Chapter 18: The First Breakthrough, the Crouching Dragon Emerges (Part One)

Li Guanqi stepped across the sensor gate, and the number on his wrist lit up.

【Final Contestant for Bianyuelong】
【Numbered Citizen—】
【0748】

Three sentences from the AI referee held the entire arena in a tense silence for eighteen seconds.

"You’ve got to be kidding me! Bianyuelong has run out of people?!"
"What is going on here?"
"Sending a Numbered Citizen into the arena? Where did Bianyuelong dig this up?"
"This is absolute nonsense!"

The commentator, Red Rice, widened his eyes and looked at Zicai, asking, "Is this... is this even allowed?"

In his entire career as a commentator, this was the first time he had ever seen an ordinary Numbered Citizen enter a league duel arena.

There was a hierarchy even among Numbered Citizens. Qiqi was a multi-functional Numbered Citizen who would be granted citizenship and integrated into society once she stabilized. Someone like Li Guanqi, with a mark on his face, typically had low affinity and poor learning ability, destined only to be sent to mines or biochemical laboratories.

"Let me check." Zicai hurriedly looked up the information, then realized, "Bianyuelong’s original substitute, Qiqi, suffered a sudden heart attack and has been sent to the infirmary for treatment."
"0748... is a designated emergency substitute."
"According to league rules, emergency substitutes are permitted as long as they are not citizens of other fortresses."

"That doesn't mean they can field a Numbered Citizen!" Red Rice barked angrily. "Don't they still have a primary roster member?"

Zicai pursed her lips, offering a bitter smile. "Bianyuelong’s primary members are already either injured or have gone out of control..."

Once the implication was dropped, the tens of thousands of spectators finally realized that Bianyuelong was merely looking for a scapegoat, and the crowd erupted in outrage.

"So they were just scared?"
"If Bianyuelong can't afford to lose, they shouldn't have come!"
"They were a Tier 5 fortress a few years ago; how did they fall this far?"
"Get out of the tournament!"
"I traveled all this way to watch a Numbered Citizen?"
"Refund my money!"
"Disqualify them!"
"Disqualify them!"

Public sentiment was inflamed, with waves of shouting rising one after another. Several security staff members broke into a cold sweat as the situation teetered on the edge of chaos.

Wang Gu laughed triumphantly, gesturing with a "weak" sign toward the Bianyuelong lounge. Those who supported Bianyuelong didn't join in the protest, but they couldn't hold their heads up either. They say you can lose the game, but you shouldn't lose your dignity; Bianyuelong had thrown all dignity to the wind.

Li Guanqi stood on the stage, seemingly deaf to the trash talk, his thoughts immersed in the deck in his hands. It wasn't made of paper, but crystal cards, coated with a scratch-resistant film. Stranger still, he felt an indescribable connection to this deck. That statement—"This deck wants to be with me"—wasn't just for show; he could sense its subtle heartbeat and breath.

Resonance?
A call?
Telepathy?

No, none of those were accurate. It was like soldiers preparing for battle, honed for a thousand years, finally waiting for the general to lead them.

It was command!

【Red side, please insert your deck.】

The AI referee announced.

Li Guanqi slowly placed the deck into the duel disk. With a *beep*, the duel disk lit up with a red light and began to shuffle rapidly. A wisp of black mist emerged from the disk and crawled up his arm.

"A curse..."

In the lounge, Qin Dongzhu’s expression tightened, and Tang Xin dared not look, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Medics, stand by..." Mickey clapped his hands, speaking casually, but his voice trailed off the next second as he caught sight of something.

Li Guanqi stood tall in the arena, facing the lights, a second shadow flickering at his feet. He seemed to have changed, his head bowed, his expression hidden. The sanity rate monitor above his head lit up with a value—85%.

"This is..." Qin Dongzhu and the others were shocked, frozen in place.

Mickey stared at his back from below the stage, momentarily lost. He was like the Fairy Zixia, watching Supreme Treasure face the sunlight, drawing the Ziqing Sword. He had a young mother at home. She had told him, "You must wait for someone who can use this deck; that will be your fated one."

He had always assumed it meant finding a wife! Qiqi was perfectly fine, after all. So it wasn't her!!

【Both duelists, please select a pain threshold.】

The AI referee proceeded to the next step.

"Fine, I'll make it quick for you." Wang Gu sneered. "I choose Level 8."
"What's the maximum level?" Li Guanqi’s voice was devoid of any warmth.

【The maximum is Level 10.】

Li Guanqi suddenly laughed, a loud, maniacal sound: "Hahaha—"

"What are you laughing at?!" Wang Gu felt a chill run through him at the laughter, forcing himself to bark back.

"So, you're a coward afraid of death." Li Guanqi stopped his wild laughter, his low chuckles filled with mockery. "Heh, Level 8? Are you trying to preserve your health?"
"I choose Level 10!"

As the words fell, the jeers directed at Bianyuelong stopped abruptly. Wang Gu’s pupils contracted, and he fought to keep his composure. Level 10—it was very likely to cost someone their life. A Level 8 pain threshold required a single instance of 10,000 damage, and Level 9 required 6,000; both were relatively difficult. But at Level 10, only 3,000 damage was needed, an output most decks could achieve. Sustained damage could also be lethal. Over a decade ago, someone had used "Trickstar" at Level 10 pain, shaving someone to death with 200 or 300 damage at a time.

"Not bad, Bianyuelong!" The audience's atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Got guts!"
"Let the blood flow!"

A true death-match duel always stirred the heart.

"A Numbered Citizen is still a Numbered Citizen, ignorant of life and death," Wang Gu said coldly. In his eyes, a Numbered Citizen had no idea what a Level 10 pain threshold meant, nor did they understand dueling at all.

【Please select who goes first or second.】

A projection appeared before them. Li Guanqi smiled slightly. "I want—"

He slowly looked up, his pupils flashing with cyan and orange, speaking with two overlapping voices.

【Second.】

"Second."

【Pain threshold for this match: Level 10.】
【The first player is:】
【Blue Side.】
【Duel start.】

A pale gold barrier expanded across the duel arena, isolating all external sound. Both duelists' decks clicked as five starting cards were ejected. Wang Gu picked up his hand, his eyes lighting up; he couldn't hide his grin, laughing wildly: "Hahaha!"

"I’ve won!"

He had panicked when he heard "Level 10," worried about a bad hand or a fluke. Now, he didn't have to worry anymore!

"Please," Li Guanqi gestured politely, a ghostly smile on his face. "You go first."

"Posturing!" Wang Gu gritted his teeth and slammed down a card. "Summon—[Wight Princess]!"
"Activate the effect of [Wight Princess], send one [Wight Prince] from the deck to the Graveyard!"
"In this moment, I activate the effect of [Wight Prince]. I send one [Wight] and one [Lady in Wight] from my deck to the Graveyard!"
"Activate Spell Card, [One for One]!"
"Discard [Wight Prince] from my hand to Special Summon—[King of the Skull Servants]!"
"Activate the effect of [Wight Prince], send one [Wight] and one [Lady in Wight] from my deck to the Graveyard!"
"Activate the effect of [Wight Lord] from my hand, send this card to the Graveyard, and send the top seven cards of my deck to the Graveyard."

He waved his hand violently, flinging seven cards into the void.

[King of the Skull Servants]
[Mystical Space Typhoon]
[Skill Prisoner]
[Wightmare]
[Wightmare]
[Forbidden Lance]
[Wight Princess]

The seven cards fluttered in the air, and through the gaps between them, Li Guanqi’s faint, cold smile was revealed.