Yide had always looked down on those with “blessings.”
After all, the card effects in this world are still so limited; they are at least half to blame.
Being able to draw exactly what you need, and having your own series of derivative cards, sounds fantastic.
Not to mention that the strength of exclusive derivative cards is almost always superior to generic cards, so there’s no reason not to use them.
However, this convenience has also led to the abnormal development of dueling in this world.
It’s known that exclusive derivative cards are superior to generic cards.
Therefore, during their growth, the strength of blessed duelists and regular duelists gradually widens.
What Loveland said earlier, that historically there has never been an S-rank duelist who couldn’t summon a Duel Spirit, is a result of this power differentiation.
Consequently, few high-level blessed duelists are willing to try printing generic cards.
Even duelists without blessings have become obsessed with Duel Spirits, constantly thinking about replicating their effects.
If the created cards were compared to a tree, you would see that the branches representing Duel Spirit exclusive derivative cards are exceptionally developed, while the main trunk representing generic cards is malnourished.
Yet, it’s the development of generic cards that truly determines the prosperity of this tree.
Effect types and keywords that have never appeared in generic cards can never be created in exclusive cards.
Thus, the group of blessed duelists who are top-tier duelists can only compete on numerical values within the known effect types.
This is why the richness of effects in the trading card game Yide developed in his previous life, which only progressed for about thirty years, could utterly surpass thousands of years of development in this world.
The only way to break this deadlock is to create a deck composed of generic cards that can contend with those top-tier duelists.
This is why Yide sent Sonia here to register keywords.
Not just keywords, but also some effects that should have appeared in this world long ago, Yide doesn’t plan to hide them either.
“All done!”
Sonia happily returned the form to the front desk lady.
The lady looked at the form and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the work was completed without any major incidents.
“Sonia Seth, from Area Nine, right?”
The lady glanced at the name and address Sonia left, revealing a faint smile.
“Once this file is uploaded to the association’s database, we will send the reward for registering the keywords to your home.”
Usually, when this sentence is spoken, duelists who came to handle business turn and leave if there’s nothing else.
But Sonia stood at the counter, not leaving, still bouncing on her toes.
“Um… Miss, I also want to apply for effect registration.”
The lady maintained her smile: “Effect registration, you say? No problem, you tell me, and I’ll fill it out.”
Effect registration, while also quite rare, was at least a service she had handled before.
Unlike keywords, which have a unified format, effects are quite diverse, and sometimes duelists are seen registering two or three effects at once.
Everything was under her control.
“So, little girl, how many effects do you want to register?”
“Hmm… How about a dozen to start?”
The lady: ?
Her professional smile suddenly faltered.
The pen she was about to shake in her hand stopped abruptly.
What kind of quantifier is “a dozen”?
“Um… little girl, you need to be clear. If it’s just a numerical difference, or if the scope of the effect’s target is different, it can’t be counted as a new effect.”
“Mm, don’t worry, Miss, I know that.”
Do you really know that?
The lady began to help Sonia register each item, filled with doubt.
Then, this doubt turned into silence.
Finally, this silence turned into relief.
Sonia patted her chest.
“Good, it seems these twelve effects haven’t been discovered by anyone else yet.”
“Well, Miss, I’m going now.”
Looking at the twelve forms that were already filled, Sonia was satisfied.
Then she waved at the lady and left the Duelist Association.
Leaving behind the relieved lady.
Finally, it’s over.
She swore, all the effects she registered last year combined weren’t as many as she registered today!
“Oh dear, it’s already getting dark. Tivia must be waiting for us at home. We should hurry back, Mr. Yide.”
Pushing open the door, Sonia looked at the stars already twinkling in the night sky, her voice a little anxious.
“Oh no, I had too much fun filling out the forms, I completely forgot about the time.”
“Tivia’s going to scold me now.”
“You wanted to fill out even more just now, now you know you were wrong, don’t you?”
Yide smiled. “Alright, it’s not too late to go back now, let’s go…”
Suddenly, his words trailed off.
A woman with long white hair and a gentle demeanor walked towards Sonia.
“You…”
Yide instinctively wanted to speak, but then remembered that people in the outside world couldn’t hear him at all.
The woman also noticed Sonia standing at the doorway.
She glanced at Sonia, then brushed past her and entered the Duelist Association.
“Mr. Yide, what’s wrong?”
Noticing Yide’s abrupt stop, Sonia paused, a little puzzled.
“No, nothing, let’s go…”
Yide shook his head, not saying much more.
Sonia didn’t notice the strangeness in Yide’s tone and continued chattering.
“Oh, by the way, that lady just now was so pretty! She seemed like a noblewoman from the Upper City, but I don’t remember seeing her at all, how strange…”
“Indeed.”
Yide’s tone was equally filled with doubt.
Where exactly had he seen her before?
Where exactly had she seen that pendant?
The woman recalled the pendant she had just seen on the little girl, then shook her head, not thinking about it anymore.
She entered the Duelist Association, approached the front desk, and saw the front desk lady busy. She didn’t disturb her but waited quietly.
However, the lady had already noticed her.
“Ah, it’s Lady Andrea!”
The lady quickly put down her documents. “How may I help you?”
The woman smiled gently.
“Nothing, I just saw you were so busy even though you’re about to go off duty, I was curious, so I came to take a look.”
“Did something urgent come up?”
The lady looked a little distressed.
“No, it’s just that a little girl just now registered twelve effects and one keyword all at once, and I need to input all of them into the database.”
“Twelve effects and one keyword?”
The woman was a little surprised.
After 150 years, has a new keyword finally been born?
Suddenly, she remembered the figure she had just brushed past.
Could it be that little girl?
“Ah, oh no!”
Suddenly, the lady held her head, a pained expression on her face.
“I forgot that the keyword registration and effect registration steps are different.”
“Is it… authentication for a high-level duelist?”
The woman thought back.
“After all, the last keyword registration was over a hundred years ago. I’m sure your superior will understand.”
“If all else fails, I can help you.”
“But… but you’re a guest, is that alright?”
The woman smiled sweetly. “It’s fine, I’ve also been a bit directionless lately, and I have a lot of creation points left to spend.”
The lady said excitedly, “Then… then thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome.”
The woman replied, picked up the keyword registration form, read it carefully for a few moments, then put it down and closed her eyes.
A moment later, a card appeared in her hand.
Looking at the card, its specific effects flooded into her mind as her consciousness returned, and the woman couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Flash… what a groundbreaking keyword.”
“The new generation of duelists is truly getting better and better.”
After this heartfelt sigh, she showed the created card.
“This should be fine, right?”
“Mm, you just need to leave your signature here.”
The lady pushed the form she had just put down towards the woman.
The woman left her name, then waved her hand and, after saying goodbye to the lady, walked directly into the interior of the association.
And in the “Verifier” column, which had been blank on the form, a line of elegant handwriting had appeared.
Andrea Sissel.
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