Early morning, at the duel dojo.
Yugen woke up very early this day. After buying something to eat, he arrived at the dojo promptly.
Before he even entered, he ran into Koji Sato.
Koji's eyes immediately lit up when he saw Yugen, and he quickly rushed over: "Good morning, Senior Brother! You're early today, Senior Brother!"
"Uh, Koji-senpai, no need to be so polite. You can just call me Junior Brother."
"Alright, Senior Brother," Koji chuckled. "Oh, by the way, are you here to see Master, Senior Brother? Master is inside."
Yugen: "..."
He didn't know what was going on, but somehow, he had apparently become the Senior Brother of the entire dojo.
Actually, Koji from the dojo also signed up for the Duel Academy exam, but he didn't pass the written test.
Yugen couldn't understand why anyone would fail such simple questions, but the pass rate for that test seemed quite low. From the anime, it was clear that Yuki Judai's written test rank was 110, and it was even a reverse ranking, meaning only about a hundred people passed in total. It was still very difficult.
Upon entering Dojo Master Takeuchi's room, the door was wide open.
He peered inside and saw Dojo Master Takeuchi sitting in his office chair, wearing a heavy VR headset on his nose. He was giggling to himself, "Heh heh," "Heh heh heh," with a somewhat rosy complexion on his plump face.
Yugen pondered for a moment.
"Hmm, could he be in high-pitched combat?"
He thought for a moment and felt that interrupting at such a time would probably be impolite. So, he thought about it, left the room pretending he hadn't been there yet, and stood outside the door, knocking twice on the open door.
Then, he asked in a clear voice, "Is Master in?"
Immediately, there was a flurry of activity inside the room, followed by a "thump" sound, as if something had fallen to the floor. He patiently waited a few seconds, then heard a voice emerge.
"Come in."
Yugen entered, his expression as usual, as if nothing had happened, and as if he hadn't noticed Dojo Master Takeuchi's messy hair.
"Just arrived?" Dojo Master Takeuchi cautiously probed.
"Yep, just arrived," Yugen replied calmly.
"Uh, you didn't see anything weird, did you?"
"No," Yugen feigned confusion, looking around. "Did something happen?"
"Ah, ah, nothing, nothing good. I was just studying deck structures in here," Takeuchi said, yawning. "Why the sudden visit? Is there something you need?"
"Master told me to come see you this morning after the exam," Yugen reminded him.
Dojo Master Takeuchi slapped his forehead.
"Ah, that's right. Alas, look at my memory. When a person gets old, their mind doesn't work as well."
Yugen thought to himself, "Master, I don't think it's necessarily an age issue. It might simply be that you're overspending your money a bit."
Especially with how advanced 3D imaging technology is in this world, highly realistic 3D images would naturally boost certain industries that are already thriving in Area 11, putting considerable high-level pressure on gentlemen who frequently engage in front-line activities.
"First, congratulations on getting accepted. I've heard, your exam performance was quite good, you didn't bring shame to our dojo," the Dojo Master said with a laugh. "Don't get lazy after you enroll. Study hard. The revitalization of our style depends on you."
"Understood, Master."
"Very good, very good. Well, actually, there's nothing important about calling you here this time, it's just that there's an opportunity, and I'm wondering if you're interested."
"You've been busy preparing for the exam these two days, so you probably haven't had time to check the news, right? Have you heard about the ruins in the North Suburbs?"
"Ruins?" Yugen was surprised and shook his head, indicating he hadn't heard.
"Yes, the Kaiba Corporation team discovered it, and it's right outside the city, about an hour's drive from us. Although it's not yet open to the public, I have friends who work internally, and they said if I'm interested, I can bring my students to visit."
Yugen understood a little.
Dueling tablet ruins, right?
As everyone knows, in the Yu-Gi-Oh! setting, the origin of modern dueling all began with archaeology. Pegasus traveled to Egypt years ago and excavated Duel Monsters tablets from 3000 years ago, bringing dormant spirits back to the modern era—that was the beginning of everything.
Now, the Duel Monsters system has been developed for so many years. Although card-making technology is increasingly advanced and the scientific research methods for developing new cards and monster archetypes are more mature, archaeological excavation is still a key pathway for the birth of new archetypes.
In fact, even after so many years, the excavated tablets are still just the tip of the iceberg of ancient Duel Monsters. Even until this world's "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" many years later, new ruins continued to be discovered.
Furthermore, unlike the initial belief that Duel Monsters originated in ancient Egypt 3000 years ago, later explorations revealed that ancient Duel Monsters ruins were actually found all over the world.
For example, Dartz's Atlantis from ten thousand years ago, the Three Sacred Beasts later discovered in Northern Europe, the Earthbound Immortals found from the Nazca Lines in Peru, and the "Crystal Beasts" created later, excavated from the ruins of some ancient country that worshipped the power of gemstones.
Yugen had never seen ruins or tablets like that before and was genuinely somewhat interested.
Many discovered ruins, after being explored by professional teams, might be opened as similar tourist attractions. There were indeed examples of duelists generating resonance with hidden spirits within ruins.
"Although the specific details haven't been publicly announced yet, my friend said this time it seems to be a very significant ruin," Dojo Master Takeuchi said.
"Master, you even have connections within Kaiba Corporation?"
Yugen suddenly realized that his master's connections and influence were surprisingly strong.
"Ha, don't mention it," Dojo Master Takeuchi straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "Your master, in his youth, was once quite a figure. It's just that later he retired from the dueling world, seeking no fame or profit, and unknowingly avoids conflicts with others."
Yugen said respectfully, "So, is your friend a high-ranking executive within Kaiba Corporation? Or a duelist? Does he have access to internal company channels to buy cards?"
At that, the Dojo Master's enthusiasm immediately deflated.
"No, he's at the excavation site, construction."
Yugen: "..."
"Ahem, actually, he used to be a very strong duelist, but later he found another path. Apparently, Kaiba Corporation requires everyone from the archaeological research to the excavation team, everyone at the site, to be duelists. It seems to be the President's personal requirement..."
Yugen thought to himself, "Good heavens, these days even construction workers need to know how to duel."
However, thinking about it, it might not be entirely unreasonable. After all, these ruins often come with supernatural forces that science struggles to explain, and ordinary people approaching them could indeed be in danger. But in this world, as long as you can duel, the danger factor significantly decreases.
"Coincidentally, the day after tomorrow, Kaiba Land in the city is hosting the 'White Dragon Festival' event. Our dojo is planning a group trip there. My friend will also be there that day, and we can talk then."
"Alright," Yugen casually agreed, then realized something was off.
Wait, there's a holiday called "White Dragon Festival"?