I'm not! I didn't! Don't make things up!
Sheng Ning immediately took three steps back, shaking her head so fast it almost blurred.
The last time she'd dueled Mu Ning, it was already mental torture. And that was what You Ye had just called the 'light-side' version of Runick.
The 'dark-side' version? Just hearing the name sounded like trauma waiting to happen.
No way she was volunteering for that.
"Alright then," You Ye said with slight disappointment, then turned his gaze to Mu Ning. There was a flicker of expectation in his eyes.
Mu Ning had accepted her loss so straightforwardly — clearly, the cards themselves weren't the problem. The real question was whether the archetype field could be shared.
If it could… then perhaps a Runick–Tearlaments fusion deck wasn't impossible?
Mu Ning caught the look in his eyes and immediately understood what he meant.
When he had summoned Kshatri-La Unicorn, she'd already decided to give him access to her archetype.
But after seeing how overwhelmingly he performed, a new thought crossed her mind.
She met his gaze seriously.
"You Ye, if it's possible," she said slowly, "I want you to keep using our Runick archetype. At least, make it your main core. I have this feeling… that if it's you, you could take the Runick field to heights we can't even imagine."
"As a return gift, I'll go back to the Spirit Realm and speak with Hugin. I'll ask her to give you the remaining half of the Runick cards. At most, it'll take a year—maybe less—and then you'll be able to use the entire Runick set completely."
"If I refuse… will you still give me the archetype?"
You Ye frowned slightly.
Runick was strong, yes, but compared to his own archetype — Tearlaments — it was nowhere close.
Giving up his Tearlaments for Runick would be like trading gold for gravel.
But missing the chance entirely would be a pity too.
He'd been in this world for ten years, and he still didn't have a full Deck.
Sure, that was partly because he refused to play anything but "meta" archetypes… but facts were facts.
If he could get Runick cards now, it was worth fighting for.
Mu Ning sighed softly at his question — she understood perfectly.
That tone meant he had chosen his own archetype, not hers.
"Yes, I can still give it to you," she said, "but it'll be incomplete. For example, the Field Spell — the heart of the deck — you'd only get one copy. The stronger Quick-Play Spells, maybe one or two each. And you'd only have a few of the Runick monsters. That would heavily weaken the overall performance of the deck."
"Oh, I see. That's fine then."
You Ye let out a small breath of relief.
From what she said, it sounded like what he'd be getting was roughly the equivalent of a semi-limited Runick deck from before he crossed worlds — the kind of restriction used in old Master Duel banlists.
It wasn't perfect, but workable.
After all, the opponents he faced right now weren't that strong anyway.
And besides… combining Runick with Tearlaments might be awkward, but not without merit.
"You know, You Ye, that kind of hurts to hear," Mu Ning said, puffing out her cheeks in mock anger.
"My Runick archetype isn't weak! In Master Duel, even with a half-built Runick, I've reached Master Tier. Some of your human top-tier duelists can't even beat me."
"Alright, alright, I know~" You Ye said with a small smile, like soothing a child.
"I am not a child!" Mu Ning protested, baling her tiny fists and glaring.
Her expression was adorable, but her words carried an actual threat — if he kept teasing, she might demonstrate Runick Fists of Fury firsthand.
"You're right," he said seriously, eyes glancing over her shapely figure. "Definitely not a child."
"Hands out, palm up. I'm giving you the archetype."
Mu Ning stomped her foot, face flushing — not because of his words, but because he had looked at her so earnestly.
No lewdness, no teasing — just pure appreciation.
She was, after all, one of the most beautiful of the Runick spirits — even in the Spirit Realm, she had countless admirers.
You Ye's complete lack of ulterior motives was… baffling.
"Alright."
He stopped teasing and extended his hand, palm up.
Mu Ning composed herself again, placing both her hands gently atop his.
Dark wings unfurled from her back, and behind her, the Runick Fountain and other Runick spirit projections shimmered into view, surrounding You Ye in a circle of glowing sigils.
A faint blue light rippled outward.
"Let the Great Duel Rule bear witness," Mu Ning intoned solemnly.
"In the name of Mu Ning, Wing of Runick, from this moment forth, I hereby share the Runick Archetype with the human You Ye.
As long as he does not abandon us, the Runick shall be his left arm and right hand — weapons that strike down all who oppose him."
The moment her voice fell, You Ye felt a refreshing coolness flow through his palm — like drops of spring water falling onto skin.
He glanced down.
A fresh stack of Duel Cards had appeared in his hand.
At the same time, he felt a subtle connection forming between himself and Mu Ning.
He couldn't help smiling as he began to look through the cards.
Runick Fountain — one copy.
Runick Destruction, Runick Freezing Curses, Runick Flashing Fire — two each.
Others were mostly full sets of three.
Extra Deck: Hugin the Runick Wings – 1; Munin, Gary, and the rest – two each.
Not perfect, but enough to function.
"Congratulations, senior, on obtaining the Runick archetype," Sheng Ning said with a bright smile.
"If you ever need additional cards or other assistance, you can contact me directly. The Bureau Chief gave me full authority to help you."
"Oh? Can your Investigation Bureau share cards externally?" You Ye raised an eyebrow.
That was surprising — in this world, families and organizations hoarded their card pools tightly. For the Bureau to offer cards to an outsider…
Sheng Ning coughed lightly. "Ahem, not exactly for free. The Bureau can sell you cards at a 30% discount. If you help us update our Ancient Gear build, it'll be 50% off.
And… if you officially join us, then— we'll give them to you outright."
She quickly added the final line with a sheepish grin, showing him her tablet with the card catalog.
"I see. Let me take a look first," You Ye said, taking the tablet.
It was clear what this was — a recruitment pitch.
Still, a 30–50% discount was no small favor. He'd be a fool not to at least browse.
An hour later…
"Hiss~ Messenger of Peace? Different Dimension Ground? Solemn Judgment? Glow-Up Bulb? Foolish Burial Goods? Upstart Goblin?!"
The more he scrolled, the wider his eyes grew.
Most of the list was junk — filler cards, common trash — but then came those few shining gems.
Finally! His Tearlaments deck was getting some solid upgrades.
And beyond that… a new deck idea was already forming in his mind.
Tearlaments Runick: ×
Sticker Runick: √
It wasn't that he wanted to play "Sticker Runick" — it was that he literally had no other choice.
Still, he believed the duelists of this world would understand him…
And he'd make sure they smiled when they saw what he could do.