The Mad Sand Secret Realm did not host any protected rare Pokémon, so its management was relatively loose. Oliver hadn't expected to run into Pokémon hunters here.
Pokémon hunters made their living by illegally capturing rare Pokémon, so their strength was usually nothing to scoff at. For a moment, Fan Wenxin began to hesitate—could these two young people who seemed to be connected to the League really handle an entire group of Pokémon hunters?
Lowering his voice, he said,
"How about we retreat first? We can report this to the League and let them send people to deal with it."
As he spoke, he secretly observed the expressions of the two beside him—only to find that both of them looked perfectly calm.
Oliver asked,
"Can you tell how many of them there are?"
Sealeo snorted softly.
Mu Xue replied calmly,
"Easy to deal with."
Hearing this, Oliver relaxed as well.
"Then let's not waste time. Just take care of them."
Fan Wenxin froze on the spot.
Did you two just decide that on your own?
Didn't anyone hear what I just said?
Those were Pokémon hunters!
Not only were they ruthless by nature, their strength was also considerable—and they usually operated in groups. This young woman didn't look very old at all. How could she speak so confidently?
Pokémon hunters didn't just poach rare Pokémon. Sometimes, they outright robbed other Trainers of their Pokémon—and as for the original Trainers?
They were often killed on the spot.
That meant Pokémon hunters usually had blood on their hands.
"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" Fan Wenxin asked anxiously.
Oliver turned back and smiled.
"No need to worry. Since you've already brought us here, your task is complete. You can leave now."
Fan Wenxin truly wanted to retreat—but thinking about how he had personally led his benefactors into the Secret Realm, running away now felt utterly shameless.
"But… I'm a grown man. Letting the two of you face danger while I run away—how could I live with myself?"
Oliver didn't answer him. Instead, he looked at Mu Xue.
"Start."
"Mm."
The next moment, Sealeo fired an Ice Beam straight at the scorching sand ahead.
In an instant, a slick ice path formed across the desert—and Sealeo slid forward along it at high speed, charging straight toward the Pokémon hunters.
Fan Wenxin was stunned.
Just going straight at them like that?
Wouldn't a sneak attack have a higher success rate?
Before he could even process what was happening, loud shouts erupted from ahead.
"What the hell is that?!"
"A Sealeo?! Why would there be a Sealeo in the Mad Sand Secret Realm?"
"Is that a Trainer's Pokémon? Have other people discovered this place?"
"Where's its Trainer?!"
"Who cares—Sealeo sells for a lot! Capture it first! Muk, go!"
"Swampert!"
"Haxorus!"
"Gliscor!"
...
And then—
Silence.
Fan Wenxin was still worried about whether Sealeo might be in danger when Mu Xue calmly said,
"It's over. Let's go."
Over?
What do you mean 'over'?
Completely dumbfounded, Fan Wenxin watched the two walk deeper into the rocky area and hurriedly followed after them.
When he rounded the corner, the sight before him left him utterly speechless.
What should have been endless yellow sand and barren rock was now covered in glittering ice crystals. Under the blazing sunlight, the reflected glare was almost blinding.
As for the Pokémon hunters—
They had all turned into human-shaped ice sculptures.
Their Pokémon lay frozen on the ground as well, still locked in attacking postures, as if time itself had stopped in a single instant.
The ice stretched from Sealeo's position all the way to just a few meters in front of the ruins.
Fan Wenxin stood there in shock, unable to say a single word.
Oliver turned his attention to the front of the ruins.
The façade was built from massive, neatly cut rectangular stone blocks. Ancient, mysterious patterns were carved across the surface—vaguely depicting humans worshipping some kind of Pokémon, though what Pokémon it was couldn't be clearly identified.
Judging from the footprints in the sand leading straight into the entrance, some of the Pokémon hunters had already gone inside.
At that moment, a familiar system prompt sounded in Oliver's mind.
"Detected: Host has discovered a mysterious ruin. Triggering choice."
Option 1: Enter and explore, uncovering the secrets of the ruins.
Reward:Dragon Ascent TM ×1
Option 2: Abandon exploration and return home.
Reward:Old Amber ×1
There was nothing to think about.
Oliver had come all this way specifically to explore. Now that he was standing right at the entrance, how could he possibly turn back?
He immediately chose Option 1.
Not to mention—this was the first time a TM had appeared as a system reward. Oliver was very curious about how a move machine that didn't exist in this world actually worked. If he could study it, he might uncover something useful.
"Are they dead?" Oliver asked.
"No," Mu Xue replied.
"Then wake one up. I have questions."
Mu Xue had Sealeo解除 the ice encasing one man. The moment the ice melted, he collapsed onto the ground, clutching himself and trembling violently.
"I'll ask once," Oliver said calmly.
"How long have your people been inside?"
The man's face was purple from the cold. Seeing the surroundings and the three people before him, he immediately realized they had run into absolute monsters and didn't dare hide anything.
"M-my lord, please spare me! It's been… almost half an hour now."
"How did you find this Secret Realm?"
"It was Sixth! He discovered the ruins inside this realm, so we came!"
"Did you find anything after coming here?"
"No! Our people went in and haven't come back yet! I've told you everything—please, my lord!"
Oliver nodded.
"Freeze him again."
The man barely managed to open his mouth before Sealeo fired another Ice Beam, instantly turning him back into an ice sculpture.
Oliver then turned to Fan Wenxin.
"Alright, there's nothing to worry about anymore. You can head back. Oh—and tell the investigators at the Secret Realm entrance that there are Pokémon hunters here. Let them handle it."
Fan Wenxin glanced at the frozen wasteland and muttered inwardly:
If I'd known you were this terrifying, what was I worried about?
A Pokémon capable of such overwhelming power had to be at least quasi–Elite Four level…
And yet that young man had someone like this acting as his guard?
Filled with questions he didn't dare ask, Fan Wenxin finally left.
Given how complex ruin environments could be—traps, mechanisms, and all—Oliver also released Gardevoir.
Together with Mu Xue, he stepped into the ruins.
Because the Pokémon hunters had entered earlier, some lighting equipment had been left behind inside the passageways, ensuring that visibility wouldn't be an issue as they advanced deeper within.
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