Emerging from the spatial gate torn open by the Envoy of the Beginning, Yugen felt a sudden wave of vertigo, as if the world were spinning and he was drifting through a sea of clouds. When his disoriented senses finally returned to him, he realized his surroundings had changed completely.
It was night. A crimson crescent moon hung high in the ink-black sky. Moonlight spilled over dilapidated rooftops, casting a dull red sheen across the mottled cobblestone streets.
Ancient, medieval-style buildings lined both sides of the road. Their doors and windows were tightly shut, and there wasn't a single trace of a living soul. Occasionally, a faint breeze drifted by, causing the curtains in the windows to sway gently. The rustling sound they made was like an eerie, low whisper.
"Is this the Duel Spirit World?"
Yugen frowned, looking down at his own body. Something felt off a subtle sense of discordance he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Does the Spirit World feel different to you this time?" he asked, glancing to his side.
Black Luster Soldier materialized beside him, his expression strange as he examined Yugen. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "No, it is not the Spirit World that is different. It is you."
"Me?"
Yugen clenched his fist. The sensation was real. Everything he saw, touched, and even the air he smelled felt entirely authentic, yet that lingering feeling of wrongness persisted.
"Yes. To put it simply... your actual self is not truly here. You are in a form of projection," Black Luster Soldier explained. "It is somewhat similar to the state in which we spirits normally manifest in your world."
He paused, his expression growing even more perplexed.
"Is it because of that consciousness projection device? Incredible. Even I have never seen a situation quite like this before."
Yugen began to understand. It was because of Kaiba Corp's high-tech Link System.
The Link System was originally developed based on the advanced Duel Disk technology seen in Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions. It was a device meant to project a user's thoughts into a shared virtual platform for gaming.
But Yugen had been logged in while utilizing the Envoy of the Beginning's rare spatial abilities. It was as if he had exploited a bug to project himself directly into the Duel Spirit World.
Furthermore, his current appearance was his virtual avatar from the Link System, and his body was a false vessel shaped by the system based on his consciousness.
He didn't know if anyone at Kaiba Corp had realized their technology could be used this way. Clearly, their tech was powerful enough to operate normally even in an alternate dimension. As long as he cut the connection, he could log out at any time and return to his physical body back in his Ra Yellow dorm room.
Just as Black Luster Soldier said, it was like the state spirits took when appearing in the human world, except spirits usually required their corresponding cards to serve as a medium.
This made exploring the maps of the Spirit World much more convenient and far less risky. He wouldn't have to wander into this realm in the flesh every time. Moreover, he could log out whenever he wanted attend classes during the day and log back in at night to pick up right where he left off.
The town he was currently in appeared abandoned. Yugen walked down the street, finding it completely empty.
After about ten minutes, he turned a corner and finally spotted movement at the end of a street. A squad of armored figures stood there. Although he didn't recognize them specifically, their visual style immediately signaled that they belonged to the Fiend type.
The Fiends spotted him as well, and several immediately began shouting.
"Over here! There's a live one!"
"Halt!"
"Don't run!"
A group of Fiends brandished their blades and spears, charging toward him with a cacophony of yells.
However, they slowed to a halt halfway through their charge, exchanging looks of pure bewilderment. They realized that the man was standing calmly in place, showing absolutely no intention of running away.
The Fiends closed in, surrounding Yugen. They looked at him, then at each other. His refusal to run had seemingly thrown them off their rhythm.
"Um, was I supposed to run just now?" Yugen mused aloud.
It made things rather awkward for everyone involved.
One Fiend stepped forward, menacingly flashing a white, gleaming blade. "Move."
Yugen shrugged. If they wanted him to go, he'd go.
In his current state, he was effectively like a spirit in the real world; unless it was a Shadow Game that dealt direct damage to his consciousness, he was virtually immune to physical harm. Having a blade held to his face didn't cause him the slightest bit of mental pressure.
As he followed the squad, Yugen took the opportunity to fish for some background information on the map. "May I ask where we are going?"
The Fiends looked blankly at him, seemingly unable to comprehend how someone in such a perilous situation could remain so calm.
Nevertheless, a kind-hearted Fiend eventually answered, "To the Bunker, naturally."
"The Bunker, I see." Yugen nodded. "Could you remind me what kind of place the Bunker is exactly?"
One of the Fiends looked at him in surprise, as if the question were utterly absurd.
"I'm a traveler from far away. I'm just passing through," Yugen explained.
The Fiend looked him up and down. Taking in his unique attire, the Fiend decided he truly didn't look like anyone from the vicinity and let out a cold laugh.
"Heh, a traveler, are you?" the Fiend sneered. "Well, now that you're here, don't dream of ever leaving. The Bunker is a stronghold under the protection of the True God. It is a concentration camp for rebels a living hell for anyone who dares defy the God's will."
The True God?
Yugen thought to himself, Let me guess. Is your 'God' by any chance a giant, skinny snake?
Man, it seemed
Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes's reach was incredibly long; its influence seemed to be everywhere across the various Spirit Dimensions.
From the look of things, this squad of Fiends had likely been assimilated into the Orichalcos forces. This empty town might have once been a place where spirits lived, only to be evacuated during the invasion of the dark forces.
The Bunker described by the Fiends was likely one of the Orichalcos strongholds in this area. Based on their description, it doubled as a prison. The spirits who once lived in the surrounding town were probably being held there, making it a prisoner-of-war camp.
Yugen had visited an Orichalcos stronghold in the Spirit World once before, and his impression had been quite positive.
The hospitable head of that stronghold, the King of the Skull Servants, had entertained Yugen with his entire family. After a pleasant duel, the King had even entrusted his wife and children to Yugen's care.
Then there was the leader of another stronghold, Insect Knight. Even though Yugen hadn't even visited him, he had gone to the trouble of traveling thousands of miles with all his belongings just to offer his "hospitality."
That duel had been equally enjoyable, and the rewards had been quite bountiful.
As a result, Yugen currently had a very good impression of the various branches the generous Great Leviathan had established in the Spirit World. Therefore, the moment he heard about the Bunker, he immediately began to look forward to it.
In the Spirit World, there was a chance to obtain new card archetypes that no one in the outside world had ever even touched upon.
"How much further is it?"
"How much longer do we have to walk?"
"Why aren't we there yet?"
Yugen asked a question every few steps, leaving the escorting Fiends feeling completely dazed.
Wait a minute. Why did it feel like the prisoner was more eager to get there than they were?
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