[Name]: Nergigante
[Species]: Elder Dragon
[Type]: Fighting / Dragon
[Rarity]: ★8
[Level]: 3 (118/666)
[Ability]:Fearless – Strength increases gradually during battle against powerful opponents.
[Skills]:
Blood of the Elder Dragon ★7 – Beginner (32/700):
The ancient Elder Dragons thrive on their boundless vitality. Their life force is unmatched—simply put, they're tanks among monsters.
Hyper Regeneration ★8 – Beginner (2/800):
Nergigante's unique ability. Its regenerative power lets it hunt even other Elder Dragons, earning the title of "Elder Dragon Slayer."
Embodiment of Strength ★7 – Beginner (2/700):
A power-enhancing skill—Elder Dragons are disasters incarnate, and Nergigante is proud of its unmatched physical might.
Regrowth Spikes ★7 – Beginner (1/700):
Its signature feature. The more its spikes break, the stronger they grow. At their peak, they're as hard as diamonds.
Bai Chen's gasp startled the little creature digging through the freezer.
Startled, the hatchling turned, revealing two large, curved, bone-white horns.
She stepped back a couple of paces, baring her fangs, letting out a low growl that reverberated in her throat—a primal warning.
Bai Chen froze.
His strength might be enough to handle small monsters like Great Jagras, but this—this was an Elder Dragon. Even newly hatched, it was leagues beyond him.
He instinctively searched for his katana—then paused.
The hatchling stopped growling.
Her sharp eyes softened with recognition. With a happy chirp-like roar, she leapt forward, knocking Bai Chen flat onto the ground.
Despite being newborn, she was already the size of a medium dog, heavy and warm.
Her rough, fish-scented tongue licked his face enthusiastically.
Feeling her affection, Bai Chen's panic eased.
"Right… the system wouldn't give me a partner capable of hurting me."
He chuckled, wiping off the sticky saliva as he hugged her close.
Still, his eyes twitched when he noticed the empty freezer.
In one night, the hatchling had devoured twenty pounds of frozen fish.
"Hunters are already big eaters… and now I've got one that eats more than me. I can already hear my wallet screaming."
Holding the 70-pound Nergigante cub in his arms, Bai Chen suddenly remembered something—his ability to learn skills.
There were no rarity limits, as long as the skill fit his physiology.
He rushed to his bedroom and grabbed the Bond Stone the system had given him.
In the Monster Hunter world, bond stones were sacred relics of Riders—tools for forming a connection between human and monster.
They were also essential for sharing or copying skills.
Pressing the glowing stone to Nergigante's forehead, a series of notifications appeared.
[New Skills Acquired and Transferable]:
Blood of the Elder Dragon ★7
Hyper Regeneration ★8
Embodiment of Strength ★7 → replaced Strong Digestion ★2
Regrowth Spikes ★7 → replaced Hardened Shell ★2
Opening his skill library, Bai Chen's eyes widened.
He could actually inherit "Blood of the Elder Dragon."
He hadn't expected that. At best, he thought he'd be able to learn Hyper Regeneration or Embodiment of Strength.
Without hesitation, he transferred the three compatible skills into his own body.
[Individual "Bai Chen" has acquired Skill: Blood of the Elder Dragon ★7]
A searing heat surged through his veins.
His blood boiled—literally.
His entire body temperature spiked, and notifications flooded his ears.
[Skill Acquired: Hyper Regeneration ★8]
[Skill Acquired: Embodiment of Strength ★7]
[Skill "Body Reinforcement" detected—merging with new skill.]
[Skill Fusion Complete: Acquired "Titan's Physique" ★7]
[Proficiency carried over: +113 EXP]
The system messages ended.
Bai Chen didn't have time to celebrate—because he was starving.
His stomach twisted violently, demanding food.
"I—I need to eat. Now!"
He gently set Nergigante aside and sprinted to the kitchen, shoving anything remotely edible into his mouth—even seasoning powder.
Still, the hunger only worsened.
Panicking, he grabbed two bottles of Potion, life-saving mixtures rich in nutrients and healing energy.
One gulped down—his hunger dulled slightly.
The second bottle finished it off.
He collapsed against the counter, panting.
"I almost died… from my own skills."
The hatchling nudged his leg with her horned head, worried. Bai Chen smiled and patted her.
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
He checked his reflection.
His eyes widened.
His brown irises had turned gold.
And his physique—defined muscles, sharper lines—looked visibly stronger.
"The effects will probably deepen over the next few days… but for now, I'm still human."
He opened his skill list again.
The descriptions for Hyper Regeneration and Blood of the Elder Dragon were identical to Nergigante's.
But there was one new line that drew his attention:
Titan's Physique (★7) – Beginner (113/700):
The pinnacle of human evolution. A body that rivals giants.
Short but terrifyingly powerful.
Bai Chen grabbed his katana from the rack.
The moment he lifted it, his brows furrowed.
"...Too light?"
This blade weighed ninety pounds—he used to need both hands just to swing it.
Now? It felt like a pair of chopsticks.
"So this is the power of Titan's Physique…"
He tested a few swings, slicing through the air effortlessly.
Curious, he glanced down at his arm.
"If a ★7 skill makes me this strong, what about a ★8 one?"
Grabbing a kitchen knife, he dragged the blade gently across his forearm.
Nothing. Not even a scratch.
He pressed harder—still nothing. The knife skidded off like it had hit armor.
"This level of reinforcement is insane."
He then tried with his iron katana, forged from monster-grade metal.
A faint line appeared, a droplet of blood welling up—only for the skin to seal instantly.
Staring at his arm, Bai Chen decided to test further.
He slashed harder.
This time, the cut was deep enough to need stitches.
He watched closely.
Flesh fibers writhed, closing the wound at visible speed.
Within two minutes, the skin was smooth again.
A system notification chimed:
[Skill "Hyper Regeneration" +1 EXP]
Bai Chen exhaled slowly, eyes wide with disbelief.
He flexed his hand, feeling the raw power coursing through every vein.
"...I've really become something inhuman."