Chapter 138: Caution

Chapter 3: Caution

Not long after escaping the underground base, Lu Yun was unaware that behind him, a formidable yet directionally challenged trainer was in hot pursuit. At this moment, he treaded cautiously across the Koron Wasteland.

The Koron Wasteland was sparsely forested; most trees stood scattered across the plains, rendering the landscape visually vast and open. However, the tall, dense grasses that carpeted the ground severely limited visibility. Even with the enhanced night vision granted by his surgical modifications, Lu Yun could only faintly discern objects within a few meters.

Yet despite this, he did not fear losing his way. Centuries of unbridled growth without human interference had allowed the trees to grow towering and robust, serving as perfect natural landmarks under the shroud of night.

Though guided by these arboreal signposts, Lu Yun dared not quicken his pace. He needed to remain alert, constantly aware of his surroundings. The wilds at night in the Pokémon world were perilous. Famished predators lurked in the shadows, licking their lips as their greedy eyes fixed upon any sign of movement.

Just stepping into this new world, Lu Yun felt an eerie sense of danger enveloping him like a shadow. His muscles tensed, and two distinct energies swirled quietly within him, poised to strike.

He spread his heightened senses into the surrounding grasses, moving with deliberate silence. His pitch-black skin, suffused with ghost-type energy, acted as a natural camouflage, melding his figure into the darkness.

Dense blades of grass before him parted gently as he passed, only to spring back resiliently once he moved on, the tickling sensation raising goosebumps along his strong arms.

“*Huff... huff...*”

Suddenly, a heavy breath broke the stillness of the night—deep, prolonged, like a soft drum being gently beaten.

Lu Yun’s eyes sharpened; his forward step halted abruptly. Time seemed frozen, his body motionless. He had no desire to complicate things.

Having just escaped the underground base, Lu Yun was far from his prime. Many wounds still lingered, some barely healed. A fight now would be gravely disadvantageous.

Moreover, in such a treacherous wild, any Pokémon brazen enough to lie down in the open for rest either lacked sense or had a formidable backing. Lu Yun’s instincts leaned toward the latter.

He had a strong premonition: the source of that snore was a tough adversary.

Remaining still, Lu Yun carefully pinpointed the direction of the sound. He cautiously retreated in the opposite direction, glancing sideways with narrowed eyes.

There, in a clearing surrounded by thick grass, lay a massive, muscular figure, resting quietly on the ground. Its broad form rose and fell with each heavy breath.

Thanks to his night vision, Lu Yun could vaguely identify the creature’s species. Thick, pillar-like legs folded beneath it; sturdy, gray armor covered its body, clearly signaling formidable defense. At its snout, a small, sharp horn protruded like a rhinoceros’s.

“A Rhyhorn?” Lu Yun exhaled softly.

He knew something of the Ironclad Rhino. Their bones were hard, their strength immense, but their intelligence was limited. Compared to other large grassland Pokémon, their temperament was relatively mild. Unless provoked, they posed little threat.

What Lu Yun did not realize was that nearly all Pokémon remaining in the Koron Wasteland had been infected by the Nightmare Seed. They cared nothing for one’s hostility or innocence; any uninfected creature was viewed as fresh, succulent prey.

Amid the oppressive stillness, the faint scent of blood clung to Lu Yun, subtly spreading through the air.

Suddenly, the slumbering Rhyhorn twitched its nose twice. Its eyelids snapped open, revealing pupils glowing with an eerie red light.

“Damn!” Lu Yun’s body froze.

Before he could react, the Rhyhorn charged straight at him, its eyes ablaze with greed and violence.

“Thud! Thud! Thud!”

Its powerful limbs pounded the earth with thunderous force. Lowering its head, the sharp horn glinted ominously.

“Ah,” Lu Yun sighed.

Given the circumstances, conflict was unavoidable. To avoid attracting other wild Pokémon, he resolved to end the fight swiftly.

Leaping lightly to the side, he easily evaded the Rhyhorn’s cumbersome attack. The rhino’s devastating strength—capable of shattering reinforced concrete—found no target, instead pulverizing the dense grass beneath its feet.

Lu Yun planted his left foot firmly, bending his knee slightly. His right leg extended diagonally, fiery brown fighting energy surging from his pores.

“Trip!”

With a sharp crack, the air seemed to explode. The power of type advantage struck the Rhyhorn’s lower leg with brutal force. The massive beast faltered, then collapsed awkwardly onto the ground.

“Bang!”

Its heavy body crushed a swath of grass and stirred up clouds of dust.

In the game, the move “Trip” gains strength from the opponent’s weight; in real time, it had the same effect.

The Rhyhorn’s bulky frame lay immobile, unable to rise amidst the searing pain.

A brilliant gleam flashed in Lu Yun’s crimson eyes. He leapt swiftly toward the fallen foe, dark purple flames of ghost energy swirling around his clenched fist.

With his arm muscles bulging, he aimed for the vulnerable corner of the Rhyhorn’s eye and struck fiercely.

“Shadow Punch!”

A powerful blow, infused with corrosive ghost energy, landed squarely on the weak spot. Fine cracks spidered across the hard armor like shattered glass.

The Rhyhorn’s limbs twitched violently before going limp.

That decisive strike plunged it into a deep unconsciousness.

Drawing back his strength, Lu Yun showed no sign of relief. In mere seconds following the battle, strange rustling noises began to rise from the surrounding darkness.

Shaking his aching hand, he quickly retreated, slipping once more into the impenetrable blackness.