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Most people had probably encountered that kind of game before:

Its narrative setting looked grand and splendid, but upon closer inspection, it merely used a series of events big and small to force the protagonist along, with no choices whatsoever.

Its content and gameplay appeared diverse, but it was really just the same old three things in different packaging.

They often lacked innovation, suffered from a severe sense of déjà vu, and their cookie-cutter content and familiar progression felt like canned goods churned out on a factory assembly line.

And now, Yu Ming felt as though he were playing a canned isekai RPG based on Yu-Gi-Oh!.

No, he should say that he really was playing a game right now, considering it even had a name:

"Dimensional Duel: Crimson Undying Legend."

See? It even had a series title, and the subtitle was crystal clear.

"Ugh."

After shifting his gaze away from the system-designated Life Script, Yu Ming could not help sighing.

Of course, he was not actually trying to criticize anything.

Canned games could be fun. Whether they had replay value or not, if they could at least be enjoyable the first time around and immerse players through a complete playthrough, then they were undoubtedly good games.

Unfortunately, the "game" he was playing now was not high-quality. It could even be said that it had been full of all sorts of infuriating flaws from the very beginning.

"The bald guy in the opening tutorial didn't speak like a normal person. He only spoke in riddles."

"It gave me no time to prepare and dragged me all the way to the 'main city' without a single choice."

"There wasn't any free-roam segment. Once I reached the main city, it triggered the next event directly without even letting me look around."

And then...

"The main city got blown up too."

Yu Ming could not help looking to the left. Through the floor-to-ceiling window lay the city's ruined scenery.

Houses had collapsed, factories were damaged, trees were scorched, and gardens had turned to ash.

After suffering that sudden devastation, all of New Domino City had become a... ruin that could somehow still function normally.

Honestly, he had not even gotten a proper look at this city that resembled Domino City.

"But it's fine. A so-called crisis or incident is also a standard guidance method."

"And the greater the impact, the more critical the situation, the greater the sense of accomplishment when it's resolved... tch."

Honestly, Yu Ming really wanted to persuade himself with that reasoning.

But the instant certain words left his mouth, even he could barely keep it together.

After all, the current situation was truly hard to put into words...

"Mr. Yu Ming, this is the conference room."

By the time he came back to himself, he was already standing before a massive metal door.

Under the cold artificial lighting, the KC Logo representing the Kaiba Corporation looked simple and frigid. Beneath it stood a red-haired woman.

A cheerful smile appeared on the familiar face Yu Ming knew, and her little canine tooth seemed to bring a touch of brightness to the ruined city beyond her.

"The other duelists have more or less all arrived."

"Mm, thank you for leading me here."

"No need, no need. It's what I'm supposed to do."

The woman smiled and waved her hand.

"Someone like me doesn't have any combat power, after all. I'm not like you duelists, able to fight so well. I can only handle these little errands."

Though her words clearly conveyed regret, the woman had evidently grown used to it.

In the end, Yu Ming saw a trace of seriousness on her face, carrying a certain hope.

"Mr. Duelist, everything is in your hands."

"...Mm."

As he looked at the anticipation in those red eyes, the corner of Yu Ming's mouth twitched.

That was why he found the situation so hard to put into words.

Forget responding to those expectations—even now, none of this felt real to him.

Maybe because using card games as a means of fighting made it hard to take things seriously, or maybe because... the progress had moved too quickly?

"Mr. Duelist?"

When he came back to himself, the woman was looking at him with some concern.

"Are you all right?"

Clearly, she meant well.

Unfortunately, Yu Ming was not accustomed to accepting such things.

"Ahem, don't worry about it."

After giving a light cough, he quietly took a step back.

"I'm just a little tired."

"You didn't rest well?"

"I'm fine..."

Yu Ming raised his voice slightly, effectively ending the topic.

"Anyway, this is far enough. Thank you for showing me the way."

"Then I have other work to handle, so I'll be leaving first."

"Mm, goodbye, Miss Guide."

After the woman disappeared around the corner, Yu Ming finally could not help sighing.

Thinking about it carefully, the current situation really was absurd.

Just an hour ago, someone had been looking down on him, yet now someone was treating him with utmost respect and even looking at him with expectation and reverence.

And now, he had even been invited to some damned strategy meeting.

How should he put it? Had I skipped ahead without realizing it?

"Now I've really skipped through life."

Unable to stop himself from laughing, Yu Ming began operating the wrist device on his arm.

After he entered a string of numbers, the camera above the door began scanning him.

"Identity confirmed: Duelist Yu Ming."

Accompanied by a mechanical voice, the door slowly opened.

"Welcome to the strategy meeting."

Then, another scene came into view.

There was none of the cramped, enclosed feeling brought by steel and metal. The white-painted walls made the room feel unexpectedly open.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the round table below—and, naturally, the duelists gathered around it.

But then...

"Uh."

When Yu Ming finally took them all in, the corner of his eye began twitching involuntarily.

There was a fisherman shamelessly bare-chested and holding a metal harpoon, and a robot dressed like a commander with a rapier in hand.

There was a demon in tattered clothes, hunched over like a little old man, and a mecha that nearly reached the ceiling, looking like a miniature Gundam.

A crimson evil spirit, a humanoid tengu, a tiny penguin.

Zombies, skeletons.

And when Yu Ming glanced toward a corner at the edge of the room, he even saw a Nine-Tailed Fox curled up in a chair—hey, this one did not even have a humanoid form!

"Human, you seem to be thinking something very rude."

Just as Yu Ming could not help wanting to make a sarcastic remark, a voice as cold as winter snow drifted into his ears and choked everything back down.

So all you monsters have mind-reading abilities or something?

Facing the Nine-Tailed Fox's sleepy yet sharp gaze, Yu Ming merely smiled.

"Hello."

"Hmph."

It had no intention of returning the greeting. It simply lay back down, its nine swaying fluffy tails wrapping around its body until it became a huge furry ball.

In the end, Yu Ming shifted his gaze to the one guy he could at least exchange a few words with.

Keith Howard...

Who would have thought? In a place like this, this guy, who embodied every old American stereotype in his character design, was actually the most normal one.

He sat in his chair with both legs propped directly on the round conference table.

"Yo, kid. How've you been lately?"

"We saw each other a little over an hour ago."

"That's fine. You should know that time has no meaning to us."

That statement seemed fine in this world of the dead, but coming from Keith...

"Trying to act tough?"

"Tch, you little brat..."

"Enough of that. Where am I supposed to sit?"

"You..."

But at that moment, Keith suddenly fell silent.

After glancing around, he noticed that the surrounding duelists were all directing their eyes toward him, intentionally or otherwise.

"Ah, kid, you really are sly."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Who cares whether you do or not?"

After rolling his eyes, Keith merely stretched and waved his hand as if shooing away an annoying fly.

"Sit wherever you want. Don't ask me about that."

"But how am I supposed to know which seats are empty..."

"You don't need to worry about that."

At that moment, that distinctive child's voice rang out from the other side.

Noah Kaiba approached with his hands clasped behind his back.

"To this day, this table has never been full, and there is no seating order either. Just sit wherever you like."

Even if he said that, was that really true?

Yu Ming silently glanced at the "layout" of the round table and gave an awkward but polite smile.

Yeah right. Like I'd believe that.