Chapter 79: Alchemy Class
Chapter 79: Alchemy Class
Kobayashi Youki kept his head down the entire day.
He woke up early in the morning to avoid the peak hours in the dormitory and skipped the cafeteria for lunch, opting for bread from the convenience store instead. He even wore a hoodie to class, keeping his head down as he blended in with the largest group of students on their way to the classroom. As soon as the class ended, he bolted with his head down.
The reason for his behavior was none other than his new opponent for the dormitory exchange match - the man known as "that man."
A legendary figure, he had earned the undisputed title of "Overlord" within the Yellow Dormitory in just one short week. He was also the one person that almost everyone in the dormitory hoped to never face in a match.
Matching with others might result in losing a duel and missing out on a few credits, but this guy was different. It was said that after dueling with him, one might stay awake for an entire night, and in more severe cases, their passion for dueling could be snuffed out completely, leading to thoughts like, "Maybe dueling isn't for me. I should just go back to my old job."
So, when students found out that their next opponent was this man, they would immediately wear a mournful expression. And when others in the dormitory saw that look, they would guess what had happened, offering a pat on the shoulder and words of consolation, encouraging their peers to stay strong.
Youki felt that he had managed to avoid the terrifying overlord perfectly all day. Although he knew that hiding like this was only a temporary solution, it was a natural instinct when facing such a formidable foe. One could only take things one step at a time.
At least it seemed that he had made it through the day safely.
Finally, after a long day, Youki's tense nerves relaxed, and he prepared to return to his dormitory for a hot shower and some TV time to unwind.
Then, he froze.
Leaning against the staircase that Youki had to pass to get to his room was the Overlord, smiling brightly and waving at him.
"You're Youki, right?" Yu Xuan asked cheerfully. "Did you forget that we have a duel?"
Youki wanted to cry. He wanted to say that he wasn't the one, but the duel disk was already activated.
"Don't worry, it won't take long," Yu Xuan said with a smile. "Come on."
Youki: "..."
"..."
"'Dimensional Prison', send your monster to another dimension!"
"Submarine Machine directly attacks!"
"Twin-Bike Machine direct attack!"
"..."
Yu Xuan hadn't lied; it did end quickly.
Ten minutes later, Youki lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes vacant and his expression dazed, looking like he had been thoroughly worn out. The impact of his fall seemed to have caused his deck to spill out of the duel disk, scattering cards everywhere.
Passersby who didn't know the context might have thought they had just witnessed a dark duel.
Yet another soul sent to the netherworld. JPG (Malik Limited Edition)
"Ah~ One more duel before bed, nice and relaxing."
Yu Xuan stretched lazily and politely bid his dueling partner farewell.
"It was a good duel. Good night, Youki, sweet dreams."
Youki: "..."
Dormitory Head Professor Kawamura, who happened to be passing by, witnessed this scene and struggled for a long time to find the right words. In the end, he remained silent.
Initially, he had organized this competition to foster friendly exchanges and help the freshmen get to know each other better.
But now, it seemed that at this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if they all became "too familiar" with each other.
Yet, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
".”
In the second week, a new class appeared on the schedule, and it was one that Yu Xuan was particularly interested in.
Alchemy.
To be honest, the first things that came to mind when he heard this word were terms like "human transmutation" and "equivalent exchange" from a certain famous alchemical anime. However, alchemy also existed in the world of Duel Monsters.
The teacher in charge of the alchemy class was none other than the head of Osiris Red Dormitory, Professor Daigo.
Initially, he seemed like the most useless and laid-back teacher in the entire academy, always appearing timid and weak. But in the Arc of the Three Phantom Demons, it was discovered that he was actually a hidden boss. Some netizens who analyzed the plot even speculated that if he hadn't intentionally held back to cultivate Judai, the young duelist wouldn't have stood a chance against him in their early encounters.
Of course, these were just speculations without concrete evidence, but there was no doubt that Professor Daigo was one of the strongest hidden characters.
His mastery of alchemy was also fantastical. According to the background setting, he had already been afflicted with an incurable disease, and it was only by using a forbidden technique similar to "human transmutation" that he created a new body shell and transferred his soul into it, thus prolonging his life.
Even after his body crumbled to dust following his loss to Judai in a Shadow Game, his soul persisted, and he was swallowed by a cat he had been caring for. Until the end of GX, he remained by Judai's side, a pivotal teacher and friend throughout his life.
However, Yu Xuan was more focused on alchemy itself. Although other students thought of this teacher as a slacker, Yu Xuan was well aware that he was a powerhouse.
There were rumors that alchemy could grant one the power of eternal life, and within the context of the Duel Monsters world, it was easy to imagine that everything was somehow connected to dueling. Alchemy also seemed to delve into the realm of card creation.
The most impressive card that Professor Daigo had created in the original story was the "Philosopher's Stone," which he entrusted to Judai before his body's demise. This card allowed one to pay half of their life points to add any card from their deck to their hand, and it could be used up to three times in a row without limitation.
Unlimited searches and a one-to-three exchange—it was essentially an overpowered cheat that guaranteed victory in a duel, with the only drawback being that it could only be used once per duel and would be useless afterward.
But the existence of this card was enough to prove the value of alchemy.
Thus, Yu Xuan paid extra attention during this class. While most of the classroom dozed off, he remained focused, taking notes on every word that Professor Daigo said, intentional or otherwise.
As a class in a dueling academy, alchemy was already a niche subject, and it seemed that Professor Daigo had rarely encountered a student as attentive as Yu Xuan. As the class neared its end, he couldn't help but glance over at Yu Xuan a couple of times.
Yu Xuan noticed this and returned the professor's gaze with a warm and sunny smile.
Professor Daigo was taken aback for a moment before quickly regaining his usual dopey expression and smiling back at Yu Xuan.
As the dismissal bell rang, Professor Daigo narrowed his eyes, packed up his teaching materials, and left the classroom with his cat in his arms.
The student's name, if he recalled correctly, was Fujiki Youki.
He would remember this student.
A student with such a sunny smile must be a fine young man.
(End of Chapter)
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