The ancient mage was dazed for a moment, unable to collect his thoughts.
Red Reboot, also known as the "Breaker," a weapon for OTK. However, such a card brimming with futuristic technology couldn't possibly have appeared in ancient times.
No, the flashy superheroes played by Youyu earlier were also products with a futuristic flair.
Although ancient dueling wasn't played with holograms like in modern times, and could cause real harm during a duel, it wasn't necessarily lethal.
Just like sparring can cease before causing serious harm, dueling can too. As long as one didn't deliberately trigger a deadly level of the Darkness Game, common sparring usually didn't have to be a life-or-death struggle, though the defeated party would feel depleted of energy, feeling drained.
This gatekeeper had been stunned for quite a while but finally snapped out of it, looking at Youyu with a gaze of admiration.
He realized that he had underestimated the person before him; this was indeed a true master!
Youyu stepped forward, "Is there no problem now?"
"No problem, definitely no problem." The ancient mage smiled and stepped aside from the large door behind him.
The two huge door panels rumbled deeply, slowly opening before Youyu, revealing a wide and spacious avenue.
"Follow me."
He led the way in front, and Youyu followed him inside. The heavy door panels slowly closed behind them.
"You are a true warrior, naturally qualified to enter," he said. "With your strength, getting through the first layer... no, perhaps even the second layer of trials shouldn't be an issue.
I bet you will reach unprecedented new heights."
As they spoke, they had already arrived inside the Land of Trial.
This was actually quite a barren space, with only one very simple small house. In the empty open-air arena, the blue sky floated lazily with a few clouds, while a black-hole-like vortex swirled on the grounds, light and darkness intertwining with occasional electric serpents writhing within, resembling an unfathomable chaos.
There were also other people around. Some appeared to be compatriots of the gatekeeper, also guarding the Land of Trial.
They currently still looked like ordinary humans... though that might just be the case for now.
At least this gatekeeper, Youyu discovered, resembled a Duel Monster Spirit "Ancient Mage." He might reincarnate as a spirit in his next life, or perhaps some future change might turn him directly from a human into a spirit.
Besides that, there were also other challengers at the Land of Trial. Some came from the Royal Palace, and occasionally others joined.
Commoners found it much more challenging than royalty to practice magic and summon duel monster spirits, but it wasn't entirely impossible. Priest Set—whose previous incarnation was President Kaiba—is an example, representing commoner priests.
He was said to have been born into poverty, gaining his skills through diligent self-study and eventually earning the "Millennium Rod's" recognition, becoming one of the nation's Seven Great Priests with the highest status.
"That's the entrance to the trial," said the ancient mage. "Are you ready, or would you like to prepare first..."
"You'll need to queue up."
The speaker was a young man. From his luxurious and quite different style compared to commoners, it wasn't hard to see that he was likely from the Royal Palace.
"Priest Nadin," the ancient mage nodded slightly, courteous. "Attempting another challenge today?"
"Of course," the young man replied with some arrogance. "I'm just a step away from success. I will certainly break through before returning."
"Well, then good luck."
Priest Nadin was an apprentice priest in the Royal Palace, not yet formalized. Despite this, his status in this country was already quite high, a figure admired by the masses on the street.
Before entering, Nadin glanced at Youyu, perhaps overwhelmed by his good looks, or curious about his different style.
But he didn't say much, just stepped toward the vortex, clenching his fist with determination.
—If successful this time, I'll confess to that apprentice priest girl, Mana, back at the Royal Palace!
...Although she might not even remember who he is.
He walked into the teleportation gate without looking back, leaving an elegant silhouette.
Youyu noticed a large stone tablet standing nearby, walked up curiously, and found it densely covered with writing.
Unfortunately, he couldn't read these ancient hieroglyphs. As depicted in the animation, the NPCs in the Memory World seemed to come with translation when they spoke, allowing Yugi's friends to communicate freely, but the written records were still in hieroglyphs.
But judging by the record format, he had a rough guess.
It was a record of speed-running the dungeon...
"Apprentice Priest Nadin is also one of the more talented young warriors of this era. Given time, he might surpass me," the gatekeeper introduced beside Youyu.
Youyu was taken aback: "Isn't he as strong as you?"
Wasn't defeating this gatekeeper necessary to enter the Land of Trial?
The ancient mage smiled wryly: "No, any warrior who proves their strength in the Sacred Battle Ceremony can enter.
But it's rare for someone to win against me in the ceremony—and within just two rounds, like you."
Youyu: "..."
The gatekeeper coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness: "Still, he is the most talented among the recent challengers. With his skills, he should handle the first layer...
...Oh, the results are already out."
A line of fine, slender text surfaced again on the stone tablet.
Youyu couldn't read it, but the gatekeeper nodded slightly after seeing it: "Not bad at all. Passed the first trial within seven rounds, breaking the best record in history!"
Within seven rounds... so it should mean seven turns?
Youyu couldn't help but become more curious about the form of the trial inside.
Youyu asked, "Have the Pharaoh and the Priests never challenged it here?"
In this era, restricted by numerous factors, ordinary Duelists might be weaker than those in the DM Era three thousand years later, but the Pharaoh and the Priests should still be considered more powerful, right?
"Yes, but their results for clearing the first level are not recorded on the tablets," said the Gatekeeper. "Priest Set did visit once before becoming an official Priest, but even he didn't pass the first level within seven rounds.
Above the status of official Priest, only by passing all levels of the trial can a record be left."
Youyu roughly understood.
It's the same reasoning as in fantasy sect trials, where they often set rules on how many years old and below what level young people can participate, right?
"Has anyone completed the trial?"
"The entire trial? No." The Ancient Mage shook his head.
"Not a single person? Not even the Pharaoh?"
"The current Pharaoh just ascended the throne a few days ago and hasn't come to try yet. But up to now, indeed, no one has completed the entire trial.
Currently, the best performer in the entire trial is Priest Set, who came here before becoming an official Priest and still holds the best score."
The Gatekeeper paused and smiled, "Don't underestimate the trial too much. Although I do admire your strength, completing the whole trial is not something easily done."
Youyu nodded, indicating his understanding.
So currently Dark Yugi hasn't been here, and President Haima holds the best record?
As expected.
In the future world of Duel Monster Cards, Yugi possesses the world-famous "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning," known in GX as the "Strongest Warrior of the Duel Monster Realm," while Kaiba owns the even more domineering "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End."
These two cards are collectively referred to as "Chaos Dual," and in the DM Era, they were super weapons with artwork completely different from other Monsters, dominating the Physical Card environment for many years.
If I'm not mistaken, Yugi and Kaiba might have obtained these two trump cards through the "Land of Trial" in their past lives.
He remembered seeing a post on a forum in his previous life that explained the background setting of the Linked World game version, where three thousand years ago, the first to complete the trial and receive the final reward was this newly crowned young Pharaoh, known to everyone as Dark Yugi.
As they spoke, the young Apprentice Priest had already emerged from the Teleportation Gate. Unlike when he went in, he was now thrilled, as if he were climaxing in place.
"I did it!" he shouted excitedly.
Passing the trial within seven rounds, this achievement is only recorded below President Haima on the tablet!
When he came out, he was holding a sword with a golden hilt, which he didn't have when he went in.
"Clearing the trial may yield rewards. It could be a weapon, Spell Books, or a Spiritual Artifact," the Ancient Mage explained to Youyu.
It was only after he said this that Youyu recognized it.
This sword... isn't it the Equip Magic "Legendary Sword" from his initial Card Deck in Linked World?
Equipped to Warrior-Type Monster, the equipped Monster's attack power increases by 300. Back then, he used this sword to equip "Elemental Hero Sparkman" to defeat Pandora the Magician, securing the beginner's gift pack.
...Could this be the origin of this Equip Magic's birth?
Apprentice Priest Nadin now felt unprecedentedly inflated, walking as if floating. He finally felt he could muster up the courage to confess to the Priest girl he admired!
"Congratulations," the Ancient Mage smiled and offered his congratulations, then turned to Youyu, "So, would you like to give it a try?"
"Hmm, let's give it a shot."
Not to mention anything else, he was somewhat interested in breaking President Haima's highest record, even though that president might not be the one he knew.
Youyu nodded, stepped forward, and entered the Teleportation Gate.
He was indeed curious about what kind of model this trial was.
A mild sensation of weightlessness swept over him, feeling as if his body floated in mid-air for a moment, but soon enough, his feet returned to solid ground.
Youyu regained his composure, looked around, and found himself on an empty platform. Black mist like veils wavered around him, endless darkness stretched out, devoid of anything.
A phantom-like figure appeared before him. Its form was abstract, a dark silhouette indistinguishable, only vaguely visible with an arm seemingly adorned with a Duel Disc-shaped tool.
So, it seems it's still about dueling?
Therefore, it might be just as Youyu had suspected earlier, resolving combat within "seven rounds" means within seven turns, right?
But considering card game experts' understanding of the game, if aiming for swift battle, forget seven turns, a game might end within two turns.
Maybe this trial's opponent has some exceptional attributes?
Thinking this, Youyu activated his Duel Disc.
"...Duel!"
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Trial Opponent, LP 16000]
Youyu: "..."
Alright, he understood.
It turns out this guy is just a dungeon boss in an RPG game, with the main feature being a high health bar...