Chapter 15: Ancient Explorer, Lei Ji

【Rare Material: Aged Cloth (Processed).】

【Description: An ancient cloth stained with ominous energy; prolonged contact may drain one’s essence.】

【Crafting Quantity Obtained: 1】

【Basic Spirit Sewing Craft (C): Using ghost-type materials, you can craft garments for ghosts or undead. These spirit-woven textiles help calm their agitated spirits and slightly enhance the power of ghost-type moves.】

This is the aggregated information on standard materials.

Guang Tai rubbed his chin; even just reading the description made him sense the ill omen of spirit-related things.

But ghost-type textiles should sell well among spirit mediums!

There are quite a few spirit mediums in the Pokémon world!

“Duraludon, use Rapid Spin!”

Guang Tai commanded Duraludon to cut the aged rags into strips matching the size of talismans; with a flurry of swift blade flashes, the already tattered cloth was reduced to a pile of rectangular fabric pieces.

“Then—” Basic spirit knowledge and talisman-making procedures surfaced in his memory; Guang Tai began preparing and processing other materials according to the craft’s steps.

Aged spirit cloth; powdered ore—cinnabar preferred; brush, ink, salt.

And a ghost- or psychic-type Pokémon.

Guang Tai prepared everything, inscribed the incantation from his knowledge, used salt to alter the spirit energy’s nature, mixed the powdered ore into the ink, and placed the inscribed cloth atop Duraludon’s blue ribbon.

Normally, talismans should be made on “spirit paper.”

So that’s why it’s “unique”?

【Craft completed: Obtained “Unique Purifying Talisman”!】

【Effect: Carrying it reduces encounters with wild Pokémon.】

【Unique Effect: Instantly removes one instance of any “curse” status; talisman then becomes inert.】

【Craft completed: Obtained “Unique Cursed Talisman”!】

【Effect: Carrying it increases the power of ghost-type moves.】

【Unique Effect: When used, inflicts the target with a “curse” status; talisman then becomes inert.】

【Knowledge Acquired: 1】

【Artist: Drawing efficiency +10%.】

The craft item’s details appeared; as a one-time-use product, Guang Tai was momentarily stunned.

“Not bad. These should sell well to ruin hunters and explorers.”

Immediately after, new thoughts formed around Duraludon:

【Duraludon helped you complete a craft, gaining experience and growth!】

【Learned Move: Psychic Blade!】

【Duraludon gained knowledge: 1.】

【Soul Blade: Can see the trajectories of souls; slight boost to observation and accuracy; critical hit chance +10%.】

“Whoa!”

At the same moment Guang Tai absorbed this information, Duraludon sensed a change within himself—when observing objects, he felt an odd sense of “I can hit it”? Or was it an impulse?

Soon after, he realized he had learned another new move.

Just by cutting spirit cloth, he’d mastered Psychic Blade—just like before, did work alone suffice?

And it seemed he’d also learned a new sword technique, like a flash of inspiration!

Duraludon looked at Guang Tai, as if foreseeing the subtle motion of Guang Tai’s arm lifting—yet that was the soul’s awareness moving ahead, its trajectory visible before the body caught up.

This shocked Duraludon greatly!

He immediately plunged into blind elation!

Of course! He’d learned so many moves in a row and grown stronger—he was a buried genius, a knight’s blade destined for greatness!

Guang Tai watched Duraludon giddily bouncing in place and shook his head.

Haven’t you heard that genius is 99% sweat and 1% inspiration?

Guang Tai ignored Duraludon and turned his attention to the new random material clue.

【Rare Material: Leaf Stone】

【A peculiar stone found in forests or ancient ruins; enables specific Pokémon to evolve.】

【Obtain Locations: Divine Capital Ruins, deep forest, cave excavation, traveling merchants.】

【Corresponding Craft: Moss Cultivation Craft.】

Leaf Stone? So this is a clue to an evolution stone.

Is this even a material?

Guang Tai found it odd, but the location listed—Divine Capital Ruins—was already on his itinerary, so he’d deal with it later.

He then opened his computer and viewed his artisan shop page—extremely basic, featuring his signature crafts: wood carving, stone carving, antique restoration, and antiquarian replication?

His father’s expertise in these crafts had earned him some reputation among artisans, though these skills had little to do with Pokémon battles; as for battle items, Guang Tai himself could make Shell Bell, Power Bands, and other common gear.

For non-battle effects, he could craft Soothing Bell to raise affection, Power Wrist, Power Belt, Power Weight to aid Pokémon growth and training.

Looking at the sparse shop page, Guang Tai listed “Purifying Talisman” and “Cursed Talisman,” noting their unique effects; as for stock—he glanced at the pile of rags in the corner and the neatly cut fabric squares from Duraludon’s blades.

“Let’s make twenty for now. That should be manageable for Duraludon without exhausting him.”

June 12.

The weather remained clear, and temperatures were steadily rising.

Early that morning, Guang Tai heard his computer beep; he opened his inbox and found another message!

【Regarding the talismans on your shop… Do they really have the effects described?】

The sender’s ID was 【Ancient Explorer】.

“Huh? Did a ruin hunter spot my new talismans?”

Guang Tai was surprised; just yesterday, a message from Agatha had come promptly, and now another customer appeared within a day.

Lucky indeed! Perhaps this was some passive effect of his golden finger—just craft well, and customers would come?

“I am a spirit medium,” Guang Tai replied; after all, he did possess basic spirit knowledge.

【Ancient Explorer】: “As far as I know, only exceptionally powerful ascetics and spirit mediums can remove curses bound to a person. Your talisman claims to remove any form of curse—could you demonstrate?”

“Demonstrate? How do you mean?” Guang Tai grew puzzled.

“Simple,” 【Ancient Explorer】 sent: “I’ll send you an email cursed with a curse. If you remove the curse from it, I’ll know your goods are genuine.”

Goods? This guy talks like a tomb raider.

“Fine,” Guang Tai agreed. 【Ancient Explorer】 sent another message: “I cursed the email using Gengar. Be careful—Gengar’s curses carry prankish and startling properties.”

Soon, an email filled with garbled text arrived; the moment Guang Tai saw it, his vision flooded with endless darkness—a monstrous face stretched through the screen and lunged at him!

Gengar’s fat face grotesquely elongated into a terrifying phantom, grinning with white teeth, as if emitting a “Hehehe” laugh!

“Gengar!”

Gengar used Night Shade! A chilling cold surged forth!

It was said Gengar crept into a person’s shadow at midnight, slowly stealing their body heat; once targeted, one would shiver uncontrollably. The reason shadows under streetlights stretched longer than the person was because Gengar had slipped into the shadow and run ahead.

If you suddenly feel a chill, Gengar is near—perhaps it has already cast its curse upon you.

“Whoa!”

Duraludon saw this and leapt back in alarm, drawing his blade!

A Shadow Sneak struck Gengar’s Night Shade!

Ghost-type vs. Ghost-type—perfect effectiveness!

“Hey! Stop! Duraludon, hold on—that’s a customer!”

Guang Tai hurriedly intervened; Duraludon’s eyes were blank with confusion.

Customer?

“Whoa! Whoa!”

It attacked you—how’s that a customer?!

“This is just the customer verifying the product,” Guang Tai waved his hand; he was unaffected by Night Shade, while Gengar on the other side wore a strange expression—reflected in the monstrous face—then Guang Tai retrieved a Purifying Talisman, and Gengar immediately used the move Curse!

Swish!

The Purifying Talisman floated over Gengar’s phantom; its grinning mouth instantly drooped into a frown.

“Eeek! Gengar!”

As the talisman’s effect faded, Gengar’s Night Shade vanished from the room, and the garbled email reverted to legible text—though the order remained jumbled, as if typed by Gengar himself.

Before Guang Tai could reply, the other side sent a message immediately:

“Incredible… My Gengar just told me what happened. Your talisman works perfectly—I’ve never seen Gengar so distressed.”

“The curse has been removed.”

【Ancient Explorer】: “How many Purifying Talismans do you have in stock? I’ll take them all!”

“Huh?”

Guang Tai was stunned: “You’re sure you want them all?”

【Ancient Explorer】: “Yes. My work—I’m an archaeologist exploring ancient ruins—means I frequently encounter dangerous curses and ghost Pokémon. But don’t worry; I’m used to this. Sometimes I carry multiple curses at once and still don’t die—haha. Probably because my constitution is extraordinary.”

“By the way, do you prefer new things or old things? I recently discovered a sunken ruin in Unova—I’m fascinated by relics from a thousand years ago.”

“I’ll buy more talismans from you next time. Goodbye. When shipping, use international logistics—delivery address: Unova Ripple Town. I’ll send you my full shipping details. And…”

“And what?” Guang Tai’s expression turned serious.

“Free shipping?” 【Ancient Explorer】 replied.

(End of chapter)