There is one week left before the Duel City Tournament begins.
"You have a special mission?" Yuyu asked, standing in President Tan 's office.
"Yes," Tan nodded. "You mentioned to someone before that you had a feud with Gurus, right?"
"Yes," Yuyu replied. "When I first arrived in that city, I encountered a rare card hunter from Gurus, some e guy named Pandora."
"Oh? Pandora is a strong opponent. His 'Dark Magician' is a powerful card. It's said that many renowned duelists in the underground world have been defeated by him," Tan raised an eyebrow. "And you beat him?"
Yuyu didn't say a word but silently presented his own "Dark Magician" card to him.
Tan gave a thumbs up. "Impressive."
"I've heard that Gurus robs people of their belongings, including rare cards. Mr. President, this is the first time I've encountered them," You Yu said.
"Later, they sent someone to attack me, but I dealt with it," Yuyu shrugged. "I gave them a taste of their own medicine."
Tang smiled and patted Yuyu's shoulder. "That's good. As it happens, our organization has some history with them, and that's the reason for this mission."
"You're aware that the Duel City convention will take place in this city, right?" Tang Zemou asked.
Yuyu nodded.
"It should have been a good thing. The entire city is gearing up for the event. Only the Haima Group has the capability to organize such a large-scale duel competition," Tan said. "For our local Dueling Association, it should have been beneficial. However, some people are planning to cause trouble on our turf during the convention."
"Gurus?" Yuyu quickly deduced.
"Exactly," President's voice dripped with anger. "That **** named Marik wields a god-level card and a Millennium Artifact, doing whatever he pleases."
"He has flouted the Dark Association's rules and regulations for a long time now, robbing rare cards from duelists worldwide and flooding the market with counterfeit cards, disrupting the dueling environment," Tan continued. "Not to mention their despicable methods and the lengths they go to achieve their goals. Our reputation in the underground world has been tarnished by this group of people."
Listening to President's resentful words, Yuyu couldn't help but feel that the person in front of him was not a darkness-wielding duelist, but a noble leader.
"So, are we going to take action against them?" Yuyu ventured to ask.
"Officially declaring war won't be enough, but we've located their hidden hideout," Tan snorted. "Tonight, we're launching a raid."
"We'll give Marik a warning, let him know that the city has a leader, and make him think twice before causing any disturbances during the Duel City event."
Yuyu now fully understood the situation.
Essentially, they were flexing their muscles to Gurus and sending a message that all their actions in Duel City were under surveillance. They'd better watch their step and not get too arrogant.
"You would typically need to have sufficient membership experience and expertise to participate in this mission," Tan continued. "However, you're a special case. If you're willing to join, I'll personally approve your participation."
After discussing the background and details, the system finally alerted Yuyu about the task.
["Task: Raid Gurus's Hideout!
The Gurus Group has become lawless, with more and more rare card hunters appearing on the streets of the city. Someone must take action to undermine their activities!
Join the raid team of the 'Nightcrawler World' and attack Gurus's stronghold. You can choose to accept or reject this task."]
This time it was a mission that he could choose to accept or decline.
Acceptance was a no-brainer!
Without hesitation, Yuyu nodded. "It's my honor to contribute to the organization."
President Tan beamed with happiness hearing this, his aged face somehow appearing more youthful. "Excellent! I feel much more at ease with you on board."
Having spent so many years in the underground world, President Tan was confident in his own abilities. However, when faced with Yuyu's level of dueling skill, he realized his own vulnerability. This made him highly optimistic about Yuyu, believing that ordinary opponents posed no threat to him.
...
That night, as darkness descended, a group of dark duelists sprang into action.
Their destination was an abandoned warehouse at the dock—a location known for harboring various shady elements, including underworld figures, terrorist organizations, aliens, and super-criminals, among others.
It was almost time.
The team leader, Nanmu, made a gesture, giving the signal for everyone to move out.
Clad in black attire, the burly dark duelists entered through every entrance, forcefully breaking doors and smashing windows. They stormed into the warehouse like demons descending upon a village, brandishing their duel disks as weapons.
Yuyu found the scene quite amusing.
Can you imagine a group of muscular men dressed in black, resembling CIA agents, forcefully breaking into a location, only to raise their duel disks and challenge you to a card game?
That was the comical image playing in his mind at the moment.
However, to their surprise, when they entered the warehouse, it was empty—devoid of any signs of life.
Confusion spread among the team members.
Had the intelligence been incorrect?
Leading the way, Nanmu ventured deeper into the warehouse, with the others following closely behind.
Darkness enveloped the vast space, permeated with a musty smell. Not a trace of life could be felt. The moon cast a pale glow through the zenith's window, illuminating the gentle dance of dust particles.
Finally, after traversing most of the warehouse, they spotted a figure in the far corner. But it was uncertain if the figure was even alive.
Seated on a dusty chair was a bald man, his body slouched like a ragdoll, head tilted to one side.
He opened his eyes, his muscles rigid and his facial features distorted. He resembled a lifeless corpse in every way, except for the slight rise and fall of his chest, indicating that he was still clinging to the last threads of life.
Just as the group of people stood perplexed, unsure of what they were witnessing, the limp body suddenly jerked. Like a jolt of electricity, he sprung upright from the chair, his limbs convulsing uncontrollably, startling everyone around him.
The back of his bald head stiffened, and his eyes widened. A golden third eye emerged on his forehead.
Mechanically, his lips began to move, and a voice not his own emerged: "Welcome, people of the Nightcrawler World. I am Marik, and the person before you is one of the puppets under my control. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."