Side Story: GM’s Card (1)

Tower of the Rudera Labyrinth, 37th Floor

Duel City, Paraisos – A Guild House

“Borrowed coins should…”

Bang!

“You filthy worms should pay them back!”

“Hi-Hiiik…!”

A rough-looking man with a sporty haircut slammed his fist into the wall, causing a deafening crash.

Cracks snaked across the surface.

“But the interest exceeded the principal in just one week… How are we supposed to repay it…”

The guild master protested in despair.

“Then you shouldn’t have borrowed it in the first place. That’s the fearsome power of compound interest, rookie.”

The leader of Security Force—a rapidly expanding organization—grabbed the guild master by the collar and lifted him effortlessly.

“That’s not compound interest; that’s just extortion… Hiiik!”

As the boss raised his hand to strike the guild master, a sharp ding interrupted him.

– Warning –

– Physical contact beyond permissible limits has been detected.

– Harm between players is prohibited in Paraisos.

– You will face penalties if you do not disengage within five seconds.

The brutal message filled his vision.

The system’s enforcement was absolute.

Even the Sword Emperor, a legendary figure, had been captured for ignoring such warnings.
Although he had previously acted with impunity, the Sword Emperor was only recently released and now lived cautiously.

With a disgruntled look, the boss let the guild master go.

“A floor where disputes can only be settled through duels… What an annoying place.”

He had come to claim a hidden piece imbued with the GM’s divine power.

However, to someone who thrived on raw strength, the 37th-floor rules felt alien and oppressive.

“Even if I can’t lay a hand on you directly, don’t get any ideas. Sit tight and behave,” the boss growled, noticing the guild members stirring uneasily.

At that moment, one of his subordinates burst into the room, clutching a stack of cards.

“Boss! I found it!”

“What’s that?”

“It was hidden in the corner!”

As the guild members trembled in terror at the sight of the cards, the boss sneered.

“Let’s see.”

He flipped through the stack, his grin widening when he spotted something he liked.

“Oh, a rare card!”

He tucked the cards into his pocket and turned to leave.

“Alright, I’ll waive today’s interest. But make sure to pay up tomorrow.”

“Please, not the cards! Anything but the cards!”

“Our deck is more precious than our lives!”

“Get lost!”

The guild members desperately clung to him, only to be knocked aside by his subordinates.

“Ha ha ha! Even if direct violence is prohibited, this is legitimate enforcement of a contract. If you interfere, I can use force freely!”

Why had he chosen the tedious route of loan sharking rather than crushing the city by sheer power?

Why had he meticulously exploited loopholes within the system?

Other organizations before the Security Force had ignored Paraisos’ rules, only to be annihilated.

‘I won’t suffer the same fate.’

Through cunning and strategic expansion, he would claim Paraisos and seize the divine cards containing the GM’s power.

As he left the guild house, fingering his newly acquired rare card, a voice called out.

“Hey, you there.”

“Huh…?”

Behind him stood a well-dressed man, exuding an air of elegance.

“Who are you?”

“Duel me.”

The man produced a deck of cards from his coat.

“You’re challenging me? The pinnacle of the Security Force, the ruler of this city? Do you think I’d waste my time on this nonsense?”

“…For someone who crawled out of the gutter, you sure talk a lot.”

The boss chuckled darkly.

“Ah, I see. You must be the guy ambushing players at night and stealing their rare cards. The ‘Assassin in the Shadows,’ was it?”

Rumors had spread of a mysterious figure preying on players with high scores, robbing them of rare cards more valuable than life itself.

While many feared him, the boss thought differently.

‘If this guy has been hoarding rare cards, taking him down will catapult me to the top tier.’

“You’ve got guts. Did you think Paraisos’ no-violence rule would protect you?”

Koom!

“Boss, you called?”

“Is it him this time?”

At the boss’s signal, his subordinates swarmed in.

“My men are loyal enough to break city rules on my command, even if they face punishment. Crushing you here is child’s play.”

The man sighed as though bored.

“Even with the GM’s decree to settle disputes through duels, some still resort to barbarism.”

He raised his hand, and a vortex of immense magical energy surged around him.

“I only need you. The rest can disappear.”

Boom!

With a sweep of his hand, the boss’s subordinates vanished, transported elsewhere.

“Ma-Mass Teleportation!”

The sheer density of magic warped the surrounding space.

“A ranker!”

Rankers—elite players from the upper floors, their power rivaling entire armies.

‘Why is someone like that here…?’

The boss’s mind raced in panic.

“W-We must’ve misunderstood each other…”

He forced an awkward laugh, trying to diffuse the situation.

“I’m only here for a duel. I mean no harm.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I swear!”

Relieved, the boss relaxed slightly.

But his composure shattered when the man revealed a card.

“People call me the Rare Card Hunter.”

The boss’s eyes widened in horror as he recognized the card.

“That… That’s a divine card!”

“By the laws of Duel City Paraisos, I declare an Ante Rule. Do you accept it?”

“O-Of course! Ha ha! No backing out if I win!”

“I swear on the GM’s name: no action will be taken outside this duel.”

“Great! Let’s duel!”

The boss envisioned a bright future, imagining the divine power he’d gain from victory.

Shortly after…

“Aaaaaargh!”

The boss writhed on the ground, screaming in agony, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“What… What was that sound?”

The duel had ended, and with it, the boss’s dreams.

“Tyu-tya-tya-tya! Oo-tya-ya…”

The guild members, who had come out moments earlier to check on the situation, found their boss, who had stolen a card from them, drooling like a child.

Recently, a series of incidents had been occurring in which those exploiting system loopholes to dominate Paraiso were reduced to a babbling state.

It seemed the same fate had befallen the boss before them.

“Ah! Found it—our card!”

The guild members picked up the card, realizing that the contract had been nullified due to their boss’s condition, allowing them to retrieve it systemically.

“Thank you… whoever you are,” one thought.

Meanwhile, the one they ought to thank stood elsewhere.

“I thought you had some trick up your sleeve, behaving like a thunderstruck fool… but this is all?”

The duelist grimaced, snapping the rare card they had seized through anti-rule regulations in half.

“Haah… It seems today’s hunt was fruitless again. Just thinking about it saps all my energy. I need to show the results to my Master…”

Bzzt!

The sound of an alert snapped Daidalos to attention.

She sprang up and answered the call respectfully.

“Yes, Master?”

A pure, sacred voice, as light and innocent as a child’s, came from the other end of the line.

“-My dear Daidalos, how’s the mission going?”

“As per your orders, I am hunting down prominent players.”

“-Really? Did you find the Divine Card?”

“Well… that is…”

She had not only failed to obtain another Divine Card but had not even uncovered a lead.

“My deepest apologies, Master. I am truly sorry…”

“-Still nothing? Hmm…”

Master was merciful. After all, it was the Master who had saved her from becoming a slave to that crazed skeleton and taken her in as a subordinate.

On top of that, the Master had entrusted her with a Divine Card imbued with their divine power.

Yet, even with such a magnificent card in her possession, all she had accomplished was hunting down a handful of crude rare cards.

She had no excuses.

“-Hmph… well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Even in acknowledging her incompetence, Master’s understanding left her in awe.

How adorable and benevolent the Master was!

“-Daidalos, I trust you. You must get both Father’s and Mother’s Cards for me, understood?”

“Yes, Master! I swear upon my loyalty, I will retrieve the Divine Cards for you!”

Beep!

“…”

“…Taking your time, Daidalos,” murmured Dua.

She flopped onto a giant doll.

The city of Paraiso, located on the 37th floor, had been created solely for the card game mini-game released as part of Father’s recent content.

It was like any other game from Father, featuring titles and other rewards, with summonable entities that materialized as vividly as reality.

The game had gained immense popularity, but things truly exploded when an announcement was made:

[The GM declares: Anyone who collects all three Divine Cards shall have their wish granted.]

Albus had introduced three special cards with divine power for the Duel City Tournament to increase its allure.

Rumors spread that collecting these cards would grant the winner a wish from Father.

Players from all across the continent flocked to the city, and Dua had also dispatched her subordinates.

Among them was Daidalos, a rare card hunter.

Unlike the others, her unparalleled talent for card games led Dua to entrust her with one of her own Divine Cards.

“Looks like there’s no other choice. I’ll have to capture them in the finals.”

In just a few days, the preliminaries scattered throughout the city would conclude, and the final tournament would begin.

There, she planned to defeat the other players and secure Father’s Card.

“Father’s wish… will be mine.” 

Dua whispered with determination.