"I'll leave the rest to you, Po."
Ethan Yates turned around, speaking toward the vortex from which they'd appeared.
He needed to hurry and check on those Goose City citizens petrified by rock. If he could dispel it and rescue them, naturally that would be good. If not...
Sighing softly.
During this period, they'd truly experienced too much. Because of his ability, every time a Beast Tide ended, he needed to go to that city to treat soldiers and citizens. Naturally, he'd witnessed far too many casualties.
His previously somewhat lively personality had now become increasingly silent—didn't much like talking.
Fortunately, he still had one fellow by his side, greatly alleviating his mood.
"Leave the rest to me."
Accompanied by this voice, in Xu Qing's, the middle-aged monk's, and the young novice monk's somewhat dumbfounded gazes—a panda standing upright, wearing a conical hat and shorts, swaggered out from the vortex.
"Hey, hello there."
Po, seeing Xu Qing and the others, waved. The three froze momentarily, subconsciously waving back too—seemingly not fully conscious yet.
No—or rather, they were more bewildered.
Standing upright, wearing a conical hat and shorts—that was one thing.
Why could this panda also speak human language?!
This was way too abnormal!
Moreover, speaking Mandarin so fluently?!
Even if speaking Huaxia language, shouldn't it be Bashu dialect?
Such pure Mandarin—are you even our Bashu's panda?!
"Hey hey hey, why do these three look so dazed? Don't seem smart?"
Po's fluffy panda paw patted Zhang Hai's arm, quietly asking in his ear.
"Probably too shocked..."
Zhang Hai's mouth twitched. Honestly, when he first met Po, he'd been the same way.
Po's appearance occurred during the Second Spiritual Energy Tide's Beast Tide in Vantora Capital. At that time, Po hadn't attacked humans like other mutant beasts—rather, he'd fought desperately to protect humans, stopping their attacks.
Finally, after Skyler Quinn appeared, he collapsed from exhaustion.
Though injuries were severe, relying on healing-type abilities, modern medical standards, plus Po's own powerful self-healing ability as a mutant beast—by the third day, he'd mostly recovered. But afterward, he remained unconscious.
During the coma, they'd also visited this mutant panda protecting humanity. Online, people even gave him titles like "Humanity's Guardian" and "Most Beloved Giant Panda."
Originally thought after injuries healed and spirit recovered, he'd regain consciousness. But he never did. However, later Po's body surface manifested faint golden light. Though unknown what it was, it should be good.
Spiritual Energy Bureau researchers also conducted corresponding research but discovered nothing.
What happened afterward, he didn't know—he'd already turned himself in and been imprisoned.
Only after returning this time did he learn what Po had become.
Wearing a conical hat, wearing shorts, speaking Mandarin more fluently than him—even knew internet memes.
However, according to Captain Liu, Po's strength was extremely powerful. Even Skyler Quinn—without summoning Flame Dragon Armor—went fifty-fifty with Po.
Only his combat style suited individual battles rather than group combat, so he was assigned as Ethan Yates's bodyguard.
Though Ethan Yates was a support-type First Sequence—ability being healing and dispelling most negative statuses, lacking powerful combat ability—that didn't mean Ethan Yates's position in Huaxia wasn't high. Even compared to Skyler Quinn, Chen Bing, Firewing and others, he wasn't inferior at all.
He practically existed as Huaxia's most precious ability user. Another one whose exact identity he didn't know—only knew such a person existed.
Anyway, such important talent—they couldn't possibly let Ethan Yates face danger.
So Po—possessing powerful individual strength, capable of going fifty-fifty with Skyler Quinn untransformed—was the best choice.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Po."
"If we finish first, we'll come find you. If you finish and we haven't, then come find us."
Personally, he hoped for the latter.
That would mean petrification could be dispelled—those petrified citizens could still survive.
As for why he wasn't staying here?
He couldn't very well let Ethan Yates go alone, right? If something happened, his guilt would be enormous.
Moreover, Goose City's area wasn't small. Without his Space-type ability, even if they could save people—how many could they save?
After speaking, Zhang Hai brought Ethan Yates toward Goose City. Po swaggered before the mutant lizard, rather curiously poking its rock armor.
"Bro, tying rocks to your body—isn't that tiring?"
"Could it be weighted training?"
"I've tried weighted training. Indeed very effective."
"Bro, how'd your body get this big? Did you eat something? This is way too big."
"I've never seen a guy as big as you."
Po shook his head, sighing admiringly.
He always followed Ethan Yates. What mutant beast hadn't he seen?
Not just seen—he'd eaten them too.
So many mutant beasts during Beast Tides—almost all collected, roasted, and eaten for meat.
Thinking about that flavor—tsk.
Po couldn't help licking his tongue. That soul-level pleasure truly made him unable to forget.
Just some places tasted too bland. Though also delicious, always felt something lacking. Should add more chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.
Thinking thus, Po's gaze at the mutant lizard grew stranger and stranger. Sometimes touching its claws, sometimes touching its tail, sometimes touching that hard rock armor.
"This rock shouldn't affect the taste, right?"
"Probably not."
"Previously ate a mutant turtle—also quite thick, but the flavor was incredibly fragrant."
Thinking this, Po looked at the mutant lizard's massive body, couldn't help swallowing. This big—even he couldn't finish it all, right?
"Roar!"
The mutant lizard could no longer tolerate Po's gaze. If not for this panda giving it instinctive threat, it would've attacked long ago.
But now—though not knowing what Po said, that gaze was completely viewing food.
When did it become viewed as food—and by a panda at that?!
"Boom!"
Massive claws carrying terrifying power produced an explosive sonic boom in the air, attacking toward Po.
"How'd we start fighting while talking?"
Po complained dissatisfiedly, then his two fluffy arms made a wondrous gesture in space. The instant the mutant lizard's claws collided with Po's arms, it seemingly fell into a bottomless quagmire. Terrifying power surprisingly caused not the slightest disturbance.
Po continued his own movements—constantly pushing and pulling—then drew a circle in the air, pushing the mutant lizard's claws away.
(End of Chapter)