The black fog drifted slowly. Being in this black fog, one felt not only cold, but also an invisible terror.
It seems as if there are poisonous snakes with cold eyes lurking on all sides, and if you are not careful, you will be bitten.
"Where is this place?"
The senior student who had just graduated from the Duel Department was shivering all over, looking around anxiously, and could hardly speak clearly.
There were four people caught in the black fog. In addition to this senior student, the remaining one was the first-year student representative named Dong Ye who went on stage to give a farewell speech.
One of them was the girl who was responsible for hosting the graduation ceremony. She was capable of hosting such an important occasion and was also a student of Duel Science. At this moment, her mental quality was much stronger than that of the old student. Although her face was a little pale, she was still calm.
The last person is naturally Lin You.
After observing the situation around him for a while, Lin You could probably guess that they were involved in a dark game.
Lin You was not surprised that there would be a dark game in this world. After all, it was a world where the power of cards was more thorough, and there were secret realms.
What he found hard to believe was that this dark game had actually come to their school, and was even being played during the graduation ceremony.
Isn’t this too exaggerated?
Although his heart was in turmoil, Lin You took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
No matter how outrageous the development of things is, this is the fact. If he cannot accept it, destruction will be waiting for him.
According to Lin You's understanding of the dark game, the way to break it is very straightforward, which is to kill the initiator of the dark game.
Just as he was thinking this, he heard light footsteps and a figure appeared faintly in the depths of the black fog.
"Be careful."
Lin You's spirit immediately tensed up. This was no joke. "Quickly complete the soul connection and summon the card."
As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his magic power, and the Black Forest Witch appeared bathed in the light of summons.
Then, a spiral vortex swallowed her up, and the Silent Magician activated his special effect.
After that, with a beast roar, the Phantom Beast King appeared under the support of the special effects activated after the Black Forest Witch sent it to the cemetery.
In a short time, Lin You moved quickly and completed the soul connection between the two monsters.
“Amazing.”
Dong Ye was stunned for a moment, but soon his eyes became firm and he drove his magic power.
Keep up with the pace of seniors!
The card summoned by Dong Ye is a monster with a dirty pink body, a thin but strong skeleton, and sharp black claws and feet. This monster is called the Enhanced Gargoyle.
After appearing, it let out two low howls of enjoyment. It really liked this dark environment. After all, it was a demon monster with dark attributes. Being in such a place, its combat effectiveness could be improved.
The girl was also quick to act. While driving her magic, she said sideways, "I'll assist you."
Dense water droplets emerged, followed by a pleasant sound of surging sea water. A large number of water droplets finally formed a little girl wearing a transparent thin skirt. The little girl had blue hair and eyes, and her gaze was exceptionally pure.
【Sea Princess】
Aquatic, water attribute.
Attack power/1300, defense power/1000.
The senior student finally reacted a few beats late, but he also released his card with a nervous look on his face.
The rhythmic sound of horse hooves was heard, the gleam of a knife flashed by, and a centaur holding a sickle appeared.
Centaur
Beast race, earth attribute.
Attack power/1300, defense power/1550
…
"Hahaha."
As they finished summoning the card, a teasing laugh was heard.
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Zheng walked out of the black fog, followed by a headless knight who exuded a cold aura.
Headless Horseman
Demon race, earth attribute.
Attack power/1450, defense power/1700.
In this dark game, even though there is no protection from the 'invisible barrier' set up in professional dueling arenas, it still has the function of displaying monster panel data, which is amazing.
"1450?"
After seeing the data on the headless knight's panel, the old student who had been trembling with fear suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the atmosphere around him still made him quite uncomfortable, he now had the confidence to speak.
"You bastard, who are you? Where is this place? What do you want to do? You'd better explain everything to me clearly."
The old man asked a series of questions about his manners, but Zhou Zheng didn't get angry. Instead, he said with a smile, "This is a dark game. You are really lucky to be able to join. Most people will never be able to participate in a dark game in their entire lives."
"Dark Game?"
Hearing the other party's explanation, the old man suddenly felt a chill, but thinking of their large number of people and the support of a powerful backer like Lin You, he mustered up his courage and asked, "What does this mean? How can we get out?"
"Well."
Zhou Zheng's face was smiling under the dark mask. He suddenly pointed to the side and said, "Did you see those little babies?"
Everyone looked over immediately, but their eyes froze.
Dozens or even hundreds of soft-bodied worms the size of rugby balls, with white bodies, were gathered together, wriggling alternately and constantly. They seemed quite excited, as if they were waiting for a feast that was about to be enjoyed.
"So disgusting." The girl resisted the urge to vomit. She was most afraid of this type of insects.
Lin You looked at the insects and suddenly thought of something. He said, "Whoever loses this duel will become a meal for those insects, right?"
What?
Hearing Lin You's question, the other three people were shocked at the same time.
Will it really be eaten by those bugs?
How could it be...
Zhou Zheng was slightly surprised, but still smiled and said, "This will be your end today. Those dark bugs have been hungry for a long time. Let me tell you frankly, with your abilities as students, there is no way you can defeat me. Giving up resistance may help you die faster."
The old man's face changed again. He was about to scold to give himself confidence, but Zhou Zheng's next words hit the nail on the head.
"Because I'm a genuine one-star duelist with over a thousand points of magic power. All the training you've gone through in school is just playing house in my eyes."
The smile on Zhou Zheng's face grew even more intense. "Do you understand now?"
These words, like a heavy hammer, struck the hearts of several people, spreading with a sense of despair.
One-star Duelist.
That is, a serious duelist.
Whether it is the strength of the cards, the quality and quantity of magic, the amount of practical experience and the understanding of the cards, they are far superior to them.
Facing such an opponent, even if there were four of them, even with Lin You who won first place in the final assessment, they were still far behind.
The combat capabilities of both sides are completely not on the same level.
The fighting spirit was almost stripped away in an instant, and Zhou Zheng was enjoying this scene like watching a good show. This was something he had expected a long time ago. It would undoubtedly be more delicious to defeat them psychologically first and then devour their souls.
"Coolie~"
The chestnut ball floating nearby seemed to have discovered something and whispered something.
Lin You was slightly stunned, but didn't think much about it. He nodded imperceptibly, and the chestnut ball flew away quietly after getting permission.
"One-star Duelist?"
After a moment, Lin You's face turned ugly. He stared at the other person and said firmly, "Impossible. You sound very young, and you probably haven't received any training from Duel High School. Otherwise, you wouldn't do such a thing."
His words were filled with disbelief, but the difficulty on his face revealed that he was only forcing himself to comfort himself, to give himself a reason to have firm confidence and continue fighting.
"Duel High School?"
Zhou Zheng sneered and mocked, "That kind of place is a paradise that belongs only to heaven. Only talented students can make their mark there. The strong will always be strong."
"But who cares about the feelings of the weak? Without talent and background, should we be willing to be stuck in the quagmire?"
"Do you take those ridiculous remarks seriously? Do you think you can use so-called hard work to cover up your mediocrity and incompetence?"
"This is an unfair game from the beginning. Ideals tell us that if we work harder, we can change everything, but reality will only shatter your ideals."
As he spoke, anger appeared in Zhou Zheng's eyes under the dark mask, and he clenched his fists.
"Thus, those who choose to follow the rules are just pitiful souls brainwashed by illusory things. The hall of the strong does not only belong to geniuses. Mediocre people have their own path, just like now."
Zhou Zheng spread out his palms, and dark magic power continuously emerged. "As long as I devour the souls of you so-called geniuses, I can become stronger. Just like before, this is the true meaning of giving. It is precisely because of the corresponding rewards that it is so fascinating."
"etc."
Lin You suddenly raised his palm to stop the process and asked seriously, "Is it too late for me to join now?"
“…”
The air was silent for a few seconds. The old student and Dong Ye couldn't help but open their eyes wide. What was going on?
Join, join what?
Join the other party's organization?
At this moment, they all forgot their despair and were shocked beyond words.
Do you still have this hand?
Dong Ye's eyes were filled with disbelief. He didn't believe that Lin You would say such a thing. Even if it was for his own life, he couldn't be so shameless. Those were the criminals who attacked their school!
Zhou Zheng was stunned for a long moment. He hadn't expected Lin You to have such thoughts. Then he couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Hahaha, interesting, so interesting. It turns out that genius students are also afraid of death and will throw away their dignity to survive."
"But..." Zhou Zheng looked at Lin You with a smile in his eyes, "I admire you very much. It is important for people to know themselves. Self-respect and bottom line are nothing compared to life."
After saying that, Zhou Zheng shook his head with pity, "It's a pity that you still have to die today, but you can still be thankful that you can become a stepping stone for me to reach a higher level."
"don't want!"
Lin You's expression showed panic, and he begged, "Please spare my life. I can help you do something, like them. I will kill them now to prove my loyalty."
Being pointed at by Lin You and used as pawns to survive, the three people's faces changed drastically. The old student was the first to lose control and shouted angrily: "Lin You, I didn't expect you to be such a cowardly bastard. Is this your true face? It's so ugly!"
Dong Ye's expression was dull, and he shook his head mechanically, "Senior Lin You, this is not true."
The girl was also slightly stunned, her eyes flashed, and she suddenly said in a cold voice: "I look down on you."
Seeing this scene, Zhou Zheng was a little overjoyed. "This is really a good show for me to watch. I am a little reluctant to kill you. But please die anyway."
"etc!"
"What's wrong? Do you have any final wishes before you die?"
Zhou Zheng frowned, but he was in a good mood now and managed to keep his temper.
Lin You's face turned pale. He was silent for a long moment before he sighed and said, "Since you can't escape death, then at least tell me why it was us."
"What's the meaning?"
"Why did you choose our school as your target, and why did you target us?"
"Is this your last question before you die?" Zhou Zheng smiled, then shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately, I can't reveal the answer to this question. But as compensation, I will keep you until the end. The screams of the three people next to you will pave the way for your death. Listen carefully."
As soon as he finished speaking, the headless knight who had been waiting beside Zhou Zheng for a while took a step forward.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot, you three."
The moment the Dullahan moved, Lin You glanced at the others from the corner of his eye and shouted, "Let's work together and kill this bastard."
"What……"
The old man stared at Lin You with resentment for a long time, muttering in confusion.
Dong Ye, who was originally extremely disappointed with Lin You and had become somewhat disheartened due to the strength of the enemy, now had some spirit in his eyes again, but more of it was confusion.
"Senior Lin You was just trying to delay time. Didn't you guys see such an obvious thing? It's okay that the enemy is stupid, but why are you also confused?" The female host covered her face with her hands in frustration.
"Delay, delay time?!"
The old man's eyes widened and his face turned red unconsciously.
He didn't see any trace at all. Was that just to delay time?
I was so immersed in the role, and you tell me that was just acting?
It's shameful, so shameful!
Now I just wish I could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
"It's acting..." The truth was revealed, and Dong Ye suddenly felt relieved, with a little sparkle in his eyes. This child was unexpectedly sentimental. "That's great, it's really great!"
whoosh!
The silent magician, who had put on the black necklace unknowingly and whose attack power soared to 2300 points, swung his staff and a magic bullet shot straight out and hit the headless knight.
At the same time, the Phantom Beast King flashed forward, and because the opponent had no head, its sharp claws with cyclones fell on its chest.
Phantom hunting!
Under the explosion of the ultimate move, even though the Headless Horseman's defense power was as high as 1700 points, large cracks still appeared on the armor on his chest.
Under this combined attack, the Dullahan fell to his knees, his body twitching slightly.
At this time, Zhou Zheng's cheeks were also twitching, but that was out of annoyance.
Got cheated?
Is that just acting?
This is not the most fatal thing. The real fatal thing is what the host girl said, "It's okay if the enemy is stupid, but why are you confused too?"
Is he stupid?
Is he as brainless as the Headless Horseman?
Thinking about the nonsense he had just said to Lin You, and then thinking about how he had just bowed his head and begged for mercy for this genius, he felt a sense of pleasure in his heart, and even felt sorry for him for a moment.
Zhou Zheng's teeth were grinding loudly, and his nose under the mask was almost crooked from anger.
Little bastard!
Lin You had no idea what Zhou Zheng was thinking, but he discovered that the Headless Knight was first injured by the joint attack of the Silent Magician and the Phantom Beast King.
Then the strengthened gargoyles and centaurs joined the battle, including the Sea Princess, who blew a conch in her hand, and the melodious and ethereal sound of the conch spread.
When the Sea Princess's special effect is activated, she can distribute her own attack power and defense power to up to four targets, with a maximum total value of 200 points allocated to each target.
You can choose 100 points for both offense and defense, or 200 points for one-sided data.
This special effect is quite powerful, no wonder this girl said she can play a supporting role.
Correspondingly, the magic power consumption is also relatively high, but the key to victory does not lie in her, and being able to provide assistance is already the greatest effort she can make.
The four targets also correspond to the four monsters on the field.
Under the siege of these monsters, even though the Dullahan's defense power was as high as 1,700 points, he still appeared to be retreating step by step and was completely suppressed.
"wrong."
Lin You noticed some clues. It was not the Headless Knight's overly tenacious vitality. This was not a big deal. After all, no matter how tenacious he was, he probably couldn't last five seconds.
What's strange is that the dark duelist has only been watching his monster being besieged, and he doesn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
Logically speaking, the summoning interval had long passed, so there was no reason for him to just watch his monster get beaten.
Are you really so angry?
It shouldn't be that bad.
But Lin You was not in a hurry. He glanced at the dark insects that were still wriggling. If he looked carefully, he would find that the height of the pile of insects had obviously become lower.
Bang!
At this moment, the headless knight, unable to bear the heavy burden, exploded. At the moment of breaking, his face seemed to be twisted, as if he was enduring some kind of pain.
Seeing this, the old student said excitedly: "What a great opportunity! No matter who he is, his exposed soul barrier is the most vulnerable."
"Um."
Although Dong Ye also felt strange in his heart, the smooth development of the situation made him feel a little unnatural. He even doubted whether Zhou Zheng had the strength of a one-star duelist, or whether he was just talking nonsense to intimidate them.
But at this time, this excellent offensive opportunity cannot be missed at all costs.
At this moment, several monsters attacked at the same time without hesitation.
"Don't take it too easy, you naive dueling novices."
Zhou Zheng sneered, and a trap card flipped open in front of him.
Boom!
A cold bell rang faintly, strange and creepy, like a sonata coming from deep in a cemetery in the middle of the night.
A large amount of debris flew into the air. These fragments were actually the monster fragments of the Headless Knight that had just been shattered.
At this moment, the fragments merged together, forming the appearance of a headless knight. Dozens of green tentacles stretched out from all directions, surrounding his body in several circles.
At this moment, all the attacks on Zhou Zheng were blocked by the soul barrier.
It is isolation, not absorption.
This means that no harm was caused to him.
This situation occurs because before the attack takes effect, Zhou Zheng has summoned a monster on the field that is soul-connected with him.
Bang!
The ground cracked, and a huge orange-yellow figure broke out of the ground. The tentacles dispersed as if they had heard a command, and the headless knight fell naturally into a huge black mouth that was cracked all the way to the cheek.
Only then did everyone see clearly.
The figure that emerged from the ground was actually a large pumpkin with a diameter of more than one meter. The pumpkin wore a crown on its head and had a huge single eye on its forehead, looking coldly ahead.
Apart from this single eye, the only human facial features it had were the huge mouth that was cracked like a black crack, in which it was chewing its own sacrifice, the headless knight. A dozen tentacles were connected to its melon body, twisting aimlessly.
【Pumpkin Ghost King】
Undead, dark attribute.
Attack power/1800, defense power/2000.
…
"There's no mistake. This monster is..."
The old man looked incredulous and trembled as he said, "A monster of the Black Star level!"
Controlling Black Star-level monsters is the biggest gap between true duelists and duel rookies like them.
Black Star Monsters usually require a monster as a sacrifice before they can be summoned.
Unlike most white star monsters that can easily appear by paying 20 points of magic power, black star monsters, not considering the consumption of sacrifices, require as much as 200 points of magic power just to summon them!
A full ten times difference!
The monsters summoned with such consumption are more than what is shown on the panel.
Looking at the offensive and defensive data alone, there is indeed not much of a clear gap between the Black Star Monsters and the White Star Monsters. Some Black Star Monsters are even worse than ordinary White Star Monsters just by looking at their panels.
But is this really the case?
Of course not!
Black Star Monsters require sacrifices and huge amounts of magic power to be summoned, and their vitality is far superior to that of ordinary White Star Monsters.
The vitality of Duel Monsters varies greatly.
This can be seen from the fact that beast monsters and undead monsters generally have greater vitality than magician monsters and water monsters.
The difference between black stars and white stars is the difference in life levels.
If we take vitality as an example, assuming that the vitality of an ordinary white star monster is one thousand, then the black star monster has a vitality of at least ten thousand.
This also means that even when facing siege, the Pumpkin Ghost King, as a black star monster, can remain extremely calm.
Bang.
At the same time as the Pumpkin Ghost King was born, the trap card in front of Zhou Zheng shattered.
Devil's Bell
The effect of this card is that when a Demon-Type monster on the field is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, the Duelist can treat that card as a Tribute, immediately Normal Summoning a Black Star Advanced monster.
As a one-star duelist, how could Zhou Zheng make such a serious mistake in a duel?
The Headless Horseman was a monster card that he deliberately sacrificed.
If you follow the normal superior summoning process, the Ghost Pumpkin King will not be able to form a soul connection with him immediately, and there will be a gap of several seconds.
During this period of time, Zhou Zheng's situation will be worse.
Although he was a duelist, if he was too careless, he might suffer a setback even if he was facing only four students.
Therefore, he chose a safer approach.
"Go ahead and wail now, it will be much easier later." Zhou Zheng raised his head slightly, looking down with a look of contempt, "Did you see that?"
"This is power, absolute crushing power!"
"The fighting stance of a true duelist!"
Standing in front of the Ghost Pumpkin King, Zhou Zheng laughed out loud again, and dark black mist rose and swirled around the duel disk in his hand.