Some say that the Dimensions are founded on the principles of beliefs. Philosophies shape the worlds, and ideas define existence. In my immortal life, I've seen many.
Once sect that I remember well was a now-defunct group called the Merkants. They were a group of very rich mortals whose philosophy was, quite simply, that acquisition of material wealth was the key to knowing the secrets of existence. They believed that the power of money could accomplish nearly anything. Now, some folks felt sorry for them for being so materialistic, and told them that there were some things that money just couldn't buy. But all Merkants had heard that one, and they'd laugh, and say that if money couldn't buy it, it wasn't worth having.
The Merkants were not foolish misers. They wisely invested their wealth and used it to fund projects which they believed would uncover secrets of the universe. Most of these secrets involved gaining more wealth. Some Merkants became quite powerful, owning controlling shares of inter-planar trade companies that spanned several dimensions. One rumor states that one of them actually bought divine power and ascended to a godlike form, although very few actually believe it.
So why did this sect die out? Well, quite simply, the members couldn't cooperate. Unlike most groups, the Merkants were their own worst enemies, seeing each other as competitors. Two Merkants in one town was a war waiting to happen. And the winner of any conflict between two of them was whoever was willing to spend more to solve the problem.
Eventually, they invested a great amount of resources to obtain one of the greatest sources of wealth in the universe – Tiamat's horde. But their failure to cooperate, and their squabbling over who should get the greater shares of the prize kept them from succeeding, and for their audacity to try, they all became targets of armies of angry dragons, a situation they truly could not buy their way out of. They were annihilated.
The fact of the matter is, someone who has large amounts of money must handle it carefully, or it leads to greed. It can be like an addictive drug, causing a person to want more, and never be satisfied. And as much as the Merkants denied it, there are some things in life that you can't put a price on.
One of my recruits is facing a Fiend who embodies the dark side of wealth, and I can only hope that she won't be taken to the cleaners…
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Root of All Evil
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
"Zane?" said Yumi. "I have a question…"
"Shoot," said Zane.
"I noticed that you had Chimeratech Overdragon in your Fusion Deck," she said.
"So?" asked Zane.
"Well…" continued Yumi. "Doresain said that its Spirit is dangerous and hard to control. That only someone who had the power of the Core could control it."
Zane smirked.
"I do have the power of the Core," he replied.
"HUH?" gasped everyone.
"Remember that guy who took Syrus's deck?" asked Zane. "The one who I defeated to get it back? He had many powers derived from exposure to the Core. Well, I took them from him after I beat him.
"Joan was nervous after I did, but once she found how powerful I had become, she programmed a copy of the Chimeratech.
"She's debating whether or not to program a copy of F.G.D., which was also in Hell Kaiser's deck. She's reluctant to do so. Its Spirit is incredibly evil, and might be too hard for anyone working for her to control.
"And I have a question for you, Yumi… How do you intend to beat Daala?"
"Well, it's gonna be tough," replied Yumi. "We have to find something called The Testament, and we don't even know what that is…"
"The Testament you say?" said a creepy voice.
Everyone turned around, and saw a hunched-over figure, his head hidden in a dark hood attached to a long cloak.
"I know of a Testament," said the figure. "I can lead you to it, if you want it badly enough…"
"What? What?" asked Yumi, eagerly. "We'll do anything!"
"Hold on!" sneered Zane.
He walked up to the figure.
"This is a little too convenient. I smell a rat…
"Or more appropriately…"
He tore the cloak off.
"…a Goblin!"
The figure straightened up and stepped backwards. It was indeed the Goblin of Greed.
"You know this guy?" asked Chelsea.
"He's a scoundrel," said Zane. "A con artist who works for evil creatures of the Lower Planes as a merchant, doing any sleazy act necessary to get the goods they require."
"You make it sound so… common," said the Goblin.
"What do you want?" asked Chelsea.
"I want nothing," replied the Goblin. "I already have what I came to get."
He held up a card. Chelsea gasped. It was Penelope.
"You should watch your things better," said the Goblin.
"Thief!" screamed Chelsea.
"Easy, easy," said the Goblin, "she's okay…"
The card in his hand vanished, and a large, glass capsule appeared behind him. To Chelsea's horror, Penelope was trapped inside it, and she certainly didn't look very happy.
"We'll just keep her there for now."
"Let her go!" shouted Chelsea.
"Be careful, Chelsea!" warned Zane. "That's one of Daala's restraining devices for Duel Spirits. A Spirit that's confined to one is more or less at its jailer's mercy. It can be used not only to hold the Spirit, but to inflict cruel forms of torture."
Chelsea glared at the Fiend angrily.
"What do you want, Goblin?" she fumed.
"Now, now," he replied. "I'm fair… You can have The Lady of the Night back, if you can win her back.
"We're gonna duel, Chelsea. If you win, she goes back to you safe and sound. But if you lose, she comes with me."
"To where?" shouted Chelsea.
"I have a buyer," started the Goblin. "You see…"
"Money?" screamed Chelsea. "You're doing this just for money?"
The Goblin chuckled. He took a wine flask from his belt and opened the top.
"Not just money, Chels," he replied. "A whole bloomin' lot of money!"
He took a swig from the flask.
"My buyer is a collector who likes unique and exotic things. Do you know how many Zombie Duel Spirits in all of existence are of the Light Attribute? There are two confirmed specimens, and two that may only be rumors. Spirit of the Pharaoh and Penelope are the two confirmed ones. Rumors exist of two other unique Light Zombies named Paladin of the Cursed Dragon and Malevolent Mech – Goku En, but these rumors have yet to be confirmed.
"Well, I have no chance to get near Spirit of the Pharaoh. He's a powerful noble in the Dimension where Zombies are the most powerful. He commands a whole army. But if I had Penelope to offer, my buyer would pay through the nose…
"And frankly, I need all the cash I can get. Pretty soon, the terms of that wager I made with Marauding Captain are going to expire, and he's gonna come after me if I refuse to pay up."
"Just how much did the two of you wager in that bet?" asked Ren.
"Suffice to say, a lot," replied the Goblin, tossing the flask away. "Know what the worst part is? Every card with his picture on it portrays him as some heroic soldier, while most cards with my picture on it portrays me as a buffoon. This whole wager has been a big embarrassment."
"Why even bother to duel me?" asked Chelsea. "Why not just take her and run?"
"You wound me," said the Goblin. "I always give folks a fair chance…"
He grinned a little. That was a lie. Once he cemented his hold on Penelope, he wanted Chelsea's allies to bargain to get her back. There were so many rare cards and powerful Spirits among these duelists, and so much profit to be made…
Chelsea nervously looked at Penelope, who was looking back at her.
She quickly took a card from her side deck, and shuffled it into to her deck.
"I won't let you down," she said, looking at Penelope again.
"Okay, Goblin, I'll duel you."
The Goblin gestured, and a standard-issue Duel Disk appeared on his arm.
"Be careful, Chelsea!" warned Ren. "Never trust a thief, I always say."
"Shall we get started?" asked the Goblin.
(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Goblin of Greed: 8,000)
"Let's hurry," said the Goblin, drawing his first card. "Time is money, I always say.
"I play a Monster in Defense Mode, and then set two cards."
A concealed Monster and two facedown cards appeared on his side.
"And then I'll turn it over to you."
Chelsea drew. She looked at her six cards.
Seems a pretty standard start, she thought. Playing defensively…
Well, I'm going on offense!
"I play… Call of the Mummy!" she shouted, playing a Spell Card. "Then, I'll use it to summon Vampire Lady."
Vampire Lady appeared, striking a pose. (1,550/1,550)
"Next, I'll Normal Summon Zombie Master."
In a burst of energy, Zombie Master appeared. (1,800/0)
"Then, I'll Equip Vampire Lady with Axe of Despair."
The large, heavy axe appeared in Vampire Lady's hands. (2,550/1,550)
"Vampire Lady, chop his Monster!"
Vampire Lady flew at the facedown Monster, hefting the axe. Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was cleaved in half.
"I activate its effect," said the Goblin. "I think I'll summon a second Giant Rat."
Another Giant Rat appeared in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,450)
"Zombie Master, take it out!" yelled Chelsea.
"Chelsea!" shouted Yumi.
Before Chelsea could reconsider, Zombie Master fired its bolts of lightning, and Giant Rat was eradicated.
"I use that one's effect too," said the Goblin, "to summon Avatar of the Pot."
In a flash of light, a tall, green-skinned genie with a head that looked like the Pot of Greed appeared. He let out a throaty laugh. (1,200/1,300)
Chelsea sighed.
"I end my turn," she said.
(C: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 7,600)
The Goblin drew a card.
"First," he said, "I move the Avatar to Defense Mode."
Avatar of the Pot sat in the lotus position and crossed his arms.
"Then I use his effect. By sending my favorite Spell Card to the Graveyard…"
He held up the card, which was Pot of Greed, and then discarded it.
"…I get to draw three cards instead of two."
He made three draws.
"Next, I play Card Destruction."
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
She shrugged. She discarded her two cards, and then drew two more. The Goblin discarded his five cards and drew five more.
"And, since you just drew cards outside your Draw Phase, I can activate this…"
One of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of two merchants around piles of money.
"It's called Appropriate. Now, whenever you pick up extra cards, I get to pick up two myself."
"Appropriate?" said Sam. "Oh no… There's only one reason anyone has that card in his deck…"
"I also activate this," continued the Goblin.
His other facedown card lifted, showing the image of Marie the Fallen One with a card between her claws.
"Disgraceful Charity. Now, we get back all the cards we just had to toss."
The two cards Chelsea had discarded slipped out of her discard slot slipped back out, as did the five cards her opponent discarded.
"Continuing," said the Goblin, "I play this… Convulsion of Nature!"
A Continuous Spell Card appeared, and lightning stuck, and an earthquake rocked the tundra. Lava erupted from the ground.
"Convulsion of Nature requires both players to flip their decks upside-down," he explained, "so the bottom is facing the top."
Chelsea did so, wondering just what the purpose was.
"Next," said the Goblin, as another Continuous Spell Card appeared, "I play Archfiend's Oath."
In another flash of lightning, an ominous stone tablet with strange writing carved on it rose up behind him. The writing glowed sickly green.
"I'm not the kind of merchant who'd ever deal with the Archfiends," he continued. "They're nasty, unreliable creatures who tend to double-cross anyone who deals with them. Not good for business.
"But their Oath is quite useful. According to its terms, I'm allowed to pay 500 Life Points each round to try to guess what the top card on my deck is. If I'm right, I add it to my hand. If I'm wrong, it goes to the Graveyard."
"Hold on…" said Erik. "With Convulsion of Nature… He can see what his top card is… He can't possibly miss!"
The Goblin chuckled.
"This was drafted by the Archfiends, Erik," he replied. "Don't you expect it to have a few loopholes?
"Anyway, I pay 500 Life Points, and I guess that my top card is Double Summon."
He took the top card from his deck.
"What do you know?" he said, turning it forward. "I was right.
"I'll set one Monster in Defense Mode, and then play Monster Reborn to summon Giant Rat in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared. Then the holy ankh appeared, and Giant Rat appeared crouching in Defense Mode.
"Finally, since I now have seven cards in my hand, I'll play one more Spell Card."
A third Continuous Spell Card appeared.
"Infinite Cards. With this card in play, each player may ignore the six-card limit, and hold as many cards as they desire in their hands.
"And now, my turn is complete."
(C: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 7,100)
"Finally," said Chelsea, drawing a card.
His strategy clearly requires him to draw lots and lots of cards, she thought. But I have no idea just what specifically it is…
She played a card.
"I summon The Kick Man," she said.
In a burst of shadow, The Kick Man appeared. (1,300/300)
"Time to strut your stuff," she said. "Attack the facedown Monster!"
Kick Man leapt up, and aimed a kick at the facedown card. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and was crushed.
"Now I get to draw one card," said the Goblin, drawing.
"Zombie Master, destroy the Avatar!" shouted Chelsea.
Zombie Master blasted his bolts of lightning, and the genie was blown into shards of rock.
"Vampire Lady, stomp that Rat!"
Vampire Lady made another chop, and Giant Rat exploded.
The Goblin of Greed grinned, and took a card from his deck.
"I summon Muka Muka!" he shouted.
In a burst of energy, a large Monster that looked like a rocky centipede with pipes on its head – from which steam was emitting – appeared on the field. (600/300)
"Huh?" said Ren. "Muka Muka? What's that?"
"Not sure…" replied Zane. "I think it's a pretty old card…"
"It's a Rock Monster that's powerful if used right," said the Goblin. "It gains 300 Attack Points for each card in my hand. As you can see, I have seven right now. Do the math."
Muka Muka glowed, and more steam poured out of its vents. (2,700/300)
Chelsea looked at the big bug.
"I… end my turn…" she said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Joan walked into her library, holding a large tome. It was exactly the size of the book she had brought to Meltiel, but much newer. He had quickly made this translated version.
She didn't waste time. She opened the tome, and started to read at the section he had bookmarked.
In the fifth year of the reign of Malys the Feathered, in the Dimension of Arcanium, where Spellcasters claim dominance, a cabal of powerful Wild Mages successfully created the Wildwind, a powerful generator for Wild Magic, the chaotic sorcery that most Spellcasters feared.
Drawing power from the Wildwind, the Wild Mages became stronger, and their numbers grew, attracting more recruits to their controversial school of magic. Soon, Wild Magic Zones spread across the land, and Spellcasters of all schools of magic were finding their spells causing Wild Surges.
Worry started to spread. Some feared that the Wildwind would transform into a Wildfire, a far more deadly generator of Wild Magic.
This worry was shared by none other than the Uncaring; Boccob, the Archmage of the Deities. The balance of the magical flow had tipped too far to the side of Chaos in Arcanium, and he needed to act.
Assuming avatar form, he arrived in the dimension, disguised as an old scholar. He came with an assistant, a powerful Spellcaster who rarely spoke. The avatar did not reveal himself, but said he was a representative of a group called the Arcane Lords.
Presenting himself to the ruling class, the avatar gave advice towards a solution that would tame the Wildwind. Using this advice, the more lawful mages were able to contain the Wildwind in a stable container, decreasing its power and preventing a Wildfire from forming. This upset the cabal of Wild Mages, especially when a law was passed forbidding tapering with the Wildwind further. After one rebellious mage was executed for attempting to destroy the container, the cabal dwindled in size, and the expanse of Wild Magic quickly ended.
Boccob left for his celestial home soon after, but his assistant remained behind. Speaking for the first time, the creature called itself the Testament of the Arcane Lords, and started preaching to anyone who would hear about the power of the Archmage of the Deities. It gained followers quickly, and soon a church dedicated to Boccob was founded.
Once the influence of the church was strong, the Testament revealed to the congregation that its master was the embodiment of Boccob himself. Then it too left, leaving the church to prosper.
It is said that if the magical flow ever becomes unbalanced again, the Duel Spirit who called itself the Testament of the Arcane Lords will come again on Boccob's behalf, to correct that unbalance. Whether it would support Good, Evil, Law, or Chaos would depend on the nature of the unbalance.
Joan looked up from the book.
"Somehow…" she muttered, "that leaves me with even more questions…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"I draw one card," said the Goblin.
He drew, and Muka Muka rose to (3,000/300)
"Now, I pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of Archfiend's Oath. I believe that my top card is Pot of Avarice."
He picked up the top card of his deck.
"What do you know? I was right again!"
Muka Muka rose to (3,300/300)
"All right, my Muka Muka… Chew up her Vampire Lady!"
Muka Muka scurried towards Vampire Lady, and she screamed as it gripped her in its mandibles. She shattered into shards, and Chelsea groaned in pain.
(C: 7,250) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,600)
"That's enough for one turn," he said.
This is ridiculous, thought Chelsea. If this keeps up, it's just gonna get stronger each round…
She drew a card.
"I'll just move both my Monsters to Defense Mode, and that will be all," she said.
Zombie Master and The Kick Man knelt and shielded themselves.
"My move," said the Goblin, drawing a card.
Muka Muka rose to (3,600/300)
"Once again, I pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of Archfiend's Oath. And I believe that my top card will be Disgraceful Charity."
He took the top card from his deck and turned it around. Sure enough, it was Disgraceful Charity. Muka Muka rose to (3,900/300).
"You could at least try to put up somewhat of a defense, Chels. This is like reading the financial section. Productive, but boring."
Muka Muka rushed at Zombie Master and crushed it with its mandibles. The Zombie shattered.
"It's your move."
Chelsea drew a card.
Hmm, Pot of Greed… she thought.
She looked at the other cards in her hand, which were Zombie Werewolf, Emergency Provisions, Monster Reborn, Rush Recklessly, and Book of Life.
Hey… I just got a diabolical idea!
"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "And I'm going to raise a Monster from your Graveyard, Goblin!"
"Huh?" said the Goblin, as his discard slot started to glow.
The ankh appeared, and Avatar of the Pot appeared on Chelsea's side of the field in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,300)
"Now that he's on my side of the field," continued Chelsea, "I can use his effect, and discard my own Pot of Greed to draw three cards."
She discarded the Spell Card, and then drew three times.
"You forget," chuckled the Goblin, "due to my Appropriate, when you do that, I get to draw twice. Share the wealth, I always say."
The Trap Card glowed, and he drew twice.
"My hand now consists of thirteen cards. Some say that thirteen is unlucky, but I think that's a crock. After all, take a look at the American one-dollar bill. On the back, the pyramid has thirteen steps. The eagle clutches thirteen arrows in one claw, and a branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen berries in the other."
"That represents the thirteen original colonies, stupid!" shouted Erik. "It has nothing to do with money!"
"Ah, well," said the Goblin. "My Monster doesn't think it's unlucky either."
Muka Muka rose to (4,500/300).
Good lord… thought Chelsea. It's just as strong as Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon now…
Mustn't panic…
"I play Book of Life," she said. "I'll Special Summon Zombie Master in Defense Mode, and remove one Giant Rat from play."
Zombie Master appeared again, crouching and shielding itself. (1,800/0)
"Next," she said, "I sacrifice The Kick Man to summon Ryu Kokki."
The Kick Man vanished, and the huge, lumbering ogre made of bone appeared on the field. (2,400/2,000)
"But he won't be staying. I'll play Mystik Wok to sacrifice him and boost my Life Points."
The Spell Card appeared, and Ryu Kokki vanished into grains of light.
"Next," she continued, "I'll discard one Monster to use Zombie Master's effect."
She discarded Zombie Werewolf. Zombie Master glowed, and The Kick Man appeared next to him in Attack Mode. In a flash of light, the Axe of Despair appeared in his hands. (1,300/300) –) (2,300/300)
"I set one card facedown, and end my turn."
A reversed card appeared.
(C: 9,650) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,600)
The Goblin chuckled. He drew a card, and Muka Muka rose to (4,800/300).
"I use the effect of Archfiend's Oath again!" he laughed. "And I guess that the card on the top of my deck is Ipiria!"
Ipiria? thought Chelsea. What is THAT?
The Goblin held the card forward. It was indeed a Monster called Ipiria.
"I think I'll summon it while I'm at it."
A small Monster appeared, hovering in midair. It was a small, white lizard with a fur collar. (500/500)
"By summoning it, I get to draw one card."
He made one draw.
"Muka Muka, attack her Kick Man!" he shouted.
Muka Muka rushed at The Kick Man.
"Activate… Widespread Ruin!" shouted Chelsea.
Her Trap Card lifted, and Muka Muka exploded into a burst of pebbles.
"All right!" cheered Ren. "She finally stomped that ugly bug!"
The Goblin of Greed's eyes narrowed.
"Okay…" he said, with a hint of bile in his voice. "It's clear that I won't be able to conduct this deal as smoothly as I normally do… It's time to start acting like a true merchant…
"Ruthless!"
He took a card from his hand.
"You see, the up side to this sort of deck is, you always have just the cards you need on hand.
"I play Double Summon. Now I get to make a second Normal Summon for this turn."
The Spell Card appeared.
"Now I sacrifice Ipiria…"
The lizard vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon Enraged Muka Muka!"
The Monster that appeared looked similar to the first Muka Muka, but much bigger, shaped more like a boulder and much more fiendish in appearance. Smoke poured from the numerous vents all over its body. (1,200/600)
"This evolved version gains 400 more Attack Points for each card in my hand," continued the Goblin. "And since I now have thirteen again…"
(6,400/600)
Chelsea gulped.
"I set one card facedown, and end my turn," said the Goblin.
A facedown card appeared in the last slot in his Spell Zone. Enraged Muka Muka fell to (6,000/600)
(C: 9,650) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,100)
Chelsea's hand shook as she drew a card.
I've gotta do something… she thought. I can't lose Penelope…
This will help him too… But I have no choice…
"I move The Kick Man into Defense Mode," she said. "Then I throw two cards facedown, and play Mirage of Nightmare."
Kick Man knelt and shielded himself. Then the two facedown cards and the Mirage card appeared.
"I end my turn…"
"And as you do that," replied the Goblin, "my Trap Card activates… Zero Gravity."
His facedown card lifted.
"Now, all Monsters on the field switch modes."
Chelsea gasped. Avatar of the Pot, Zombie Master, and The Kick Man moved into Attack Mode, while Enraged Muka Muka curled up in Defense Mode."
"My move," said the Goblin, drawing a card.
"I get to draw four cards thanks to Mirage!" shouted Chelsea.
She quickly made four draws.
"And I get to draw two, thanks to Appropriate," said the Goblin.
He made two draws. Enraged Muka Muka grew to (7,200/600)
Chelsea's eyes opened wide when she saw one of the cards she had drawn.
"Emergency Provisions!" she shouted.
The facedown Quickplay shot up, and the Mirage card vanished into grains of light.
"I use the effect of Archfiend's Oath again," continued the Goblin. "I believe my top card is Nobleman of Crossout."
He held up the card, which was indeed Nobleman of Crossout. Enraged Muka Muka grew to (7,600/600)
Then he turned the card on his Disk, and it moved back into Attack Mode.
"Attack her Kick Man!" he ordered.
Enraged Muka Muka rushed at the Zombie with a noise that sounded like an avalanche. Chelsea screamed as he was crushed under the huge, living boulder.
(C: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 5,600)
"I activate… Axe of Despair's effect…" gasped Chelsea. "By sacrificing one Monster… I get to put it on the top of my deck…"
Zombie Master vanished, and Axe of Despair slipped out of her discard slot. She placed it on the top of her deck.
"I was hoping you'd do that!" he laughed. "Why did you think I attacked your strongest Monster! Now I practically took out two of your Monsters instead of one, and on your next turn, you'll practically have a dead draw! There's no way that Equip Spell could possibly make a difference!"
He laughed so hard he started to cough. Then he calmed down a little.
"And it's your move…" he chuckled.
Chelsea drew. She added the card to her hand.
"I move Avatar of the Pot to Defense Mode again," she said, as the Avatar sat down and crossed his arms. "Then I set a facedown."
A facedown card appeared.
"That's all."
The Goblin drew a card.
"I'll use the effect of my Oath again," he said. "I guess that the card is Limit Reverse."
He turned the card around. Enraged Muka Muka rose to (8,400/600)
"Eight-thousand, four-hundred?" shouted Ren. "How can Chelsea beat it?"
I know exactly how, thought Chelsea.
Enraged Muka Muka rolled towards Avatar of the Pot, and crushed him.
"I end my turn," laughed the Goblin.
(C: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 5,100)
"You won't be laughing for long!" shouted Chelsea. "I'm chaining this to the start of your End Phase! Go, Dust Tornado!"
One of her facedown cards flipped up, and the tornado ripped across the field. The Infinite Cards was blown to pieces.
"Now that it's gone," said Chelsea, "you aren't allowed to hold more than the six card limit. Since this is your End Phase, you can't play a second copy, and you must discard all the cards in your hand until you only have six."
The Goblin's eyes bugged out.
"But… But…" he said.
"NOW do you see why I recovered my Axe of Despair?" asked Chelsea.
"But... But..." repeated the Goblin.
"No buts!" ordered Chelsea. "Dump 'em!"
The Goblin growled. He looked at his enormous hand, and chose six cards. Then he discarded the other thirteen. Enraged Muka Muka plummeted to (3,600/600)
"So you weakened my Monster," growled the Goblin. "It's Attack Score is still stronger than anything you've got, even with that Axe!"
"We'll see," said Chelsea, drawing a card. "Don't forget, you only have seven cards left in your deck."
"Actually, I have twelve," he replied. "My deck started with forty-five. I'm not dumb, y'know."
"Would have fooled me," said Chelsea. "I play Premature Burial! I'll revive Ryu Kokki!"
In a burst of dark energy, the Bone Dragon Ogre reappeared. (2,400/2,000)
"Now, I'll Equip him with the Axe of Despair!"
The ugly axe appeared in Ryu Kokki's hands. (3,400/2,000)
"Then, I activate my facedown card… Rush Recklessly!"
Her facedown card lifted, and Ryu Kokki shot up to 4,100 Attack Points. It made a great chop at Enraged Muka Muka, and the huge centipede exploded into a burst of flames and smoke.
(C: 3,550) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,600)
Chelsea looked up at Penelope.
"It won't be long now," she whispered.
"All right!" cheered Ren. "Stomp one more bug!"
The Goblin frowned as he drew a card.
"I'll use the effect of Archfiend's Oath, and this will be the last time," he said. "I guess that the card will be Drawler."
"Drawler?" asked Chelsea. "What is THAT?"
The Goblin picked up the card and held it up. It was a Monster called Drawler.
"It's a very powerful Monster that's going to win the duel for me," he said, taking a card from his hand. "But before I use it, I'll play Pot of Avarice."
He played the card, and five cards slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with the ten cards left in his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew two.
"Now, I play Giant Trunade!"
He played another card, and a wind tore across the field. The terrible calamity stopped and the huge tablet disappeared, as Appropriate, Convulsion of Nature, and Archfiend's Oath vanished, returning to his hand. The Axe of Despair vanished and reappeared in Chelsea's hand.
"Now…" said the Goblin, with a big chuckle, "I summon Drawler!"
Chelsea stepped back as an enormous creature appeared on the Goblin's side of the field. It looked like a huge, stone statue with a grim face that was mounted on rollers. (?/?)
"Why aren't that thing's scores determined?" she shouted.
"Because, in order to get points," replied the Goblin, "when I summon Drawler, I have to take any number of cards from my hand, and send them back to my deck. Then I multiply by 500.
"And I think I'll send all ten of my cards back to my deck!"
He took every card in his hand and combined them with his deck, and reshuffled. Drawler glowed with energy. (5,000/5,000)
"Erk!" gasped Chelsea.
"Drawler, flatten her Ryu Kokki!" shouted the Goblin.
With a rumbling noise, Drawler rolled forward, rolling right over Ryu Kokki, and squashing it as flat as a pancake. The remains shattered.
"Ergh…" groaned Chelsea.
(C: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,100)
"By the way," said the Goblin, "Drawler has another effect. When it destroys a Monster that's in Attack Mode, that Monster doesn't go to the Graveyard, it goes to the bottom of your deck! So unless you manage to shuffle it, you likely won't be using Ryu Kokki again.
"I end my turn."
Chelsea hung her head.
She looked at her hand.
She had a way to get rid of this thing, but it would be incredibly risky, especially with her Life Points so low… She needed more Monsters than the one she had…
She drew.
Her eyes opened when she saw the card. How did this guy get in her deck?
Oh, that's right… she thought. This is the card I switched from my side deck when I knew I couldn't use Penelope…
She looked at the card. It just might be a lifesaver now.
"I use the effect of Call of the Mummy to Special Summon Goblin Zombie in Defense Mode!" she shouted.
In a burst of shadowy energy, the gaunt Zombie with the bony, insectoid exoskeleton appeared. It knelt and held its sword in its lap. (1,100/1,050)
He may have managed to summon a Monster with 5,000 Attack Points, she thought, but it cost him his whole hand. This just might work.
"I end my turn."
The Goblin drew a card.
He frowned.
"Disappointed, Goblin?" asked Chelsea.
"Well, it's not exactly the right time for this guy," he said, "but at least it's something. I summon a second Muka Muka."
He played the card, and a second of the rocky centipedes appeared. (600/300)
Chelsea chuckled.
"No cards in your hand," she said. "It gets no bonus."
"Well, that's how it is in business," muttered the Goblin, "sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.
"Drawler, attack her Goblin Zombie!"
Drawler rolled forward, rolling over Goblin Zombie and crushing it flat.
"You activated its effect!" shouted Chelsea. "Now I get to search for a Zombie from my deck with up to 1,200 Defense Points."
She took Vampire's Curse from her deck and looked at it.
"Whatever," said the Goblin.
Muka Muka scurried forward, and chomped on Chelsea's leg.
"You can't keep defending forever," said the Goblin. "One more round, and I'm ending this. It's your move."
(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,100)
"My draw!" shouted Chelsea.
She drew a card.
"My field has no Monsters again," she said. "So I'll use Call of the Mummy to Special Summon Vampire Lord."
Vampire Lord appeared in a burst of shadow. (2,000/1,500)
"Now, I'll remove him from play to summon Vampire Genesis!"
Vampire Lord faded into a ripple of light, and the enormous vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)
"Attack his Muka Muka!" she shouted.
Vampire Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and flew at Muka Muka. The centipede exploded. The Goblin cringed.
"Now, I play Infernalvania!" continued Chelsea.
She placed a card in her Field Slot, and lightning flashed. The icy tundra was transformed into a broken wasteland, and the spooky vampire's castle rose on a hill behind her.
"What's going on?" shouted the Goblin.
"I'm going to take down your big statue," said Chelsea. "But first…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"
The strange machine appeared, and Vampire Genesis vanished in a beam of light.
"Now, I use the effect of Infernalvania," continued Chelsea, "and toss Vampire's Curse to destroy all Monsters on the field!"
She discarded the card, and lighting flashed. A bolt struck Drawler, and the huge statue was blown into shards of rock.
The Goblin of Greed gulped.
"I end my turn," said Chelsea.
Vampire Genesis reappeared.
(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 1,700)
The Goblin nervously drew a card.
He set it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That all?" asked Chelsea, drawing a card.
"I summon my second Vampire Lady."
She played the card, and the sultry vampiress appeared. (1,550/1,550)
"And then… Axe of Despair!"
She played the card, and the axe appeared in Vampire Lady's hands. (2,550/1,550)
"Vampire Lady, attack his Monster!" she shouted.
Vampire Lady leapt at the facedown card, and Avatar of the Pot appeared crouched on it. With one chop, he shattered.
"Genesis, finish this!"
The Goblin of Greed screamed as the immense vampire flew into him, and he tumbled over.
(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 0)
Infernalvania and the two vampires vanished.
"That's that," said Chelsea, wiping her hands. "Now let Penelope go."
The Goblin gasped for breath and pulled himself up. He backed up towards the capsule.
"You folks must have mistaken me for someone who intended to keep his word," he scowled. "Sorry, but she's worth too much. I'm getting out of here, just as soon as…"
And then black motes of energy started to surround him.
"What's happening?" he shouted. "What's going on?"
The motes covered him, and then seemingly consumed him, and he vanished.
"Thank goodness," gasped Chelsea, running up to the capsule. "Zane, can you open this thing?"
"I think I can," he replied. "I'll need about fifteen minutes to crack the digital code."
"Wonder what happened to him?" asked Erik.
"Don't know," said Sam, "don't care… That's one Fiend who isn't welcome in my deck. It takes a lot to give even them a bad name, but…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala was standing with Skull Knight in a reception area of her prison. She watched as two Battle Ox dragged the Goblin of Greed in.
"Daala!" he shouted. "What's going on!"
"What's going on, Goblin?" replied Daala. "I believe that you have a few things that are my property, that's what's going on!"
The Goblin let out a nervous chuckle.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" he muttered, tugging his collar.
"Both of you," ordered Daala, pointing to the Battle Ox, "search him."
The Beast-Warriors dropped their prisoner, and then pulled on rubber gloves.
"Hey, wait a minute…" gasped the Goblin.
Daala turned around, turning a deaf ear to the screams of pain that followed as the two Beast-Warriors did their search.
Eventually, the screams stopped, and one of the Battle Ox walked up to her.
"He was hiding these," he said, handing Daala six cards. "In the folds of his fat, no less… I wouldn't have bought them from him…"
Daala looked at the cards, which were the six Orichalcos Monsters that Zane had taken from Kozaky.
"Yugoloths and demons really don't care how clean things are," she muttered. "They never bathe, and their fortresses are crawling with vermin. Their armor and weapons are worn, battered, filthy, smelly, and often diseased. They don't care… They're immune to diseases anyway. Such creatures only care how powerful an item is."
She looked at the Goblin.
"You picked these out of Zane's pouch when he grabbed the cloak off of you," she growled at him. "And you were going to keep them so you could sell them to some Lower Planar lord…"
"N-no, your excellence!" gasped the Goblin. "I was going to give them back to you!"
"Yeah, right," replied Daala. "You can't buy your way out of this one, Goblin…"
She turned to the two Battle Ox.
"Have this thief locked up in a dark cell," she said. "One with a lot of rats."
The Goblin screamed as he was dragged away. Daala looked at the cards again, and then put them in a pouch at her side.
"Sending Nemesis after Zane was a bust," she muttered, "but at least we got back the goods, thanks to some unintentional help."
Then she took another card out of her pouch.
"Skull Knight…" she said. "Exactly when are the terms of that wager he made with Marauding Captain up?"
"In one year," replied Skull Knight.
"A pity…" said Daala, looking at the card.
It was a Trap called Pollinosis, and it depicted the Goblin of Greed on its art.
"If he hadn't been such a scoundrel, I would have told him that with the recent release of this card, he and the Captain are now tied… But he can learn from someone else now, if I ever choose to let him loose…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DRAWLER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: ?
DEF: ?
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, take any number of cards from your hand and shuffle them into your deck. The base ATK and DEF of this card becomes 500 for each card shuffled into your deck in this manner. Monsters in Attack Position that this card destroys as a result of battle are sent to the bottom of the owner's deck.
Note: "Drawler" was first used by Damien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Nature of the Draw". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
IPIRIA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, draw one card from your deck.
Note: "Ipiria" was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode "Isolated in Cyberspace (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Law in a Lawless Land; The Judges of Woe
Most believe that the chaotic Abyss, by its very nature, has no laws. That is true for the most part. However, they do have a justice system of sorts, which calls itself the Court of Woe.
The Judges of Woe are a cabal of thirteen nalfeshnee, which are demons that look like huge crosses between bears, apes, and boars, in humanoid form. The Judges have no obvious powers that make them better than any other nalfeshnee, but they have more influence, wealth, resources, and command of more minions than most.
The Judges of Woe have taken upon themselves to define the law in a place that usually has none. In truth, their authority only holds over any creature in the Abyss who they are able to force it upon, and their jurisdiction only covers creatures weaker than they are (which is still a great deal, as they are very powerful). The Court is at best a mockery of any proper justice system. The Judges make up any laws they require as it suits them, and judge any resident of the Abyss whom they feel has broken them. Such defendants are more often than not tried in absentia, and those that carry out their sentences are often hard to distinguish from any other demonic gang looking for a fight. To anyone with any knowledge of the law, this body is contradictory at best, changing on the whims of the nalfeshnee.
Most demons (other than the Judges' servants) would dismiss the cabal as a group of lunatics, if not for one vital trick that they have learned. Somehow, the Judges of Woe have learned how to enter pacts with mortals, something that normally only the lawful devils can do. Agents of the Court of Woe can approach mortals with the same offers that devils are notorious for offering, exchanging power for souls or other terrible prices.
Like in the contracts written up by devils, the Court of Woe exploits every loophole and fine print possible. But there is a big difference. Their contracts are not agreements. They are curses that are inflicted upon the mortal who agrees upon them. While a devil's contract often manipulates its meaning, contracts written by the Court often contain boldfaced lies that the Court includes to get what they want. If the Court decides to go back on their word in a contract, they often do so. In the Abyss, there are no appeals.
Few intelligent mortals are foolish enough to initiate such contracts. However, in the past, demons have made deals with powerful mortals, only to be tricked, and then imprisoned or enslaved when they are no longer needed. Demons that need insurance when dealing with mortals whom they know are more powerful than they are often request help from the Court of Woe to make certain that such things don't happen. Evil mortals who need help from demons that they can't get anywhere else soon learn that agreeing to these contracts is the only way to get what they want. Of course, the Court of Woe will not do this for free, and anyone seeking legal help in the Abyss must be cautious… More than one demon hoped to avoid enslavement by a mortal, only to face that fate by the Judges of Woe…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The Realm Lord's castle is in sight at last! Meanwhile, in the real world, Daala's invasion begins, and Olga is threatened by the first scout. In a bid to awaken the card that Jade gave to Nicholas, she takes the creature on, but her opponent is no lightweight. "Beachhead" is coming up next.