Chapter 107: The Spring Breeze
Chapter 107: Spring Breeze
Lu Yun’s vision was filled with a white radiance. The intense pain lasted only a moment, immediately followed by a profound sense of ethereal emptiness, as if enveloped by the void itself. His body felt weightless, drifting lightly as if it bore no weight at all. With the gentlest breeze, he would rise along the upward currents of the air, ascending endlessly until reaching the highest heaven.
It was as if in a past life’s game, where suddenly Lu Yun’s perspective shifted from first-person to third-person, a bird’s-eye view. In his gaze, the entire expanse of the Grayscale Island sea lay bare.
“Is this... the world beyond death?”
Over the vast ocean, waves surged turbulently. Orange-yellow magma flickered faintly beneath the sea’s surface. The scorching heat vaporized great quantities of seawater, creating thick plumes of white steam that rose into the air. Like a forest of stone pillars, sharp and sturdy spires rose from the seabed, their tips emanating searing red heat.
At the center of this stone forest, a colossal beast clad in crimson armor roared fiercely, its sonic waves sweeping outward like a hurricane. Watching the fierce creature that had just slain him, Lu Yun felt an inexplicable emotion welling in his heart.
Was it anger?
Not quite.
Then what was it?
Questions sprouted like weeds, growing deep within.
Under Groudon’s overwhelming, cataclysmic assault, Lu Yun felt like a mere ant. Even the aftershocks of its attack shattered the body of his painstakingly trained Electric Dragon into fragments. He even sensed that Groudon had barely noticed him—it was merely venting its morning fury, obliterating the entire Grayscale Island in the process.
This vast chasm in strength left Lu Yun unable to summon even a trace of hatred toward Groudon. Instead, it was a bitter resentment toward his own inadequacy.
“If only... I were stronger...”
If he could have troubled that creature even slightly, perhaps his heart wouldn’t feel so powerless and hollow at this moment.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, Lu Yun understood the strange sensation inside him. It was unwillingness—the unwillingness to leave this vast world unfulfilled; the unwillingness born from having just evolved, yet not having had the chance to fully prove himself; the unwillingness from spending so long in this world without forming deep bonds with any true comrades…
Amid his melancholy, a clear and distant melody drifted from the depths of the ocean. It sounded like a grand and majestic whale song, a symphony performed by countless whales. On the sea’s surface, dense white bubbles erupted.
One by one, Water-type Pokémon fearlessly surfaced despite the nearby overwhelming pressure.
Facing north, they bowed their heads low like subjects greeting a king’s arrival. The life-giving breath that nourished all things lingered over the ocean, mingling with a faint, briny scent in the air.
“What is this...?”
Lu Yun’s gaze shifted toward the northern sea depths. Beneath the cerulean waves lay a massive shadow. Crimson, ornate patterns glowed magnificently within the darkness.
Before he could observe further, a small black hole abruptly appeared in the void, like a single dot drawn with a black pen on white paper. Space twisted and blurred around it, a vast vortex swirling and drawing everything inward.
Lu Yun’s translucent form, a radiance of white light, was sucked into it.
...
Darkness.
It felt as though he floated in a starless, silent universe—no up or down, no left or right—everything dissolved into nothingness.
His body drifted empty and weightless. At the corner of his eye, the system’s icon, shaped like a Poké Ball, suddenly expanded, transforming into countless blue points of light that illuminated the boundless blackness.
Like a deserted cinema, scenes flickered before him—like slides projected onto the dark surface of Lu Yun’s pupils.
The confusion and helplessness on his face when he was born as a Mareep.
The white glow streaming from his horns during his first battle.
The pride and satisfaction as he floated in the air by magnetic force after evolving.
The bittersweet feeling when leaving his champion Pokémon handprint at the League Headquarters.
...
“Ding!”
A clear, familiar chime echoed through the void. Strings of sharp blue characters floated before his eyes.
[Final settlement in progress]
[Attribute summary in progress...]
[Battle summary in progress...]
[Event experience summary in progress...]
Like a loading icon from a past life, a blue circle quietly spun in the darkness.
“Beep!”
[Divine Beast’s gift detected, converting into points]
In the silent gloom, a splendid flame shimmering with iridescent colors suddenly ignited, radiating an elegant and auspicious aura.
The sacred fire from the Divine Beast “Phoenix” transformed into countless sparks resembling starlight, gradually fading into the void.
“Beep beep!”
[Points tallying in progress...]
[Attribute bonus: 1230]
[Battle bonus: 750]
[Event experience bonus: 1100]
[Divine Beast gift bonus: 2000]
...
[Settlement complete]
[Overall rating: A-]
[Points earned: 5080]
Strings of dazzling blue characters streaked wildly across Lu Yun’s vision, illuminating his face, which bore a strange expression.
“Zira!”
In the silent darkness, a flash of familiar golden-yellow electricity leapt forth. Dense currents of electricity erupted from nowhere, intertwining in midair.
Bright and radiant, the light flickered in the void.
Interwoven and solid.
Suddenly, metallic luster gleamed within the electric light.
A peculiar black-and-yellow badge crystallized amidst the golden currents.
The badge was roughly circular, with an outer ring composed of yellow metal that resembled interlaced lightning. In the gaps shimmered faint blue-purple hues, evoking nobility and elegance.
At the center, an elaborate design was engraved.
It depicted an Electric Dragon stretching its limbs leisurely, its slender tail swaying behind it. On its chest rested a black-purple orb resembling a black hole, imbued with a mysterious aura.
Beside the badge, the system thoughtfully displayed its attributes in concise blue text:
[Dark Star Thunder]
Type: Badge
Rank: Epic
Effect: Increases affinity with Electric-type Pokémon by 20%
Evaluation: A perfect keepsake—the final memento of the world.
Note: A brilliant meteor begins in a star-studded night sky, falling into a silent and dark abyss. Fleeting yet dazzling, like a blooming ephemeral flower, it leaves the most beautiful trail in the world.
Now transformed into a human form, Lu Yun’s face remained expressionless as his eyes fixed steadily on the badge, which shimmered with golden radiance in the void.
His slender fingers gently caressed the metallic surface of the badge.
After a long moment, a bright smile, warm and clear as a spring breeze, slowly rippled across his face like waves on water.