NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: TST [16]
At that moment, in one of the Virtual Duel rooms, nearly a million people were watching the Duel.
Everyone wanted to witness this moment.
In just a single week, the duelist known as "SunshineStriker" had ascended to the Gold rank with an undefeated record.
And if they won this current match, they would become one of the rare few to reach the Platinum rank without a single loss.
They were witnessing the birth of a powerhouse.
How could that not be exhilarating?
SunshineStriker skillfully summoned two familiar Trickstar monsters, then used a Field Spell Card to bounce one of the opponent's set cards back to the hand.
By this point, the duel was completely one-sided. The opponent had indeed prepared counters, but all were easily neutralized.
Finally, when the opponent lost over 2000 Life Points just by drawing a card during the Standby Phase, they crumbled under the pressure and surrendered.
The moment victory was declared, the viewers erupted into a frenzy.
Streaming hosts were swamped with views, the screen flooded with comments.
This duelist had entered the halls of Platinum with a perfect win streak.
"Holy crap! Who IS this person?! Not even pro duelists can go undefeated like that!"
"I heard the Haisen Club is trying to find them. Any leads?"
"Look at how prepared their opponent was—still got totally shredded!"
"If I had dueling skills like that, I'd be flaunting it all day!"
Not only the viewers—every major club was in an uproar. Everyone had their eyes on the league championship, and what club wouldn't want a top-tier duelist to anchor their team?
People began spontaneously searching for this mystery duelist.
After all, no one knew anything about them—not even their gender.
"Find them! I don't care if you have to turn the earth upside down! This year's league depends on them!"
"Our Saint King Club will nurture them into the strongest duelist! Contact us if you see this..."
"Heh, Red Dragon Club is willing to give up shares just to get them to join!"
"They belong with Team Predator! We've got beauties galore, awaiting your glorious arrival!"
"Tch… Can I join Team Predator? I'm Bronze!"
Meanwhile, in the Haisen Club, Milo stared at the job postings on his screen, both excited and anxious.
Excited because he'd bet on the right person—they hadn't let him down. They really had reached Platinum undefeated, something even most pros couldn't pull off.
Anxious because now, it wasn't just him interested. All the other clubs were mobilizing, hell-bent on claiming the duelist.
Just then, his phone rang crisply on the table.
He picked it up and smiled in relief when he saw the caller ID: "Old Hank."
"Hey, Hank. Got anything?"
"I traced the IP. They're from the Middle Division of Duel Academy."
"Duel Academy?"
Milo was surprised. He hadn't expected the duelist to be from the Academy, let alone the Middle Division. Were the teachers there really that strong?
"Do we know who it is exactly?"
"Nope. Investigating internal IPs requires authorization. If I force access, it counts as a criminal offense, and I'm not risking that. Besides, the device they used was from a batch that the school purchased a few months ago. Students and teachers alike are using them. Even with permission, we wouldn't know who it is."
Old Hank's voice sounded tired over the phone.
Milo nodded, a little disappointed. But he quickly gathered himself.
At least they knew the location. Showing up in person would also display sincerity.
"Got it, Hank. Nice work. I've already wired you the payment."
"Awesome! For this kind of gig, I'm always your guy!"
With the money confirmed, Old Hank instantly perked up.
Milo hung up, grabbed his coat, and prepared to head to the Middle Division of Duel Academy to investigate personally.
With the entire world on the hunt for this duelist, time was of the essence.
Right then, his bespectacled assistant walked in, holding a document.
"Boss Milo, we received an invitation from the Middle Division of Duel Academy. They want to invite you as a guest for their midterm exams. Should I decline it for you?"
The assistant glanced at Milo. Normally, he'd refuse these types of invites.
"...From Duel Academy?"
Milo blinked, suddenly remembering that the midterms were right around the corner.
Every year around this time, Duel Academy would invite pro duelists as guest evaluators to motivate the students. This year, it must be his turn.
It was a perfect chance to enter Duel Academy without raising suspicion.
Right now, even the slightest move could alert the other clubs.
Milo took the invitation and gave it a glance. Then, with a smile, he said, "I'll accept this one. Isn't it a pro duelist's duty to be a role model for the next generation?"
"Huh?"
His assistant stared in surprise. Something felt... off about their boss today.
...
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