Chapter Sixteen: Spire Trial I: Graveyard Ghouls
Manny stood inside an empty black room. In front of him, there was some sort of display that said:
[Entering new area.]
[Loading Field: 59% complete.]
[Reloading Trial Data.]
[Loading Field: 84%.]
Manny closed his eyes as the count got closer to 100%.
"I can do this... I've gotten so far. Now it's time to show them what I'm made of!"
He opened his eyes.
[Please enter.]
A door appeared in front of him. He took a deep breath and walked through. A voice announced his arrival.
[Welcome to the Graveyard Area. You have 60 minutes to complete your task. You must find the 13 graves, which contain a piece of a statue. You must then re-construct the statue in the center of the area. You must also defeat the boss character in the area. Your trial begins in... 3...2...1.]
---
"Fools..." Blackheart said. "They have no idea..." He laughed.
"Something funny sir?" Zander asked.
"Ah yes, Zander..." Jeff got up from his desk. "I've read your report. All things seem to be in working order. That's good to know."
"Yes it is, sir."
"Oh yes, and if you were wondering why, I just thought it was funny that those fools think they're safe trusting their lives to those virtual reality pods we've developed. It was nearly impossible to improve on the borrowed Kaiba Corp. technology... So all we did was create a hybrid of magic and technology..."
"Magic? I don't understand."
"You see... Dark Matter is a substance that has been around for thousands of years... But 'Dark Matter' is merely the name I have created for it. It is truly the blood of the legendary Dark God of Chaos, Mephisto..." Jeff smiled as he stared at the veins in his arm. "Ancient civilizations used it to give themselves great powers of sorcery and magic. I've fused that power with modern technology..."
"And how exactly have you done that? I'm afraid I still don't understand what you've done."
"The virtual reality system runs on a steady supply of Dark Matter... It is true that it is a hallucinogenic and poisonous substance, but when used carefully, it can enhance the experience of being in the virtual world.... It also allows me to control every single thing that happens within that world."
"But what about the exposure to it? Isn't it harmful? We've used the virtual reality systems ourselves..." Zander was worried.
"No need to concern yourself Zander... Unless there is a sort of malfunction in the system, there is no danger."
Zander raised an eyebrow. "I still don't understand the need for Dark Matter usage... couldn't we have done this without the 'magic'?"
"I'll let you in on a secret of mine Zander... Ever since Lord Mephisto has endowed more power upon me, I've been able to do so much more than I could before... I could extract the soul of a man by using an ancient spell... Now, I can do so with a mere thought. I wanted this experience to be special for the finalists of the tournament... So I've used the very people they hold dear to control the monsters of the virtual world. They are connected to the system through a magical bind, keeping their brain active while their body lacks a soul... This extends the limit of a computer limited AI. With a small cost..."
"The cost is the human soul? What are you planning to do with so many?"
"When we reach the Gate to the Underworld, I must offer something to my master, or he will not grant the world the gift of Destruction and Chaos. He will give me the power I need to rule over this world... And you...All of you will be at my side as I lead you all to positions of power across the world... And you will all have me to thank for it as you rule along side the Chosen One of Chaos! HAhaHAHahAHHAHahAhhaHAhahahAhAHhHAAA!!!!" He laughed maniacally.
Zander backed out of the room slowly. "That madman..."
---
Current Status:
Manny Hung
Deck Commander: Patrician of Darkness
Current Lifepoints: 8000
Time Remaining: 59:57
Manny was looking at his surroundings. All he could see in front of him was a sign that simply said, "Cemetery." There was a thick fog that obscured his vision. He cautiously walked foward with cards ready in his hand.
"Hmm, I better summon a monster just to get started." He took a look at the cards he was currently holding. "Summon Master Kyonshee!"
-875
Manny: 7125
"Master Kyonshee... It's boosted to 2050 thanks to my ability. Now, let's find the pieces of that statue!"
Master Kyonshee nodded and followed him. He looked around various part of the area, but couldn't find any graves. There were small statues of angels and lots of dried up trees. The fog was keeping him very disoriented. He wandered around, but found nothing.
Time Remaining: 41:32
Manny looked down at the time display on his Duel Disk.
"Damn, I've wasted a lot of my time already! I'd better get moving!" He picked up the pace in his walking. Finally, he saw a single gravestone. He examined it carefully. He read the inscription: Fragments of my master lie buried in the grave of many.
"Hmm... Maybe... If I..." Manny drew his fist back and slammed it into the gravestone. He waited for a few moments, but there was nothing but silence.
"I guess not." He started to walk away, but felt a presence. Suddenly, Manny was knocked to the ground.
-1600
Manny: 5525
Manny was caught off guard. He turned around and saw a Shadow Ghoul looming over him. It raised its claw and was poised to strike.
"Master Kyonshee! Take care of him!"
Master Kyonshee took a leap into the air and came down hard with his foot meeting Shadow Ghoul's face.
"Good save there Kyonshee..."
+800 Draw one card.
Manny: 6325
Manny looked on the ground where the Shadow Ghoul was knocked out. Its body fizzled away into dust. It left a piece of the statue on the ground. A hand. It pointed to the northwest.
Manny picked it up. "I guess it was pointing me in that direction... I better hurry..."
Statue Pieces: 01
Time Remaining: 37:08
He continued in the direction that the hand pointed in him, when finally, he came upon a section of the area with many gravestones and burial sites.
"Buried in the grave of many... This must be the place. Well Master Kyonshee, smash as many of these gravestones as you can, I'll Summon Fear from Darkness to help you!"
-875
Manny:5450
A shadow emerged from the ground. Fear from Darkness stood next to Master Kyonshee.
"Okay, Kyonshee, Fear, destroy as many gravestones as you can. Help each other destroy any monsters that appear, and bring back as many pieces of the statue that you find as soon as you finish searching that corner of the cemetery!"
Fear from Darkness went back into the shadows and followed Kyonshee as they followed his orders.
"Hmm, now to do some searching of my own... Summon Royal Keeper!"
-800
Manny: 4650
"Royal Keeper, follow my lead and break the gravestones in this area!"
The Royal Keeper did as he said, and broke the gravestones the came upon.
"No monsters seem to be coming out of these graves... It's odd. Oh well." He picked up pieces of the statue that they found.
Statue Pieces: 09
Time Remaining: 24:33
"Okay, I've still got time. I'm done with this part of the cemetery, I should go check on how Master Kyonshee and Fear from Darkness are doing."
---
"Manny seems to be doing okay so far..." Nick said. "Right Jason?"
"Yeah, he just needed to find his way around." Jason kept his eyes glued on the screen displaying the current trial being held.
"He seems to have gotten a definite theme going with his deck... I remember watching him duel Nick before, and he seemed somewhat scatter-brained. Did you help him out with that Zombie Deck of his?"
"Yeah... It was surprising to see how much better he did when he had one theme going in his deck. He managed to acquire those four Decoder Devices like they were nothing. Although, he may have gotten to be a better duelist, that doesn't change how he thinks...or the way his mind works, rather. I'm afraid he may make a mistake that will cause him to fail this trial."
"Oh have more faith in him than that Jason! You taught him a lot of what he knows!" Laurna said.
"True, but I can't say that I know as much as some of you." Jason held Kaiku's mask in his hand.
"Have more confidence in yourself than that man!" Tony nudged him with his big top hat. "You got to the Finals! That counts for something!"
"I guess you're right." Jason went back to fixating on the screen. His eyes widened. "No! Manny!"
---
Statue Pieces: 12
Time Remaining: 17:29
Manny: 2850
"Damn.. I wish those monsters hadn't snuck up on my Master Kyonshee and Fear from Darkness... That would've saved me a lot of lifepoints. As long as I can find that last piece and take out a few weaker monsters, I should have enough life to be able to take out the boss."
Manny wandered around the area where his Kyonshee and Fear were destroyed by several monsters. His Royal Keeper followed closely behind him, just as it had done before.
"Now where could that last piece be... I saw the statue on my way here... It's rebuilding itself on its own... I just seem to be missing the head."
Manny's LP dropped.
-500
Manny: 2350
"What the hell?" He turned around and saw that his Royal Keeper was gone. He looked around for a monster, but didn't see one. "Damn! There's something here... but I can't see it! Wait... I've got it! Activate Dark Piercing Light!"
A bright light came from the card, revealing any hidden objects in the area. He saw a shadow that was being cast on the ground despite that nothing was around.
"Ah ha! I see you perfectly clear Shadow Ghoul!" He ran up to the shadow and attacked it himself. The attack was deflected, and he took some damage.
-1000
Manny: 1350
"Damn... what the hell is that thing? Wait... I took 1000 damage... That means if it defended against my attack, then it has 3000 defense points... Wall Shadow!"
Without warning, huge walls surrounded him. He was imprisoned inside a small labyrinth.
"Aw geez, nothing is ever easy..."
He could see Wall Shadow pushing itself through the walls. He tried to get ready for the moment it would attack, leaving itself vulnerable. Moments later, Wall Shadow emerged from the wall. It taunted him.
"Ha! I have you now!" He rushed at it, trying to deliver a finishing blow to it.
Wall Shadow reached into the wall, and pulled out Fusion Blade Murasame.
"Crap!" Wall Shadow took a swing at him, but Manny slid under it. It disappeared back into the wall. "If that thing has Fusion Blade Murasame, then it has 2400 attack points... That must be the reason my monsters were destroyed earlier...And how my lifepoints dropped so much. If I'm going to take that thing down... I'm going to have to risk it... Summon! Nosferatu Lich!"
-1300
Manny: 0050
"And now since you're powered up by me, you have 2900 attack points... Now make sure that Wall Shadow doesn't surprise attack us!"
Manny read the help screen on his Duel Disk. "Hm, so your special ability works differently here... You can summon a Zombie that has been previously destroyed... And I gain lifepoints equal to its attack power... That should come in handy once we get out of here..." Wall Shadow showed its face once again. "Lich! Behind you!"
Nosferatu Lich didn't turn around.
"What are you doing man? Wall Shadow is behind you!"
Wall Shadow glided past the Lich and was about to strike down Manny. As it raised the blade and prepared to strike.... Time seemed to slow down. The blade was inches from Manny, and there was no time for him to react.
Nosferati Lich tapped its staff on the ground. Wall Shadow stopped in its tracks and fell to the ground.
"Whoa. Close call there..." Manny said as he saw the Wall Shadow lying on the ground.
The Lich tapped its staff again, and a barrage of spirits surrounded Wall Shadow, and dragged it away into the realm of spirits.
+1200
Manny: 1250
"Odd... the Labyrinth Wall didn't go away. Oh wait... I can draw a card since Lich destroyed a monster." He drew a card from his deck. "Ha, this should help me get out of here. Activate Fissure!"
The walls around him began to shake violently. Manny stood his ground as everything around him crumbled into dust. In front of him there was a lone gravestone.
"Ah, that must be where the last statue piece is..." He walked up to it and smashed it. "Okay... that makes thirteen pieces total... The statue should be complete now! That must be where I go next."
A blue light came from the shattered stones, and dissipated into the night.
"Hm, what was that? The grave must had something inside it...?" He waited a few moments again. There was nothing, so he proceeded.
He could see the statue ahead of him, as the fog was starting to clear up.
"It's awfully quiet... This statue isn't doing anything. I recognize this monster though... Demon King of the Underworld Hades..." He looked around again. "Maybe I should use Nosferatu Lich's ability now... Before I miss my chance. Activate Nosferatu Lich's special ability!"
Nosferatu Lich's staff glowed. He tapped it on the ground. The ground trembled a bit.
"Arise! Master Kyonshee!"
+1750
Manny: 3000
Master Kyonshee emerged from the earth, and brushed itself off. It nodded at Manny and gave an abrupt grunt.
"Okay... now what to do with this statue?"
Behind him, lurked a monter he had overlooked. Hidden in the Darkness was a dragon. A dragon born from the soul of a wicked knight.
"Damn, suddenly it got really windy..." Manny said, as he was unaware of the looming threat.
He continued examining the statue, but the dragon approached. Manny was in its sights. It reared its head back and prepared to launch its attack, Nightmare Sonic Blast.
Manny was still unaware. He felt a surge of energy nearby, but couldn't tell where it was coming from.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the environment...
"Manny...No!!!
"Jason?" He said. He turned around. His gaze was met by Serpent Night Dragon... It was already releasing the energy it had stored. This time there was no time at all for Manny or his monsters to react. He felt a rush of punishing winds, which seemed to be razor-sharp.
"Aggghhhh...!!!" He screamed in pain.
-2350
Manny: 0650
"Dammit... Nosferatu Lich! Attack with Curse of Decay!"
It did as he commanded, taking his staff in both hands, and casting a spell upon the Serpent Knight Dragon. It dropped to the ground, and seemingly decomposed into the dirt.
+1175
Manny: 1825
"This should give me more breathing room..." Manny was breathing heavily.
"Well done.... Ha ha ha..." Manny spun around to see who spoke.
The statue had come to life. Demon King of the Underworld Hades... But something was different. Manuel Figo had taken its form.
"Tell me, what's your name?"
"Manny Hung... are you the boss character in this area?"
"A fine name... I'm Manuel Figo... Eliminator and worshipper of Darkness. Defeat me, and you'll successfully complete your trial!"
"I see... so then what are we waiting for? Let's begin!"
Manny: 1825
Manuel: 8000
"You're not in a very good position Manny. I have all my lifepoints while you have very little of your own remaining."
"I don't care. You won't win!"
"I start by activating one of my Deck Commander's abilities! Skill Drain!"
-1000
Manuel: 7000
"Now, any ability that you may try to use against me will not work at all! So that means the monsters you currently have lose the power increase you gave them!"
"That means... They are returned to their original attack power..."
"You have less than ten minutes to defeat me as well... I don't think you can do it. Right now... Nosferatu Lich may be stronger than me, but I activate Demon's Cry! I'll pay 600 of my own lifepoints to lower your Lich to 2000 attack points!"
-600
Manuel: 6400
"Now... I'll attack Nosferatu Lich myself!"
"Master Kyonshee! Block the attack! Defend!"
"Ha! Useless... Soul Crush Strike!" Manuel raised his arm, and he extracted Master Kyonshee's essence into the palm of his hand. He simply clutched his hand, and Master Kyonshee was destroyed.
"it's not over yet... I release the essence of Master Kyonshee to attack Nosferatu Lich!" He extended his hand and fired a stream of purple energy at Manny's Lich, destroying it.
-450
Manny: 1375
"Had you made use of your ability to defend attacks, you could have survived my attack..."
Manny had three cards left in his hand... But not enough lifepoints to summon any of the monsters... A direct attack would finish him off, causing him to fail the trial.
---
"This doesn't look good for Manny..." Nick said. Everyone else in the lounge area was unusually quiet.
"That demonstration Blackheart showed us was faulty! He didn't let us know of all the rules!" Jason was upset, seeing that his friend's impending doom was imminent.
"I think he did that on purpose... So that we were forced to learn on our feet." Laurna said.
"Still... He hadn't told us that an attack to our Commander, or us, wouldn't be blockable... It's as if we are our own lifepoints, and attacking the Deck Commander is a direct attack... We've seen Manny get hit many times, but also while he raised his cape in an attempt to defend." Ace said. "The demo shows Blackheart blocking an attack with his Commander... Manny couldn't do that at all. He meant for us to use other monsters to defend... but didn't inform us..."
"I suppose that's the disadvantage of going first... The people after you can learn from your mistakes..." Tony proclaimed.
"Well... Manny is gonna find a way to beat that Eliminator. I know he will. If he gets close enough, he can deliver some direct damage of his own to Manuel.
"I sure hope he can... It would be a shame to see him lose already. Even if we are competing with each other..." Laurna said as she floated around on her broomstick.
"We never expected Blackheart to play fair anyway... He controls this world, and can change the rules however he pleases... That is something we have to contend with if we're going to succeed."
"Inspiring words there Nick..." Ace laughed. "Yeah right..." He whispered to himself.
---
Time Remaining: 6:04
"I could just wait it out so the time limit expires Manny... but I won't. I'll toy with you before I finish you off! Summon Spirit Reaper!"
-150
Manuel: 6250
"Spirit Reaper, attack him with Soul Hunting Scythe!"
Manny could do nothing but take the attack.
-300
Manny: 1075
"Now, you must discard a card from your hand... Which Spirit Reaper shall choose randomly."
Manny stared down the Reaper as it chose a card from his hand to discard. Finally, the Reaper made a decision.
Manny smiled. "You made a big mistake Figo... Your choice to toy with me is going to be your final mistake! Spirit Reaper chose the card Despair from Darkness! It is Special Summoned at the cost of no lifepoints!"
"What? No!!"
A huge shadow emerged from the ground.
"Despair from Darkness, attack Spirit Reaper!"
"I think not! Activate Call of the Haunted! Wall Shadow! Defend!"
"Damn!!'
Despair from Darkness tried to grasp Spirit Reaper, but was met with Wall Shadow, which was strong enough to defend against the attack.
-200
Manny: 0875
"HAHA! Thanks to the rules of this world, Despair from Darkness is destroyed... Now, Spirit Reaper and Wall Shadow, finish off his lifepoints!"
"Not so fast Figo... Since my Level 8 monster was destroyed, I play Bargain with a Demon! It will summon one of your own minions to be used against you!" He threw the magic card towards Manuel. Behind him the ground began shaking violently.
"Rise from the grave! Come and serve me, Berserk Dead Dragon!" A huge dragon formed of bones leapt over Manuel, landing in front of Manny. It let out a terrifying roar, which caused Manuel's monsters to back off.
"I'm afraid you lose Manuel. Return to the Darkness!"
"It's not possible... You use my rightful servant against me? How dare you!"
"Berserk Dead Dragon! Release your horrors that lie within!" He pointed forward. "Attack Manuel and all his monsters with Gruesome Plague Breath!!"
A sickening green mist came from the dragon's mouth. It incapacitated Manuel's monsters and nearly suffocated Manuel himself.
-6150
Manuel: 0100
+950
Manny: 1825
"I've wiped out your Wall Shadow and nearly all of your lifepoints. Your Spirit Reaper may not have been destroyed, but it is in no condition to attack. I'll deliver the final blow myself! I attack you with Meteor of Darkness!!!" He used Patrician of Darkness' power to form a meteor of energy, and threw it at Manuel, bringing his lifepoints to zero.
Manuel: 0000
"No... Gawwwrrrrghh!!!!" Manuel fell to the ground. The appearance of his Deck Commander disappeared. He was back to the small man in a crimson red suit.
"When you combine your Darkness with hate, you're the only one who loses Manuel."
Manuel's body disappeared in the same way monsters did. Exploding in a barrage of particles.
Time Remaining: 0:14
"Whew... Talk about no time left to spare..."
Everything in the area began to disappear. The scenery, the fog, his dragon... everything. A door appeared in front of him.
[Please enter.]
He did so, not bothering to look back. He felt more confident as he managed to get by the first trial. Manny grew stronger, but wondered if he would be able to enter the next round...
[Trial I Complete.]
[Result: Win ]
[Time Remaining: 0 Min 14 sec]
[LP: 1825]
[Current Status: 1st Place]