Black Myth Continues, and Pokémon Opens Too

Black Myth Continues, and Pokémon Opens Too

After Pikachu escaped, the excitement in the shop did not immediately die down.

Ma Hongjun took off the Synchronized Headband. The first thing he did was not brag about how brave he had been, but turn toward the Small Counter.

"Boss Lin, do you still have any Paralyze Heal?"

Lin Chuan glanced at him.

"Yes."

Just as Ma Hongjun was about to relax, Lin Chuan added, "You can only buy it after registering as a Trainer. Your Pokémon testing slot ended today. Queue up again tomorrow."

Ma Hongjun's face fell on the spot.

Yan sneered from beside him.

"Clear goal, thorough preparation."

"If you don't speak, no one will mistake you for mute."

The two were about to start arguing again when Ning Rongrong raised a hand and slapped the Review Paper onto the table.

"What are you arguing about? Yellow Wind Ridge isn't finished yet."

At those words, many people in the shop came back to their senses.

Right.

Yellow Wind Ridge was still there.

The shock brought by Pokémon had been too great. Pidgey was still preening its feathers on Zhou Ping's shoulder, and Ma Hongjun had just been scorched black by Pikachu's electricity. Many people had nearly forgotten that three teams were still rotating through reservations on the Team Evaluation Rankings, while the entrance to Sandgate Village remained lit.

Lin Chuan hung two wooden signs side by side.

On the left was [Black Myth: Yellow Wind Ridge Approach].

On the right was [Pokémon: Rookie Trainer Test].

The two signs hung side by side like two entirely different doors.

The former meant suffering, reviewing, Cooperative Advance, and competing for evaluations.

The latter meant catching, training, taking them into reality, and raising companions.

The gazes of everyone in the shop changed.

Yue Guan smiled softly.

"Boss Lin, are you opening two paths at once?"

Lin Chuan said, "Not opening them. They're already open."

As he spoke, he posted a new set of rules beneath the two wooden signs.

[Trial Rules for Dual-Game Operation.]

[1. Black Myth trials and Pokémon tests will be available simultaneously. Players may choose a game according to reservation order.]

[2. During the Pokémon testing period, only one station will be open. It will not take up existing team Cooperative Advance reservations.]

[3. Pokémon may not be brought into Black Myth trials to fight in the player's place.]

[4. Black Myth rewards may not be applied to Pokémon growth, and Pokémon items may not be applied to Black Myth trials.]

[5. Records, evaluations, and team slots obtained within either system will be settled according to that system's rules.]

Once the rules were posted, many people were disappointed at first, then relieved.

They were disappointed that they could not bring Pidgey into Yellow Wind Ridge to scout ahead, nor have Charmander burn the sand demons for them. But they were relieved because if such things could be used freely, then all the team evaluations Shrek, Spirit Hall, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had fought so hard for would be thrown into chaos.

The Shrek group in particular understood the weight of that rule.

They had only just earned "Lantern Guardian" on the Old Road of Black Wind Mountain and taken first place for the stage at Yellow Wind Ridge Approach. They had not earned that through piled-up external aids. They had been honed inch by inch by the wind, chased by monsters, and driven onward by lantern light. If Pidgey could fly into Yellow Wind Ridge to scout today and Charmander could burn sand demons for Ma Hongjun, then tomorrow someone would want to stuff real-world hidden weapons, Soul Tools, and sect guards into the game as well.

By then, Black Myth would no longer be a trial.

It would become another chaotic brawl to see who had the stronger backing.

After reading the rules, Tang San nodded lightly.

"That's the only fair way."

Ma Hongjun was still reluctant.

"Really can't I bring Charmander into Yellow Wind Ridge?"

Lin Chuan said, "No. Charmander is a Pokémon, not your second life in Black Myth."

Ning Rongrong added, "You couldn't even take care of Charmander after it got Paralysis, and you want to bring it into Yellow Wind Ridge to eat sand?"

Ma Hongjun was immediately speechless.

Holding Pidgey, Zhou Ping asked softly, "Can Pidgey stay in the shop, then?"

Lin Chuan said, "Yes. But keep it under control. It can't crash into the equipment or fly in front of someone else's screen and block their view."

Pidgey seemed to understand and gave a soft chirp.

The shop fell quiet again.

The little creature stood on Zhou Ping's shoulder. It clearly had no intimidating presence, yet everyone could not help looking at it a few more times. It reminded them that the wooden sign on the right was not a gimmick. Pokémon could truly come out of the game.

Ning Fengzhi looked at the female disciple from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Do you still want to try Pokémon first?"

The struggle in the female disciple's eyes was obvious.

Who wouldn't want to try?

Even a low-level Soul Master like Zhou Ping could bring out Pidgey. Though Ma Hongjun had failed to catch Pikachu, he had still seen an Electric-type Pokémon. To support-type Soul Masters, Pokémon held an appeal far greater than most people imagined. They were not Soul Beasts, did not require Spirit Rings, did not depend on the strength of one's Martial Soul, and might even become companions that allowed support-type Soul Masters to act independently.

But she looked at the Yellow Wind Ridge sign on the left, then at the Team Evaluation Rankings.

The reserve slot for the Seven Treasure Support Trial Team was still lit.

"Sect Master, I'll challenge Yellow Wind Ridge first."

A trace of satisfaction appeared in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"Why?"

The female disciple bit her lip.

"Pokémon are a new path, but we can't see a new path and throw away the step we just learned. The Lantern Bearer command authority was something we finally proved in the previous round. I want to see it through first."

Chen Xin said calmly, "Not bad."

The two words were not heavy, but the female disciple's back straightened at once.

Ning Rongrong glanced at her as well.

This time, she did not speak with the bearing of the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She simply said, "Don't hold the lantern too high. The yellow wind will consume it all."

The female disciple nodded seriously.

"I'll remember."

On the other side, Hu Liena also looked at Spirit Hall's low-level deacon.

"For your second segment, keep carrying the lantern."

The deacon froze, then immediately bowed.

"Yes."

Yue Guan had originally wanted to mention the Pokémon testing slots, but upon hearing Hu Liena's words, he smiled instead.

The Holy Maiden understood.

Pokémon were important, but Yellow Wind Ridge was equally important. One was a future companion system, while the other was training in team Cooperative Advance. If Spirit Hall allowed itself to be led around solely by the new thing, it would instead lose what it had just learned in Yellow Wind Ridge.

Lin Chuan turned the reservation book to a new page.

"The three Black Myth teams will continue rotating as usual. Pokémon testing will be queued separately. Both sides will follow the rules."

Once those words fell, the restlessness in the shop was finally suppressed.

For the first time, two entirely different kinds of waiting appeared in Grand Dao Internet Cafe.

Those waiting for Yellow Wind Ridge clutched Review Papers in their hands, muttering about lantern positions, wind gaps, and team evaluations. Those waiting for Pokémon stared at Poké Balls and the Pokédex, thinking about types, status conditions, and capture rates. The two sides occasionally glanced at each other. Each found the other's path tempting, but neither dared claim their own was easier.

Because Zhou Ping's Pidgey was still on his shoulder.

Because Ma Hongjun's Charmander was still at the recovery point.

And because the entrance to Sandgate Village in Yellow Wind Ridge was still waiting there for people to enter and get beaten up.

Shrek, Spirit Hall, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect returned to the Team Evaluation Rankings on the left. Those who wanted to become Trainers turned to the Trainer Registration Board on the right. For the first time, the two groups separated within Grand Dao Internet Cafe, yet converged again at the same counter.

Zhou Ping stood in the corner with Pidgey in his arms, and warmth suddenly rose in his chest.

This kind of excitement had never had anything to do with him before.

Now, it was different.

He still could not defeat the Little Demons of Black Wind Mountain, and he could not be of much help in Yellow Wind Ridge either. But he was the first person to bring a Pokémon out. Even if it was only Pidgey, even if he was only a rookie Trainer, his name had already been written on the first line of that new board.

[Trainer Registration Board]

[First: Zhou Ping.]

[Registered Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Pidgey.]

[Reality Carry-Out: Pidgey.]

Ma Hongjun stared at that line, his teeth aching with jealousy.

"Why didn't Pikachu get registered under me?"

Ning Rongrong said coldly, "Because it ran away."

The shop burst into laughter again.

Lin Chuan hung up the final wooden sign.

[Today's Addition: Dual Rankings in Parallel.]

[Team Evaluation Rankings.]

[Trainer Registration Board.]

The moment the sign was hung, a system prompt quietly appeared.

[Dual-game operation detected.]

[Can be unlocked later: Reality Training Area.]

Lin Chuan paused as he looked at those words, but did not announce them immediately.

Reality Training Area.

If he revealed those four words now, the shop would probably explode again.

He looked at the Yellow Wind Ridge sign on the left, then the Pokémon sign on the right, and understood what to do.

Meals had to be eaten one bite at a time.

Pits had to be dug one at a time too.

"Seven Treasure Support Trial Team."

Lin Chuan raised his head.

"Prepare to enter Yellow Wind Ridge."

The female disciple from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect picked up the Wind-Calming Lamp and walked toward the station.

Pidgey gave a soft chirp from Zhou Ping's shoulder, as if seeing her off.