Chapter 16: Adaptability

Passing through the gate, Tiancheng Guang felt countless rays of light piercing through his body. His body seemed to shatter into countless pieces, being scrambled by someone, until the sunlight reappeared. Only then did his body begin to reassemble, finally transforming into a "person" and landing on the ground.

"Ugh—"

Tiancheng Guang landed on the ground, his legs went soft, and he nearly collapsed.

So heavy!

So heavy—

He felt his limbs and body suddenly become countless times heavier.

The sky seemed to be at dusk; the flow of time in the two dimensions seemed to be the same.

"Jūdai!" "Tiancheng!"

While Tiancheng Guang was still dazed, someone had already run to their side, asking nervously: "Are you two alright?"

"Oh! I'm fine!" Jūdai said nonchalantly.

Tiancheng Guang tried hard to shake his head, looked at Marufuji Shō and Maeda Hayato, and after a moment of relief, he spoke: "I'm fine too, just a little dizzy."

"That's a normal phenomenon, meow~" Instructor Dadesi pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, "Jūdai possesses adaptability beyond the average person, so returning to the real world doesn't cause him much trouble. However, Tiancheng, your adaptability isn't that high, so you should still rest for a while."

"Besides, it's an old model, so it's harder on the human body. An average person needs to rest for five or six days, meow!"

"I see..." Tiancheng Guang nodded, indicating he understood.

It was normal. In the original work, Jūdai wasn't a normal human; he was the reincarnation of the "Lord Ba Wang," thick-skinned and possessing strong mental power. Such things really didn't count for much to him.

Moreover, although Tiancheng Guang felt uncomfortable, it was just dizziness and a feeling of heaviness in his body. After taking a few more breaths, he felt almost back to normal.

It was about the same as running a kilometer.

It seemed that the Super Polymerization wasn't just helpful to him in duels?

"Oh my, it's a good thing you came back, meow, otherwise I would have been taken away by the Academic Affairs Department!" Seeing that the two were unharmed, Instructor Dadesi patted his chest, wiped away his tears, and couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

Academic Affairs Department?

Tiancheng Guang looked to the side and saw a row of people wearing dark green uniforms and military caps, looking just like soldiers, staring at them sternly. Among them, the leading woman, after hearing Instructor Dadesi finish speaking, said mercilessly: "Instructor Dadesi, fortunately, no accidents occurred this time, so the Academic Affairs Department will not issue you a penalty!"

"However, the dimensional gate will be reclaimed by us and handed over to the Board of Directors for repairs. As for your salary this month, you'd better be prepared!"

Tiancheng Guang remembered that in the original work, it was these people who "arrested" Jūdai after he violated school rules. They were the theoretical "soldiers" on the Duel Academy island, directly under the Board of Directors.

"How could this be, meow!!!" Dadesi cried with a mournful face.

"It's all Instructor Dadesi's fault. If Instructor Dadesi hadn't pressed buttons randomly, Big Brother and Tiancheng wouldn't have almost been unable to come back!"

"Instructor Dadesi... although I'm also very sad, Shō is right..." Even Maeda Hayato, the old good-natured guy, felt that Dadesi had gone a bit too far.

"Eh, I just thought it was a bit old, so I tried adding some things..." Dadesi was depressed for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked Jūdai, "By the way, Jūdai, where did you go?"

"Ah, that—Tiancheng, where did we go again? Hahaha?" Jūdai subconsciously touched the back of his neck again and started giggling.

Before merging with Yubel, Jūdai was still too funny.

"We went to a dimension of heroes. The spirits there were very welcoming to Jūdai, and they even seemed to be Jūdai's old acquaintances." Tiancheng Guang said off the cuff.

"Ah, yes, yes!" Jūdai quickly followed up.

"You know Big Brother?" Marufuji Shō asked suspiciously, "Big Brother, what's going on?"

"Ah, this, that, actually..." Yūki Jūdai touched his face with his finger, thought for a moment, and laughed, "Actually, it's like this..."

Uh.

Although it was somewhat counter-intuitive.

For example, Yūki Jūdai could eat the home-cooked dishes Dadesi made very happily; he was the only freshman in the Red Dorm who could eat two big bowls at once, but Jūdai was not a child from a "poor family."

On the contrary...

His parents were executives at Kaiba Corporation! They were excellent scientific research and technical talents!

"Eh eh eh!???" Marufuji Shō's eyes widened in shock after hearing this.

Many years ago, Kaiba began to explore other dimensions, looking for a path to the Underworld. For publicity and promotion, Seto Kaiba held an event, sending cards and drawings made by some children into the very first dimensional gate, randomly sending them to countless spaces.

Those cards and drawings... were Jūdai's.

"Ah!?" Maeda Hayato was dumbfounded, "I, I also heard about that event, I even signed up..."

Clearly, whether it was talent, spirit power, or family background, Maeda Hayato couldn't compare to Yūki Jūdai.

"So, so?" Instructor Dadesi also leaned in, "That hero is..."

"Hmm!" Jūdai opened his deck, flipped out an unusual card, and a nostalgic smile appeared on his face, "He experienced many things in other dimensions, gained brand-new power, and transformed into a new form, but when he saw me again, he still turned back into his original appearance... He is my partner and friend!"

"I see. Congratulations, Jūdai." Tiancheng Guang, listening from the side, understood and nodded in congratulations.

It seemed that in the original work, Jūdai sent the cards on a rocket, but in this world, it became sending them to another dimension.

No wonder that Winged Kuriboh was so familiar with Jūdai.

In short, the matter ended just like that. Regarding the incident of traveling to the "Underworld Gate," both Jūdai and Tiancheng Guang kept their mouths shut and would never let it out. And after meeting Winged Kuriboh, Jūdai also understood his future goal—to find his partners.

Regrettably...

The dimensional gate originally required energy to recharge. As the "lowest-level" dorm, the Red Dorm received the least every quarter, so it couldn't be used many times anyway. Now that it had been reclaimed by the Academic Affairs Department, it was likely that no one would be able to use it for a short time.

The three of them happily prepared to go to the cafeteria to wait for Instructor Dadesi to cook. Marufuji Shō and Maeda were still asking Jūdai for details. Instructor Dadesi explained to the teachers from the Academic Affairs Department for a long time before finally returning to the front of the dormitory in a dejected state.

He greeted Tiancheng Guang and thanked him for his willingness to participate in this "tag team" event. After watching Tiancheng Guang gradually walk away, he slowly opened his eyes: "I won't be mistaken... That student really possesses a quite high talent for 【Alchemy】!"

Alchemy, the "science" of those who pursue eternal life, but in this world of cards, it had another name—Fusion!

He rubbed his eyes with his hands, unable to help but feel a bit emotional: "I didn't expect... in the final stage of my life, I would actually encounter a student with this kind of talent..."

At the same time.

The highest level of the Fusion Department.

A figure stumbled out of the dimensional gate, lying on the ground, coughing crazily.

Beside him was the expressionless head of the Fusion Department, Chima Lingwang.

"Can you stand up?"

"Of course I can! Professor!" The student tried hard to support himself on the ground with both hands, struggling to stand up.

"Very good. In a few days, when your body has fully recovered, go and complete the things in your heart. Don't let me down."

"Just wait, Tiancheng Guang, I will definitely take revenge!" The student's eyes were burning with fire, as if he could burn someone alive just with his gaze.

He struggled to climb up, relying on the wall to barely stand. There were no other emotions in his heart, only one thought, and that was—revenge!

And our Tiancheng Guang...

At this very moment, Tiancheng Guang, after only ten minutes, had completely lost the dizzy and uncomfortable look he had when he first came out of the dimensional gate. He bought a piece of bread, ate it while thinking about his deck, and was already full of energy!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 17 =====