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

　[Attack: 1100]

　[Defense: 500]

　【Ultimate Skill: Elemental Water Pool, Melt】

　The "Water Elemental Lizard," possessing two ultimate attacks, is Lydia Emerson's masterpiece.

　She still had no idea that her classmate's "curse" would actually come true.

　The main reason for summoning this magical spirit is to establish a board presence.

　"Water element? Lizard, transform into a pool of water!"

　The "Water Elemental Lizard" reacted the instant the command was given.

　Its four legs melted into liquid from the bottom up, and its entire body sank down, creating a pool of water.

　The "elemental pool" was already four or five meters in diameter when it first appeared, and as the "water elemental lizard's" body completely merged into it, leaving only its eyes floating on the surface, the "elemental pool" expanded to a diameter of over ten meters, and it was still slowly spreading!

　The "elemental pools" in nature expand as the water element increases, and the "Water Element Lizard's" ultimate attack must have the same effect.

　With a slight instruction from Lydia Emerson, the "Water Elemental Lizard" extended its tail from the pool and quickly swept the red magic ball into the water!

　Although this "elemental pool" doesn't look deep and the surface is crystal clear, making it impossible for the magic ball to hide, at least the water resistance should be able to withstand some damage... right?

　what.

　Dark held the only usable "Netherworld Soul Ring" in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly before quickly relaxing.

　Thirty seconds isn't a long time; if you use trash talk tactics, you can stall for time and get through it.

　But Dark did not do that.

　He looked at Lydia Emerson's "Water Elemental Lizard" and even smiled.

　If Lydia Emerson's magical spirits were all water elements of this type, that would be fantastic!

　If he simply pulls the magic ball high into the air, wouldn't he be invincible?

　Of course, this situation is not realistic.

　Sure enough, Lydia Emerson began summoning her second magical spirit, despite being puzzled as to why Dark hadn't made a move.

　"In the name of Lydia Emerson, a magical summoning—'Water Elemental Eagle'!"

　The water element, in the shape of a hawk, then appeared amidst a long cry.

　The thick water element added to the field caused the "elemental pool" on the ground to rapidly expand to a diameter of nearly twenty meters!

　"Water Element Eagle," under Lydia Emerson's command, swooped down towards the blue team's half of the penalty area!

　……

　"Ten seconds!"

　Despite the impending crisis, Daq remained calm.

　He squinted at the rapidly approaching "Water Elemental Eagle," calculating the timing of its impact with the magic orb, then suddenly unleashed his magic power. Just before it collided, he controlled the magic orb to shoot into the sky!

　In that instant, the "Water Element Eagle" was thrown to the ground by inertia. Its half-body turned into liquid, then quickly reformed and charged toward the blue magic ball!

　It was only at this moment that Lydia Emerson finally realized that Dark's hand likely contained no usable cards!

　"Chance!"

　The thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

　Unfortunately, time is running out.

　The first round is already more than halfway over!

　……

　【5/128+8】

　[Two more chapters yesterday, plus one more bounty. I've suddenly hit a creative block these past two days, staring at the computer but just can't write anything. I'm basically staring at the computer 2/1... But everyone's form has its ups and downs, right? Watch me get back on track (^) Hmph.]

Chapter 694 Nine-Fold Countdown: Darkmond - Suspense (8k)

　The main competition of the Silver Cup is in full swing.

　Pistan Kellogg's defensive system certainly has its strengths, and his advancement to the quarterfinals was no fluke.

　However, his weakness is also very obvious – he is good at defense but lacks offensive power!

　Heidi Euphemia, on the other hand, continues her signature style with her magical sprites: agile, versatile, and capable of flight.

　Moreover, she was clearly influenced by Sara Swati and had mastered a considerable number of bizarre combat tactics.

　Although Pistan's defenses were impenetrable, they were unable to effectively damage Heidi's magical spirits and magic balls.

　Conversely, Heidi always manages to find opportunities to harm her.

　Even if each instance of damage is extremely limited, with repeated accumulation, an iron rod can eventually be ground into a needle.

　After a long and fierce battle, Heidi finally broke through Pistan's steel fortress and made it into the winners' bracket!

　Pistan Kellogg, like Witt Gold, fell into the loser's bracket!

　……

　"The situation in the loser's bracket looks very serious."

　"Dark said with a hint of amusement."

　Putting Vanessa Bolt aside, although Witt Gold fell into the loser's bracket, his deck strength is definitely the highest among the top eight!

　A classic clash: the strongest spear against the strongest shield. Will the shield break and the man perish, or will the spear snap and the man die?

　Doron frowned and said, "While I'm absolutely on Pistan's side, it's almost impossible for him to beat Witt. His only chance is to draw Vanessa... or Justin Wayne."

　“Justin Wayne?” Darke couldn’t help but laugh. “He hasn’t even played a single game, and you’ve already sentenced him to death?”

　Doron shook his head and smiled wryly, "I really can't imagine any possibility of him beating Sara Swati. Without you in this year's Silver Cup, Sara Swati has become the strongest contender for the title!"

　In fact it is.

　The fourth duel did not result in an upset.

　Although Justin Wayne had improved since then, he was no match for Sarah Swati and was defeated after a short time.

　After that, the lists for the winners' bracket and the losers' bracket became clear.

　Winners' Bracket: Emma Metis, Diana Gretby, Heidi Euphemia, Sara Swati.

　Losers' Bracket: Witt Gold, Vanessa Bolt, Pistan Kellogg, Justin Wayne.

　The schedule for the losers' bracket will be revealed after this evening!

　Of course, Dark and the others learned of the news immediately after Pistan's draw.

　Pistan abandoned his usual carefree attitude, his expression becoming serious.

　His opponent... is Witt Gold!

　"The chances of survival are slim."

　At dinner, Pistan took a big bite of his steak and chewed it vigorously.

　It was truly a case of fate working against him; in the end, he still couldn't escape Witt Gold.

　Among the top eight this time, only Witt's magic card stands out in terms of strength. It is so powerful that it can break through his defense with sheer force!

　If he loses again tonight, his journey to the Silver Cup will be over.

　Although those ranked 8th to 7th didn't get eliminated in the first round due to the competition format, it's still a one-day trip!

　Why can't the loser's bracket knockout stage be held next week?

　Pistan said with concern.

　Duolong then comforted him, saying, "Eighth to seventh place is fine too. There are academic credits to be earned, which is better than ninth place, right?"

　Pistan glanced at him, then burst into laughter and began to eat ravenously.

　Lunchtime was fairly pleasant.

　Pistan wasn't particularly competitive; even if he lost, he wouldn't have any regrets as long as he had tried his best.

　After lunch, the group of five strolled around the castle to digest their food.

　As winter arrives and the weather grows colder, the castle feels increasingly desolate.

　But the students' laughter and cheers always managed to dispel this indifference.

　Walking through the castle, you can see students taking out "flower cards" from time to time. From viewing them as secret objects to now using them to tease each other, there has been a subtle change in various ways.

　The night was hazy, and the evening glow drifted in.

　The students entered the dueling arena again; it was already completely dark.

　The loser's bracket elimination round of the "Silver Cup" has also begun.

　Pistan Kellogg, the first wrestler to take the stage in the evening session, is about to face off against Witt Gold under the spotlight.

　One was from the House of Nobles and the other from the House of Knights; their presence on the contestant's platform immediately created a tense atmosphere.

　But Witt Gold was full of momentum, while Pistan Kellogg seemed much more conservative.

　Both are in the losers' bracket, but their performances are clearly different.

　As the battle began, Pistan, who was nervous, made mistakes in his performance and was seized upon by Witt Gold to be brutally beaten.

　When Witt sacrificed himself to summon the third-tier magical spirit, Pistan's defenses finally crumbled and were completely breached.

　After his defeat to Emma Metis, Witt Gold finally regained some morale.

　……

　The second loser's bracket match followed immediately at 8:00 PM.

　Vanessa Bolt and Justin Wayne are both the type to play steadily and methodically, making it difficult to find any flaws in their duel. However, the result of their constant analysis and counter-analysis will ultimately be a contest of their underlying strength.

　Justin Wayne had an early advantage, but Vanessa Bolt gradually turned the tide in the late game with her meticulous strategy, ultimately securing the victory.

　Vanessa Bolt's victory undoubtedly gave the "House of Fools" a huge sigh of relief, and cheers resounded endlessly.

　Although Justin Wayne was the second-year prefect of the Knights Academy, he actually ranked only third among the second-year students. His failure did not cause much of a stir in the Knights Academy.

　The students of the Knights Academy all believed that Vittor God, who possessed a third-tier magical spirit, would easily defeat the students of the Fools' Academy; it wouldn't be a problem.

　However, today's match is over, so we'll have to leave the suspense for next week.

　After watching the match with Diana and Rose, Dark did not stay in the duel arena any longer.

　In fact, he himself has two more games to play tomorrow, so he may need some time to prepare tonight and cram at the last minute.

　Tomorrow morning's first duel will be against a third-year student from the Fool's House; it'll be a warm-up match.

　The second duel is the real showdown, as he will face off against the former president of the Noble History Research Society—Angus Jeffrey!

　……

　Angus Jeffrey is now a fifth-grade student.

　Dark had fought the "Netherfire" when it possessed him and was impressed by its emperor penguin named "Frost Emperor".

　Of course, the core element that Angus Jeffrey revealed in that duel was actually the Magical Spirit Card called "Yellow Spring Ice Coffin".

　That three-star Magical Spirit card can actually summon the seven-star Magical Spirit "Frost Lich" from the deck!

　This combination is invincible against younger students. If you draw "Yellow Spring Ice Coffin" at the start, you can almost instantly kill your opponent.

　Even if all else fails, the "Frost Lich" can be used as a sacrifice to summon a stronger magical spirit.

　As for the two "Netherworld Steles" he forged using "Netherworld Fire," they should have been abandoned long ago.

　In short, although Angus Jeffrey did not specialize in dueling in the past, he was not weak in himself.

　Although he did not do it intentionally, it just so happens to fit the essence of "accumulating knowledge and experience before making a breakthrough". The knowledge and resources he has accumulated over the past four years will likely enable him to make rapid progress during this first semester of fifth grade.

　"I hope he can bring me some surprises."

　Dark adjusted his deck while pondering the situation.

　That night, he took 2 points from his naturally accumulated 92 points of "greed" energy and went to bed early to maintain his condition.