"Hey hey, is this really okay?" The six-year-old Marik player started mocking, "Doing nothing and just ending your turn, are you surrendering?"
Xue Lang wore a dark expression.
Do you think I want this? Blaming me for a bad hand, huh?
Among everyone present, probably only Youyu wasn't surprised by this situation at all.
Youyu speculated that the so-called "Duelist level" was an attribute unique to the local NPCs, something players didn't have.
In other words, for players, winning a card game truly depended on luck. When the luck is good, they can pull off some miraculous combo, but when it's bad, it might be like Xue Lang now, passing the turn at lightning speed, leaving everyone baffled...
However, Marik, who had his turn skipped, wasn't in a hurry to make a move. Instead, he stretched his hand behind him and miraculously pulled out the Millennium Rod from the mythical "fourth-dimensional pocket"—otherwise, there really was no way to explain how he managed to hide something so large on himself while dueling.
"Hahahaha! Behold, the dark feast that will end you is about to begin!"
Marik directly initiated the Darkness Game, and a thick, dark orb instantly enveloped the entire field, causing even the audience below to feel an inexplicable pressure.
Only Xue Lang still looked around with the curiosity of a child, "Wow, this effect is really something! Is this the legendary Darkness Game? I'm falling for it..."
"You can only maintain such optimism for now," Marik snorted. "Those who lose in the Darkness Game will face eternal darkness, buried in its deepest depths! Hahahaha!!!"
Marik laughed loudly, expecting to see his opponent's face contort with fear...
...However, after he chuckled for quite a while, the guy opposite him was still looking at him with an expression as if watching an idiot, seemingly indifferent to the concept of "death."
"Ahem." Even the six-year-old felt a bit awkward, "Don't believe me, huh? Then let you feel it with your body. Draw!
Summon 'Worm Drake,' in attack position! Direct attack!"
[Worm Drake, ATK 1400]
A massive, wriggling green worm lunged forward, opening its bloody maw and taking a vicious bite out of Xue Lang's arm.
[Xue Lang, LP 4000→ LP 2600]
"Hahahaha, how does it feel? This is the pain of the Darkness Game!" Marik laughed, "Go mad under the torment of agony!"
However, the Xue Lang on the other side still didn't seem to react, as if he couldn't feel any pain at all, and was still looking at him with an expression as if watching someone mentally challenged...
Marik: "!?"
This guy... can't feel pain?
Marik began to scrutinize his Millennium Rod with suspicion.
Is it possible this thing is broken?
The damage from the Darkness Game was, of course, real, especially in such an advanced Darkness Game initiated by Marik.
But no matter how intense the pain, it was useless, because the opponent had long since disabled the pain simulation touch in the game...
It was Xue Lang's turn again.
Although the last turn was a bit unexpected, it didn't matter. True Duelists' duels have a certain inevitability. As long as you believe in the Card Deck, it will definitely respond to you!
Xue Lang felt he instantly transformed into the protagonist, the momentum unstoppable.
Draw!
...I'm freaking dumbfounded.
"I... I summon 'Elemental Hero Featherman' in defense position, turn... turn end..."
[Elemental Hero Featherman, DEF 1000]
Xue Lang was on the verge of tears.
It's over, totally over.
If the top eight matches in Duel City ended this way in one round, it would be too funny, and he would be nailed on the wall of shame among all players and even all NPC Duelists!
He even already imagined the scene—silly players hanging his black-and-white obituary on the wall, decorating it with wreaths, writing below: "Cause of death: Severely overdue bonds."
That's just too obnoxiously funny!
"Hahaha, is that the only kind of trash draw you can manage at such a critical moment?" Marik chuckled, "Then you'll die miserably.
My turn, draw! Summon 'Dark Jeroid'!"
[Dark Jeroid, ATK 1200]
"Although I don't know why the Darkness Game's touch doesn't affect you, I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve," Marik laughed slyly, swinging his arm, "This time, I have a new move—Dark Jeroid, destroy his defense monster!"
When Featherman was destroyed, an image of a person suddenly flashed in front of Xue Lang's eyes, but before he could see clearly, it split in two.
"?"
What the heck is happening?
"Hahahaha!" Marik continued to laugh, "New rules of the Darkness Game! Every monster we summon in the duel represents a memory of yours about a person!
When a monster is destroyed, you'll randomly lose the memory of any person, until there's nothing left!"
Huh? Is this game that real?
However, Xue Lang was also puzzled.
Logically speaking, the game shouldn't be able to affect the player's actual mental state. Even a Darkness Game shouldn't be able to delete his memories...
...Hmm, wait a minute, isn't there someone missing from the audience?
Xue Lang once again looked down at the stage below and was surprised to find... Jonouchi seemed to be missing?
He seemed to suddenly understand something.
In other words, the recently destroyed Featherman represented his memory of Jonouchi. Because Featherman was destroyed, he could no longer see Jonouchi.
In the animation, Marik's Darkness Game against Kujaku Mai was exactly this setup.
So this punishment doesn't seem particularly severe, it's acceptable...
...Wait, something's not right!
Xue Lang's body trembled with realization.
Doesn't that mean... there's a chance he might forget Youyu during this duel?
If that happens, he would never see Youyu in the game again!?
Xue Lang was shocked.
Damn, Marik, that little bastard, this is too much!!
Seeing Xue Lang visibly flustered, Marik thought he had finally found his weakness and couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! I see, your greatest fear is the loneliness of losing your companions?"
Marik laughed as he raised the Millennium Rod, trying to exploit this mental breakthrough.
"Let me see your deepest fears!"
Dark Marik, using the power of the Millennium Rod, intruded into the depths of Xue Lang's "inner psyche" to view his most precious and fragile memories.
Of course, all he could see were the player's gaming experiences recorded while playing in the Linked World.
Marik checked his memory from a month ago and found him running errands for Youyu.
Marik then checked his memory from a week ago and found him cleaning for Youyu.
Marik checked his memory from a few days ago and found him taking Youyu's request, barking like a dog on the streets.
Marik: "..."
In an extremely rare occurrence, after intruding into someone's mind, Marik didn't do anything malicious and simply left quietly without saying or doing anything.
Six-year-old senses he opened a door to a new world...
"Worm Drake." Marik waved his hand, "Direct attack."
[Xue Lang, LP 2600 → LP 1200]
Now he was really in danger.
Xue Lang stared intently at his Duel Disc loaded with his Card Deck.
This time, he had to draw a godly card no matter what! Please! (I'm begging you!)
Draw!
——YaDaZe! (Success!)
"Magic Card - Card Destruction!" Xue Lang delivered an ultimate godly draw, "Both players discard all cards in their hands and draw the same number of new cards!"
The players in the live broadcast exploded on the spot: "Damn, we're all still playing underdog, how does he have a card like this?"
"It's known that Brother Lang holds a set of Elemental Heroes, multiple Fusion Monsters, Fusion Gate, and Card Destruction in his hand, asking how many times Brother Lang will sell himself in one night..."
Both players replaced all their cards, and things finally started looking up for Xue Lang.
"Continuous Magic - Heart of the Underdog activated... and two of them!"
With this card out, the entire audience, including the opposing Marik, instantly became alert.
They had all seen firsthand how Xue Lang used this card to pull off four consecutive fusions in one turn, delivering an OTK to Kujaku Mai with full health.
Having two would mean that if Xue Lang draws a Normal Monster, he can draw two more cards consecutively.
But Heart of the Underdog's effect is that "during the Draw Phase, if a player draws a Normal Monster Card, they can continue drawing cards." Since the Draw Phase has already passed, it means the effect can't be triggered until the next turn.
But it doesn't matter.
"Magic Card - Polymerization, activate!" Xue Lang played Fusion, "Fusion of Elemental Hero Heat and Lady Heat from my hand! Fusion Summon! Elemental Hero Inferno!"
[Elemental Hero Inferno, Attack 2300]
Youyu also had this card, but he never used it. Because not only does it require specific Fusion Materials, it only has an attack power of 2300, with the effect of "gains 1000 attack when battling a water attribute monster," making it less practical compared to Nova Master.
Of course, precisely because he thought it was useless, the price was relatively low, making it affordable for Xue Lang...
Truth be told, the low-end Hero set Xue Lang bought from Youyu was already way beyond what an average player could imagine in terms of Crystal Stone spent.
This was largely thanks to Youyu—during the half-month prior, most of Youyu's task experience quota was given to Xue Lang. As a result, his experience from simple tasks was several times that of other players, with a rapid leveling rate comparable to a rocket taking off, amassing Crystal Stones quickly.
...Of course, most of it went back into Youyu's pocket in the end.
"Then, Normal Summon 'Elemental Hero Wildman.'" Xue Lang's new hand visibly improved.
[Elemental Hero Wildman, Attack 1500]
"Use Magic Card - Quick Attack, allowing the Fusion Monster to attack this turn!" Xue Lang waved his hand, "Go, Inferno's attack!"