“Jaden, where to next? Going back?”
Releasing the Winged Kuriboh from his hand, Yubel turned to Jaden Yuki.
“Well…”
Jaden glanced at the distance.
He had already completed the professional league qualification selection.
And, it was more of a formality than an actual selection.
The duelists who challenged him were just average duelists with limited skills.
Even after winning, there was no sense of joy in his heart.
It felt like playing against bots…
“Let’s go check out the professional duelist certification selection,”
Jaden thought for a moment and said.
He was interested in those duelists who were qualified to be certified professionals.
He also wanted to see the difference between those ‘quasi-professional duelists’ and true professional duelists.
“Your passion for dueling, never seems to diminish, does it…?”
Yubel smiled, shaking her head helplessly.
After all… I am Jaden Yuki.
Jaden muttered to himself.
He was a card player in both his past and present life. How could he not be passionate about dueling?
…
The professional duelist certification was held in Hall 2.
The dueling facilities here were a level above those in Hall 1.
There were various special virtual fields, similar to those used for acrobatics performances, and even a prototype field for future ‘action dueling’ that Jaden saw.
In this world of universal dueling, all kinds of duelists have emerged.
Just like the later-season character, Kagemaru.
After becoming a professional duelist, he initially became a ‘comedian duelist’ for a while, entertaining the audience.
And other types of duelists were countless.
The truly respected duelists who are active on the dueling stage have extremely strict assessments.
Each duelist's rating is divided into seven levels.
Only those who reach level five or higher in their dueling rating are eligible to participate in heavyweight competitions and obtain professional duelist certification.
And above professional duelists, there is a strict hierarchical system.
Only the one at the very top will be known as the ‘King of Games’.
“Remember in the DM storyline, how Joey couldn’t even get a duel disk because his duelist level didn’t meet the standard to participate in the Battle City Tournament?”
Jaden strolled along the corridor outside the glass window, resting his arms on the railing.
To be honest, if Jaden followed the professional duelist regulations, his duelist level wouldn’t be very high.
But thanks to Kaiba Corporation's backdoor dealings and Pegasus' invitation, Jaden was able to participate in various competitions freely.
It’s a kind of favoritism, you could say.
Of course, Jaden was also aware.
Pegasus and Kaiba Seto were interested in his unique ability as a Spirit Caller.
For duelists with special abilities, as long as they’re worth nurturing.
Pegasus and Kaiba Seto would naturally spare no effort in nurturing them.
Rumble.
On the other side of the glass window, intense duels were taking place everywhere.
As Jaden expected.
Compared to the duels in Hall 1, the duels in Hall 2 were vastly different, both in scale and level.
All sorts of rare cards were popping up.
Giant monsters rose from the ground like mountains, performing explosive plays that drew gasps from the audience.
Jaden watched with relish from outside.
But soon, a commotion arose outside the hall.
“Hey! What’s this? I was just five minutes late because of traffic, and now I’m not allowed to take the assessment?!”
“Sir, please calm down…”
“Calm down? I’m already very calm, alright?!”
Jaden instinctively looked outside.
He saw a man in a green jacket with blonde hair, angrily arguing with the staff.
Joey Wheeler?
Seeing that man, Jaden's mind instantly flashed with a ridiculous expression.
Why is he here…
“Hey! You jerk! Let me go! I must take the professional duelist certification exam today!”
Being restrained by several security guards and dragged out, Joey struggled, shouting angrily.
“Are you kidding me? I just went home to get my duelist certificate! I was only five minutes late!”
“Mr. Wheeler, please don’t make things difficult for us, okay?”
“Yeah, you can’t do it this year, come back next year.”
“What? Next year? How many years have I been doing this for this exam! Kaiba! You’re deliberately targeting me, aren’t you?!”
Seeing Joey being dragged away, Jaden chuckled helplessly.
As expected… No matter how many years have passed, Joey still has that Joey flavor.
But with Joey’s dueling skills, how come he wasn’t a certified professional duelist yet?
His road to dreams is a bit too bumpy, isn’t it?
…
Meanwhile.
At the top floor of KaibaCorp, in the President’s Office.
Listening to Isobe's report.
The man in white, with his back turned to the desk, gazed out at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“That incompetent…”
He slowly rose, glancing sideways at Pegasus, who sat calmly on the sofa, sipping tea.
“Didn’t you say the boy named ‘Jaden Yuki’ has become a self-sufficient duelist?”
“Indeed, Jaden boy’s growth has far exceeded my expectations.”
Pegasus closed his eyes slightly, elegantly taking a sip of tea.
Kaiba Seto's sharp gaze shifted to the surveillance facility on his desk.
“Hmph… If so, let me witness it.”
“His growth.”