It had only ever happened five times.
The system — that strange, silent presence that guided Bai Chen's path — had issued missions only five times since he came to this world.
The first was when he hunted his very first monster — the Great Jagras.
That hunt had rewarded him with a white egg and a Bond Stone, and from that egg had hatched his partner, the Nergigante.
The second mission came when he hunted the Foongus Pig.
That one had given no grand artifact, only fifty experience points.
The third — the Kulu-Ya Ku.
A hundred points. Nothing special.
The fourth, against the Giant Hornet.
Sixty points.
And then there was now —
the fifth.
The first time, he wasn't hunting — but capturing.
And like the first hunt, the reward wasn't mere experience.
"A Living Forge, huh?"
He stared at the glowing prompt in his vision, smiling faintly.
"First time hunting, I got the Nergigante. First time capturing a Pokémon — this.
The system never gives something small for a 'first'."
He was starting to see the pattern.
Sparring, casual fights — those didn't trigger anything.
But a capture, or a true hunt… that was when the system awoke.
"Alright." He drew a slow breath, a hunter's calm before the strike.
"Tonight, both the Living Forge and that Tinkatuff are mine."
He motioned for Nergigante to pull Lillie and Mallow back to safety.
He'd handle this one alone.
In front of him, the Tinkatuff stood with her hammer slung across her shoulder, and in her other hand — his blade, the Nergigante Katana.
Her eyes burned with defiance.
"So," Bai Chen said with a faint smile, "you're angry I'm taking it back?
Funny — you're the one who stole it in the first place."
He exhaled once, shifted his footing.
"Never mind. I'll teach you what 'ownership' means after I've caught you."
"Move — Quick Strike!"
Light exploded beneath his feet.
Bai Chen blurred forward, a white streak cutting through the forge's haze.
The Tinkatuff didn't flinch — she'd already predicted his approach. The hammer came down like a comet, aimed square at his face.
"Guard!"
His aura surged, energy hardening across his arms as he caught the blow head-on. Sparks burst outward.
He twisted his weight, using the momentum to hook his arm around her neck —
"Grapple Art — Titan Arm!"
The maneuver flipped her clean over, slamming her against the floor.
He wrenched the katana from her grip, reclaiming it at last.
"Mr. Bai, careful! Fairy Wind incoming!" Lillie shouted.
A shimmer of pink light bloomed around the Tinkatuff.
But Bai Chen's eyes were already glowing faintly — Crisis Sense, active and sharp.
Every motion of her hammer, every twitch of muscle, he saw before it happened.
"Hunter Art — See Through Slash!"
He slid backward just in time, the Fairy Wind tearing through where he'd stood.
Then — a step forward, blade flashing —
"Step Slash!"
Two motions blended into one.
The katana drew twin arcs of cold steel that carved an X in the air.
"Ya-maaaa!!"
The Tinkatuff's enraged cry shook the forge.
Electric energy coiled in her palms — Thunder Wave!
But Bai Chen had already moved. He'd been shocked once before. He wouldn't let it happen again.
"Quick Strike — chain combo!"
The air erupted in white bursts —
Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! Zzt!
Five strikes.
Five gleaming flashes.
To the eye, it looked like a single explosion of light, but within it, Bai Chen had already struck five times from five angles.
The Tinkatuff staggered back, unable to even form a counterattack.
His aura surged — silver-white flame rising along the blade.
He'd completed the first stage of Edge Unseal, his energy fusing with the weapon.
The katana gleamed like liquid moonlight.
He caught her opening — and leapt.
"Secret Art — Ascending Dragon!
Spirit Blade — Arc Cleave!"
He dove, blade falling from the heavens.
The katana cleaved through the air —
Shrrrkkk!
The spirit energy inside him detonated, bursting through the strike in a seven-hit flurry.
"Fumaaa—!!"
The Tinkatuff cried out, the pink light around her flickering violently.
Her legs buckled. She dropped to one knee, using her hammer for balance.
She was strong — stronger than most wild Pokémon — but she was still outmatched.
Her level was higher, yes, but her species strength was no match for Bai Chen's Nergigante-augmented power.
"Now, Mr. Bai!" Lillie's voice cut through the ringing air.
He reached into his belt, pulling out a red-and-white Poké Ball.
"Alright then… let's end this."
He threw — and instantly regretted his aim.
The ball smashed into her face with a solid crack.
"..."
Even Mallow winced.
The Tinkatuff wobbled once, stars circling her head — and then, with a soft chime, red light pulled her inside.
The ball landed.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Click.
A small shower of golden sparks burst out.
Lillie and Mallow both cheered aloud.
Bai Chen exhaled — half laugh, half disbelief.
Then, as always, the voice came into his mind.
[Hunting Quest Complete — Captured 'Tinkatuff'.]
[Reward Delivered to Storage.]
He opened the system interface, and the image of a molten anvil appeared — glowing like magma.
[Item: Living Forge]
Rarity: ???
Element: Fire
Core Flame: None
Weight: ??? kg
Evaluation:
A legendary forge once used by a divine craftsman. Said to possess life, this forge can breathe new existence into materials. It grows with its owner, its quality rising alongside the purity of its Fire Soul.
"A divine forge, huh…"
He couldn't help but grin.
The first egg had given him a dragon with godlike potential.
And now, a living forge — capable of creation itself.
"The system sure knows how to pick its moments.
Worthless trinkets most of the time… but when it matters, it goes all in."
This — this was perfect.
If Tinkatuff could master the Living Forge, she could surpass every blacksmith in the world.
"Fire Soul, though…" Bai Chen murmured.
"Never heard of that before."
Another mystery to uncover — later.
For now, he stooped to pick up the Poké Ball.
"Congratulations, Mr. Bai," Lillie said warmly. "You've got a new partner."
"Thanks." He nodded, tucking the ball away. "Let's move. We've made enough noise down here — the tunnel might collapse."
They climbed back through the maze, sealing the entrance behind them with the metal plate and the fake shrub.
"Well," Bai Chen said with a faint smirk, "since I'm her trainer now…
This whole base technically belongs to me, doesn't it?
Might as well turn it into a private workshop later."
Lillie and Mallow exchanged a look — half exasperated, half amused.
On their way back to the farmer's house, Bai Chen experimented with the system again.
He triggered another Hunting Quest.
This time, the victory condition was the same — capture or hunt — but the reward was different.
Instead of unique items, it now offered freely allocable experience points.
He tested it on a wild Grimer.
200 EXP.
"So the system thinks Grimer's barely stronger than that petty thief, Kulu-Ya Ku.…" he muttered.
Still, he didn't waste any more Poké Balls.
Catching Pokémon was easy — feeding them, maintaining them, that was another story.
Every partner meant responsibility, upkeep, and expense.
"Better to catch smart, not fast."
He smiled faintly, feeling the weight of the new Poké Ball at his belt — and the quiet pulse of the Living Forge glowing in his inventory.
The day's hunt was done.
And his team… had finally grown.
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