Chapter 120 – The Next Step

Bonus Chapter

The days following the Duel Monsters Grand Prix had been considerably busier than Alexander had expected. In fact, they had been so busy that he hadn't even had the time to go back to school, which also meant that, despite having earned a considerable number of Duel Points during the tournament, he hadn't actually been able to spend them.

Not that he couldn't, but there was a very good reason for that.

After what had happened during his last upgrade, when the entire mansion had literally shaken during the process, Alexander and Roland had decided that it would be better to perform the next upgrade somewhere a little more secure, preferably somewhere that wouldn't risk having an entire building collapse around them.

The timing of the Grand Prix's success had made that decision even more important, as the ratings had finally come in and they had been ridiculous, in a good way.

The Duel Monsters Grand Prix had averaged 10.7 million viewers, earning a 10.1 rating.

Those numbers were nowhere near the audience figures of sporting events like Super Bowl XXV or the World Series, but for the first major televised Duel Monsters tournament, they were enormous and, more importantly, the broadcast had done exactly what Alexander had hoped; it had introduced Duel Monsters to millions of people who had never played it before.

The result was an explosion of interest, not merely across the United States, but also as interest in Duel Monsters was beginning to spread beyond the country's borders.

Canada had quickly become the obvious first international market for Industrial Illusions.

From a business perspective, it was almost perfect.

The two countries already shared extensive retail and distribution infrastructure. American television and popular culture had an enormous presence in Canada, and most of the country was English-speaking.

Cross-border distribution was already well established.

Television penetration was also extremely high, with roughly ninety-nine per cent of Canadian households owning a television by the end of the 1980s. Cable penetration was substantial as well, and millions of Canadian subscribers could already receive American networks such as ABC, CBS, or NBC as distant signals, which meant that, depending on their cable package and location, Canadian children could already have been watching the Grand Prix and apparently, many of them had.

Canadian distributors had begun contacting Industrial Illusions themselves, and that made the process considerably easier, yet Alexander and the various department heads still had plenty of groundwork to handle, but they weren't starting from nothing.

The biggest remaining complications were things such as distribution agreements and translating the cards into French. The French translation wasn't an immediate priority, but it was obviously something that would eventually need to be done.

Fortunately, the initial expansion preparations didn't consume Alexander's life forever, and eventually, things began settling down; thanks to that, Alexander finally returned to his usual routine.

~~~▽~~~

During the morning, Alexander stopped in front of Ginny's house and waited for her to get into the car before greeting her, "Morning."

"Morning."

Once Ginny had closed the door, Alexander pulled away and, for the first time in what felt like forever, they were simply going to school.

No tournament, no business meeting, no television appearance, no interviews, just school.

Classes passed normally. Alexander attended his lessons, interacted with his classmates, and tried to pretend that he wasn't simultaneously running one of the fastest-growing companies in the country.

By lunchtime, he was sitting with Ginny and Chuck, and Chuck had apparently found a new subject to talk about, "I can't believe these cards!"

Chuck held up one of the cards he'd received from his Grand Prix prize packs.

Armed Dragon LV 3.

"I mean, look at this! It's awesome!"

Alexander smiled and asked, "You like it that much?"

"Of course! Something about it reminds me of Baby Dragon! On top of that..."

Chuck immediately produced another card and said, "Look! It can evolve into Armed Dragon LV 5!"

He looked almost offended that Alexander had to ask, "These are some of the coolest cards I've ever seen. You outdid yourself! These are masterpieces!!"

Ginny watched Chuck's enthusiasm with amusement. "You've been talking about those two cards since a week ago..."

"Because they're awesome!"

Alexander chuckled and commented, "They're actually pretty interesting for you."

Chuck looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You said that they remind you of Baby Dragon, and you're right... You can think of them as an alternate evolution of Baby Dragon that drastically diverges from the one where it becomes Thousand Dragon."

Chuck froze and repeated, "An alternate evolution of Baby Dragon?"

"Yeah."

Alexander explained the basic concept behind the Armed Dragon monsters and how they could be viewed as another evolutionary path for the little Dragon that Chuck had been so fond of.

Chuck's eyes widened. "So you're telling me..."

He looked down at Armed Dragon LV 3, then at Armed Dragon LV 5, then back at Alexander before he continued, "... That Baby Dragon can become this?"

"Essentially."

Chuck stared at the cards for several seconds, then his face lit up. "Alex, I—"

He suddenly lunged forward, and Alexander barely had time to react before Chuck nearly kissed him.

"Whoa!"

Chuck stopped himself at the last possible moment before his face immediately turned pale while Ginny burst out laughing. "I can't believe you almost kissed him over a card."

"I was excited!"

"You were really excited."

Chuck hurriedly backed away. "I didn't actually do it!"

Alexander laughed, "That's probably for the best."

Chuck also laughed before looking down at his cards again and said, "But seriously, these are awesome."

After lunch, the three returned to their remaining classes.

By the time the school day finally ended, Alexander, Ginny, and Chuck regrouped and headed toward the school's Duel Monsters Club.

The atmosphere there was noticeably different from what Alexander remembered; it was much more tense, and the reason wasn't difficult to figure out, as the Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship sponsored by Frost International was getting closer and everyone was taking it seriously.

Players were practising more frequently. Groups of students were discussing possible strategies. Some were dueling repeatedly against the same opponents, while others were studying their decks and discussing which cards or strategies they might need for the new format, Tag Duels.

The casual atmosphere that had once surrounded the club was slowly being replaced by competitive pressure.

Alexander observed the room for a moment while thinking, 'The Grand Prix had shown everyone what high-level Duel Monsters looked like. Now the students want to prove that they can do it too. And of course, the scholarship for the winning team is also a good incentive...'

Eventually, the afternoon came to an end.

Chuck and Ginny collected their cards and left the school with Alexander, and once they'd reached the campus' parking lot, the three separated outside.

Chuck headed off to pick up his girlfriend, Julia, intending to spend the rest of the afternoon with her as usual, while Alexander drove Ginny back home before continuing toward Industrial Illusions.

There were still a few pressing matters waiting for him.

~~~▽~~~

By the time Alexander arrived at Industrial Illusions, Roland was already waiting.

The two spent some time dealing with the remaining business matters surrounding the Grand Prix and the company's upcoming expansion into Canada.

There were contracts to review, distribution arrangements to discuss, and several other details that needed Alexander's attention. Eventually, however, even those tasks were finished, and Alexander and Roland left the building together.

They briefly returned to the mansion to park Alexander's car before they once again left in the sedan, where Roland drove them away from Los Angeles.

Their destination was considerably more isolated, a private stretch of land deep within the Angeles National Forest, far from the nearest road and even farther from curious eyes. Dense pine and oak trees surrounded the clearing, their branches forming a natural canopy that kept the place hidden from anything but the occasional bird or wandering animal.

At the centre of the clearing sat the bunker.

Most of it was buried beneath the earth, leaving only a squat concrete structure visible above ground. Thick reinforced walls, narrow steel-framed windows, and a heavy blast door gave it the appearance of something built to withstand far more than any ordinary shelter needed to endure. There were no decorative touches, no unnecessary features, only a few cameras mounted discreetly along the exterior and ventilation shafts concealed among the rocks and vegetation.

It looked less like a place meant to be lived in and more like somewhere designed to keep whatever happened inside from reaching the outside world.

The structure had been prepared specifically for Alexander's next System upgrade.

Alexander looked at it as they approached before asking, "It looks a bit excessive... Still think this is necessary?"

Roland gave him a flat look and replied, "Yes, I do... The last time the whole mansion shook so much that made everyone believe it was an earthquake."

Alexander laughed, "Hehe... Fair enough."

The previous upgrade had shaken the mansion, and neither of them knew exactly what would happen this time, so they had decided that Alexander would enter the bunker alone.

Roland would remain outside.

They didn't know whether being close to Alexander during the upgrade process would be dangerous; thus, it was better to be cautious.

Alexander entered the bunker and walked toward the prepared chamber.

Once the door closed behind him, the outside world became almost completely silent.

He took a breath, then another.

He had done this before, but every single upgrade had caused a more pronounced phenomenon compared to the previous one, and he knew that this time wouldn't be different.

Alexander shook his head and muttered, "No point worrying about it now..."

He had already decided; it was time. He closed his eyes and mentally called out the YGO System

A familiar sound echoed through his mind.

[Ding!]

____________________________________

User Identified: Alexander Maximillion Jones

System Type: Duel Interface

Primary Functions:

• Resource Management

• Card Database

• Card Manifestation Authorisation

• YGO System Shop Access

• Duel Network Synchronisation (Tier 1)

Resources Identified:

1. Duel Energy (DE)

• Generated through duels involving the user.

• Output increases with emotional and cognitive intensity.

• Used for manifestation and high-output actions.

Current DE: 5217.4

2. Duel Points (DP)

• Acquired through victory in duels.

• Used for system transactions and upgrades.

Current DP: 919

____________________________________

Alexander stared at the numbers, and with a smirk he once again thought, 'The Grand Prix had been worth every bit of effort...'

Then he opened the System Shop, and his attention immediately went to the upgrade he'd been waiting for.

____________________________________

– Personal Upgrade: Spirit Capacity Enhancement

• Increases Ba reserves

• Improves Ka stability

Effect:

• Reduces strain from high-output actions

• Improves compatibility with high-tier entities

Cost:

• 800 DP

____________________________________

Alexander stared at the number displayed before him.

His eyes remained fixed on the price for another few seconds, then he slowly inhaled.

There was no point hesitating any longer.

He had made his decision the moment he entered the bunker, "Purchase."

The word had barely left his mouth when the System responded.

[Purchase confirmed.]

The pain came instantly as Alexander's entire body seized.

His back arched as a violent surge of Spirit Energy erupted from within him, and a strangled scream tore from his throat, "AGH!"

He dropped hard against the floor.

For one terrifying instant, he couldn't breathe.

Something was happening inside his body. Something far beyond anything he had experienced during his previous upgrades.

His Spirit Energy didn't simply increase, but it outright exploded.

A torrent of energy flooded through his body with such force that Alexander felt as though his veins had been replaced with rivers of molten fire. Every part of his being seemed to expand simultaneously, forcing itself wider to accommodate the sudden increase in power.

His muscles convulsed. His fingers clawed against the floor. Sweat immediately soaked through his clothes as he cursed, "Fuck..."

The word came out as little more than a gasp.

He tried to regulate his breathing.

In. Out. Focus.

He had experienced pain before. He had experienced exhaustion, injury, and the strain of pushing his body beyond its limits during the other upgrades, but this was on a whole other level.

There was simply too much.

The Spirit Energy pouring through him was so dense that his body struggled to process it.

Alexander attempted to guide it.

Normally, Spirit Energy responded to his will almost instinctively. He could circulate it through his body, gather it in his Ba, and direct it where he needed it; now, however, his control felt like trying to redirect a flood with his bare hands.

The energy surged wherever it wanted.

His vision blurred. His ears rang. His heartbeat became a thunderous rhythm in his chest.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Each beat seemed to send another wave of Spirit Energy through his body, making Alexander grit his teeth and mutter, "Control it..."

He forced himself to focus. "Come on..."

Another surge struck, and his entire body jerked violently.

Outside the bunker, something answered.

The ground trembled.

At first, it was little more than a faint vibration beneath the forest floor, then the trees surrounding the clearing shuddered.

Leaves rustled violently despite the absence of wind, and small stones rolled down the nearby slope.

The bunker itself groaned as the earth beneath it shifted.

Roland held himself onto the nearby car and muttered, "Well, that's definitely much worse than before..."

A few seconds later, the tremor faded.

It was nothing more than a small, localised earthquake, nothing capable of causing serious damage.

But deep inside the reinforced bunker, Alexander didn't notice any of it as he was completely consumed by what was happening inside his own body.

The torrent continued.

For what felt like an eternity, Alexander could do nothing except endure.

Pain became heat. Heat became pressure. Pressure became something almost impossible to describe. It felt as though his entire being was being stretched from the inside out.

Then, slowly, the pressure began to change as the violent surges became less frequent and the chaotic currents started flowing together.

The Spirit Energy that had previously battered his body like a raging flood gradually settled into something more controlled.

At the same time, Alexander's breathing slowed, his clenched muscles began to relax, the ringing in his ears faded, and finally, silence.

Alexander remained motionless for several seconds.

He was kneeling on the floor, one hand planted against the ground as he struggled to catch his breath.

His chest rose and fell heavily as sweat dripped from his chin.

His entire body felt exhausted, almost drained as though every ounce of concentration he possessed had been wrung out of him.

Alexander lowered his head and took another breath, then another and muttered, "Okay... I'm alive."

A tired laugh escaped him.

He slowly pushed himself upright; his legs trembled slightly beneath him, but they held.

That was when he noticed that something was different.

Alexander closed his eyes and reached inward for his Ba.

The moment he sensed it, his expression changed, and his eyes opened before he exclaimed, "Holy shit..."

The difference was immediately apparent.

His Ba had always possessed a certain depth to it, a reservoir of Spirit Energy that he had gradually expanded through the previous upgrades, but now, however, it felt enormous.

The sheer quantity of Spirit Energy contained within him had increased dramatically, but the quantity wasn't what surprised him most; it was the quality.

Alexander focused more deeply.

Everything felt denser, cleaner, more refined.

There was less turbulence within him, less of the subtle instability he had grown accustomed to sensing.

It was as though someone had taken everything inside himself and purified it.

Alexander slowly exhaled.

He hadn't simply gained more energy, but his full essence had been strengthened and, just as with his previous upgrades, the changes hadn't stopped there.

He became aware of subtle differences throughout his body.

His muscles felt tighter. His bones felt denser. His senses seemed slightly sharper. Even the fatigue weighing on him didn't feel quite as debilitating as it should have.

The physical improvement wasn't dramatic, as he hadn't suddenly become a completely different person, but it was there.

His body had adapted to the increase in power, or perhaps more accurately, it had been strengthened alongside it.

Alexander flexed his fingers; he could feel the power resting beneath his skin.

Then a faint smile appeared on his face as he muttered, "Those 800 DP and the following pain and discomfort were definitely worth it."

He rested against the wall for another moment before finally heading toward the exit, and soon the bunker door opened.

Roland was waiting outside.

He looked at Alexander, then at the bunker, then back at Alexander. "I guess it was a success..."

Alexander smiled, "Yup."

Roland nodded, "Good."

He paused, then glanced toward the bunker again and said, "I'll admit, I thought I was overly cautious, but I'm starting to think building this was a brilliant idea."

Alexander chuckled before he asked, "Was it that bad...?"

Roland gave him a completely deadpan look and replied, "I'm entirely convinced the mansion would not have survived this one."

Alexander laughed but then stopped as he realised what he meant. "Oh..."

He looked back toward the bunker and said, "Yeah... Probably it was a good call on your part."

The two then began making their way back toward the car to return back to the mansion.