NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Primal Instincts
If you would like to support me and get access to advanced chapters, then consider joining my Patreon.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ren began to dig into his half, not thinking about anything else.
It was best to get it over with quickly.
To the side, Eva was also [Draining] her half of the body.
The Warm rays of the sun shone down on his large body.
‘With my length now…’ Ren’s thoughts trailed.
He was now more than 7 meters tall, more than double a normal adult Ekans. More than that, he still had plenty of room for growth.
‘I have to begin rethinking my hunting strategy.’ Ren thought.
He understood from the previous battle that his large body was definitely not suited for agile movements. It contained a shocking level of power.
‘I want to try constricting… but it’s too dangerous huh…’
It seemed that he would have to devote himself to his spirit. It would be the best way to get stronger, faster.
‘I really want-‘
Ren’s thoughts were cut short.
His brain short-circuited.
‘Eva! Get down!’ Ren shouted out before pressing his body onto the ground.
It was dead silent for a while before he felt it.
Heat.
Extreme heat.
The Heat pierced through his scales and burnt his flesh.
‘What the fuck.’
With great effort, Ren used his spirit to counteract the deadly force.
Just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared.
Without even considering his own condition, Ren raised his head quickly peering to his side.
He sighed out in relief.
‘You are safe…’ Ren thought.
Eva lay face-first within the soil.
She also raised her head. Her brown, soil-covered face frowned deeply.
‘Ren… what was that?’
Due to her smaller body size, the beam of energy had not injured her.
‘I don’t know.’ Ren replied.
He glanced around frantically looking for the source.
Where was it?
He could not see anything… he could not sense anything either…
What was it?
‘If it’s not in the surrounding trees… it must be…’
Ren thought of a frightening possibility.
He looked at the ground for a second before turning his head to the sky.
A bright light shined down like a star.
‘Eva! Jump!’ Ren shouted as he sprung his long body away with his powerful muscles.
A ray of light shined pierced down from the sky, piercing into the ground.
The ground collapsed under the pressure.
Dust and soot floated into the air. Clouds blocked Ren’s visions.
After a few seconds, the cloud of dust disappeared.
‘What the fuck…’
In the middle of the small clearing, a small crater had formed, spanning a few meters wide by a few meters long.
Large cracks spread out from the crater around the surrounding area.
What was truly frightening was the Pokémon standing in the middle of the crater.
Muscles.
That was the most striking feature.
Pure, trained muscles.
The creatures deep yellow body was filled with both muscles and scars.
A large yellow and black feline face. Large lightning bolt shapes and blue highlights.
Ren did not hesitate.
He activated his appraisal.
Species: Zeraora
Potential: Yellow
Level: 5/5 (Transcending)
‘Transcending?’ Ren questioned.
He had never seen these tags before, but judging by its aura, the Pokémon was above ‘perfect.’
Ren could feel that this monster was different… more powerful.
A terrifying existence that was on the cusp of breaking through its limits.
The Zeraora’s deep red eyes stared at Ren intensely.
‘Eva!’
‘Yes.’
‘We have to escape. This is not a Pokémon we can fight.’
Eva stared at the Zeraora for a while.
The Zeraora’s head turned towards Eva before it began to smile.
‘Ren… something is happening… the telepathy…’ Eva shouted out.
Ren could feel a sudden disruption in the link between him and Eva.
Eva's eyes darted around, frantically trying to restore the connection.
‘Interesting… it’s the first time that I have encountered intelligent Pokémon.’ A deep voice went off in Ren’s mind.
Ren’s mind went blank for a second.
‘Another talking Pokémon?’ He thought to himself.
It was shocking. He had barely come to terms with the fact that Eva could communicate. He had concluded that it was based solely on race. The Ralts was known as the emotion Pokémon, with similar intelligence to that of a human.
He could accept Eva communicating.
But this was a Zeraora.
It was a Pokémon that controlled lightning. A melee fighter.
So why could it communicate?
‘Hello. Did I scare you?’ The creature continued.
‘What do you want?’ Ren responded.
Questioning the Zeraora about its ability to speak would be dangerous. It was under no obligation to talk and Ren understood that it was much stronger than the two of them.
Ren signalled to Eva with his tail.
Eva caught a hold of his signalling and began to prepare.
They had prepared these signals to improve their teamwork.
To an ordinary outsider, they seemed to be natural movements, but they contained hidden messages.
‘Good. She put her hand on her hip. That means she understands.’ Ren analyzed.
‘Oh. So you finally decided to speak. Explain yourself. How can you talk? Every single Pokémon that I have faced until now… none of them have been able to. So how can you?’ The Zeraora stated while gesturing with his hands for Ren to explain himself.
Ren’s mind worked hard.
‘We… we were born like this.’ Eva replied to the Zeraora.
The creature stared into the sky for a few seconds, carefully pondering on Eva’s words.
‘So you are also [chosen] like me..’ The Zeraora muttered.
‘Chosen?’ Ren thought.
‘Good. Come with me.’ The Zeraora said gesturing them forward with his finger.
It turned its head around and began to walk in one direction.
Ren and Eva stood still.
The Zeraora soon realized that they were not following it.
The Zeraora abruptly turned its head.
‘Why are you no to following me?’ it said slowly, each word enunciated clearly.
Its body was trembling. A deep, vicious beastly aura surrounded it.
Ren’s body froze up.
It was a primal instinct.
It was a fear that came from deep within him, submerging him in fear.
‘Can you explain a few things first…?’ Ren tried to reconcile. They would definitely not be going with the Zeraora.
Ren had been deceived by its words at first. Its casual method of talking had concealed a hidden fact.
This was a beast.
Not a human.
Its mannerisms were mere façade for its true feelings.
‘No.’ The Zeraora said without hesitation.
Its beastly presence surged. Its chiseled, five-meter tall body stood tall.
‘You defeated one of my slaves. You are not in any position to be ordering me, Snake.’ The Zeraora growled.
‘Fuck…’
It seemed that getting any more information out of it would be fruitless.
It was time to escape.
‘Of course, we will follow you.’ Ren said calmly while lowering his head in submission. He motioned with his eyes and Eva soon followed a bow.
‘Good.’ The Zeraora said calmly before turning and walking in the same direction.
Ren and Eva followed it.
Ren gestured with his tail.
The Zeraora had breached their communication network.
Ren gestured for a while, while following the Zeraora. Eva slowly began to nod her head.
‘Good. It seems that my teaching was not pointless.’ Ren thought.
Ren raised his tail into the air before slowly tapping it onto the ground.
At the moment the tail hit the ground, Eva and Ren sprang into action.
Their bodies instantly jumped in opposite directions, into the thick vegetation.
The Zeraora instantly noticed the disruption.
It turned its head mechanically.
The empty sight behind it, forced its lips into a smile.
‘I thought you would be different, but in the end you are still inferior. It seems that I must personally [discipline] you like all of the others.’ The Zeraora said.
It waited patiently for ten seconds.
This was the opportunity it gave all of its prey. A false sense of hope. A false sense of freedom, before it took everything away.
‘Let’s go after the snake, first.’ It said to itself.
The Ekans got on its nerves. Despite the fact that the Ekans did not seem to be a threat, the Zeraora felt something strange.
Its eyes… they contained something.
The Zeraora did not know what it was, but it decided to chase!