The Pro Journal Chapter 1

[Ecoboy1324]

Chapter 1 The Long Journey Begins

July 2,2017

My life so far has been to say the least fulfilling. I have met so many people and changed so many things about the game I love, Duel Monsters, from my theories on Lightsworns to my helping in the creation of the first banlist and much more. I suppose that its only proper that I keep a journal recording these events for the annuls of Duel Monsters history seen from the eyes of a hobbyist who has made a satisfying and fulfilling career doing the one thing he loves more then most anything, Dueling. This journal shall have no chronological order and will be as thorough as possible. I shall try to remember every detail I can about the events that occurred in my life but, so, my future reader, hold all of this to be true and accurate.

 

I think I'll start with my Duel Academy admittance test, I feel like its the right place to begin as it was one of the first steps I climbed in my life to reach my childhood dream of becoming a professional.

 

I remember the days I spent preparing for this exam. Studying decks and writing out strategies and counter strategies and counter counter strategies. I knew that this would be a life altering moment for me much like the legendary duel between Yugi Muto and Maximilian Pegasus in duelist kingdom, or the first duel at Duel Academy between Jaden Yuki and Jesse Anderson that forged a bond and a life-altering friendship also changing Duel Monsters forever, but more on that later. I spent those days designing a new and utterly meta-changing deck that we know of today as the Revolt deck. A deck concept that up until then no one would try out of its sheer lack of consistency. I wanted to be a bold and imaginative duelist who would be remembered for his style of play that would reach the brink of sheer insanity in its almost impossible combos but as a genius in his flexibility to win no matter what he had in his hand. I knew following this dream was crazy,that even if I somehow made it into the academy, it would be a very long road full of perilous and exhausting work just to be ridiculed for your difference in belief on how to approach this game. But as the ancient philosophers of Greece once proclaimed to there pupils eager to have there name known around the empire. ”Well behaved women seldom make history.”

 

The day of the test came along at last and even after the weeks of preparation I still felt incredibly nervous. I had to remind myself constantly to just relax. That worrying would cause me to lose my entrance duel and my best shot at becoming a professional duelist. Unfortunately all this did was make me more nervous. So I entered the duel arena with an insane for me, and my normally upbeat demeanor, peachiness and met the proctor. She had on a gray sweatshirt with the DA logo stitched on the chest and blue jeans that fitted rather loosely, with her arms straddling a slightly used duel disk and holding the deck that I assumed to be the deck that I would have to face.

 

“Hello,” the proctor said with a flourishing smile. “My name is Professor Yuki and I teach rituals and defensive strategy at Duel Academy.”

 

“Im Shang Noon its a pleasure to meet you,” I said. Out of a sudden curiousity for who my proctor was exactly I pressed on. “Yuki, Yuki. As in Alexis Rhodes-Yuki, wife of the great Jaden Yuki?”

 

“The very same,” The professor exclaimed excitedly looking at the grin that had fallen over my face. “In fact, my husband is due to start teaching a fusion and metagame class this year. I take it your a fan of his?”

 

“Only the biggest,” I uttered still in amazement of who was right in front of me. “I have studied all of his and your great duels, from Jaden's last duel against Aster Phoenix to your complete dominance of the pro league a few years back.”

 

“Duel Monsters is about a lot more than studying and strategy,” she exclaimed firmly to me while I listened with complete and devote interest at what the master before me was saying. “This game is about a lot more than that, domething you will learn in your time at the academy if you get past me that is.”

 

“Shall we begin Professor?” I meekly and humbly said as I strapped on my duel disk and inserted my deck.

 

“Yes we shall.,” the professor said going, from smiling to slightly serious in her mood. ”I am using test deck five which is a weakened version of the Secret Village build. It still packs a pretty big punch though so you best bring your A game.”

 

“I plan on it,” I said, picking up five cards and drawing one. “I begin with two cards face down and Sangan in attack mode” The two cards appeared facedown on the field right under where Sangan, a three- eyed troll, appeared.” That will end my turn, Professor.”

 

“Solid opening, but now its my turn.” She drew five cards from the top of her deck then drew one more during her draw phrase. “Now watch and learn my young pupil. First I summon Skilled Dark Magician in attack mode.” A magi with a black cape appears out of the ground and took its place stareing at Sangan. ”Now I'll activate a spell card known as Kamikaze's Choice.” A spell card appeared on the field with a gruesome picture of two dagger's going through the heart of a man wearing a Japanese naval uniform in what appeared to be a forest. She pressed on. ”You now have a choice, Shang. Either send five cards from the top of your deck and gain two thousand points or have me mill five and lose two thousand points yourself. Which shall it be?”

 

“I'll mill five myself and gain two thousand points, Professor,” I meekly uttered picking up Mother Grizzly, UFO Turtle, Giant Rat, United we Stand and United Resistance off the top of my deck and placing them in my graveyard while my lifepoint counter went from four thousand to six thousand.

 

“You just made a big mistake, Shang,” Alexis said sternly. “Life points really don't matter that much in a duel until you're about to lose. Your cards on the other hand is how you win and sacrificing them while it may grant you a short term gain in the long run will cost you more than the gain is worth. Skilled Dark Magician, attack now with Arcane Explosion.”

 

Skilled Dark pulls out his staff and starts to channel the spell causing a white glow to appear from its tip and a white ball of energy released from it, hitting Sangan and destroying it, shattering it into a million pieces.

 

“When my Sangan is sent to the grave from the field," I began. "Its effect activates, allowing me to gain a monster from my deck, and I choose People Running About.” I searched for it and placing it in my hand, as my life point meter went from six thousand to fifty-one hundred.

 

“Very well, I end my turn,” Alexis said with a smile.” Let's see what you've got.”

 

“Alright, draw,” I said picking up a card from the pile of cards on my arm. “I'm sorry Professor but I am about to win.”

 

“How so? The duel just started,” Alexis said, puzzled, but then she looked at my traps and said, ”I'm assuming you're going to activate those traps now?”

 

“Just one for right now,” I said. ”Activate trap, Cry Havoc!” The right trap card raised itself and revealed a card with a picture depicting the beginning of a brutal war scene with three warriors standing around, preparing for battle. “Now my trap lets me remove my monsters in the grave from the game to summon my monsters in my hand. So I remove Sangan, Grizzly, Turtle, and Rat to normal summon Oppressed People, People Running About, United Resistance, and Gene Warped Warwolf.”

 

The field turned into absolute chaos as four warriors from the picture from the trap appeared on the field carrying the dead bodies of the monsters that had been removed, turning them into a portal through which three mobs of people looking as if they have had enough of something and wanted to do something insane, dressed in peasants clothing. Also a big werewolf appeared, looking ready to kill something and everything that stood in his way with his bloodstained coat of fur and what appeared to be shackles at his feet.

 

“Which leads me to my other face down," I said with a certain spring of caution. "Huge Revolution activate.” The trap card flipped over and revealed itself to be the three leaders of the mobs on the field leading a charge on their oppressors. ”Now Professor, since I have Resistance, About, and Oppressed on the field. This trap card not only destroys everything on your side of the field but also your hand as well.”

She put her hand and Skilled Dark Magician into the graveyard and put her palm on top of her deck with the realization that she had been defeated.

 

“Very, very good job Shang.” Alexis said again with the flourishing smile of hers. ”You will make a excellent student here at the academy.”

 

“Thank you,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I shall see you again in a month at freshman orientation.” And with a slight bow out of politeness, I walked out of the arena and onto the next stage of my life.

 

 

 

AN: I know this is not exactly the most exciting chapter in the world but its only the introduction chapter and I dint want to overload this chapter with over explanation and would much rather let it evolve at its own pace. That being said it is important for those of you reading to understand that in this universe Shang is regarded as a legend and his story is well well known to most if not all people and he also doesn't want to bog his readers with a bunch of useless redundant information that anyone who would be interested in this would already know. As such there will be plot holes for us that are perfectly understood by the back story that in his universe people would know. It will all make sense in the end in anther words. So please follow along as best as you can and try not to get to confused and accept everything as normal.

 

Many thanks to Phantom Roxas for betaing and to you for reading. The next chapter shall be up in about a week or so. As always criticism bearing in mind my plot hole explanation at the end is not only welcome but encouraged.