"Hmm?"
Joey noticed something interesting from Yugen's inquiry.
"Wait, are you saying... you can leave at any time? Can you freely enter and exit this world?"
"That's right, that's right."
Judai leaned on Yugen's shoulder and said with a laugh, "Yugen possesses the Elf of the legendary Chaos Warrior, who has the ability to open up spaces and travel between different dimensions."
"We also had some technical support from Kaiba Company," Yugen said.
"Did Kaiba come up with some astounding new tech again?"
Joey muttered, but his expression quickly changed.
"Wait... does this mean my Duel Disc is going to be outdated again!?"
He quickly clutched his Duel Disc, eyes wide open.
Speaking of which, it seems that Joey has had a tough time since the early days. When the first generation Duel Disc was released, it was said that all high-level Duelists could get a free Duel Disc from Kaiba Group, but the president targeted Joey and labeled him as a Two-Star, refusing to give him a Duel Disc.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Side of the Dimensions, Joey was saving money through work to repair his beloved old Duel Disc. Then the president turned around at a press conference declaring the new era of dueling and that the old model would be eliminated. Angry, Joey vented his frustration and had to start saving up all over again...
However, these years Joey didn't participate much in tournaments and seemingly didn't have the idea to use his extraordinary gambling talent to make money. Yugen always thought that if he wanted to earn money, it should be as easy as pie.
But Joey thought for a moment and shook his head, "I can't leave yet."
"Why?"
"Even though coming to this Elf Realm initially took me by surprise..."
Joey took a deep breath and glanced back at the yellow sand behind him.
"Originally, I accidentally stumbled upon a really nasty person, another one abusing the power of dueling to hurt others. I tried to stop him but failed.
I carelessly fell into some trap, and when I regained consciousness, I found myself in this world."
Yugen contemplated.
As expected, it was Tragodia, wasn't it?
It seemed Joey interfered with Little Lobster's matters, and the latter designed a plan to kick him here into the Elf Realm.
"At first, I was indeed very anxious, always trying to find a way back. But the longer I stayed here and the more I saw, the less I could sit idly by.
I met many people and many elves here. Many of them received me warmly and offered me help.
However, I also learned that the current situation of this world is terrible. A dictator known as Overlord rules over twelve dimensions, all resistors are eliminated, and the original inhabitants of these worlds are enslaved... I cannot turn a blind eye."
"Indeed."
Judai listened and nodded repeatedly, indicating strong agreement.
"So, you've decided to stay here and defeat the Overlord?" Yugen asked.
"Yes."
"Then that's just perfect, because we're here for the same reason." Yugen smiled, "But going back to rest first wouldn't hurt, as there are many things to deal with in reality too."
Joey was momentarily stunned, his mind going blank.
Then he realized, oh right, today they can freely enter and exit this dimension, isn't that convenient?
"Besides, there are still people outside waiting for Mr. Joey Wheeler to return, aren't there?"
Yugen said with a smile.
"I happened to meet Sister Mai earlier. She hasn't given up on finding you all this time and says she'll make you pay once she's found you."
Joey's face immediately sank.
It's as if he already foresaw an inevitable beating upon returning.
"Alright."
The legendary Duelist suddenly seemed deflated.
Yugen and Judai were using Link System consciousness projection, so disconnecting the link was easy and allowed them to go offline and return. However, Joey was physically there and couldn't go offline at will.
But it wasn't much of a problem. With the power of the Great Opening, they sliced through the space barriers with some effort, but still managed to bring him back to reality smoothly.
The landing point was right in the forbidden area of Duel Academy Island, in the old dormitory that had already been abandoned — one of the thinnest nodes of the space barrier between earth and the Other Dimension.
Upon return, Yugen and Judai immediately went to the abandoned dormitory to meet this legendary Duelist.
It's evident that Joey indeed struggled during his time in the Elf Realm. Yugen tentatively brought him back to Yellow Dormitory, then ordered some supper.
Joey's eyes almost sparkled at the sight of the Yellow Dormitory's food and immediately charged toward it like a hungry wolf, gobbling up all the food on the table rapidly.
Full and satisfied, Joey lay down with a content expression as he patted his round belly, "I feel so comfortable. Thank you so much, I feel like I haven't eaten so well in a lifetime."
"As long as you're happy."
Yugen chuckled.
"I have plenty of space here, you can rest here for the night. After some time, I'll ask the president to get us some Link System equipment; next time when going online, you can join us."
Joey expressed his thanks.
He had stayed in the Elf Realm for so long, experiencing various environments — slums, wild caves, living rough — he had become highly adaptable. Now coming to Yugen's Yellow Dormitory seemed nearly like a paradise in comparison, almost making him fall asleep instantly.
Yugen planned to rest as well. But after washing up and entering his room, he found the newly arrived young lady Thousand Gold by his bedside, her pale face in the moonlight looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.
"What is it?"
Thousand Gold partially turned her head and pointed out the window at the bright moon.
"Someone is coming."
Yugen was taken aback.
He knew what Thousand Gold mentioned couldn't be just anyone, surely it was someone dangerous enough to be specifically mentioned by Thousand Gold.
Thus, Yugen also moved to the window and looked out. He could see a tiny black shadow flying past in the moonlight, like a bat with outspread wings.
Yugen narrowed his eyes.
With the assistance of the Elf, his eyesight had considerably enhanced, and despite the distance, he could vaguely discern that it didn't seem like an ordinary bird.
It looked...like a person.
...
...
A man in white spread out demon-like black wings behind him, seeming like a Fallen Angel, flying through the night.
He glided downward, slowed down, circled around the far side of the Academy Island's volcano, and landed gracefully.
The black wings behind him, upon landing, disintegrated and dispersed into black mist.
"I've arrived."
The man raised his head, his eyes cold and fierce under the moonlight.
Black mist enveloped his body, carrying distant whispers.
"Well done. Remember your mission, David."
A grim voice spoke.
"Especially remember, avoid the Duel King, do not engage head-on."
"Got it, got it." David hummed, "It's a pity, I was looking forward to facing that guy..."
"Don't get too full of yourself, David," that grim voice coldly said, "Do you want to end up like Mizuki?"
"I'm different from that woman."
David muttered.
"Anyway, I got it. Don't worry, I've infiltrated successfully. The Duel King is probably still dreaming..."
Before the words were finished, a lazy voice sounded from behind him.
"Who are you saying is dreaming?"