Night had fallen over the Ancient Forest.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Somewhere in the dark canopy, a crimson silhouette moved — an Elder Dragon, stalking its prey.
Every cry that pierced the night came from another fallen beast. The forest was drenched in a single symphony — fear.
Every monster trembled beneath that oppressive aura of life and death.
Yet, there was one creature who dared to answer it head-on.
"Technique — Guard!"
Bai Chen braced himself, the black edge of his blade glinting red in the dragonfire's glow.
The Anjanath roared, throat sacs flaring as molten heat spilled from its jaws.
The ground split, ash and leaves curling in the firestorm — but Bai Chen held firm.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a convoy of Felyne transport carts rattling away with their captured cargo.
"Finally… they're clear."
As soon as the last cart disappeared into the forest mist, a blur of black spikes burst from Bai Chen's pack.
The miniature Nergigante — his partner — expanded midair, scales glimmering, body stretching to over sixteen meters in length.
She met the Anjanath's glare head-on and slammed a clawed palm forward.
BOOM! — the Extinction Strike hit square in the face.
The Anjanath stumbled but retaliated instantly, shoving her aside and spewing another torrent of flame.
Just as the inferno reached her, she shrank, vanishing into the smoke, darting onto Bai Chen's shoulder like a shadow.
"Tch. Persistent brute."
With a quick motion, Bai Chen leapt into the trees, retreating into the dark.
Behind them, the enraged roars of the Anjanath faded into the forest's depths.
Only when its scent disappeared from the air did Bai Chen finally stop.
He exhaled.
"Haaah… didn't expect to run into that big guy."
Anjanath — Danger Level 5.
A monster boasting several Master-level skills, vastly stronger than typical large monsters.
Even if its race couldn't compare to an Elder Dragon, this one's sheer level — 42 — put it far beyond both Bai Chen and Nergigante.
"This isn't the Pokémon world," Bai Chen muttered.
"No mercy matches. Here, it's kill or be killed. Level gaps matter."
He reached up, scratching his dragon companion's scaled chin.
"Alright, partner. Let's rest and eat. We'll hunt again once the Felyne carts are free."
"Rrrr!"
They found a massive tree — its trunk thick enough for five men to encircle — and climbed to a sturdy branch.
Bai Chen pulled out the ration pack from his bag. It was enough to feed one normal hunter for a month. For him and Nergigante? Barely a meal.
They ate in silence under the moon's glow.
It had been about five hours since Bai Chen had left the base.
In that time, he'd captured two Kulu-Ya-Ku and four Great Jagras.
At first, the Felyne transport teams were remarkably quick — three minutes to arrive, two to load, five total per quest.
But after the fourth capture, their response slowed.
The next monster took twenty minutes.
Then thirty.
Then, for the sixth… an hour.
That's when the Anjanath arrived — drawn by all the commotion.
"Guess I overworked the cats…"
Even for the Guild, six captured large monsters in one night was unheard of in all forty years of the New World's expedition history.
"Still got two Kulus and two Jagras left. We'll wait for the carts, finish those after dawn. For now—"
He rose to his feet, brushing dust from his armor.
"Let's clear out the small monsters."
Unlike large monsters, small ones didn't need to be hauled back.
All Bai Chen had to do was bring back their materials — simple, efficient, profitable.
Nergigante let out a soft trill of agreement, and the pair vanished back into the forest once more.
Meanwhile, back at Astera, three Felyne carts creaked through the western gate, each dragging enormous, vine-bound beasts.
The silver-haired receptionist — the same one who had processed Bai Chen's absurd number of quests — stood waiting, clipboard in hand.
Her tired eyes widened as she counted the hauls.
"Wait… all these… from the same hunter?"
Her head started to spin.
"There's no way. No one can capture six large monsters in five hours…"
A Felyne tugged on her sleeve, presenting the mission slip.
"Delivery for code 20132, nya~!"
She took the form with trembling hands.
"Confirmed… completion verified. Here's your receipt."
"Thank you, nya~!"
Just as she handed over the receipt, a new green flare lit up the night sky.
Her face paled instantly.
The Felynes exchanged alarmed glances.
"That's another capture signal, nya! We'd better go!"
They loaded back onto their carts and vanished into the darkness.
The receptionist barely had time to record the last entry before another Felyne squad arrived — dragging a flailing Kulu-Ya-Ku.
"Delivery for code 20144, nya! Please hurry!"
Now she could hear the tremor in their voices — the exhaustion, the disbelief.
She quickened her own pace, stamping feet as fast as her hands could move.
Somehow, the victory flares she had once found beautiful now filled her with dread.
"Please… just stop coming," she whispered.
"Just one hour. No more green lights."
But the sky kept lighting up, again and again — green stars burning above the forest.
That night, nobody at the base slept well.
By dawn, around five in the morning, the receptionist was still on her feet.
Ten completed capture reports were stacked neatly before her.
Her hands trembled as she signed the last one.
And then… she saw him.
A figure in azure armor, stepping through the western gate.
Each heavy footstep felt like a hammer striking her skull.
"No way… he didn't— he couldn't have finished the small monster quests too… right?"
Her throat was dry. She hadn't drunk water all night.
Bai Chen approached with a relaxed gait, the rising sun glinting off his pauldrons.
He removed his helmet with an easy smile.
"Morning! You look tired."
He had no idea the woman before him had been awake all night signing off his mountain of completed quests.
"Y-You're… back?" she managed, forcing a smile that trembled at the edges.
"Yeah. Sorry to trouble you, but could you help me sort through these materials?"
He swung his backpack off his shoulder and set it on the counter.
Gone were the rations and potions — every inch of space was filled with monster parts, bones, hides, claws, scales.
The receptionist looked down, her vision blurring. Her knees buckled.
She collapsed onto the floor with a hollow laugh.
"Heh… heheheh…"
The laugh of someone whose sanity had long since snapped.
"Twelve hours… eighteen quests… Can a person please not be this ridiculous!?"
Her cry echoed through the Gathering Hub — a lament of paperwork and disbelief —
While Bai Chen just blinked, scratching his head.
"Huh? Did I do something wrong?"
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
60+ advanced chapters available.
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 40 Power Stones.
Bonus chapter for every 10 reviews/comments