The carriage gradually disappeared from the bridge, while the rushing current swept the pendant downstream.
Feeling the river’s surge, drifting along with leaves and withered branches, Yide felt no regret.
On the contrary, he felt only relief.
What kind of expression would Loveland have on her face in the end?
Anger? Madness? Or hysteria?
Hah, it no longer concerned him.
After spilling everything he wanted to say, Yide felt an unprecedented lightness.
It was true that Loveland had saved his life, but what he had done over the past three years was more than enough to repay her.
Before this, the record for the youngest person to become an A-rank duelist was twenty-three years old. He had helped Loveland push that record forward by three years in one go.
So, neither owed the other anything.
He had helped enough; from now on, he would live for himself.
What a pity, though.
He didn’t know when he’d get the chance to duel again.
Yide let out a sigh.
He truly loved dueling.
This world had developed rich cultures and philosophies around dueling.
Unlike his previous life, where it was merely a game, it held a unique charm here.
But because of Loveland, the farthest he had ever been in these three years was the outskirts of the capital.
Not only did he lack cards, but he couldn’t even name places in this world with certainty.
These were things he’d have to make up for later, if he got the chance.
Feeling waves of drowsiness, Yide’s eyelids grew heavier.
Breaking his contract with Loveland wasn’t without consequences.
Having lost his host, he would soon be unable to stay conscious.
Until someone picked him up again, he would remain in a long slumber.
So, farewell, this world…
Hm?
The dying boy jolted upright.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep—he couldn’t.
Sensing a distant call from his soul, Yide was utterly bewildered.
Was this…
A seamless transition?
The next moment, the inverted pyramid-shaped pendant vanished into the raging river.
Ringworld City, Duel Academy.
Today was the annual summoning ceremony.
All new students were to take the stage and attempt to summon their duel spirits.
For duelists, especially new ones, summoning a duel spirit meant a smooth path ahead.
Barring any accidents, a duelist with a duel spirit was almost guaranteed to reach B-rank, with A-rank not being out of reach.
Missing this opportunity, however, meant their potential would be visibly limited.
As such, the dueling world even gave a special title to those who summoned duel spirits: “Blessed,” meaning those favored by duel spirits.
Faced with what might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, the group of young boys and girls were eager and ready.
However, summoning a duel spirit at the lowest E-rank was, after all, exceedingly rare.
“Come on, my duel spirit!”
“Get out here!”
Watching the frustrated boy on stage, the teachers shook their heads but showed no other reaction.
For these new students, failing to summon a duel spirit might be a disaster, signaling their limited potential.
But for the teachers, this scene was all too familiar.
They wouldn’t feel sorrow just because a student couldn’t summon a duel spirit.
Besides, there were still prodigies this year.
“In the name of the Vaknar family, I command you!”
“Come forth, my duel spirit!”
Roar!
A creature resembling a giant lizard appeared amidst blazing flames.
But the next moment, its unfurled wings revealed its true race.
[Juvenile Dragon ★★★ (Three Stars)]
[Fire]
[Dragon 3/4]
“It appeared! Someone summoned a duel spirit!”
“It’s Eldred Faulkner, the second son of the Faulkner family!”
“He actually summoned a dragon-race duel spirit!”
The crowd below erupted in commotion.
The young boys and girls were shocked that this boy had successfully summoned a duel spirit, while the teachers marveled at the race of the summoned spirit.
It was common knowledge that dragons were at the top of the food chain.
The summoning of a duel spirit was entirely a matter of luck.
For the second son of the Vaknar family to summon a dragon-race duel spirit, even a juvenile one, was an incredible stroke of fortune.
After Eldred Faulkner, the presiding teacher called the next name.
“Next, Sonia Seth.”
At the sound of that name, the noisy crowd fell silent.
Everyone began looking around for the person in question.
And what was the person in question doing at that moment?
Praying.
“Please, please, I have to succeed! I’m begging you!”
A girl wearing a short black cape hid in a corner of the crowd, her hands clasped in prayer, the tuft of hair on her head bouncing with each plea.
If a nun from the Church of Light saw her, she might have remarked, “She loves the Goddess of Light more than I do.”
But at this moment, Sonia’s mindset was truly at a breaking point.
“Wuwu, Mom, Dad, Lord of the Divine, anyone, please bless me! I have no way out! QAQ”
“Sonia Seth, are you here?”
“Ah, here, I’m here!”
Hearing the teacher’s second call, the girl didn’t dare continue praying and hurriedly stepped out from the crowd.
As her figure emerged, whispers rose and fell.
“Does the Seth family still have the right to live in the upper city? Isn’t she the only one left in her family?”
“No, she no longer has a residence in the upper city. The academy only allows her to study here.”
“But it’s almost over for her. Her practical test scores have been among the lowest lately, and some teachers are already unhappy about keeping her.”
“If she can’t summon a duel spirit, her time at the academy is probably over.”
“She’s basically done for, right?”
“She probably doesn’t even have any hope left.”
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Sonia said nothing, keeping her head down as she walked past and ascended the steps.
“Hmph, my next opponent is you?”
Seeing the girl approaching from below, Eldred stopped, a look of disdain on his face.
Can’t hear, can’t hear, can’t hear…
Sonia mentally chanted to herself.
Seeing the girl’s lack of reaction, Eldred’s gaze turned scornful.
“Fine, let a dead-last like you borrow some of my luck. Let’s see if you have a chance to change your fate.”
With that, he didn’t spare her another glance, as if she were something unlucky, and descended the steps.
“Please prepare, Sonia.”
The teacher on the stage glanced at the girl in the short cape and gave a routine instruction.
“Step into the summoning circle, stay calm, focus your mind, and call out with all your strength to something that resonates with your soul.”
“Okay, thank you, teacher.”
Sonia responded politely, took a deep breath, and stepped into the summoning array prepared by the academy for new students.
The summoning array rippled faintly.
Sonia paid it no mind, immersing herself in the emotions she was building.
The next moment, the girl’s voice rang out.
“I offer everything—my soul, my pride!”
“Awaken from your slumber and come to my side!”
“Please, save me, duel spirit!”
The teacher’s expression changed instantly.
This summoning chant was too reckless!
He was about to intervene, but before he could speak—
Boom!
A pillar of light descended, the shockwave causing Sonia’s short cape to flutter wildly, her tuft of hair flattened by the gust.
The summoning array hummed as if it had gone haywire, seemingly proving it was operating at overdrive.
The exaggerated magical energy surged outward, affecting the audience below.
In an instant, everyone was stunned.
“How is this possible? This display is even more intense than Eldred’s!”
“She’s not actually going to summon a duel spirit, is she?”
“The Duel Academy is about to change!”
Buzz!
The pillar of light dissipated, and the shockwave ceased.
Everything fell silent.
But no voice belonging to a duel spirit emerged.
What appeared in the light was not a living creature but a golden, inverted pyramid-shaped pendant.
The teacher nearby sighed.
Sometimes, a response to a summoning didn’t mean success.
Besides duel spirits, some odd miscellaneous items were occasionally summoned.
These items were merely connected to a duelist’s soul by chance, and most proved to be useless.
Even though Sonia’s summoning this time was more spectacular than summoning an actual duel spirit.
What a pity.
To others, it was nothing, but for this girl, summoning such an object meant her life was essentially over.
The teacher gave her a sympathetic look before announcing the final result.
“Sonia Seth, duel spirit summoning—failed.”
The girl’s face turned deathly pale.