Chapter 115: The Collar

Chapter 5: The Collar

As his thoughts shifted, Lu Yun tore his gaze away from the system panel and directed it beyond the transparent glass before him.

Machop’s arm strength seemed to grant him a faint form of night vision. Even though the world outside was pitch-black, Lu Yun could still make out the vague outlines of a few objects.

“Hmm…”

The room was not large, yet it seemed strangely spacious.

There was an office desk with several chairs scattered around it. Some papers that looked like documents appeared to be lying on the desktop, though he could not see them clearly.

Beside his life-support chamber stood a device covered in numerous blinking indicator lights. It hummed with an unmistakable high-tech presence, as if monitoring his vital signs.

Aside from these things, the room contained nothing else.

Lu Yun carefully examined the corners of the room. Only after confirming that there were no devices resembling cameras did he finally relax.

He silently said, “Use Individual Value Enhancer.”

A warm current seemed to materialize from thin air, suddenly bursting forth from the center of Lu Yun’s chest. Then, carried by the vigorous flow of blood propelled by his beating heart, it spread throughout his body.

“Item Individual Value Enhancer has been used.”

“HP +2.”

“Special Attack increased.”

“Speed +3.”

Lu Yun felt as though he had immersed himself in a hot spring. A pleasant warmth spread through his body.

The sturdy muscles on his thick arms swelled ever so slightly, by an amount imperceptible to the naked eye.

The three tile-like organs atop his head seemed to have been polished, becoming clear and gleaming.

A trace of black matter seeped from the pores on his skin and dissolved into the dense green liquid surrounding his body.

Lu Yun could not help letting out a satisfied moan.

Although the increase in his individual values did not produce any obvious change in his current strength, it had laid the firmest possible foundation for his rapid growth in the future.

An increase in aptitude and potential would benefit him greatly in every respect—whether in comprehending moves, controlling energy, or improving his physical constitution.

Lu Yun’s eyes burned with excitement, as though he could already see his glorious future.

He decided to strike while the iron was hot and use the other potion he had exchanged from the system.

“Use Individual Value Enhancer.”

Once again, a stream of heat flowed through Lu Yun’s veins like a brook.

“However…”

Lu Yun frowned slightly.

He could clearly feel that the effects of this dose were far less pronounced than those of the first.

“That shouldn’t be right.”

This time, Lu Yun had used an Individual Value Enhancer. According to the system’s description, it should have increased his individual values by at least five points.

As for the Small Individual Value Enhancer he had used the first time, he had done the calculations. Altogether, it had only increased his individual values by six points.

No matter how he looked at it, the second potion should clearly have been more effective.

After all, it was produced by the system. Surely the notion of drug resistance did not apply here…

Filled with doubt, Lu Yun opened the system information panel to find out what had happened.

“Item Individual Value Enhancer has been used.”

“Defense +2.”

“Special Attack increased.”

“Beep!”

“All individual values have already reached the maximum of 31. Excess individual values will automatically be converted into experience at a ratio of one to one hundred.”

“Experience +0.”

It was as though a huge exclamation mark had appeared above Lu Yun’s head. He stared blankly upon seeing the system notification.

He widened his eyes and read through the message several more times before finally reacting.

“Am I… at maximum aptitude?”

Lu Yun clicked his tongue in amazement.

The aptitude of Pokémon was influenced not only by their species, but also by six individual values: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.

Each individual value fluctuated between 0 and 31. It was entirely innate and could not normally be changed.

If Lu Yun had understood correctly, then with the help of the Individual Value Enhancers, all six of his individual values had now reached their peak.

In other words, the Machop he inhabited had become one of the most gifted and potentially powerful members of its entire species.

Apart from lacking some taught moves, Lu Yun had already reached the pinnacle of natural talent.

“No wonder.”

Lu Yun finally understood why the second potion had seemed less effective than the first.

“But… surely I didn’t use up all my luck when I refreshed the system shop?”

With the potion’s minimum increase being five individual-value points, Lu Yun had randomly obtained six the first time.

For the second dose, judging by the experience he had received, he had apparently rolled only five.

He gave a bitter smile and tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression vividly displaying both agony and delight.

He was naturally thrilled to have become a six-IV Pokémon.

But…

Whenever he thought of those individual-value points that had been converted into experience, his heart ached as though it had been slashed by a knife.

Besides—

“This conversion rate is far too low!”

Experience could be obtained at any time, but there was only one way to raise individual values: drinking potions from the system.

The difference in value between the two was something a one-to-one-hundred exchange rate could never properly reflect.

“It’s practically worse than one to a thousand…”

Lu Yun muttered softly at the system.

Still, it was only a complaint. He could not change the facts.

And so, with the system’s help, Lu Yun had officially laid a perfect golden foundation for his journey toward dawn.

Tap, tap, tap.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed through the silent room.

Then, accompanied by the mechanical click of a switch, bright and glaring lights abruptly illuminated the entire chamber.

Screech—

The door was shoved open with great force, and a pair of regulation leather shoes strode inside with arrogant, swaggering steps.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man dressed in a guard’s uniform.

He reeked of alcohol, as though he had just finished a wild drinking binge. His round beer belly nearly burst through his shirt, while a greasy sheen oozed across his swollen, puffy face, bloated by excessive drinking.

His tiny, slit-like eyes swept over Lu Yun, who was pretending to sleep.

The obese guard moved forward with heavy steps, swaggering like an overbearing crab, until he reached the mechanical instrument beside Lu Yun.

“Burp.”

After releasing a greasy alcoholic belch, the fat guard stood before the multicolored indicator lights and examined them for a while.

He raised one thick arm and scratched his head.

“It should be about time.”

Muttering to himself, the fat guard shifted his gaze toward Lu Yun inside the life-support chamber.

A cold glint flashed in his tiny eyes, as if he were looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

With thick fingers as coarse as dried radish, he lightly pressed a button before him.

Click. Clack.

The clash of metal suddenly erupted from deep within the device. Its violent vibration caused the viscous liquid inside the glass chamber to ripple gently.

The unexpected change forced Lu Yun, who had been pretending not to be awake, to open his eyes.

His orange-yellow pupils held a trace of panic.

Vmmm—

Powerful electromagnetic energy burst from both ends of the device. Two curved metal mechanisms shot toward Lu Yun.

They moved too quickly.

Before Lu Yun could even react, the strange metal devices had joined together around his neck like magnets.

They formed a humiliating metal collar, radiating a cold, silvery-white light around his throat.