Returning to Astera, Bai Chen was immediately swallowed by a wave of noise and admiration.
Four days.
Forty-four completed quests.
It was an achievement so absurd it bordered on legend—something even the most veteran hunters whispered about in disbelief.
Everywhere he walked, olive branches were thrown his way.
"Bai Chen, join our hunting squad!"
"Are you forming your own team? We'd like to be your members!"
Even the Fifth Fleet hunters, upon seeing him return, sprinted straight to the Gathering Hub to snatch as many four-star quests as possible.
Because if Bai Chen could finish twenty-six three-star hunts in such a short span…
Then he could absolutely clear every four-star quest on the board.
And if—just if—he decided to take them all?
Then no one else would have a single job left.
No one dared to gamble on that risk.
Bai Chen, however, refused every invitation with his usual calm smile.
He wasn't planning to take new quests for a couple of days.
And if he did, they'd be focused on the Wildspire Waste.
The Ancient Forest was growing stranger by the day—its inner depths crawling with beasts that should have stayed buried in legend.
After pushing through the crowd, Bai Chen finally reached the Starship to turn in his reports.
Ira was already there, waiting.
Her arms trembled slightly under the weight of a massive pouch of coins.
"Welcome back, Lord Bai Chen," she greeted, holding out the bag with both hands.
"This is your accumulated quest and material earnings — a total of 265,124 gold. Please confirm."
The sheer weight made her stagger, but Bai Chen lifted it one-handed, effortless as always.
"Did you deduct what I owed you?"
"Of course," Ilah said proudly, patting her chest.
"Good."
He reached into the bag and tossed her a handful of coins.
"Here—consider it a tip. And could you help me register this last quest?"
It was a casual gesture, but the amount—over a hundred gold—made Ira blink.
Hunters are usually tipped with pocket change.
After a hesitant pause, she accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you,"
"No need for thanks," Bai Chen replied lightly.
"You lent me a great deal when I was broke. Call it interest."
Ira smiled faintly and quickly filed his reports.
"Your remaining payments and sales income will be finalized tomorrow morning."
"Got it."
Then she opened the thick four-star registry book and placed it before him.
"All currently available four-star missions are here, sir. You're qualified to take any of them."
To her surprise, Bai Chen gently pushed the book back.
"I've been hunting four days straight. I'll rest tonight. I'll take new ones tomorrow."
Ira froze, then remembered—forty-four quests in four days.
Did he even sleep?
She closed the book with a small laugh.
"Understood. You've earned it. Please, rest well."
She offered him a vial of Recovery Medicine.
"This one's good for fatigue. You should try it."
Bai Chen chuckled.
"Didn't I recommend that one to you?"
He waved her off kindly and turned to leave for the Workshop.
"Wait—!"
Iraa's voice stopped him halfway to the elevator.
She hesitated, then blurted out nervously:
"My lord, do you… have any plans to hire a Handler? I'm certified."
" Handler, huh…"
Bai Chen paused, thinking.
A Handler could handle his paperwork, smooth out guild processes—but they'd also restrict his freedom.
And Nergigante… couldn't just appear in front of anyone.
He smiled wryly.
"Sorry. The reason I never hired a Handler before is simple—someone I like wouldn't approve."
"And you're beautiful, Miss Ira. I'd rather not make her jealous."
He gave her a polite nod.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Then he stepped into the chain lift and disappeared toward the second level.
Ira stood frozen for a long moment.
Then, forcing a deep breath, she blinked back the tears gathering in her eyes.
Her smile was bright—but brittle.
"He really… noticed."
Whether she cried later under her blanket, no one would ever know.
The Workshop greeted Bai Chen with a wave of heat.
Metal clanged, flames roared, and over it all, a familiar voice rang out:
"Yama! Yama!"
The Smith Fairy was shouting at the top of her lungs.
When Bai Chen stepped in, he stopped dead—
She was commanding the entire forge.
And somehow, the smiths actually understood her!
They moved like a coordinated unit, fetching materials and tools at her call.
Across the room, the Second Fleet Master noticed Bai Chen and waved.
"Hey! Over here!"
Bai Chen approached, still watching the scene in disbelief.
"Captain, what's going on? Since when is she leading the forge?"
The old man grinned, then asked with sudden seriousness:
"Would you let me have her?"
Bai Chen didn't even blink.
"Not a chance."
"Heh. Worth a try," the captain sighed.
"That's a real shame."
And it wasn't an act—there was genuine regret in his voice.
The kind of tone you heard when a master craftsman lost his favorite hammer.
"What happened exactly?" Bai Chen asked.
"Oh, nothing much," the captain said dryly. "Your little friend's a genius, that's all."
Bai Chen opened her status window and blinked.
Her Forging Skill had risen from Rarity 3 to Rarity 5.
The leap had temporarily dropped her proficiency from Master to Expert,
But judging by her pace, she'd reclaim it in less than a month.
"Did she… do something remarkable?"
"Remarkable?" The captain chuckled. "She mastered every weapon type in two days, learned to embed gem slots, and awakened a new flame. That's all."
Bai Chen scrolled through her Flame Souls, and there it was—
replacing the old Night-Salamander Flame.
Anjanath Flame Soul (Rarity 5):
Weapons forged with this flame gain the Ragefire effect —
a short burst of boosted strength, igniting the weapon with searing flame.
"Impressive," Bai Chen murmured.
"She must've copied it from another hunter's Anjanath materials."
Since she could duplicate elemental essences, that made sense.
Seeing her still busy, Bai Chen passed his heavy backpack to the captain.
"Captain, please give this to her when she's free."
The old man peeked inside, seeing heaps of ores and monster parts.
"Leave it to me."
As Bai Chen walked away, the captain watched him go, his expression softening.
"A genius hunter… and a genius smith."
"Let's see what happens when those two start shaping the future."
Even buried in the heat of the forge,
the Second Fleet Master couldn't help but smile—
because even there, Bai Chen's legend had already spread.
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