The term "Dark Duel" had almost become synonymous with true strength.
It now seemed that if a duelist hadn't participated in a Dark Duel, they couldn't be regarded as truly formidable.
You Feng had grown used to such expectations.
Currently, he still needed to defeat eight more Gold-Ranked duelists to obtain the Guardian Spirit of The Creator God of Light, Horakhty.
Once acquired, his power would undoubtedly soar to an entirely new level.
"You Feng, these Shadow Duels are far too dangerous," said Yugi Muto with a serious look. "If you ever get involved in one again, please contact us—or at least bring someone you trust."
"After all, we're friends," he added sincerely.
"Thanks. Next time, I promise I'll let you know," You Feng responded with a smile. As expected of the King of Games—he always valued friendship above all.
"You Feng! I can't believe you actually challenged Ryo Marufuji—Zane Truesdale—who's ranked 37th on the Gold Duelist List?" said Joey Wheeler in disbelief.
"And you even wagered your entire deck in that duel?"
"That's crazy risky!" Téa Gardner chimed in, concern etched on her face.
"That's just who I am!" You Feng replied confidently. "Putting my deck on the line shows how much I trust it."
"If the deck fails me at a crucial moment, then it means I haven't fully bonded with it yet. In that case, I'm not worthy of wielding its power!"
This left everyone momentarily speechless.
"Man, You Feng's here to duel seriously," Joey chuckled. "And I thought we were just having fun!"
You Feng checked his progress.
After winning his duel against Professor Daitokuji, he earned 1,000 Duel Points. That brought his current total to 3,000 points.
Time to see what rewards the system had in store.
"Sign in!" he called out.
[Ding! Congratulations! Sign-in successful! All attributes +2! Bonus: With 3000 Duel Points, additional +3 to all attributes!]
Altogether, this gave You Feng a +5 boost to all attributes. A massive leap in strength.
This surge likely put him close to the top five ranked duelists.
Once the next Gold Duelist List was revealed, he would undoubtedly earn a deck of even greater potential.
Things were getting exciting.
And as for Yugi's Exodia deck... You Feng had his sights set on it.
He just needed to figure out a way to earn it fairly.
Suddenly—
"OMMMM—"
The air itself trembled.
Everyone instinctively turned their gaze skyward.
A massive golden rift cracked open in the clouds, slicing across the sky like divine lightning. It was as if reality itself was tearing.
From within, an ancient scroll slowly descended—the Duel King Gold List.
"It's appearing ahead of schedule!?"
"The atmosphere changed again. What happened?"
[Duel King Gold List. Those who rank gain infinite opportunities!]
[Due to shifts in the world's balance, the leaderboard has been recalculated!]
Someone had caused a disruption in the global power scale.
"Who could be so strong to change the leaderboard in just a few days?"
"This is insane!"
"It's about time! I was getting sick of the same five duelists hogging the top spots."
"Let's see who's number 30 now!"
---
[Duel King Gold List — Rank #30: Lishid (Odion Ishdar)]
[Identity: Lishid, orphaned at birth, adopted by the Ishtar family—guardians of the Pharaoh's tomb.]
[Signature Deck: Sacred Beast Seklekt]
[Attributes — Suppression: 78 | Anti-Interference: 80 | Luck: 68 | Deck Synergy: 75 | Defense: 85 | Tactical Insight: 78]
[Total Strength Score: 464]
[Rewards: +5 Defense, +5 Luck, +5 Insight, plus 5 Trap Monsters]
"Odion made the list again!"
"The Ishtar Tomb Keepers? Aren't they connected to the Egyptian God Cards?!"
"If that's true, he's going to become a prime target for duelists seeking those divine cards!"
"Man... The Three Egyptian God Cards are insane."
The duel world buzzed with excitement and speculation.
"Tomb Keepers... Does this mean the God Cards are awakening?" Yugi narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist.
"God Cards? What are those?" Joey asked, confused.
"My grandpa told me about them once," Yugi said solemnly. "The Egyptian God Cards are powerful monsters with limitless strength."
"They're so overwhelming that only duelists with unshakable will and spirit can control them—or they risk being consumed by the power."
You Feng nodded. "He's right. The three are Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor, and The Winged Dragon of Ra."
"In fact, Duel Academy was founded with reverence to them. The Obelisk Blue, Ra Yellow, and Slifer Red dorms reflect their legacy."
Yugi's eyes lit up. "You really know your stuff. We need to exchange duel insights more often!"
"Gladly," You Feng said with a light smile.
"You Feng! Me too!" Joey grinned. "Since we're friends, you've got to help me build a better deck!"
"Well, considering your crazy luck... why not make a Gamble Deck?" You Feng teased.
Joey froze. The suggestion struck like lightning.
"Why didn't I think of that!?"
He'd never considered that his natural luck could be an asset in deck-building.
---
Meanwhile, at Duel Academy's Medical Wing...
"So the Tomb Keepers are stepping into the spotlight," said Fubuki Tenjoin with a sigh.
"Which means... the Egyptian Gods aren't far behind."
"Odion's going to attract a lot of attention," he added. "Many duelists—and even powerful organizations—will want intel on the location of the Gods."
"Are they really that strong?" Judai Yuki asked, wide-eyed.
"Absolutely," said Asuka Tenjoin, standing beside him.
"The God Cards are said to possess divine power—capable of reshaping the battlefield in an instant."
"But they're no ordinary cards. According to legend, any duelist who fails to synchronize with them is struck down by their wrath."
She'd read every scrap of history the Academy had on them. It was only natural, as one of the top students.
"Whoa..." Judai muttered. "Then that Tomb Keeper guy... he's gonna have it rough."