"Link System?" Yu Xuan asked as he walked side-by-side with Mokuba down a long corridor.
"That's right," Mokuba said. "Actually, we've been developing related things for several years now. Back then, big brother developed a new type of Duel Disk that could link the quantum information of card data with the memory regions of the brain. All duel information is visualized as brain images, becoming visible in space."
"I think I've heard of this." Yu Xuan quickly realized. It was the type of Duel Disk that Kaiba developed in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions, a product that was a bit of a combination of technology and idealism. It could digitize card data, link it with human memory, and even amplify a duelist's self-awareness. In specific situations, it was even possible to print cards from memory data images.
President Kaiba's famous "draw from the floor" scene in the movie relied on the power of this system. In a desperate situation, Kaiba drew "Obelisk the Tormentor" from the floor, a card that should have long ceased to exist in this world, shocking Aigami for a whole year.
"But that development was actually just a prelude to a larger project, and it's finally about to be completed."
Mokuba had already led Yu Xuan to another laboratory. After he entered, someone immediately handed him a Duel Disk and a device similar to a headset. Mokuba passed them to Yu Xuan.
"This is the key to opening a new world."
It was a light blue Duel Disk with a strong sense of technology, its edges carved with intricate patterns, surrounded by a circle of transparent displays and indicator lights.
Mokuba had already put on his Duel Disk and headset, giving him a mysterious smile: "You'll know once you activate it." With that, he activated the device first.
So, Yu Xuan followed suit and activated the system. The Duel Disk's indicator lights illuminated one by one, and a faint hum came from the headset. Immediately after, he seemed to see a data stream rolling before his eyes, like azure seawater composed of countless 0s and 1s, rapidly occupying his entire vision until all surrounding scenery was swallowed.
When he came to his senses, he looked around and found himself standing on an unfamiliar street.
This was an unknown city.
The skyline was punctuated by various peculiar skyscrapers, like something out of a sci-fi movie, resembling colossal towers piercing the clouds. But they weren't constructed of concrete and glass; instead, they were made of some structure that exhibited peculiar colors and textures as the light changed, making the entire city appear like a colossal gem.
Yu Xuan paused, then looked down at his own body. His vision, touch, and all other senses felt exactly as they would in reality. But a certain instinct told him that this was a simulated world.
"Surprised, right?"
Mokuba appeared beside him, smiling.
"Because it's still in early development, just a test model, we're using real-life appearances. Otherwise, you could choose to log in as any virtual avatar."
"A fully immersive online game?" Yu Xuan asked.
"Hmm, it's not quite like what you see in fantasy works, but in terms of outcome, you could understand it that way, I suppose." Mokuba thought for a moment. "In fact, the prototype of this technology existed many years ago, even before my brother and I took over this company. Our adoptive father, Kaiba Gozaburo, had already developed quite mature technology at that time."
Yu Xuan realized what he was referring to. That was content revealed in the Noah Arc of the DM anime. Kaiba Gozaburo's biological son, Kaiba Noah, died in a car accident, and Gozaburo downloaded Noah's consciousness data into Kaiba Corporation's military supercomputer. As a result, that consciousness gradually grew and evolved into a highly intelligent AI, and over years of growth, it built a very vast virtual world.
In the anime's Noah Arc, he stealthily dragged Yugi and Kaiba's group into the virtual world he created, but that data space was destroyed at the end of the Noah Arc. However, the technology must have been preserved by President Kaiba.
It was based on that foundation that they developed this "Link System." A similar vast virtual world space, like a gigantic open-world online game. According to President Kaiba's vision, duelists from all over the world could log into this game to engage in online duels.
Yu Xuan naturally thought of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, the sixth installment of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Although that installment was a parallel world, its worldview looked like a distant future. That installment was also the first time in Yu-Gi-Oh! history that the main stage was set in an online game called "Link VRAINS," where almost all duels took place online within the game.
Based on this description, this system that President Kaiba is developing might have some connection to that future.
Yu Xuan also tried to summon Silent Magician. Just a moment later, the silver-haired mage floated out from his Duel Disk's attached deck in spirit form, tilting her head.
What?
"Oh, nothing, just calling you for fun," Yu Xuan smiled.
Silent Magician: "."
Of course, he wasn't just calling her for fun. This confirmed to him that even though his current state was a projection of his consciousness into a data world, the power of spirits was still applicable here, and the attribute of destiny should be the same.
However, this was foreseeable. Supernatural power is metaphysics, and it also applies in data space, which was actually already proven in DM. In the original work, AI Noah attempted to use his authority to take over Yugi's body in the virtual space, but he suffered a backlash from the divine power of the Millennium Puzzle.
"It's great, right?" Mokuba said proudly.
"It's still just a prototype now; only testers can log in. But we'll complete the facilities as soon as possible, so duelists from all over the world won't be restricted by location and can duel happily no matter where they are. Didn't big brother invite you to participate in the 'Duel City GX' tournament before? Actually, we're planning to hold this year's tournament online in the Link System, also as the grand opening of the Link System."
He suddenly stopped at this point. He received a message from Kaiba Corporation technicians in the outside world.
"Illegal login? Here?" Mokuba was surprised. "But the Link System hasn't even officially opened yet…" He immediately thought of something. "Could it be that hacker from last time again?"
"I don't know, sir," the technician said. "But we've detected an abnormal data space within the Link System. We're trying to clear it."
"No, send me the coordinates first," Mokuba interrupted. "I want to go see it myself."
"Yes, sir."
Receiving the coordinates from headquarters, Mokuba snapped his fingers. Then, the scene around the two quickly began to distort, and everything spun around.
In just an instant, their coordinates had shifted, and they had instantly moved to another corner of the virtual map. That was part of Mokuba's GM permissions, allowing him to teleport freely between any coordinates on the map.
And where the two teleported and landed, they faced only a gloomy old castle. Completely different from the sci-fi, futuristic buildings from before, the castle's outer walls were mottled and eerie, and its gloomy giant shadow stretched long, like a massive demonic beast quietly lurking in the darkness.
Mokuba frowned: "Strange, we didn't design such an area…"
"Of course not."
A voice emerged from the shadows.
A man in a black suit and sunglasses slowly walked out, smiling.
"Because it was designed by our master, right in the shadow of your bright and splendid virtual world."
"Are you the hackers who infiltrated our company?" Mokuba said in a deep voice. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The man chuckled softly, not answering directly, but instead turned to say: "Since you have discovered us, then whether it's trying to drive us out of the Link System or deleting our stronghold in this shadow, it should be a trivial matter for Kaiba Corporation. But if you do that, you won't get the answers to the questions you want, will you?"
"Oh?" Mokuba crossed his arms and smiled. "I smell conditions. So, what do you want?"
"It's simple. We'll decide with the rule that President Seto Kaiba respects the most, and also the only rule in this 'Link System'." The man revealed his Duel Disk and deck. "Let's duel. If you win, we will naturally provide you with the answers to any questions you need."
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