A moment later—
Misty, no longer sensing any struggle from within the Black Coffin, finally let out a breath of relief.
She exchanged glances with Ash and Brock. With a silent nod between them, she gradually released the spiritual energy sustaining the Black Coffin.
The massive ebony prison, once towering over the battlefield, began to dissolve—breaking apart into countless specks of energy before vanishing into the air.
Beneath it lay the Red Dog.
Only now—
It was no longer the relentless lava-coated beast that had chased them down moments ago.
Instead, the dungeon boss lay motionless, its breaths ragged and shallow, teetering on the brink of death.
"As expected of a dungeon boss—it's still not dead!"
Brock smirked, even as he endured another wave of searing heat from the lingering lava and falling meteorites.
His body was covered in scorching burn marks, his skin battered and bruised from the relentless assault.
Even with his defensive magic, resisting the boss's full-powered attacks at Level 19 had clearly pushed him to his limits.
But in the end—
They had won.
Ash wasted no time.
Raising his hand, he unleashed his remaining nen energy, summoning another Dragon Star Cluster—
A final rain of devastating nen blasts that descended upon the Red Dog, ensuring its complete annihilation.
The massive corpse of the dungeon boss instantly disintegrated into radiant white energy, which then surged into the bodies of the three teammates.
And at that moment—
A strange yet familiar electronic voice echoed in their ears:
[Congratulations! You and your teammates have achieved the first kill of the 'Kobold Tribe' dungeon boss. Reward: +1 Level.]
Level Up!
Woosh!
A burst of brilliant light enveloped them.
Misty and Brock, who originally lacked enough experience to level up, instantly jumped to Level 20, thanks to the first-kill reward.
Meanwhile, Ash advanced to Level 21.
Since he had been waiting for Misty and Brock to catch up, he had chosen to convert his excess experience points into his nen Poké Ball after reaching Level 20.
Now, the gap between them was narrowing.
And as for his Poké Ball—
It had already accumulated one-fifth of its required energy.
A long road still lay ahead.
Based on his calculations, it was unlikely that he'd be able to summon his first nen beast before reaching Level 30.
After collecting the items dropped by the boss, the three quickly examined their loot.
However—
Due to the dungeon's mandatory exit rule, any player who exceeded the dungeon's level cap was required to leave within half an hour.
Since there was nothing particularly useful for them among the loot, they chose to exit without hesitation.
The moment they stepped out of the dungeon—
"Mr. Ash! Mr. Brock! Miss Misty!"
"Thank you for your hard work!"
A group of strategy team members, who had been waiting for them, rushed forward to greet them.
These individuals were former players who had lost their in-game qualifications due to accidental deaths within the dungeon.
However—
Rather than settling into a peaceful, ordinary life like some others, they had chosen to remain with the strategy team, dedicating themselves to the fight in a different way.
Even without the ability to battle, they continued to play a vital role as support staff—
All for the sake of saving the Pokémon world as soon as possible.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Ash nodded toward them, then immediately handed over the collected dungeon loot to the team.
"These are the skills and items dropped by the dungeon boss. Distribute them to whoever needs them most."
"Understood, Mr. Ash."
One of the logistics staff carefully took the items and stored them securely.
Since they were no longer players, they couldn't personally inspect the items' details—
But that wasn't an issue.
The strategy team had designated personnel for sorting and cataloging all dungeon loot.
Once the intelligence personnel sorted and analyzed the newly acquired items, they would be distributed to the appropriate individuals.
As the saying goes—take from the people and use for the people.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of the strategy team, more and more players were now capable of defeating Level 10 dungeon bosses, leading to a steady increase in valuable item drops.
With this growing supply, Ash and his team had gained access to a greater variety of skills and abilities.
Tanks like Brock recently obtained both the Iron Body technique and a Doton (Earth Release) ninjutsu from the strategy team.Misty was granted the First and Third Forms of the Shigure Rain style.Ash himself acquired a powerful melee skill—Armed Haki.
It was thanks to the collective efforts of the strategy team that Ash and his companions had managed to clear the Level 20 dungeon so quickly.
Since Ash had received so many benefits from the team, he never hesitated to return the favor—whenever they obtained unneeded items, they handed them over without reservation.
Under the guidance of the logistics staff, Ash and the others left the bustling vocational center and boarded the waiting vehicle at the entrance.
"You three must be exhausted. Please get some rest."
The driver, responsible for their transport, closed the small partition window, sealing off the cabin from the driver's seat.
With that, the vehicle started moving, heading toward the team's rest area.
Seated in the soft, comfortable seats, Ash let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Hah~ I always have to act all serious... it's exhausting!"
Misty, sitting beside him, chuckled.
"Haha, well, there's no helping it. Like it or not, we're everyone's hope now."
She leaned back slightly before adding, "If we act too casually, people might start thinking we're unreliable."
"Tch... such a pain."
Ash muttered, shaking his head.
Since joining the strategy team, they have gained numerous privileges and conveniences.
But at the same time—
To boost morale and inspire confidence, the Four Heavenly Kings had begun publicly branding them as "Saviors" or "Heroes."
This had placed an invisible burden upon them, forcing them to act more responsibly, making it impossible to joke around or have fun as they once did.
"It is what it is."
Brock sighed, offering a reassuring smile before shifting to a more serious tone:
"That said… tomorrow, we'll be splitting up."
His voice carried a hint of concern.
"Everyone, be careful out there."
"Got it. I'll be careful."
Misty and Ash nodded firmly.
Because Misty and Brock had been Level 19 when they fought the Level 20 dungeon boss, even after leveling up, they remained exactly at Level 20.
In other words—
They still had another chance to challenge a Level 20 dungeon boss.
Thus, the strategy team had decided to assign them to separate teams, where they would help other players defeat additional dungeon bosses.
Meanwhile, Ash, who could no longer enter Level 20 dungeons, planned to move on to the next tier—
Using his Nen Poké Ball ability, he aimed to gain experience and hasten the summoning of his first nen beast—Pikachu.
This would be the first time the trio would act separately since arriving in this world.
But to strengthen more players as quickly as possible, there was no other choice.
After reaching Level 20, Ash had learned from Miss Joy that among the Level 30 dungeons, there existed a unique dungeon—
One that connected all cities across the world.
A World Dungeon!
Unlike normal dungeons—
Once cleared, it would disappear forever.
However, the requirements for clearing it were extremely demanding.
First, the level restriction—only players at exactly Level 30 could enter.Second, each player had only one chance to enter the world dungeon.
No second attempts. No do-overs.
Failure meant losing that chance forever.
For Ash and his friends—
This would be their greatest challenge yet.
To clear the world dungeon, players had to overcome three major challenges:
Eliminate a vast number of powerful monsters within a strict time limit—only 100 players could enter at once.Defeat the final dungeon boss—without a single player dying.Only then would the dungeon be considered fully cleared.
The reward?
The expansion of the new world—and the rescue of more humans from the Pokémon world.
Thus—
To assemble an elite team of 100 players, the strategy team was mobilizing all available resources, striving to clear the world dungeon as soon as possible.
Time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, several months had gone by.
By now, the Pokémon survivors—whether players or not—had gradually adapted to life in this new world, integrating the extraordinary into their daily routines.
Meanwhile, the strategy team had been steadily organizing groups of level 30 players to challenge the world dungeon.
However—
Not a single team succeeded.
The monsters inside proved too overwhelming.
Many players were driven out before even catching a glimpse of the dungeon boss, while the unluckiest were killed outright by the lesser mobs.
The strategy team suffered significant losses, losing valuable high-level players in the process.
After a period of assessment and data consolidation—
Today marked the day of their final decision.
The strategy team had finally declared it—
The official crusade against the World Dungeon Boss was about to begin!
The players sent in earlier had merely been scouts—trained by the strategy team to gather intelligence at the cost of their own survival.
Now, however—
The true elite forces were ready.
They had only one shot.
After all—
The world dungeon was a one-time opportunity.
Each player could only enter once—and once their level exceeded 30, they would be permanently locked out.
Some sacrifices were inevitable—a harsh but necessary reality.
Far beyond the eyes of ordinary players—
Beyond the very barriers of this world—
A mystical space existed in complete secrecy.
Inside the Hidden Space
Upon entering, one would be greeted by gentle, flowing streams, lush greenery, and a dense, vibrant forest.
A circular sea surrounded the island, marking the boundary of this secluded realm.
In the waters—
A massive Wailord swam leisurely, accompanied by a pod of playful Wailmer.
From time to time, other water-type Pokémon—including Milotic, Dragonair, and Starmie—would surface briefly before disappearing into the ocean's depths.
On the island itself—
A small Eevee, like a big brother figure, led a group of adorable Pokémon through the forest, dashing between the trees like it was their personal playground.
Their playful chaos would occasionally startle hidden Pokémon communities deep within the woods.
The entire space seemed to exist under a perpetual golden glow, as if a gentle, eternal filter had been cast upon it.
At the center of the island stood a manor—a structure designed to blend seamlessly into its natural surroundings.
Within its grounds, a small villa housed an individual who had been silently observing the new world from the shadows.
Beneath the villa, in a high-tech underground chamber, a massive digital screen flickered with real-time data, monitoring every event unfolding in the new world.
Sitting in an executive chair, Leo stared at the screen, deep in thought.
His brows furrowed.
"Months have passed, yet the real-space expansion rate remains stagnant?"
He exhaled sharply, narrowing his eyes at the numbers flashing across the screen.
"At this rate, saving the Pokémon world will take much longer than expected."
Based on the current rate of progress—
Ten years, maybe even eight—it might not seem like a long time to save an entire world.
But for Leo, waiting idly for a decade just to watch the new world grow was far too dull.
He had no intention of wasting so much time.
His next move was clear—
He would venture into the void, seek out a prime location, and construct a homestead world for the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
Rescuing the Pokémon world was important, but it could not derail his original plans.
Moreover, since the new world had just entered its formative stage, there was no telling what kind of issues might arise.
He couldn't afford to repeat past mistakes.
If he mishandled this world again, all the resources, investments, and Origin power he had poured into it would be wasted!
Leo's eyes darkened as he slid through the data displayed on the massive screen in front of him.
"I need to find a way to accelerate their growth…"
He murmured, deep in thought.
It wasn't as if he had no leads.
After closely observing the new world for a while, Leo had pinpointed one of the biggest obstacles hindering its development—
The humans of the Pokémon world had never learned to grow through their own efforts.
Currently, players relied solely on killing monsters and gaining experience points to increase their strength.
But—
The monsters were part of the world's natural ecosystem from the very beginning.
Even if players hunted them endlessly, it wouldn't truly accelerate the world's evolution.
All of this was simply the result of the Zerg Queen's design.
For genuine world expansion, players needed to learn how to cultivate and refine their own power—just like Ash, who had unexpectedly leveled up through self-realization.
If more players could tap into their own latent strength, then the new world would benefit from two simultaneous sources of nourishment:
The vitality of the Zerg-like lifeformsThe awakened potential of Pokémon-world humans
This dual-growth process would drastically accelerate the world's expansion.
Leo's fingers tapped lightly against his desk as he pondered.
"But how do I get players to actively cultivate their abilities?"
While he had found the right direction, the first step remained unclear.
Despite the Pokémon world's high energy potential, comparable to One Piece or Naruto, there was one crucial difference—
Only Pokémon fought.
Very few humans ever pursued combat abilities or active training.
So…
If people from the Pokémon world were to awaken their own strength, someone had to lead the way.
But this wasn't something that could happen overnight.
And even if a guide appeared, these newfound powers were not native to the Pokémon world.
Without Leo's modifications to the world's laws, their bodies wouldn't even be able to adapt to such abilities.
How could a leader emerge in such a short amount of time?
Another roadblock.
Leo rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
Suddenly—
A pop-up window appeared on the screen.
A dimensional merchant from a distant timeline had just sent him a high-value transaction worth over 100,000 points.
Leo, still deep in thought, instinctively activated his mental control to open the message.
But then—
His eyes flashed with realization!
"Wait a minute…!"
"Why should the leader… be limited to the new world!?"
"Wouldn't it be even better to bring in powerhouses from other worlds!?"