Lucas wasn't annoyed at the cheat system—just that it came a bit too late.
While Lucas quietly complained inwardly, the Special Prompt System seemed to encounter some unexpected issues. After a momentary crash, a line of text appeared:
[After testing, the host's strength is among the weakest Champions, but you are indeed a genuine Champion-level trainer. Seems like I've come late?]
"What do you mean, 'weakest'? Apologize to me, dumbass!"
Lucas retorted with a tongue click. He knew his true strength—Geeta hadn't even used her full power against him.
But being mocked by a self-proclaimed late cheat system was still annoying.
The system then crashed again as Lucas surveyed his new land, occasionally displaying "Self-Check Ongoing."
Lucas ignored it. Based on his years of online experience, he figured he couldn't get rid of this cheat anyway, so he might as well get on with business.
Once he'd walked the land, thinking about where to build and where to set up a pasture, the system popped up again.
[Binding complete. Although you've reached Champion, you still have plenty of room to grow. How about we travel to other regions?]
"Nice idea, but allow me to refuse." Lucas firmly rejected the quirky, attention-seeking text.
[ . . . ]
Seeing the system go silent, Lucas realized this one felt more like a chat companion than the robotic systems in novels he'd read before.
Judging by its desperate antics, Lucas figured the system had no authority to force him to do anything.
Aside from who-knew-what prompts, all it could do was talk to him.
But that was fine. If it started issuing forced missions, he'd rather die on the spot—though he'd be reluctant to leave his Pokémon partners behind.
After all, he'd finally escaped a hellish 9-to-6 work schedule, overtime, and working through New Year's. Now he just wanted to live a peaceful life as a farm owner.
"Whether it's in the land, in the clouds, or under that lady's skirt~"
Humming a familiar tune, Lucas wandered to the only building on his land—a three-story villa.
The mayor had told him an old couple once lived here, but after they passed away a few years ago, the place and land were left unused.
Lucas only managed to buy such a large, underused but promising plot because the couple's will stated the land would be donated to Los Platos. If the town sold it, the money would go to develop the town.
Truly kind people, in every sense.
After exploring all three floors, Lucas got a good sense of the villa. It was about 200 square meters and had all the necessary rooms. There was a balcony for sunbathing and growing plants. Though old, it was his dream house.
A good cleaning and throwing out some old furniture was all it needed before moving in.
"But, some things really can't be used and need to be cleared out."
He planned to tidy up, buy some bedding in town, and move in tonight.
Most of his savings had gone to buying the land, so he'd return his current hotel room to save money for future expenses.
Realizing he'd need help moving heavy items, Lucas took out a Poké Ball and smiled as he pressed the button.
A flash of red light revealed a Swampert—much more robust than usual, with a slightly fierce look.
But as soon as it met Lucas's smiling eyes, its fierce expression visibly softened.
"Swampert, can you help me move these things outside to air them out?" Lucas smiled, pointing to dusty, musty furniture.
There were tables, chairs, sofas, and some sealed boxes of unknown contents.
Swampert nodded, easily lifting a sofa with its strong arms and carrying it outside.
"Heave-ho!" Lucas rolled up his sleeves to move the boxes to the sun and check what was inside.
If he found keepsakes of the old couple, he'd bring them to their grave.
Anything else would be sorted—maybe reused for the farm or ranch, saving money.
After all, he was nearly broke after buying the land and had to budget carefully.
[In the third box from the left in front of your right hand, there's a mysterious crystal. It will significantly boost your strength.]
Lucas paused, raised an eyebrow, and looked at the indicated box. Curious, he used a utility knife to open it and searched inside.
Before long, he found the so-called mysterious crystal.
Wrapped in a shiny blue crystal shell—even dusty, it glittered—the real treasure was the gray-black raw gem inside.
"So, it's this thing?"
Lucas was surprised. He'd considered many possibilities for the helpful item but never expected it would be Paldea's unique Tera Orb raw gem.
Note: The cheat system is mostly a sidekick for now. The real cheat is Lucas' strength and Pokémon knowledge.