You're Not Bad Looking Either, Just Not Someone I'd Date

You Chen couldn't figure out why, but he certainly wouldn't refuse a contract offer. Generally, to get a contract with a world-class publication like Kaiba Magazine, you had to be incredibly skilled or of a very high status, making it extremely difficult.

The other rare exception was authors whose work was already popular without a contract.

You Chen's paper was an anomaly; it became popular without a contract, which was strange.

Even he himself found its popularity inexplicable.

Little did he know, there was a hidden force behind it.

After quickly reviewing the simple contract and benefits, You Chen signed online.

This was just extra income, and You Chen didn't expect to get rich from it. He just hoped it would help him make ends meet; becoming famous seemed too far-fetched.

After all that was settled, he turned off his phone.

You Chen took a moment to process everything, reflecting on his understanding of this world over the past few days and the news he'd just seen.

It was clear that the human world and the spirit world were gradually merging.

After all, spirit worlds existed in secret realms, but the fact that they could appear in the human world suggested that these realms could break under certain circumstances, releasing card spirits.

This would also affect the human side.

It was worth noting that this world wasn't like the typical high-fantasy settings of old.

There was no trope of the Dragon Kingdom always being backward and getting bullied before the protagonist appeared.

There were no narratives about other nations developing first centuries ago, causing the Dragon Kingdom to fall behind. None of that existed.

This world was more like a microcosm of Earth.

While the Dragon Kingdom's dueling strength wasn't top-tier, it was still in the top five.

However, anyone from the Dragon Kingdom knew how much "water" (exaggeration) there was in national dueling rankings.

The Dragon Kingdom's policy was always to develop quietly. They wouldn't appear too strong, but also not too weak, always maintaining a balanced state.

You couldn't provoke them, but you also wouldn't perceive them as a threat.

Therefore, You Chen believed the Dragon Kingdom's true strength should be in the top three, though it was hard to say where exactly.

In terms of dueling, the "Little Sun" country and the "Kimchi" country did have strong players, but not many.

The Kimchi country wasn't good at war, but in competitive fields, they always had endless schemes and numerous tactics.

The "Little Sun" country had incredibly strong dueling spirit. Their execution was cultivated from a young age, so it was normal for them to be strong duelists with such execution. After all, they weren't afraid to commit seppuku if things didn't go their way. How many people in the Dragon Kingdom could do that?

What made the Dragon Kingdom stronger was their diverse strategies and abundant military tactics!

And so on.

"Am I thinking too far ahead? I haven't even taken the academy entrance exam or participated in the domestic KC Cup Tournament yet, and I'm already thinking about international dueling?"

You Chen mused to himself for a moment.

Suddenly, he heard a gasp.

He looked up and saw that the second duel had already ended.

It had ended quickly: First High School's Chen Mo against High School Nine's Chen Jianming!

Chen Jianming didn't even have a chance to resist before the duel was over.

At this moment, Chen Jianming's mindset was completely shattered.

His eyes had lost their luster.

You Chen shook his head. How could a duelist like this ever step onto a bigger dueling stage? His mentality is simply too fragile.

If he encountered a Tearlaments Deck or a Labrynth Deck, would he just start a fight?

The first three duels all involved High School Nine.

The third match was Hua Ningning against a heavily made-up girl from High School Five, dressed in full heavy metal rock attire.

Hua Ningning used an Amazoness Deck, facing off against her opponent's Harpie Lady Deck!

Wow, both were Mai Valentine's signature decks.

Was this a fight to see who was Mai Valentine's number one fan?

When it came to these two decks, it really depended on whose rare cards were more complete; it was hard to say who would win or lose.

However, in some aspects, some advantages of the Amazoness Deck were non-existent against a Harpie Lady Deck.

For example, the Queen, who couldn't be destroyed by battle, could be returned to the hand by a Harpie Lady.

And the field spell could continuously destroy backrow cards.

If there was a real advantage, the Harpie Lady Deck would have a slight edge, but not by much.

Sure enough, as the situation unfolded, Hua Ningning seemed very passive from the start. She was afraid to set cards, only setting ones that, when destroyed, had other effects.

It was decent for a short while, but over time, she realized her deck couldn't keep up with the Harpie Lady's sustainability.

Ultimately, she lost the match by a small margin.

But it wasn't a bad match; their strength was pretty even.

When Hua Ningning returned, she didn't seem too sad, as if she already understood her own limitations.

"Let's go, time to build our decks."

Hua Ningning said calmly as she immediately picked up her bag upon returning.

You Chen was tactful and didn't say anything.

The two left the preparation room.

Since their match wasn't until the afternoon, they weren't in a hurry. This time, they didn't go to the underground Dream Duel Mall.

Instead, they went to a nearby card shop.

Hmm, it looks a bit rundown.

Hua Ningning's eyes were full of confusion. She didn't understand what You Chen was thinking, bringing her here to buy cards.

"Why here?"

Hua Ningning couldn't help but ask.

"Don't underestimate this place. My Monster Reborn and Pot of Greed were pulled from here."

"So congratulations, you've found a treasure."

You Chen said.

That's right, this was the card general store his sister ran.

On one hand, it could bring his sister more business, so why not?

On the other hand, what he said was true.

They really were pulled from here.

"But won't pulling cards be too unstable?"

"After all, we're doing a tag duel later. How much money will it cost to pull a suitable deck? Wouldn't it be more practical to just buy a complete deck?"

Hua Ningning frowned, still unable to understand.

"Of course, there are loose cards here too, but I suggest you try your luck today first. Maybe you'll thank me?"

You Chen didn't say anything more.

He led Hua Ningning towards the general store.

Since the last time, business here had picked up considerably. Customers could often be seen choosing cards in front of the store.

"Welcome-"

You Wushuang was subconsciously saying these words when she looked up and saw a graceful figure. The girl was quite pretty, with a heroic spirit in her brows.

What surprised her most was undoubtedly that her younger brother, You Chen, was standing next to the girl!

"Boss, give me ten packs of the latest booster set. Oh, and where are your loose cards? I want to pick some out too."

Hua Ningning didn't notice any of this; her attention was entirely focused on the card packs on the counter.

"Alright, please wait a moment."

Only then did You Wushuang understand. Was he bringing a classmate over to help with business?

No, it might not just be a classmate.

Then, You Wushuang said with a smile, "Student, you're really beautiful, but your boyfriend looks like a human dog."

When she said that, You Chen almost bit his tongue.

Is "human dog" a compliment?

Is she secretly getting back at him?

So mischievous!

You Wushuang, you're just so mischievous.

Wait, she said Hua Ningning's boyfriend... why am I projecting?

But without a doubt, You Wushuang was cursing him!

Hua Ningning heard this and chuckled. It was the first time she'd heard someone give such a "compliment."

"Boss, you're so good at complimenting people. Compliment me more." Hua Ningning actually found it interesting, since it wasn't directed at her.

Alright, alright, so in the end, I'm the only one getting hurt, huh?

You Chen wasn't one to be outdone and immediately responded with a smile, "Boss, you're not bad either. You're so unattractive, you can't find a partner."

Hua Ningning looked up suspiciously at the two of them. Why did this conversation sound less and less like one between strangers?

What kind of strangers talk like this? She wasn't an idiot.

"You two..."

Hua Ningning said hesitantly.

"Alright, she's actually my crazy older sister."

"And this is my classmate."

You Chen wasn't trying to trick Hua Ningning, so there was nothing he couldn't say. It just wasn't necessary to introduce them unless specifically asked.

"Huh? Not your girlfriend?" You Wushuang's pretty face showed a hint of surprise when she heard that, and she raised an eyebrow.

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Thanks to Hei Keji Wan Buzhuan, Mugong, Luoxue Shang Binghua, Denglou Duoyue, and Yuzhong Zuijiuren for the recommendation votes!!