At the moment, Bai Chen didn't possess any lightning-based skills himself—
But he could still grant the Zinogre a few universal ones.
[Individual "Zinogre" has acquired Skill: Power Incarnate (Rarity 7). Skill mutated into Lightning Incarnate.]
[Individual "Zinogre" has acquired Skill: Overlord's Presence (Rarity 6).]
Bai Chen skimmed through the new data.
Lightning Incarnate (Rarity 7):
A new form of Power Incarnate, awakened through contact with the Elder-Dragon-Slayer. Uses electrical current to strengthen the body—physical power scales directly with current intensity.
Bai Chen exhaled, half amused.
"Figures. Another one tied to current output…"
Before letting the Zinogre rest, he had him run a quick test—punches, leaps, movement flow.
Despite having absorbed a portion of Nergigante's essence, his muscle density hadn't skyrocketed as expected.
"Looks like Lightning Incarnate's boost only unlocks when he's in Overcharged State," Bai Chen murmured. "Makes sense. No species can be copied perfectly."
It was still acceptable—conditional, but workable.
Once they finished the trial, the Zinogre simply flopped down where he stood and fell asleep. His body had to adapt to two newly merged skills, after all.
Bai Chen stood, dusting off his coat, then turned to the Master Smith.
"I'll leave Nergigante and Zinogre to you for now. If anyone approaches, recall them into the balls immediately. Don't hesitate."
"Yama," she replied crisply, nodding in understanding.
She'd originally intended to spend her days perfecting new weapon blueprints, but Bai Chen had dragged her into this—"bonding practice with new teammates."
If they were all going to fight on the same front, better to get familiar early.
With the arena's logistics arranged, Bai Chen headed alone toward Astera's Starship.
He needed to browse the four-star missions, looking for ones that might yield usable skills for his Zinogre.
The moment he stepped into the main base, the weight of curious stares fell upon him.
Dozens of hunters paused mid-task, whispering, pointing.
One braver soul jogged up to him.
"Hey, Bai Chen! Did you really finish taming that Zinogre?"
Bai Chen offered him an easy smile.
"Yeah. He's fully tamed."
"You're kidding, right?!"
The hunter's jaw practically hit the floor. To them, monsters were chaos incarnate. The idea that someone could domesticate one—it defied their worldview.
"Not kidding. I'll bring him around sometime soon."
Bai Chen knew the Commander had intentionally spread the story.
It wasn't just gossip—it was strategy. Give the traditional hunters time to digest the idea before they start showing up with a thunder-beast on a leash.
He waved politely and started toward the chain elevator.
"Sorry, I've got something urgent to handle."
He'd already sensed them—
The swarm of scholars was moving to intercept him.
If they caught him now, he'd be trapped for hours explaining the impossible science of capture orbs, resonance stones, and monster gene transference.
"Nope, not today."
He sprinted the last few steps and leapt into the elevator, pulling the chain.
As it rattled upward, he glanced down and spotted the tiny, robed figures of Wyverian scholars scanning the walkways below.
"...Yeah. Trouble incoming."
Sooner or later, they'd want answers—how his gear worked, how his beast's physiology changed, how he'd bridged "magic" and "biology."
All topics that would take days to deflect.
"I'll talk to the Commander later—let him handle the paperwork headaches."
When Bai Chen reached the Starship (Fourth Floor), the air smelled of wine and roast meat.
Evening crowds filled the deck; it was peak hour.
Behind the counter, Ira immediately spotted him. Her eyes brightened, and she hurried out from behind the bar.
"Lord Bai, you've come!"
"Evening," Bai Chen greeted lightly, scanning the bustling hall.
Dozens of hunters were engaged in arm-wrestling matches or trading tall tales. None had noticed him yet—thankfully.
Leaning closer, he said quietly,
"Can we talk somewhere private?"
Ira blinked once, then nodded.
"Of course. Please, follow me to the VIP Room."
She knew perfectly well why he was asking—if the hunters saw him, they'd never let him leave without another barrage of questions.
The VIP Room, formerly the captain's quarters, was rarely used these days. Only for confidential briefings or mission handovers.
"Thank you," Bai Chen said, stepping in after her.
Inside, the room gleamed with luxury—polished oak, cushioned chairs, and flags of all the Expedition Fleets hung proudly along the walls.
First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Fleets.
Only one was missing: the Third Fleet, still stranded on the far side of the Great Ravine.
Two decades ago, they'd converted their seafaring vessel into a dirigible to cross the canyon toward the Coral Highlands.
But mid-flight, they were struck by flying monsters and crashed.
It had taken years, but they'd survived—building their own base across the divide, now in stable contact with Astera.
Ira gestured for him to sit and closed the door.
"Lord Bai, are you here to take a new mission tonight?"
"That's right. I'd like to browse the four-star board, if possible."
"Of course, please wait a moment. I'll bring the mission registry."
She hurried to the bar, leafing through papers with practiced efficiency.
Within minutes, she returned carrying a tray of fruit and drinks—along with a small stack of documents.
She laid them before him.
"These are all the current four-star assignments."
Bai Chen blinked.
"That few?"
He'd expected more. Usually, the jump from three- to four-star brought an explosion of variety.
Ira sighed.
"The Ancient Forest's disturbances have led to many missions being suspended. And lately, hunters have been unusually eager—half of the new postings were claimed the same night they went up."
The corners of Bai Chen's mouth twitched.
"Guess I've been a bad influence."
His arrival had changed the hunters' rhythm; now they were rising at dawn to claim work before anyone else.
He quickly skimmed through the list.
Six total missions.
Five were set in the Wildspire Wastes, and only one was in the Ancient Forest.
The forest one involved capturing a Nargacuga—the others were standard hunts like slaying a Rathian or capturing a Sand Shark variant.
This wasn't the simplified "game version." The real New World was far more diverse—species, mutations, hybrids.
The Sand Morph Shark was one such creature, absent from any record he'd seen before.
Still, he frowned. No lightning-types anywhere.
Ira noticed immediately.
"Is there a particular kind of mission you're looking for, Lord Bai?"
He didn't bother hiding it.
"You know I've been training my Zinogre. I was hoping for something against electric monsters—to let him spar, adapt, learn."
"No luck, it seems."
"Ah, I see."
She thought for a moment, tapping her chin—then her expression brightened.
"If it's training you want, there is one four-star mission that might fit. It's technically a research assignment, not a hunt."
Bai Chen raised a brow.
"Go on—tell me in detail."
Ira smiled faintly.
"It's a field investigation on the Thunder Jaw Wyvern—an electric subspecies of the Great Jaw Wyvern. The scholars call it Rey-Dau."
"A thunder-type variant of Balahara, huh?"
Bai Chen's lips curved upward.
Now that sounded promising.
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