The Goblins Strike Back / I Only Need One Finger
"What I hate most is behavior that lacks martial ethics, especially from you. You call yourselves knights, so you should uphold the spirit of chivalry," You Zhi said righteously.
The attacker was an elf named Ice Knight (Aqua-Type, Water, 4-star, ATK 1300/DEF 1200). It was round Cianwood, resembling the original Mega Man, and wielded a double-headed short spear. Both were around level 20 and had the ability to increase their attack power by 400 times the number of Aqua-Type elves on their field.
Because two of them were kicked by You Zhi, the attack power of the two surviving Ice Knight dropped by 800. Goblin felt the pressure was greatly reduced, and with a powerful swing, he forced his opponent back, then caught the shield that bounced back.
The two Ice Knight stood before the Ice Queen, staring intently at You Zhi as if facing a formidable enemy. To kick their brother to pieces with a single blow—such a feat could probably only be accomplished by the one residing at the very bottom of the iceberg.
Honestly, if trainers are already this powerful, why do they need to catch Pokémon? Wouldn't it be more efficient to use that energy for training and becoming stronger?
"It is quite reasonable for the Queen to have guards protecting her."
You Zhi made a comment, then glanced at the Zelda Goblin in front of him and shook his head in disappointment.
While the Knightmare Goblin may be very useful in Card Duel, in Spirit Duel, this form performs worse than the Goblin Attack Force, which not only has many related Spell Card, but its four individual forms can also perform many unconventional maneuvers.
"I'm issuing a 'Order to Retreat' to retrieve the Goblin."
You Zhi played Spell Card he had casually crafted, returned the Goblin to his Pokémon Card, then infused it with spiritual power to change its form, transforming it into an assault force before summoning it again.
The four green-skinned monsters started chattering incessantly as soon as they appeared, showing no sign of tension whatsoever. Their voices, especially, echoed through the ice cave, making them even more annoying.
At this moment, You Zhi felt that Link's form was quite good. Perhaps his combat ability was not as good, but at least he was obedient and quiet. After all, he didn't even have a mouth, and his appearance was far superior to that of the assault team.
The Ice Queen on the opposite side probably had a similar idea, wielding her staff and unleashing Blizzard in an attempt to silence the Goblin. Due to the influence of the environment, the power of this skill was greatly enhanced.
The Goblin Attack Force is powerless against this; they only know melee skills and, although they are Dark-type, they do not possess Dark Pulse.
"Cyber Dragon, use Evolution Burst!"
At Alisa's command, the slender mechanical dragon unleashed a raging shockwave, which it barely managed to withstand thanks to the elemental advantage of its type.
You Zhi glanced at it and thought to himself that this was the "Onix" that he had tried to trade with, but was intercepted.
Although he has resigned himself to his fate, he still can't help but feel envious when he thinks of the cool figure of the Cyber End Dragon. If he had obtained this Cyber Dragon back then, he wouldn't have had to worry about the mount issue, and he would definitely have been able to develop its evolved form.
Sigh, why can't the Cyber Dragon have a female form like Dragonmaid?
Just as he was lost in thought, Alisa, seeing that the Cyber Dragon was having difficulty gaining the upper hand, summoned another spirit.
[Armored Cyber Wing (4-star) Wind]
[Lineage: Steel, Flight]
[Level: 24]
[Attack Power: 0(0)]
[Defense Strength: 2000 (2200)]
[Machine-Type, Effect/Alliance: Omitted]
This Armored Cyber Wing, which resembles a flying accessory from a Super Robot anime, belongs to the Union Monster. This means it can be used as an equipment card to combine with other spirits, and that's how Alisa commands it.
The Armored Cyber Wing landed on the back of the Cyber Dragon and merged with it, like adding a pair of cannons, but without increasing any of its attack or defense stats.
"Armored Cyber Wing ability activated, once per turn, reduces the equipped Pokémon's Attack by 1000 and destroys 1 Pokémon on the field!"
The Cyber Dragon's energy flowed into the Armored Cyber Wing, and immediately the two cannons flashed with electricity, firing dazzling beams of lightning at the Ice Queen.
Two Ice Knights bravely stepped in front of her, only to be struck by the lightning beam and blasted away. The Ice Queen, caught in the aftershocks, was forced to stop using Blizzard.
The Goblin assault force seized the opportunity to attack, roaring excitedly, determined to stage a mini-drama of "Goblin and the Queen".
(The host: After working at the library for seven or eight years, this is the first time I've been given a holiday for the Spring Festival, starting today and ending on the third day of the Lunar New Year.)
Chapter 253 The Goblin Attack
The Ice Queen is a typical Japanese fantasy mage, meaning she excels at ranged attacks but lacks melee combat skills. It's impossible for her to pull out a two-handed greatsword from under her skirt and engage in hand-to-hand combat once someone gets close.
Therefore, when she was surrounded by four green-skinned monsters, she was truly powerless, especially since You Zhi had also activated the "Final Assault Order," forcing all the Pokémon into battle mode and avoiding the negative effects of the Goblin Attack Force.
Whenever the Ice Queen attempted to prepare a magical counterattack, she would be forcibly interrupted by a single blow from her metal mace. After all, one against four meant their attack frequencies were on completely different levels.
Her defense is not low, and as an eight-star elf, she also has a lot of health, which is different from Japanese mages. She is not a fragile character with high mana and low health. However, she is not very effective against Goblin Attack Force with an attack power of over 3,000. She can only cover her head and take a beating.
The two Ice Knight tried to rescue their master, but were blocked by the Cyber Dragon and could not break through despite their best efforts.
Alisa's combination is strategic. The Armored Cyber Wing reduces the Cyber Dragon's attack power by 1000, triggering a destructive effect. After unequipping it, the Cyber Dragon's attack power will recover. Once the cooldown is over, the Armored Cyber Wing can be reequipped on the Cyber Dragon, and the previous attack reduction effect will not be carried over.
This is equivalent to giving the Cyber Dragon a destruction effect once per turn, and a resistance to destruction once – the Armored Cyber Wing can be destroyed in place of the Cyber Dragon.
Of course, this tactic cannot be used in singles matches, which is one of the reasons why Union Monster are not very popular among professional trainers.
The Cyber Dragon already outclassed the Ice Knight in terms of ability and lineage, and now with two more powerful traits, it can easily crush its opponent.
If Ice Knight hadn't ambushed You Zhi, and everyone had survived, their attack power could have been increased to 2900 with their special ability, and they might still have a fighting chance. Right now, they're just struggling to survive.
Even their unwavering loyalty to the Queen and their strong will to protect her could not bring about a miracle. In the end, they were destroyed by the Cyber Dragon with a "Evolution Burst" and an Iron Tail attack.
After absorbing the spiritual energy particles, the Cyber Dragon Yuyu back to Alisa's side, wagging its tail rapidly like a puppy, looking like it was showing off to its owner and asking for a reward, a stark contrast to its cold appearance.
"Well done."
Alisa tossed the opponent a Spirit Pill, which could slightly increase a Pokémon's experience points, but it was ridiculously expensive and had extremely low cost-effectiveness. Even with You Zhi really liked it.
On the other side, the Ice Queen fought back fiercely for a while, but ultimately failed to escape and was brutally violated.
The Goblin Attack Force showed no mercy whatsoever. Some grabbed her hands, others her feet, and they beat her mercilessly, leaving her pristine white princess dress stained and filthy. At first glance, it looked like the Eighteen Bronze Men of Shaolin were beating up Steve Zhou.
Seeing that the Ice Queen was about to explode if the fight continued, You Zhi hurriedly ordered the Goblin to stop, then threw out Pokémon Card, and a beam of light enveloped the Ice Queen.
The Pokémon Card spun once in mid-air, then exploded with a "bang," and the Ice Queen escaped from the card again.
You Zhi's expression remained unchanged; this was expected. Eight-star Pokémon are not so easy to capture, especially since he was using the most basic Pokémon Card, which in Pokémon is equivalent to using Poké Ball to capture a Pokémon that has undergone two stages of evolution.
Fortunately, the Ice Queen had lost the will to fight and given up struggling. She was only using this method to show her last will to resist and demonstrate that she was not such a casual elf.
After throwing out his fifth Pokémon Card, You Zhi finally captured his opponent.
He admired the illustrations of the Pokémon Card for a while, and was about to thank Alisa when suddenly a light flashed beside him. Turning around, he discovered that the Goblin had evolved.
"What the heck? It didn't evolve after defeating so many powerful Pokémon, but it evolved after winning against a wild one. Do Goblin really like queens, princesses, and female knights that much?"
Amidst You Zhi's complaints, the four Goblin donned armor and red capes, their metal maces transforming into knight's swords. However, their physiques remained unchanged, each still sporting a protruding belly, making the armor appear exceptionally bulky.
[Goblin Elite Attack Force (4-star) Location]
[Lineage: Evil, Steel]
[Level: 36]
[Talent: Berserk]
[Attack Power: 2200 (3080)]
[Defense Strength: 1500 (2100)]
[Fiend, Effect: If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase, and its position cannot be changed until the End Phase of your next turn.]
They were upgraded from assault troops to elite troops, but their star rating and attributes remained unchanged. They gained a new Steel Ferocious Rank, their talent level was upgraded from Ferocious to Berserk Rank, their base attack stat decreased by 100 points instead of increasing, their defense stat soared from 0 to 1500, their race changed from Warrior to Demon, and their traits remained the same negative effects.
In Card Duel, elite units are less useful than assault units. The 100 attack power difference means the latter can easily defeat the former during the Battle Phase. However, in Spirit Duel, exchanging 100 attack power for 1500 defense power is undoubtedly a huge improvement.
However, You Zhi cares more about something else.
"During natural evolution, if the star rating of the evolved form is the same as the original, will the talent level increase?"
Upon careful reflection, the Silent Magician LV4 evolved into the True Silent Magician, Dark Magician Girl evolved into the Guardian Mana, both of whom experienced an improvement in their talents. This pattern seems to truly exist.
However, new forms obtained through Spell Card, such as the Toon Form, will not improve talents.
Just as You Zhi was summarizing the patterns of experience, Alisa hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I really like this Ice Queen, can you give it to me?"
"You want it? But this Pokémon's abilities and characteristics are quite ordinary. Perhaps most trainers would covet an eight-star Pokémon, but you probably don't care."
In terms of pure strength, Alisa's 6-star Material Dragon is much stronger than the Ice Queen. It can resist destruction effects and can also convert effect damage into health restoration.
"Mainly, I really like this Pokémon's appearance and temperament, and her strength isn't weak either. Her base attack stat of 2900 is only slightly lower than Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Perhaps she's not qualified to be an ace, but she's more than enough to free up a main slot. Your standards are too high."
Alisa looked puzzled. Even with her family's wealth, she couldn't possibly look down on the Ice Queen. Eight-star Pokémon aren't cheap; even a basic Pokémon deserves a substitute spot. Besides, the Ice Queen's base stats aren't low, and her abilities are quite useful, though not as powerful as those top-tier Pokémon.
"Alright, you can have it if you want it, but you have to help me find a suitable trading spirit."
Without much thought, You Zhi handed the Pokémon Card to the other party, not even having time to attach his mental imprint.
"No need to look anymore. Give me their contact number, and I'll discuss a solution. There are indeed some things in this world that money can't solve, but this is clearly not one of them."
Chapter 254 I Only Use One Finger
Alisa wasn't exaggerating. She and You Zhi went to Blackthorn City, obtained the contact address of the trainer of the Spiked Dragon Queen from the agent, and went to negotiate in person. In just twenty minutes, they acquired ownership of the Spiked Dragon Queen.
"It cost less than I expected. The other party wasn't good at talking and had been wanting to get rid of the Pokémon for a long time. If it were a Pokémon with mediocre talent, it would probably have been released long ago. So I quoted a reasonable price and then put on a show that I wasn't particularly fond of Pokémon and that I would give up if he dared to raise the price. He couldn't wait to agree."
Alisa handed the unmarked Pokémon Card to You Zhi, smiling as she said, "The other guy must have been badly beaten by his own Pokémon and has developed a psychological trauma. I'm all too familiar with his expression. There are often some arrogant young men in aristocratic circles who envy the style of those Pokémon Masters and pester their parents to buy them powerful Pokémon. In the end, they all suffer the same fate."
As You Zhi left his mental imprint, he chimed in, "Elves have dignity too. Aside from those who grew up together and developed deep bonds, most elves have their own standards for evaluating their trainers. If a trainer doesn't meet those standards, even if they're bound by the laws and have to obey orders, they won't put in the effort."
"It also has something to do with the Pokémon's personality. It's relatively rare to see a Pokémon that beats up its trainer like this; more likely, it will choose to slack off, just like you said."
Alisa trusted You Zhi's abilities, so she only casually reminded him. She was more concerned about something else. "You came to Blackthorn City to challenge the gyms here. How many badges do you have now?"
"Seven."
"Wow, that was fast! Hmm... what you said was somewhat expected," Alisa without much surprise. "Once you get the Blackthorn Badge, you'll officially become a professional trainer. You're not planning to participate in the dual-region Pokémon League tournament, are you?"
"Yes, is there anything strange about it?"
"This competition is held to select the new Elite Four and the champion, and I feel like you're not interested in this kind of position."
"Haha, you're right. I'm not really interested in the Pokémon League championship, but I want to do something big, and it needs to attract everyone's attention to succeed. Therefore, the championship title is very necessary for me."
You Zhi's face lit up with an expectant smile, like a child throwing a lit firecracker into an empty can.
If it were Yuan Ying present, she might have offered some advice, but Alisa was someone who loved watching the drama unfold, and she chuckled, "Now that you mention it, I can't help but look forward to it too. Hmm, why don't I just collect all the remaining badges and participate in the competition with you?"
Which badge are you still missing?
"I went to the Olivine Gym twice, but the gym leader wasn't there both times. The reason given was illness, but I think it's very likely that he was caught up in Anomaly, just like what happened to you and me last time."
"... Your guess is correct."
You Zhi thought for a moment and decided to share some information, "Since you're challenging for the eighth badge, your opponent will definitely use their ace Pokémon, Cyber End Dragon, as well as a Dark Form Cyber Dragon Armored Black Dragon. You can use these as references. If you want to make the duel easier, you might want to prepare some Spell Card that target Machine-Type. Also, the Cyber Dragon series is particularly good at boosting attack power, so you can use Spell Card like 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' to eliminate your opponent's attacks."
Alisa suddenly said, "It sounds like you're very familiar with that curator Jasmine."
You Zhi, oblivious to anything amiss, replied truthfully, "We're friends to some extent."
Alisa twirled her hair with her fingers, her eyes darting around, and said, "Then why did you tell me about her? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Of course I'll help you in this situation."
Gathering intelligence is also a test of the challenger's strength, You Zhi believes there is nothing wrong with this approach.
Alisa clearly didn't think so. Her mood instantly improved, and her smile was as warm as the summer sun. With a touch of shyness, she said, "Haha, you're right. We've been on the battlefield together, sharing life and death. No one else can compare... By the way, my silly older brother seemed to have given you trouble before. I've already given him a good scolding. He's been wanting to apologize to you, but he doesn't know where you are. Since you're going to challenge the Blackthorn Gym, I'll have him come here."
"No need. We became friends after a fight, and we eventually reconciled through a duel, leaving no lingering resentment."
"It's still necessary. The Locke family motto is that making mistakes is not shameful; what's shameful is making mistakes and not daring to admit them. My elder brother took it upon himself to cause trouble for you, so he must apologize to you."
"Okay, I'll stay here for at least three days."
The other party even brought up their family precepts, so You Zhi had no choice but to agree, since it wasn't a big deal anyway.
"Thanks, then I won't disturb your preparations any longer. See you another day."
Alisa waved and left in a cheerful mood.
After watching the other person's figure disappear, You Zhi took out his Pokédex and confirmed the actual characteristics of the Spiked Dragon Queen.
The opponent's first trait is a negative one: it reduces her own health points. Therefore, even at full health, her actual attack power is only 1000. The 4000 attack power displayed on the panel only exists in theory and can never be truly reached.
The second characteristic is to sacrifice half of one's own life force to banish one previously used Dinomorphia Spell Card, thereby gaining the same effect.
The third characteristic is that when the user is destroyed, they will revive with 2000 health points. This effect can only be used once per duel.
"With the third trait as a guarantee, she can recklessly sacrifice her life and fight to the death with her opponents. However, to fully unleash her power, she still needs to obtain the relevant Spell Card. Even the Tomb Keeper Clan's collection doesn't have any records of the Dinomorphia series."
You Zhi envisioned several tactics in his mind and was about to test them when he suddenly realized that no matter how the tactics were designed, the Pokémon had to be willing to execute them. So he decided to have a good talk with the other party.
He rented a training ground and then summoned the Spiked Dragon Queen.