As Youyu passed through the same dim and empty alley for the third time, the streets outside were already deserted.
The time had passed midnight, and all decent folks had counted their sheep and fallen into deep sleep. The only ones still wandering the streets were a handful of drunks, hoodlums, and some other insidious characters.
As for Youyu?
Just by looking at his good looks, you'd know he didn't belong to any of the above categories.
After all...
...how could there be such a handsome drunk or hoodlum?
A chill, eerie wind blew in from the other end of the alley, bringing a hint of coldness. Along with it came a wave of hunger, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since he arrived here almost half a day ago.
This also reminded Youyu that despite having a game panel, he was no longer a player, but a person living in this world.
It seemed he needed to find some work by daylight, at least to earn his next meal so he wouldn't starve to death.
By now, Youyu was already on his fourth lap around the same route. He'd practically walked around the entire town the whole night, yet showed no sign of triggering any storyline.
He went through his memory again, certain that he hadn't remembered incorrectly. The hidden storyline revealed by that famous player in the forum really was triggered around this area.
Maybe he was a bit early?
After all, the game was set to launch in a month, and that player triggered the storyline a month after. It made sense if it couldn't be triggered now.
Besides, Youyu was only here to try his luck; if it didn't work out, so be it.
Just as he had this thought, footsteps began echoing from the alley behind him.
They sounded like dress shoes stepping on a sidewalk, exceptionally clear in the surrounding silence.
Youyu's eyes lit up.
Could it finally be happening?
Sure enough, when he turned his head, he spotted a black silhouette behind him. The man was cloaked in a large black robe, looking as if a burlap sack had been dipped in a black ink vat. A wide hood covered most of his face, but a glimpse of a white mask could be seen beneath.
Additionally, he wore a Duel Disc on his left hand, showing that he was also a card player.
"Hey, Duelist over there," the man chuckled gently, "care to duel? The kind that bets Rare Cards."
After a pause, his voice lowered, and a chilling gaze shot out from under the hood.
"But you don't really have a choice to refuse."
Youyu wasn't surprised or panicked, his heart calm and even a bit eager to cheer.
Finally, after circling all night, he ran into someone!
"A Rare Card Hunter, right?" he retorted.
"Oh? You actually know me?" the man laughed.
"I've recently heard rumors about you. Because of the upcoming tournament hosted by Kaiba Company, Duelists from around the world have gathered in Domino City, so you Rare Card Hunters have been quite active lately, haven't you?"
"Indeed." The man smiled. "According to the rules set by Kaiba Company, only recognized Duelists who possess Rare Cards can receive their newly developed Duel Disc and gain entry into the tournament."
He paused and glanced at the Duel Disc on Youyu's left hand.
"Since you're wearing one, it means you have a Rare Card." He spoke slowly, raising his arm as the Duel Disc on his wrist automatically unfolded.
"Let's use the Duel City betting card rules. The loser must surrender their Rare Card."
At the same time, a system notification popped up in front of Youyu.
"Hidden Task Triggered: Challenge from the Ghouls!
Description: A challenge has been issued to you by Pandora, a powerful Rare Card Hunter from the Ghouls!
Victory Reward: Earn the UR Rare Card 'Dark Magician'!
Defeat Penalty: A random card will be taken from you by the opponent."
As usual, the description was vague, while the reward was clear, but the penalty was ambiguously explained.
However, having played Linked World for so long, Youyu was used to it. Randomness was a feature of the game. Sometimes, different players completing the same task could end up with different results.
However, Youyu's luck was quite good this time; he had successfully encountered Pandora, the Rare Card Hunter.
This character, besides the protagonist Muto Yugi, was the only one across the entire Yu-Gi-Oh! DM series to hold the Dark Magician as his trump card. The prominent player from the previous life that Youyu mentioned earlier seemed to have met and defeated Pandora during the Duel City chapter tasks, hence acquiring the top-tier rare Dark Magician.
It's worth mentioning that although players generally couldn't open Dark Magician cards or its related series from the system card pool, if you managed to obtain a Dark Magician card through special task channels, the system would tailor your card pool, giving you chances to open those related series cards in the future.
The player from the previous life obtained a Dark Magician through this task and gradually opened a series of powerful support cards from the system card pool, eventually becoming a renowned Dark Magician player in Linked World.
Of course, the game wasn't live yet, so no one had triggered the Rare Card Hunter Pandora hidden task yet.
Though he felt sorry for the player whose opportunity he snatched, Youyu wasn't going to pass up this interception opportunity.
Another reason Youyu chose this task was due to its relative safety.
Pandora might be under Marik, the infamous showy villain from Yu-Gi-Oh!, and a member of the dark organization Ghouls, but he didn't possess any supernatural powers himself.
That is, it was just a regular duel, the loser needing only to endure the shock of the holographic images (as per the Yu-Gi-Oh! setup) and expend some physical strength, which wouldn't endanger life.
As for being deprived of Rare Cards by the opponent,
Well, Youyu could pretty much disregard that.
His current card deck only contained the Four Trash Heroes and mostly useless Trap and Spell Cards, not a single Rare Card among them.
His Duel Disc wasn't even from the Kaiba Company but a starter gift from the system upon account creation.
So his situation was like having nothing at home, and a thief wouldn't find anything to steal.
"Duel!"
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Pandora, LP 4000]
"Then I'll take the first move, draw."
Pandora drew a card, took a look, let out a barely noticeable smirk, and added the card to his five-card hand.
Watching his action, Youyu couldn't help but think...
...Damn, I do miss the days when you could draw a card in the first turn.
Yes, by the time Youyu crossed over, the rules updated in Linked World had long abolished drawing a card first turn. Many veteran players, accustomed to the traditional rules, felt a bit uncomfortable adjusting.
However, after getting used to the later rules, Youyu now felt playing by the DM era rules in Yu-Gi-Oh! was a bit awkward.
"The monster I'm summoning is... Mystic Tomato! Attack position!"
Pandora slapped a Monster Card onto the Duel Disc. The holographic projection technology activated, and the card data was transferred to the Kaiba Company headquarters, instantly summoning a grinning, sinister red tomato onto the field.
[Mystic Tomato, Attack 1400]
"My turn ends." Pandora said.
Summoning a level four monster and ending the turn, with no back row at all...
No joke, had he still been playing with the deck before crossing over, the opponent wouldn't have lasted the second turn.
Well, let bygones be bygones. Focus for now...
"My turn."
Youyu drew a card, glanced at his hand, contemplated for a while, and finally pulled out a card with a posture reminiscent of Ash's "I choose you" move, slamming it onto the Duel Disc.
"I summon Elemental Hero Featherman!"
[Elemental Hero Featherman, Defense 1000]
"Turn... turn end."
...
What else could he do?
How could he play with two Feathermen, two Blazing Hita, and no fusion in the hand?