Slap... click.
When the icon in the middle of the computer screen lit up from black, followed by that familiar classic music brimming with childhood memories, the hall of Origin Internet Cafe was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
What appeared on the screen was a small town that looked especially peaceful and tranquil.
Beneath the azure sky, several neatly arranged wooden houses stood quietly amid lush green grass. Pixel-built fences and paths could even be seen nearby.
"This..."
Huo Yuhao sat before the screen, staring at the dialogue box that had popped up beneath the game display. His mind went a little blank.
"Welcome to the world of Pokémon! This world is home to all kinds of incredible creatures. We call them Pokémon..."
Professor Oak's kindly pixel-art portrait bounced on the screen, with a line of text beside it:
[My name is Oak. Everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor.]
"No need to kill soul beasts, and no need to carve up their corpses to take their soul rings..."
Huo Yuhao murmured to himself.
He was a spiritual-type soul master, so he was particularly sensitive to the bloody slaughter involved in obtaining soul rings. He had also felt the resentment of countless soul beasts before their deaths.
Yet the world Lu Yuan had described, called "Pokémon," actually defined the relationship between humans and these mysterious creatures as "partners" and "bonds."
For Huo Yuhao, who had always wanted to break the hostile destiny between soul beasts and humans on Douluo Continent, that was simply too appealing.
"Pallet Town... That name does sound pretty fresh."
Wang Dong leaned over from the side as well, curiously examining the pixelated protagonist wearing a red cap and carrying a small backpack. "Boss Lu, how do we play this game? Are we going to