Chapter 70: Dark Game
As Hayato followed the guidance of the Card Spirits he had sent out ahead of time, chasing after Bakura Ryo whom he had noticed in the crowd while on the Duel Platform, he checked the updated System.
[System patch loading complete, Spirit Power transmission complete, Psychic Barrier loaded]
[Detected Duelist Current Environment, DP acquisition rules modified, welcome to continue using this System]
["Dark Game" module unlocked, requires 500 DP per activation, please explore the specifics yourself]
Hayato first accepted the "Spirit Power". Although no strange phenomena like "black mud suddenly oozing from pores" appeared on him, his mind cleared up considerably. [Rainbow Kuriboh] and the others also said their bodies had become much stronger, even gaining the preliminary ability to Materialize.
The existence of Card Spirits can roughly be divided into three stages—the first stage: can only be seen and communicated with by specific people, but cannot interact with ordinary things in the outside world; the second stage: gained simple Materialization ability, can still only be seen by specific people, but also gained the ability to interact with the outside world; the third stage: can fully Materialize in the human world and use their true Power independently.
Previously, Hayato's Card Spirits were all in the first stage, but after receiving this System patch reward, [Gaia] and [Rainbow Kuriboh] collectively advanced to the second stage, beginning to possess the ability to influence reality. As for the Ojama Brothers, although they were still in the first stage, they were much freer than before and could even leave the Card they resided in from a super long distance. This is how Hayato had them track Bakura Ryo.
Hayato couldn't test the "Psychic Barrier" by himself. The newly unlocked "Dark Game" function required spending Hayato's already limited DP Points, and being stingy, he couldn't bear to experiment, so the only thing he could look at was the modified DP acquisition rules.
But after only a few glances, he felt like cursing.
According to the System, although Hayato's current Dueling Prowess hasn't reached the "Sai Q" level the System wants to help him achieve, relying on the response of the Monsters in his Deck, he has basically surpassed the majority of Duelists. Therefore, the System intends to nerf the blade maiden—ah, no, to weaken his acquisition of DP Points.
Originally, even losing a match guaranteed 1000 DP, but now winning each Duel only grants 100 DP. However, extra bonus conditions such as using Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or Comebacks/Reversals were retained. Furthermore, the System added the ability to "randomly drop Cards based on the target Duelist".
For example, if Hayato Duels Kaiba, there's a certain chance to drop Cards like Enemy Controller, Kaiser Sea Horse, and even Blue-Eyes White Dragon; if he Duels Yugi, there's a chance to obtain Cards like Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, regardless of Victory or Defeat.
Hayato felt like this System was increasingly resembling a certain mobile game.
In addition, a special function was newly added to the [Shop], which is the [Archetype] area. Hayato can now Draw relevant Cards based on Archetypes. Although it's limited to the [Archetypes] Hayato has currently unlocked, compared to buying the [Basic Card Pack] which is no different from a scam, Hayato felt that Drawing Cards was more suitable for him.
Hayato's current 10000 DP did not decrease due to the System's DP rules update, and naturally, the price of Cards in the [Shop] didn't either. Taking a rough look, the Archetypes Hayato has currently unlocked include Gaia, Ojama, Noble Knight, Goblin, Spirit, and Kuriboh.
Looking at Bakura Ryo opposite, who had put on a Duel Disk simulated by the System, following suit, and placed his Deck inside, Hayato snapped his fingers. A counter appeared above each of their heads, the numbers simultaneously reaching the 4000 point mark.
A Coin imprinted with the Eye of Wjat/Udjat appeared out of thin air between the two. Hayato pointed with his hand: "Come on, choose which side is up?"
Bakura Ryo thought for a moment: "Heads isn't really suitable for me. I'll choose tails, which has nothing."
"Then, I'll take heads, the Eye of Wjat/Udjat."
The Coin tossed itself into the air without anyone touching it, fell from the air, spun a few times on the ground, and then landed. The side facing up was heads, imprinted with the Eye of Wjat/Udjat.
Seeing this, after Hayato Drew five Cards for his Hand, he Drew one more Card: "Then the First Turn is mine. My Turn, Draw a Card!"
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 6]
When Duelling Bakura Ryo, Hayato's trump card was the "Dark Game" function the System had just unlocked. Although he hadn't experienced the actual effect yet, from the current perspective, the System's "Dark Game" could even force its activation against Bakura Ryo's Dark Power, so the effect shouldn't be bad either.
Moreover, in this System version of "Dark Game", Hayato gained a certain degree of "wish fulfillment" ability. Whether it was the Duel Platform, the Life Points counter, or the Coin that decided the First Turn/Second Turn, they were all "Creations" of his. It wasn't even limited to Creation; Hayato also slightly modified the ground, changing from the previous tree-lined path to a flat concrete ground.
It's just a pity that abilities in all aspects were limited to outside the Duel. At the moment he just Drew a Card, Hayato was actually thinking of God Drawing/Printing Cards to get a Hand full of Cyber Dragons, but what he got was still the original Cards from his Deck.
"I Summon a Monster in Face-Down Defense Position on my Field, then I Set one Card. My Turn ends here." Because it's a Dark Game, the decrease in Life Points also means the Duelist themselves will take real damage. Hayato's first Turn didn't involve flashy plays like before; he ended his Turn safely.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 4]
[Face-Down Monster]
[Set Card]
"My Turn, Draw a Card."
Bakura glanced at the Card he Drew, looked at Hayato with a sinister smile, and said: "Since you also possess the ability to activate a Dark Game, then there's no need to say much about the Rules of the game, right? The Monster I'm Summoning is this one, Newt."
Newt [4☆/Wind]
[Fiend Type/Effect]
[1900/100]
"Let my powerful Demon ravage you, Hayato! Newt Attack that Set Monster!"
The blue-faced puppet Demon raised the large axe in its hand and leaped down, slashing towards Hayato's Set Monster. That Face-Down Defense Position Monster was easily Crushed and sent to the Graveyard. But before Bakura could say a couple of triumphant words, Hayato spoke:
"The Monster you Destroyed was Newt. Because of its Effect, your Newt's ATK and Defense (DEF) on the Field will decrease by 500 points."
"What?!"
Under Bakura's disbelieving gaze, a phantom image emerged from Hayato's Crushed Set Card. Its appearance was identical to the Newt on Bakura's Field. The phantom Newt directly possessed the Newt, causing its base stats to begin decreasing.
Newt
[ATK 1900 → 1400] [DEF 100 → 0]
"You... you actually Summoned the same Monster as me!" Bakura looked at the smiling Hayato warily. "You... could it be that you've already gotten the Millennium Eye from Pegasus one step ahead of me!?"
"Who knows?" Hayato thought to himself that this was really just a coincidence—he Drew a Newt and then Bakura actually Summoned a Newt too—but what he said wasn't that. "Maybe I also took a fancy to the Seven Millennium Items' Effect of opening the Gate of the Underworld, so I forcefully dug the Millennium Eye out of Pegasus's eye."
(End of Chapter)