[Mash POV]
Hey guys.... Its me.... Mash!
Right now, I was stuck in Professor Crowler's class, where he was teaching... No, yapping about things that were already written in the Duel Monsters Guidebook. And for some goddamn reason, this class was three hours long!
I barely got any sleep last night, crashing close at 1 AM. Then, I had to wake up at 6 AM just to stand in a long-ass line for a shower, eat grilled fish and rice for breakfast, and pack all the required books for the day. After that? Sprinting to class, which wasn't far but still exhausting.
And now, after all that trouble, I was sitting here. Forced to listen to Professor Crowler ramble for thirty whole minutes about the difference between Quick-Play Spells and Continuous Spells.
[I am so fucking tired and bored...]
[Can I just sleep this one out...?]
I let my head drop onto my arms, ready to drift off into a well-deserved nap-
SMACK!
Something suddenly hit me on the back, jolting me upright. I turned my head, scowling, only to see Jaden grinning at me. Oh yea, i forgot to mention that I sat in the fucking front of the class right beside Jaden and Syrus.
Jaden leaned in and whispered. "Hey, Mash. You don't wanna get in trouble on your first day at the Academy, right? Especially not in Crowler's class."
I stared at him, completely flabbergasted.
[Jaden, you are the first person in this class who would be knocked out cold after 30 minutes. How dare you fucking lecture me!?]
I narrowed my eyes and whispered back. "Look, Jay. I'm not gonna sleep for long. It's only gonna be somewhere about 'this entire fucking class' long."
And with that, I flopped right back down onto my arm pillow, fully embracing the sleep I rightfully deserved.
[3rd POV]
Professor Crowler strolled around the classroom, as usual, waving his arms dramatically while yapping like a discord mod about the literal basics of Spell Cards that for some goddamn reason can be extended to half an hour of rambling.
Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, an arrogant smirk forming on his face as he turned to the class.
"Now, class! Can anyone here tell me the types of Duel Monster cards?"
Without hesitation, Alexis Rhodes raised her hand.
"Oh! Signora Alexis! As expected from an Obelisk Blue!" Crowler beamed, clearly favoring the elites. "Please stand up and enlighten the class!"
Alexis stood up from her seat and answered in a clear, confident tone."Duel Monster cards can be categorized into Normal Monsters, Fusion Monsters, Ritual Monsters, Effect Monsters, Spell Cards, and Trap Cards. Trap Cards can be further divided into Normal Traps, Counter Traps, and Continuous Traps, while Spell Cards are separated into Normal Spells, Continuous Spells, Equip Spells, Quick-Play Spells, Ritual Spells, and Field Spells."
Mash, half-asleep at his desk, let out a quiet chuckle.
[You forgot Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, and Link Monsters, Alexis.]
Crowler clapped his hands dramatically. "Perfect! Well done, Alexis! But of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from one of my distinguished Obelisk Blue students!"
Then, Crowler expression shifted into something more sinister as he scanned the classroom, clearly searching for a victim. His eyes landed on a certain nervous-looking blue-haired boy.
"You! Syrus Truesdale!" Crowler snapped.
Syrus jolted in his seat. "Y-Yes?!" He shot up from his chair, stiff as a board.
Crowler narrowed his eyes. "Explain to the class what a Field Spell is."
Syrus swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "U-uhm… a Field Spell is… uh… it's a thing that… affects a…"
From the Obelisk Blue side of the room, a mocking voice cut through. "Even a grade schooler knows the answer to this, you Slifer Slacker!" sneered Taiyou.
The entire Obelisk Blue section erupted into laughter.
Syrus' face turned bright red from embarrassment. "No, I know this! It's a… it's a…"
Jaden leaned over with a reassuring grin. "Relax, Sy. I know you got this."
"I think NOT!" Crowler huffed. "Sit down!"
Syrus sank into his seat, defeated.
"Now, can someone competent please give me the answer?" Crowler sneered. "Preferably not from someone wearing red, thank you."
Once again, the classroom burst into laughter, with Slifer Red students rolling their eyes at Crowler's blatant favoritism.
Syrus sighed in shame. "Aw man… I blew it. I made us Slifers look bad—"
Jaden, however, wasn't having it. "You know something, teach? You really shouldn't go around making fun of us Slifers like that."
Crowler raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
From his seat, Mash smirked.[Yeah! Go, protagonist! Roast that walking Pot of Greed!]
Jaden leaned back with his signature grin. "I mean, Mash and I are Slifers, and we both beat you. So if you're making fun of us Slifers, isn't that basically like making fun of yourself?"
The entire Slifer Red side exploded into laughter, while Jaden simply flashed a V-sign in victory.
Crowler's face twisted with rage. [That's it! I refuse to tolerate this slacker at my school for another second! But first, I need to regain my dignity!]
Then, his eyes landed on Mash, who was sleeping soundly. His rage doubled.
"YOU! MASH!" Crowler barked. "How DARE you sleep in my class?! Stand up and answer the question!"
Mash groggily rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Huh…? The question…? Oh, the Field Spell one?"
Crowler crossed his arms. "Yes! That very question the last Slifer Slacker couldn't answer! [Not that I expect you to do any better! After all, you placed dead last in the written exam! There's no way—]"
"A Field Spell is a type of Spell that affects the entire field, impacting both the user and the opponent." Mash answered lazily, stretching his arms. "for example, lets say a field spell have the effect of raising dragon monster attack by 300. If the user summoned a dragon monster, that monster will get 300 attack, but also, if the opponent summons a dragon monster, that monster will also get 300 attack. Does that answer suits you, Professor Crowler?"
The room fell silent.
Then, whispers erupted across the classroom.
"Wait… isn't that the kid who placed last on the written exam?"
"I can't believe a Slifer Slacker answered that correctly!"
"Ohhh… that's the answer."
Mash turned around to see his classmates, and blinked at their reactions. [Bruh, it was a simple question. Y'all don't have to act so surprised.]
Crowler staggered back, stunned. [I-I can't believe it! This Slifer Slacker actually answered the question correctly! And even gave a detailed explanation!? Unacceptable!]
"Wait! Now that you've answered that, let's see how you handle this!" Crowler sneered.
"Explain what a Quick-Play Spell is!"
Mash sighed. [This motherfucker…] "A Quick-Play Spell is a Spell Speed 2 card that can be activated either normally or in response to a Spell Speed 1 card played by the opponent."
The entire class gasped.
Jaden blinked. "Whoa, Mash! I didn't get a single thing you just said, but you sound pretty smart!"
Bastion, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, intrigued. [You really are a surprising person, Mash. Maybe you being placed last at the written exam is just some error.]
Crowler's jaw dropped to the floor. [Impossible! This is third-year knowledge! How does this slacker already know about Spell Speeds?!] Crowler, now desperate, glared at Mash. "T-Then! What's the difference between a Normal Monster and an Effect Monster?!"
Mash gave him a deadpan stare. [are you fucking fr rn?] Mash leaned forward with a
smirk. "Actually, Professor Crowler, how about I ask you a question? If you can't answer it, I'm going back to sleep."
Professor Crowler smirked confidently. "Fine! But if i am able to answer it, you will receive
the most boring homework you will ever done!" [Hmph! with my PhD in dueling, there is no question that I cannot answer in terms of duel monster!]
Bastion raised an eyebrow. [What question will he ask to sound so confident like that?]
"Alright then..." Mash then grinned confidently, "explain to me what a spell speed 4 is?"
Bastion's eyes widened as he nearly jumped from his seat. [Spell speed 4!? but that's-]
Crowler slammed his desk, flustered. "That's IMPOSSIBLE! There is no such thing as a Spell Speed 4!"
Mash's smirk widened. "But there is. Shouldn't Professor Signore Crowler know this question, since he have a PhD in dueling? or is it just decoration?"
Crowler his pride flared. "I know what a spell speed 4 is! a spell speed 4 is a... is a..."
Mash's grin widened with each passing second as Professor Crowler began sweating bullets.
Crowler clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin. "GAH! There is no such thing as a Spell Speed 4! Since you're grinning so much, how about you explain it!?"
Mash smirked. "Alright then, I'll explain. Spell Speed 4 refers to cards with the effect: 'Neither player can activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation.'"
The classroom fell silent for a moment. Then—
Bastion's eyes widened in shock.[What!? That exists?!]
Crowler's expression twisted in horror. "S-So… that means…!"
Mash leaned forward lazily. "It means that a Spell Speed 4 card cannot be responded to by anything. No Spell Speed 2 effects can negate it, and even Spell Speed 3 Counter Traps, normally only negated by another Spell Speed 3, won't work against it."
The entire class gasped again in unison.
Crowler staggered back, his face pale. "B-But I have never heard of such a thing!"
Mash gave him a smug look. "Well, that just means your PhD is just for decoration." With that, Mash yawned and slumped back in his chair. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be getting my deserved shut-eye. Later, teach!" Then Mash head slammed down to his desk as he falls asleep.
The class erupted into whispers and murmurs, while Crowler trembled with uncontrollable rage.
Professor Crowler seems about to explode from anger. [ARGHHH!! FIRST JADEN, NOW MASH?! THESE SLIFER SLACKERS HUMILIATED ME YET AGAIN! I WILL MAKE SURE THEY LEAVE THIS ACADEMY ASAP!!!]
---
[Mash POV]
Jaden, now dressed in his Slifer Red tracksuit, glanced around with a slightly worried expression. His hands were on his hips as he muttered,
"Man... where is Syrus? It's unusual for him to be late."
I chuckled, stretching my arms behind my head as I smirked. "You worry too much, Jay! Sy's probably late because he got a love letter in his locker."
Jaden's eyes widened for a split second before he burst into laughter. "A love letter!? Ahahaha! Mash, you joke too much!"
I grinned. "Ahahaha! Maybe I am!"
We both laughed it off, but unfortunately...
[It's true.]
That class with Professor Crowler earlier? Yeah, it just confirmed that today is the start of Episode 3 of the anime the episode where Syrus gets sat on by three girls. No, I'm not kidding.
[Anyway, like I said, Syrus probably just found a love letter in his locker... which is actually a trap set up by Crowler to lure Jaden into the girls' dorm so he gets expelled.]
[But for some reason because of Crowler's stupidity, the letter ended up in Syrus's locker instead. And the dumbass didn't even bother reading it properly to realize that it was actually meant for Jaden. If I remember correctly, in the anime, Syrus stopped reading the moment he saw that it was from Alexis.]
As I was lost in thought, Syrus finally appeared, dressed in his Slifer Red Tracksuit, and wearing the widest, dumbest grin I had ever seen. He walked towards us in a weird, erratic way, like he was trying to suppress his excitement but failing miserably.
Jaden waved at him. "Hey, Sy! Why are you late?"
Syrus just shrugged, still grinning like an idiot. "Hehe... Oh, it's nothing, Jaden... Hehe..."
Jaden and I exchanged a glance, both staring at Syrus's peculiar behavior. Then, without taking his eyes off him, Jaden leaned toward my ear and whispered,
"I think you hit the mark, Mash."
I barely held back a snort.
Before I could say anything, our PE teacher, Fonda Fontaine, arrived, clapping her hands to get our attention.
"Alright, boys! Today's warm-up is ten laps around the entire field! Let's go! And then after that let's go for a 10 KM run around the field!"
I blinked.
[WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH DUELING!?]
---
Boys locker room.
I dragged myself back into the locker room, completely exhausted. My legs felt like they had been turned into flimsy crabsticks, barely able to hold me up. Meanwhile, Jaden? That dude looked just a little sweaty after the 10-kilometer run around the field.
[What kind of steroids is this guy packing!?]
Like, seriously! I'm an average city dweller whose hobbies include sitting at a desk and playing Master Duel until late at night. How the hell does he make it look so easy!?
I slumped toward my locker, muttering curses under my breath. Fonda Fontaine, you demon. [I came here to learn how to duel, not to become fucking One Punch Man!]
With what little strength I had left, I finally reached my locker and opened it. But as I bent down to grab my stuff, I noticed something sitting on top of my shoes-
A letter.
And right in the middle of it?
A big, red kiss mark.
My eyes widened. [Wait a second... Don't tell me...!]
I quickly glanced around, making sure no one was looking, before snatching the letter and unfolding it. My heart raced a little. Until I actually started reading it.
[Alright, let's see… bla bla bla… I am in love with you… bla bla bla… Meet me at the Obelisk Girls' Dorm tonight…]
Wait.
WAIT.
WHAT!?
[Holy shit! So Crowler is targeting me too!? Since when!?]
I squinted at the signature at the bottom.
"From… Jasmine?"
…Who the hell is Jasmine?
I furrowed my brows, trying to recall the name, its probably one of Alexis friends. Syrus's letter was from Alexis, so mine must be slightly different. But that doesn't change the fact that both letters were obviously written by that damn Okama Crowler.
Just the thought of getting a love letter from him sent chills down my spine.
I shuddered, folded the letter, and stuffed it into my bag.
Nope. Not thinking about it.
Meanwhile, Syrus?
Dude was sitting on the bench, grinning from ear to ear like he had just won the lottery.
[Syrus, you poor fool... I want to help, but i'm sorry little one... Its a cannon event.]
I sighed, shaking my head as I changed clothes.
---
3:09 PM – Slifer Red Dorm, Mash's Room
I stepped into my room, towel draped over my shoulder, hair still damp from the surprisingly decent shower in the Slifer Red dorms. The place might be a glorified wooden shack, but at least it had a water heater!
I took a deep breath, stretching my arms.
"Fuuuh... The bathroom isn't exactly five-star quality, but at least it's not freezing cold. And unlike some internet basement dwellers, I actually like to take regular baths!" With a satisfied sigh, I flopped onto my bed—the very bottom of the three-decker bunk.
[Now then... nothing to do-]
My brain clicked.
[Oh yeah! The mission rewards!]
I immediately pulled up my system window and go to the mission tabs.
{Missions:
- Survive all 4 seasons of GX: 0/4
reward: 100.000 credits
- Shoo away the guard!: COMPLETED
Info: Tonight, Jaden Yuki was challenge to a duel by Chazz Princeton! unfortunately, in the anime, 3 guards ruins the fight, making it an unresolved duel! Please shoo them away!
reward: 1000 credits
- [SECRET MISSION] Duel againts Chazz and won: COMPLETED
reward: 500 credits
[CLAIM ALL]more mission are coming soon!}
I literally jumped out of my bed as i saw the secret mission. "HOLY SHIT! JUST BY DUELING CHAZZ AND WINNING, I GOT AN EXTRA 500 CREDITS!?" Then i pressed the claim all button and all the Credits flow into my pockets
{Credits: 1000 -> 2500}
My entire body vibrated with excitement.
[Oh yeah! I totally forgot to pull the gacha when I got that first 1,000 credits! Damn those 'Team Rocket from Wish' idiots for distracting me!]
But whatever.
I AM RICH, BABY!
"LET'S GOOOOOOO!"
I started dancing in the middle of my room, doing some victory twirls until I exhausted myself and collapsed back onto my bed, grinning like a maniac. But I wasn't done yet.
I pulled up the shop menu.
[Well now... shouldnt we go and gacha?] And with excitement i pressed the 10x Pull on the master pack and got...!!!
{Pull result:
12 SR Cards
29 R Cards
39 N Cards}
My hands trembled as I fell to my knees, palms flat on the floor.
[I... I got NOTHING!?]
My head dropped.
[DAMN YOU, RNGODS! HOW COULD YOU FORSAKE ME!? I DIDNT GOT A SINGLE URRR!!!]
Just then, a ding sounded in my system.
{Notification: Because you didn't get a UR in this 10x You will guarantee to get an UR in the next 10x}
Tears literally formed in my eyes.
[YES! PRAISE BE TO THE MASTER DUEL SYSTEM! I CAN STILL TURN THIS AROUND!]
I did a fabulous spin, pointed at the gacha button, and SLAMMED my finger down for another 10x pull!
The system shuffled again, and this time i got...
{Pull result:
4 UR Cards
9 SR Cards
40 R Cards
27 N Cards}
"LET'S FREAKING GOOOOOOOOO!!!"
I threw my fist into the air, dancing once again.
But then, I noticed something...
[Wait a second... no foils? No glossy? No royal finish?]
I pursed my lips.
"Meh, whatever. I dont even give a damn anymore."
After celebrating, I got down to business, mass dismantling all the cards that I just pulled.{materials: N: 1030 R: 1000 SR: 220 UR: 70}
Is now my current materials for making other cards.
I nodded to myself. "Now, for the remaining 500 credits—"
I paused. Then, an idea struck me like an OTK deck.
"Wait... instead of wasting 500 credits on 5 measly packs and get shits... wouldn't it be better to...?"
A grin spread across my face as I quickly slid over to the Structure Deck shop. If you didn't know, Structure Decks were fully playable decks that could be bought for 500 Credits, a much better deal than rolling the gacha and then just getting trash junk.
And I knew exactly which one I wanted.
I pressed BUY. and the structure deck was then copied at my deck.
A wide, mischievous smile crept onto my face. [Now, now... I'm sure you're all wondering... which Structure Deck did I just buy?] I chuckled darkly. [Let's just say… it's a Structure Deck that Jaden would REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVE.]
I opened my deck inventory and dragged a card to the very edge of the system window. With a small pop, the card materialized into reality. I held it up to my face, inspecting it closely. And then...
A sinister grin spread across my lips.
[Hehehehe… get ready, world! I'm about to give Jaden a card that wouldn't be printed until 2020!] Still cackling like a madman, I pocketed the card, stood up, and marched out of my dorm. Tonight… was going to be fun.
---
Knock, Knock, Knock.
"Coming—"
Click.
The door swung open, revealing Jaden Yuki. His eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
"Mash!" he exclaimed with his signature grin.
I smirked, raising my hand for a fist bump. "Sup, Jay! Mind if I crash at your place?"
Jaden's grin widened as he bumped my fist with enthusiasm. "Dude, you can crash here anytime! Come on in!"
I stepped inside, taking a quick scan of the room. Not bad. Pretty clean, considering it was shared by three teenage boys. I expected worse.
From the second bunk, Syrus was lying on his stomach, Grinning like an idiot and kicking his legs like a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons. When he spotted me, his face brightened. "Hey, Mash! Good to see you!" He waved like we were best buddies.
I chuckled, waving back. "Yo, Sy!"
Then, from the top bunk, a fat and chubby guy with a nose the size of an egg glared down at me. His drowsy expression made it clear he wasn't exactly thrilled about my presence.
I raised an eyebrow and gave him a hesitant grin. "Uh… what's up?"
His glare didn't waver. "You the guy who's been screaming in the other room?"
I blinked. Oh. So, he heard all of that. "...Ah. I, uh—"
"Maybe next time, learn some dorm manners," he muttered, before rolling over and pulling his blanket over his head.
I clenched my fist, my eye and lips twitching slightly. [This fatass…]
Before I could stew on it longer, an arm swung around my shoulders. I didn't need to look to know who it was. Jaden, ever the carefree one, grinned at me. "Don't worry about Chumley! He'll warm up to you soon enough."
I exhaled sharply, forcing my irritation down. "Yeah, yeah," I muttered before smirking. [I'll remember that name, Chumley. One day, you're getting 'Lovely Locked.']
Shaking my head, I turned back to Jaden, my smirk growing wider. "Anyway, Jay… Now that I crashed into your room. let's do something fun."
Jaden perked up. "Fun? Like what?"
I gave him a knowing look. "Dueling, of course. What else?"
His grin widened. "Ohhh, now you're talkin'!"
"But let's make it interesting," I added. "Here's the deal, you and me, one-on-one. If you can survive at least three turns against me, I'll give you a special card that you would really like."
Jaden's eyes sparkled. "For real!? And all I gotta do is last three turns? That's easy!"
From his bunk, Syrus bolted upright. "Jaden, are you serious!?" he squeaked. "You do realize you're dueling Mash, right?! You know how terrifying his deck is! And with a condition like that, don't you think you're being a little too confident?"
Jaden just waved him off. "Aw, c'mon, Sy! This is the future King of Games you're talkin' about! How hard can it be?"
I said nothing. I didn't need to.
On the surface, I kept my usual grin, but inside… deep inside… a wicked, sinister laughter echoed within my soul.
[Oh, Jaden. You poor, poor soul.]
[Labrynth might not be a "meta" deck… but in this GX-era beatdown meta?]
[Let me show you the absolute horror of a modern control deck.]
[Let me show you what it's like to not be able to play the game at all.]
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Hey guys, its me author: Im_good here! I dont really have anything to say other than you guys try to guess what structure deck and what card will he give to Jaden, Though it should be a pretty simple question.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the reading because i also did enjoy the writing, although i am a little sick... Anyway, Chiao!
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