That made exploring Spirit World much more convenient than before, and much safer as well. He no longer had to come here in person every time. He could even log off whenever he wanted, return to Duel Academy for classes during the day, then log in again at night and continue where he had left off.
The town around him looked abandoned. Yugen followed the street ahead, and every place he passed was empty.
About ten minutes later, he turned into another street and finally saw people near Dead End at the far end. A squad of armored creatures stood there. He did not recognize any of them, but from their appearance alone they looked like the Fiend race.
The Fiend noticed him as well, and someone immediately started shouting. "Over here! There is another live one!"
"Stop!"
"Don't run!"
A whole group of Fiend grabbed their weapons and charged at him, shouting as they came. But halfway there, they gradually slowed down and exchanged confused looks.
That was because the person they were chasing stood calmly in place, with no intention of running at all. The Fiend closed in and surrounded Yugen, each one glancing at the others.
His refusal to run seemed to leave them at a loss. "Hmm, was I supposed to run just now?" Yugen muttered.
The situation instantly became awkward for everyone involved. One Fiend raised a gleaming blade and snarled, "Move."
Yugen shrugged. If they wanted him to go, then he would go.
His current state was similar to the way a Spirit existed in reality. Unless it was a dark Yami Yugi capable of directly harming consciousness, he was almost impossible to injure. So having a blade held in front of his face did not put much pressure on him at all.
As he followed the squad of Fiend, Yugen took the opportunity to ask about this place. "Can I ask where exactly we're going?"
The Fiend looked blank. They clearly could not understand how someone in this kind of danger could remain so calm, but one of the kinder ones still answered, "To the bunker, obviously."
"The bunker, right." Yugen nodded. "Could you also remind me what kind of place the bunker is?"
Several Fiend stared at him in surprise, as if the question itself were ridiculous. "I am from out of town," Yugen explained. "Just passing through."
That Fiend looked him over. His unusual style did make him seem unlike any local, so the creature gave a short laugh.
"Heh, an outsider, is that it?" the Fiend sneered. "Since you've come, don't even think about leaving."
"The bunker is the stronghold protected by Dark God, a camp for rebels, a hell for all who dare defy the will of god," one Fiend declared loudly.
Dark God. Yugen thought, let me guess, is your god also some shameless snake by any chance?
Looks like Orichalcos Leviathan really had spread his influence far and wide. He was everywhere, even across different Spirit World.
If that was true, then this squad of Fiend were probably Spirit already absorbed by Orichalcos. This empty town had most likely once belonged to Spirit, only to be abandoned during the invasion by those dark forces driven by dueling momentum.
The bunker the Fiend mentioned was one of Orichalcos's bases here. From the way they described it, it also sounded like a prison. The Spirit who had once lived in the nearby town were probably being held there like prisoners of war.
Yugen had visited one of Orichalcos's bases in Spirit World before, and his impression had been quite good. The warm and generous base chief King of the Skull Servants had entertained him with his whole family and, after a pleasant Duel, entrusted his wife and children to Yugen's care.
There had also been the leader of another base, Insect Knight. Yugen had not even gone to visit him, yet the man had still traveled a long distance to warmly offer everything he had. That Duel had also been very enjoyable, and the rewards had been plentiful.
Because of that, Yugen had a fairly good opinion of these branches set up by that generous shameless snake in Spirit World. So the moment he heard about this bunker, he immediately began to look forward to it.
After all, in Spirit World, there was a chance to obtain completely new-field Card from the Level Series that nobody outside had even touched yet. "How much farther is it?"
"How long do we still have to walk?"
"Why aren't we there yet?"
Every few steps, Yugen asked another question, leaving the escorting Fiend more and more bewildered. They could not help wondering why today's prisoner seemed even more eager than they were.
After about twenty minutes of walking, the the Bunker the Fiend had mentioned finally came into view. It stood alone on a barren stretch of wasteland, and from the outside it looked as though it had been built from obsidian and dark granite. A layer of gloom clung to its surface all year round, a heavy darkness that even sunlight could not pierce.
The massive gate lowered with a deep rumble and slammed into the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. As they entered the Bunker, a cold chill rushed over him, and the air carried the sharp smell of sulfur and rust. The light inside was dim, with only the torches hanging along both walls casting a weak glow through the long corridor.
The passages twisted in every direction like a giant maze. Dark prison cells lined both sides of the corridor, each iron door sealed shut. Behind some of them, imprisoned monsters stared out dimly, while from others came furious roars and savage howls from unknown creatures.
As one guard passed a cell, a Fiend claw suddenly reached out and waved at him. The guard stopped. "What now?"
The prisoner behind the door grinned. "Nothing much. I just heard a newcomer arrived at the Bunker today?"
"Your information travels fast." The guard leaned against the door and snorted. "Yeah, I heard that patrol got lucky and caught some kid wandering around alone. They say he's a traveler from outside."
"A traveler?" The demon behind the door threw back his head and laughed wildly. "Then he's one unlucky bastard. Once he's entered the Bunker, his journey probably ends here."
"Yeah, sure. But that's not all you wanted to say, right?" The guard straightened up and waved a hand impatiently. "I still have work to do. I don't have time to stand here chatting with prisoners, and if the one on duty catches me slacking off..."
"Don't be in such a hurry." The demon quickly stopped him, then spread his mouth into a sly grin. "I don't mean anything else by it. You know, the usual. I just want to teach the newcomer a few rules of this place, so he learns how to behave. That'll be good for everyone, right?"
"I knew it." The guard laughed out loud. Then he flicked his hand, and flying particles gathered in his palm to form the image of a green Spell Card. Invisible magic flowed from the card, and with a sharp click, the prison door unlocked and sprang open.
"The new guy looks human, and he seems pretty weak." The guard walked off, waving over his shoulder as he left. "Just don't overdo it. Leave him alive."
The demon chuckled, slapped his chest with a claw, and gave a dark smile. "No problem. I know my limits. I'll take very good care of him."