The morning sunlight poured down unobstructed, carrying the fresh Qi unique to the forest.
The camp was already bustling. Rangers gathered in twos and threes for breakfast, while several large pots steamed atop temporary stoves, releasing Qi.
A young ranger walked past carrying two bowls of porridge. When he saw Xinhai, he smiled and greeted him. "Trainer Bai Mu, morning! Breakfast's over there. Just help yourself."
"Thanks." Xinhai nodded and headed toward the washing area with Eevee and Gardevoir.
The camp's washing area was very simple—several faucets connected to a temporarily installed water tank, with shallow drainage ditches beneath them.
Xinhai bent down and turned on a faucet. Cool water flowed over his hands, carrying a faint chill.
He cupped some water and washed his face, and the coolness completely swept away the last traces of sleepiness.
After washing up, he straightened and instinctively glanced at a palm-sized mirror beside the faucet. Some ranger had hung it from a wooden post. Its surface was slightly blurry, and a few drops of water still clung to its edges.
Xinhai stared at his reflection and froze slightly.
The face in the mirror was still his own—well-defined features, clear and refined brows and eyes, with the clean Qi of youth.
But something was different.
His skin seemed a little fairer. Not an unhealthy pallor, but a luminous fairness like warm jade.
It was not the sort of whiteness gained through deliberate care. It seemed to radiate from within, carrying a healthy, dewy glow.
More than that, even his Qi had undergone some subtle change.
If he had once given people the impression of being refined and clean, brimming with youthful energy, then now he seemed to carry a warmth all his own.
The feeling was hard to describe—not a change in appearance, but