Amid the bustling crowd, two renowned top-ranked players had already arrived beneath the Pikachu statue.
Caleb blended into the crowd and curiously turned his gaze toward them...
First was the man between the two. He was handsome, with sharp sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and an elegant face.
Strangely, for some reason, Caleb couldn't shake the feeling that the man might suddenly declare, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west... never bully the young for being poor!"
After giving him a brief once-over, Caleb shifted his attention to the other 'female lead' present...
Baek Gyeol, true to her name, was both white and pure. {T/N: Baek Gyeol is a Korean name...}
Baek referred to her fair dewy skin, which appeared so tender, it seemed like a gentle pinch could squeeze out a handful of water.
Gyeol described her innocent appearance... Though, that innocence wasn't entirely unblemished, it carried hints of desire and allure beneath the surface.
Under the crowd's admiring and excited stares, the two stepped forward beneath the Pikachu statue. A faint green-glowing ticket materialized in their hands.
The next second, the ticket dissolved into scattered specks of light, and their figures vanished from beneath the statue.
Over the next few minutes, several other players holding the same tickets disappeared before the crowd's eyes.
Caleb glanced at the ticket in his inventory, then stepped forward.
[It is detected that you possess a 'Ticket of Time'. Do you wish to use this ticket to enter the Instance, 'Appointed Time'?]
There would be plenty of chances to see Cynthia in the future, but if he missed today, this ticket would go to waste...
"Yes."
Caleb confirmed his choice.
In an instant, the world before him shattered into fragments as light and shadow rapidly reassembled.
[Welcome, player, to the large-scale special Instance, 'Appointed Time'!]
A breeze swept through the wind chimes hanging from the high tower, carrying a crisp melodious tune as amber maple leaves drifted down from above.
The air was filled with the faint but distinct scent of harvest season. The sounds of wind, chimes, and rustling leaves intertwined as they reached his ears.
Caleb's eyes snapped open as if waking from a dream.
He found himself standing on a quiet path lined with wind chimes and golden maple leaves. The surroundings were crowded. It was clear that every player participating in this Instance had arrived here.
The reason he knew this was because he spotted Ye Fan, Baek Gyeol, and several other players who had entered after them among the throng...
"That tower… looks like the Bell Tower from the Johto region!" one player remarked, gazing up at the towering structure amidst the maple forest.
"The Johto region? Then the Mythical Pokémon from this Instance must be Celebi," another player mused thoughtfully.
While the others familiarized themselves with the environment, Caleb glanced at his main quest:
[Main Quest 1: When everything (even the bonds between us) shatters into fragments, how can we piece them back together? Play the role of a trainer drawn to Ecruteak City's ancient history and culture. Unearth the hidden secrets buried within the Johto region!]
[Objective: Follow the tour guide and visit the Bell Tower. Upon completion, the next phase of the quest will unlock.]
«Note: This is a special Instance. Failure carries no penalties and will not deduct player points!»
'So, the Infinite World has assigned us the role of tourists this time,' Caleb thought to himself...
Just then, a young man around 1.75 meters tall, wearing a red baseball cap and a small badge on his chest, approached and announced:
"Let's keep moving! Once we pass through this Chime Path, we'll reach the Bell Tower!"
Ye Fan was the first to step forward, falling in behind the NPC tour guide while engaging in casual conversation.
Others might not know, but as someone who had experienced this type of Instance before, Ye Fan was well aware... Mythical Pokémon contest Instances operated very differently from regular ones.
These Instances always began with a guide NPC, and players could only obtain quest-related information and clues from them to progress to the next stage.
Caleb paid little attention, absentmindedly trailing the group.
The tour guide swept his gaze over the players to take a headcount, ensuring no one had gone missing. But when his eyes landed on Caleb, the previously neutral expression on his face flickered with a subtle change.
Ye Fan, standing nearby, immediately caught it.
Following the NPC's line of sight, he turned and saw the player at the back of the group... His head was lowered, gaze unfocused, he was clearly lost in thought.
He didn't recognize him...
As Ye Fan studied Caleb with a probing look, the tour guide NPC suddenly moved. Step by step, he approached Caleb. Upon getting a clear look at his face, his expression twisted into disbelief.
"Bro… is that you?" he asked, voice trembling.
The other players: "??"
No one had anticipated such a dramatic turn of events. Every player present whipped their heads around, eyeing Caleb with suspicion.
Among the sixteen participants in this Instance, thirteen were top-tier players ranked within the leaderboard's top 100. Their long-standing positions meant they were all familiar with one another.
Yet, none of them had ever seen this player before.
Their scrutinizing gazes locked onto the handsome young man.
The commotion finally snapped Caleb out of his thoughts. He had been preoccupied with memories of Cynthia and his grandmother when he noticed someone stepping in front of him, staring at him with intense emotion.
Caleb: "…"
Only then did he get a proper look at the man's face... and a long-forgotten name surfaced from the depths of his mind.
Felix... The Youngster from the Bug Catcher Instance.
'Does that mean this is the world I'm familiar with?!'
His heart leapt as he quickly opened his inventory to check the Warp Beacon he'd obtained from the last Instance.
- Warp Beacon: SSS-tier item. Players can freely teleport to unlocked maps.
- Current world: B612.
- Cross-Instance travel is not permitted...
«Unlocked Maps:
- World B612: Kanto Region (Tap for details), Hoenn Region (Tap for details), Sinnoh Region (Tap for details), Alola Region (Tap for details)...»
Now, a new location had been added: Ecruteak City, Johto Region...
Seeing Caleb's dazed expression, Felix shook his head with a self-deprecating chuckle, "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
After all, that person had died long ago, and he had personally witnessed the burial. Without giving Caleb a chance to respond, Felix turned away, his face reverting to its usual calm as he addressed the group:
"Alright, let's keep moving!"
Caleb: "…"
'Well, well. Instead of becoming a Bug Catcher, he's now a tour guide in Johto...'
Reuniting with Felix wasn't the priority... what mattered now was confirming the current timeline.
Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned flip phone, standard equipment for this tourist identity.
<..October 13, 2008 (League Calendar)..>
It had been one year since he left the 'Infernal Affairs' and 'Bug Catcher' Instances. And it's been six years since the events of the 'Transformation and Substitution' Instance...