A four-star monster with 2400 attack points!?
I've never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen it!
2400 attack points... even the legendary Super Rare Card, the "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" owned by the Duelist Kingdom runner-up, Jonouchi Katsuya, only has 2400 attack points.
And Red-Eyes is a seven-star high-level monster that requires two tributes to summon. Given the current dueling environment, gathering the tributes for such a high-level monster is quite challenging.
And now you're telling me this four-star monster here is like casually summoning a Red-Eyes?
This card is way too overpowered!
You're telling me this isn't a fake card?
It's only natural for someone to doubt this card's authenticity. Although nobody would say it outright out of respect for Youyu, it's understandable that the thought would cross their minds.
However, everyone present was a Dark Duelist, and each of them possessed some abilities beyond normal human capabilities.
The power of the Darkness Game is closely tied to Duel Monster Cards, and genuine Duel Monster Cards possess certain supernatural traits that counterfeit cards lack. Even a low-level Dark Duelist can discern these differences on their own.
Soon someone used their dark powers to sense and detect the authenticity of this card, and Youyu graciously allowed it.
Then everyone reached the same inevitable conclusion—
——This is undoubtedly a genuine Duel Monster Card, unquestionably real.
Even though this four-star monster's strength seemed like it was made up on a whim by running it through a home card printer, with an attack that seemed scribbled by the player's fancy... it's a real card.
Of course, it's real since "Chainsaw Insect" is a card Youyu drew from the System Card Pool.
Anything produced by the system is always top-notch, as Youyu had confirmed in his previous life in the game. The cards drawn from the System Card Pool— even if they are cards that didn't exist in the DM era—are always recognized as real cards by NPCs.
In fact, players had long considered the idea of "selling system-produced cards to NPCs."
However, first, the system forbids players from selling cards to NPCs, and second, the currency of the Linked World doesn't hold much value for players. So other than Youyu, an NPC with a system, no one actually sold system cards to other NPCs.
And from Youyu's perspective, the utility of this "Chainsaw Insect" is... just so-so.
This card is not unfamiliar to real Duel Monster players, although it has a 2400 attack at four stars, it has never been banned or restricted historically... and hardly anyone includes it in their deck.
The reason is simple, its drawbacks are significant.
The special effect of Chainsaw Insect: In a situation where this monster battles, at the end step of damage calculation, the opponent draws one card from their deck.
Giving the opponent a free card!
Even Pot of Greed, an eternally forbidden card, only nets one card (after playing Pot of Greed, you draw two cards from your deck, consuming one Pot of Greed, gaining the equivalent of one card), and this thing gives the opponent a free card with every battle.
So due to such drawbacks, often more significant than the net gain, hardly anyone uses it.
However, in the eyes of DM-era duelists, who have no concept of "card advantage," this is a card without any drawbacks, equivalent to a Red-Eyes Black Dragon, a divine card.
What? The drawback of the opponent drawing a card?
Hmm... that's just a minor flaw that can be totally ignored, right?
Actually, during this era, four-star cards with such high attack are not entirely non-existent, the most well-known being the "Goblin Attack Force."
Goblin Attack Force, Level 4, Attack 2300, Defense 0. Effect: When this card attacks, it switches to defense position at the end of the turn, and its position cannot be changed until the end of your next turn.
The limitation of this drawback is still significant. With 0 defense, this monster can usually only attack once and will be dealt with in the next turn, just for a while, just like taking some Viagra...
Yet, even so, the Goblin Attack Force is still a highly sought-after High Rare Card in the market.
And compared to the drawback of "forced defense-switch after attacking," Chainsaw Insect's "opponent draws a card" drawback is practically non-existent!
Now nobody dared to make the first bid immediately.
Because no one has heard of such a powerful monster existing in the world, they naturally don't know what its value should be.
But it's certain that a card like this, unmatched in the world, and likely the "highest attack four-star monster in the world," is worth any price you set.
"...May I ask, Youyu-san... where did you get this card?" someone asked.
This was a question everyone was concerned about.
In their view, such a card should be labeled as the highest rarity "USR," or perhaps even more.
"Some personal sources." Youyu couldn't explain the existence of the System Card Pool, and he didn't need to come up with any strange excuses, "But I can guarantee that this card is unquestionably genuine, not a counterfeit."
No need for him to assure that; everyone present could confirm that on their own, and no one would doubt it.
As for the source, since Youyu didn't wish to disclose it, everyone didn't feel the need to press further. After all, everyone present was a Dark Duelist, and having some personal sources and connections wasn't strange. Most would be reluctant to share their secrets with others.
After a while, someone finally tried to make a bid: "This card for one million... no, one and a half million, could you let me have it?"
Someone had to break the ice.
In fact, as Dark Duelists, everyone present had some savings. The reason why none kept bidding after Youyu brought out the previous two cards was that everyone felt the bids weren't worth it.
Like the "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress," it was just rare in itself, not to mention the "Battle Steer" was also rare and had a high attack of 1800, making it quite valuable, but that was about it. Low-star monsters with 1800 attack were scarce but not impossible to find, and willing bidders could still obtain them.
But now this "Chainsaw Insect" card is quite different.
It belongs to that kind of single card that is immensely powerful, a super-powerful card of unprecedented level. Normally, even if you are willing to spend a lot of money, you might not be able to buy it.
"Two million." Someone immediately raised the bid.
No one seemed surprised or thought it was excessive. On the contrary, everyone felt this should be considered normal. For the Dark Duelists, cards are not just game tools but also weapons. In desperate situations, dueling might mean betting one's life. Therefore, spending money on stronger cards is worth it.
This is one of the reasons why Youyu planned to come here to sell cards—there's no one more suited to be prospective customers than Dark Duelists, who are both wealthy and have an extraordinary desire for powerful cards.
"Two million two hundred thousand."
"Two million five hundred thousand."
"..."
"Five million."
A steady, deep voice echoed in everyone's ears, startling the crowd.
The crowd turned their heads, only to see a man in a black tuxedo, wearing a tall hat, with a unique-looking scar on his face, giving off an intimidating and intimidating presence.
Someone immediately exclaimed: "Kus.....Kusunoki Manager?"
Indeed, the Nightwalker World has the position of "Manager," directly appointed by President Tosawa Mukuro, the most trusted subordinate, responsible for managing members' daily affairs.
Gambling and private trading among members are not prohibited in Nightwalker World, but including managers, the leadership never participates directly.
It's not considered a rule, just a convention.
But today, it seems the convention is bound to be broken.
The crowd is still in shock, while Kusunoki Manager has already squeezed into the crowd and calmly said: "Ten million."
The members were amazed.
As expected of a manager, his aura is indeed different!
Can you believe he's bidding against himself?
Spending money is not the point, the point is that money has to be spent with flair, it has to be pompous enough to give others the impression "I'm definitely getting this."
Youyu watched with amusement from the sidelines, feeling like he was front-row spectating at a grand auction scene in a fantasy novel.
Sure enough, seemingly intimidated by the manager's aura (or perhaps his position), no one dared to bid for the time being.
Kusunoki Manager walked through the crowd that parted automatically and faced Youyu, slightly curling his lips: "Then ten million, this card is sold to me... no objections, right?"
Youyu shrugged: "As long as no one else has objections."
"Well, then now..."
"I have objections!"
A strong voice sounded. Everyone's face changed, their eyes swiftly following the voice...
...Eh? Why is there no one? Who shouted grandstanding and then ran away?
...Oh, it turns out it was the president; apologies, he was too short and got blocked by the crowd...
...!
Even the president is personally participating in the auction?
President Tosawa Mukuro walked slowly with hands clasped behind his back, confronting his subordinate manager head-on.
"Twenty million." As expected, when President Tosawa Mukuro spoke, he was indeed extraordinary; he smiled and said, "Kusunoki-kun, could you let me have this card?"
"Twenty-two million." Kusunoki Manager countered emotionlessly while asking back, "President, you said you would play only a 'Pure Demon Deck' for life? I thought this insect wasn't your type."
"Heh, we Duelists need to trust our decks. As long as you believe it's a demon, it'll naturally be a demon." The president spoke without a hint of embarrassment.
Kusunoki Manager rolled his eyes, expressing disdain for the president's lack of steadfastness before high-attack, flamboyant trash cards.
Although they have a superior-subordinate relationship, Kusunoki Manager and President Tosawa Mukuro have been old acquaintances for many years, raising prices without any psychological pressure.
The two of them were yet to come to a conclusion when another person's voice came from the entrance: "Thirty million!"
The crowd collectively gasped (and contributing to global warming progress), all looking towards the entrance in astonishment.
They saw a man in a well-fitted suit appear at the entrance, with a tall nose bridge and a slender build, walking confidently and forcefully.
The man was Matsunaga Manager!
Is today's auction destined to be a battle among gods?
And as the initiator of the auction and the card holder, Youyu had been quietly sitting there the entire time, not saying a single word.
I'm just sitting here silently, watching you all inflate the card price...