Bonus Chapter
Winter was approaching.
In Los Angeles, that did not mean blizzards or frozen roads. The city rarely saw snow, and when it did, people treated it as a once-in-a-generation spectacle. Instead, winter arrived quietly. The mornings grew cooler. The sun appeared less often. Grey clouds lingered over the skyline, and rain visited with increasing frequency.
Today was one of those days.
Beyond the classroom windows, a steady drizzle traced countless paths across the glass. The distant hills were veiled in mist, and the usual California brightness had been replaced by a muted, silver-grey light. The rhythmic patter of rain against the building created a surprisingly soothing backdrop to the mathematics lecture.
For most of the students, however, the atmosphere was anything but relaxing as mid-term exams were approaching.
The change was visible throughout the school. Study groups had begun occupying every available table during breaks. The library, normally half-empty, was now crowded well into the evening. Conversations that once revolved around hobbies, sports, or Duel Monsters increasingly drifted toward grades, revision schedules, and the difficulty of upcoming tests.
Even the students who usually carried themselves with effortless confidence seemed a little more tense, but Alexander was not among them.
Seated near the window, he rested his chin on one hand while the teacher explained a series of mathematical proofs he had mastered months earlier. His notebook contained neat, complete solutions long before the lesson reached them.
Not that he blamed the teacher. Most of the class still needed the explanation, but he simply wasn't one of them.
His attention drifted toward the rain-streaked window. The combination of rainfall and the teacher's steady voice was oddly calming. For a moment, he almost forgot he was in class at all.
A sudden rustling nearby drew his attention. Several rows ahead, a student was furiously copying notes, his expression growing more desperate with every passing minute. Alexander almost felt sorry for him.
Then the bell rang.
The transformation was immediate. Chairs scraped against the floor, conversations erupted across the room, and the tension that had dominated the lesson dissolved as students hurried toward lunch.
Alexander packed his books and headed for the door.
He made it exactly three steps into the hallway before someone called his name.
"Hey, Alexander!"
He turned with practised patience. A sophomore from the Chess club jogged over, holding a deck box before he asked, "Do you think Mystical Elf is still worth running in a defensive deck?"
Alexander considered the question for a moment before offering a brief answer. The student thanked him enthusiastically and hurried away.
Alexander resumed walking, but once again.
"Alexander!"
Another interruption. This time it was a student from the business elective, eager to ask about Industrial Illusions' latest expansion set.
Then another student stopped him to discuss tournament rules, then another simply wanted to say hello.
By now, Alexander had become accustomed to it. His reputation as both a top student and the public face of Industrial Illusions made him unusually recognisable. Some students wanted advice. Others wanted insider information. A few merely enjoyed the novelty of speaking with him. And some others simply wanted to ask him for his notes as usual.
He answered politely when appropriate, deflected when necessary, and escaped whenever possible.
Even so, by the time he finally reached the cafeteria, he was several minutes late.
Chuck and Ginny were already seated at their usual table.
The moment Alexander sat down, Chuck pointed dramatically at him and said, "You're late."
Alexander set his lunch on the table and explained, "I was delayed."
"By your adoring fans?"
He sighed and pleaded dramatically, "Please don't start."
Ginny laughed. "Honestly, he's not wrong. Half the school seems to know your schedule by heart at this point."
"That's a terrifying thought."
Chuck grinned and commented, clearly enjoying his misery, "Fame comes at a price."
"I'm beginning to suspect the price is my lunch break."
The three settled into comfortable conversation as they ate. They discussed classes, teachers, and the increasingly frantic atmosphere surrounding mid-term exams.
Eventually Ginny asked, "So, are either of you actually worried about the exams?"
Chuck shook his head immediately and replied, "Nope."
Alexander did the same, "Not particularly."
Ginny nodded, "Good. I'm glad I'm not the only one."
They exchanged amused looks before laughing.
There was no arrogance in it. The three of them consistently ranked among the best students in their year. The exams would require effort, certainly, but none of them expected disaster.
The conversation drifted to lighter topics until Chuck suddenly adopted a suspiciously casual tone, "So..."
Alexander narrowed his eyes, dreading what absurd idea was his friend's mind cooking, "What?"
Chuck leaned back in his chair and asked, "Want to watch The Godfather Part III after Christmas?"
Alexander blinked and replied, "Sure, I guess."
"Great. It'll be a good opportunity to introduce someone."
Alexander paused and asked, "Introduce who?"
Chuck's grin widened, "My girlfriend."
For three full seconds, the world seemed to stop, then, ""YOUR WHAT?!""
Alexander and Ginny shouted in perfect unison, and several nearby students jumped, one even nearly dropped his tray.
Chuck looked immensely satisfied with himself, watching his friend's reaction.
"You have a girlfriend?" Ginny demanded.
"Since when?" Alexander added.
"Recently."
Neither of them looked remotely convinced.
Alexander pointed accusingly, "You never mentioned this."
"Not once," Ginny agreed.
Chuck shrugged his shoulders and said, "It never came up."
The deadpan stares he received suggested otherwise, but he ignored them completely before he said, "I met her during the Grand Prix."
Alexander blinked. Ginny blinked.
"I thought she was cute," Chuck continued matter-of-factly. "So I asked her out."
He paused for effect before he added, "Being this handsome and the second-best duelist in the world probably helped."
Silence.
Alexander stared at him. Ginny stared at him. Chuck remained perfectly serious and unapologetic.
Finally Alexander said, "That is absolutely not why she said yes."
"You don't know that."
"I'm willing to bet money on it."
"I'll take that bet!"
Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe that line actually worked."
Chuck pointed triumphantly. "See?"
"That's not what I meant."
For the next several minutes, Alexander and Ginny interrogated him relentlessly.
"What's her name?"
"Julia."
"How old is she?"
"16."
"Where does she study?"
"She is a sophomore at East Angeles High School."
"How long have you been dating?"
"Officially? A couple of days."
Chuck answered with increasing smugness, clearly enjoying their disbelief.
By the end of lunch, both Alexander and Ginny had accepted the movie invitation partly because they were genuinely happy for their friend but mostly because they wanted proof that this mysterious girlfriend actually existed.
The remainder of the school day passed uneventfully. Classes resumed, notes were taken, questions were answered, and the steady rain continued outside.
After school, the three met again at the Chess Club, but calling it a chess club had become increasingly inaccurate.
Several tables still hosted traditional chess matches, their players bent over the boards in intense concentration. But other tables were occupied by Duel Monsters duels, deck discussions, and strategy debates. The two games coexisted surprisingly well.
Some students alternated between chess and duelling. Others specialised in one. A few attempted both and discovered that the strategic skills transferred more often than expected.
Even the club adviser admitted that playing Duel Monsters helped with chess by training the brain in strategic thinking, sequencing, and resource management, but warned that the skills were largely transferable rather than identical.
Both games require the player to map out future turns. Just as one predicts their opponent's chess moves, one must anticipate and play around the opponent's traps or backrow cards.
The room buzzed with energy throughout the afternoon.
Alexander spent some time playing chess against a freshman who nearly managed an upset. He watched a particularly dramatic Duel Monsters match that ended with a top-decked Gaia the Fierce Knight. He even joined a discussion about tournament rulings that had somehow evolved into an argument about probability theory.
Mostly, though, he simply enjoyed the atmosphere.
For all the pressure surrounding school, the club remained a place where people gathered because they genuinely wanted to be there.
Eventually the sun began to set behind the rain clouds, and students started packing up.
Club activities ended and the day drew to a close.
Outside the school gates, Chuck headed toward his car with a cheerful wave.
"Don't forget," he called. "After Christmas."
"We'll be there," Ginny replied.
She and Alexander then approached Roland's waiting vehicle, as they did every afternoon.
Roland greeted them with his usual professional nod. The drive began shortly afterwards.
Ginny was dropped off first. Alexander and Roland waited until she safely entered her home before continuing on.
Once they were alone, Roland glanced into the rearview mirror and asked, "Research today, Master Alexander?"
"Research today," Alexander confirmed.
The butler accepted the answer without question. Over the past several days, this had become a familiar routine.
Hobby stores. Local tournaments. Community centres. Playgrounds. Anywhere Duel Monsters players gathered.
A few minutes later, Alexander began changing in the back seat. School uniform off. Casual clothes on. A baseball cap and thick cosmetic, Clark Kent glasses completed the disguise.
It was not an especially sophisticated disguise, yet somehow, it worked.
As he changed, his thoughts drifted to the truth behind these excursions.
Roland believed they were market research trips. That wasn't entirely false.
Alexander genuinely learned valuable information: which cards were popular, what players complained about, which strategies were emerging, but that was no longer the primary reason.
His mind returned to the demon in the restroom. To the suffocating helplessness he had felt in that moment. To the realisation that wealth, fame, and influence meant very little against a supernatural threat.
It was a stark reminder of truly what kind of world he actually lived in.
Industrial Illusions was growing, his resources were growing, his reputation was growing, but none of it mattered if he lacked the power to protect himself.
The memory hardened his resolve.
He needed Duel Energy, he needed Duel Points, and he needed to be able to manifest stronger Duel Spirits when, not if, this "marvellous" world wanted to once again bare its fang at him.
Success was useful, but power was necessary to ensure his survival and the safety of his friends and family.
The vehicle arrived at a neighbourhood playground where a dozen children and teenagers had gathered beneath a covered pavilion to escape the rain.
Duel Monsters cards moved constantly from hand to hand. Trades were negotiated with intense seriousness. Challenges were issued. Victories were celebrated loudly. Defeats were lamented dramatically.
Alexander joined the group naturally.
Nobody recognised him, nobody suspected anything to them; he was simply another teenager looking for a duel.
His first opponent was an enthusiastic middle-school student running a Warrior deck. The duel was quick but entertaining. Alexander won, offered a few strategic suggestions, and moved on.
Then came a teenager with a surprisingly well-constructed Dragon deck which was clearly inspired by Chuck's own deck.
Then a pair of brothers who insisted on taking turns challenging him.
Hours passed far more quickly than he expected. The rain gradually eased, though the sky remained dark and overcast.
By the time he finally returned to Roland's car, evening had settled over the city.
The drive home was quiet.
Once there, Alexander followed his usual routine. Exercise. Dinner with Roland. Homework. A brief review of the next day's lessons. Then, at last, he retreated to his study.
He closed the door behind him and summoned the YGO System's interface.
[Ding!]
____________________________________
User Identified: Alexander Maximillion Jones
System Type: Duel Interface
Primary Functions:
• Resource Management
• Card Database
• Card Manifestation Authorisation
• YGO System Shop Access
Resources Identified:
1. Duel Energy (DE)
• Generated through duels involving the user.
• Output increases with emotional and cognitive intensity.
• Used for manifestation and high-output actions.
• Current DE: 244
2. Duel Points (DP)
• Acquired through victory in duels.
• Used for system transactions and upgrades.
• Current DP: 101
__________________________________________
A small smile appeared on his face while he thought, 'The increase isn't enormous, but it is progress and, more importantly, it is constant. And in a world where demons, gods, and cosmic entities existed, progress matters no matter what form it takes.'
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter