As soon as Malite finished speaking, he noticed that Moste hadn't responded yet.
Without missing a beat, Malite took another two steps forward.
"Alright, how about this—I'll add this cultivation item to the trade as well?"
"This Shadow Stone isn't exactly low in value."
He spoke in a tone that sounded like he was negotiating, smoothly continuing to approach Moste.
"My god! This item…"
"It's actually a resource that can be used for Dathumon's evolution!"
At that moment, Moste felt as if a storm was brewing inside him!
A panel appeared before his eyes.
[Essence of Darkness]
[Category: Shadow sys]
[Quality: Fine]
[Description: A shadow energy crystal born from a special area. It can be used as a primary material for the first and second evolutions of any Shadow sys monster card. Consuming it directly can slightly enhance the qualifications of a Shadow sys monster card and moderately improve its attributes.]
"My talent… I can even read the properties of evolution resources?"
Moste's eyes were wide with amazement.
You see, evolution resources don't normally have a property panel!
The most one could do was identify its name, but how to use the item to strengthen a monster card required specialized research.
This was one of the reasons why, despite global efforts to research them, the evolution paths of monster cards in Card Realm were still chaotic, and the failure rate of monster card evolutions was so high.
Currently, only a little over 130 evolution resources had their effects fully understood. For any other resources not among these 130, no one could be sure what the final outcome would be when they were used.
"My talent... lets me see through all the properties of evolution resources at a glance!"
Moste's mind was reeling with shock. As he looked at the Essence of Darkness Malite had just pulled out, his heart skipped a beat.
This appeared to be… one of the most precious evolution resources!
On one hand, the Essence of Darkness could be used for the evolution of any shadow attribute monster, which made it extremely valuable.
On the other hand, its Fine quality set it apart. For most monsters, the first or second evolution only required basic quality evolution resources.
Only monsters with immense potential needed high-quality evolution resources.
A Fine quality evolution resource far exceeded the requirements for early evolution of any Shadow sys monsters!
In other words, using the Essence of Darkness would most likely add special abilities and extra attributes to the monster card during evolution!
This item was incredibly rare!
"I bet Malite doesn't even realize the true value of the Essence of Darkness."
"He probably thinks it's just the basic evolution resource for Shadow sys monsters—Shadow Stone."
Moste was deep in thought.
Meanwhile, the other students still wore expressions of disdain.
"This evolution resource is good, but exchanging it for Moste's monster card is a bit much, isn't it?"
"Malite, really, he's getting more and more arrogant. Just because he got a head start, he's bullying others like this?"
...
They silently grumbled to themselves.
Even the instructor, Vainette, couldn't hold back from speaking up.
"Moste, you need to think this through. Capturing a monster card with good potential is no easy feat. No matter how good the resource is, it's still being used on a monster card!"
She tried to dissuade him.
However, since trading resources was a private matter between students, and Card Realm was a game, Vainette, as an instructor, could only offer advice, not interfere too forcefully.
The students around them, while silently grumbling internally, kept their mouths shut, maintaining silence.
They didn't want to offend either side.
Malite was a seasoned card apostle who had started early, and Moste had now obtained a rare monster card. It seemed likely that he wouldn't lead an ordinary life in the future either.
The students could only stay quiet.
Though their eyes all subtly communicated the same message to Moste:
Do not trade!
Before, there had been many who envied Moste, but as students of the same school, they still held onto a somewhat basic moral compass.
They felt that Malite was just bullying the weak.
Moste thought for a moment. He was planning to discuss it with Malite. Dathumon could definitely not be exchanged, but maybe later, he could find a monster with good potential in the cultivation zone and offer it in exchange for the Essence of Darkness.
Just then.
Malite had already stepped within three paces of Moste. His eyes narrowed as he opened the system panel and tapped a few buttons in mid-air.
In an instant. A string of blood-red characters flashed before Moste's eyes.
[You have received a forced challenge from player Malite! The challenge rule is that both players will be placed in a temporary arena, and only one can survive and leave. The loser will be forced to drop one item from their inventory.]
"Forced duel!?"
It wasn't just Moste who saw the prompt.
The many students around them also noticed the rapidly assembling semi-transparent arena.
One by one, they realized what was happening.
All their faces changed at once.
The forced duel was a system feature in Card Realm designed to resolve disputes between card apostles.
Once a duel was initiated, the opponent could not refuse. It was incredibly domineering.
However, one could only initiate a forced duel after completing some special tasks. Additionally, the range of the forced duel was limited—only units within a few meters of the initiator could be affected.
Thus, it was a rather useless system.
However, Malite had perfectly exploited the functionality of this system. His earlier pretense of wanting to trade cards and exchange resources was merely a cover to get closer to Moste!
Malite had no intention of actually giving Moste anything. Instead, he was planning to use sheer force to break the newly captured monster card that Moste had obtained!
The rule of a forced duel was that the loser would drop one item from their inventory upon death.
And the only item Moste had was that one monster card. It was guaranteed to drop!
As the semi-transparent arena gradually completed its construction.
Vainette angrily spoke up, "Malite, what are you doing? Are you crazy?"
At the same time, she looked to the white-tier staff for help.
"Sir, can you help my student avoid this duel?"
Vainette asked in a panic.
But the staff member could only shake his head helplessly.
"The forced duel is an absolute decree of the system. There's nothing I can do."
Upon hearing this, Vainette's face turned ashen.
On one hand, she resented her own inability to protect Moste; on the other, she hated herself for having taught a monster like Malite.
Some of the younger students, full of youthful indignation, couldn't help but curse out loud.
"Malite, you bastard! Stealing a classmate's monster card!"
"You're a lunatic! I'm reporting you!"
"Malite, have you lost your mind? You're stealing the initial monster card too?"
Earlier, many had tried to win Malite's favor, hoping that this skilled player would take them under his wing. But now, they weren't blindly supporting him anymore.
All the students were now showing clear disdain and hatred.
Having grown up in a school setting, they had never encountered the kind of shamelessness that one could see in the wider world.
However...
In the face of the verbal attacks, Malite remained unfazed, his expression as steady as a mountain.
He silently waited for the countdown to the forced duel to expire.
Seeing this, the students, who had gradually calmed down, couldn't help but glance at Moste with pity after their initial rage subsided.
"Sigh… this is just too unlucky for Moste."
"Is it just me, or does it feel like Moste's star and Card Realm just don't get along? His talent was poor from the start, and just when he finally caught a monster card, it gets taken away!"
"Moste is done for. If he loses this monster card, he'll never be able to collect and seal monster offspring again. There's no way he'll get lucky a second time, right?"
"He's about to lose his greatest opportunity to Malite..."
Everyone couldn't help but sigh. After all, they had been classmates for three years, and seeing Moste fall from heaven to hell in an instant, they couldn't help but feel pity and reluctance.
As for...
The outcome of the duel?
No one even considered that.
Malite had been roaming the Card Realm for a month already. As a level 10 player, with his Frost Falcon by his side, he could easily slay Moste and the newly captured monster card in an instant!
There was no need to even watch. Everyone already understood what the result would be.
Beep~ Beep~ Beep.
As the countdown for the forced duel reached zero...
Malite couldn't hold back his manic laughter.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"Finally, I've got my chance!"
Exchange resources?
Exchange monster cards?
Malite had never intended to do that from the start.
He wasn't like those sheltered flowers in the greenhouse. Malite had spent a month in Card Realm, and in that time, he'd experienced countless betrayals, countless backstabbing teammates.
Everyone would fight tooth and nail for even the smallest resources!
Now that he had the chance to obtain a rare monster card, how could he possibly care about so-called "classmate feelings"??
Besides...
"Moste, weren't you so fond of ignoring me earlier?"
"Now, I'll give you a lesson you'll never forget for the rest of your life."
Malite took out the monster card of Frost Falcon, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty gleam.