Chapter 80: The Dueling Club
Chapter 80: The Dueling Club
In the office of Professor Kronos, sunlight streamed gently through the windows, casting a warm, golden hue over the entire space. The greenery by the window thrived in the sunlight, their leaves shimmering with a crystalline glow.
To be honest, You Xuan was quite surprised when he was first summoned by Professor Kronos to his office for afternoon tea. He thought his grades had been consistently good, and he couldn't recall offending the professor in any way to deserve this kind of special treatment usually reserved for underperforming students.
However, he soon realized he had overthought it.
"You Xuan, it's been two weeks since you enrolled. How are you settling into your accommodations?" The professor seemed intent on projecting a benevolent and gentle image, smiling warmly in the sunlight. Unfortunately, his distinct features made it difficult, and he still resembled the Greed Jar, albeit with a more sinister smile.
"It's been great, Professor," You Xuan replied with a smile.
"Well, my classmates seem to be a little uncomfortable with my presence."
"That's wonderful, my boy," Professor Kronos said amicably. "If there's anything you're having difficulty adjusting to, please don't hesitate to let me know. Feel free to reach out to me regarding any issues, whether they pertain to your studies or your life here at school."
Objectively speaking, You Xuan had formed a fairly positive impression of the professor so far. In the past two weeks, a portion of the credits he had earned quickly was also thanks to Professor Kronos. The professor often gave him opportunities to answer questions and demonstrate in class, and whenever his performance was exceptional, he was rewarded with extra credits.
However, this stood in stark contrast to Yu Cheng Shidai, whose already meager credits had been depleted within the same two-week period. The reasons for the deductions included, but were not limited to, truancy, sleeping in class, snoring in the front row, and failing pop quizzes. Moreover, You Xuan suspected that a large portion of those deductions were inflicted by Professor Kronos himself, fueled by some personal grudge.
Perhaps even when it came to sleeping in class, Shidai would be perceived as "always sleeping during class," while a model student like You Xuan would automatically be viewed as "so diligent that even when sleeping, he's still attending class."
"I've already enrolled you in the school's gifted program, and the principal has approved it," Professor Kronos said, beaming. "As long as you maintain a score of ninety or above in all subjects, you'll receive additional credit points every month.
Furthermore, even though you're currently in Ra-Yellow, joining this program will automatically elevate your priority for card purchases within the school to the same level as Obelisk Blue students.
Well, with your academic performance, You Xuan, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you ascend to Obelisk Blue!"
"Thank you, Professor," You Xuan said.
As he spoke, something suddenly occurred to him.
"Oh, speaking of which, I do have a question."
"Oh? Go ahead, my boy, don't hesitate to ask," Professor Kronos said, his fingers intertwined and his chin resting on them, his smile resembling the jar even more.
You Xuan did his best to push the jar resemblance out of his mind. "It's just that there are some cards I've been eyeing, but I haven't been able to find them at the Academy sector. I was wondering if you might have access to alternative sources."
"Well..."
Professor Kronos hesitated.
"You can give me a list of the cards you're looking for, and I'll see what I can do. However, don't get your hopes up too high. Even teachers typically acquire cards through the Academy sector. If a card isn't available there, it's highly unlikely to be found through any other means."
"I see," You Xuan nodded.
That made sense. If there were alternative sources that made it easier to obtain rare cards than the Dueling Academy, people wouldn't be scrambling to get in.
"However, it seems that the school clubs will be starting their recruitment drives soon.
What did rare cards have to do with student clubs?
"Oh, you're new here, so you might not know this yet. Many student clubs have their own card inventories, you know." Professor Kronos explained with a smile, "Club inventories are often used as prizes for activities or as perks to attract new members.
Some of these include out-of-print and hard-to-find cards, as well as those that are less common in the Academy's inventory, and even some obscure cards that are only useful for specific decks."
By this point, You Xuan was intrigued.
So, some of the rare cards that had disappeared from the Academy might have been snapped up by student clubs. If he joined a particular club, he might not only have a chance to get his hands on them but also possibly get them for free.
"Student clubs are allocated funds and credit points, so participating in club activities also provides an opportunity to earn extra credits."
Professor Kronos paused in thought.
"If I were to make a recommendation for you, You Xuan, it would be the Duel Club. It's the most popular club in the Academy, focused primarily on dueling.
Regularly sparring with the top duelists in the Academy will undoubtedly help improve your skills."
Indeed, aside from everything else, drawing well was something that required practice. Dueling against strong opponents and experiencing the pressure of their powerful 'momentum' would be an effective way to enhance his skills.
"Alright, thank you, Professor."
After the tea session, You Xuan left the professor's office.
The Duel Club, huh?
He recalled seeing their advertisements before; they were holding a recruitment event at noon the next day.
Might as well check it out.
The next day, at the Duel Arena.
It was the classic arena that You Xuan had seen countless times in the anime of his past life, though the actual venue seemed even larger than it appeared on screen.
The massive square arena was surrounded by circular tiers of seating, and it was already bustling with activity when he arrived.
Today, the Duel Club had rented out the arena specifically for their recruitment event. And, of course, since it was a Duel Club activity, dueling was inevitable.
It wasn't quite time yet, and the recruitment event hadn't officially started. You Xuan looked around and soon spotted a familiar face in one of the seats.
"Big Bro Manjoume is so freakishly strong!" His lackeys were laying it on thick.
"Hmph, that's obvious."
Manjoume lounged in his chair with his legs crossed, exuding an air of arrogance.
"Without the man they call 'Kaiser', the Duel Club is nothing special. Well, it doesn't matter. Once I join, we'll naturally rise to the next level. I just hope the others don't hold me back."
The man known as Kaiser, Marufuji Ryou, was acknowledged as the best duelist in the Duel Academy. He had once been a member of the Duel Club, but now, as a third-year student, Marufuji had his own matters to attend to and rarely made an appearance.
Manjoume, basking in his lackeys' flattery, suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Little Manjoume, you're quite confident lately, aren't you?"
That obnoxiously cheerful voice... Could it be...?
Manjoume spun around, and there he was, with that radiant smile on his face.
Then, with a loud thud, Manjoume toppled out of his chair due to the force of his own movement.
"Big Bro! Why are you under the chair again?!" His lackeys exclaimed in surprise.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
