The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Just be a little careful and don't let your "binge eating" spike.

　While waiting after ordering, Dak fulfilled the waiters' wishes by signing autographs, taking photos, chatting, and answering their questions, as a way of repaying them for taking good care of Sophia.

　However, the bar saw a surge of customers at 2 a.m., and the staff didn't have much time to linger around him.

　So when the late-night snack was served, his surroundings became quiet again.

　Sitting in his booth, he could see the bar's projection system, which was displaying the points rankings, with a soft voice giving brief introductions and explanations of the players who were gaining attention on the leaderboard.

　As Dak scrolled through the rankings, he found that the rankings after 2 a.m. were not much different from those at 6 p.m. last night.

　In particular, the top ten contestants have only slightly changed their order on the list, so it can be said that the ranking has basically stabilized.

　The higher a player's ranking is, the more secure their position will be.

　Unless a player suddenly gives up and doesn't want to work hard anymore, they will end up like Professor Lily, falling from 50th to 70th again—even lower than Dark!

　Dak couldn't help but take a deep breath.

　He knew perfectly well that this was the norm for Professor Lily, but for some reason he was still a little angry.

　He has a photographic memory; after going through the points leaderboard once, he memorized it all.

　However, this broadcast only went up to the 128th place.

　Many of the upperclassmen who performed well in last year's college competition made it into the top 128.

　It is evident that after being tempered by the college competition, they have all made great strides.

　The same is true.

　During that period, the students who participated in the academy competition were basically the group of people on this continent who possessed the most "divine essence". They had the best luck and were more likely to encounter "miracles", so they were naturally more likely to benefit from them.

　However, even with progress, we must abide by the basic law.

　Students in the lower grades rarely make it into the top 128. Take St. Mary's College as an example.

　Dak had been paying special attention to their rankings before, and now estimates they will hover around 400 or 500.

　However, making it into the top 500 in the preliminary rounds is already an outstanding achievement.

　The highest-ranked of them is probably Aurora.

　Although she wasn't on the list of the top 128, Dark estimated that she might not be far from qualifying.

　If she can advance smoothly, even if she is eliminated in the first round of the qualifiers, it will be enough to live up to the expectations of the people of the Free City.

　Darke was still cheering her on in his heart.

　Another one is Ergane, who has unknowingly climbed to thirty-sixth place.

　She had previously said that she was just there to browse around.

　I really believed her nonsense!

　The thought of the "God of Wisdom" making his appearance on the official stage of the World Cup gave Darko a terrible headache.

　He really wished that Ergane and Professor Lily's integral curves could be swapped.

　Just as Dark was worrying about this, a young player in his early twenties came around from the side of the booth and blocked his view.

　"Hey! Good morning, may I sit here?" Dulles' eyes lit up when he saw Dak, and he asked.

　He did ask the question, but before Dark could answer, he had already sat down opposite him.

　The Ghost Bar suddenly became packed with customers at this time. He arrived a little late and couldn't find a seat, so he had to share a table. Dak didn't seem to mind.

　He had a very vivid memory of the first contestant he encountered when entering the giant haunted house.

　Dulles's strength was certainly not limited to what he displayed in that duel.

　However, they also held back on this side.

　Darke smiled and said, "Thank you for your good morning at two in the morning."

　Dulles chuckled, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to Dak's side before he tentatively asked, "Your female companion?"

　“No,” Dark said, “a fan I met by chance.” “Oh, hahaha, so he’s a fan.” Dulles immediately gave him a knowing look, revealing a deep-seated sleazy air.

　“It’s not what you think,” Dark sighed deeply. “I have a girlfriend.”

　“It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone,” Dulles said with a wink. “We’ve fought each other before.”

　Dark rolled his eyes and decisively gave up trying to explain. There were other students like that in the academy. The more you explained, the more excited they would become.

　Seeing that Dak didn't respond, Dulles's eyes darted around, and he picked up the menu again, asking, "Any recommendations?"

　Dak casually said, "Tomato beef noodles, lemon sparkling water, and cream rolls."

　“Okay, these three will do.” Dulles ordered decisively. After the waiter left, he turned to him and said, “Although you’re not wearing the academy uniform, you must be a student of St. Marian Academy.”

　"Well, what about you?" Dark asked in return.

　Dulles said, "I studied at the Holy Ritual Academy for two years, so I could be considered a half-sacred ritual student."

　Dark's heart skipped a beat, and he asked curiously, "Why did you only attend for two years?" Dulles scratched his head and laughed, "Look at my deck, does it look like it could survive in a Holy Church-affiliated academy?"

　Dark felt a surge of joy and said, "That's true."

　Dulles shook his head, saying, "Back then, I got into the Holy Church Mystic Academy through my uncle's connections as a bishop. I never expected that I'd create a Dark-type Undead Card so soon after learning card crafting, instantly dropping from a somewhat prestigious Holy Church disciple to the bottom of the class. You have no idea what it felt like to have everyone's gaze piercing your very flesh; it almost drove me to a mental breakdown at such a young age. But I still managed to endure it for two years. Pretty impressive, huh?"

　“You’re quite capable,” Dark said.

　Dulles sniffed and said, "So-so, second in the world."

　Dark asked, "And then what happened?"

　Dulles said, "Later...later I was labeled a born necromancer and expelled from the academy. But all my good fortune started from that moment. If I hadn't been expelled from the academy, I wouldn't have met my current teachers."

　Dak immediately followed up, "May I ask who your teacher is?"

　Dulles glanced at him, chuckled, and then immediately put on a stern face and said, "No way."

　"Oh, that's a real shame." Dak picked up the last bit of noodles with his fork, slowly rolled it into a ball, and put it in his mouth to chew slowly.

　The tomato beef noodles at this ghost bar were indeed quite good and very appetizing. After finishing the noodles, he drank some lemonade and then continued to enjoy the dessert.

　At this point, the food Dulles ordered was served, and the two began to talk much less.

　Dulles's uncle was a regional bishop of the Holy Church. Although his family background was not as good as Dak's, it was still quite good compared to ordinary people.

　Although he didn't say much, Dark guessed that when he first entered the Holy Church Mystic Academy, he must have been assigned to the Holy Son Academy.

　The fact that he was still expelled from the academy under such conditions shows that he was truly "beyond redemption".

　It is estimated that his compatibility with the Undead is so high that it is unimaginable, so much so that no matter how he refines cards, he can only produce Undead.

　If this talent were in the past, it would definitely be a highly sought-after commodity among necromancers, a treasure that all necromancers would fight over.

　Of course, if this were in the past, he might already be tied to the stake.

　Even in an era when magicians still flourished, people's ideas remained outdated, and outrageous old customs permeated every corner of the world.

　The Holy Church has evolved to its current state as a result of keeping pace with the times. But even now, it would be difficult for the Holy Church to accommodate a student like him.

　Relatively speaking, Darkdemon, who was transformed into a dark-type demon but also into a light-type angel, is more easily accepted.

　As for Dulles's teacher...

　Dark guessed that it was probably some necromancer hiding in a corner.

　The profession of necromancer has essentially died out. Therefore, the necromancers who still exist today are basically old guys who have lived for a very long time.

　Knowledge is usually positively correlated with time, so it can be concluded that the longer a necromancer lives, the more powerful he/she becomes.

　If a necromancer of Professor Harvey's caliber were to produce a student like Dulles, it would be relatively normal.

　If you add a little bit of fortuitous luck, a young and powerful undead mage will be born.

　After finishing his meal and having a small dessert, Dak noticed that Sophia was still asleep beside him and wondered if he should just move her away as is.

　As he pondered for a moment, Dulles, perhaps sensing his intention to leave, finally couldn't help but ask, "Since you're a student of St. Mary's College, you must know Master Steven Harvey, right?"

　After saying that, he added, "The one ranked third!"

　Dark tried to recall: "Professor Harvey did say something."

　杜勒

　S became visibly excited: "Could you introduce me? You see, we've even fought each other before!"

　“Hmm,” Dark said, “You are one in 165 who have fought in the same arena.”

　"Haha, it should be 160 out of 3,000," Dulles said. "A 5.3% chance of meeting—we're so destined. The moment I saw you, I felt an instant connection. Sitting on that artificial hill, even the fried chicken leg I was eating lost its flavor after seeing you. I knew at a glance that you must be my half-brother! Since we're practically brothers, you'll definitely introduce us, right?"

　Dark smiled, then immediately put on a stern face and said, "No way."

　"Wrong—how could this be!" Dulles cried out in a voice filled with sorrow.

　0

　Darke reminded him, "Quiet."

　In short, an introduction is impossible, unless the two parties are completely unfamiliar with each other.

　The main reason is that he definitely wouldn't do something that would likely upset the professor.

　Professor Steven Harvey was focused on scoring points and had no time to pay attention to a complete stranger.

　Moreover, if it were him who made the recommendation, the professor would definitely take it seriously.

　But this would essentially make him Dulles's guarantor. Dac wasn't that busy.

　They met by chance, like water flowing past each other. Dak wiped his mouth and stood up from his seat.

　"It was a pleasure to meet you today, but I have to leave now. If I am fortunate enough to advance, I will definitely take your point with me."

　After saying that, he raised his hand and waved it, releasing his magic to form a "magic hand" that grabbed Sophia and all of her belongings.

　Then he waved to Dulles with his other hand and walked towards the bar. It was time to pay the bill.

　"See you in the qualifiers then."

　Dulles raised his hand and waved it casually before burying his head in his noodles, showing no apparent reaction.

　But after Dach paid the bill and left, he suddenly looked up, glanced at the door, and whispered, "Zoe, what do you think?"

　The ring on his left index finger flashed slightly, and then a voice rang out: "Steven Harvey! I'll never forget his stench! There's no mistake. He's Steven Harvey's protégé! Dulles, you have to make it to the preliminaries! Even if you can't beat that old man Steven, you have to make sure this kid dies!"

　The voice started out relatively calm, but then grew increasingly harsh, almost as if the speaker was grinding their teeth to powder.

　Dulles couldn't help but ask, "So, Zoe, what exactly is your grudge against Steven Harvey...?"

　Necromancers have never been a profession that places much emphasis on morality. Professor Steven Harvey may now appear to be a kind and gentle old man, but the things he did in his youth are so outrageous that even a casual recount could silence a child's tears.

　Although Professor Harvey has the highest moral standards among all necromancers.

　But he still excels at dancing above the line.

　Otherwise, he could not have become a master among necromancers.

　Therefore, it wouldn't be strange if you ran into ten of Professor Harvey's enemies on the street in one go.

　Of course, this is on the premise that those enemies are still alive.

　...

　However, Darke did not expect that he would be regarded as Professor Harvey's protégé.

　But even if he knew, he would only be happy.

　What are you saying?

　This is definitely a good thing!

　This proves that he really did learn something from Professor Harvey! After leaving the Ghost Bar.

　Dark headed straight for the nearest player hotel.

　The Duel City is home to many hotels, half of which cater exclusively to the players.

　If the contestants are short of money, they can also eat at these hotels. The taste isn't guaranteed, but it's guaranteed to be free.

　Dark took a couple of steps and found the sight of a sleeping girl floating behind him rather conspicuous, so he simply summoned the "Adventure Bird," used "Hidden Feather" to make her invisible, and then continued on his way.

　He quickly arrived at a hotel, booked two rooms directly using facial recognition, then first took Sophia to the bed in one of the rooms, gently covered her with the blankets without waking her, left a note saying "I'm in the next room," and then closed the door and left.

　Once he arrived in the next room, Dak began brushing his teeth, washing up, and going to bed to meditate.