1 Chappy Won Kenobi
Laying down on a primitive earthen bed covered with straw and a wool blanket, Jaden gazed up excitedly at the new card he was holding over his head.
After admiring the artwork and imagining the potential of his dueling deck's latest addition, he brought the card down to his chest and stared up at the ceiling of the cave-like dwelling he had inhabited for the past month, as he thought about everything that had happened leading up to that moment.
He had been an average guy interning at a well respected law firm and, honestly, things had been going quite well for him.
However, the Universe had other plans.
While walking home from his internship one day, Truck-kun drove by and abruptly ended his life by splattering his happy-go-lucky ass all over the pavement.
This was naturally his first encounter with the legendary murderer and, even so, he really had no idea if he wasn't just hit by some random non-legendary truck. He had always enjoyed reading about those kinds of stories when he was younger so he chose to believe in the legendaryness of his killer.
Of course, he still enjoyed those types of stories even in his adulthood. He simply had little to no time to indulge in those types of things, since beginning his doctorate studies.
As a child, he had been particularly fond of an anime series called Yu-gi-oh and actually still had his original mint condition deck, based off of Jaden Yuki's initial Elemental Hero deck, tucked away safely in the bottom of one of his dresser drawers.
Thus, the events following his sudden death not only surprised him greatly but made him feel as giddy as the schoolboy he once was.
Not long after dying and realizing he still had some type of consciousness, a very robotic voice suddenly prompted him along with a digital looking display inside his mind.
[Reincarnator, you have been gifted with the Shadow Game Artifact System! This system will accompany you throughout your second life in a new Universe. Would you like to enter Character Creation before being sent on your way?]
[YES/NO]
At that moment, he wasn't entirely certain whether what he was seeing was real or some kind of delusion but he felt like there couldn't be any harm in playing along. Especially, when he was pretty sure he was dead. 'If you're dead, what does it even matter whether you're deluded or not.' He had thought.
He selected yes, by focusing on that option, and was then shown a rather familiar looking set up, wherein he could completely alter his physical appearance as he wished. It was a holographic type display of his body with a wide range of potential alterations, cosmetic additions, and finely tuned sliders like in some kind of game.
He ultimately decided not to alter himself too much and only made some superficial changes on top of adding a couple of inches to his height and length and changing his voice to sound quite similar to Maximilian Pegasus, only slightly deeper.
Looking over his 6' 2" holographic frame with thick curly blonde hair hanging past his shoulders and piercing baby blue eyes, he felt satisfied with his adjustments and confirmed their finalization.
He was then greeted with a prompt to choose his name and had to consider for a moment whether or not to keep his original name or choose a new one. Ultimately he decided that new beginnings called for new beginnings and thought about what the hell a Shadow Game Artifact System was.
It sounded like something straight out of Yu-gi-oh. 'Could this really be some type of reincarnation scenario? I'm a hundred percent certain that I died earlier and that voice earlier literally called me a Reincarnator. Also, if I accept that there are multiple universes, then trying to establish what's realistic and not based solely on my experience in my Universe would be futile. Thus, as unrealistic and improbable as it may seem, it appears that this genuinely is a chance for me to actually be reincarnated. Additionally, I don't see how playing along for now could be harmful even if it weren't real.'
After having thought everything through, he quickly decided to take the name of the fictional owner of the deck he wanted to build, in the hopes that his system was anything like what it's name suggested.
[Are you sure you want to use the name 'Jaden Yuki'?] [YES/NO]
He immediately confirmed his decision and began hoping desperately that this wasn't some kind of soul state dream or some such that he would eventually wake up from.
However, it seemed that whoever was responsible for making all of these events happen wasn't through with him yet. Yet another prompt appeared that began describing to him the nature and function of his system.
As he continued reading the information presented he couldn't help but become more and more excited about this new life he was headed towards. Reincarnation was already a miraculous experience in itself but, if everything he was reading was true, then this system was going to amplify the awesomeness of his next life by a million fold.
The text presented to him explained that the system contained a modified version of the Yu-gi-oh Card Game combined with a modified version of the Yu-gi-oh Shadow Games.
The world he was going to was one of magic, magical beasts, dungeons, and a Universal system. The stats of each card and monster would be synchronized with his own level of power. The stronger he grew the stronger his game would be.
Additionally, many of the effects of certain cards were altered to accommodate a more active real-time combat style of play. The monsters summoned by his cards would be not only physical existences capable of fighting autonomously and face to face with his opponents but would be an entirely unique and never before seen form of life specific to the world where he would be going.
One of the primary functions of the system was to maintain the balance of the game, while also providing Jaden with the ability to alter the game as he wished.
Before leaving for his new life, he would be given the opportunity to alter any and all aspects of the game and the system would monitor and modify the rest of the game in order to maintain a balance between all card types, Archetypes, and other categories.
Also among this glorious info dump was the astounding revelation that not only would his new world have something called Contract Magic but his system and most of its functions would be the product of a never before seen higher tier of Contract Magic that was powered by the planetary core of that world and would essentially make him invulnerable to sneak attacks.
Contract Magic, as the system explained it, was similar to the Unbreakable Vow in the Harry Potter canon. In fact, many people in his new world used it for precisely the expected purpose. Due to the differences in this world's Contract Magic, it could also be utilized in another way.
There were many types of contracts that could be formed using contract magic and all of them required the willing consent of both parties in order to work. But not the EXPLICIT willing consent! All that was really required was an act demonstrating consent to interact with an individual in a certain capacity.
Thus, were born the Contract Mages, who tended to be mostly passive due to the nature of their abilities. However, if you were to attack one, this would be recognized as an act demonstrating consent to do battle with the Contract Mage leading, ultimately, to the attacker not only being subject to the rules of the mage's contracts but also the various stipulations of the contract being fulfilled.
This could potentially lead to situations where an assailant would attack only to be instantly hit with a variety of debuffs, while also witnessing his opponent immediately becoming buffed at the expense of the attackers own mana and stamina.
For these reasons, Contract Mages, while exceedingly rare almost as rare as Spatial Mages, were feared by many and respected by all. When one considers the nature of their abilities, the number of ways, and the variety of effects that a mage could weave into their contracts, it should then come as no surprise that these mages, having such versatility at their fingertips, would be known for their deceptive practices. Most all Contract Mages are masters of manipulation and deception, being able to easily trick most unaware people into consenting to their contracts without them ever even realizing it.
In this new world, magic and even the laws of the Universe itself are amplified and augmented by Planetary Cores. This not only made these planets and the life they bore more stable and vigorous but also made possible the unique type of Contract Magic that would power Jaden's new system.
While this never before seen higher tier of Contract Magic is theoretically available for anyone who discovers the methods, doing so was nigh impossible for all but the most powerful of beings and, even if they discovered the methods, executing those methods was another precarious and arduous task unto itself.
This put Jaden in an enviable position of possessing not only one of the most unique and powerful magics but also a system that generated artifacts by absorbing the souls of his defeated opponents!
Artifacts are highly sought after objects that can assist in casting various magics, boost one's own abilities, grant the usage of specific abilities, or, in the case of some higher tier artifacts, they can even cast large scale magics all on their own.
This is precisely what each of Jaden's cards would be. Each one, including the Interface Bracelet that would essentially be a magical duel disc, were all artifacts. The rules of the system essentially made him the master of the Shadow Games.
Whoever ended up consenting to his contract, knowingly or otherwise, would essentially be at his mercy in the event of his victory. Any enemies, upon defeat, could be forced into the condition of having their souls sealed inside Shadow Cards or, conversely, he could enjoy carefree non life threatening battles with his allies.
If at any point Jaden decided to give away the secrets of this new magic or someone else discovered it for themselves and also managed to create artifacts and integrate them with the new lifeforms known as duel monsters, that combination of abilities would naturally fall under the authority of the Shadow Game Artifact System. Thus, any attempt to make ridiculous decks of invincible monsters would be thwarted by the system's automatic balancing act.
These revelations not only made him quite ecstatic but also set his mind at ease. Venturing into a new world full of unknown dangers could be a terrifying experience, if not properly prepared. With a system like this, however, he would have far fewer concerns about venturing forth into the unknown.
Part of the basic rules of his Contract Magic were that anyone who attacked him had to do so according to his Shadow Game Contract. This dictated that any assailants that attacked him directly, without first abiding by their contractual obligations i.e. destroying his monsters first, would only increase his life points by the amount of damage that the attack would have caused. The only way to kill Jaden would be to face off against him in a Shadow Game with its soul sealing effects activated. This effect was accomplished by the overwhelming amount of mana contained within the Planetary Core. It would automatically spawn an impenetrable shield in the event of any cheat attacks and convert the absorbed energy into extra Life Points for Jaden.
This system was a completely overpowered weapon that would virtually guarantee his ascension to the highest realms of power in this world. Even with the drawbacks of the balancing, which would explain the rules of the game and the contract to anyone caught in its influence as well as providing them with temporary artifacts (cards) that would have effects that resembled their own abilities, he was still absolutely convinced that this system was a massive cheat, one that he planned on taking advantage of in full.
As soon as the explanation had ended and he finally had the opportunity to start altering the rules of the game, he immediately looked over all his available options, found the custom voice activated commands, and began a massive overhaul of the fundamentals.
[Remove 'Normal' and 'Effect' as categories of monsters and ensure that all monsters have at least one effect. Appropriately modify any Spells, Traps, or Monster Effects pertaining to Normal or Effect monsters. Make note of any and all ways that cards can be added or subtracted from any area of play (including 'removed from play,') any and all ways to summon monsters, and any and all ways to attack or activate cards and ensure that every single Monster Archetype has, included within that Archetype, cards capable of utilizing each of those methods of play. All Archetypes should be capable of building decks based around any and all types of play, even if some Archetypes are better than others i.e. Undead Archetypes being better at Graveyard play.]
Jaden had begun entering his desired changes almost immediately. He had always had quite a few problems with the way the rules of the game were always being changed and not always in a good way. So, he decided that he would start with the alternative gameplay mechanics he had worked out long ago and go from there.
[Relabel 'Synchro Summoning' as 'Synergy Summoning.' Redefine 'Synergy Summoning' as summoning accomplished by designating two or more monsters from a singular Archetype as 'Energized'. 'Energizing' costs 125 Life Points per monter designated. After designation, 'Synergizing' the 'Energized' targets, by paying 250 Life Points, activates the 'Synergy Summoning' of a monster, exclusively from the Extra Deck, whose level is equal to or lower than the total levels of the 'Energized' targets. 'Energized' targets are banished, until the 'Synergy Summoned' monster leaves the field, at which point the banished monsters are sent to the graveyard. Determine and designate specific effects that each individual Extra Deck monster can obtain whenever being 'Synergy Summoned.'
[Relabel 'Xyz Summoning' as 'Familiar Summoning' a.k.a. 'Spirit Bond Summoning.' Redefine 'Familiar Summoning' as Summoning accomplished by designating a number of monsters, from the same Archetype, to be 'Enlightened' by paying 100 Life Points per monster designated. By paying 500 Life Points, a monster from the Extra Deck exclusively can be designated as a bonding target for the 'Enlightened' targets. This activates and finalizes the 'Familiar Summoning' of the target designated from the Extra Deck. The targets designated as 'Enlightened' are banished, until the further activation of effects or the removal of the summoned monster sends them to the graveyard. While the 'Familiar Summoned' monster remains on the field, the phantasmal specters or spirits of the 'Enlightened' will remain by that monster's side until the activation of further effects or the monster's removal from the field, send them to the graveyard to reunite with their previously banished cards. Upon successfully completing a 'Familiar Summoning,' the player must designate only one of five types of effects. Stat improvement effects, card play effects, summoning effects, battle effects, or LifePoint effects can be designated only upon initial summoning and that one designated type of effect cannot change as long as the 'Familiar Summoned' monster remains on the field. Calculate appropriate number of Life Points and/or Enlightened Spirit removals as a requirement for activation of each effect. Designate different versions of the above effects for each Extra Deck Monster, depending on the monster or combination of monsters 'Enlightened.'
[Relabel 'Tokens' as 'Phantasms.' All 'Phantasms,' excluding those summoned via 'Familiar Summoning,' count towards the activation of effects but do not towards a Player's total allowable number of monsters.
[Both 'Familiar Summoning' and 'Synergy Summoning' are accomplished via an Extra Deck Monster's normal Summoning requirements. The requirements for each of these two new types of summonings must be executed in addition to an Extra Deck Monster's normal summoning requirements.
[Eliminate any and all forms of 'Pendulum' and 'Link Summoning,' while retaining and modifying all monsters related to those types of summoning. Itemize every single card so that each falls into one of two unlabeled categories: Archetype Relevant or General Use.]
Once he had clarified all the points of his vast and sweeping changes, he began to focus more on cards specific to the deck he wished to build. He started by making all of the original Elemental Heroes (all Heroes featured in the first season of GX excluding Electrum and Necroshade) into Light Attribute monsters. He then set all Hero monsters as part of a singular Archetype and required all Hero monsters to have the Warrior Type as a default minimum.
Next, since he didn't have a time limit for this little project, he took his time reading through all of the effects of every card related to the Hero Archetype, in order to familiarize himself with any changes that might have already occurred due to the system's automatic balancing. He also worked on a couple of original heroes he had always wanted to see in card form.
After spending who knows how long running through all the Hero cards with a fine tooth comb, he eventually came out of his laser focused deep dive and felt as though he had accomplished something exceptionally wonderful with all of his editing. The best part being not needing to worry about breaking the balance of the game, since the system would balance everything that might be affected by his alterations. Any cards in the catalogue of all available cards could theoretically end up in the hands of one of his enemies if their abilities were similar enough to the card effects and aesthetics. Thus, he had no intention of trying to create some kind of cheat deck and made sure his modifications were reasonable.
[Would you like to confirm all these changes and begin your new life?] [YES/NO]
Finally, after all of those lengthy explanations, descriptions, and editing sessions that familiar voice once again sounded, signaling that he was finally through preparing for his next life and was ready to leave. It only took what he presumed was a few seconds after confirming his options before he was unceremoniously thrust into a new world that was exerting an incredibly uncomfortable pulling force on his soul.
After experiencing something like a cross between landing on a trampoline and landing on a mattress placed directly on a concrete surface, he had finally arrived in his new body and couldn't have been more excited to get out there and start getting his game on.
In this way, Jaden had wound up in a new world ready to live a new life with a system that seemed tailored made to his tastes. He didn't have any idea about who or what might have forced him into this position but he could only be grateful for such a miraculous opportunity.
