Chapter 397: Tell me, what exactly must be done

Again there was a long silence, and in the café only the faint bustle outside the window remained, Huo La slowly leaned his back against the sofa, his body relaxed, but a self‑mocking smile tugged at his face, his tone full of relief yet tinged with fatigue: "So, what do you need me to do now?"

He's not a fool.

When he fully understood the whole background, he realized that not only Arceus's soul was using him, but even the Ma Shu Mu before him, who had approached him and recounted so many earth‑shaking secrets, clearly had his own purpose and was not merely a simple "old‑hometown venting."

Ma Shu Mu listened to Huo La's blunt question; the casual, indifferent expression on his face vanished instantly, his demeanor grew solemn, his body leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Huo La, and he spoke word by word: "I need you… to save this world, to become the new 'hero.'"

"Save the world?" Huo La frowned, his tone laced with doubt and incomprehension. "Is it Hisui? But aren't Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina already subdued? As for Arceus's soul, you now occupy its body, so you should be able to resolve it—what else do you need me for?"

Ma Shu Mu let out a soft sigh, a bitter smile appearing on his face, his tone full of helplessness: "My situation is somewhat special; if I could solve it myself, I wouldn't be asking you."

"You saw it too—although I now bear Arceus's identity, possessing its body and power, in the end I'm merely a Crow Takes Magpie's Nest, not the true master of this body."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "Moreover, the fading of Arceus's life stems from this very body, not the soul. Even if I occupy its body, I can only barely delay its death; true immortality remains unattainable."

Huo La felt a stir in his mind, his tone hesitant yet hitting the core: "So, you're dying soon?"

Ma Shu Mu's whole body shivered, the bitter smile on his face deepening. He let out a few low chuckles, the sound full of sorrow, then slowly nodded and said softly, "Hahaha, yes, I'm dying soon."

That light "yes" fell like a heavy stone, crushing Huo La's heart, making him jolt; the relief on his face vanished instantly, replaced by disbelief.

The "old‑hometown" before him, who occupies Arceus's body and knows all the secrets, also cannot escape death's fate.

Ma Shu Mu inhaled deeply, suppressing the sorrow within, and continued, "Do you know why Arceus's soul insists on bringing you into Hisui?"

Huo La slowly shook his head, his eyes full of confusion.

In fact, ever since learning that the system is Arceus's soul, he vaguely guessed that his arrival from the future to Hisui was no accident; after all, he could traverse time and space—why had it to be the present of Hisui?

There must be Arceus's purpose hidden here, but he has never been able to figure out exactly what that purpose is.

Ma Shu Mu looked at his bewildered expression and slowly uttered four words: "For the Stone Tablet."

"Stone Tablet!" Huo La's heart tightened suddenly, recalling the system's Stone Tablet storage function and the Arceus illusion he had encountered in the Temple, and he blurted out, "The one I saw back then…"

"Yes, that's him," Ma Shu Mu replied calmly.

Huo La's mouth twitched sharply, leaving only self‑mockery in his heart.

After all that hassle, all that circling, he realized he had been nothing but a Pawn led by the nose from start to finish.

Ma Shu Mu stared into the void and sighed softly, "The reason I scattered the Eighteen Plates back then was fearing that one day it would become like today. Yet despite countless calculations, I still couldn't prevent it."

His tone carried a hint of melancholy, but not a trace of regret.

Huo La was speechless, wanting only to ask, "Why didn't you appear to stop it?"

Ma Shu Mu seemed to see through his doubt, the smile on his face dimming, his tone deepening as he said lightly, "You're certainly wondering why I didn't appear to stop it?"

Without waiting for Huo La's reply, he continued, "Didn't I just say I'm dying soon? Moreover, that guy not only drew Deoxys here, but even summoned Rayquaza."

"I didn't block Deoxys; I wanted to see what it intended. But I slashed Rayquaza down, and that whole ordeal drained the little life I had left even more."

He paused, a trace of fatigue flashing in his eyes, "That's also why I had to find you—I no longer have the strength to stop him."

Huo La fell silent again; Rayquaza, Deoxys… all problems created by Arceus!?

"Fortunately, he hasn't gathered all the Stone Tablets yet," Ma Shu Mu said, his tone slightly low. "Otherwise, once the Eighteen Plates are restored and paired with his complete primordial soul, the Creator God's authority would return to his hands, and then no one could stop him. Yet… the power of the Three Gods of Heart-Equal Lake has already restored him considerably."

Huo La inhaled deeply, no longer tangled in the past, lifted his gaze to stare at him, and said firmly, "Then what must be done to completely eliminate him?"

"So, you'd be willing to become the new hero, shouldering the burden of saving the world?" Ma Shu Mu's eyes flashed with a hint of smile, his tone tinged with expectation.

Huo La, hearing that, gave him a blunt stare, his tone full of helplessness yet tinged with resignation: "I said I don't want to—do you agree?"

The sarcasm in his words was obvious—knowing so many secrets and being drawn into this cataclysm concerning the world's survival, he had no room to refuse.

Ma Shu Mu was choked by his retort, then chuckled, his tone carrying a sly, evasive edge: "That's actually a refusal. After all, knowing so many secrets, if you dared to refuse, I'd have to resort to tactics to force you to agree."

Huo La rolled his eyes, speechless.

The Pokemon World is so vast; not only are there countless native strongmen, but also many scattered time‑travelers. Ma Shu Mu finding someone willing to save the world isn't actually difficult.

The reason the other party singled him out must have an unspoken motive, but at this moment, that no longer matters.

Back then, Ma Shu Mu sacrificed himself, exerting all his strength to expel Arceus, truly protecting the Pokemon World for many years;

Now, the reason Arceus's soul can locate the Stone Tablet and rise again is ultimately because of me—because I was used by the system, stepping into its trap step by step, and even due to my own ignorance and foolishness, inadvertently pushing the world back toward the brink of destruction.

Since the trouble was caused by me, and fate has placed this responsibility on me, there is no reason to evade it.

Huo La inhaled deeply, the helplessness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a heavy resolve; his tone calm yet unquestionable: "No more nonsense, tell me, exactly what must be done."

"What else can be done? Kill him." Ma Shu Mu said evenly, without any ripple of emotion, as if mentioning an inconsequential matter.

Huo La, hearing that, choked instantly, his expression stiffening for a moment.

He had never imagined the solution would be so direct and ruthless; for a moment he didn't know how to respond, and could only stare blankly at Ma Shu Mu.

Ma Shu Mu seemed to notice his astonishment, raised his eyebrows slightly, and added, "Don't worry, I'll give you a thorough plan to avoid the risks and safely eliminate him."