Yu-Gi-Oh!: Worldwide Mix, the Ultimate Necromancer Duel

Back to the hotel.

You Chen inserted the door card into the power outlet, and the room instantly lit up with warm yellow light.

He took off his coat and casually draped it over the back of the chair before collapsing onto the bed and sinking into the soft mattress.

"I wonder what kind of deck I'll get."

You Chen was referring to the reward for the God-level choice.

[Duel King's God-Tier Choice: Challenge and Defeat the "Top Disciple/Gym Leader"]

[Task completed.]

[Rewards being distributed...]

Congratulations on obtaining: Iron Knight Deck x1

He sat up abruptly, and with a flick of his wrist, a deck of cards appeared out of thin air above his palm.

You Chen was taken aback.

"The Iron Knight?"

"It's alright, this is a pure Axe Warrior deck."

"However, some adjustments still need to be made."

He looked down at the stack of cards in his hand.

【Kia Fried, the Iron Knight】

[Frontline Observer]

[The captain who cuts into the enemy lines]

【reinforce】

……

It consists entirely of low-level Warrior-type monsters and general-purpose support cards, with no fancy summoning methods or complicated chain reactions.

It was simple, even somewhat shabby.

"It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw it away," You Chen commented softly.

However, when his finger flipped to the last card in the deck, his movement suddenly stopped.

A card slipped from between his fingers and lay quietly on the top of the deck.

On the card, a delicate short sword with flowing light lies horizontally within the butterfly's wings, its blade as thin as a cicada's wing, radiating a dreamlike rainbow light.

【Butterfly Dagger - Echo】.

You Chen's eyes changed.

He stared at the card for several seconds, and then the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

"Good heavens..."

He chuckled softly, pulled out the card, and examined it closely under the light.

The card surface reflects a delicate rainbow of colors, like a butterfly about to take flight.

"This deck wasn't particularly interesting to begin with." He inserted [Butterfly Dagger] into the core of the deck, a playful smile appearing in his eyes. "But with this card, things change."

A classic combination that would strike fear into the hearts of countless duelists quietly took shape in his mind.

You Chen didn't rush to continue studying the deck. Instead, he put the deck away and turned on his computer.

I searched for Haima Group.

We found the [Haima Group Duelist Level Assessment Center].

Then I made a phone call.

You Chen took out the original owner's identity card from his pocket, glanced at the lonely one-star mark on it, and dialed the number.

beep - beep -

"Hello, this is the Haima Group Level Assessment Center. How can I help you?"

A professional female voice came from the other end of the phone, clear and efficient.

"Hello, I would like to schedule my level assessment for tomorrow," You Chen said, getting straight to the point.

"Okay, please tell me your name and examination admission ticket number."

You Chen reported the original owner's identity information.

The sound of typing came from the other end of the phone. After about three seconds, the other person paused slightly.

"Um... Hello sir, we found that you have already participated in the ranking assessment this month. According to the rules, you need to complete ten valid matches in the officially certified dueling arena before you can apply for a regular star rating again."

You Chen: "..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Is there really no other way?"

"Yes," the other party answered readily. "You can choose the challenge channel that allows you to advance to a higher level."

"A challenge beyond one's level?"

"Yes. We will match you with duelists of 3 to 5 stars as opponents. As long as you win this match, you can directly advance to a 3-star duelist, without being limited to ten matches."

After a pause, the other party added, as if it were a routine matter, "I need to remind you that this passage is extremely difficult. The star rating difference between duelists is very significant; a one-star duel against a three-star has almost never resulted in a victory. Moreover, the opponent you're matched with may not necessarily be a three-star; it could be a four-star or even a five-star."

"We suggest you complete ten matches before making a reservation..."

"No."

You Chen interrupted the other person.

"I've booked a challenge for someone above my level tomorrow."

There was a full three seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

The staff member clearly did not expect that even after they had explained the difficulty so clearly, the other party would still choose this path without hesitation.

"...Okay, your registration is complete." Her tone carried a subtle, complex emotion. "Your appointment number is 0352. Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, at the Seahorse Arena, Section B. Please arrive on time."

"Thanks."

You Chen hung up the phone and casually tossed his ID card onto the bedside table.

All done. Now all that's left is to wait for tomorrow's duel.

I don't know what kind of weirdos I'll be matched with, but this thing is probably like opening a blind box.

There was only shock, no surprise.

---

The next morning.

It was a rare sunny day in Tongshiye, and the sunlight divided the entire city into geometric blocks of light and shadow.

The glass walls of the Seahorse Arena reflect the dazzling sunlight, making it look like a giant tower made of diamonds from a distance.

You Chen stood at the entrance of the arena, looking up at the iconic building.

"Seahorse is really rich! So extravagant!" You Chen exclaimed as he went inside.

The first floor of the arena is an open card trading area with hundreds of stalls neatly arranged, displaying various cards ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in transparent card tiles.

The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the beeping of the card authentication machine blended together.

You Chen stopped in front of a stall.

He didn't need many cards, nor were they the popular or rare ones like the Pot of Greed or Resurrection of the Dead.

The cards he wants might not even be glanced at by experienced players, but for him now, they are essential pieces of the puzzle for building a second deck.

Twenty minutes later, he had collected the remaining cards he needed.

It cost over 30,000 in total, and that's not even the kind of card that many people want.

This demonstrates the rarity and value of cards in the world of duels.

"Still poor."

"If only dueling could lead to robbing a bank without being a crime, that would be wonderful."

You Chen shook his head and glanced at the time on the screen.

"It's almost time."

He was preparing to report to Area B when a piercing electrical noise suddenly came from above his head.

Immediately afterwards—

"snort!"

The lights in the entire lobby seemed to dim for a moment with that cold snort.

You Chen subconsciously looked up and saw a cold, almost arrogant face occupying the entire field of vision on the giant curved screen in the center of the hall, which was as tall as a three-story building.

A white cloak, sharp eyes, and a lip that always held a hint of mockery and disdain.

Seto Kaiba.

"All duelists—" The man on the screen slightly raised his chin, as if looking down over the entire Domino through the lens, "I hereby announce that three months from now, on May 20th! This entire city will become the battlefield for duelists."

He paused, and the smile on his lips widened a bit.

"The Duel City Tournament is about to begin. Give it your all!"

"Ha ha ha ha--!"

That signature, flamboyant, almost childish laughter boomed into the eardrums of everyone present through the arena's 360-degree surround sound system.

You Chen was so shocked that he almost dropped the card holder in his hand.

He rubbed his ears, staring at the spirited face on the screen with a complicated expression.

Did it have to be this sudden?

Do you have to laugh like that, in such a childish way?

But... Duel City?

You Chen's gaze froze slightly.