"The effect of 'Magic Stone Mining' retrieves the 'Magical Wand' from the graveyard."
Yugen said.
"And at this moment, the effects of the two cards I just discarded as the activation cost for mining also activate."
Yugen revealed the two cards.
"The two discarded cards are both 'Abyssal Assassin'. When sent to the graveyard, Abyssal Assassin can add a Reversed Monster, other than itself, from the graveyard to the hand."
Yugen paused and smiled.
"Abyssal Assassin itself is a Reversed Monster."
Ammon frowned: "But you said Abyssal Assassin can only choose monsters 'other than itself' to add to the hand..."
"That's right, 'other than itself', it just can't select itself, but choosing another Abyssal Assassin in the graveyard is fine." (Original effect)
Yugen added the two Assassins back to his hand after displaying them.
"Use Assassin A to retrieve Assassin B, then Assassin B to retrieve Assassin A, returning both 'Abyssal Assassins' from the graveyard to hand."
"Additionally, last turn you activated 'Treasure Card Cloud' and 'Temporary Truce', and I just activated another Magic Card. So the library now has three indicators.
I activate the second effect of the library, remove three Mana Indicators, and draw one card from the deck!"
Yugen drew a card.
"Then from my hand, I activate the second Magic Card 'Magic Stone Mining', discarding two cards from my hand to retrieve a Magic Card from the graveyard back to my hand."
Yugen sent another two cards from his hand to the graveyard.
"Discard two cards from my hand to retrieve the first 'Magic Stone Mining' back to my hand from the graveyard."
Ammon: "!"
That means the two cards just discarded are...
"That's right, still two 'Abyssal Assassins'." Yugen chuckled, "Again, the two Abyssal Assassins retrieve each other, returning all to my hand."
Ammon's face grew cold, finally understanding.
The two Abyssal Assassins were discarded as the cost for mining, then retrieved each other, creating infinite costs.
Then with Magic Stone Mining in hand and another mining in the graveyard, both minings can infinitely retrieve each other, forming an infinite magic loop.
At first glance, it seems that the resources in hand and graveyard are merely cycling endlessly, without increase or decrease, a meaningless loop. But with the Royal Magic Library, it's different.
Each time mining is activated, the library will gain an indicator. Every three indicators allow drawing a card from the deck.
This is an infinite draw loop!
Ammon gritted his teeth: "You, are you trying to draw your entire deck..."
"Hahaha, why would I?"
In a moment, Yugen already held a large handful of cards, having grabbed more than half of his deck.
He then smiled: "Alright, drawing this much is sufficient. The actors are in place, the real performance is about to begin."
Ammon frowned.
Performance?
"Activate the initially retrieved Equipment Magic 'Magical Wand', equipping it to the 'Royal Magic Library'." Yugen said, "Send the library and wand to the graveyard together, and draw two cards from the deck."
"Then activate 'Magic Stone Mining' for the last time, discarding two cards from my hand to retrieve another 'Magic Stone Mining' from the graveyard back to my hand."
Ammon noticed that after this discard, Yugen did not activate the Abyssal Assassin's effects to retrieve each other.
Were the cards discarded this time not Abyssal Assassins?
Ammon contemplated.
The last mining activation... was the purpose to send a certain card from his hand to the graveyard?
"Normal summon 'Asura'."
[Asura, Attack Power 1700]
"Activate the Magic Card 'Necromancy Sacrifice', by Special Summoning one or two monsters from your graveyard to the opponent's field, reducing the tribute requirement for one Upper-level Summon based on the number of Special Summoned monsters." (Original card)
A beam of golden light shot from Yugen's Duel Disc.
"Special Summon 'Demon's Wisdom' on your field!"
[Demon's Wisdom, Attack Power 1250]
Ammon: "?"
What is this?
"Then activate the Cover Card, Continuous Trap 'Blood Compensation', paying 500 Life Points to gain one additional Normal Summon."
Yugen said.
"I pay 500 Life Points, gaining one more Normal Summon, conducting an Upper-level Summon with a Level 8 monster from my hand as tribute.
And because of 'Necromancy Sacrifice's effect, the tribute requirement is reduced by one, needing only one monster as tribute for the Upper-level Summon.
I offer 'Asura' as tribute for the Upper-level Summon! Come, the Storm Cloud——
——Cloud Monster - Typhoon Eye!!"
Ammon: "!?!!?"
At this moment, his pupils dilated wide.
Huh?
[Cloud Monster - Typhoon Eye, Attack Power 3000]
Seeing the opponent summoning Typhoon Eye as well, Ammon was momentarily confused.
Having that card is no surprise. Cloud Monsters aren't a unique deck globally, and with Duel King Yugen supported by the world's top Card Printing Factory, no card would be unusual.
The question is, why bring that card?
Could the purpose be to use one's own trump card to defeat oneself, as a form of humiliation?
"Next, activate the Magic Card 'Meat for Strength'." Yugen said, "Granting the Upper-level Summoned monster half of a tribute monster's attack power and monster effects." (Original card)
A signature Magic Card used by Illusion Association's Professor Card.
"Grant my Typhoon Eye half of the attack power of the tribute monster 'Asura', along with its monster effects."
[Cloud Monster - Typhoon Eye, Attack Power 3000→Attack Power 3850]
"Asura's effect is that as long as there are monsters on the opponent's field, during one battle phase, it can attack all the opponent's monsters once." Yugen smiled.
Ammon frowned.
Granting Typhoon Eye the ability to attack multiple times... then what?
After all, with the Temporary Truce effect, he won't take any damage this turn...
"Then activate the Field Spell 'Black Garden'."
The eerie plant garden instantly dominated the field, countless vines intertwining.
"In the Black Garden, all monsters summoned onto the field have their attack power halved." Yugen explained, "And every time either of us summons monsters onto the field, the garden will Special Summon a 'Rose Derivative' on the opponent's field."
Ammon remained silent.
Still didn't understand what he was planning to do.
"Finally, use 'Blood Compensation' again to summon this card from hand..."
Yugen leisurely summoned a monster onto the field.
"In Defense Position, summon 'Regenerating Slime'."
[Regenerating Slime, Defense Power 500]
"When Regenerating Slime is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, it can be Special Summoned onto the field immediately, a monster with infinite revival ability." (Original effect)
This was the key monster from the game against Malik's Sky Dragon back in the day.
"Of course, due to Black Garden's effect, Slime's attack power is halved." Yugen said, "And because I summoned a monster, the garden will Special Summon a 'Rose Derivative' on Ammon's field."
[Rose Derivative, Attack Power 800]
Ammon frowned: "Summoning low-attack Derivatives on my field to create vulnerabilities? But I won't take any damage this turn..."
"I know."
Yugen chuckled softly.
"Come, the little game is now beginning."