Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

The two tasks were listed in the "Tasks" module, adopting a laid-back approach. There were only rewards, no strange or unusual penalties, which touched Hayato—a system that constantly resorts to punishments is a far cry from a truly civilized system.

only---

Hayato looked at the main quest, "The enemy is on the other side of the sea," and seemed to be deep in thought.

Without a doubt, "Duel Kingdom" refers to the island where Pegasus, the president of the International Illusion Society and the inventor of Duel Monsters cards, lives. That is the setting of the first major storyline of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the "Duel Kingdom Saga".

After Yugi defeated Kaiba, he was targeted by Pegasus, who used Dark Games to seal Sugoroku Muto's soul, forcing Yugi to go to Duel Kingdom. Of course, the "Millennial Hostage," Grandpa Sugoroku, hasn't been sealed yet, since even the first battle between Yugi and Kaiba hasn't started.

Hayato's dilemma was this: in the original storyline, only Yugi Muto was invited; his companions Kyoko and Honda, as well as Jonouchi, who also wanted to participate, had all smuggled themselves onto the ship. Furthermore, upon arriving in Duel Kingdom, they needed to collect stars to qualify for a duel with Pegasus, and Jonouchi and Yugi were forced to split their only two stars.

If he wanted to, he could, of course, sneak onto the ship with Jonouchi and the others, but the biggest problem would be after boarding Duel Kingdom. Unless he planned to be a mere spectator like Honda and Kyoko, Hayato would face the predicament of not having enough stars to go around.

The game requires Grandpa to return, and Jonouchi is also trying to raise money for his sister's surgery. Hayato can't just use "I want to play cards" to take away their participation, can he?

It seems that getting a free ticket to the game is not an option at the moment. Therefore, there is only one way left for Hayato—to get an invitation himself so that he can board the cruise ship.

It sounds simple, but it's not so simple in practice. Pegasus has put a lot of effort into this dueling tournament, all in an effort to generate as much buzz as possible about Duel Monsters. Therefore, the strength of each participant should not be underestimated, because being invited to the island means that they are someone Pegasus values.

Hayato considers himself quite strong, but his biggest problem is that he has no reputation whatsoever. Pegasus may have the Millennium Eye, but he's not Professor X. He can't see through Hayato's strength from halfway around the world, let alone extend an invitation to him.

As for challenging other famous duelists? It might be feasible, but there are two major problems. First, time is a major obstacle. It would be too difficult to build up enough fame before Pegasus finalizes the invitation list. Second, Hayato has no idea where the other star duelists are.

Although there are often various Duel Monsters tournaments on TV, I can't just fly there every time a tournament starts to find a star duelist and say, "I want to challenge you," can I? Who would know a nobody like me?

Building a reputation might not be an option, but ultimately, the invitation list was decided by Pegasus himself, so maybe he could...

Hayato was lost in thought when suddenly Honda, who was standing in front of him, was pushed aside, bringing Hayato back to his senses. He then mentally controlled the system screen to disappear.

Not only were his purchase intentions rejected several times, but he was also kept on and rambled on with a long string of nonsense. At this moment, Haima's face was quite bad. In his bad mood, he felt extremely annoyed when he looked at the cards that Haima Group had just collected in his briefcase.

He packed up the box on his own, and with a gloomy face, he pushed aside the inconvenient Jonouchi and headed out of the house.

"Farewell!" Although the farewell was still polite, anyone could hear the unease in those words.

"boom!"

The door slammed shut, and the sound of a car engine starting outside told everyone that Seahorse had left.

"He's such an annoying guy. You saw it just now, didn't you? He looks down on everyone." Jonouchi complained. "And he even takes a car to go out. What's with all the airs?"

It's already quite good that he's willing to stick to ground transportation; at least it's not a Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet.

The game wasn't focused on Kaiba's attitude, but rather on the inner thoughts that Kaiba had inadvertently revealed: "Kaiba seems to treat cards as tools."

"The truly important cards are those in which one's heart resides."

Yugi's words suddenly reminded Hayato of something. In the final round of his duel with Yugi, during the card-drawing phase, he seemed to have sensed something from the cards.

Unlike Yugi and the others, who didn't yet have a true understanding of the power of Duel Monsters, Hayato knew that the cards truly housed the mind, but the cards themselves were also symbols of power.

There's nothing wrong with viewing cards as a game symbolizing the mind, and there's nothing wrong with the seahorse who thinks cards represent power, because the mind and power have never been in conflict; on the contrary, they have always complemented each other.

However, while Yugi and the others were unaware of the power of the cards, Kaiba refused to accept that the cards could be used to entrust one's soul.

"That guy seems to have gone astray. It's really worrying that he might do something rash," Hayato, who knew what would happen later, pointedly warned.

He did know that Kaiba would later have someone take Sugoroku Muto away and force him into a duel using the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Sugoroku Muto intended to awaken Kaiba through telepathic communication with his deck, but he was instead terrified by the giant Duel Monster projected by Kaiba Corporation's virtual imaging technology and was even rushed to the hospital.

But he couldn't say it aloud, because he had no evidence to prove that Kaiba would do such a thing. Nor did he possess the "Millennium Jewelry" to make prophecies under the guise of "seeing the future." All he could do was offer this indirect reminder, letting Mutou Sugoroku be a little more careful not to be kidnapped.

However, considering Chicken Sauce's nickname "Millennial Hostage," things will most likely just continue as before.

Chapter 16 Please Care for Underage Elderly People Living Alone

The appearance of Kaiba was ultimately just a side story, and the group at the Kame Game House happily resumed their study of Duel Monsters cards. Hayato and Yugi, who knew the most about Duel Monsters, explained various aspects to the newcomer Honda, while Jonouchi, who had played for a while but was practically a complete novice, sat obediently to the side. Kyoko, on the other hand, enthusiastically helped Sugoroku.

Time flies, and before they knew it, it was dinnertime. Hayato and the others said goodbye to the game and went home.

Hayato returned home alone. He had just reached the front door and hadn't even inserted his key into the keyhole when his attention was drawn to a letter under the doormat.

【Hayato's personal introduction】

Picking up the envelope, Hayato saw only a few words written on it. However, he didn't rush to open the envelope. Instead, he opened the door and said into the house, "I...I'm back."

After all, Hayato wasn't Japanese in his previous life, so it felt a bit strange for him to say "I'm back" when he came home.

However, Hayato's expected "You're back" did not come from inside the house for a long time.

Suspicious, Hayato took off his shoes and left the entryway, entering the house to investigate. To his surprise, the house was completely empty and silent. Well, it wasn't entirely silent; the robot vacuum cleaner had automatically started running at a preset time, its suction system humming as it faithfully began cleaning up the trash on the floor.

Hayato is a transmigrator, and being a transmigrator's parents is a high-risk profession. However, in this life, Hayato's parents are alive and well. The woman he saw after waking up in this world is his mother in this life, named "Kobayashi Sumire." She seems to be a tax manager in the finance department of an international company, but Hayato only heard the company's name once, so he couldn't remember it.

As for Hayato's father, his name is "Hiroyuki Kobayashi". He is a diplomat who is often abroad due to his profession. Hayato has only been in this world for a day, so he has only seen his father's face in family photos and has never actually met him.

However, what puzzled Hayato was that although his mother, Ms. Sumire Kobayashi, was often busy with company affairs, she should have been on annual leave recently. Why hadn't he seen her at home? Could it be that she had gone out shopping with her girlfriends?

The only clue Hayato had was the envelope he found in front of the door.

Hayato took off his bag and sat cross-legged by the kotatsu in the living room. The tatami mat beneath him was quite comfortable. He picked up a letter opener from the table and cut open the envelope, taking out a letter and a bank card.

Hayato placed the bank card on the table and first opened the letter to read it:

Dear Hayato:

By the time you read this letter, Mom may already be on a plane to London. I'm going to see your father; after all, we met in London all those years ago.

……

Hayato read on quickly. The letter was written by his mother, Sumire Kobayashi, and it basically said, "Your son has grown up so much without me even realizing it. I'm very relieved about you, so I'm going to visit your father during this annual leave."

In her letter, Sumire Kobayashi, the mother, also said that after flying to London, she would likely stay there for more than a month because her company would be carrying out trade plans there for some time, and she, as a member of the finance department, would also be involved.

Therefore, Hayato will likely have to live alone for quite some time to come. The bank card contains 200,000 yen—his mother, Sumire Kobayashi's—left him as pocket money and living expenses; she will promptly transfer funds to him whenever the account runs out. The PIN is "030221".

"Is this what they call 'both parents are busy, no sister but a house'?" Hayato casually remarked, then breathed a sigh of relief.

Despite his ability to interact with them normally, the two sides didn't really know each other that well. At most, they would marvel at how Hayato's personality differed from his behavior at school, but they wouldn't have many doubts.

However, Hayato would feel immense pressure if he had to face the original owner's parents. After all, parents know their children best, and if he behaved strangely, they would definitely become suspicious.

Now that he doesn't have to spend all his time with his mother, Sumire Kobayashi, Hayato feels much more relaxed.

Hayato rummaged through the refrigerator and found eggs, vegetables, and a can of luncheon meat. He opened a packet of instant noodles, deciding to have a simple meal tonight. While waiting for the water to boil, and with no one around, he activated the system.

I skillfully entered the [Warehouse] module, and found that the endless storage compartments contained only four lonely items: a card deck temporarily stored in the system, an R-level card pack (Dragon), an SR-level card pack, and an R-level selectable card ticket.

With the idea of ​​saving the best for last, Hayato opened the R-rank card pack (Dragon) first.

Unlike basic card packs, R-rank card packs can only yield R-rank cards at the very least. However, as a price to increase the pity system, the highest rank card you can get from a card pack is also R-rank; there is no possibility of getting a UR card in your first pack.

The card pack Hayato just opened is a bit more special; the "(Dragon)" after the name means that the cards in the pack are limited to Dragon-type monsters and Dragon-related support cards. Unfortunately, Hayato's current deck mainly consists of Warrior-type monsters.

However, Hayato took a look and found that "Dragon Slayer Sword" was actually counted as a support card for the Dragon faction, so maybe some of the cards in the pack will still come in handy.

You have opened an R-rank card pack (Dragon). Congratulations! You have obtained the following cards:

Cursed Dragon, City-Guarding Wyvern, Dragon Mirror, Baby Dragon, Dark Dragon King

"Wow!" Hayato exclaimed. Of the five cards he drew, four were of the Ordinary Bone Dragon type, and all of them were Classic Monsters.

However, Hayato had anticipated this, knowing that R-rank card packs wouldn't yield anything good, so he wasn't overly excited. Besides, Dragons are a symbol of power, and even the few cards he got were far stronger than the weak, ordinary cards in his own deck, making them worth adding to his deck.

The only confusing thing is this [Dragon Mirror].

"Right now, it seems I only have the materials for Disruptor King and Dragon Knight Gaia. But Disruptor King isn't a dragon, so I can't use him. That means I can only fuse with Gaia." Hayato put the instant noodles into boiling water, added some vegetables and cracked an egg, and pondered, "But the problem is, I only have the materials, not [Dragon Knight Gaia]. Even if you give me the [Dragon Mirror], I still can't use it!"

Chapter 17: Why are there only goblins in the XP system? / No, there are tentacles and orcs too.

As Hayato slurped down his instant noodles, he decided to open his second card pack, the SR card pack.

Compared to the barely worthless R-rank card packs, the SR card packs are of much higher quality, since even the pity system guarantees five SR cards. Hayato speculates that the achievement corresponding to this SR card pack might be similar to a "newbie bonus," since all you need to do is duel Yugi Muto, with no requirements on winning or losing, making it almost effortless.

Congratulations on opening the SR-level card pack! You have obtained the following cards:

Goblin Assault Team, Goblin Feint Team, Goblin Thieves, Goblin Feint Attack Team, Goblin Thieves

I've stirred up a goblin's nest!?

Hayato didn't ask for much; even a card like "Captain of the Charge" would be fine, since it's one of the well-known Warrior races. But why are all the cards he's opened from his SR card packs Goblin series?

It's not that I dislike the card's strength; after all, to be fair,

The Goblin series cards are almost always the best example of trading aesthetics for strength. Whether it's the 2300 attack power of [Assault Troops] or the card draw after dealing damage with [Feint Troops], they are all quite good. [Goblin Thief] also has the effect of 500 points of effect damage and 500 points of life recovery, which is quite good for both finishing off enemies and surviving.

However, what Hayato really wants most in the SR is the [Dragon Knight Gaia] mortal fusion monster.

Yes, although it's a mortal card with no effects and its attack power is only 300 points higher than one of the materials, [Dark Knight Gaia], it's still classified as an SR card, higher than [Gaia] and [Cursed Dragon]. To specifically purchase this card, you need a staggering 3000 DP points, enough to empty a basic card pack in a single 30-pull.

Due to the previous achievement settlement, Hayato currently has 1100 + 1500 = 2600 DP points remaining, which is 400 points short of the required purchase amount. Hayato speculates that the reason [Dragon Knight] is priced as SR is likely because one of the core support cards related to [Gaia], [Spiral Shot], is based on [Dragon Knight Gaia].

One well-known fact from Hayato's past life is that KONAMI, the publisher of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" cards, loves to use references. Many physical cards that did not appear in the anime actually use references from the anime. The most famous of these is the "Moon Slashing Blade" card, which is a reference to a classic move (or joke) made by Yugi in the anime.

The "Spiral Shot" card, which is included in every Gaia series deck, is also a reference from the anime. In fact, the card's name comes from the name of Gaia's attack move in the anime.

[Spiral Shot] has two effects: first, it grants the [Gaia] card the ability to defend against penetration; second, after dealing damage through the first effect, it allows the activation of [Angel's Battling Rod]—drawing two cards and discarding one. And as everyone knows, any card that can generate card advantage is a good card.

Hayato finished the last bit of soup in his instant noodles in one gulp and began using his final R-rank selection card. This was different from the previous card packs, which randomly selected a few cards from a vast pool (although Hayato suspected there was something fishy about this "randomness"), while this one put the power of selection right in Hayato's hands.

With a vast card pool available for him to choose any R-rank card, Hayato took a deep breath as he looked at the thousands of cards densely packed on the screen. Not only were there cards from the DM era Hayato was currently in, but even cards from the future were presented before him; as long as their effects or types weren't outdated, he could freely choose one to add to his deck.

"This is really dazzling. That scumbag Alai is an R? And there's a Raptor, and even a Hellfire." With endless hesitation, Hayato subconsciously bit his nails, pondering and struggling. He wanted every single card, but he could only choose one.

After browsing the almost limitless gacha pool for quite a while, Hayato finally let out a long breath and clicked on the gacha pool's built-in filtering function.

[Category - Magic]

[Keyword—Destruction]

Although it was a pity, Hayato knew that the best choice at this moment was to select the cards that would best help his deck, thus maximizing his strength. With enough strength, he could obtain these tempting cards in the future.

Hayato's current deck is still dominated by a large number of Normal Monsters, and even after replenishing his deck at Kameji Game Shop, the number of Spell Cards is still too small. He wants to increase the proportion of Spell Cards in his deck as much as possible. At the same time, his biggest problem is that he has too few cards with destructive effects. If he encounters a mindless shield like "Millennium Shield," he will be helpless.

With the filtering function activated, the slowly shrinking card pool quickly became smaller, but there were still a large number of cards left. Hayato began to carefully select from them. Before long, he found a suitable card.

"This card is...?" Looking at the three figures on the card, Hayato was surprised that it was also classified as a "destruction" card. However, the description of its effect did indeed contain the word "destruction." "This is interesting. Things are getting interesting."

————The dividing line for organizing card decks————

It was another bright and sunny morning. Hayato Kobayashi, who was home alone but still obediently didn't stay up all night, left for school early. After all, only children would stay up all night without considering the consequences, and having experienced it once, Hayato didn't want his beautiful hair to turn bald.

Hayato waited for the bus to school at the bus stop. While riding the bus, he overheard two girls from the same school talking together:

"Ugh, what bad luck. The magazine said my luck is really bad right now, and to make matters worse, our class has a random test today."