Chapter 197: If You Choke to Death Eating in a Game, What Happens in Reality?
Upon arriving at the castle, just as Princess Mary had promised, everyone received an extremely warm reception. It had been quite some time since Chumley and the others entered this game, so they settled down to enjoy the delicious grand feast.
"Whoa, you can actually taste it! This is so fragrant, and this is delicious too, and this—cough, cough, cough, cough!" Joey was completely amazed by the experience of eating in a video game. Since he couldn't get full, he ate a bit of everything.
And so, the price for gobbling down his food was choking on it. The realism was truly impressive.
"Seriously, you're pathetic." Chumley had a cup of coffee in front of him, savoring the unique flavor of the garlic from his steak. "It's not like anyone's fighting you for the food."
Taking a large gulp of the water Mai Valentine handed him, Joey finally managed to swallow the food in his mouth. He gasped for air, "Phew, I'm saved. I really thought I was going to choke to death in a video game."
Meanwhile, Mokuba and Yugi gathered more information from Princess Mary. Her identity was the princess of the Corland Kingdom, where the group currently was. But she was also one of the Tributes chosen to be offered to the evil Demonic Dragon—the (Five-Headed Dragon). Every year, the Corland Kingdom and the neighboring Gotas Kingdom had to offer a Tribute to the Demonic Dragon, or they would face the destruction of their kingdom.
Matching the information Chumley had told them, Princess Mary had also heard that one Tribute had already been brought before the (Five-Headed Dragon). If Yugi and the others hadn't rescued her, Princess Mary would have also been taken to the Demonic Dragon's slumbering place—the [Castle of Gloom] suspended high in the sky.
There was no need to guess the identity of the Tribute who had been taken away; it had to be Kaiba, who had been stripped of his Deck and thus possessed no fighting power in this world.
Worried about his brother's safety, Mokuba couldn't even bring himself to eat. He anxiously asked the princess how they could possibly reach the floating castle, only to be told that although someone had escaped from there a thousand years ago on a giant bird-like flying machine, after a millennium, no one knew where that machine was hidden or if it could still be used.
As for using the power of Duel Monsters to fly directly to the floating castle, not only were monster summons restricted by dueling conditions, but there was also a Barrier surrounding the [Castle of Gloom]. Duel Monsters couldn't penetrate that Barrier to get inside the castle.
"No way..." Hearing this news, Mokuba lost all appetite, despite the tempting delicacies spread before him.
Yugi comforted him, "Don't worry, Mokuba. We'll definitely help you rescue Kaiba. We promised."
"As long as it's a Game, there's always a way to clear it, right? No matter how much the path ahead looks like a dead end, if you advance with the determination to 'clear it at all costs,' you can forge a new path," Chumley added, trying to guide Mokuba. "Didn't you also enter this Game with the resolve to save Kaiba? You have to do what you say, Naruto."
"I told you, I'm Mokuba!"
Although he had a small outburst, Chumley's method worked quite well. Mokuba successfully regained his spirits, his gaze firm as he looked at the sky outside the window. "Yeah, I will save my brother. I'll use every method I can!"
"Speaking of which, Yugi, I remember you once said you encountered a duelist who used the [Castle of Gloom], right?" Chumley suddenly asked Yugi. "How did you defeat him back then?"
"Ah, me? The [Castle of Gloom] from that time... because its defense was nearly invincible, it took me several Turns before I could break through its Barrier. In the end, though, I used (Catapult Turtle) to shoot it down," Yugi said after some thought. "However, using (Catapult Turtle) to Attack the [Castle of Gloom] isn't a good idea in this situation. Kaiba is still inside."
"That's true."
At that moment, Princess Mary spoke again. "Actually, there is a legend passed down in our country—that a hero will come to the kingdom from the other side of the mountains. He will slay the evil dragon and save the world."
"Are you saying you think we're the legendary heroes?" Joey pointed to himself, speaking a bit shyly. "Oh, come on, we're not that amazing."
"I believe in you, my benefactors. You have that kind of strength." Princess Mary paused, looking at the floating [Castle of Gloom] in the distance, her tone tinged with sorrow. "Although you have rescued me from the temple, the evil dragon's minions will not let me go so easily. They will definitely launch an Attack on the kingdom again."
Yugi said with a smile, "Don't worry, Princess. We'll protect you."
"Yugi..." Princess Mary looked at Yugi, her face full of emotion. "Yes, thank you. Oh, that's right. I see you don't have any powerful equipment on you. Please, take some from our kingdom before you go."
"Ooh, this is feeling more and more like an adventure story!" Joey seemed very excited, tugging at the clothes he was wearing. His outfit was still the one from the Arena. Although it looked a bit better than Yugi's school uniform, it was tattered and lacked any real style. Hearing about new gear naturally made him happy. "Alright! I'm gonna need a set of the most hero-like equipment you've got!"
Ten minutes later.
Yugi emerged from the changing room wearing a suit of light armor, adjusting the red cape on his back and hanging a short sword, which was more decorative than practical, at his waist. As he adjusted the position of the vambrace on his forearm, he saw Chumley waiting outside.
The clothes assigned to Chumley were a set of pure white mage robes, similar in style to those of the (Dark Magician), though they didn't come with a hat or a staff.
After Yugi, Mai Valentine also came out. Her hero equipment was a standard female Warrior set—a small round shield on her left arm, tight-fitting leather armor, military boots, a battle skirt, and a rather long double-edged sword sheathed at her waist.
"Not bad. These clothes all look the part." Looking at Chumley and Yugi's new appearances, Mai Valentine felt that their current attire made them look much more like professional adventurers than before. She then turned her head towards the changing room behind her. "Is Joey still in there?"
Joey's head peeked through a gap in the curtain. With a grim look on his face, he reluctantly walked out. "Why am I the only one dressed like this?!"
He was wearing an earthy-yellow animal hide one-piece dress, Roman sandals, a Viking horned helmet, and held a spiked club. Joey's outfit was a concentration of the essence of "barbarians" from several different eras. Chumley was tempted to call it "Grand Barbarian."
"It suits you pretty well, don't you think, Joey?" Chumley teased. "The attendant said this is the most hero-like set of equipment in the entire Corland Kingdom. You'd better wear it with gratitude, you know~"
Joey couldn't help but think back on his experiences since entering the game. Every time he tried to be a hero, it was when his luck turned sour. It was like that at the Arena last time, and it was happening again with these clothes. "I don't want to be a hero anymore!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a bell rang from outside, accompanied by the alarm from a patrolling sentry: "It's bad! Monsters are attacking the city!"
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Author's Note:
The Online Game plot will probably be finished in the next 4-5 chapters. After that, I'll write about (Dice Roulette), and then it's on to Battle City. The Yu-Gi-Oh protagonists come and go, but the six-year-old is eternal. The sunny boy definitely needs a beating.
(end of chapter)