86: Chapter 86 Emperor's Slave Card!

"So this is the Gods Arena?"

Ji Xingchen widened his eyes and stepped forward to examine the Dungeon's information.

[Gods Arena]

[Challenge Requirement: Possess any Divine Credential]

[Challenger Limit: 1 person]

[Note: A god will descend a wisp of will to engage in a duel with the challenger. The content of the duel will be entirely at the god's discretion.]

"Correct. You can meet a true god imbued with will. As long as you complete the challenge they give you, you can even obtain a divine artifact."

"And even if you fail, you'll still receive some other rewards."

"In short, entering is absolutely a guaranteed win."

Old Zhou looked at Lu Yin and explained with some excitement.

After all, this was the first time in his life he had witnessed someone capable of entering the Gods Arena.

To some extent, it was like witnessing a historic moment.

Under the tense gazes of Old Zhou and Ji Xingchen, Lu Yin slowly approached the Dungeon vortex.

[Consume Divine Credential to enter the Gods Arena?]

"Confirm."

Lu Yin took a deep breath and chose to confirm entry.

In an instant, the world spun.

The surrounding scenery rippled like water disturbed by a thrown stone.

Opening his eyes again, Lu Yin found himself amidst an endless starry sky.

Beneath his feet was a smooth, mirror-like platform reflecting the myriad stars, as if he stood at the center of the universe.

Ahead, a hazy silhouette of light coalesced.

The silhouette gradually sharpened, transforming into a being clad in magnificent robes, its features indistinct.

Dream-like halos flowed around its form. Its mere presence dimmed the light of the surrounding stars.

An indescribable pressure diffused through the air—not intense, yet penetrating deep into the soul, inspiring awe.

This was a wisp of will, a projection of the Dream God.

"How many years has it been since this dream welcomed a challenger?"

"Human, let us have an enjoyable duel."

An ethereal and elusive voice sounded, impossible to tell if it was male or female.

"Alright. What are the rules of the duel?"

Lu Yin narrowed his eyes and asked.

"Are you familiar with the game of Slave and Emperor?"

With a wave of the Dream God's hand, a card table and ten cards instantly appeared between them.

Seeing Lu Yin's puzzled expression, the Dream God's dream-like voice sounded again.

"This is a game created by your kind. Each side holds five cards."

"Four are commoners, and one is either an Emperor or a slave."

"The Emperor can defeat commoners, commoners can defeat the slave, and the slave can kill the Emperor."

"We play best of five. However, if the slave card is used to kill the Emperor, victory is immediate."

"After all, the slave side's chance of winning is, at most, 2%."

"Sounds like a simple game of strategy."

Lu Yin looked thoughtfully at the cards on the table. "So, who gets the Emperor, and who gets the slave?"

The Dream God chuckled lightly and gestured for Lu Yin to take a seat at the card table.

Under Lu Yin's gaze, the Dream God flipped all ten cards face-up and allowed Lu Yin to inspect them.

Then, it placed the Emperor and Slave Cards face-down again. While shuffling their positions, it spoke.

"Since this is a duel, there must be rewards and penalties."

"If you win, I can reward you with a divine artifact."

"If I win, I will strip you of one Life Mark."

"How about it?"

Hearing this, Lu Yin's eyelids lowered slightly.

The Life Mark could be said to be the most important hidden talent for a Professional.

Many Professionals spend their entire lives without awakening even one.

But a divine artifact is also something immensely coveted.

"Seems like a high-stakes gamble."

After pondering for a moment, Lu Yin smiled slightly.

"Indeed."

The Dream God pushed the two shuffled cards towards Lu Yin. "Of course, you may also choose to withdraw. In that case, I will still grant you some reward."

"Only..."

Before the Dream God could finish, Lu Yin directly reached out and drew one card from the two.

"That would be too boring, wouldn't it?"

Flipping the card, the image on its face was unmistakably that of a shackled slave.

"It seems your luck isn't great. You've drawn the slave card."

The Dream God's voice carried a hint of pleasure. "Then, I shall use the Emperor card."

"Let the game begin."

Lu Yin gathered the five cards in his hand, his gaze calmly sweeping over them.

Four commoners, one slave.

The odds were indeed low, but not without a chance.

"Round one, I play this card." The Dream God elegantly pushed forward a card.

Lu Yin stared at the face-down card, contemplated for a moment, then drew a commoner card and placed it on the table.

"Reveal."

The Dream God's card flipped over. It was a commoner.

"Draw." The Dream God said flatly. "No points for either side."

Lu Yin's expression remained unchanged as he placed the played card into the discard pile.

"Round two, I still play a commoner."

The Dream God's voice remained ethereal but seemed to carry a trace of amusement.

Lu Yin looked at his hand—now only three commoners and one slave left—his mind racing.

"Then I also play a commoner." Lu Yin gently placed a card face-down on the table.

The cards were revealed. Once again, commoner versus commoner.

"Another draw." The Dream God chuckled lightly.

"You are very cautious. However, can such a conservative strategy truly help you win?"

Lu Yin did not answer, silently placing the played card into the discard pile.

In this simple psychological game, the more one spoke, the easier it was to reveal one's thoughts.

After all, he wasn't like the Dream God. A divine artifact might be an inconsequential thing to a deity.

But for him, losing even one Life Mark would greatly diminish his strength.

Therefore, in this duel, Lu Yin had been at a disadvantage from the very start.

The only thing he could do now was to strive to remain calm.

"Round three, let me see..."

The Dream God's fingers lightly tapped on its cards. "This time, I play the Emperor."

Lu Yin's heart sank slightly.

If the Dream God truly played the Emperor card, he would lose by playing a commoner, but playing the slave would grant him instant victory.

But what if this was the Dream God's trap?

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

Faced with the enormous stakes, Lu Yin could clearly hear the sound of his own heartbeat.

He looked up at the Dream God, trying to read something from that indistinct face, but found nothing.

Finally, Lu Yin made his decision and pushed forward the crucial slave card.

"Reveal."

The card slowly turned over. Lu Yin's gaze was locked on the Dream God's hand.

When the card face was fully exposed, it was unmistakably a commoner card.

Looking at the slave card Lu Yin had revealed, the Dream God's voice carried a faint hint of laughter.

"What a pity. It seems your judgment was mistaken."

"According to the rules, commoner defeats slave. This round, I win."

Lu Yin took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

This was only the first round. He still had a chance to turn things around.

"Let us continue. Draw cards again."

Winning a round seemed to put the Dream God in excellent spirits.

Once again, it shuffled the positions of the Slave and Emperor cards, allowing Lu Yin to choose first.

Lu Yin chose a card expressionlessly. When he opened it, his heart chilled once more.

Because he had, once again, drawn the slave card.