Over the next few days, the once sensational news about Shadow Duelists, like most social hot topics, gradually cooled down within the closed environment of the school. After all, for most students, compared to those vague, life-threatening duels, the upcoming Duel College Entrance Exam was the real death sentence.
Raku's life had gained a bit more pressure. Even though he said he wasn't worried, actually sitting around waiting to die was impossible; He had to duel more, earn recognition from more spirits, and replace his current Deck, which was far too inconsistent.
In one week, he dueled privately 38 times, with 26 wins and 12 losses.
For a non-mainstream burn Deck, this win rate already satisfied Raku greatly. This wasn't some Trickstar Deck; being able to achieve this win rate was really due to the overall low strength of the current environment.
However, this kind of high-intensity grinding did have its effect.
When he tore open those cheap card packs he casually bought from convenience stores, they were finally no longer filled with nothing but blank Spell and Trap cards. Although he still hadn't pulled any world-shaking high-rarity cards, at least decent Monster Cards had begun to appear here and there.
It seemed that the spirits of this world also judged people based on performance. As long as you could win, even if your methods were a bit dirty, they were willing to show themselves to you.
That was good news.
Friday afternoon, the setting sun stretched the classroom window frames into long shadows. The air was filled with the ink scent of old test papers and the restless breathing of students.
Raku was lying on his desk, his head tilted to the side, half-lidded, dead fish eyes staring blankly at the sparrows flying past outside the window.
"Hey, Ra bro, you're really just going to sleep like that?"
A hand waved in front of Raku's eyes. Akira leaned in with a face that practically screamed "I've got huge gossip."
"Shut up, Weasel. I'm not even asleep yet."
Raku didn't lift his head, his voice muffled against his arm.
"I heard there's a pre-exam lecture today. The school specifically invited Duelist Thorne to give us a talk. Why don't you have any reaction at all?"
"Thorne? Who's that?"
Raku eventually bothered to move his neck a little.
"Come on, Ra bro, your info is way too outdated!"
Akira slapped the desk exaggeratedly, almost knocking Raku's eraser onto the floor.
"That's the famous author Thorne! The one who wrote 'Travels in the Spirit World'! They say when he was young, he went sketching in the wild and accidentally got caught in a dimensional rift, entering the real Spirit World.
"Over there, not only did he not get eaten by monsters, he even gained powerful spirit power through his extraordinary courage!"
Akira spoke with spittle flying everywhere, his eyes full of longing for that kind of adventure.
"He turned that experience into a documentary-style novel, and it's been topping bestseller lists for years!
"After the lecture, I'm definitely going to ask him for an autograph. They say if you get his personal signature, your chances of pulling strong cards increase. That's a blessing from the spirits!"
"The Spirit World?"
Raku sat up straight, showing a bit more interest.
In spite of it sounding like one of those cliché motivational stories fabricated to sell books, considering his understanding of this world over the past period… if Duel Spirits could exist, then the existence of a so-called Spirit World seemed fairly reasonable.
"If an autograph could guarantee god-tier draws, he might as well be the King of Games."
Raku casually threw out a remark, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk.
"Come on, Ra bro, don't always be such a buzzkill. Someone like him is a big shot!
"We normally wouldn't even get the chance to see him. The school spent a lot of money to invite him to boost our morale.
"Let's go, let's go, the auditorium is probably full already."
Without waiting for a response, Akira pulled Raku up.
"Alright, stop pulling, I'll walk on my own."
Raku stood up and brushed the wrinkles off his clothes.
"Thorne, huh…"
For someone who had "seen the world," what kind of monsters would be hidden in his Deck? Were they the kind of legendary and powerful spirits, or just commercially packaged mascots?
Raku found himself a little curious.
The campus stream began as students across the school were gradually gathering toward the main auditorium.
"Hurry up, Ra bro! I heard Teacher Thorne's Duel Disk is made of pure gold! And it even glows!"
"That's not power, that's light pollution."
Raku complained, but his pace didn't slow much. He wanted to see just how much real ability this man who turned the "Spirit World" into a book actually had.
Just as they were about to reach the entrance of the auditorium, Raku felt the card case in his arms tremble.
It was a very small vibration, like some kind of resonance.
"Hm?"
He slowed his steps, his hand pressing against his pocket.
A reaction at this distance? Was it that Thorne, or something else?
Raku scanned the crowd around him. The students in uniforms were all visibly excited, unaware of the subtle abnormal fluctuation in the air.
"Hey, Ra bro, what are you looking at? Hurry up and get in!"
Akira waved from ahead.
"Coming."
Raku suppressed his doubts and stepped into the dim interior of the auditorium.
The stage had been set up with an exquisite backdrop, printed with a poster of a man with an arrogant expression, wearing a dark green fitted suit and holding a giant quill pen in his hand.
That was Thorne?
The air conditioning in the auditorium was running strong, and the white mist from the vents slowly sank under the lights.
Raku followed Akira to a seat toward the back, and the wooden folding chairs behind them creaked continuously.
The school's leadership had all arrived. The principal was an elderly man with graying hair but a vigorous spirit. He first stood before the standing microphone and delivered a ten-minute routine speech about "the spirit of dueling and future responsibility."
Even though the students below listened with some boredom, out of reverence for the Duel College Entrance Exam, most still maintained the posture of lowering their heads and taking notes.
"…Next, let us welcome today's star guest with the warmest applause! Teacher Thorne!"
The principal's voice suddenly rose as he took the lead in clapping.
The heavy wine-red curtains of the auditorium slowly parted, and a figure stepped out in perfect rhythm.
Just like in the poster, Thorne wore an impeccably tailored dark green suit, with an exaggerated golden quill brooch pinned to his collar. Unlike ordinary lecturers, he wasn't reserved at all; he first swept his gaze across the entire audience, with a barely noticeable and restrained smile at the corner of his lips. That blend of arrogance and courtesy made it easy for young people in a period of uncertainty to feel drawn to him.
"Thorne! It's really Teacher Thorne!" Akira exclaimed in a hushed voice, already gripping his notebook so tightly that it wrinkled.
Raku shifted into a more comfortable position, hands tucked into his coat pockets, calmly watching the stage.
In his eyes, this man surely had a talent for performance.
That innate "writer's air" made him seem out of place in this somewhat outdated school auditorium, while at the same time exceptionally captivating.
Thorne walked to the front of the stage and lightly adjusted the microphone.
"Listen carefully, everyone."
His voice leaned neutral, carrying a steady, narrative-like magnetism. It had to be said: those who write novels truly have a knack for controlling rhythm and delivery.
"What a qualified Duelist should never do is act recklessly.
"Many people think dueling is about hot-blooded charges, shouting for their monsters to attack.
"But in a real fight to the death, that mindset will only make you the main character at your own funeral."
The auditorium fell silent at once, leaving only the steady hum of the central air conditioning overhead.
"When I was adventuring in the Spirit World, I once encountered a group of Traptrix."
As he spoke, Thorne made a grasping motion in the air, as if an actual scene existed there.
"Beautiful yet deadly traps.
"The reckless Goblins were lured in by the fragrance they released and the weakness they feigned.
"And what was the result? They fell into the abyss, dying without a trace."
At this, Raku's brow twitched.
Traptrix.
Indeed, in that Deck's background lore, Goblins were frequent victims. For Thorne to transform such dry background settings into something so vividly descriptive… this wasn't just showing off, it was a kind of knowledge.
"You must think before you act." Thorne paced across the stage, his tone becoming steady. "During your exam, you'll duel against evaluators. If there are Set cards in their Spell/Trap Zone, never declare an attack blindly. It could be a Mirror Force that changes the whole situation, or a Trap that depletes your resources."
He swiftly wrote one huge word on the whiteboard: Calmness.
"When building your Deck, including cards from the 'Mystical Space Typhoon' series is also a good choice. Compared to pursuing flashy, maximum damage, having the means to dismantle your opponent's schemes is the key to long-term victory."
As Raku listened, his previously tense shoulders relaxed a bit.
This guy, dressed like a peacock, showing off and always talking about those possibly true or false adventure stories… his advice was genuinely solid.
In an environment where everyone was scrambling to assemble high-Attack monsters, getting students to pay attention to backrow removal and defensive Traps was actually quite responsible.
Beside him, Akira had already begun writing furiously, sweat forming on his forehead.
Raku, on the other hand, didn't move his pen. These principles had long since become muscle memory through his duels. He simply found Thorne's storytelling interesting, like listening to a vividly performed live drama.
Raku leaned to the other side, his eyes fixed on the massive golden quill on Thorne's chest.
Had this man really been to the so-called Spirit World? That hint of disdain toward Goblins in his words, and his understanding of the danger of Traptrix, didn't seem like something one could learn from books alone.
"Next, let's talk about the art of setting cards…" Thorne continued speaking at length on stage.
Raku let out a quiet breath.
This calm atmosphere wasn't bad.
He had originally expected to hear empty platitudes like "through bonds, anything is possible," but instead, this showy novelist actually had some real substance.
Thorne picked up the glass of water on the lectern, took a sip, then gave a slight nod toward a certain spot in the audience.
"Remember, every Set card is a shield that can save your life."
When he said this, there was actually a trace of seriousness beneath his arrogant expression. That contrast made the applause from the audience much more sincere.
The atmosphere in the auditorium gradually became lively yet orderly.
In his own way, Thorne was allowing these high school seniors, whose nerves had been stretched taut, to breathe in one last breath of something called the "art of dueling" before the exam.
"So, does anyone want to ask questions about these basic tactics?" Thorne set down his glass and swept his gaze across the crowd.
Raku maintained his laid-back posture, with no intention of raising his hand, though his gaze never left the green suit glowing on the stage.
A lecture like this, ending peacefully like this, was actually quite nice.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]