"Quick! Stop it!!! Don't attract other goblins!!!"
A frantic shout echoed through the dense forest.
The ground trembled violently as a shadow shot forward like lightning, intercepting a rampaging wild boar before it could charge any further.
Seated atop the beast was a goblin clad in crude wooden armor, gripping a spear of unknown material.
Ash's eyes sharpened, his body surging with Nen energy as he braced for impact.
BANG!!!
The wild boar slammed into him with the force of a speeding truck, but Ash held his ground.
The Goblin Rider riding the beast wasted no time—its spear flashed forward, aiming straight for Ash's forehead!
At that very moment—
The ground beneath the Goblin Rider suddenly convulsed, and a massive wall of eartherupted from below, striking the wild boar's abdomen and lifting it into the air!
"Misty!!!"
Brock's steady voice rang out from beyond the trees.
A second later, a graceful figure shot forward, leaping high into the air.
As if responding to her movement, multiple earthen platforms emerged beneath her feet, forming a makeshift staircase that propelled her even higher.
"Die, monster!"
From above, Misty raised her blade high, sunlight glinting off its polished edge.
And then—
With a swift, decisive motion—
The sword sliced through the air like a bolt of lightning!
The Goblin Rider's stunned expression froze as its head was severed cleanly from its body.
Meanwhile, the earth wall collapsed, sending the tusk boar crashing to the ground.
Without its rider, the beast thrashed in confusion, but before it could regain its senses—
Ash stepped forward.
He clenched his fist, Nen energy swirling around it, and drove a devastating punch straight into the wild boar's skull.
BAM!
One punch.
BAM!
Two punches.
BAM!
Three punches!
The wild boar and the Goblin Rider dissolved into white light, their essence dispersing into the bodies of Ash, Misty, and Brock.
The moment the battle ended, something unusual happened.
Where the wild boar had fallen, three glass vials suddenly materialized on the ground.
"A drop item!!!"
Ash's excitement surged. Forgetting the thrill of leveling up, the trio rushed forward and picked up the mysterious vials.
[Restoration Potion (Small)]
[Description: Instantly restores all physical strength and energy, bringing the user to peak condition. Usable only below Level 30.]
"A recovery potion?! This is amazing!!!"
Ash grinned as he read the item's description, then quickly distributed a vial to each of his teammates.
Seven days had passed since they arrived in this game-like world.
Through countless battles and trials, they had gradually adapted to this new reality, learning its rules, mechanics, and combat systems.
Now, after successfully defeating a Level 10 Goblin Rider, they had finally reached the highest level allowed in this dungeon—Level 10!
As they stored the recovery potions in their inventories, a heavy silence fell over them.
Because at that very moment—
Upon reaching Level 10, they had each unlocked a new skill unique to their class.
A brief moment passed before Ash's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Hey… you guys got new skills too, right?"
"Of course!"
Misty smirked playfully, her expression filled with anticipation.
Brock simply nodded, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Ash chuckled, then gave them a mysterious grin.
"Alright, check this out!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand—
A red and white Poké Ball suddenly materialized in his palm.
"Wait… what?! That's—?!"
Misty and Brock's eyes widened in shock.
They instinctively took a step forward, staring at the familiar yet impossible object in Ash's hand.
"Why do you have a Poké Ball?!" Misty blurted out in disbelief.
Because in this world—
Poké Balls were no longer supposed to exist.
Even though they lived in Cerulean City, it was no longer the water capital it once was.
For reasons they still didn't fully understand, many things that were once commonplace had vanished after they arrived.
And among them—
Poké Balls had disappeared completely.
Now, only players who had chosen the [Trainer] class could wield them.
And yet—
Ash was standing right in front of them, holding one.
What did this mean?
What exactly had he just unlocked?
Ash held up the Poké Ball in his hand, his expression brimming with pride.
"This is my new skill—it's also my Nen Ability!"
He paused for effect before declaring:
"Nen Ability—Poké Ball!"
"From now on, I can choose a Pokémon I once owned from within the Poké Ball. I can then decide whether to inject my earned experience into it..."
"Once the stored experience reaches a certain threshold, I can summon my very own nen beast!"
Misty's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Wow! So that means you basically get an extra battle companion, just like a real trainer?"
"Hmph! Just one?" Ash scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're seriously underestimating my Nen ability!"
His lips curled into a confident smirk.
"With my Nen power, after fully cultivating one Nen beast, I can immediately move on to training another. And the best part? The only requirement for the contract is that it must be a Pokémon I've already captured!"
"What?! That strong?!"
Even Brock, who had remained calm so far, couldn't help but react.
He might have focused on being a Gym Leader in the later years, but he still vividly remembered that one time—when Ash captured an entire herd of Tauros.
If this ability allowed Ash to train all of them, not to mention the many other powerful Pokémon he had caught, the potential was staggering.
After all, even though he wasn't always by Ash's side, he had closely followed his battles through live broadcasts.
But before they could fully digest this revelation—
"And that's not even the best part."
Ash's voice carried an unmistakable hint of excitement.
He continued, "These Nen beasts aren't just for battle—they can also fuse with me, allowing me to harness a Pokémon's power directly!"
"And once I retrieve Pikachu and the others, I'll be able to merge my Nen beasts with their corresponding Pokémon. This way, all of my Pokémon will become Nen beasts as well!"
"Not only will they gain even greater strength, but I'll also be able to bypass the restrictions of Poké Balls and summon them freely using my Nen ability!"
As he spoke, Ash turned his gaze toward the Poké Ball in his hand.
After a brief hesitation, he made his choice—
His first partner, Pikachu.
Suddenly, an information window appeared before him, visible only to his eyes.
Displayed clearly at the top was the experience requirement to summon Pikachu as a Nen beast.
Ash's heart skipped a beat as he read the numbers.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, seeing the actual requirement still shook him.
He estimated that before reaching Level 30, summoning Pikachu would be impossible.
But even so—
Ash had no regrets.
Pikachu held a special place in his heart.
Even if he could only manifest a Nen version for now, he wanted Pikachu to be the first to enter this world with him.
"That's an insanely powerful skill..." Misty murmured in awe.
But then, a thought struck her.
"Wait a second—doesn't this make your ability pretty much identical to a Trainer's?"
Hearing this, Ash—who had been riding high on excitement—suddenly froze.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had just been dumped over his head.
His face shifted from enthusiasm to confusion.
"Huh?"
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"Yeah… if that's the case, doesn't it just make me another regular Trainer?"
"No, that can't be right…"
His brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it.
The truth was—
Ash had no idea that the Nen abilities granted by the [Hunter] class weren't just ordinary skills.
Instead, they were infused with the power of the world's fundamental laws.
This meant that Ash's Nen ability was far more than what it seemed on the surface.
At that moment, Misty and Brock assumed that the strength of Ash's Nen summons would depend on his level—just like a Trainer's Pokémon.
But what they didn't realize was—
Because his ability was fused with the power of rules, Ash's Nen summons weren't just ordinary projections.
Instead, they would directly replicate the exact power level of the Pokémon he had owned!
And that meant—
Even if Ash was only at Level 10, the Nen version of Pikachu wouldn't be bound by his level!
Pikachu's true strength had always been a mystery, but even without considering the bond boost from their deep connection, its base combat power was at least Level 50!
And Ash's ability allowed him to summon Pikachu at full strength, even at this early stage!
That alone was proof of just how overpowered this new power really was!
"Hahaha... Alright, alright, stop overthinking this."
Seeing Ash deep in thought, Brock took the initiative to step forward, interrupting his confusion.
"Nen abilities don't come in just one form."
"Instead of worrying about that, let's focus on what's ahead..."
He suddenly grinned.
"Like getting the first clear of the dungeon!"
His words immediately caught Ash and Misty's attention. Both turned their heads to look at him.
Brock continued,
"I just acquired a new skill—[Petrified Skin]. It hardens my body to be as tough as rock."
"Looks like my role in the team is going to lean more toward being a human shield."
Then, he turned to Misty.
"By the way, what about you? What's your new skill?"
"Mine's a Bakudō technique called [Bakudō #4: Hainawa (Crawling Rope)]." Misty answered seriously. "It allows me to form ropes using spiritual energy to trap enemies."
Brock nodded thoughtfully.
"A control-type ability, huh? That fills a gap in our skill set nicely."
After a moment of contemplation, he slowly raised his head, glancing at both of them.
"So, are we still going for the first kill reward in the Goblin Dungeon?"
"Of course!"
Ash sprang to his feet, eyes burning with determination.
Getting the first kill in the dungeon wouldn't just grant them a huge amount of experience—it would also unlock skill books and rare items from other classes. There was no way they could pass up such an opportunity!
"If that's the case, then we need to hurry!"
Misty gripped the hilt of her sword, her expression turning serious.
"I heard that several teams have already set their sights on the first kill reward for the Goblin Dungeon."
While the Goblin Dungeon was exclusive to Cerulean City, meaning only players from this area could enter, that still left over 100,000 players competing for it.
Of those, thousands were already strong enough to enter the dungeon.
Over the past few days, Misty and the others had encountered plenty of rival players.
Though most weren't as strong as them, that didn't mean there weren't more powerful challengers out there.
As Misty finished speaking, the three of them turned to face a single direction—
The heart of the Goblin Tribe.
Defeating the Dungeon Boss wouldn't be easy.
In any dungeon, the first team to defeat a boss would have their achievement recorded for all to see in the Dungeon Lobby.
Yet, so far, no team had managed to claim a single first-kill victory.
That alone spoke volumes about the difficulty level.
Ash had been keeping a close watch on the Goblin Tribe's movements.
From his observations, the outer perimeter was patrolled by hundreds of Level 7 Goblin Warriors.
Beyond them, over a dozen sentry towers lined the outskirts, each manned by Level 8 Goblin Archers.
And deep within the tribe, Level 9 Goblin Riders patrolled the area.
To reach the Goblin King, they'd have to clear all these enemies first.
However—despite the sheer number of foes, it wasn't an impossible task for Ash and his team.
Over the past few days, they had been carefully studying the goblins' behaviors.
And if there was one crucial weakness they had discovered, it was this—
Goblins had terrible eyesight!
That was the key to their confidence in snatching the first kill.
Though goblins had keen hearing, their eyesight was abysmal—almost to the point of blindness.
According to Ash's tests, even the Goblin Archers, who supposedly had the best vision in the tribe, could only see clearly within a 30-meter radius.
Beyond that?
They couldn't even distinguish between a person and a tree.
On top of that, goblins—despite their sharp hearing—were incredibly dumb.
More often than not, when they heard suspicious noises, they would either:
Ignore them entirely, orStupidly wander over to investigate, only to be picked off one by one.
With this in mind, their strategy was clear.
Step 1: Take out some of the Goblin Warriors.
Step 2: Lure the Archers down from the sentry towers and eliminate them silently.
Step 3: Once only the Goblin Riders remained, they would trap them using Brock's earth wall technique and take them down one at a time.
And then—
They would challenge the Goblin King!
The theory was sound.
Now, all that remained was to put it into action.
"Alright! Time waits for no one—let's move!"
After finalizing their plan, Ash led Misty and Brock straight toward the dungeon's center.
Over the past few days, they had collected quite a few item drops.
Though most were useless junk that could only be sold to Miss Joy at the Dungeon Center for a bit of extra experience...
Ash had managed to obtain a pair of spiked Power Gloves.
Misty had found a belt that increased energy condensation speed.
And Brock got a helmet that provided better head protection.
The effects weren't huge, but they were better than nothing.
Now, standing at the outskirts of the Goblin Tribe, the three of them got into position.
And then—
Under the cover of sunset, Ash cupped his hands around his mouth and called out toward a nearby Goblin Archer on a sentry tower:
"Hey! Over here~!!!"