Click.
Bai Chen set his backpack down behind him and stepped forward alone.
Facing a Dominant Pokémon was his fight and his fight alone.
If he needed Nergigante's help here, he might as well surrender the Island Challenge altogether.
He advanced three, four paces into the darkened cave.
From the shadows, two figures darted into view—a small Yungoos and a larger Gumshoos.
Bai Chen quickly scanned their energy.
Level 24, Level 26.
Ordinary wild Pokémon. Weak, by his current standards.
He reached over his shoulder, hand closing around the Nergigante Longsword.
"I'm not in the mood to waste time."
Shing—!
The blade hissed free.
A sharp gust roared through the cavern.
Lillie's hair whipped around her face; she squinted against the wind.
When she opened her eyes again, her breath caught—
The two Pokémon were trembling, backing away, their fur standing on end in primal terror.
"M-Mr. Hala… what just happened?" Lillie stammered. "Why are they so scared?"
Hala frowned deeply, eyes reflecting both confusion and awe.
"I can't say for sure… but the moment he drew that blade, I felt it—a surge of killing intent, sharp and overwhelming. Even the Yungoos deeper in the cave began to panic."
Lillie blinked, still lost.
Meanwhile, Bai Chen called out into the depths.
"Your scouts are too weak. Let's skip the warm-up and go straight to the real fight."
At Level 31, low-tier enemies barely offered him any experience now.
No point dragging this out.
From the darkness came a streak of movement—
a shadow shot forward, and before Bai Chen could blink, a flying kick slammed into his chestplate.
He crossed his arms to block, sliding half a meter backward from the impact.
Eight hundred kilograms of armored mass—
pushed back.
The thing had power.
Bai Chen steadied himself and looked up.
It was another Gumshoos, but its body was twice the normal size, glowing faintly red all over.
"So this is… a Dominant Pokémon."
Information flickered into his sight—
And there, amidst its stats, one skill stood out:
[Dominant Aura] (Rarity: 6)
Wreathed in a crimson field of energy, its wielder's size and stats increase according to its vitality. Slightly boosts all attributes and may inflict "Intimidation," causing opponents to hesitate or weaken their attacks.
(Note: Skill proficiency can only increase by defeating opponents.)
Bai Chen read it once, expression flat.
"That's it?"
For something labeled Rarity 6, the effect was underwhelming.
A minor stat boost, a tiny chance of intimidation—barely worth noting.
In truth, it was roughly one-fifth as effective as a proper Bulk Up technique.
To illustrate:
An entry-level Bulk Up raised Strength and Defense by 50%—if you could lift a ton, you could now lift one and a half.
This aura? A mere ten percent—an extra hundred kilos at best.
Still, one detail caught his attention.
"Size scaling… now that's interesting."
In the Monster Hunter world, size directly equaled strength.
The bigger the beast, the more destructive the force.
He smirked.
"Then I'll be taking that skill for myself."
Hala stepped forward, raising his arm.
"Island Challenge Trial—Dominant Gumshoos versus challenger Bai Chen! Battle… begin!"
"Move—Quick Attack!"
Bai Chen blurred into motion.
He drew the Cursed-Flame Blade; sparks flared green as the blade left its sheath.
"Let's end this quickly."
He darted forward, thrusting.
Crash!
The Gumshoos kicked up dust, back paws raking the ground in a Sand Attack that filled the air with grit.
Particles seeped through the seams of Bai Chen's helmet, stinging his eyes.
His blade pierced only air.
Crunch!
The beast lunged, jaws clamping onto his armored arm.
Even the heavy fire-tempered plating dented under the bite, metal warping with a sharp groan.
Bai Chen slashed sideways, forcing it back, then tore off his helmet, shaking out the dust.
He glanced at the dented gauntlet.
"So that's a Level 36 Dominant Pokémon…"
Level 36.
One Master-level skill.
Four Expert-level skills.
And a host of Proficient techniques besides.
That bite had been Master rank—no wonder.
"Without armor, that would've taken a chunk of my arm."
He dropped his stance, knees bending, eyes sliding closed.
"What's he doing?" Hala murmured. "Closing his eyes—mid-battle?"
He didn't know—sight was Bai Chen's weakest sense.
Instead, he inhaled deeply.
The air filled with scents—stone, sand, blood, fur.
He found the target instantly.
"Skill—Agility."
His body lightened, movements turning fluid as water.
"Skill—Bulk Up."
Muscles contracted like coiled steel; Strength and Defense surged seventy percent.
Hala's pupils shrank.
"Those are Pokémon moves…? Impossible…"
And yet, Bai Chen wasn't done.
He drew a breath.
"Skill—Focus Energy."
Aura poured from every pore of his skin, threads of life force weaving outward, locking onto the enemy's heartbeat.
The Dominant Aura pulsed red, distorting Bai Chen's aim, but his senses refused to falter.
The Gumshoos lunged again—fangs flashing.
The danger flashed in Bai Chen's mind like lightning.
He twisted aside, sliding on one heel as the attack grazed past.
Miss.
It lunged again, faster, enraged—
But even blindfolded, Bai Chen flowed between strikes, the armored knight moving like a phantom in the dust.
Man and beast—attack and evasion—clashed in perfect rhythm.
Sweat rolled down Hala's temple.
"Unbelievable… He's reading every attack without sight… And moving like that under nearly a ton of armor?"
His voice trembled, not in fear, but awe.
"This challenger… is unlike any we've ever seen."
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