Shen Sui's vision of building a deck full of puppet cards could not be realized, but with the three subsequent puppet Follower Cards, making six puppet Follower Cards in total, Shen Sui felt it was indeed necessary to give Alice a Puppet Mage form.
What his deck lacked now was a search effect.
At least so far, he had not found a good solution. He could only blame the ridiculous Soul Card Duel rules for not even having racial categories.
If there were no racial categories, they could at least have class categories!
Seriously, he had no idea how those professional players managed to assemble complete decks with search capabilities.
No wonder so few people from Duel Academy became professionals.
Forget it. No point thinking about that. He should hurry up and write the effects for these two puppet Follower Cards, then coax Alice into causing trouble and farming more cards for him.
Shen Sui looked at the two cards on the interface, their effect and Spirit Value fields blank and urgently awaiting his input.
Calling them blank was not quite accurate.
After Shen Sui assigned functions to the two puppets, suggested effects appeared in their effect fields. It roughly meant that if the written effects leaned toward the suggested effects, the cards could accommodate more powerful abilities.
The suggested effect for the Substitute Doll leaned toward negating damage, and Shen Sui planned to make it into a Hand Trap similar to Kuriboh.
However, the Substitute Doll should be able to accommodate some additional effects.
Shen Sui considered what his deck was lacking.
He had no shortage of traps or board-clearing options. What he lacked most was still searching, especially the ability to search for Follower Cards.
As long as he could search Alice out of his deck, Shen Sui would not lack the ability to search for Spell Cards.
So Shen Sui began writing furiously on the card.
Card Name: Substitute Doll · Jamie Category: Follower Card Stars: 5 Effect: ① When you would take battle damage or effect damage, you may activate this effect during damage calculation by discarding this card from your hand; reduce the damage you take to 0. ② Once per turn, you may activate this effect by banishing this card from your graveyard; add 1 Follower Card with multiple forms from your deck, graveyard, or banished zone to your hand. Spirit Value: 0
Following a similar line of thought, Shen Sui edited the effects of Armed Doll · Soya as well, producing an extremely powerful puppet Follower Card.
Card Name: Armed Doll · Soya Category: Follower Card Stars: 5 Effect: ① Once per turn, during your Main Phase, after one of your Spell Card effects resolves, activate this effect; return that Spell Card to your hand. ② Once per turn, when this Follower leaves the field, activate this effect; make 1 Follower Card with multiple forms on either side of the field undergo 1 additional form transformation. Spirit Value: 0
The first effect of Armed Doll · Soya was the Armed Doll's inherent function. In the game, the Armed Doll's effect instantly refreshed the player's skills.
The second effect, meanwhile, had come to Shen Sui in a sudden flash of inspiration.
As everyone knew, in all card games, every once-per-turn mechanic was limited for a reason. Skills or effects that removed such restrictions always had room to shine, and in some cases could be exceptionally powerful.
Whether it was the limitation in Three Kingdoms Kill that Killing and Wine could only be used once, or the restriction that one could only attack once during the battle phase, the same principle applied.
In Soul Card Duel, a Soul Card's form transformation was likewise limited to once per turn.
Then what if I could let a Soul Card transform one more time?
In truth, this effect was even more powerful than Shen Sui had imagined. He had no choice but to reduce Soya's Spirit Value to zero, cut the first effect from three times per turn to once, and restrict the second effect to activating only when Soya left the field. Only then could he barely write the effect onto the card.
He could not even add an effect that granted immunity to damage.
Then I'll just release her after using her. Release counts as leaving the field anyway.
As for why the effect could target either side's Soul Card, that was because form transformation was, in a sense, also a way to deal with an opponent's powerful Follower, was it not?
Your Soul Card's effect is too strong? Watch me switch its form.
Having obtained three Follower Cards at once, Shen Sui already felt that the trip had been worthwhile.
With that satisfaction, he turned his gaze back to Alice on the main page.
After completing the Sacrificial Doll, Alice finally had the confidence to make a move against Anlud Thunder Church.
Before this, she had worried that starting the Evil God's descent ritual early would harm the residents of Anlud City. Now, she no longer needed to worry about that. No matter what harm the ritual inflicted upon the residents, the Magic Array Vivian had created would transfer it to Alice.
Would it affect Alice?
If he did not have a few trump cards, Shen Sui would not dare risk his own Soul Card.
If Vivian could avoid damage and harmful effects because of her special abilities, then Alice had the Substitute Doll to transfer damage, the matchbox to resist release, and her own magic to ward off all kinds of Mental Pollution. In a sense, aside from being a rookie, Alice was currently in a brief period where no one could harm her.
Unfortunately, because of the Sin Grail's effect, Revival was no longer useful on Alice. Otherwise, she would be even more invincible.
Of course, Alice probably did not know that she was now stacked full of buffs. Otherwise, she would most likely have already used Arson on Thunder Church and charged right in.
Fully prepared, Alice arrived alone at Anlud Thunder Church.
She settled Anna somewhere safe. Until Anna was free of the Sin Grail, she would not allow Anna to enter any place where Extraordinary Power existed.
Alice looked at the magnificent church, calculating the possibility of using Arson on it.
See? Just as expected.
Shen Sui was not surprised in the least.
Although Alice was eager to try, she remembered her agreement with him. She needed to trigger the Evil God's descent ritual and help him absorb the Evil God's power.
All right. Next, I just need to deliver the item, lie low until they start the ritual, then launch a sneak attack and seize the Evil God's power.
Alice knows how to lie low... right?
Alice knocked on the doors of Anlud Thunder Church.
It was already evening. The setting sun sank beyond the mountains, leaving only orange-red afterglow slanting down upon Alice.
Bathed in the lingering warmth of the sun, Alice swiftly adjusted her expression and state of mind.
Her hand knocked rhythmically against the church doors, as though she were playing some mysterious melody.
The church doors opened. The one who answered was a hunched old man, who asked Alice why she had come.
Alice revealed a wicked smile, showing not the slightest reverence for the Lord of Thunder. "I believe you have been waiting for this."
She took out the Evil God's Eye before the old man.
The old man's expression changed slightly. At the same time, a powerful force surged from the church and locked onto Alice, as though the wrath of thunder might descend at any moment and reduce her to ashes.
Alice held the Evil God's Eye against her chest with both hands. Her gaze was crazed, and she wore the mad expression of a fanatical believer. "I am my Lord's most devout believer. Following my Lord's instructions, I have come to guide you along the path ahead."
"You may call me Hozeville."
As for the explanations of Forbidden Cards, the Time Regulator, and Extraordinary Power, I put them in the pinned comment section. There were too many words, so it would not be ideal to put them in a separate chapter.
Before you continue