The emissary frowned.
What's with this person? Not fazed at all by the Orichalcos Barrier?
Normally, just feeling the energy stirred up when the barrier is activated should make one's soul tremble, right?
The emissary observed Yugen with puzzlement, but quickly controlled his emotions.
Regardless, now that the barrier is activated, his power has been enhanced to the fullest extent. No matter where this guy came from, as long as he is sacrificed to the God of Orichalcos as an offering through this duel, everything will be fine.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Angel's Charity'," continued the emissary. "Draw three cards from the deck, then select two cards from your hand to discard."
He drew cards from the deck, and two cards from his hand were sent to the graveyard, as if devoured by the blood-red Duel Disc.
"Then set a monster, and cover a card. Turn over."
Yugen: "Then it's my turn, draw."
He drew a monster card from his hand.
"Normal Summon 'Asura'."
[Asura, Attack Power 1700]
Asura, a Four-Star Soul Monster, has the effect of being able to attack all monsters on the opponent's field multiple times. It was also recognized as an excellent lower-level attacker in early physical card competitions.
"Asura attacks the covered monster."
Asura's six arms wield short swords and hurl them. The monster set on the field is turned into a sieve.
"The monster you attacked is 'Swift Flying Squirrel'," said the emissary. "When this card is destroyed by battle, I recover 1000 Life Points, then Special Summon any number of 'Swift Flying Squirrels' from the deck in face-down Defense Position.
I Special Summon two more 'Swift Flying Squirrels'."
[Emissary, LP 4000→LP 5000]
Two new set monsters appeared on his field.
Swift Flying Squirrel was considered a rather excellent death effect monster back then. Attacking it would give the opponent Life Points, but if not attacked, the opponent could easily gather sacrifices for an Upper-level Summon, allowing for a priority summon of a powerful Upper-Level Monster. If successful, it could achieve board control of the entire duel.
"Asura's effect allows it to attack all the monsters on the opponent's field." Yugen waved lightly, "Attack the remaining two 'Swift Flying Squirrels'."
Asura's swords flew again, and the remaining two set monsters were pierced and exploded.
"Then for each Swift Flying Squirrel destroyed, I gain another 1000 Life Points."
[Emissary, LP 5000→LP 7000]
"And it's not over yet..."
The sneer at the corner of the livestock's mouth twisted into a vicious cold smile.
"At the moment you destroyed the last squirrel, the effect of this guy in the graveyard also activated..." The emissary raised his hand, shouting, "The 'Forest Guardian - Green Baboon' in the graveyard!
When a Beast Race monster on your field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, you can pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon this card from hand or graveyard!" (old effect)
Upon hearing this, Yugen instinctively raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "Are you freaking kidding me? Isn't this thing supposed to jump only when 'a Beast Race on the field is destroyed by effect'?"
But he immediately thought, oh right, this is the GX Era...
This wasn't an animation effect, but the old version of the "Forest Guardian - Green Baboon" effect before its adjustment in physical cards.
Any player who had experienced physical card competitions during the GX Era couldn't forget this card. Green Baboon was a powerful single card discovered immediately after its release with amazing potential, forming the core of an upper-tier Beast Race-centric Green Baboon BEAT deck.
In fact, later on, K Society issued rulings and weakened the effect text for this card, and with the environment updating and accelerating, players now might not understand its original strength. But Yugen was fortunate enough to have experienced that early version and still retained some impressions.
Currently, Green Baboon's effect specifies that it can only be Special Summoned when Beast Race monsters on the field are destroyed by card effects. But the earliest version only mentioned "when Beast Race is destroyed," allowing it to jump out.
Moreover, during the GX Era, the official ruling was "applicable during the damage step as well." That meant when a Beast Race was destroyed in battle, it could jump out from the graveyard.
This meant that as long as Green Baboon was in the duelist's hand or graveyard, all Beast Race monsters owned by the duelist had a layer of destruction resistance. When dealing with any Beast Race monsters on this side's field, the opponent had to consider that destroying any beast might trigger a chain effect.
This ruling was changed in 2009, during the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's period, to "can't jump during the damage step," meaning Green Baboon could no longer jump when Beast Race on the field was destroyed in battle. Although the effect text initially remained unmodified, in practice, it had already become "can only be summoned when Beast Race is destroyed by effect."
You can imagine how greatly this ruling change weakened the Baboon deck from a deck concept perspective, basically depriving the deck of its proud immortality.
But obviously, what Yugen was encountering now was the version prior to the ruling change.
If what the opponent is using is a Beast Race specialization revolving around Green Baboon, then what Yugen faces now might be the GX Era's full-power version of a top-tier Baboon BEAT deck variant.
"I see, no wonder they say the emissaries sent by the organization are extraordinary..." Yugen understood.
Holding a GX-era upper-tier deck in this Elf Realm environment, isn't that basically a massacre?
But...
Yugen squinted, the corners of his mouth curling up, seemingly even more interested in this duel.
This journey to the Elf Realm truly hasn't been in vain...
"Pay 1000 Life Points, resurrect the 'Green Baboon' from the graveyard!"
[Emissary, LP 7000→LP 6000]
The gigantic green baboon leaped onto the field, pounding its chest provocatively, glaring angrily at Asura.
[Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, Attack Power 2600]
"Then activate the Cover Card 'Fierce Charge'!" shouted the emissary. "Destroy a Beast Race monster on your field in face-up position, then select a monster on your opponent's field and return it to the deck."
He paused, a cruel smile appearing on his ferocious face.
"I destroy my field's Green Baboon and return your field's 'Asura' to the deck!"
Green Baboon roared, charging like a human-headed cannonball. The impact instantly turned Asura into a golden beam, returning to Yugen's deck, but Green Baboon also self-destructed to pieces.
"But at this moment, the effect of another Green Baboon discarded in the graveyard activates." The emissary sneered, "When Green Baboon on my field is destroyed, you can pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon it from the graveyard.
Green Baboon itself is also a Beast Race. Therefore, when the Green Baboon on the field is destroyed, Green Baboon in the graveyard regenerates!"
[Emissary, LP 6000→LP 5000]
After the Green Baboon on the field shattered, a vortex leading to the graveyard immediately opened on the ground. The second Green Baboon pounded its chest and roared, jumping onto the field again.
[Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, Attack Power 2600]
"And the Green Baboon's Attack Power increases with the power of the Orichalcos Barrier!"
Green Baboon pounded its chest again, letting out a low growl. A hexagram mark appeared on its forehead, and its whole body seemed to ignite with a ghostly green flame.
[Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, Attack Power 2600→Attack Power 3100]
"Hahaha, do you see? This is the ultimate power bestowed upon me by the god!"
Yugen pondered.
Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, indeed a powerful card in this era. However, Yugen considered that Asura is a Soul Monster, and it inherently returns to the hand at the end of the turn it was summoned, so wasn't that trap activated a bit hastily...
Though returning to the deck did consume one more card resource from them, it's true...
However, he soon remembered that the Demon Bishop just now didn't even recognize Artificial Human Soga.
It seems that in the Elf Realm, card acquisition and knowledge levels might generally be lower than external duelists, so not recognizing the traits of Soul Monsters isn't surprising.
In fact, just by relying on knowledge of the card pool, Yugen already had a considerable advantage in the animation world, which seems to be even more pronounced in the Elf Realm.
The emissary stood with arms akimbo, still snickering.
"I don't know who you are, but regret your foolish challenge. Before the immortal Green Baboon, you stand no chance!"