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The Magikarp's level was much higher than Kael's, and naturally, its physical strength far surpassed his as well.
Even after taking Kael's heavy, fully charged blow, it hadn't suffered any obvious external injuries.
Its powerful tail lashed through the lake water, propelling its rough, orange-red scaled body forward at a speed completely unlike the sluggish reputation people associated with Magikarp.
Before evolution, a Magikarp's temperament was the complete opposite of what it would become afterward.
If Gyarados embodied brutality and ferocity, wild Magikarp represented the extreme of cowardice.
Even though their higher level and sturdy bodies meant they could easily overpower many weaker Pokémon through raw strength alone, they almost never fought back.
Instead, they avoided conflict at all costs.
As long as their lives weren't directly threatened, even a newly hatched Caterpie could scare them into fleeing.
To an outside observer, such behavior might seem absurd or even laughable.
But in truth, this was simply the way this species had learned to survive.
The Magikarp that had escaped Kael's Pound clearly followed the same rule.
Despite possessing the physical advantage to easily drive Kael away, it merely thrashed its tail in panic and fled without the slightest thought of retaliation.
As one of the lowest links in the lake's food chain, attacks like the one Kael had just delivered were something it likely experienced dozens of times every single day.
The fact that it still appeared here unharmed meant most of those attempts had ultimately failed.
Just like always, once the Magikarp realized its attacker was no longer pursuing it, the fish gradually slowed down and returned to its usual routine of searching for food.
In an environment as dangerous as this lake, conserving energy whenever possible was essential.
That lesson had been carved into its instincts through countless painful experiences during its youth.
But ironically, that very instinct gave Kael the opportunity he needed.
Because Magikarp slowed down, Kael, whose newborn body was far slower than his opponent's, finally had a chance to catch up.
His translucent body slipped silently through the water like a flowing current. With a gentle flick of his wide tail, Kael drifted quietly behind the Magikarp.
Having learned from the previous attack, he had no intention of using Pound immediately this time.
First, he needed to weaken it.
Breaking through Magikarp's tough scales was still too difficult for him right now.
If he wanted to win, he had to strike a vital point.
Kael's tightly closed mouth slowly parted.
A faint, barely noticeable glow flickered deep inside his throat.
"Growl."
Hummmm—
Invisible waves erupted outward from Kael's body in an instant.
Rippling sound waves burst through the water, spreading rapidly in every direction.
Sound travels through water at nearly 1,500 meters per second.
At that terrifying speed, almost no Pokémon in the world could react in time.
Magikarp certainly couldn't.
The orange-scaled fish simply stared ahead with its vacant eyes, opening its mouth slightly in confusion before the sound wave engulfed it.
Its tail fin, which had been lazily swaying through the water, suddenly stiffened.
Its dull eyes tightened.
"Now!"
Kael didn't hesitate.
His slender hand ignited with dazzling white light as he thrust forward with all his strength, aiming directly at the Magikarp's vulnerable eye.
Whoosh!
The water split apart instantly before the concentrated energy of Pound.
This time, Magikarp wasn't lucky enough to escape.
Under the interference of Kael's Growl, it failed to dodge the sudden strike.
The flash of white light vanished almost as quickly as it appeared in the dark water.
Shhk!
A sharp, chilling sound followed.
Like a blade piercing flesh.
A critical hit.
The bonus damage from the Nightmare Dawn Emblem and the Sniper Ability triggered simultaneously.
Stacked together.
The damage multiplied.
A cloud of crimson blood exploded outward like red ink spreading through the water.
Warm blood bled into the cold lake, fading from thick scarlet to pale pink as it diluted.
The metallic scent of blood drifted through the water and filled Kael's senses.
Yet he felt no disgust.
No revulsion.
Only a numb familiarity.
Perhaps even… a faint trace of nostalgia.
Splash! Splash!
The soul-tearing agony drove the Magikarp into a frenzy.
It twisted violently through the water.
Despite suffering a direct strike to a vital point, its superior level and stronger body meant it hadn't completely lost the ability to move.
Half-conscious, it simply fled in a random direction, ignoring the blood pouring endlessly from its ruined eye.
Meanwhile, Kael, whose newborn body lacked stamina, couldn't immediately deliver another finishing strike.
Breathing heavily, he watched as the wounded Magikarp escaped.
But anxiety crept into his mind.
Although he hadn't sensed any hostile Pokémon in the lake earlier, the spreading blood could easily change that.
Other Pokémon might be drawn to it.
And if that happened, things could get dangerous very quickly.
Delays meant risk.
If he wanted the experience from this Magikarp, he had to finish it quickly.
Ignoring the soreness in his arm, Kael flicked his wide tail powerfully.
His blue body surged forward through the water, chasing the fleeing Magikarp.
Pokémon were generally far more intelligent than ordinary animals from his previous life.
But their intelligence varied greatly between species.
Psychic Pokémon like Alakazam or Gardevoir possessed intellect that could rival or surpass humans.
But many others were far less impressive.
Pokémon like Caterpie or Bellsprout, near the bottom of the food chain, often displayed intelligence no greater than that of wild beasts.
Magikarp, as another species near the very bottom of that same chain, was clearly not among the brilliant ones.
If anything, something in its bloodline made it especially stubborn.
It relied purely on instinct and past experience rather than reasoning, which often made its behavior seem incredibly foolish.
The wounded Magikarp did exactly that.
Driven by pain, it burned through its remaining strength, thrashing wildly through the lake without direction as blood continued pouring from its injury.
That mistake only worsened its condition.
What might have been a severe wound that could heal with weeks of rest quickly deteriorated into a life-threatening injury.
By the time Kael finally caught up, following the trail of blood and scent through the water…
The Magikarp had already reached its limit.
It floated weakly in the lake, barely alive.
Its mouth opened and closed mechanically.
The light in its eyes was fading.
Kael quietly let out a breath of relief.
He didn't hesitate.
Bright white light flared around his slender hand once more.
And he drove it straight down toward the Magikarp.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
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