Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C22: EXP and Loots (5)

A/N: Change of plan, I think I'll need around 4 more chapters to end Season 0. 22 won't cut it. There's still the last fight with Skullie.

He hadn't expected much from Grasschopper, but the Skill Cards the Spirit presented were all surprisingly decent.

The first shimmered with a subtle green light; a Normal Spell called "Insect Solidarity” that could be activated at the start of a Duel and would guarantee him a Draw of a random Insect Monster, ensuring he'd never brick his First Draw even if he filled his Deck with 20 more useless Spells and Traps. It's, of course, only a Normal Rarity Card.

Skills like these weren't hard to come by, after all.

In fact, it was almost guaranteed every Spirit he Bonded with would give a similar Skill specific to their Attribute, Archetype and/or Type at one point or another.

The second Card was a bit more interesting, pulsing with a dull, healthy, earthy brown. "Chitinous Shell"—an Uncommon Skill that offered a temporary but significant boost, doubling his DEF by conjuring a layer of tough, insect-like exoskeleton around him at the cost of 300 ATK.

Not that great on its own, but the ability to activate and deactivate Skill Cards at will did give it flexibility.

However, despite the potential utility, picking "Chitinous Shell" with his abysmal DEF would be the equivalence of putting in and drawing a Megamorph playing a pure Yubel Deck.

Hell, if those had been the only choices, Lenix would have probably gone with the "Insect Solidarity" which, while admittedly not very useful outside of Duels, would generate more benefits considering how absurdly abundant Shadow Duelists were, but there was a third.

A Skill that vibrated just like Master Duel SSR-Pull animations.

It wasn't just a costly minor boost; it's applicable in both combat and non-combat situations, and the best part? It was virtually costless.

It's—

[Option 3 • Equip Spell: Chopper's Battle Exoskeleton (MAX)]

Rarity: SSR

Pay 3000 DE to activate this card. The Owner equipped with this card gains 400 ATK/DEF, also they gain 4 additional arms.

Short, simple and to-the-point, yet extremely powerful—just how Lenix liked his Skills.

[You've selected Option 3: Chopper's Battle Exoskeleton. Proceed with this choice?]

[Yes] [No]

With a final confirmation prompt, Lenix became the now proud owner of a second SSR Skill Card. A rare stroke of luck in his currently extremely turbulent life. “Now…” If his eyes hadn't deceived him, there's something about a free 'Bundle?'

[System (2)]

Title: Well, look at you, killer.

Congrats, ID Name: 'Lenix Owens', you managed your FIRST KILL. Now that you've finally figured out the basics of the Combat System and graduated from rookie status. A Beginner's Bundle has been dispatched, so have a peek before you charge off!

[Attachment: Beginner's Bundle.rar]

'A .rar file, really?' Lenix snorted, but didn't question it as he tapped away at the screen, extracting and glossing over the content.

Folder: Beginner's Bundle

EXP.exe (3) (350Mb)

Gacha.exe (350Mb)

Skill MAXXING.exe (3) (150Mb)

Patch_v1.01.exe (3.9Yb)

Clicking on the first displayed a bare cmd prompt with a few gibberish line of green codes taken straight from a 90's hacker scene, along with a percentage symbol in the center of the screen and the number of Rolls he had.

Frankly, the '.exe' file looked like a virus dumbass 13-years-olds in the late 90's and very early 2000's would click on while pirating Repack games only to get their ass beat by their corporate dad for corrupting half his business documents.

While Lenix had always had a certain… Appreciation for simplicity; this wasn't simple, it's unfinished!

The Developers clearly didn't even try!

Which blackhearted, dastardly studio would release such a product to the public? Lenix didn't even pay for this and he still felt cheated. 'At least it's effective at conveying information. That's something I suppose.' He'd have to type [Y] for the program to run, but if Lenix had to guess, 'EXP.exe' was most likely 'XP Potion,' and the random number the cmd generated would determine how much he'd receive.

A shame there were only three, but there had to be a way to farm these…

Until then, 'Better save them for now.'

After exiting the CMD Command, Lenix clicked the Gacha; prayed it'd look a bit more professional and the program disappointed.

Clicking on 'Gacha.exe' brought up another familiar black window.

This time, however, it listed four categories in plain white text.

Below each category, a single line flickered and changed rapidly, displaying various options. Under Universe: was a combination of constantly changing letters and numbers. Meanwhile, Type: cycled through "Skill Card," "Item," "Consumable," and even "Program."

Rarity: flickered between "Normal," "Uncommon," "Rare," "Super Rare," and "Ultra Rare." The only static category was Remaining Rolls: 1.

"Well, at least they're consistent with the aesthetic… Let's see what digital garbage this command prompt decides to spew out." Unlike EXP.exe, there's no need for Lenix to really skim on a Gacha, so Randomize it he did, but then a thought struck him: 'Can I cheat the System?'

Destiny Drawing, Destiny Pulling—tomato, tomahto; what's the difference really?

DE: 38,400 » 19,200

A bright sheen appeared on his fingers as the Skill Card warped probability, infecting Vorona until the program itself became corrupted, as if it wasn't cheap-looking already.

Universe: Seven Deadly Sins

Type: Skill Card

Rarity: Ultra Rare

[Full Counter • Omni (1/10): Activate only when an opponent declares Battle against the Owner and during the Damage Step by paying (100% – [7.5% × Level]) of your DE. Then, choose the nature of the Attack (Metaphysical or Physical). Reflect damage equal to (20% of the Damage × Level) at your opponent.]

Destiny Draw never missed.

Although it's pretty weak now, the Spell would not remain that way much longer, not if he could help it.

Accepting the new Skill with grace, Lenix waited, half-expecting the '.exe' file to vanish as it unpacked his Skill, yet there it still was, buzzing with the Contra soundtrack. A tad confused, he tapped the backspace, brought up his Status and sure enough, there it was—the newest addition to his ever-growing list of Skills.

[Normal Spell: Full Counter • Omni (1/10)]

Returning to the Folder, Lenix wasted no time trying out 'Skill MAXXING.exe.' Clicking it opened yet another bare CMD prompt, this one even simpler than the last, listing only his Skills. Below the list was a single prompt:

[Enter Skill Name to MAXX:…..]

Chuckling at the blatant simplicity, Lenix typed in "Full Counter • Omni" and hit enter.

The CMD flickered briefly, and the skill's level beside its name jumped to (MAX) as the Skill's description twisted and glitched.

[Full Counter • Omni (MAX): Activate only when an opponent declares Battle against the Owner and during the Damage Step by paying 35% of your DE. Reflect up to 300% of Damage at your opponent.]

Then, after a minute of hesitation, he did the same for [Shadow Initiation].

A Shadow Duel might be unfair depending on the opponents, but it's the one Skill that could bridge the gap between him and an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.

A satisfied smirk touched his lips, Lenix decided to save the last 'Skill MAXXING.exe' for a rainy day and exited the program. Two maxed-out Skills from a single Beginner's Bundle wasn't half bad, even if the delivery method was about as elegant as a kick to the shins. “And lastly…”

'Patch_v1.01.exe.' It was no wonder his 'Game' had felt so janky and incomplete at times; it is unfinished, so, here came the 'Hotfix', and apparently all it really took to trigger it was the small matter of killing a man, a terrible excuse of one, granted, but a man nonetheless.

Lenix wished he could say he felt awful; wished he could pretend to be haunted by it all, but the truth was, he'd slept like a baby the night before.

Maybe that's just who he was—a killer, through and through.

Though, had he really killed anyone at all? What had 'Ichi's' life even meant?

What was his entire existence besides a stepping stone for Lenix, a means to unlock more powers and higher System Functions? The NPC didn't even get a proper name, just a number—Ichi—that's how utterly insignificant he was.

Facepalming himself with all his might, Lenix knocked the stray thoughts straight outta his brain and refocused on Patch_v1.01. “3.9Yb…?“

He's all too familiar with Megabyte, Gigabyte and Terabyte, but Yb…

How many units of digital data was that?

Curious, he opened the '.exe' file, and immediately, the screen dissolved into the familiar, eyes-gorging retro blue of Software Package from decades past.

Patch_v1.01 Installation

Checking System Compatibility... [OK]

Extracting Files... [0.1%]

Estimated Completion Time: 5 hours, 32 minutes and 12 seconds…

The connection to whatever digital server was hosting this behemoth of a patch must have been about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake, because one moment, it's over 5 hours, the next it had plummeted to a hopeful 3 hours flat, only to then skyrocket to a "better grab a snack and try, then fail to learn a new language" 6 hours and 57 minutes.

Finally, with a digital sigh that Lenix could almost feel, it settled on a neat, if still lengthy, 4 hours and 15 minutes… If he hadn't known any better, he'd have sworn Vorona's running on a pirated copy of Windows XP and tethered to the Internet via a dusty 2000s dial-up cable.

"Four hours…" Lenix muttered.

Just about enough time to bleed out his frustration on the remaining lowlifes who’d trashed his weekend and get a feel for his new Skills. Two for the price of one, essentially.

He didn't loiter much longer, feet hurrying to one of those rare empty areas of Domino City he had noted down in case he ever needed a moment of respite from the crowd, somewhere he could use his abilities with no fear of prying eyes. “Where's my punchibg bags?“

The trills of Mimic and the other Insect drew his eyes toward the furthest corner; the scarcely inhabited outskirt where he used to live.

"They're all bunched up, then?" He asked again, the eager whispers in his mind a palpable hum. "Alright, lead the way." Vorona dissolved into its constituent cubes, the geometric shards swirling and multiplying until they encased him from scalp to shins.

The makeshift Armor wasn't even about protection; it was more about keeping the grime out of his boots and eyes. Mimic's Claws extended, he sank into the concrete as if it were soft clay, before descending into his own DYI caver's wet dream.

If Mimic's Indestructibility was expressed through his Malleability and Shapeshifting, his Destruction Effect through his razor-sharp Claws and extremely deadly Poison, then the Face-Down 'requirement' was represented by his ability to burrow underground and travel like he'd on the flat surface, allowing him to catch even the mightiest of preys to fall to the Insect.

He could have just flown, but the news was already having a field day with those 'shooting star' photos of him and Nephthys.

Why they even bothered with the ridiculous cover story was beyond him.

Magic wasn't exactly a secret; everyone, their grandmas and their grandmas' grandmas were using Magitek already.

Still, if they wanted to play make-believe and take the heat off his back, he wasn't about to look the gift horse in the mouth.

Besides, subsonic travel wouldn't be much slower, plus with Sachi out of harm's way, he felt it reasonable to let the thugs sweat a little while longer… The wait's almost always as, if not more excruciating than the actual ordeal after all.

The earth rushed past him in a blur as he covered what felt like half a kilometer in seconds, but Lenix knew he could go faster, so he did, or at least tried to.

Pausing as a sharp pain exploded in his sides, followed by an intense heat all around his back, forearms and ribcages, Lenix bit back a howl and watched in abject fascination while the armor around his arms peeled away, revealing dark grey skin that seemed to pulse with veins; skin that's slowly but surely turning into dry callouses.

Before he could witness the changes in its entirety, another wave of agony spiked through his body, causing Lenix to shut his eyes and grind his teeth as his ribcages shifted for new bone growth.

“Fuck!“ The first arm burst through his shoulders, then a third pair poked out of his ribcages, clawing at the soils. The four new arms looked practically identical to his; down to the earthy callouses that had grown all over his forearms.

Heaving like a dog, Lenix attempted to command his new limbs, only to find none of them responsive.

'Is the Skill defective?'

He knew it! He knew he shouldn't have trusted such sketchy-looking progra—

His paranoia hadn't even fully taken hold when a third spike of agony pressed him to the ground as the exoskeleton—Graschopper's—snaked out from his forearms, threading lines towards his elbows that connected to what felt like an implant grinding itself against his spine.

The whole process was over in less than five seconds, but it may as well have been an eternity as the unnatural, bony growth fused with his nervous system. Lenix didn't make a sound this time, just dropped onto his back, drenched in sweat.

“Ha… Ha. The Transformation better not be this damn painful every time.“

With six arms flailing slightly and a noticeable surge of power coursing through him, Lenix continued to dig until the flimsy foundation of the apartment building gave way above him.

'Figures they'd pick this dump,' He thought, peering up at the cheap construction.

A fleeting image of the whole place collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris crossed his mind. He could do it—take out the foundation and knocked the whole place together. It'd be as easy as taking candy from a baby…

Lenix cleared the thought with a shake.

Sure, the landlady's an old harpy who’d always been quick with threats of eviction and slow with repairs; sure, she'd ask for rents early at times; and sure! She would mumble a curse at any unlucky tenant who happened to cross her in the hall, but should all that warrant her death?

Maybe, but forsaking the Ghandi approach to embrace Stalin's Manifesto didn't really sound like a win in his books.

'Up close and personal, it is.'

Luckily, it seemed the idiots had spread themselves thin across the first floor, likely thinking it would make for an easier getaway. They'd even holed up in the rooms that used to belong to his neighbors.

For a moment, Lenix had thought the worst, but there was no blood in the air.

'They must have all cleared out.' Wouldn't shock him, really. Out of all the old faces, he was probably the only one who'd stuck around for more than a couple of months.

Most folks just needed a cheap place to crash after a major burnout, unlike the Lenix of this world, who'd genuinely had nowhere else to go and not a lot of inheritance to really squander on a better living space either.

Thankfully, the fact the building's such a shithole meant he knew its layout like the back of his hand, right down to location of the 70 years-old electrical box due to how often 'he' had been told, not asked, but told to fix every damn thing that broke down.

'Maybe I should collapse the foundation.'

The thought resurfaced unbidden, a dark chuckle escaping his lips as memory after memory hit him while he dug his way into the basement, where he's immediately attacked by the stench of mold, and the sight of 'shedding' walls…

In the corner lay said electrical box nailed to a damp wall.

Just when he's about to cut off the power, a voice caused his ears to twitch. 'Cambodian?'

The existence of Cambodians and other Asians in Domino City wasn't a surprise.

There were plenty of jobs, and not nearly enough locals to fill them all. But a Cambodian living here? Hell, that old bat barely tolerated him, always muttering about him being a half-breed because of his eye color. And that same old witch allowed a Cambodian under her roof? Something definitely wasn't adding up.

Unequipping Mimic to let his DE reserves build back up, Lenix silently crept up the creaky wooden stairs. He pressed himself against the wall, easing the door open just enough to hear the muffled voices.

It was definitely Cambodian.

He couldn't make out much of the conversation, but his eyes did catch the glint of a gun handle tucked into the back of one of the guy's pants.

That was all the information he needed. Waiting until the criminal's back was fully turned, Lenix swung the door wide, then nimbly clambered up and flattened himself against the ceiling above the doorway.

The sudden creak of the hinges made the kidnapper whirl around, his eyes widening as he stared at the seemingly empty stairwell.

He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached and quietly closed the door, muttering under his breath, “What the fuck?” What the fuck, indeed. With a back-kick, Lenix blew the door open again. The kidnapper bellowed, a startled yell echoing down the hallway as he slammed the door shut again, the flimsy wood rattling in its frame.

Before the latch could click, Lenix kicked the door inward with brutal force, sending it crashing against the kidnapper and then the wall.

The Cambodian's eyes widened in disbelief, pain, then narrowed with fury. “Fuck! Who’s there?! Which motherfucker’s playing games?!”

He bolted down the stairs towards the basement, footsteps heavy and panicked as he yanked the gun from his waistband. “You better come on out!”

The only response was the echo of his own voice against the enclosed space.

The hackles on his neck prickled, but he was a man of science, born into a world of logic. Ghosts, Demons, Duel Spirits—it was all just fantasy to him.

Besides, even if it were a ghost, what did he have to fear?

He had spilled more blood and carved out more organs than any spectre that could be haunting this shithole of a building.

His Duel Disk flickered to life, the flashlight function casting a weak beam that barely pierced the gloom of the basement.

He grimaced as his jacket brushed against a patch of damp, fuzzy mold on the wall, the stench making his stomach churn.

“Motherfucker, show yourself!!” Roaring again, he shakily turned his gun.

And something answered, blurring through the shelves.

There was a reason men feared the dark, and it wasn't just the threat of other human beings;

It was the lurking unknown, the things that could be waiting just beyond the edge of the light. For all his tough talk and the violence, once the echo of his own shout faded, a cold tendril of terror began to coil its way around his gut.

The criminal glanced back towards the stairwell, his feet slowly at first, then with increasing urgency, carrying him back towards the dim light filtering down from the first floor.

He had reconsidered his decision; he did not want to be trapped in near-total darkness with whoever or whatever was down here.

Then, the fear that had begun to prickle at the back of his neck became a chilling reality as the stairwell door slammed shut with a resounding boom.

Scrambling towards the stairs, he tripped over something in his haste and went sprawling, the gun clattering away.

By the time he’d managed to get back on his feet, the stairwell was just another indistinguishable patch of darkness. Worse yet, for some inexplicable reason, the weak beam from his Duel Disk had suddenly flickered and died, plunging him into absolute blackness. Borai had been a non-believer all his life, but as he faced oblivion, he could only cling on the hope that a God, any would do, would hear his prayers.

“Don’t waste your breath… This is Domino City; I’m a lot closer than God.”

Behind Lenix, the Archfiend Emperor’s booming laughter reverberated through the basement. ‘Fuck, Mortal! This Seat might as well give up his Throne to you!'

'I don't need your crummy Throne.' Responded the Duelist/Mage, wordlessly positioning behind the criminal. “Please! Please, I have a family!“

'You heard that? He has a family!' The Archfiend cooed mockingly in his mind.

'Shut it,' Lenix mentally snapped, then demanded from the darkness. “Sachi Fujita… Who paid you to kidnap her?“

“I don't know! I never met or talked to them! It's Hito! He takes orders directly from him, I swear!“

“I'm not hearing a name…”

“The Doctor! They call him the Doctor! I don't know who he is—”

After a bit more of interrogation, the kidnapper blurted tearfully.

“Mercy! I didn't know who you were! I was in a lot of debts and desperate for some quick cash!“

“And you decided it's my girlfriend who'll have to pay for your problems.“ Kneeling to meet the man's eyes, Lenix snarled. “You decided to beat up a defenseless girl who had never done a damn thing to you.“

“I-I didn't—!“

“And thanks to you, I spent the night in jail. A fucking criminal tried to molest me, you know? Apparently 'allegedly' hitting your girlfriend is enough of a justification to get a dose of prison rape!“

The fact she was in a state of near nakedness when Lenix found and brought her to the hospital did not help either.

Fuck, he's fairly sure his cellmates were undercover cops trying to get a confession out of him too! One kept threatening him with rape, while the other kept 'advising' him to confess to the crimes to lighten his sentence. Bastards, both of them.

Clapping as though he found the whole ordeal amusing, Lenix grabbed the man by his hair, pressed face his face to the ground. “I beat the shit out of him, of course, but this… This has been long overdue.“

“I didn't!“ The man bawled loudly, squirming against his hold. “It was Ayumu! It was that bastard Ayumu! I didn't even talk to her! It's all them!“

Lenix stared at him for a good minute, mentally wandering if he should spare his life; if he ought to be merciful as all Yu-Gi-Oh protagonists, only to remember he's not a protagonist; he's not meant to be a paragon of virtue, or a symbol of hope, or a cautionary tale. He's a Gamer who had run dry of both fucks and mercy to give. “Jinzo.“

The card between Lenix’s fingers glowed faintly in response.

“Do with him as you please.“

Jinzo’s glowing red eyes fixed on the whimpering figure on the ground. The mechanical warrior didn’t need to be told twice as he zapped the man and inhaled the ashes. One more, and the Spirit could complete his Incarnation. One more, and he'd no longer be a drain on Lenix's DE.

And the best part? He'd still remain leashed, and that's all that mattered to Lenix.

“Thank you for your generosity, Contractor.“

“Enough with the ass-kissing… Remember who owns you.“

With a dismissive flick of his wrist, Jinzo vanished in a swirl of holographic particles. Lenix checked the new notification that had popped up, half-expecting some kind of loot drop. Instead, a message blinked across the interface of Vorona, congratulating him for entering his first 'Dungeon.' At the bottom of the message, a single counter read:

[1/8 Enemies—Eliminated.]

“Eight?“ Weren't there only five? Sachi herself had told him so… He had killed two, so where did the other 4 come from?

Brain racing through a list of possibilities, Lenix finally concluded: “Great… Four more card-bound Spirits to kill.“ Like the Chimera wasn't a major pain up his side already.

“Damn you, Skullie.“

It was strange though… If there were other card-bound, why hadn't the Cambodian used his? “Unless…” From the impression he had of Hito (Ichi's older brother), the man's capable, but extremely cautious.

If only he could contact the last Gamer, then he had probably received and kept all the card-bound to himself without the others being any the wiser. It's what Lenix would have done in his shoes.

In other words, the other two shouldn't be much of a threat, but his estimation of Hito had skyrocketed. “If I could just catch him off-guard...“

According to the Cambodian, his accomplices had taken over the building and strangled the landlady to death.

That's why he couldn't smell any blood, only a rotting scent he had first attributed to his neighbors. The people here weren't exactly known for their cleanliness. Not like he could judge. Prior to his Transmigration, this world's Lenix had also lived in his own filths and trash, bathing only once a week like a fucking goblin. Dude's gross as fuck.

Chuckling at the thought, Lenix made his way out of the hall, no longer afraid of being seen. Most of his old neighbors had been chased out by the late landlady the night before, blinded by the large sum the kidnappers offered… Joke on her really, given how things turned out.

She might have survived and continued to enjoy her carefree life; instead she even had to reimburse some of the tougher tenants.

“I'll use their deaths to pay tribute. Don't linger amongst the Living anymore.“

He didn't know if the old woman could hear him, or had remained at all, but considering the circumstances of her death, he'd not put it beyond her to haunt the land she had lived all her life.

Walking towards Ayumu's room, his eyes bulged with the desire for vengeance. This animal was the reason Sachi flinched at his touch; he's the reason Lenix had to spend the night in jail.

His death would not be pretty, but… “Not yet.“

He must be left for last.

Pivoting on his heel, he walked towards Hito's next.

Gently, his fist knocked against the door, vocal cords twisting and changing to 'mimic' his most recent kill.

“Who's there?“

The main perpetrator called out, and Lenix responded with a hesitant, “It's Burai! I wanna discuss something!“

Listening carefully as footsteps neared the door, Lenix's brow furrowed when the criminal halted just short of.

Then, a grimace tightened his features as Duel Energy gathered with alarming speed—"Fuck!"

He dove into the courtyard, eyes snapping to the ravaged wall where massive claws had ripped through the building. “You are finally here, Mr. Owens.“

Dusting Vorona chestplate with a snarl, Lenix questioned. “How did you realize?“

“You knocked. Burai doesn't knock, he kicks.“

“Kicked.“ Lenix arrogantly corrected.

Four more shapes appeared next to the criminal, sandwiching him protectively as Hito's remaining accomplices burst outside strapped. Raising the gun he had taken, Lenix blew one's brain out, then ducked under a swipe which instantly decimated the solid concrete column behind him.

Dark Armed Dragon

ATK: 2800

“DAD…”

He didn't expect to see one of the few cards that had defined a whole Era this soon, but Lenix knew he had best save his stamina for fighting rather than complaining.

“From my Hand—” Hito began as Lenix bolted towards his enemy, ignoring the gunfire pelting harmlessly against his now Equip as the opposing Spirits lunged to meet him.

He's too late, unfortunately. “I ACTIVATE—!!!'“

[Dungeon Engaged: Lair of Darkness]

“A Field Spell?“ Cursing under his breath, Lenix sank into the earth as reality around him warped, and a suffocating Darkness started to creep in, imposing itself upon everything—including him.

[Third-Party Software: Observe (MAX)]

Lair of Darkness

Type: Field Spell

Effect:

• All face-up monsters on the field become DARK.

• Once per turn, if you would Tribute a monster you control to activate a card effect, you can Tribute 1 DARK monster your opponent controls, even though you do not control it.

• Once per turn, during the End Phase: Special Summon as many "Torment Tokens" (Fiend/DARK/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) as possible to the turn player's field in Defense Position, up to the number of monsters Tributed this turn while this card was face-up.