Chapter 74: Card Replacement

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Card Replacement

"I’m finally back. It feels like I just woke from a dream!"

In Demon Dragon Plaza, Chen Qi, who had been standing as still as a statue, slowly opened his eyes.

After killing Felix, Chen Qi had achieved final victory, and then he was ejected from the Dream Duel Arena.

’No reward at all? What a terrible game!’

’Just as I thought. They’re all dead.’

Chen Qi scanned his surroundings. Both Felix and Najir had lost their Life Auras.

However, the two looked vastly different in death.

Felix’s face was twisted in a savage grimace.

Najir, on the other hand, had a look of contentment, as if he had truly experienced Ascension to a paradise.

’Strange, the Cards didn’t disappear?’

A Card floated above the corpses of both Felix and Feng Xingyun.

Chen Qi wasn’t interested in them, so he didn’t pay them too much mind.

He assumed they would disappear after a few seconds and seek out new players.

Yet, ten seconds passed, and the two Cards remained, hovering silently with no sign of disappearing.

’Are they locked in place? Or are they being restrained within Chaotic City?’

Chen Qi waited for a full five minutes, but the two Cards still hadn’t disappeared.

From this, Chen Qi came to a conclusion: once a player dies in the Dream Duel Arena, their Card is captured by the Game Monarch.

These two Cards would likely be left behind in Chaotic City, waiting for new players to inherit them.

After careful consideration, Chen Qi decided not to risk his life by touching the two Cards.

The way Najir’s "Card" had vanished was simply too unsettling.

From start to finish, Chen Qi had only seen Najir’s corpse, not his Card—not even the Xiaowang Card.

Previously, he might have chalked it up to Najir dying early, allowing his Card to find a new owner and disappear before Chen Qi even left the Dream Duel Arena.

But now... if the Demon Dragon’s left eye could restrain Cards, there was no reason the right eye couldn’t.

The most likely possibility was that Najir’s two Cards had already fallen into the hands of the Game Monarch.

The Demon Dragon’s right eye connected to the main body of the King’s Game; it had "uploaded" Najir as well.

’Perhaps the Game Monarch is looking down on Chaotic City right now!’

’He might not care about Felix’s death, but I’d better get out of his sight.’

’This World... or rather, this tiny Lanyu Kingdom... I wonder what it’s really like?’

Chen Qi looked up at the sky. The Demon Dragon had already vanished, and Chaotic City had returned to its usual clamor, just like any other day.

However, perhaps because he now knew too much, Chen Qi couldn’t shake the feeling that something was hidden high above, blanketing the sky of the Lanyu Kingdom.

Since he had decided to leave, Chen Qi didn’t hesitate.

From start to finish, the only thing he took with him was Najir’s corpse.

Not long after Chen Qi left the city, Feng Xingyun’s Card flickered and vanished.

Only Felix’s Plum Blossom 3 remained in Demon Dragon Plaza, awaiting its successor.

Evidently, the Game Monarch had released his hold on Feng Xingyun’s Card, allowing it to choose a new owner on its own.

As for Plum Blossom 3, its ability was well-suited for maintaining order in Chaotic City, so the Game Monarch naturally wouldn’t let it go.

······

"Where is this place?"

"Is anyone here?"

The moment he was absorbed into the Demon Dragon’s right eye, Najir completely lost his Consciousness.

When he awoke again, he found himself inside a great hall.

This was a rather ancient-looking structure. Dozens of stone pillars formed the main body of the building, supporting a massive dome.

Najir tried to move his body but was horrified to find he was bound in place, completely unable to budge.

"Have I become a stone pillar?"

It was only then that Najir realized he was no longer human. He had been transformed into one of the pillars supporting the great structure.

"Sigh. Should I tell you the truth?"

"So troublesome!"

On a stone pillar near Najir, a human face suddenly appeared.

More accurately, it was a human face that resembled a Card.

The next moment, the Card detached from the stone pillar and transformed into a young man.

"This is the Royal Palace of King Gutaf. Of course, not the one in the real world."

"The Throne at the far end of the hall represents the King, and the steps below it represent the Xiaowang."

"As for these fifty-two stone pillars, they represent ordinary players. Generally, only players who have become Apostles are qualified to come here!"

"You are both fortunate and unfortunate to have seen all this ahead of time!"

The young man approached the pillar that was Najir as he spoke. The latter was powerless to resist.

"You’re the legendary Game Monarch?"

Najir already sensed that something was wrong. It seemed arriving here early was not a good thing at all.

"That’s right. I am the Game Monarch!"

"Actually, ’Game Monarch’ is just my ID. I’m really just an unremarkable gaming enthusiast."

"Thank you for delivering the Xiaowang Card. As a reward, I’ll at least let you die knowing why."

The young man waved his hand, and Najir felt as if he had lost something.

Within the hall, a flash of light appeared, and the Xiaowang Card emerged, hovering silently.

The young man passed through the Xiaowang Card without hesitation, and an incredible scene unfolded.

The Xiaowang Card vanished instantly, leaving only a Red Heart 4 in its place!

Evidently, the Game Monarch had abandoned his previous Card and taken control of the Xiaowang.

"You... you... you can change your own core Card?"

Najir was dumbfounded, so much so that he didn’t even notice the strange sensation in his body!

This move by the Game Monarch completely overturned his entire understanding of the game.

There was an ironclad rule in the King’s Game: no matter how many Cards a player fused, their core Card was always their first one.

He had never heard of anyone being able to switch their own Card, let alone their core Card.

······

"Heh, my situation is a bit special!"

"Actually, just like you, I entered this place illegally, without having become an Apostle."

"If it were one of those Apostles, even if they came here, they couldn’t change their own Card. Or rather, they wouldn’t need to, because it is the very root of their power!"

The Game Monarch adjusted to his new body, seemingly quite satisfied, and was thus happy to chat a little more with Najir.

"How long can I exist?"

Najir finally asked the question that terrified him.

’Without a physical body, can I still survive?’

"I’d like to say it depends on your willpower, but unfortunately, that’s not the truth!"

"You should be able to feel it, too. The Card is stirring, about to Devour you!"

"There’s only one way to survive: gain complete control of the Card and walk out of this stone pillar!"

"Unfortunately, your probability of success is zero."

"10, 9, 8, 7..."

The Game Monarch turned to face Najir and began to count down.

At first, Najir was completely bewildered, but he quickly understood.

He was just about to start cursing, but the Game Monarch’s countdown had already reached zero.

The next instant, the Spade 3 revived, and Najir was completely Devoured.

And at the very moment of Najir’s death, the Spade 3 broke free from the stone pillar and flew toward the hall’s exit.

However, the Game Monarch simply reached out and snatched it from the air.

"The ability to predict fortunes, quite interesting. I’ll hold onto this for now!"

The moment it landed in his hand, the Spade 3 didn’t resist in the slightest. This was the effect of the Xiaowang.

But the Game Monarch’s actions didn’t stop there. He also grabbed the Red Heart 4, which had been spinning in place.

"With this rebirth, I will use the Xiaowang as my core and construct my very own King’s Armament!"

"Gutaf, you are but a lowly, despicable human. How could you possibly be worthy of immortality!"

"Your version of immortality is laughably hideous. Only I am worthy of possessing all this and unleashing this game’s true power!"

The Game Monarch glanced contemptuously at the Throne in the depths of the hall, then walked out without a backward glance, disappearing into the void.

From start to finish, the Throne remained empty, save for the phantom image of a Card.