Chapter 268: Successfully Subduing the Mysterious Antler Deer

The anticipated counterattack never came; within the Poison Flame vortex, the Mysterious Antler Deer King let out one mournful howl after another, its massive body struggling and charging amid the fire waves and Poison Mist, yet it could not break through that scorching barrier.

The howls grew hoarse, and even its struggling force weakened a bit.

Gangshi, seeing this, immediately spoke, his tone urgent: "Huo La, stop! That's enough; if this continues, the Mysterious Antler Deer King will surely collapse, and the surrounding herd is about to lose restraint!"

Huo La lifted his eyes and scanned the outside; the Mysterious Horn Deer and the Startled Horn Deer that the Diamond Team members had blocked were already restless, each raising its head and bellowing, its front hooves constantly digging, about to break through the defense line.

His heart sank, and he immediately shouted the order: "Fire Rock Mouse, Claw-tail Scorpion, stop!"

The two Pokemon heard the command and instantly halted; the Red fire wave of the flame vortex instantly faded, and the purple‑black Poison Mist gradually dissipated into the air.

The Mysterious Antler Deer King's figure reappeared.

Its eyes still swirled with Red, but the PurpleGoldLight that had once spread over its whole body had completely withdrawn into its antlers.

Its fur was burnt black and curled, with faint blue smoke rising from many spots; a strong acrid burnt smell hit the nose, its limbs trembled violently, yet it still stood with stubborn vigor, each breath heavy and labored.

Huo La looked at its condition and let out a deep sigh.

Both use flame and Poison Type skills to suppress, both aim to strip Spacetime Energy, yet the gap between the Mysterious Antler Deer King and the Axe Mantis King is stark.

Beyond the disparity in level and strength, even their physiques differ vastly— the Axe Mantis is clad in hard armor, while the Mysterious Antler Deer King's fur cannot resist the scorching Poison Flame; its current injuries are far heavier than those of the Axe Mantis King back then.

He steadied himself, raised his right hand, and cautiously stepped toward the Mysterious Antler Deer King.

The Mysterious Antler Deer King suddenly lifted its eyes, fixed its stare on the approaching Huo La, its massive body involuntarily stepping back a pace, exhaling scorching hot breath, still radiating intense vigilance.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you." Huo La's voice was soft, his steps even softer, fearing to provoke it.

The Mysterious Antler Deer King's scarlet eyes locked onto him in an instant, while the Fire Rock Mouse, Claw-tail Scorpion and Leaf Eevee behind it kept close, forming a triangular guard behind Huo La, their gazes vigilantly watching the Mysterious Antler Deer King.

If it made even the slightest move against Huo La, the three Pokemon would instantly pounce.

Perhaps it understood Huo La's words, or perhaps it was intimidated by the three Pokemon's poised aura; the Mysterious Antler Deer King ultimately made no aggressive move, only emitting a low whimper from its throat, watching Huo La's palm, and gently brushed its scorching antlers with it.

"System, absorb." Huo La inhaled deeply, clenched his teeth, and whispered in his mind.

"System is absorbing abnormal Interdimensional Energy… Please wait, Host."

The cold mechanical voice finished, and that familiar sting instantly surged through his body, more intense than when he last absorbed the Axe Mantis King's energy, like countless red‑hot needles drilling from his palm into his meridians, then ramming into his bone marrow.

Huo La's body shook violently uncontrollably, his knuckles whitening, cold sweat flooding his forehead, yet he bit his teeth and uttered no cry of pain.

At the same time, the Red in the Mysterious Antler Deer King's eyes faded at a visible rate, gradually returning to its original clarity; the dense PurpleGoldLight on its antlers dimmed slowly, and the constant buzzing that had preceded it also gradually subsided.

After an indeterminate time, the piercing sting finally faded, and Huo La felt all his strength drained, darkness flashing before his eyes.

His legs gave way, and he plopped heavily onto the ground, gulping breath, his chest heaving violently, his body uncontrollably falling backward.

Just as he was about to hit the ground, a pair of strong arms promptly supported his back.

"You really succeeded." Gangshi's voice carried an unmasked emotion, rising slowly from behind, his palm still feeling Huo La's trembling body.

Huo La forced himself to look up, only to see the Mysterious Antler Deer King now completely collapsed on the ground, its massive body gently rising and falling, but no longer showing any trace of ferocity.

The scarlet in its eyes had long faded, returning to its original warm hue; the massive antlers atop its head had fully withdrawn the PurpleGoldLight, leaving only the blackened scars burned by Poison Flame, looking especially ragged in the morning light.

And Huo La's right palm now faintly flickered an extremely pale PurpleGoldLight, vanishing so quickly it seemed an illusion.

His heart tightened, and he instinctively clenched his fist, causing that weak light to vanish completely, leaving no trace.

"Ah… succeeded… exhausted to death…" Huo La rasped, feeling his eyelids as heavy as lead; as soon as his consciousness slipped, darkness engulfed his vision, and he fainted.

Gangshi let out a low sigh, reached out to feel Huo La's breath, confirmed it was clear, then carefully bent and lifted him sideways.

He turned his head toward Ami, who was soothing the herd, and said gravely: "I'll leave this to you; I'll take Huo La back to rest first."

Ami nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Mysterious Antler Deer King's breathing now steadier on the ground, then at the unconscious Huo La in Gangshi's arms, gratitude filling his eyes: "Don't worry, I've got this side."

Gangshi said no more, cradling Huo La as he turned and walked away, his steps extremely light, fearing to jostle the unconscious man in his arms.

He lowered his gaze at Huo La's pale face, his lips moving, his voice pressed low, as if speaking to Huo La, yet also to himself: "Being able to forcefully absorb Interdimensional Energy on one's own is indeed extraordinary. No wonder Captain Majamu specifically sent a message, telling us to pay extra attention."

Before the words finished, the Huo La in his arms suddenly let out a soft whimper, his brows slightly furrowing, his right hand unconsciously clenching a fist— the faint PurpleGoldLight that had just vanished in his palm flickered faintly between his fingers, so quickly that Gangshi thought the morning light had dazzled his eyes.