In Shiko's mind, the silhouette of a Pokémon flashed past.
His breathing suddenly stalled for a split second.
If his guess was correct…
If this really had once been a place that Pokémon had come to…
Then everything that had happened here could suddenly be explained.
Shiko kept thinking as he paced back and forth through the vast cavern.
He picked up the scattered tools and inspected them.
These metal hammers, anvils, and the like were made of no ordinary material.
They looked like tools forged by melting down a massive quantity of Steel Gems.
Inside them, dense Steel-type energy swirled and spread without end.
"What a luxury…"
Shiko couldn't help muttering.
But then he thought about it again, and it made sense.
After all…
That Pokémon had used these tools to create one third-tier Legendary after another.
The tools' durability really did need to be guaranteed.
And right then, something unexpected happened.
The Steel-type energy inside these tools…
was actually being drawn toward him.
Silvery-white, drifting energy gathered into something tangible—like a silver current—and poured straight into Shiko's body.
The surging Steel-type energy made a sharp, cutting aura appear around him for no reason at all.
He could feel the degree of his Steel-type law mastery inside his body rising nonstop.
1.1%…
1.2%…
1.5%…
It didn't stop until it hit 2%.
When the increase finally settled—
the power contained in that massive hammer was actually comparable to a full ten Steel Gems!
It forcefully pushed the degree of his Steel-type law mastery up by a whole 1%!
An unexpected windfall!?
Shiko looked at the hammer in his hands. Its luster had vanished, turning dull and dim.
He couldn't help feeling delighted.
Sure enough—his luck really was good!
Immediately after, an even fiercer light burst from his eyes.
If that one hammer could directly raise his Steel-type law mastery by 1%…
Then didn't that mean…
His gaze turned to the anvil, clamps, and other tools set to the side.
Without hesitating at all, Shiko strode over and gripped them in his hands.
Sure enough!
It was exactly as he'd expected!
These metal tools also contained intensely concentrated Steel-type energy.
The moment he touched them, that attribute energy condensed out of its drifting state—
forming pure bands of energy—
and rapidly flooded into Shiko's body.
Before long, he had absorbed every last trace of Steel-type energy from all the metal tools stored there.
The Steel-type law mastery inside his body—
from the 1% he'd had when he first entered—
had risen all the way to 5%.
It was now the same as his Dragon-type law mastery.
So it really was true.
No amount of hard training could compare to a lucky encounter.
This kind of situation boosted strength the fastest.
Shiko couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Over the past three months,
he'd worked himself half to death just to raise his Dragon-type law mastery by three points—
bringing it up to 5%.
But now?
In less than half an hour,
after absorbing these metal tools,
his Steel-type law mastery had jumped by 4%!
That speed…
Even Shiko couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.
Was it that his luck was good?
Or was it that the Pokémon who had used these tools was simply too powerful—
so powerful that even the forging tools it had held in its hands
already contained such overwhelming law power?
But it also made sense.
Because in Shiko's estimation, the original owner of these tools
was extremely likely to be a terrifying first-tier Legendary.
"What is this?"
After looking around, Shiko realized that aside from the lava lake constantly radiating a scorching, terrifying heat,
there was nothing else in the entire cavern.
Only on the wall—
there was a mechanism embedded into the stone, shaped like a ship's wheel.
Curious, he extended a finger and pressed it down.
RUMBLE!!!
A deafening roar erupted through the entire cavern.
The whole space trembled violently.
When the commotion finally died down—
"Gurgle… gurgle… gurgle…"
Shiko heard a string of bubbling sounds, like boiling water.
He followed the sound with his eyes—
and saw the searing lava lake not far ahead, bubbling upward nonstop,
making the cavern even hotter and more stifling.
Clack… clack…
After the bubbling bursts of lava came a series of chain-rattling sounds—
as if some kind of mechanical device had been triggered.
Then, a scene that shook Shiko to his core appeared.
The lava bubbles on the lake's surface grew denser and denser.
One after another, they burst—
and the lava began to churn violently,
like something was about to emerge.
The next second—
a gigantic metal furnace
slowly rose up from within the lava lake.
This furnace was even a bit taller than Shiko.
At least five meters high.
Its width was an astonishing ten meters.
What rose from beneath the lava was only a portion of the furnace—
how much of it remained buried in the molten lake below was impossible to tell.
After being stunned for a moment by that enormous furnace,
Shiko's attention was instantly seized by the countless pitted indentations on the furnace's metal surface.
Those pits were densely arranged,
covering nearly the entire exterior.
Most of them were a dull black.
But in the middle, more than a dozen pits
were flashing with red light—
bright and dim,
like the rhythm of breathing.
Those red-lit pits formed a pattern when combined—
like a sharp, inverted triangle.
The moment Shiko saw it, he felt it looked familiar—
as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
He stared for a long while,
yet still couldn't find even the slightest clue in his memory.
Just as he was about to move closer
to check what else might be inside the furnace—
suddenly,
those dozen-plus red-lit indentations
burst into dazzling brilliance.
A thick Dragon-type aura spread out from the entire furnace.
That ferocious dragon might, that crushing pressure—
it was even stronger than what Shiko had sensed at the foot of the mountain.
So strong that it nearly became unbearable.
THUD!!
From inside the furnace,
a massive, muffled sound rang out—
like something had awakened.
That heavy thump
was like a sledgehammer striking Shiko's heart.
Every nerve in his body tightened instantly.
"ROAR!!"
A tremendous roar exploded through the cavern,
echoing again and again.
The sound pierced through layer after layer of mountain rock and stone walls—
spreading beyond the entire peak,
spreading throughout all of Dragon Valley.
That roar, carrying unimaginably immense dragon might,
immediately drew the attention of every Pokémon in the valley.
They all turned their heads toward the towering peak in the deepest part of Dragon Valley,
their faces filled with fear and trembling.
Even those overlord-like Elite Four-level Pokémon
looked terrified and shaken,
not knowing what had happened inside that mysterious peak.
But the aura and fluctuations spilling out—
made them feel terror rising from the depths of their souls.
Inside the valley—
Shiko, who was facing that impact head-on,
felt it the worst of all.
Thankfully, by now,
he had already reached a full 5% Dragon-type law mastery,
and his own level had advanced into the near–Elite Four tier.
Only then could he barely withstand that terrifying wave of power.
He drew a deep breath.
With effort, Shiko lifted his head
and looked at the blazing points of light on the furnace's surface.
That inverted-triangle pattern
branded itself into his mind—
and in an instant, he remembered what it was.
Regidrago!!!
The name felt unfamiliar and awkward on his tongue—
but it had another name as well.
The famed Dragon Titan.
Just like Regirock, Regice, Registeel, and Regieleki—
it was a Pokémon created by Regigigas.
It belonged to the ranks of third-tier Legendaries.
However—
unlike the other third-tier Legendary Pokémon that had already been confirmed to exist,
Regidrago had only ever existed in legends.
Whether such a Pokémon truly existed in this world had always been an unknown.
It was said that when Regigigas used extremely pure Dragon-type energy crystals to create this Pokémon,
it had only managed to create the head—
and had already exhausted every last crystal it had collected.
Later, ancient people sensed the terrifying power contained in this half-finished Pokémon,
and feared that one day, if Regidrago's entire body was completed,
their nation would face destruction.
So,
they sealed it away in a mysterious place.
Now, seeing this gigantic furnace,
Shiko was already certain, deep down, that the legend was real.
In other words—
this furnace
was Regidrago's place of sealing.
"ROAR!!"
Another roar surged forth, carrying terrifying Dragon-type energy.
From within the furnace,
a series of astonishing muffled impacts began to ring out again and again.
Whatever was shut inside
seemed to be reviving—
trying to shatter the original seal and re-enter the world.
CRACK!!!
Fine fissures split open across the furnace's surface.
A huge breach abruptly appeared.
A black-red light tore free from within and floated up into midair.
The floating silhouette rose to exactly level with Shiko's gaze.
It was a Pokémon with an extremely strange form.
On both the left and right sides of its body,
were enormous black skulls like a four-limbed dragon's head.
On the right side was the upper jaw and skullcap—
the horn, eye, and sharp teeth clearly visible.
On the left side was the lower jaw—
lined with two rows of black, razor-like serrations.
Between those two black skull halves
was a dark-red sphere.
On the top and bottom of that sphere,
fine engraved line patterns were carved.
Below its body
were short, thick legs.
It looked as if it were wearing boots,
with two jagged black scales wrapping the soles.
And on the dark-red sphere in the center,
seven gemstone-like points of blue light were arranged in a triangular pattern.
Just as he'd guessed!
This Pokémon was Regidrago!!!
The Dragon Titan of legend—
a Pokémon formed when pure Dragon-type energy crystals were given life.
The dragon might and pressure radiating from its entire body
were exaggerated to a degree that was simply indescribable.
A third-tier Legendary…
It was Shiko's first time seeing a real Legendary Pokémon.
So this was it.
A Legendary was a Legendary.
Just that terrifying wave of aura alone
was enough to make one's heart pound with fear.
Regidrago and Shiko stared at each other in midair.
It didn't move at all.
It showed no intent to attack, and made no move to leave—
as if it had been frozen in place.
It only floated silently in front of Shiko.
Those seven gemstone-like blue points, bright and dim,
were the only sign that it was still alive.
Shiko couldn't help pulling up the system panel,
planning to check Regidrago's attributes.
But before he could—
a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Your body is very good."
"I can grant you glory, and let you become part of my body."
(End of Chapter)
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