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******
Dream World.
Lian opened his eyes and found himself transported to the Dream World, identified by the familiar dim gray sky above.
However, he did not appear near the cottage where Kalia had entered previously but instead in an unfamiliar area surrounded by dense woods.
Feeling exhilarated, Lian realized he had indeed returned to the Dream World—a remarkable place that accelerates leveling up. His ability to evolve quickly now relied heavily on this realm.
Just as excitement filled him,
Whoosh!
A massive fist suddenly struck Lian, leaving him powerless to resist. The force sent him flying, crashing onto the ground.
Experiencing excruciating pain, Lian lost all combat capability instantly. Although still conscious, he was unable to move.
Damn, defeated in one hit?
Lian was speechless, yet it made sense. He wasn't a Charmeleon anymore, just a Charmander; getting taken down swiftly was quite normal.
Struggling to glance sideways with great difficulty, Lian spotted a Slaking nearby. Apparently, it had been sleeping, and his sudden appearance startled it awake, leading to the powerful punch from the Slaking.
With another thud, Slaking lay back down and resumed its deep sleep, ignoring Lian completely.
'Do you wish to spend 10 Combat Points to restore your condition?'
A voice echoed in Lian's ears.
Taken aback, he quickly realized it was the system's voice. Since activating the system initially, he hadn't heard its voice again until now.
"Restore immediately," Lian promptly responded. For just 10 Combat Points to recover his condition, it was undoubtedly worth it.
In the next moment, Lian's injuries began healing as a glow enveloped his body. Soon, he returned to full health.
He hastily stood up, ready to assess the Slaking that nearly killed him. Thankfully, the system saved him once more.
However, as soon as he turned, another massive fist came hurtling towards him. The healing glow had caught Slaking's attention; seeing Lian regain consciousness, it swiftly launched another punch.
Oh crap!
Before Lian could react, Slaking's punch knocked him down again, causing another wave of intense pain. He lost his ability to fight and couldn't move. In the real world, this blow would have likely killed Lian outright.
"..."
Lian felt like crying but had no tears; he wished he hadn't even looked and just fled immediately. That punch was excruciatingly painful!
'Would you like to spend 100 Combat Points to restore your condition?'
The system's voice echoed once more.
"How did it jump to 100 Combat Points? This is ridiculous!" Lian was speechless. The first recovery only cost 10 points, but now the second one demanded 100 - a tenfold increase.
At this rate, wouldn't the next restoration require 1000 points?
Lian glanced at the Slaking again, determined this time to wait until it was fully asleep before restoring his condition. Otherwise, getting knocked out with each punch would deplete his Combat Points too quickly.
After a long while, as Slaking snored deeply, Lian promptly activated the system to restore his state. In the next moment, a shimmering light enveloped him, and his injuries began to heal rapidly.
As soon as he regained his strength, Lian burst with speed and immediately took off running. This time, he couldn't afford to be attacked by Slaking again.
Unsure of the correct direction, Lian simply focused on fleeing. After some distance, he stopped, realizing he had put considerable space between himself and the previous encounter.
The Slaking must have been awakened by the commotion but unable to locate him, likely now enraged.
Panting heavily, Lian looked around, still finding himself within the dense forest. He quickly leaned against a tree, contemplating his next move.
Currently at Level 8, he needed to find ways to level up and transfer those gains back to the real world. To achieve this, he would have to seek out weaker opponents, akin to picking soft targets.
It was evident that Kalia's entry point into the Dream World differed from where Lian entered through the System's gate. Uncertain how the system orchestrated it, he suspected it might have prematurely placed him in an area inhabited by high-level Pokemon.
This posed a significant challenge; surrounded by powerful creatures, how could he progress if he couldn't even defeat them? It seemed almost impossible.
Firstly, he had to leave this place and adapt based on the circumstances.
Lian cautiously navigated through the forest, occasionally spotting Pokemon—each one at high levels, far beyond his current capabilities.
Time to make a quick escape.
He hastened his pace, not wanting to lose any more combat ability. Although possibly due to the system's protection, he wouldn't fall unconscious, the next recovery would cost him 1000 Combat Points—a price he couldn't afford.
After running for quite some time, Lian finally emerged from the forest into a vast wilderness area. The journey was perilous, with several Pokemon chasing him along the way, but thankfully, his speed saved him.
To Lian's dismay, even the Pokemon in the wilderness were remarkably strong. However, compared to the Slakings in the forest, these seemed relatively manageable. Based on his estimation, the nearby Pokemon appeared to be around Level 30.
A Slaking evolves in its late thirties, and the Slaking he encountered earlier must have been well above that level, likely around forty or higher, given its massive size.
Keep running then.
Just as Lian prepared to continue his sprint, his consciousness suddenly plunged into deep sleep, causing his body to vanish from the wilderness as if the Dream World had never existed.
***
When Lian woke up, it was already morning of the next day.
Recalling the events from last night, he realized that through the system, he could enter the Dream World and accelerate his leveling process.
However, the drawback was that after a certain duration, the system would forcibly log him out. Additionally, losing combat capability within the Dream World required consuming Combat Points to recover.
Lian decided to try again tonight, aiming for more battles to boost his level further.
Ping.
Lian voluntarily emerged from the Poké Ball, landing on the ground. Feeling slightly hungry, he wanted some tasty food.
Suddenly, he noticed Kalia crouching down with an orange Torchic nearby, slowly pecking at energy cubes, looking rather dazed.
He remembered that Kalia had captured this Torchic in the Dream World, but its level was too low. With Lian already being over Level 30, it might take a long time before the Torchic becomes a formidable fighting partner.
This world was not a game; there were no Exp. Share devices or shortcuts. Pokémon growth relied solely on battling and gradual development.
Lian approached the Torchic, his tall figure casting a shadow that blocked sunlight from the window, enveloping the small creature.
"Pip!"
Torchic turned its head, seeing Lian's imposing presence akin to a demonic lord, causing its feathers to stand up with a fearful expression.
Kalia quickly stroked Torchic's feathers, looking at Lian, she said, "Charmeleon, don't frighten the Torchic."
Stronger Pokémon sometimes exerted overwhelming pressure on weaker ones. Clearly, this Torchic was very feeble, likely only around level 5 or 6.
Feeling extremely hungry, as he hadn't eaten dinner last night due to being immersed in the Dream World, Lian grabbed a few energy cubes and sat down to eat.
The Torchic seemed unusually timid for some reason, though given its low level, it could gradually be nurtured over time.