People in Yu-Gi-Oh! The hyper-converged audience is also integrated

Chapter 300 Medical Department, Room 505

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist and shone on the Youlan Islands, the heat wave mingling with the fresh scent of grass.

"Huff...huff...I can't go on...really...not a drop left..."

A slightly thin man, with his hands on his knees, was panting heavily. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his temples, and dripped down his chin onto the dusty track.

All around, a group of new recruits lay sprawled out, their faces pale, lips dry, and eyes unfocused, looking like a pack of pugs just pulled from the water, their tongues lolling out as they desperately sucked in the thin air.

Li Guanqi was among them, and he felt like his lungs were about to explode, and his throat was burning as if he had swallowed a handful of hot coals.

For these newbies who have just stepped into the gates of the Soul-Binding Bureau, carrying ten kilograms of weight and running three kilometers of cross-country is undoubtedly a form of torture.

However, not everyone was in such a sorry state.

At the very front of the group was Bian Yuelong-Xiasheng. He had arrived at the destination early and was leaning against a tree. His face was expressionless. The grueling three kilometers he had just run was nothing more than an after-dinner stroll to him.

Not far from Xia Sheng, Yu Wancha stood straight, but his appearance at the moment was somewhat peculiar.

His uniform was gone, revealing his muscular, bronze-colored body. His muscles were smooth and powerful, with faint bluish-black lines moving slowly beneath his skin. His breathing was heavy, but his eyes remained sharp, filled with an indomitable spirit.

"Stand up, all of you! It's just a run, look at the pathetic state you're all in!"

A loud, bell-like voice, laced with a strong sense of sarcasm, rang out from not far away.

Instructor Yan Lang, a man nearly two meters tall and as strong as a black bear, walked steadily into the crowd with his arms crossed. His hawk-like eyes swept over each new recruit who was slumped on the ground, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Is that all you've got? A bunch of cowards!" Yan Lang roared.

He pressed the supercomputing ring to bring up the system statistics for the warm-up run, and his face immediately darkened upon seeing something.

"Uh, first place, Byeon Taki Natsumi, time—five minutes."

"Hiss—!" A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

Five minutes?! What does that even mean?
Is this Henzuki Taki Natsumi a monster?
Li Guanqi struggled to lift his head, looked at Xia Sheng who remained expressionless, and sighed softly, "Dude, what are you even practicing for?"

Can the differences between people really be that great?

This data is comparable to that of the major team leaders, and judging from his appearance, he hasn't even exerted his full effort yet.

Despite being an exceptionally talented prospect, Yan Lang frowned instead, showing no sign of joy.

This Xia Sheng was neither wearing the uniform of the Juling Division nor signing a contract.

He obeyed some of the instructions of the Spirit Control Bureau, but he was not a member of the Spirit Control Bureau's system; in layman's terms, he was an ally.

However, there is a significant difference between allies and partners.

Partners generally won't abandon each other upon meeting, but allies might be a different story.

"Second place, Ji Wangxiang - Yu Wancha, time ten minutes." Yan Lang continued to announce, turning his gaze to Yu Wancha, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction, "You have to transform just to run a lap!"

Only then did everyone notice Yu Wancha's unusual behavior. It turned out that in pursuit of speed, he had activated his symbiotic card, which enabled him to achieve a ten-minute time.

"Reporting, Instructor!" Yu Wancha straightened his back and said in a loud voice, "I can control the symbiotic card. This level of transformation will not affect my sanity!"

Yan Lang glared at him: "But you tore your uniform!"

"This is a bulletproof uniform, it's very expensive! It will be deducted from your salary!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Wancha, who was shirtless, immediately lost his momentum and lowered his head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, instructor."

"Pfft-"

A burst of suppressed laughter erupted from the crowd. Even Li Guanqi couldn't help but grin. A warm-up run followed by a transformation? Yu Wancha was quite interesting.

Influenced by the two phrases, "It doesn't matter if you can't run now, just don't regret it when it's crucial" and "The qualification to duel is more important than the duel itself," this year's boys are working exceptionally hard.

Fortunately, the practical assessment was just an exercise, with a safety net in place. If you were trapped in a bubble and unable to move because you couldn't get to the control panel during a real mission, you would have to rely on the people in the duel arena.

"Third place, Daiichi and Uesugi Genichi, eleven minutes." Yan Lang called out another name, then his gaze swept across the crowd, lingering on a long-haired man for a few seconds before he nodded slightly.

Finally, we have a normal, excellent trainee.

"What are you laughing at! And you too!" Yan Lang suddenly turned his head, fixing his gaze on Li Guanqi, his tone suddenly becoming stern.

Li Guanqi's expression, which had just been smiling, froze instantly. His heart skipped a beat, and he stared blankly at the instructor.

The laughter around them stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes turned to Li Guanqi with a hint of sympathy.

Yan Lang walked heavily to Li Guanqi, his imposing figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped Li Guanqi. He looked down at Li Guanqi, his eyes sharp as if trying to pierce his soul.

"Bian Yuelong - Li Guanqi, 10 kg weight, 3 km, time - 18 minutes!" Yan Lang's voice was deep and carried an oppressive force. "Ranked 88th out of 96 male trainees!"

Upon hearing this, the few "good brothers" who had been counting down with him took a half-step back, adhering to the principle of "don't let blood splatter on me."

Of the original two hundred qualified new students, after a series of bloody risk warnings and expulsions by the Bureau of Spirit Control, only ninety-six boys and sixty-two girls remained.

Most of the forty-two who were dismissed were from wealthy families, young masters and ladies who came to the Spirit Control Division only to "gild their resumes." Those who truly stayed were prepared for the worst. As for Li Guanqi, he had truly amazed many people in the previous practical assessment with his astonishing explosive power and unbelievable reaction speed. In particular, Yan Lang, the team leader in the monitoring room, had a high opinion of him and placed great hopes on him.

But now...

How could a man who could display that level of reaction and explosiveness end up last in the most basic warm-up run?

Yan Lang looked Li Guanqi up and down, his brows furrowed.

Judging from how he's panting like a dead dog, it doesn't seem like he's deliberately holding back.

Li Guanqi felt a chill run down his spine and his throat went dry under his gaze. He swallowed hard and stammered, "Instructor... Instructor, you can scold me if you want, but please... please don't stare at me like that. It's... it's scary."

He knew his performance was indeed embarrassing; coming in last place meant he was bound to get a scolding.

But during those eighteen minutes, he really put in all his strength, and felt like his body was completely drained.

That ability, which is suspected to slow down time, has a major weakness.

It was triggered!
Simply put, he needs an 'opponent' to do something to him in order to enter that abnormal space-time.

Currently, it seems that this symbiotic card ability has no side effects; even if the sanity rate drops, it can recover.

But—it can't be used proactively!
Li Guanqi could only cover his face and console himself: "So be it, it's still a second-fastest build."

Yan Lang didn't start cursing as Li Guanqi had expected. He just stared at Li Guanqi silently for a while, then raised his wrist, tapped the shiny black supercomputing ring on his wrist, and brought up Li Guanqi's personal information.

【stare--】

A small projector popped up, displaying a photo of Li Guanqi.

"Your symbiotic card...unknown?" Yan Lang frowned even more as he browsed the information on the projection, his tone tinged with surprise.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding recruits immediately cast strange glances at him and began whispering among themselves.

"What do you mean? You're so old and you still don't know about symbiosis cards?"

"How did he get through the first ten years or so? He was in a deep sleep the whole time, only recently waking up?"

"Perhaps the symbiotic card is a bit special."

"No, could it be that he hasn't taken any inhibitors yet? Wow, I'm so envious."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Li Guanqi nodded somewhat awkwardly: "Mm."

He genuinely didn't know what a symbiotic card was. Having been here for half a month less than in Antana, he hadn't yet fully grasped the situation.

“We can’t afford to be unaware of this. How will we save you if we can’t find an inhibitor?” Yan Lang pondered for a moment, then put away the supercomputing ring and said to Li Guanqi, “After training today, go to the medical department, room 505.”

"Room 505, Medical Department?" Li Guanqi was taken aback, a strange feeling creeping over him.

“Oh, the medical department of the Spirit Control Division is different from the medical clinics outside,” Yan Lang explained. “Strictly speaking, it should be called the ‘Self-Department.’”

"All research on 'self' is within our scope. Conventional treatment of illnesses is only a small part of our business. There are also gene enhancement, semi-mechanical modification, biosynthesis technology, in-depth analysis and development of symbiotic cards... These are the main directions of the medical department."

He paused, a sentence about to be uttered, but then he swallowed it back.

There was once a highly controversial saying circulating in the medical department, though no one knows who said it—

"Bringing the dead back to life is the greatest medical skill."

Later, because this statement was considered too outrageous and contrary to human ethics, it was explicitly prohibited from being spread.

Yan Lang waved his hand, unwilling to talk more: "In short, it's too dangerous if we can't get the inhibitor. Let's go there first and see Dr. Zhang. Maybe he can give us an answer."

“However, be prepared,” he said awkwardly.

"Are you mentally prepared?" Li Guanqi was a little apprehensive, but he still agreed.

Bloody scenes? He's not afraid of that; he's even carried a friend's corpse before, so he's seen a lot about life and death.

He was also full of doubts about his symbiotic card, and it would be great if the medical department could help him solve this mystery.

The day's training quickly ended amidst sweat and exhaustion. The daytime consisted of high-intensity physical training, honing the recruits' willpower and physical fitness.

At noon, they were divided into groups for duel training to familiarize themselves with the use of various cards and tactical combinations.

They earn points by performing simple patrol or reconnaissance missions in the evenings, but considering they are new recruits, no combat missions are assigned to them in the first month. The evenings are used for learning, and they can go to the corresponding departments for further study and training according to their personal preferences.

Three months later, those who meet the points requirements will undergo a graduation ceremony, and those who pass will officially start their jobs.

As night fell, Li Guanqi arrived at the fifth floor of the medical department. Compared to the time of the practical assessment, the medical building in front of him had been completely renovated. However, there were not many 'patients'. The medical building of Youlan Islands only served the staff and criminals on the island.

He took a deep breath to calm his somewhat uneasy heart and looked around.

The corridor was dimly lit, and besides him, there were five other people standing scattered around—three men and two women—each with a different expression.

(End of this chapter)