https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-375-Tomb-Raiders-and-Ancient-Coins/12537537/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-377-The-Calamity-Pokemon-Reversal-Plan/12537539/
Chapter 376: The Ancient Seeker and the Treasure of Calamity
Chapter 376: The Ancient Seeker and the Treasure of Calamity
Naoki didn't receive an immediate response after posting, as the internet in this world was still underdeveloped, and mobile phones hadn't yet evolved to a level where they could be used for surfing forums.
He wasn't in a rush and left the forum open on his computer as he headed downstairs to tidy up.
The weather was pleasant, so Naoki took the blankets from the bed, clothes from the wardrobe, and the Pokemon's fluffy beds outside to air under the sun.
Eevee and Frostine chased each other around the clothesline support, running in circles around Naoki's feet.
Butterfree, on the other hand, landed on the clothesline, looking bewildered at Naoki's actions.
"Fu-yi?"
"I'm hanging the blankets out to dry," Naoki explained with a smile. "Blankets that have been sun-dried are more comfortable to sleep in at night, and they carry the pleasant scent of the sun."
"Fu-yi~"
"Alright, Frostine, take Eevee and play somewhere else. If you keep running around here, I might accidentally step on you again."
Naoki looked down at the two Pokemon who had started circling his right leg, a helpless expression on his face.
"Mama!"
Frostine, however, trusted Naoki implicitly and didn't believe he would step on them.
So, they continued their playful antics.
"You two rascals!"
Naoki scooped up the pair and poked their foreheads with his fingers before walking a distance of about twenty meters and handing them to a Graveler.
The Graveler scratched its head in confusion but accepted Eevee and Frostine in its large hands.
After hanging the blankets, Naoki headed to the underground wine cellar to check on the batch of fruit wine that was brewing.
Coincidentally, his sister, Aiguansi, came to inform him that the Pokemon Tavern had sold out of their fruit wine.
So, Naoki carried a barrel of freshly brewed Pecha fruit wine to restock the tavern.
Once he had finished with all the tasks, Naoki finally took a break and sat down in the living room to relax with a cup of tea that his sister had prepared.
Gazing at the Levitate and Haunter floating in mid-air before him, Naoki felt content with his current life.
This was what life was all about!
Refreshed, Naoki finished his tea and snuggled into the sofa, watching TV with his Vespiqueen.
Time passed slowly, and soon, the sky outside the window began to darken.
As dusk fell, smoke started billowing from the chimney, a sign that Aiguansi was preparing dinner for everyone with the help of the Lava Bugs' flames.
After an afternoon of TV, Naoki stretched leisurely. It was already 5:20 in the evening.
Checking the time, he realized Zack would be arriving at the ranch soon.
So, Naoki got up and began preparing the day's shipment.
There was milk from the Big Milk Cans, rock salt from the Graveler, goat's milk from the Riding Mountain Goat, over twenty barrels of fruit wine, and a cartload of large pumpkins.
By the time Zack arrived, Naoki had just finished loading the goods from the warehouse onto the truck.
Zack parked and jumped down, helping Naoki load the rest of the items onto the vehicle.
Looking at the fresh produce, Zack grinned. "Another bountiful harvest, I see!"
"Indeed!" Naoki nodded, marveling at the incredible powers of the Pokemon.
Using the Green Energy to nurture and accelerate the growth of crops—these effects were game-changing. Even the best fertilizers from his previous world couldn't compare.
"Alright, here's today's payment. Take it!" After loading the goods, Zack wiped his sweat with a towel that hung around his neck and handed over the day's earnings.
Naoki received a few hundred thousand Pokedollars without any change in his expression, as he had grown accustomed to such sums.
The Woolly Sheep Ranch had been completed, the apple orchard was ready, and they had purchased a vehicle for transportation. There weren't many immediate expenses for the ranch.
So, Naoki planned to save this money for future purchases when the need arose.
Or not!
Naoki suddenly remembered something else that would require a significant amount of money—buying the ancient coins needed for a Trubbish's evolution into a Garbodor!
After sending Zack off, he hurried upstairs and sat down at the computer.
He refreshed the forum page with the mouse, and as expected, there were several replies to his post.
{Wing King: Willing to purchase a large number of Padia ancient coins at high prices. Only those who know, please!}
{Treasure Seeker (First Floor)
: No bumping.}
{Sandshrew's Owner (Second Floor)
: What do you need the coins for, OP?}
{Ancient Seeker (Third Floor)
: How do you define 'high price'? How many do you need?}
Naoki's eyes scanned the replies, finally settling on the response from the netizen named "Ancient Seeker" on the third floor.
He tapped the keyboard and replied: "{The price is negotiable, but it won't be lower than the market price. I want as many as you can provide.}"
Now, he just had to wait for a response.
After a moment's thought, Naoki decided to head downstairs for dinner, but just as he stood up, a private message suddenly popped up from "Ancient Seeker."
[Ancient Seeker: Oh ho, you're quite ambitious! Can you handle several hundred of them?]
Several hundred? Does this person have that many?
If this was true, then the evolution of his Trubbish could take a huge step forward!
Naoki contained his excitement and typed a reply.
[Wing King: Of course, I can handle it. The question is, do you really have that many?]
[Ancient Seeker: I never lie! And I'm quite famous in the entire tomb-raiding world.]
[Wing King: Never heard of you. When and where can we make the trade?]
Naoki waited for a while, but there was no immediate response from the other side.
After a long while, a message finally came through.
[Ancient Seeker: Where are you?]
[Wing King: Padia Region, Zichin Town.]
[Ancient Seeker: Zichin Town... I'm in Zhuotai City right now, and I can't get away for the time being. If you want to make the trade, I'm afraid you'll have to come to Zhuotai City yourself.]
Zhuotai City...
Naoki was slightly taken aback.
It was the largest city in the Padia Region, and Padia Academy was located within its boundaries.
He pondered for a moment, then went downstairs to get a map of the Padia Region to locate Zhuotai City.
"Hmm, Zhuotai City is right in the center of the Padia Region. If I fly there on a Dragonite, it shouldn't take more than an hour to arrive," Naoki murmured to himself.
Since it wouldn't take too long, he decided to go there tomorrow after finishing his work at the ranch. If all went well, he could even make it back before lunchtime.
With that in mind, Naoki replied: [Okay, I'm free tomorrow.]
The other side quickly responded.
[Ancient Seeker: Good! But tomorrow, you'd better bring enough money. As for the location... let's meet at the Welcome Cafe! How about 11:00 in the morning?]
Naoki replied with a simple "Okay."
Just when he thought the conversation was over, another private message came through.
[Ancient Seeker: Wing King? You've also read Hai Zhe's adventure notes?]
Looking at this message on the screen, Naoki was quite surprised.
Hai Zhe's adventure notes... Wing King... This person knows quite a lot!
He thought for a moment before cautiously replying: [Yes.]
There was no further response from the other side, so Naoki shut down the computer and headed downstairs for dinner.
The next morning, after finishing his work at the ranch, Naoki informed a few of his Pokemon that he would be going out for a while.
He had intended to ride on his Dragonite, but then he saw Golurk shuffling over, looking sticky and clingy.
Naoki looked at it and then at the Motostoke Pokemon not far away, and asked with a smile, "You don't want to stay at the ranch this time?"
He still remembered the last time Golurk had thrown a tantrum about taking a bath and refused to go out with him to the Bug-Catching Contest.
Golurk hung its head low, looking quite aggrieved. "Agas..."
"Alright." Naoki reached out and patted Golurk's head, unable to resist giving it a kiss on its forehead. "Then let's go together!"
Golurk's eyes lit up instantly. "Agas!"
Naoki mounted it and said to the Pokemon in the ranch, "I'm going to Zhuotai City and should be back by 1:00 in the afternoon."
Then, he looked at his sister, Aiguan Si, and said, "Sister, I'll leave everyone's lunch to you."
Sister Aiguan Si nodded happily. "Aiye~"
"Okay, let's go!"
Naoki gently patted Golurk's neck, and with the Pokemon of the ranch seeing them off, they took off into the sky.
At 10:30 in the morning, Golurk landed on a street in Zhuotai City.
After landing, Naoki suddenly remembered something very important.
Darn, I forgot to ask what the other person looks like!
Without access to the computer, he had no way to contact them, and even if they met, he might not be able to recognize each other.
What should I do? Should I go around holding a sign to find this person? Naoki felt a bit embarrassed, but since he was already here, there was no turning back. He could only grit his teeth and stop a grandpa wearing a Grape Academy uniform on the street to ask for directions to the Welcome Cafe.
The grandpa was already in his fifties, his hair completely white. Wearing the Grape Academy uniform gave him an indescribable sense of disharmony.
"Welcome Cafe? Just follow this road straight ahead, and you'll see a crossroads. Turn right at the crossroads, and you'll find the Welcome Cafe on that street.
He shook his head quickly. "No, no, I'm in a hurry and already have an appointment."
The old man looked disappointed. "Then can you at least tell me the name of this Pokemon?"
"Of course." Naoki nodded. "It's called Golett."
/
"So, Padia Academy really doesn't have an age limit for enrollment..."
As Naoki walked along the streets of Zichin Town, he couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
Even Grandpa here could come to this ancient academy to study, truly embodying the saying, "You're never too old to learn."
Following the directions given by the old man, Naoki made his way forward. After passing through a crossroads and turning left, he indeed found the Welcome Cafe along the street.
He walked in with Golett by his side.
It was already lunchtime, and the cafe was bustling with customers.
Most of them were students from Padia Academy, and they cast curious glances at Golett, a Pokemon they had never seen before.
Naoki found an empty seat and sat down, occasionally glancing towards the cafe's entrance, hoping to spot the netizen named Ancient Seeker.
However, after waiting for a while, he didn't see anyone who matched the description.
Just as Naoki was debating whether to find a computer to log into the forum and check for messages, he heard someone greeting each other.
"Oh? Teacher Lei He, you're also here for lunch?"
"Good day, Teacher Lei He!"
Hearing the voices, Naoki looked up and saw a woman with purple hair, tanned skin, and yellow-framed glasses walk in. She was wearing a blue top and had a gentle expression on her face as she smiled and greeted the students.
Her gaze swept across the cafe, finally resting on Naoki and Golett, who were sitting in a corner.
Then, to Naoki's surprise, she walked straight towards him and asked in a straightforward manner:
"Are you Wing King? Nice to meet you, I'm Lei He, currently a history teacher at Padia Academy."
Naoki: "..."
He noticed that Lei He's gaze lingered on Golett for a moment, and then she showed a surprised expression.
"Nice to meet you, Lei He. I'm... Naoki," Naoki finally introduced himself.
Lei He smiled and said, "Let's go to a private room to talk."
Naoki nodded and followed her, with Golett by his side. As he walked, he recalled some information about this woman.
Lei He, a history teacher at Padia Academy, had a passionate curiosity for legends and myths from ancient history.
In the game's plot, she was investigating four "Treasures of Calamity" and would entrust players with the task of finding these treasures, leading them to capture the four Pokemon that had once brought disaster to the Padia region.
The four treasures were: Ancient Shell Carracosta, Ancient Sword Virizion, Ancient Cauldron Stantler, and Ancient Jade Basculin.
Before becoming a history teacher at Padia Academy, Lei He had been involved in tomb-raiding and similar activities.
In simpler terms, she had been a tomb raider and an antiquities smuggler.
So, the gold coins Lei He mentioned on the forum were probably her spoils from her tomb-raiding days?
...He should have realized that earlier.
Naoki was at a loss for words for a moment.
He followed Lei He into the private room and sat down, his curiosity getting the better of him. "How did you recognize me?"
Lei He pushed up her glasses and smiled. "It's simple. I'm quite familiar with this cafe, and most of the customers here are my students. You're the only one who stands out."
Naoki: "..."
He had to admit she had a point.
Lei He's gaze shifted to Golett, and she asked, "Wing King, is this your Pokemon? It looks so wild and untamed! There's a certain primal beauty to it, like the ancient mysteries and legends of the past, beckoning one to explore."
"Yes," Naoki introduced, "This is Golett. So, did you bring the gold coins?"
Lei He's attention shifted back to Naoki, and she patted her bag. She unzipped it, and the next second, Naoki saw the pile of ancient gold coins inside, filling the bag to the brim.
"There you go," she said with a smile.
Naoki was stunned. "So many?!"
Lei He nodded. "Of course."
Naoki looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Are these all from tomb-raiding?"
What he really wanted to ask was how a former tomb raider was now a history teacher, but he felt that might be a bit too blunt.
"Tomb-raiding?" Lei He shook her head. "No, no, I was merely conducting necessary historical research!"
(End of Chapter)
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