts? Gather some cards?" "By the time we've gathered everyone, the second explosion will have already started."

However, amidst the cacophony of curses, Li Guanqi squatted down and silently rummaged through the pile of "trash."

The Black Witch walked to his side, looked at the messy pile of cards, and frowned: "Any ideas?"

This is when you can't use your own card, which is the biggest test of understanding.

Li Guanqi didn't look up; his fingers traced across the cards, his voice soft but clear enough to reach everyone present.

"A thought process?"

He picked up a card of "Destroyer of Machines Yama" and said emotionlessly, "Isn't it simple?"

The Black Witch, the Palace Master of Silver City, and Young Master Hua were all taken aback and turned their gazes toward him. [Silver City Son-in-Law] was the winner of the last major event, and his construction speech was worth referring to.

Everyone held their breath, but they could see Li Guanqi rummaging through the card pile without even looking up, and said matter-of-factly, "You should try to turn your monsters into Fiend-type monsters and then get two more."

He paused, and a silence fell over the air. Someone couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "And then?"

"And then?" Li Guanqi raised his blank face. "Then link [Yama]."

"You should abandon the wild ideas in your head and believe in [Yama], you know? [Yama] will protect love and everything. You know love, right? Love is..."

The air was deathly silent.

In the square, hundreds of people and thousands of eyes were all fixed on the boy with the Silver Princess skin.

Many years have passed since then, and many of those present have passed away. Those who survived have forgotten much, but from time to time, that passage from the Bible still echoes in their minds.

"You should abandon the wild ideas you've built in your head and start believing in [Yama], you know? [Yama] will protect love and everything. You know love, right? Love is..."

The square was quiet.

For a moment, no one dared to interrupt, for fear of breaking this divinely ordained and sacred teaching.

Someone opened their mouth, wanting to ask "What is love?", but then swallowed the question back, as if asking it would be a desecration.

The Dark Witch's lips twitched, then twitched again.

Sera rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.

On the other side, the Palace Master of Silver City watched Li Guanqi's retreating figure, a faint hint of bewilderment appearing in his clear, cold eyes.

Time passes minute by minute.

After a while.

Just as that sacred teaching was about to reach a crucial point, Li Guanqi's voice abruptly stopped.

He stood up, holding a neatly arranged deck of cards, exactly forty plus fifteen.

"Okay, I've assembled it."

"..."

Everyone woke up from a dream.

The burly man who had been about to rush up and beat up the playboy looked bewildered and subconsciously asked the person next to him, "Was he... was he just preaching?"

"I don't know, but it feels amazing."

"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of playing cards."

"Master, I understand now. The ultimate goal of the duel is love."

Amidst the clamor of discussion, Young Master Hua was the first to react. He rushed to Li Guanqi in a few strides, looked at the Demon deck in Li Guanqi's hand, and said in a tense voice, "You've finished building it? With this bunch... with these cards? Are you sure it will work? If you lose, you'll be eliminated, and you'll also lose cards. We don't have many cards to begin with, we can't afford to lose any more."

“No problem.” Li Guanqi nodded calmly and put the deck into the Duel Disk.

"This..." Young Master Hua's Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

“It’s my turn.” Li Guanqi said in a flat tone, as if he were saying, “I’m going to buy a bottle of water.”

He turned and walked alone into the depths of the stronghold, towards the dueling arena of the BOSS, Melusin.

Behind him, the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

"Why does he seem to be glowing?" one player muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes.

Those around him mechanically echoed, "Sacred."

"sacred."

"sacred."

For a moment, the word "sacred," with its somewhat absurd connotations, echoed repeatedly among the crowd.

They all knew that when everyone was lost and desperate, it was this girl (or boy) who rekindled the flame in a way they couldn't understand.

Even if the method... looks a bit like a cult.

Watching that figure heading towards the final challenge, the Palace Master of Silver City felt a mix of emotions.

This man is damnably reliable.

Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, a mixture of fervor and awe, Li Guanqi walked into the Reptile Demon Duel Arena.

His magnificent silver princess gown clashed with the grim serpents surrounding him, yet it created a bizarre sense of sacredness.

When his toes touched the stone slab in front of the door, which was engraved with a snake pattern.

Rumbling--

A dull, loud noise came from deep underground, and the entire Memory Furnace shook violently.

The hard rock transformed into a twisted and intertwined snake body, the cold stone scales trembling slightly in the dim light, and stone pillars coiled upwards, transforming into a giant python with its head raised and tongue flicking.

A nauseating stench and dampness filled the air.

This is not a duel arena; this is a living snake nest.

On the throne deep within the serpent's lair, a bewitching figure leaned against the wall. Her lower body was a huge serpent tail covered in dark green scales, while her upper body was a perfectly sculpted female form.

As the earth trembled, she slowly... opened her eyes.

The moment Li Guanqi saw those eyes clearly, his brows furrowed and his heart skipped a beat.

Upon entering the dueling arena, it became clear that something was off about Melusin; her eyes didn't seem like those of a pure AI.

This thing... has its own consciousness?
Li Guanqi narrowed his pupils and released [Super Fusion], quickly noticing the anomaly.

Behind Melusin’s head, a wisp of red gas, thinner than a strand of hair, was drifting erratically, its other end disappearing into the unseen void.

This breath...

Li Guanqi's heart skipped a beat; why did it feel so familiar?

He blinked, stopped [Super Fusion], and the red aura vanished without a trace.

Li Guanqi shook his head, took a deep breath, and suppressed his distracting thoughts.

No matter what it is, win first.

He raised his arm, and the silver-white duel disk unfolded with a "click" on Shirogane-hime's slender wrist.

On the throne, Melusin slowly straightened up, her serpent tail rustling, and she also raised her arms.

They looked at each other and shouted in unison.

"duel!"

"duel."

Li Guanqi was full of passion and high spirits, but Meluxin's shout carried a sense of sadness.

(End of this chapter)