Chapter 261: Gangshi

"Fine, go back and tell Dr. Laventon that we know what he said." Ma Jia Mu lightly thumped the civilized staff onto the floor, a muffled sound echoing in the office, his tone flat yet bearing unquestionable authority, "Make sure he takes good care of Huo La, ensures his safe awakening, the rest… doesn't matter."

"Yes!" The reporting member of the Galaxy Team immediately raised his hand in salute, daring not to delay, turned and hurried out of the office, heading toward the Giant Tree Battlefield.

Only Ma Jia Mu and Xingyue remained in the office, and the air was momentarily still.

"Xingyue." Ma Jia Mu spoke first, his gaze still solemn.

"Captain." Xingyue stepped forward, replying respectfully.

"Huo La's matter, you pay extra attention." Ma Jia Mu said slowly, "Go inform the Diamond Team and the Pearl Team, tell them we already know about Huo La; he is a member of our Galaxy Team, no one may touch him, nor pry into his secrets."

"Captain, is this… really okay?" Xingyue hesitated slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with it." Ma Jia Mu shook his head, his tone firm, "Since Arceus chose him, our Galaxy Team must fully cooperate. Moreover, he was willing to risk his life to save the Axe Mantis King and protect Hisui's peace; that disposition earns our trust."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the office doorway as if it could pierce the wall, seeing the unconscious Huo La in the distance, "Protecting him is protecting Hisui's hope."

"I understand." Xingyue no longer hesitated, responding in a low voice.

"Also, tell Bei Li La." Ma Jia Mu added, "From now on, all costs for Huo La's Pokemon learning moves will be charged directly to the Galaxy Team's account, so he doesn't have to worry about them."

"Yes! I'll arrange it right away." Xingyue replied, turning to prepare to leave and carry out the order.

Just as she reached the doorway, Ma Jia Mu's deep voice came from behind, "The sky over Hisui is about to change."

Xingyue's steps halted, she turned back and saw Ma Jia Mu standing by the window, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

Outside, the Space-time Rift spanning the sky remained menacing, its edges glowing with a strange light, faintly showing swirling energy turbulence within; compared to before, it seemed to have expanded slightly, like a constantly opening maw that could devour everything at any moment.

On the other side, the starting beach at the edge of the Hisui Region.

A crude skiff slowly came ashore, its hull striking the sand with a faint sound.

There was no one else on the skiff, only a figure of abnormal height.

The person stepped down slowly, his feet pressing into the soft sand, leaving two deep footprints.

He had messy white hair hanging to his shoulders, stood nearly three meters tall—over twice the height of an average adult—clad in tattered clothing stained and ripped, his exposed arms muscular and knotted, with strange markings faintly visible on his skin.

The "giant"-like figure lifted his head, his murky gaze fixed on the conspicuous Space-time Rift in the sky; his eyes showed no emotion, neither surprise nor fear, as if merely observing an ordinary occurrence.

After a moment, he slowly lowered his head, withdrew his gaze, then began a heavy stride, moving along the beach aimlessly like a walking corpse.

His steps were slow yet steady, each footfall firm, the footprints on the sand stretching onward, gradually approaching the interior of Hisui.

"Ow, my mother, this really hurts."

Huo La let out a low groan, feeling his whole skeleton as if falling apart; every movement tugged with soreness, his eyelids twitched as he slowly opened them.

His blurry vision gradually cleared, revealing the familiar wooden roof of the ShuWu, not the temporary camp of the Giant Tree Battlefield.

"Huo La, you're awake!" Zhu Bei's delighted voice rang beside him, then a pair of hands reached steadily behind Huo La, carefully lifting him onto a soft grass mat so he could rest more comfortably.

Huo La turned his head, and besides Zhu Bei, a robust, stern‑faced man stood nearby—the captain of the Diamond Team, Gangshi.

"Hm? Captain Gangshi?" Huo La's face filled with surprise, his throat dry and painful, "Shouldn't I be at the Giant Tree Battlefield? Why are you here? Where is Dr. Laventon?"

Gangshi looked at Zhu Bei, gestured for her to explain. Zhu Bei took over, her tone caring: "You've been unconscious for two days. After you left danger at the Giant Tree Battlefield, we brought you back to the ShuWu to recover."

"Dr. Laventon is still at the Giant Tree Battlefield continuously monitoring the Axe Mantis King's condition, ensuring no residual Abnormal Energy. Captain Gangshi's appearance here means there is something that requires your help."

"Ah, two days!?" Huo La was so startled he nearly sat up from the grass mat, the lingering soreness causing him to gasp a cold breath.

He looked up toward the window on the outside of the ShuWu, sunlight streaming through the wooden slats, hanging high in the air—clearly another noon.

"I've been here for over a day, just waiting for you to wake up; I was almost dying of worry. Now that you're awake…" Gangshi stepped forward, his tone urgent, but was cut off halfway as Zhu Bei reached out to stop him.

"Gangshi, whatever it is, we'll discuss later." Zhu Bei's tone was resolutely unquestionable, "Huo La has slept for two days; his body is still very weak, we must first let him eat something to restore his strength."

As soon as she finished speaking, Huo La's stomach let out two timely "gurgle" sounds, echoing distinctly in the quiet ShuWu.

Huo La awkwardly patted his belly, and Gangshi realized he had been too impatient, so he sheepishly closed his mouth, stepped back two paces, fell silent, his gaze still anxiously fixed on Huo La.

"Ah, that feels good, I'm much recovered!" Huo La set down the wooden spoon he was holding, let out a long sigh, his face full of satisfaction.

He leaned back in his chair, lazily stretching, the soreness from earlier fatigue and energy shock dissipated largely after a hearty meal.

Gangshi's eyes remained on him; seeing this, he immediately looked at Zhu Bei. Zhu Bei understood, gave a slight nod, indicating he could speak now.

"Huo La, are you full?" Gangshi stepped forward two paces, his tone much softer than before, "If you're full, would you like to come with me to the Obsidian Fieldlands to see our Diamond Team's grounds?"

Huo La lifted his eyes, glanced at him, his pupils flickering as if he instantly guessed something, raising an eyebrow he said, "No way… even the king under your Diamond Team's jurisdiction has a problem?"

Gangshi scratched the back of his head, a hint of helplessness on his face, sighing, "You're right. The Mysterious Horn Deer King in the Obsidian Fieldlands has been acting oddly lately; it too has been affected by the energy of the Space-time Rift above."

He quickly added, "But don't worry, unlike the Axe Mantis King, the Mysterious Horn Deer King hasn't been directly sliced by the Rift's energy, so the situation is much milder; it's just become somewhat irritable lately, randomly charging at nearby trees and rocks, no longer as gentle as before."

Huo La sat up straight, his brow slightly furrowed, "So you want me to help take a look?"

"No, it's not just a look; we want you to take action and resolve it." Gangshi's tone carried a pleading note, "Previously you were able to solve the Axe Mantis King's problem, showing you have a way to handle that kind of Abnormal Energy. We have no choice but to trouble you."

Huo La was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Fine, I'll go with you to see."

Not to mention helping the Diamond Team and the Mysterious Horn Deer King; even if it's just for the Stone Tablet the Deer holds, he must go, leaving him with no choice at all.