Soft chimes echoed in Bai Chen's mind, followed by the crisp hum of the system.
[Spirit Blade Breathing: Basic (★3) — Proficiency Increased: Beginner → Proficient]
Moments later, another notification appeared.
[Titan's Physique (★7) — Proficiency Increased: Beginner → Proficient]
Bai Chen exhaled heavily, his chest rising and falling like a furnace. Sweat rolled down his jawline, but his lips curved into a bright grin.
He reached for the dumbbell beside him.
A moment ago, its weight had been enough to strain his arms. Now, he swung it up with ease — light as a stick.
He chuckled softly, a thrill running through him. Just one step forward in mastery, and his raw strength had already doubled.
When he steadied his breath, he could feel it — a faint surge of fighting qi coursing beneath his skin, coiling like molten air.
If the Beginner stage of Spirit Blade Breathing was a trickle of dew sliding through his veins, then the Proficient stage was a full cup swirling inside him — vibrant, heated, alive.
The jump in power wasn't small. It was enormous.
"Another leap forward," Bai Chen murmured, eyes gleaming.
He glanced at the clock. Only one day left until the employment test.
He'd planned to hit this milestone in seven days. It had taken him six.
And the reason he'd pushed himself this hard was resting a few meters away, lazily scratching her spines with a wing.
Nergigante.
The Elder Dragon hatchling was sprawled out beside the practice dummy, chewing idly on a leftover metal plate. Even with such casual effort, her growth had skyrocketed.
In five short days, she had climbed from Level 4 to Level 14.
Her signature moves — Extinction Palm and Extinction Rush — had already reached a proficiency of 300. At this pace, Bai Chen estimated they'd hit Proficient within another week.
"No wonder Elder Dragons are the pinnacle of all life," he said to himself. "That kind of growth rate… no creature can compare."
But talent wasn't the only reason for her progress.
She had support — the perfect kind.
Over the past week, Lillie had become a frequent visitor to the training field. She would stand at a distance, watching Bai Chen and Nergigante with quiet fascination, sometimes scribbling notes, sometimes smiling shyly.
And whenever she came, she brought food.
Not ordinary food — luxury-grade Pokémon meals packed with life energy.
Every day, she fed Nergigante three Big Eggs from Blissey.
In the Monster Hunter world, a single egg like that carried as much life energy as half a Wyvern Gem.
In the Pokémon world? It was a small fortune — roughly equal to Butler James's monthly salary.
And she fed three of them every day.
Bai Chen had tried to stop her, telling her it was too much, too costly.
Lillie just smiled and shook her head.
"She'll be protecting me one day, won't she? Consider it an investment."
And honestly… it was working.
Nergigante, once temperamental and territorial, had grown gentle — at least toward her benefactor.
Anyone else stepping within ten meters of her would earn a deep growl and a flash of teeth. But when Lillie walked up, she didn't so much as twitch.
If not for Lillie's own Pokémon phobia, Bai Chen was sure the two would've been inseparable by now.
"Extinction Dragon, here's your snack for today!"
Speak of the angel—Lillie appeared at the edge of the field, hugging a basketball-sized white egg.
The moment Nergigante saw her, her golden eyes lit up. Training? Forgotten.
She dashed forward, tail whipping happily behind her, and gulped the entire egg in one bite.
A deep, satisfied rumble left her throat.
In just five days, she had grown from the size of a mid-sized dog to that of a full-grown bull — nearly triple her original size.
Lillie's eyes sparkled. She hesitated, her fingers twitching as she reached out, wanting to pat the dragon's snout.
But just as her hand hovered thirty centimeters away, she pulled it back, flustered.
Bai Chen caught the scene and sighed helplessly.
"You're spoiling her," he said. "That's not good for a dragon like her."
He wasn't wrong.
Nergigante was a creature born from battle — an Elder Dragon whose growth came from blood and conflict. Pampering her too much would dull her claws.
Lillie looked embarrassed.
"It's fine. She's still growing, right? She needs proper nutrition."
Bai Chen smiled faintly but said nothing. In his heart, he made a small note — someday, when the chance came, he'd teach Lillie a rare skill or two. It was the least he could do to repay her care.
He stood, stretching his shoulders.
"Actually, I was just about to look for you."
Lillie blinked.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Bai?"
"Not exactly. I'm heading out for a while today."
"Heading out? Then I'll have James prepare the car."
"No need." Bai Chen raised a hand to stop her. "I'm going into the mountains. Some field training. You don't need to come."
At this stage, his skill levels were already capped by normal training. No matter how hard he pushed himself, his proficiency gains had slowed to a crawl.
Only combat could push him further now.
Fighting strong opponents — leveling up through experience.
Lillie hesitated but nodded. She understood.
Before he left, though, she came back carrying a small white case — the size of a medical kit.
Inside were neatly packed, gleaming items.
Four Full Restores.
Two Golden Sprays.
Two Revive Shards.
Bai Chen stared, momentarily speechless.
This little box easily costs twice Butler James's monthly salary.
He could only laugh quietly.
"So this… is what wealth feels like."
He glanced at Lillie's serious face, utterly unwavering, and shook his head with a small smile.
"How domineering," he muttered under his breath. "I like it."
He accepted the case.
Nergigante, however, stayed behind — she was too large now, and a dragon that size walking through Alola would attract attention instantly. Besides, the Poké Ball couldn't contain her anyway.
After a few final words of thanks, Bai Chen left the Aether estate.
He walked several kilometers down the narrow road winding away from the hilltop manor — his great iron sword strapped to his back, the white medkit slung awkwardly over his shoulder.
For someone with his rugged hunter aesthetic, it was a comical sight.
He stopped at the fork in the road and frowned slightly.
Where should he go?
Heading into the wilds would guarantee powerful opponents — but also unpredictable danger. If he ran into a threat beyond his limits, even he might not make it back.
He was still thinking when the distant roar of engines broke the quiet morning.
Vrrrmmm!
Three motorcycles appeared at the far end of the road, tearing up dust and blaring their horns obnoxiously.
A group of teenage delinquents — Alola's version of bikers.
The leader spotted him instantly and smirked.
Bai Chen could feel it — that hungry gaze sizing him up.
He stopped, hand resting lightly on his sword hilt.
The three bikes skidded to a stop in front of him.
The leader stepped off, grinning with all the arrogance of a boy who'd never been punched hard enough.
"Hey, nice sword you got there," the kid said, cracking his knuckles. "Hand it over, and maybe we'll let you walk away."
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
Fate truly had a sense of timing.
He lowered his stance, the iron blade gleaming faintly in the sunlight.
"If you want it," he said, voice calm and sharp, "then come and take it—"
His golden eyes narrowed, a glint of battle burning deep within.
"—with your strength."
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