'I don't understand, I absolutely don't understand!'
As the sixth bump appeared on his face, Pouf stared blankly at Ging, who remained as calm as still water.
No matter how he racked his brains, no matter how many times he sorted through the known rules, he still had no clue about Ging's subsequent intentions.
You must understand, for Ging to fulfill his boast of grinding down his HP, he would need 100 Little Bee Insect cards. But Ging only had 17 cards. It was impossible no matter how he thought about it.
'What exactly was he thinking? What exactly did he intend to do?'
Even though victory was assured, Pouf couldn't feel at ease.
The bumps on his face seemed to remind him that Ging would have unconventional moves later.
'It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter... I'll win anyway.'
Muttering inwardly, Pouf played a Sun-type potent poison Insect card… still the highest instant poison damage for a single round. Combined with the Attack card's poison amplification, it dealt a total of 4 points of damage.
Then, Ging suffered the second wave of high damage.
-20!
HP dropped below 40!
Ging's brows furrowed again, due to the pain.
After a moment, the pain effect faded. Ging's brows relaxed, and he finally didn't take out a Little Bee. Instead, it was a Soil-type Insect card.
"[Cicada Swarm], Emerge!"
Dozens of black cicada larvae suddenly appeared, landing around Ging, forming a circle.
After all the cicada larvae were in position, a crack appeared on each larva's back… the first step of metamorphosis and emergence.
Seeing Ging use Cicada Swarm, Pouf's brows knitted together.
This card was known as the most useless recovery-type Insect card. It was worth noting that its effect was to fully restore HP, but it had strict usage conditions:
Required ten rounds of brewing to trigger.
After using this card, Soil-type Insect cards could not be used for ten rounds.
Each round of emergence cost 1 HP.
Such stringent conditions were why it was considered useless.
But what puzzled Pouf was that Ging's current HP wouldn't last three rounds, let alone ten.
From start to finish, Pouf simply couldn't fathom Ging's thinking.
Though displeased, he decided to stop overthinking and just focus on defeating Ging.
Since the poison setup was complete, Pouf no longer used Water Drop or Soil cards in the following rounds, only instant Sun-type cards, still starting with potent poison, shaving off 4 points of Ging's HP.
Simultaneously, the third round of poison burst arrived.
-24!
Ging's entire body turned sickly green. His HP dropped to only 11 points. Compared to Pouf's 96 HP, it was a world of difference.
When the next round returned to Pouf, just one Sun-type potent poison Insect card could finish off Ging's remaining HP.
"You're finished."
Pouf looked coldly at Ging. Although Ging remained calm, Pouf was unaffected now because victory was assured.
"Actually, from the very beginning, the strategy I implemented was extremely risky."
In a perilous situation, Ging revealed a satisfied smile.
Looking at Pouf, he said seriously, "Common sense dictates that with an overwhelming MP advantage, choosing aggressive Attack cards to crush the opponent is the only path to a quick victory."
"So, the probability of you choosing an aggressive deck was as high as eighty percent. Once you chose an aggressive deck, everything I prepared would have been wasted."
"But I knew very clearly you would absolutely not choose an aggressive deck. Just as I thought, you brought out a poison deck. From that moment, I knew I had secured half the victory points."
'This human... what is he saying?'
'A guaranteed death next round, yet still joking around?'
Pouf stared at Ging as if looking at a madman.
In response, Ging showed no reaction, continuing in a calm, steady tone, "Half of your deck consists of Armor-crafting cards and recovery cards, right? Because half poison, half defense is the standard for poison strategy."
"After all, the basic structure of poison strategy is to slowly drag the enemy to death with subtle poison damage."
"Even though you adopted a potent poison strategy, for caution's sake, you would still choose enough recovery cards within your ample space to ensure you remain undefeated."
"Just like you didn't choose aggression but poison... you are the type with meticulous thinking. Even if it complicates simplicity, you absolutely forbid any slip-up… a perfectionist."
Here, Ging took out a Water Drop-type Insect card. Flipping it over revealed a mother insect resembling a nest.
"Come on, the game only starts now. I'll break through your deck until your HP drops to zero."
Ging materialized the Nest Mother Insect, suspending it above.
The Nest Mother Insect's effect was to spawn eggs, encompassing all Insect cards the user had used in this duel. Its duration was infinite, but like Cicada Swarm's Emerge, its effect was subtle, relying purely on waiting and more waiting.
This characteristic was actually similar to poison strategy, but it was much slower… a thoroughly late-game Insect card.
"The game only starts now?"
Pouf glanced coldly at the Nest Mother Insect. He knew this card's effect: not defensive, not healing/recovery. Meaning, next round, Ging's HP would definitely drop to zero.
"Dream however you want. The game is over."
Pouf flipped out a Sun-type potent poison Insect card and played it.
However, Ging's HP only dropped by 1 point, leaving 10 HP. Subsequent sustained poison damage also had no effect on Ging.
"What?"
Pouf was suddenly startled.
With Ging's poison resistance worn down by several potent poisons, it was impossible to inflict such low damage.
At that moment, a snake-like creature the size of a pufferfish, the [Earthmaster Snake], crawled out from somewhere, standing on Ging's shoulder.
Seeing that strange snake, Pouf instantly understood.
That was Ging's third Strategy Insect card, a passive trigger type. It was an Insect card with a drawing MP cost of 50, also one of the more useless, ineffective cards on this game map.
Essentially, it was a counter to poison strategy. When HP dropped to 10, it provided immunity to any poison damage, but the effect lasted only five rounds.
"This is your trump card?" Pouf mocked. "Get this straight: Strategy cards cannot be counted in the graveyard. So your Mother Insect can't summon the Earthmaster Snake. You can only last five more rounds."
Ging also smiled, but not mockingly… a relieved smile.
"So, your current deck doesn't contain any direct damage Insect cards besides poison effects? Then I can rest completely assured."
Hearing Ging's words, Pouf's face darkened.
His earlier statement that Ging could only last five more rounds was essentially a self-revelation.
To maximize the steady, secure style of poison strategy, he indeed hadn't prepared any direct damage cards besides poison. If he had, he wouldn't have said Ging could only last five more rounds.
'But what did he plan to do next?'
'One Attack card remained unrevealed. And due to Cicada Swarm's effect, Soil-type Insect cards could no longer be used, leaving only Water Drop-type cards.'
'So, did he have any room for maneuver?'
Pouf stared fixedly at Ging.
In this situation, he should have been in complete control, he should have been the one joking confidently. How did the positions reverse?
'Why did I feel like I was the one in imminent danger?'
'Why this feeling?'
'That's right...!'
Pouf suddenly understood.
Because he had been seen through by the other party. Yet, the spiritual information he obtained through Spiritual Message only showed calmness and a desire to win.
"There's only one combination that can make the Earthmaster Snake's effect last infinitely. Need a hint?"
Ging took out a Water Drop-type Insect card and said flatly, "You've already lost."
Pouf was stunned. Perhaps he hadn't noticed his mindset was becoming unbalanced.
The reason lay in that starkly reversed position. Amplified by his meticulous and sensitive nature, the negative impact had reached its peak.
'You've already lost'
These words should have been spoken by him, with full confidence, not by this insignificant human before him.
But within that gradually unbalanced mindset, Pouf thought of the combination Ging mentioned.
Suddenly, Pouf's face contorted ferociously.
'If that condition was met...' Pouf could already foresee his own outcome.
'Indeed... he would be stung to death by a swarm of Little Bees.'
'Just like that, chipping away HP point by point, then dying in disgrace?'
"Impossible!"
Pouf refused to believe it.
He chose the steady, secure poison deck for a one hundred percent win rate. But the deck chosen by his opponent was inherently weak beyond words, yet it became the bane of his deck?
'Could it be that before the duel even started, this human had seen through all my steps?'
The light in Pouf's eyes gradually faded, as if he saw himself being stung to death by a swarm of Little Bees.
Seeing Pouf seemed to realize, Ging said seriously, "Correct game strategies can reduce the chance of player error, allowing players to clear or win in the shortest time."
"In my case, forcing the opponent to break the rules is the fastest path to victory."
"But when facing an opponent like you, it only leaves direct victory."
…
Southern Wasteland. The 100-Type Guanyin finished its Ninety-Ninth Hand.
Netero retreated, staring intently at the King slowly rising from the ground.
'Unharmed...?'