Chapter 74

Hu Tao was furious, but with her weekly draws exhausted, she had no choice but to quickly leave with Xiangling.

She worried that if she stayed any longer, her jealousy would overflow, especially if another guest drew a dragon-type Pokémon right in front of her.

At that point, the Hall Master might just break down.

After leaving, the two headed to the ecological zone together.

Hu Tao complained to her best friend:

"That woman from Inazuma is just too lucky! How could she pull that off?"

"She gets a Pokémon that's beautiful and Psychic-type. And when it evolves, it even gains Fairy typing—perfect for countering my Dragon-type!"

"If she keeps getting that kind of luck, all I can say is, may she live a long life!"

Xiangling couldn't help but glance at her own Larvesta.

"Luckily, my Bug-type evolves into Volcarona, which is both beautiful and powerful. Otherwise, I'd be even more miserable than you are right now."

Hu Tao stopped, pointing at the Scyther that Xiangling released after they entered the wild.

"What about this one?"

"Typical bug looks—hardly attractive, don't you think?"

Xiangling chuckled.

"Why does the whole team need to be gorgeous? We also need some for combat, right?"

"Besides, Scyther is cool and fierce! Just look at those scythe-like blades!"

"He's so dashing!"

Hu Tao rolled her eyes, giving Scyther a quick, critical look, then glanced back at her Gible, who was starting to look more menacing.

"Let me make this clear: my Gible will always be the coolest and most handsome one!"

Hearing this, Gible raised its stubby forelimbs proudly.

"Shark!"

(That's right!)

"Shark~ Shark~!"

(No one is as cool as me!)

About an hour later, the two-person team reached the outskirts of the forest area within the ecological zone.

This entrance was the busiest, with Liyue adventurers constantly coming and going.

Some had even set up makeshift stalls along the road, with high-quality cloth canopies marking their stands.

One stall owner, a member of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, was loudly advertising medicinal herbs and remedies, although these were only effective for humans.

There were also tea stalls, noodle stands, and snack booths.

In less than half a month, this area was already turning into a bustling adventurer town.

"This entrance is way too crowded," Hu Tao observed.

"Let's head up the mountain. There was some info in the group chat saying we could cross the ridges toward Mt. Aozang and Qingyun Peak, and directly reach the Stone Forest Mountains in the ecological zone!"

The two decided to take a detour through the forest.

As they traveled, bird-like Pokémon occasionally flew past the boundary of the ecological zone, hunting smaller animals with low combat ability.

"Looks like the ecological zone doesn't fully restrict Pokémon movement," Hu Tao observed thoughtfully.

"Mm-hmm!" Xiangling agreed, nodding. "If there's enough food outside, maybe the ecological zone's Pokémon could even spread out."

Both were physically fit from frequent adventuring, allowing them to scale mountains and navigate rough terrain with ease. After crossing a mountain trail, Hu Tao took a photo of the nearby landscape and uploaded it to the group file: "Shortcut to the Rock Area" with an attached map.

Closing her Pokédex, Hu Tao noticed Xiangling examining some strange-looking berries on a nearby tree.

"Eh? These look like strawberries but are silver… so unusual!"

The small tree, barely a meter high, bore fruit that looked oddly metallic. Neither Larvesta nor Scyther were interested in the fruit, glancing away after a quick look, and even Gible wasn't tempted.

Xiangling snapped a few pictures and shared them in the group chat for Takumi. She knew he was often busy, so it might take a while for him to reply.

While Xiangling stored some of the fruit in her backpack, Hu Tao noticed something intriguing nearby.

"A hidden cave with dripping water sounds?"

She approached the entrance, peering into the pitch-black depths.

Hu Tao wasn't one to be intimidated. Working with spirits and souls had given her courage and resilience.

Then… she spotted something floating inside the cave.

"A ghost?"

"Does the ecological zone even have ghosts? Or could it be… a rare Pokémon?"

Her interest piqued, Hu Tao turned and called to Xiangling, who was just finishing up with the berries.

"Come quick, I found a secret cave!"

Without waiting, Hu Tao strode inside.

But…

The moment she entered, Hu Tao stumbled back out as if fleeing from something terrifying, her face slightly pale.

"What happened, Hu Tao?" Xiangling asked, noticing her friend's unease.

Hu Tao remained silent for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands in excitement.

"Xiangling, hold up your Pokédex behind me, turn on the flashlight, and record everything."

"Trust me, this video will scare the pants off anyone who watches it!"

Xiangling blinked.

"Huh?"

Hu Tao didn't explain, merely gesturing for Xiangling to follow.

"If it's just a simple ghost, then this video will be tame. But if it's what I suspect… an alternate Pokémon, this video will go viral!"

Xiangling was already feeling a bit spooked.

She was, after all, just a chef.

She loved foraging and experimenting with unique recipes, but thrill-seeking was a bit out of her comfort zone.

"W-Wait!"

But Hu Tao had already entered the cave, her footsteps echoing deeper into the darkness.

Xiangling quickly turned on her Pokédex, activating the video and flashlight functions, and followed closely behind…

Scyther and Larvesta trailed around them, boosting Xiangling's courage.

Suddenly, the cave took a sharp turn just a few meters in.

Hu Tao rounded the corner first.

Xiangling's eyes widened.

"Hu Tao! There's… there's an old woman behind you!"

A hunched old woman, clutching a cane, slowly emerged from the cave wall. Hearing Xiangling's voice, she looked up. Her wrinkled face was hollow-eyed, her mouth stretching to the sides of her face, with a scarlet tongue writhing grotesquely.

"Aaaah!"

Xiangling, who rarely cursed, let out an exclamation, imitating something she'd heard Takumi say once.

Hu Tao spun around, grinning.

"So, you were the one lurking here!"

"Gible, use Tackle—right there!"

Boom.

The ground shook as Gible rammed directly into the cave wall.

The old woman vanished as abruptly as she had appeared, dissipating like a shadow in the wind.