Chapter 134: Those Who Can Endure Skin And Flesh Suffering May Not Become Heroes
“Are you sure?”
Zuo Hang knew what the other party wanted to confirm—nothing more than whether he would back down when facing an Ultra Beast, and whether he would prioritize his own safety or the world’s safety.
He really wanted to just lay it all out, but he couldn’t do that.
Even though Li Dong’s image right now was that of someone extremely calm with very strong independent thinking ability.
If he directly laid out the issue, bluntly saying that Lilia wanted him to join the team, or something like the organization similar to “Aether” that defends against Beasts, then Li Dong wouldn’t just have overly strong independent thinking ability—he’d be able to foresee the future.
“I know what you want to confirm.” Zuo Hang pointed to his eyes.
“This is the Power of Pride.”
His face showed no expression other than calm, but sometimes not performing is the best performance.
Lilia’s Pride pupils and Zuo Hang’s Sloth pupils met each other’s gaze.
Power of Pride. Lilia had never heard of it before.
“Pika?” Just as Lilia stopped thinking and was about to temporarily believe Zuo Hang, the Electric Mouse suddenly called out in confusion.
Obviously, the Electric Mouse also didn’t know about this new ability Zuo Hang had gained.
“You didn’t confess to your own Pokémon first, but told me this person not worth your trust first.” Lilia said coldly.
Zuo Hang said: “This isn’t any secret, and I count as telling you both at the same time—there’s no order to it.”
Lilia said: “Fine, then tell me, what do you think I want to confirm.”
Zuo Hang said: “Simple. Nothing more than my character, my attitude in the face of disaster, and maybe my strength as a Trainer. Of course, these are all answers that can be deduced, not enough to prove the ability of these eyes. As for what I really saw… sorry, Sloth comes at a cost—I can’t say.”
Sometimes the more ambiguous the words, the more credible they are, but how much of this hastily made-up lie Lilia would believe still depended on some luck.
Lilia seemed to have fallen into that state of prolonged thinking again.
Even though she was now showing the demeanor befitting the Alsteria Family Head, her brain still didn’t seem very sharp. Yet in conversations, she appeared perfectly at ease, like a mature sage.
After about five minutes, Lilia spoke: “I’ll believe you for now.”
The butler beside her coughed lightly. “Miss, I originally shouldn’t interject, but… forgive my bluntness, we still don’t know much about Li Dong. Whether he has the ability to shoulder that matter is still a—”
“It’s fine, I have my own considerations.” Lilia said: “Being able to obtain the Power of Pride is proof enough of many things.”
“Li Dong, what I’m about to tell you involves the world’s secrets. Listen carefully.”
Lilia told Zuo Hang everything about the Spatial Tremor and the Ultra Beasts, mostly intelligence gathered by Aether, but a small part was something Zuo Hang hadn’t seen in the records.
For example, although the people of this planet had resisted an invasion by Ultra Beasts a long time ago, they had actually failed once. Otherwise, this world’s calendar year should be 3504, not 504.
After the first failure to resist the Beasts, the Alsteria Family froze their living forces underground, and only returned to the surface after the Beasts receded.
Lilia must have concealed some details. She called it “being frank,” but how much she said all depended on Lilia’s preference. However… for her to tell so much to someone she’d just met less than two days ago was already enough to prove her sincerity.
“I’ve finished. Now it’s your turn.” Lilia said.
“Me? What do you want to hear?”
Zuo Hang said: “What could a dropout staying at home have to attract the next Alsteria Family Head?”
Lilia said: “Would a dropout staying at home have an SS+ level Pikachu? And this Pikachu has also mastered two kinds of Electric Attribute Changes not inferior to Pride Black Lightning?”
“The information we gathered about you is really utterly ordinary. Unliked by teachers and classmates at school, bad relationship with family, the only thing that could be called a strength is being good at games, and constantly in the top ten world rankings on three mobile games as a non-whaling player.”
“I initially thought you were secretly training while avoiding our eyes, but your mobile game account made me dismiss that. Your account shows no foreign login activity, meaning all accounts were operated by you personally, and after age 12, you’ve never had a record of leaving S City. This Master Cup temporary venue change is your only ticket purchase to another city in three years.”
Li Dong was too much of a slacker, to the point that any abnormality on him would be infinitely magnified.
Lilia stared at Li Dong, wanting to hear what answer this man would give.
Zuo Hang said: “Then may I ask, since when have you been monitoring me?”
Lilia was stunned. “About three years ago.”
Zuo Hang said: “Same as I guessed. The people you sent to monitor me had really clumsy methods. Leaving S City right under their noses was way too easy. Plus, I’m a Trainer—vehicles aren’t my only means of travel.”
Lilia immediately said: “But you don’t have a Flying-type Pokémon.”
Zuo Hang said: “How can you be sure I don’t? Because I’m only carrying one Pikachu? Lilia, from the moment I gained Sloth’s favor, you should have known I absolutely couldn’t have only one Pikachu.”
Yes, the one recognized by Sloth must be an Ice-type Pokémon Trainer, just like how the Alsteria Family favored by Pride specializes in Electric-types.
“Then that Pikachu’s two kinds of lightning—”
Zuo Hang said: “Lightning involves other issues—hard to explain in a few words. If you want to hear, I can tell you, but you haven’t fully disclosed the so-called secrets either, so… about Pikachu’s Attribute Changes, I’ll tell you when we can truly be frank with each other.”
There were only two kinds of electric light that Zuo Hang was unwilling to mention.
The more he talked about things not belonging to this world, the more dangerous his own situation might become.
Too many lies can’t be covered up.
Lilia’s gaze at Zuo Hang was aggressive; she seemed dissatisfied with his answer.
“The Seven Great Legends are just ordinary Pokémon after losing their power. I saw Sloth—about its archetype…”
Zuo Hang tried to divert Lilia’s attention with another topic.
“Not interested.” Lilia refused without thinking.
“Pika! Pikachu!!! Pika~~ Pika~~~~!” the Electric Mouse suddenly said.
Lilia: “What did you say?”
Zuo Hang: “???”
