“Is this all you prepared? You think one goblin can stop my attack?”

Even though Sallya hated the minion Simon had summoned, she still kept her earlier promise. She had no intention of attacking before he was ready.

Still, with the sword light gleaming along the blade of the Apprentice Radiant Knight, everyone present could tell her patience was almost gone.

“If you’re going to attack, then come at me already. You won’t get another chance later.”

Simon pointed at his minion and added the effect he hadn’t mentioned earlier. “Goblin Centurion’s effect. As long as he’s on the field, the summon cost of all my goblin minions is reduced by one.”

Neither Sallya nor Tidris reacted much after hearing that effect. Only Liszt let out a soft “Huh?”

“Next, the second card. I summon Goblin Prophet.”

Goblin Prophet ★★★ (3-Star) Grade C

Goblin 1/4

A second goblin appeared on the field, old and frail, carrying a banner covered in bizarre scribbles.

Simon had already used up half his mana crystals, yet all he had summoned were two severely underbuilt goblins. Seeing that, Sallya suddenly felt a surge of anger, like she was being looked down on.

“Another goblin?”

Simon spread his hands. “That’s right. I can give you a little preview too. Every minion in my deck is a goblin.”

He looked at the goblins on the field and couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

This opening hand was so smooth, it was like the cards had been glued in place.

“Such weak minions. It does suit your cowardly nature.”

Sallya had already run out of patience. Seeing that Simon had no follow-up for the moment, she closed her eyes and asked one last time.

“Are you ready? Just one more goblin?”

“Look carefully. It’s not just one more.”

Simon lowered his body and placed his hand on the back of a card.

But this time, it wasn’t a card in his hand.

It was the top card of his deck.

“As long as Goblin Prophet is on the field, I can check the top card of my deck at any time, and summon goblin-race minions directly from the top of my deck!”

“What?!”

Sallya’s eyes snapped open. Even Liszt stood up in shock.

Sallya had never heard of an effect like this before, but she instantly realized how terrifying it was.

“Apprentice Radiant Knight, destroy that Prophet at once!”

“Too late. I summon Goblin Scout, Goblin Spearman, Savage Goblin, and Hammer-Swinging Goblin!”

Simon flicked cards off the top of his deck one after another.

Goblin Scout ★

Goblin Spearman ★

Savage Goblin ★

Hammer-Swinging Goblin ★

In an instant, the duel field was overrun by short, green-skinned creatures.

They were only one-star minions. Some held stone hammers. Some carried crudely polished spears. Without exception, they were all very weak.

But when they gathered together, the battle cries they let out were enough to make even Sallya’s knight halt its charge.

Back in Simon’s previous life, a famous card designer had once said:

“Zero-cost is a dangerous design.”

Simon agreed deeply, and he was fully prepared to take that idea even further in this other world.

After Goblin Centurion’s cost reduction, Simon no longer needed to spend any cost to summon them. That was why he could so recklessly flood the duel field with goblins.

Watching minions keep jumping out of Simon’s deck while his mana crystals didn’t decrease at all, Sallya grew more and more irritated.

There were almost as many goblins on the field as in a real goblin nest.

She had to deal with Goblin Prophet first!

As long as that goblin stayed on the field, Simon was basically dueling her with his whole deck in hand.

Sallya quickly steadied herself and cast a spell from her hand.

“Hope’s Light! It can be used while Sister Sara is on the field, and it deals 5 damage to Goblin Prophet!”

Hope’s Light ★★ (2-Star) Grade C

It was a spell card with a usage restriction, but in exchange, its damage was far higher than other spells of the same grade.

Sister Sara gripped the cross hanging at her chest, then raised it and aimed it at Goblin Prophet.

A blazing ray of light shot out from the cross and swept across the duel field.

Just when everyone thought Goblin Prophet was about to be hit, a cannon-like boom suddenly rang out from behind Simon. A goblin tied to a rock flew out from behind him.

That goblin shrieked all the way as it flew toward Goblin Prophet. In the end, it didn’t even get to scream before colliding with Hope’s Light and turning to ash.

Sallya stared at this scene, absurd like some farce, and her mind had already turned into a mess.

“Sacrificial Goblin. When a goblin on the field becomes the target of a spell or minion effect, it can be summoned in response and become the new target.”

Since this was a display of skill, not a life-or-death duel, Simon didn’t take the chance to attack. He also didn’t continue summoning minions.

He watched the minion card representing Sacrificial Goblin dissolve into light in his hand, then softly explained its effect to Sallya.

“Summoned in response?”

Sallya repeated those words and recalled what she had learned at the association.

Normally, minions couldn’t be summoned before a spell took effect. By the moment you saw the spell card activated, it was already too late to summon one.

But minions with response summon were different. As long as the spell effect hadn’t fully resolved, they could still be summoned after the fact and arrive first.

Sallya quickly remembered how the effect worked, but now she was even more confused.

If she remembered correctly, every Grade B Cardmaker had described this effect with the same evaluation:

“Meaningless.”

A heavy thump pulled Sallya back to reality. Liszt was standing straight at the edge of the field, striking the ground with his cane.

“Sallya, leave the thinking for later. The duel is still going on!”

His voice was low and stern. Simon had never heard him speak like that before.

“Yes, Grandfather!”

Sallya was startled too.

She looked at Simon and bit her lip hard. “Let’s continue. I... I don’t need you holding back.”

Without realizing it, Sallya had already acknowledged Simon’s strength.

Simon laughed. “You waited for me earlier too. Now we’re even.”

The duel continued, but before long, the situation became completely one-sided.

“Everyone, prioritize attacking Sister Sara!”

Aside from the Centurion and the Prophet, the goblin army surged forward and completely surrounded Sister Sara.

Sallya bit her thumb, then finally gave the order in frustration. “Apprentice Radiant Knight, protect the sister.”

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered sending the knight straight through to kill the Prophet and the Centurion, trading blows with Simon.

But Simon had just sent one wave of goblins to attack, and in the blink of an eye, he summoned another wave to block the knight’s path.

Sallya had no choice. She could only do her best to keep her own minions alive first.

“I cast Sara’s Blessing, increasing Sister Sara’s attack and health by 3 each.”

Most of her spells were focused on buffing allies. Under the spell’s enhancement, the black-robed sister and the female knight reached astonishing stats.

But Simon remained perfectly calm.

What a joke. He knew better than anyone how weak his goblins were.

They were all one-star minions. Before buffs, they died in one hit anyway. Even with more attack, it barely mattered.

Sure enough, the two buffed minions didn’t last long. Before long, wave after wave of goblins chipped away their health until it was completely gone.

“Ready to accept defeat?”

Left all alone, Sallya looked at the goblins closing in around her, and a trace of tears welled up in her eyes.

“Don’t come any closer!!”