Chapter 137: Sense of Direction

Chapter 37: Sense of Direction

A tranquil evening breeze swept across the Koron Wasteland, carrying with it a faint chill and a soothing comfort. Above, the vast sky stretched wide and empty. After centuries of natural cycles, the dense clouds of industrial pollution once emitted by humanity had completely dissipated. Like a chessboard scattered with brilliant pieces, countless dazzling stars adorned the pitch-black night, radiating a splendor unique to the darkness.

Yet, the most captivating sight was undoubtedly the two moons positioned at the heart of this grand celestial expanse—one large, one small. The larger moon glowed with a pale yellowish-white light, reminiscent of the moon before Lu Yun’s crossing, though visually much bigger, nearly occupying a fifth of the sky. The smaller moon, shy as if hiding, nestled behind the larger one, revealing only a slender crescent. It bore a faint purplish-red hue and was about a third the size of its companion.

Beneath this starry canopy, Lu Yun stood before a metal gate, eyes wide with shock, his gaze fixed blankly on the heavens above. Before his spirit had merged with his current body, his ethereal form drifting outside the atmosphere had caught a fleeting glimpse of the planet he now inhabited. Based on what he had seen, a vague suspicion stirred within him—he was indeed in a wholly new world.

Despite this premonition, the breathtaking unfamiliarity of the vast night sky arrested Lu Yun’s senses, enchanting him deeply as it was his first time beholding such beauty. In his previous life as an Electric Dragon within the Pokémon world, which was itself a new realm compared to his human existence, the surrounding celestial bodies had shown no significant change, and thus had drawn little of his attention.

Now, the magnificent spectacle before his eyes—something one might only witness in films of his former life—evoked profound shock and awe within him. Deep inside, he grew more cognizant of the immense power of the system embedded within him. With it, Lu Yun was effectively barred from death's grasp. His possession of one Pokémon after another, each with distinct attributes and species, transformed his once mundane human existence into a life fraught with twists and turns. The system, with its data-driven attributes, granted him terrifying abilities to level up rapidly and enhance combat strength. Not to mention the wondrous items housed within the system’s shop, each with unique effects.

Having crossed twice into two different worlds, Lu Yun began to wonder whether, as his cycles of reincarnation increased, he might one day return to the real world he once knew as a human.

A chilly night breeze interrupted his reverie. Lu Yun shook his head gently and sighed. It was too early to ponder such matters now. What mattered most was to establish his footing in this strange world and earn enough points to lay a solid foundation for his next reincarnation.

Stretching in the evening air, Lu Yun took his first step into the dark, desolate wilderness ahead—the beginning of his journey in this new world.

……

Five hours later,

“Tap, tap, tap.”

The crisp sound of leather shoes echoed through the wasteland air.

“Ah—finally found it!”

A voice, lazy yet tinged with relief, rang out. A blond man with sapphire-blue eyes slowly emerged from the wilds, arriving at the gates of the Nightmare Spirit Society’s base.

“It’s taken so long; everything should be nearly ready by now,” he muttered to himself. Scanning the metal gate, which bore a large cut-out hole, his steps faltered and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Sniffing the air as if detecting a faint, pungent scent, his brow furrowed. Raising his left hand, he pointed lightly toward the interior.

“Whirr!”

A sharp, clear sound of a sword resounded suddenly. A silver-white shimmering figure burst forth from his side, akin to a razor-sharp flying sword, darting straight into the base.

Increasing his pace, the blond man jogged after it.

……

Ten minutes later,

“This is bad, this is really bad.”

“If the chairman finds out, he’ll definitely have me killed.”

“But I was just a little late… the responsibility shouldn’t fall on me… right?”

“…”

Murmurs trailed off from the darkness inside the metal gate.

By now, the blond man, guarded by his Pokémon, had thoroughly searched the entire underground base and gained a general understanding of the situation.

The guardian Pokémon inside were either severely injured or dead, no longer capable of fighting. The humans seemed physically unharmed for the most part, but appeared to have been mentally devastated by some negative Pokémon ability, rendering them immobile. Given the still-developing medical technology compared to humanity’s prime, the chances of recovery were slim.

None of this truly mattered to the blond man. The critical objective of his mission was to safely escort Dr. Dahl—who had made significant research breakthroughs—to another base better suited for his work.

Unfortunately, during his search, the man had stumbled upon Dr. Dahl’s corpse, cold and lifeless, in a corner of a corridor. This meant his mission had failed before it even began.

Recalling the chairman’s solemn and grave instructions at departure, and imagining the dreadful punishment awaiting him upon returning with such failure, the blond man shivered involuntarily.

“Bang!”

As if venting his inner turmoil—anger tinged with fear—he stomped his black leather shoe hard on the ground, kicking up a cloud of fine dust.

Stepping out of the base, his chilling gaze swept across the empty wasteland as thoughts churned within.

“Judging from the battle marks and wounds on the Pokémon, the culprit must be a Fighting-Ghost type Pokémon.”

Though the man found this bizarre attribute combination strange, recalling Dr. Dahl’s research brought a measure of understanding.

“The guard Pokémon closest to the gate still has warm blood inside; death occurred roughly five to six hours ago.”

“Given the killer’s strength and the time elapsed, they shouldn’t have gotten far in this perilous wasteland.”

“There’s still time!”

A sharp glint flared in the man’s eyes. Drawing on his seasoned experience, he examined the clues left on the ground before taking large strides to sprint off in a direction.

Though he knew that the strong stench of blood emanating from the base would soon attract savage nocturnal predators—nightmare Pokémon roaming these wastes—without his protection, the incapacitated humans and Pokémon inside would become easy prey.

But there was no time to worry about them now. No matter how few had died, it wouldn’t change the failure of his mission.

Under normal circumstances, he might have spared some attention to their safety, but with the killer’s escape imminent, he had no choice but to leave them behind.

Under the moonlit night, his flowing golden hair shimmered softly with a warm radiance. A cold silver-white light, like a satellite circling in space, guarded him closely.

The man’s hunch was correct—Lu Yun had not gone far.

If on the right track, he might spot Lu Yun’s figure in the wilderness before dawn.

Only, he had somewhat overestimated himself and the strange sense of direction that others found utterly baffling…