Let them print cards, not slay gods 42

Chapter 42: Post-Match Conversation (Seeking Reads!)

[Whoa! 666, this guy only played one card?!]

[Still, the fish-hooking monster was too greedy, daring to FTK (First Turn Kill) without understanding the effect, and got counter-killed when given the chance.]

[Seriously, I’m dumbfounded. If this card is thrown into the graveyard, how should one respond?]

[Wow! Such a beautiful nun! Evil and holy, I want to confess to her, to tell her about my…]

[The guy above, elaborate! Elaborate!]

The barrage went wild.

“This youngster is quite something,” Yuan Bu Tong walked up to Shen Sui after they’d tidied their decks, sizing him up. “You might actually make some waves in the professional circuit.”

(If you hadn’t been greedy and stubbornly pushed your strategy despite my disruptions, it would have been much harder for me to win.)

Looking back, if Shen Sui hadn’t drawn Anna at the start, he wouldn’t have had a good way to deal with Yuan Bu Tong’s strategy. At best, he could only use the Fish King and Flame Witch to hard counter.

That’s Fate Card dueling sometimes; right before a duel, it seems like a fight is about to erupt, but after the duel both sides can talk calmly.

After the awards ceremony, Yuan Bu Tong invited Shen Sui to dinner.

Shen Sui wouldn’t miss a chance for a free meal. He was genuinely curious about the professional Fate Card dueling scene. While Yuan Bu Tong wasn’t a professional player, his choice to stick to amateur competitions and fish for wins instead of participating in ranking matches clearly indicated he knew things about the professional circle.

This kind of information isn’t something coaches typically share with students, and online searches only yield cryptic keyword strings that make no sense.

Things like “you know what I mean.”

Or “someone familiar is hiding information.”

You simply wouldn’t understand what they’re talking about.

Therefore, Shen Sui wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about the industry.

While Fate Card dueling is incredibly popular in this world, the lack of supernatural powers in real-world Fate Cards means it’s primarily a booming entertainment and esports industry like its counterpart in Shen Sui’s previous life.

This only refers to Fate Card duels, not the Soul Card world.

Exploring the Soul Card world is what the national government cares about most.

It has already been proven that the Soul Card world is real. Although the barrier between the two worlds prevents entities with supernatural powers from invading the real world—even a seventeenth-rank power from Soul Card World Two can’t break through—you still must always prepare for the worst, like nuclear weapons perpetually aimed at other countries.

The higher-ups constantly monitor the activities of various Soul Card worlds.

Numerous so-called “Dueling Houses” that attempted to bring supernatural power into the real world have all been dealt with.

Additionally, some sci-fi Soul Card worlds with similar technological trees to our own can inspire and guide technological advancement in the real world. Much of the real world’s technological explosion in recent decades relies on knowledge and information from those Soul Card worlds.

The government’s strong support for the Fate Card dueling system might also be aimed at fostering more talent for exploring the Soul Card world, much like scientists use games to get players worldwide to help them decode DNA.

Furthermore, while power cannot cross over, thoughts and malice can.

While World One simply has a high Soul Card mortality rate and is extremely unfriendly to Card Masters, Soul Card worlds like World Eight are taboo for all peaceful nations. In these countries, you can’t choose forbidden Soul Card worlds like World Eight when drawing Soul Cards during dueling exams.

World Eight is a world that uses rituals and sacrifices to obtain strange powers from an unknowable entity. It’s full of grotesque and bloody religious rituals and mysterious and powerful unknown entities. These powers can’t penetrate the real world, but Card Masters infected by their ideology will attempt to emulate the rituals and worship their faith in the real world, leading to several tragedies, after which the world was banned by most countries.

Shen Sui really wanted to say that similar rituals are common in Dawn Continent; after all, this famous Frankenstein’s monster of a game crammed in every popular element imaginable – occult simulators, Cthulhu mythos, etc. – all under the guise of “evil gods” in Dawn Continent’s lore. Though, this part was toned down in a game update.

“So, when you achieve success in Fate Card duels, the Exploration Bureau might recruit you to do tasks to learn about the Soul Card worlds you choose,” Yuan Bu Tong explained. “Of course, you can also apply to be a full-time member of the Exploration Bureau. However, since you’ll be handling classified information, you can no longer participate in duels according to our national regulations, as some of the Fate Cards you use may involve state secrets.”

“Oh? Are there many people who become Exploration Bureau members?”

“Not many. The pay is lousy; prize money from duels is far more lucrative. But every year, some people apply, especially those whose professional careers aren’t going well. It’s a secure job after all, and even if your Soul Card dies, you’ll be assigned other work. By the way, it’s a government position, and the Exploration Bureau entrance exam is much easier than the civil service exam.” Of course, Yuan Bu Tong didn’t mention that the Dueling Exam is much harder than the civil service exam.

Well, no matter what world it is, you can’t escape civil service exams and government positions.

Shen Sui swirled the ice in his glass, then asked, “So, what are the rewards for doing exploration tasks for the Exploration Bureau?”

“Normally, these tasks are only given to famous Card Masters. After all, a strong deck suggests their Soul Card is doing well in the Soul Card world. Unless your Soul Card world only has a few Card Masters.” Yuan Bu Tong glanced at Shen Sui. “It seems you’re confident about becoming famous.”

“I think after beating you, I’ll be somewhat famous for a while.”

“News like yours is usually fleeting. The people in the Exploration Bureau are old-fashioned and rigid; they only recognize results from professional tournaments,” Yuan Bu Tong said. “As for the rewards you mentioned, sorry, there aren’t any.”

“Volunteer work?”

“Well, they definitely won’t give you any rewards or prizes.”

“So, why would anyone do these tasks?”

“In fact, many professional players would love for the Exploration Bureau to ask them for help with tasks.” Yuan Bu Tong laughed.

Shen Sui was surprised. Were people in this world so noble?

Yuan Bu Tong seemed to see what Shen Sui was thinking and said, “Don’t idealize people too much; not many people will do something without any compensation.”

“Then, what are the hidden benefits of these exploration tasks?”

“There are.” Yuan Bu Tong nodded, a hint of envy in his voice. “Tax deductions.”

Shen Sui gasped.

Fate Card duel prize money is subject to a 20% income tax.

Shen Sui’s 500,000 prize money became 400,000 after tax—a 100,000 deduction.

Even higher-paying professional tournaments mean even more tax deductions.

Shen Sui rested his chin on his interlocked hands, having to admit, “That’s an offer one can’t refuse.”

(End of Chapter)

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