Chapter 124: Flustered and Exasperated

Chapter 24: Embarrassment Turning into Rage

The second possibility was that Pokémon were extremely rare in this world, and the average person lacked the means to capture or train their own. After careful consideration, Lu Yun dismissed this theory as well. Over the past six days, he had seen nearly twenty Pokémon on the operating tables, all serving as experimental subjects. Most of them were discarded and left to die immediately following the procedures. If Pokémon were truly that scarce, they would never be wasted or slaughtered so casually.

"Then why is it like this?" he murmured, feeling as though a dark cloud were hanging over his head.

In truth, Lu Yun did not realize that he had, in the depths of his intuition, guessed the reality of this world with startling accuracy. It was only due to a lack of certain information that he had talked himself out of his own hypothesis.

Long ago, under the invasion of the Nightmare Seed, the vast majority of Pokémon across the globe had been infected, transforming into terrifying monsters that knew only how to hunt humans for fresh flesh. Over three hundred years had passed; while humanity had managed to survive in this perilous world by banding together, Pokémon that possessed a sound mind remained a tiny minority. The few that existed were almost exclusively held by the Pokémon League or the evil organizations that gestured from the shadows. For an ordinary citizen, owning a Pokémon was virtually impossible.

Although the base of the Nightmare Society contained a large number of Pokémon test subjects, these were artificial creatures born in nutrient tanks, brought to life through the organization’s crude cloning technology. These Pokémon appeared no different from ordinary ones, and thanks to genetic optimization, they possessed exceptionally high individual values. However, humanity had dared to meddle in the forbidden realm of creating life, and naturally, they would be met with a curse akin to divine retribution from the Creator. These artificial Pokémon were severely lacking in soul. Their lifespans were incredibly short, usually lasting only one to two weeks. Consequently, even a behemoth of the current dark world like the Nightmare Society could only apply this forbidden technique to experimental research, with no clue how to develop it further.

Of course, Lu Yun did not need to worry about his lifespan. The shattered soul of the original owner of this Machop body had long since vanished under the experiments of the Nightmare Society, and the curse of life had departed with it. What remained for Lu Yun was a perfectly optimized, high-potential Pokémon body.

"Sigh." Lu Yun sighed, his eyes filled with distress. The more he studied his current situation, the more confused he became; he could make sense of nothing. Moreover, lately, he had felt an extremely dangerous presence surging toward him. Although there was much he still didn't understand and the layout of the base remained unclear, he knew that if he didn't act soon, it would be too late once the danger arrived.

"Better to act today than tomorrow!" A sharp, brilliant light flashed in Lu Yun’s crimson eyes. He had realized days ago, after his level increased, that the electric shock collar around his neck no longer posed a threat to him. He had kept it on only as a token gesture to avoid exposing his true strength. Now, all Lu Yun lacked to initiate his plan was a small opportunity.

"Clatter, clatter." As Lu Yun pondered, the sound of heavy yet strangely airy footsteps echoed through the dark corridor outside his cell. Lu Yun’s eyebrows arched. "The opportunity has arrived!"

In the hallway, the obese figure of a guard became visible in the dim light. He strutted with his usual arrogant gait, swaying as he walked. The stench of pungent alcohol, mixed with the greasy odor of sweat and oil, drifted through the air—Lu Yun could smell it clearly even from dozens of meters away.

"Bang!" The fat guard raised his thick right leg and slammed it against the steel bars of Lu Yun’s cell. Waves of flab rippled across his round face, and a harsh, metallic screech echoed through the air, accompanied by violent vibrations.

"Get out here, you bastard!" His tiny eyes were filled with contempt and malice. The obese guard shouted toward the dark cell with a sneer.

Lu Yun stood in the shadows, arms crossed and expression indifferent. A cold smirk touched his lips as he suddenly opened his eyes, two rays of scarlet light, laced with an intimidating aura, shooting outward. The fat guard felt a chill crawl from the soles of his feet, up his spine, and into the back of his head, causing goosebumps to erupt all over his body. His gaze turned murky and dull in an instant, and his fat trembled as if he were shivering in terror. It took a long time for him to recover.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" His round face flushed bright red. The guard frantically gripped the baton at his waist and hammered it against the metal bars. Embarrassed and enraged, he roared at Lu Yun:

"You dog bastard!"
"What are you looking at?"
"Get your ass out here right now!"

His voice cracked as he shrieked, his spit flying through the air as it echoed down the corridor.

As if he hadn't heard a thing, Lu Yun kept a disdainful smile on his lips, tilted his head slightly, and fixed his contemptuous gaze upon the enraged guard before him.

"Good... very good!"
"You’ve got guts."

Sensing Lu Yun’s look—as if he were watching a circus clown—the fat guard laughed in pure fury, pointing a thick finger at him.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
"Don't you dare come crawling back to beg me later!"

His obese body trembled with rage as he stared viciously at Lu Yun, his hand fumbling for something at his waist. In his haste, he couldn't find it immediately, and feeling as though he had lost face in front of Lu Yun, his expression grew even more malicious. He muttered wicked curses; he would make this "trash" wish for death before the night was over.

Finally, after a frantic search, the guard pulled a white, tech-like device that looked like a remote control from his pouch. He caught his breath, raised the remote toward Lu Yun, and watched him intently, eager to savor the look of despair on his face. But Lu Yun remained unimpressed, maintaining his look of utter contempt.

"Putting on a show!" the guard growled, and his stubby, carrot-like finger slammed down on the remote.

In that very instant, Lu Yun whispered inwardly:
"Equip: Terrakion’s City-Shattering Pauldrons!"
"Equip: Zamazenta’s Heart!"

*Zzzzzzt—*

A silver-blue light erupted within the dark cell, and the ear-piercing screech of high-voltage electricity echoed through the air. The fat guard squinted, a sneer on his face, anticipating the pained wails to come.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The electricity continued to scream inside the cell, but the imagined cries of agony never came.

"Huh?" With a look of stunned disbelief, the fat guard peered into the cell. There, standing amidst the violent silver-white arcs of lightning, stood a figure as immovable as a tower.