A/N, slowing down the pace, work is becoming busier.
Alucard woke up early as dawn appears on the horizon. He was excited to check the mission rewards and set up the products for sale today. He grabbed a quick breakfast from a street vendor along the main road before heading back to the store. Once he was back inside the store, he went to the counter and called for the system while he ate.
"System, I want to accept the rewards." He declared.
[How do you know that the quest was completed?] The system snorted back.
"Well you announce the quest completion right? So hand over my rewards now." Alucard said in an amused tone.
[I don't remember announcing anything, what I remember was getting cut off when I was about to announce something!] an indignant electronic voice sounded in Alucard's mind.
The young store owner recalled cutting the system off due to the barrage of customers at the time. "Awww, don't tell me you took that to heart? You witnessed how packed the store was right? I needed to focus at the time, you should do the announcements once we close shop unless it's really critical to do an announcement immediately." Alucard tried to pacify the system.
[Okay, I'll reconsider when to deliver notifications and try to time them better. But! You! Must! Not! Cut! Me! Off! Ever! Again!] The system's voice resounded in his mind.
"No problem, now give me the rewards."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has completed the Quest: 'You've outdone yourself, now you'll wish you stayed lowkey' Sell at least 4 packs to 100 unique individuals in 7 days(Personal purchases do not count).
Store is now lvl 3, 1st floor space expansion, 30 tables added.
Host has now access to the newly added VR Game room on the 2nd floor(the room next to host's bedroom), and VR Game: Legacy of the Duelist: Beyond!
Host has now full access to Store Summoning feature (summoning test room included, accessible in the storage room).
5% discount for business purchases(amount calculated each month)]
Finally! More space for customers! Alucard sighed in relief. The store now has 40 tables that could accommodate 160 duelists. Although he foresaw more work in the future, the spread of the hobby could be done much faster now with more people able to play. While thinking about hiring some people to help with the shop, the system interrupted his train of thought.
[Ding! Quest: 'The beginnings of this world's first Duel King!' has been activated!
'The beginnings of this world's first Duel King!': Organize a large scale tournament within this city that would have at least a minimum of a thousand participants and would last for 30 days.
The host's determination to make dueling the mainstream activity of this world will be tested, so the host will need to provide the prizes. The host will be able to purchase tournament materials during the tournament period such as the Dueling Gauntlet and star chips.
The host will also be allowed to purchase the land outside the store for part of the tournament venue(please coordinate with the city's business council).
The host will also be allowed to hire staff for store operations and the tournament.
Rewards:
Store upgrades to lvl 4 which includes: Store summoning feature upgrade, less magicoins needed for summons.
1st floor expansion, customer restrooms added, VR pod room added, and more tables added.
Duel table upgrade: VR mode(locked, host must complete VR Game: Legacy of the Duelist: Beyond! to allow customers to also play the game on the VR pods and Duel tables.
10% discount for business purchases and 3% discount for host's personal purchases.
Duel collaboration: Host may choose from any of media to incorporate into the card game.
If Host fails to finish this quest, Host will be banned from accessing the rooms until he levels up the store to lvl 7, Store's summoning feature's cost will not have a discount applied, and Host will be banned from purchasing cards for personal use ever again.]
"What!? I'll be able to make a set from any media I choose? Will I design the cards and their effects?" While the other rewards were substantial, being able to select which characters from any of the games he played, the animes/shows he watched, and the mangas/novels he read was a dream he had ever since he first watched the Yugioh series. He already had a series in mind, just to test the waters, but he couldn't help imagining all the combos the set would have.
[Host, please focus on the tasks at hand. You can consider the rewards once you've completed them, don't count your eggs before they hatch. This task is crucial for the hobby to cement its foundation in this world.] The system reminded in a strict voice.
Alucard was awakened from his daze, "You're right! I'll visit the business center to get the outside venue built as soon as possible. System, make the purchases for the deck cases, 2000 for each red and blue, and a thousand each for the Dark Magician, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Relinquish playmats." He said with a determined gaze.
[Are you not buying the Dueling Gauntlets and starchips?] The system asked, puzzled that the greedy store merchant would not sell the Dueling gloves at least.
Alucard shook his head, "No, that won't do good for the tournament. Instead, I'll make the purchase of Deck cases the requirement to participate. Since people would need to have Deck cases to store their cards to make card use easier in duels and also in real life."
[What about the playmats?] The system asked again.
"People will buy the playmats regardless, especially since it almost has the same features the duel tables have except for the card projection. They'll buy it to play outside of the store and with the tournament, they'll want to be able to practice outside the store as well." the young man reasoned.
[Ah, I see. You're merchant's mind is much more broad than mine's. Mhmm... as expected of a greedy, card-addicted merchant.] Alucard imagined the system nodding with its arms crossed.
"Thanks? I guess... Anyway, I'll start the preparations now." Alucard quickly dressed himself and went towards the city center, his steps were light and he had an uncontrollable grin as he marched.
``
A few hours later, a lively crowd had gathered outside the store, buzzing with excitement. Among them, Nina, Failer, Jiji, and Annie were chatting animatedly with a ragtag group of kids they had brought along.
"Are you sure this isn't a fighting tournament? T-there's so many adults here! I thought you brought us here to play a game!" A boy wearing ragged clothes said nervously to Nina.
"Yeah, I brought you to play the game... But I never thought the owner will make a huge tournament!" Nina said with shining eyes.
"Isn't this great for you Pober? If you can join and win the tournament you'll get ten thousand magicoins as the champion!" Failer said as he pointed towards a poster on the glass walls.
"Yeah! Even if just one of us places, that's a ton of money! We can buy a lot of food and nicer clothes! Or buy a house just for us!" The other kids wearing ragged and tattered clothes cheered hopefully.
If only I could join... That prize money could pull me and my siblings out of the slums. We could finally live decent lives and never go hungry again. But... I can't even afford the fancy cards they showed me. The young kid thought of their bright future in a daze.
Pober pursed his lips and stared at the poster longingly.
The poster had a landscape view of the city and lively port, "Kalamar's FIRST Duel Tournament! DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A DUEL KING?"
Tournament starts at The 1st of Enju and ends at the 32nd of Enju.
All participants regardless of placement will receive a tournament playmat and a medium tournament deck box at the end of the event.
Champion: 1 champion's playmat, 1 champion's deck box(Large), 100 1st tournament champion's card sleeves, 1 champion's trophy, 1 booster box of each Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, and Spell Ruler(champion's edition, higher chance of getting Secret Illustration Rare cards, 1 guaranteed SIR), 10,000 magicoins, and 1 champion's cloak.
1st runner-up: 100 tournament card sleeves, 1 1st tournament silver medallion, 2 championship edition booster boxes(can choose between the 3 current sets), 8000 magicoins, and 1 challenger's cloak.
2nd runner-up: 100 tournament card sleeves, 1 1st tournament bronze medallion, 1 championship edition booster boxes(can choose between the 3 current sets), 5000 magicoins, and 1 challenger's cloak.
4th-10th place: 100 tournament card sleeves, 1 1st tournament metal pin, 2 championship edition booster bundles(can choose between the 3 current sets), 2000 magicoins, and 1 rising star's cloak.
11-100th place: 1 championship edition booster bundle(can choose between the 3 current sets), 500 magicoins, and 1 hopeful's cloak.
101st place and so on: 5 championship edition booster packs(can choose between the 3 current sets), and 1 player's pin.
As the crowd became bigger, a carriage bearing the LeFlamme family's insignia stopped just a few meters away. Derrick stepped out and helped his sister, Divian out of the carriage while James followed suit. Derrick had a tired expression, while his sister was full of pomp and was chatty.
James raised his brows and asked one of the guards stationed on the street, "What's going on here? What's with all the commotion?"
One of the guards saluted and informed him of the commotion caused by the tournament poster. "Ten thousand magicoins?! That's more than my yearly pay! This brat's actually giving away ten- no, wait a second…"
He went towards the crowd and tried to move forward closer to the poster. He squinted his eyes and yelped, "T-that's almost a hundred thousand magicoins just on the cash prize alone! The owner is giving away special edition boxes, bundles, and packs as well as other goodies!" with James' excitement, the crowd cheered again.
A lot of customers before who had qualms buying packs to build a deck now are eager to buy them and join in on the tournament. After all, they would get at least 500 magicoins if they were amongst the top 100.
"Ooooh, brother! Look! There's a tournament we can join! If we could win the championship, father will surely think I'm very capable now!" Divian excitedly said with her shining purple eyes.
I don't know about that... Derrick thought of his strict and no nonsense father. "A tournament sounds exciting, but can the store owner really provide that much prizes and organize a large scale event on his own? You said he was just a young man right?" he asked his sister.
"You have no idea! Brother, I'm sure the store owner has thought it through! This place is more luxurious and comfortable than Hall Magnifique and the other spots nobles hang out at. I've seen the other people play and I believe that this will be the new craze in this city- No! The entire kingdom even!" Divian threw her arms up as she declared to the skies.
Alucard slowly approached the store the crowd became rowdier. He was just returning from the business center after securing the outside venue permit. He wasn't surprised by the energy outside his shop, rather he was glad. Him just putting up the poster already had gained a lot of traction for the tournament. He had half-expected this kind of turnout, especially with the prize list he put out.
Even the system had commented it never expected him to be this generous.
But Alucard knew that for a hobby to become truly mainstream and ingrained in daily life, it needed more than just passion. It needed spectacle, investment, and commitment. The more he threw money and effort at it now, the more legitimate it would feel to the people of this world.
His goal was clearer than ever. He wanted dueling to become as big as the major sports and esports leagues had been back in his previous world, back before he transmigrated.
He steeled his resolved, made his way to the store entrance, and greeted the crowd with a smile.
"Thank you all for waiting! Please form a line. I'll be opening the store and explaining more about the tournament shortly!"