Following the direction of the sensation, Kairos squatted down and pushed aside several worthless ordinary stones on the surface.
Soon, a deep brown crystal the size of a fist was revealed.
Its surface was covered with faint patterns and looked unremarkable at first glance. Only upon closer inspection could one see an earth-yellow light flowing deep within the crystal, carrying a peculiar power.
Ground-type energy.
Kairos picked up the crystal without showing any emotion. It felt extremely heavy in his hand.
He turned toward the stall owner, raised the ore slightly, and spoke in a low voice through his mask.
"This one. How do we trade?"
The old man finally looked over. His gaze swept across the crystal in Kairos's hand, then slowly moved up and down Kairos's body, as if calculating how much profit he could squeeze out of him.
"Three hundred thousand credit points," he said unhurriedly.
The number was absurdly high. According to Kairos's understanding, this was an enormous sum. With that amount, he could even buy a decent apartment in the core area of the underground.
Kairos decisively shook his head.
"Don't have that much."
Although it would be easy for him to gather 300,000 credit points with his current backing, he had no intention of doing so.
The old man snorted scornfully. His turbid eyes were filled with contempt and certainty, as if he had expected this answer all along. He waved his hand impatiently, like swatting away a fly.
"If you don't have it, then scram. Don't delay me from listening to music."
The air seemed to freeze.
Kairos did not get angry. Instead, he calmly reached into the system backpack.
What he took out was a brand new, ordinary Poké Ball.
This was something he had possessed since the moment he crossed over into this world. Compared to the rusty, battered Poké Ball shells scattered across the stall, this one looked flawless.
As Kairos had predicted, the instant the Poké Ball appeared, the old man's eyes widened dramatically. His mouth fell open, and his breathing grew heavy.
He looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
Kairos could clearly see the emotions in his eyes: fanaticism, excitement, and then uncontrollable joy.
The old man stared fixedly at the Poké Ball, his gaze almost glued to it, as if he were seeing a peerless treasure lost for countless years.
His fingers trembled as he tried several times to touch it, but Kairos subtly avoided him.
"Looks like you're very interested in this?" Kairos asked knowingly.
"Let me… let me look at it!" the old man said anxiously.
Kairos handed the Poké Ball over, though he did not completely let go. The old man treated it with extreme care, repeatedly caressing its smooth, cool surface. He pressed the central button, sensing its feedback, his expression growing more and more excited.
It did not take long for him to confirm that this was no crude counterfeit, but a genuine, high-quality Poké Ball. Its craftsmanship was even superior to some of those in his own collection.
Finally, when Kairos pretended to withdraw his hand and put the Poké Ball away, the old man could no longer hold back.
"Alright! Alright! We'll trade!" he nearly shouted. "That thing is yours!"
"Great. Pleasure doing business," Kairos said with a smile.
He handed over the Poké Ball. To be honest, he still did not fully understand why people in this world were so obsessed with collecting Poké Balls. However, judging from Old Blind Eye's previous performance, he had already anticipated this outcome.
Did this count as saving 300,000 credit points?
The old man clutched the Poké Ball tightly to his chest. His withered body trembled violently with excitement as he repeatedly stroked it, completely immersed in his own world and forgetting Kairos's existence.
The transaction was complete.
Kairos placed the crystal containing ground-type energy into the system backpack. He cast one final glance at the chaotic little stall and prepared to leave.
At that moment, his gaze unintentionally swept across the old man's broken table, which was piled high with miscellaneous items.
One of the table legs was unstable. Beneath it, a gray, unremarkable stone was being used as support.
The stone was about palm-sized and irregular in shape. Its surface was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, stained with dust and grease, looking like something picked up at random.
However, the instant Kairos noticed it, a sudden change occurred.
An extremely peculiar sensation surged through him.
This feeling had appeared before. It was the sensation produced when the Mythical Resonance skill activated.
Why would this thing trigger Mythical Resonance?
Could it be related to Legendary Pokémon?
The thought flashed through Kairos's mind, and he immediately made a decision. He suppressed all emotion, keeping his expression calm.
"Boss," he said casually, "since the trade went so smoothly, can you throw in this one as well?"
The old man was completely immersed in the ecstasy of obtaining the perfect Poké Ball. He fondled it endlessly, turning a deaf ear to Kairos's words. Without even lifting his head, he waved his hand impatiently.
"Take it, take it! It's just a broken stone getting in the way!"
Kairos did not hesitate. He picked up the stone and placed it into his backpack.
The entire process was smooth and unremarkable, attracting no attention from the old man.
The moment the stone tablet fragment entered the system backpack, a buzzing sound rang out.
A system interface instantly appeared before Kairos's eyes.
An unprecedented prompt box emerged. Its border was entirely golden, something he had never seen before, and every word within it flickered brightly.
[Ding! Detected fragment containing "Fighting Origin Law." Mythical-grade item: Fighting Plate (Fragment) has been acquired!]
[Warning: The current fragment is severely damaged. Specific effects cannot be analyzed at this time. Please repair the fragment to obtain detailed information.]
Arceus's plate?
Kairos stared at the prompt, completely dumbfounded.
He had guessed it was related to Legendary Pokémon, but he had never expected it to be of this level.
In a world like this, an old man had used the Creator God's plate as a stone to prop up a table, and he had just happened to encounter it?
What kind of luck was this?
Thinking about it carefully, had he not truly struck it rich this time?
One Poké Ball had been exchanged not only for what Gouging Fire needed, but also for a fragment of a divine plate. Even though it was damaged and its effects were unknown, the plates of the Creator God were unquestionably top-tier items in the Pokémon world.
Kairos took several deep breaths before finally calming himself.
This item's level was simply too high. It was impossible to remain completely composed after obtaining it.
He cast one last glance at the old man, who was still clutching the Poké Ball with a foolish grin, then turned and left the stall.
Behind him, the old man watched Kairos disappear behind the curtain. He weighed the Poké Ball in his hand, utterly satisfied, and grinned with his gap-toothed mouth.
"Ignorant kid," he muttered. "Using such a good treasure to trade for a broken stone."
"This time, I really struck it rich!"
The plate fragment was only a brief interlude. Since there was no way to repair it for now, and its information could not be viewed, Kairos placed it back into the system backpack and put the matter aside.
His focus returned to his main objective.
After obtaining the meeting gift for Gouging Fire, Kairos did not waste time. He immediately set off for the surface world.
Unlike his previous journey, after communicating his intentions to Alicia, she directly arranged for people to transport him to a different passage leading upward. Compared to his earlier anxious experience, this one was far more convenient. Having connections truly made a difference.
This passage opened deep within the ruins of a massive city.
As Kairos emerged, he inhaled the familiar scent of the surface world. It was far fresher than the underground air. However, unlike last time, the sky was overcast.
He released Chandelure to guard his side and scanned the surroundings.
After five hundred years of decay, the ruins retained little more than the vague outline of what the city once was. Silence dominated the area.
That silence did not last long.
From the shadow of a half-collapsed building to the left, three beams of cold metallic light suddenly shot forward, charging straight at Kairos.
He recognized them instantly.
Iron Jugulis, Iron Hands, and Iron Bundle.
Without waiting for orders, ghostly red light burst forth.
Chandelure flashed in front of Kairos, and flames erupted.
Iron Jugulis, the fastest and closest, was instantly engulfed and eliminated. Iron Hands roared as it charged forward, only to lose all combat ability the moment it touched the flames.
Iron Bundle reacted quickly, blue light condensing in the cannon on its body as it prepared to fire an Ice Beam.
Chandelure was faster.
A slender tongue of ghostly red flame lashed out, wrapping around Iron Bundle in an instant. Its hovering body swayed once before crashing to the ground.
The entire battle lasted only a few seconds.
Three Paradox Pokémon, each radiating energy at the mid-tier quasi Elite Four level, were utterly insignificant before Chandelure.
This was the true gap between quasi Elite Four and genuine Elite Four level strength.
"Well done," Kairos said. "Your control over flames keeps improving."
Despite the swift victory, Kairos did not relax.
From the deeper shadows of the ruins, he sensed several gazes quietly observing him.
Fortunately, these gazes were not cold or hostile like those of Paradox Pokémon. Instead, they carried curiosity and cautious restraint.
He turned slightly and saw several rugged Pokémon peeking out from behind a broken wall. They resembled Donphan, but were larger, with deep brown skin, heavy armor, and exposed tusks. Their eyes were vigilant, yet free of hostility.
They were ancient species, seemingly juvenile Great Tusk.
They sniffed the air cautiously. Chandelure's powerful aura kept them from approaching, yet the aura surrounding Kairos himself seemed to draw them in.
After hesitating briefly, the Great Tusks retreated back into the shadows.
Kairos observed this silently, confirming his earlier judgment. Unlike Paradox Pokémon, ancient species did not display active hostility toward humans.
This was good news. If ancient species attacked humans on sight like Paradox Pokémon, then the surface world would have no future at all.
He did not linger. Opening the terrain module, he brought up a detailed map of the surface world. The route to the volcanic crater where Gouging Fire resided was clearly marked.
Looking at the map, Kairos rubbed his forehead. If he had possessed this module during his first trip to the surface, things would have been far more convenient.
At least now, getting lost was no longer a concern.
Dozens of minutes passed as he traveled.
Along the way, he encountered several more Paradox Pokémon, including lone Iron Valiant and groups of Iron Moth. Compared to his previous visit, their numbers were noticeably lower, likely due to his deliberate change in route.
As he drew closer to the volcanic region, Paradox Pokémon became increasingly rare. By the time he reached the outskirts of the volcano, they had disappeared entirely.
In contrast, ancient species grew more numerous. Just like the Great Tusks before, they showed no aggression toward him, even though he was clearly moving through their territory.
This was unexpected. According to common understanding, ancient species should have been fiercer than Paradox Pokémon.
Finally, after climbing a mountain near the massive active volcano, Kairos froze.
Before him lay an enormous volcanic crater. Red magma churned violently below, releasing a strong sulfurous stench.
At the center of the lava, atop a massive black stone, a colossal and majestic figure lay coiled.
It was Gouging Fire.
The Pokémon he had come to meet once again.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones