BAMN: Chapter 48/50

Chapter 48: A Backhand Slap

"Squeak squeak squeak~"

However, the ice crystal centipede clearly ignored the four, immediately lunging forward and opening its gaping maw to devour them.

This guy, there's no way to communicate with it.

"Bang!!"

So, as if by instinct, Shion slapped the centipede's head, which was close at hand.

The terrifying force, even though it had been restrained and controlled in advance, still produced an earth-shattering sonic boom.

"Boom!!"

The ice crystal centipede's body was entirely sent flying into the distance, without a moment's delay, crashing into a glacier on one side and being completely buried.

"…"

Shion's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with panic. "Th-that, that, Rin-sama, I, I, I already controlled my strength a lot!!"

"Sigh~"

Looking at Shion, who looked like she was about to cry, Rin sighed helplessly. "It's not your fault, Shion."

Shion did control her strength.

Otherwise, that one slap just now would probably have sent this centipede directly into outer space.

"Then?"

"I'm sighing because the natives of this world are just too unfriendly."

The moment Rin's words fell, more and more monsters surged towards them.

"Tsk!"

This time, even the usually good-tempered Shuna showed impatience. "Let me deal with all of them."

"Forget it."

After all, they were the ones who had caused the commotion first, and Rin didn't want to cause too much slaughter in this world.

"Let's change places first."

Rin raised his hand and forcibly tore open the space-time of this world.

"Ponooo!"

Seeing this, Ogerpon quickly hopped up. "The vanguard general is Ogerpon!"

"Let's go."

Rin and the two women entered the spatial passage one after another.

After they left, a large number of strangely shaped magic beasts appeared nearby.

However, facing the empty, desolate, and ruined ice field, they didn't know what to do.

After wandering for a while, the magic beasts, having found no target, slowly dispersed.

"Shuna, sense the surroundings."

Stepping out of the spatial passage, Rin and the three women appeared in another area of the ice field.

This was hundreds of kilometers away from their initial crossing point.

"Yes!"

Shuna's evolution direction was magic specialization, and she was also the one with the widest and strongest perception range among the four.

"Clap!"

The pink-haired girl clasped her hands together, and an invisible magicule wave spread out in all directions from their center.

"This is a vast, ice-bound snowfield. The further north you go, the colder it gets, while the south is very warm."

"Many strange magic beasts live around here," Shuna said, closing her eyes and relaying the information she perceived to Rin. "The aura of these magic beasts isn't very strong, the weakest are only F-class, and the strongest don't exceed D-class."

"Shion, go catch a few magic beasts and bring them back. Remember, they must be captured alive."

Rin instructed, "Also, be careful to control your strength. One-thousandth might not be enough, so make it one ten-thousandth!"

He wasn't at all worried that any existence in this world could pose a threat to Shion.

If a strong enemy were to appear, Rin and the others could reach Shion's side in the blink of an eye given their speed.

"Leave it to me."

Shion's magicule perception wasn't as strong as Shuna's, but it wasn't weak either.

Ignoring the wind and snow that obscured her vision, Shion quickly locked onto the closest magic beast.

They were a group of peculiar creatures resembling cattle, covered in thick fur. Seeing Shion suddenly appear, the yak-like magic beasts were greatly startled and fled in a mighty rush towards the distance.

There was no other way, the aura emanating from Shion was simply too terrifying.

No matter how much she restrained herself, the oppressive feeling of a High Demon Person caused immense deterrence to these yak magic beasts.

"You're the one!"

Shion casually picked a yak magic beast. She didn't use her specially crafted great tachi but instead formed a 'hand blade' with her fingers.

"Swish"

The girl's figure vanished from her original spot.

When she reappeared, she was already in front of a yak.

"Boom!!"

A fair and delicate palm descended from above, carrying an unstoppable might, stopping just above the yak's head.

The next moment, the wind pressure generated by the hand blade transformed into an invisible giant hammer, striking the yak's head fiercely, instantly knocking it unconscious.

Along with it, there was a giant pit, tens of meters deep, beneath the yak.

"Ah, not good, I still used too much force!"

Shion anxiously stepped forward. "Good, good, it's still alive, phew, you scared me, I thought I had directly killed it."

Normally, after enduring such a terrifying blow, one that even shattered the earth, the yak should have already turned into a lump of meat paste.

However, Shion had applied the combat techniques from Rin's close-combat profession in her attack.

Like striking a cow through a mountain, most of the force actually didn't act directly on the yak.

Of course, this was still the result of Shion holding back her strength.

If she were to truly unleash herself, this single hand-blade strike would likely cause nuclear-explosion-like destruction to the ice field for tens of kilometers around.

"Rin-sama, do you think this one is acceptable?"

Shion, carrying the yak magic beast, crossed space and appeared before Rin and Shuna.

"Hmm, let me see."

Rin carefully examined the ice-blue yak Shion brought back. "A strange creature. It contains an energy similar to magicules, but with a very low concentration."

If using the number of spirit particles as an analogy, the magicules of the Cardinal World contain over 5 million spirit particles per point.

However, the energy within this magic beast only has about 100 per unit, a difference of almost fifty thousand times.

"In such a weak world, will there truly be the power you need, Rin-sama?"

Shion couldn't understand. In her opinion, there was nothing here that could make Rin-sama stronger, so there was no need to continue wasting time.

"Don't be too anxious, Shion."

Shuna said, "Rin-sama needs new ideas, it has nothing to do with the strength of power."

"From what we heard from Rin-sama, the Pokémon World is also not strong in those standards."

"But Ogerpon is now stronger than us."

Shuna continued, "Although the individuals in this world are weak, we cannot guarantee that there are no strong ones here."

"Shuna is right," Rin praised. "The power system of the weak may not be without its merits."

"Although the monsters of the Cardinal World are strong, their starting point is too high, making it difficult for us to perfectly control our own power."

Being weak has its advantages, which is that these worlds have a high probability of giving birth to some technologies unimaginable to the monsters of the Cardinal World.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 49: Successful Stowaway

"I understand."

Shion nodded obediently. She looked at the yak on the ground. "Do you need me to wake it up for you?"

"Wake it up."

"Yes!"

Shion controlled her aura, condensing it into a single point, then suddenly enveloped the yak with it.

"Moo!!!"

The sudden impact instantly jolted the unconscious yak awake.

The creature quickly got up, about to flee, but upon seeing Shion and Rin, it froze on the spot, looking utterly terrified.

"Oh?"

"So it's not a wild beast, but an intelligent creature capable of communication?"

Rin tried to communicate with the yak, but the result was not satisfactory. "It has intelligence, but not much."

The yak was not an uncommunicative monster, but a normal creature with a mind.

This was fundamentally different from the magic beasts in the Great Jura Forest.

Magic beasts only have survival instincts and do not develop sentience.

They are born from magicule contamination, not natural gestation; even if all of them are killed, new individuals will be born in the forest after a period of time.

[Rule parsing complete]

[Traveler (Anomaly) has corrected this world]

[Connection successful, individual 'Itoshi Rin' expressiveness balanced]

[Individuals 'Shuna' 'Shion' 'Ogerpon' begin correction...]

[Correction successful, expressiveness balance complete]

"Finally, the analysis is complete."

"Huh?"

"Rin-sama, why has my power suddenly become so much weaker?"

"Me too."

The three women noticed the changes in themselves.

"Don't worry, this is the world's rules limiting us."

Rin explained the settings of the Traveler and the balancing force to Shuna and Shion.

Ogerpon, having crossed worlds before, was quite calm. "As long as you don't use power exceeding the expressiveness, nothing will happen."

"What happens if we exceed it?"

Shion felt a bit uncomfortable. "I feel like my power hasn't been sealed; I can still use it."

"Don't!"

Ogerpon quickly warned, "If you use power beyond the specifications, Shion, you will be forcibly expelled."

"Expelled?"

"It means returning to the Cardinal World."

Ogerpon carefully explained the current situation to them. "We are one. If you get expelled, we will all be expelled, and it will be very difficult to return to this world again."

"Huh?"

"Is that... is that how it is?"

At this, Shion dared not make any big moves anymore.

Even when speaking, she became cautious.

"Haha, it's not that exaggerated."

Rin added, "Ogerpon is indeed correct, but this time, the four of us are not bound together."

"Even if someone is truly sent back, it's limited to one person; it won't be a collective punishment."

"Is that so?"

Ogerpon looked at Rin in confusion, not quite understanding the difference.

"Let me explain to you."

Rin gently stroked Ogerpon's head and continued, "My Traveler ability can open doors to different worlds."

"After the door opens, we will cross over, and the Voice of the World will arrange corresponding identities for us."

"Simply put, there are three ways to cross over like this."

Rin had now opened three doors to different worlds.

In the Pokémon World, Rin had also received similar prompts, but at that time, the Voice of the World's reply was [The Supreme Will of the current universe has tacitly approved].

According to Rin's understanding of the Pokémon World, the Supreme Will there, if no accident, should refer to the true body of the Creator God Arceus—the Great God of Sinnoh.

The Pokémon World has countless parallel universes, and Rin only entered one of them.

Given the magnitude of the Great God of Sinnoh, as long as Rin wasn't planning to destroy the world and merely acted as an ordinary trainer, he wouldn't care.

"Then isn't that very dangerous?!"

Supreme Will, Creator God—Shion and Shuna didn't quite understand these terms, but they knew from the sound of them that they were powerful and not to be provoked.

"Don't worry, the Voice of the World isn't stupid."

If it truly encountered such a dangerous world, the Voice of the World would have already failed during the negotiation phase and naturally wouldn't be able to open the door for Rin.

In other words, the Voice of the World would first sign an agreement with the Supreme Will of the other world, an agreement that both parties must abide by.

Then, while ensuring Rin's safety and freedom, it would connect the two worlds.

The first type of world is managed, and Rin couldn't bring any extra beings besides Ogerpon, who was an original inhabitant of that world.

Moreover, Rin entered the Pokémon World directly with his true body.

Besides Rin, only Ogerpon, the native, could go there.

So, except for the very first time, Rin usually chose the Konosuba World when stocking up on supplies.

There was nothing he could do; having a Creator God watching him was simply too terrifying.

"The second type is like Aqua, intervening in a way that conforms to the rules of that world."

Rin said, "For example, if I became a reincarnator under Aqua's charge, in the perception of the World Will, I would be part of the rules, which is reasonable."

"That is why Ogerpon said she made a mistake, and I would be expelled along with her."

"Because with the second method of Crossing, only I was truly recognized by the world, while Ogerpon descended as my summoned beast."

If Ogerpon broke the rules, and she was a part of Rin's power, then he would naturally be implicated.

"But this world is different!"

Rin added, "This world has no so-called Supreme Will!"

"Rules also exist here, but the ones managing the rules are not powerful gods, but something similar to a program."

"So, not only me, but the three of you now also have independent identities."

The subordinate relationship still existed, but they now had three ID cards, allowing them to move freely like Rin.

"The only thing to note is that your powers have also been balanced."

The balance here refers to expressive power.

An A-rank in the Cardinal World could cut off rivers, shatter the earth, and unleash a blow comparable to a nuclear bomb.

Now, the three of them in this world have also been reduced to this level.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 50: 1200 Years Old?

"Let's see if the ice is as hard as it is in our world."

Rin picked up a piece of ice rock from the ground again. The original fragility had disappeared, and when he squeezed it, it felt exactly the same as in the Cardinal World.

"It really is!"

"Tsk, to actually become weaker, the rules of this world are truly unpleasant.~"

Unlike Shuna's cheerfulness, Shion crossed her arms, quite displeased with the rule restrictions.

It wasn't that she herself felt uncomfortable.

Rather, she was extremely angry that her master had been put in a restraint.

If possible, Shion even wanted to conquer this world. "By the way, what would happen if Rin-sama became the ruler of this world?"

"Well…"

"If I become the ruler of the new world, the Cardinal World will benefit and become even larger."

"So, it's a win-win."

The Cardinal World benefited, and Rin could become even stronger.

"Alright, let's first look at the specific information of this Beast."

As Rin spoke, he cast an Appraisal on the yak.

---

[Icefield Yak]

[Species: Otherworldly Soul Beast]

[Lifespan: 1208 years]

[Rank: F-rank]

[Expressive Power: D-rank]

[Innate Abilities: Cold Resistance, Ice Consumption, Ice Element Manipulation, Brute Strength]

---

"What the heck?"

"This cow is over 1200 years old?!"

"Is this freaking 1200 years old?"

The Appraisal skill was not omniscient.

The Dragon Eye was the same in this regard.

Its Appraisal results were based on Rin's understanding of the world.

Of course, basic energy levels and the specific special abilities an opponent possessed could be directly seen through Appraisal.

However, upon seeing the yak's age of over 1200 years, even Rin couldn't help but exclaim.

"Are you kidding me? A beast that can live for 1200 years, but its battle power is only D-?"

This was still D-rank in the current world.

F-rank magicules, D-rank expressive power.

The F-rank here refers to how this Soul Beast would be rated if placed in the Cardinal World.

How to put it?

It's like a Goblin in the forest, not even as strong as a child in the Cardinal World.

As for D-rank, it's roughly equivalent to a fully armed team of adventurers.

"Unbelievable!"

Shuna and the others also possessed Appraisal abilities, so they all checked the yak's attributes.

Soon, the three women were also startled by the yak's lifespan.

Having lived for 1200 years, even a pig should have become a spirit, right?

But why?

Why was this cow so weak?!

"This is unreasonable, too unreasonable!"

Rin murmured, "No matter in which world, lifespan is related to the level of life. The higher the life level, the longer the lifespan."

But this Soul Beast was completely contrary to this theory.

"Moreover, 1200 years is not its lifespan limit."

Imagine a Soul Beast with an almost infinite lifespan.

Why?

Why can it live forever?

Its very existence was so unreasonable.

"Wait a minute, Shion, did you just say there are many more of these cows?"

"Yes, very many, several hundred. Do you need me to go catch them all?"

"Take me to see."

Following Shion, it didn't take long for everyone to find those yaks.

Along the way, Rin cast Appraisal on many other creatures, and the results were, without exception, similar to the initial yak.

Rin searched his memory for settings similar to this world. "Ice and snow, strange Soul Beasts, almost infinite lifespan, but battle power completely unmatched by their long lives."

"Soul Land?"

Rin thought to himself, "Soul Beasts that live for thousands or tens of thousands of years, but their battle power is very weak."

In other worlds, an animal training for ten thousand years would at least be a demon king, capable of moving mountains and filling seas.

But in the Soul Land World, a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast is equivalent to a human Soul Master.

As for the expressive power of a Soul Master.

How to put it?

They could be easily shot dead by crossbow arrows.

Rin increasingly felt that this world was like Soul Land.

To prove his guess, Rin directly killed a tiger-like Soul Beast that appeared from nowhere and regarded them as prey.

"Indeed."

Looking at the purple energy ring floating from the Soul Beast's corpse, Rin confirmed, "Soul Rings are born after Soul Beasts die. This is the Soul Land World."

"If it's Soul Land, then the extremely low energy purity makes perfect sense."

Rin remembered that the physical rules of Soul Land were inherently bizarre.

However, the low strength was also a fact.

"Soul Land, and it's a world of ice and snow, so this is the Northern Icefield?"

"I just don't know what time period it is now."

"Is it Soul Land 1, Tang San's era, or Soul Land 2, Soul Land 3, or a transitional period not described in the novel?"

If possible, Rin naturally hoped it was the Soul Land 1 period.

After all, after Tang San became a god, the Soul Land Continent became his family's continent.

Rin did not want to have any dealings with him.

"...Let's find someone to ask first."

Coincidentally, in Rin's perception, a human presence appeared in the north.

"Shuna!"

"Yes!"

Shuna had completely analyzed the space of this planet. Her hand lightly lifted, instantly teleporting the four of them near the closest human presence Rin had sensed.

"Whoosh!"

In the wind and snow, an old man was moving at an extremely fast speed towards the warmer south.

His hair and beard were white, he looked about seventy years old, and he was wearing thick silver-gray military attire, looking travel-worn.

The old man was carrying a strange metal device in his hand, inside which a light blue energy was restless, as if trying to break free from its confinement.

"Who?!"

Noticing someone ahead, the old man immediately stopped, his face showing a grave expression.

"Don't be nervous, old sir."

Rin stepped forward, trying to make his tone as gentle as possible. "We are adventurers exploring the Northern Icefield. May we ask you a few questions, old sir?"

The white-haired old man stopped. He looked up, surprised to see Rin and the others who had appeared so suddenly.

He didn't speak, just watched Rin silently.

A faint golden-blue light flowed in the old man's eyes, which made Rin quite surprised.

Rin discovered that there was an energy different from soul power within the old man's body.

(To be continued.)