[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves":3,"chapter-master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-chapter-296":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Master Craftsman in the World of Elves",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2256887,4402,"Chapter 296: Qikusi: There","master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-chapter-296",296,"\u003Cp>As Guang Tai prepared to leave, unseen eyes suddenly appeared from the shadows, and two figures stepped out from the alleys and corners of Chuiji City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Yorges and Asura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanlong: “Who are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai: “They’re executives of Plasma Team—elderly men who call themselves Sages, supposedly gathered by their leader, Qikusi, from all over the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elderly men surrounding the area with Plasma Team members were precisely the two Sages Guang Tai had once defeated, and their expressions were strangely odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura: “Chosen by the King, you’ve finally come to Chuiji City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges: “I have a question. What did you do to me? Why did I lose my memories?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t me who made you lose your memories—it was the spiritual entities within the Ancient City. You were possessed by the spirits of the ancients. That’s all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai soothed the agitated Budew beside him: “Are you going to fight me here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura squinted—or rather, his eyes were naturally that peculiar squint; yet this old Sage didn’t fit the rule that “squinting eyes mean monsters.” In terms of strength, he wasn’t particularly powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There originally was a mission to do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But for some reason, after seeing you, that desire to fight faded away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rest easy—every Plasma Team member here is someone you defeated in the Ancient City. They’re not aligned with Qikusi or his faction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges’s expression was full of frustration; his beard trembled: “Why am I here? I was supposed to test and obstruct you, yet I can’t bring myself to act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While listening to Qikusi and Vio’s speeches, I felt anger and confusion—rare emotions for me. Why is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only you can give us answers. We’ve become lost souls now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura nodded slightly: “After fighting you at the Ruins of Dreams, I too felt confusion. Is our liberation truly right? I once believed it without doubt, but now I’m no longer sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A crack has formed in our hearts, so the power we once had can no longer be fully unleashed. I once had no doubt about the greatness and beauty of the new world—a time when humans and Pokémon could live closely together, without needing Poké Balls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But after losing the battle, I wavered. Logically, I should have strengthened my conviction and used even greater power to suppress you the next time we met.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why we came here—because our hearts are confused.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura genuinely doubted, and to resolve this doubt, he didn’t fully report the Ruins of Dreams’ location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only reported part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This act of deception could be seen as betrayal, yet Asura felt no unease—only joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he naturally a dark, treacherous little man who enjoyed betraying others? This thought left Asura bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has your fanaticism faded? You begin to reflect only after being defeated—how fitting for your type,” Guang Tai remarked, knowing the Blue Crystal’s power might also be at play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Plasma Team’s collapse, all Seven Sages naturally calmed down; aside from Vio, the man with the center part, the other Sages largely withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could think of it that way,” Asura sighed. “So what exactly are we missing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think it’s sincerity,” Guang Tai replied. “You seem fond of quoting classics—so do you act according to those classics, or according to your own true hearts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quoting classics. The Dao is simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura and Yorges exchanged glances, beginning to ponder: once, they had fervently believed in the future Qikusi promised and were willing to fight for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, thinking back—did they believe in Qikusi’s promise, or were they simply following their own inner convictions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not everyone can understand a Pokémon’s heart. We don’t have that ability! Only the King possesses such power—but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges’s expression twisted: “Are you saying we lack the ability to understand hearts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Precisely,” Guang Tai nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brief reply shook the two Sages again; they looked at each other, and Guang Tai’s voice whispered like a seduction:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you understand each other’s hearts? Are your ideals truly aligned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura: “I can’t be certain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges: “Yes… hearts are changeable. Before we met, we were wary of each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then do you wish to understand each other?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai extended his hand to the two Sages: “Shake hands with me. Then you’ll understand each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Sages were puzzled, but they weren’t worried Guang Tai would harm them—mainly because this young man was truly extraordinary, their unanimous conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, two rough hands clasped Guang Tai’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, complex and diverse souls began to merge, exchanging thoughts like electric shocks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Sages wore expressions of shock; Asura’s squinted eyes even opened wide—an absolute medical miracle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Yorges! So that’s how you think…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Asura, I’ve never understood you so clearly before!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange atmosphere filled the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges, incredulous, pressed Guang Tai: “How is this possible? What power is this? Is this psychic ability?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai smiled: “Yes, it’s a connecting psychic power—but this power has always existed beneath your feet, on this land of Unova.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unova means connection—between worlds, between lives, mutual understanding, mutual exchange, mutual growth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve linked your souls, so you can feel each other’s true thoughts. This power can also work between humans and Pokémon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to speak with your Pokémon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This power…” Asura’s heart trembled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is N’s power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To read Pokémon’s hearts… no! Even stronger than that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Legend says long ago…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai’s words made the two Sages listen intently; behind them, Wanlong leaned in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ruler of the Undersea Ruins possessed this power—enabling seamless communication between humans and Pokémon, allowing all life to speak and understand each other equally. That was the power that created Unova.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ohhh! There’s a story like that!” Asura sighed in awe, glancing at Yorges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They truly understood each other now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura: “I get it—you’re the type obsessed with tracing historical traces. So am I!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges: “Your hometown is in Paldea, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura: “Hey! Don’t understand things like someone’s hometown! I deliberately didn’t look into yours! Anyway, Paldea actually is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges: “No, you spent a long time in Paldea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura: “I told you not to understand that! Now I’m going to look into your hometown too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elders laughed childishly, released their grip on Guang Tai, and now regarded him with deep respect and awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This extraordinary power—it’s like a guide from a story or game, or a wise sage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you make Pokémon understand each other too? Actually, I’ve used N’s power to read Pokémon’s hearts—it deepened my bond with my own Pokémon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura released his Reuniclus, which still remembered Guang Tai and grew tense immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just recently, we were enemies!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reuniclus, relax. This time, we’re friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai placed his hand on Reuniclus’s head; a strange power spread, making Reuniclus feel comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Power of Memory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your first meeting was… back then, you were still Cottonee. You used a Poké Ball on it, and then you began traveling together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s odd—Cottonee shouldn’t exist in Paldea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You read Pokémon’s memories!” Asura was stunned, breathing slightly faster, then explained: “When I was young, Paldea still had ancient tombs, containing artifacts apparently gifted from other regions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s said that in ancient times, the king of Paldea loved collecting rare treasures from other lands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Guang Tai was slightly surprised Asura had once been active in Paldea, given his name, it made perfect sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asura—his name derives from the Spanish word for “blue,” and Paldea’s prototype is Spain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, the other Sages: Yorges’s name comes from the Japanese word for “green,” likely from Hoenn or Sinnoh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vio, the center-parted man, is French for “purple,” likely from Kalos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You went to the Friendly Shop and bought…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You went fishing together, but the Pokémon you hooked escaped!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You comforted each other, succeeded in your second fishing attempt, battled a wild Milotic—but during the fight, a Haxorus appeared and defeated you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though you lost the battle, you were happy—because you were together, you weren’t discouraged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both of you were startled when something suddenly jumped out from the grass! Its two feet slapped loudly as it ran off—so funny!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You went to the Pokémon Center together and healed Reuniclus’s tired body. Cottonee was happy—where to next? What to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as you were together, everything was joyful. Anything you did was fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Guang Tai spoke, Asura stared blankly at his Pokémon, his eyes filled with nostalgia; scenes from decades ago slowly surfaced in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reuniclus’s eyes had closed; in Guang Tai’s whisper, it too seemed to return to that time decades ago—the moment it first met its Trainer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Asura who pulled it from the pitch-black tomb, and together they endured countless adventures, traveled many places, and as Asura grew older, he developed grand ambitions, studied hard, and Reuniclus stayed by his side, accompanying him to every place rich with historical traces—those were joyful times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai made Asura and Reuniclus hold hands, and instantly, a wave of gratitude flowed unimpeded into Asura’s heart!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not mere reading—but a direct connection of emotion and will!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reuniclus… I remember now. All those long-ago times—whether studying, traveling, injured, confused, or sorrowful—you were always beside me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daisu~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges was deeply moved by this scene!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reading a Pokémon’s distant memories—like Mr. N’s power… no, even more detailed than that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the Power of Memory,” Guang Tai explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In some places, there are people who possess this power. I’m not unique—in Kalos and Hoenn, there are girls called Memory Maidens who can read Pokémon’s distant memories just like me. Though they can’t awaken any special power in Pokémon, I believe, for Trainers and Pokémon, nothing is more precious than the time they’ve spent together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The time we spent together, yes.” Yorges looked at the Poké Ball in his hand, snapped it open, and out appeared Centiskorch before Guang Tai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centiskorch twitched its antennae, confused, watching Asura and Death Coffin hugging and weeping on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve known Centiskorch a long time too—so long that some memories have faded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guang Tai also placed his palm on Centiskorch’s body. At first wary, the creature’s hostility vanished instantly as it touched the sunlight in Guang Tai’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm sunlight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centiskorch’s eyelids lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Yorges too felt Centiskorch’s emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not as distant as Asura’s, Yorges had met Centiskorch during his travels in Kalos—back then, the thing was merely a Centipede, scavenging trash, chased and beaten by people, attacked by Bird Pokémon, until he rescued it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And friendship was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I.” Yorges recalled the nearly forgotten past, staring at Centiskorch’s peaceful face, yet deep in his eyes saw only its weak, young self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So much time has passed! Time is so cruel! I remember now—it was seeing Centipede’s condition that made me believe some people must be corrected!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When it lost its companion, I told it: if that’s the case, then from now on, I’ll be your companion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At first, its temper was violent—it often poisoned me. Still, I traveled with it. Though it often ignored my commands, fighting Bird Pokémon or Burnet, leaving itself battered, sometimes it would sleep leaning on me. Those moments filled me with deep contentment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centiskorch opened its eyes, blinking in disbelief, staring at Guang Tai, sensing the “Insect Friend” power emanating from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this human not just a human—but a strangely shaped insect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This friendliness confused Centiskorch, but what drew its attention more was the feeling that its soul had merged with Yorges’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like returning decades into the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yorges sighed—and rejoiced!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. Your power is truly incredible—astonishing! I’ve regained that feeling. I have no regrets!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coming to meet you today was the right choice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1941,"2026-06-19T14:14:17.420Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0e198808f4fc24581b7e8fdfe4253daee4a790f418c8896e9239bd83dd88b3c7","master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-chapter-297","master-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-chapter-295",312,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmaster-craftsman-in-the-world-of-elves-cover.jpg"]