BAMN: Chapter 36/38

Chapter 36: Bestowing Names

After accepting the loyalty of the three, Rin's gaze once again fell upon Benimaru.

The young leader of the Ogre village, with his blood-red long hair, was in a state of deep inner conflict.

With his younger sister and two companions choosing to follow Rin, Benimaru had also begun to entertain the idea of becoming Rin's subordinate.

Especially when Rin declared his desire to become a Demon Lord.

From a personal standpoint, after having been crushed by Ogerpon's overwhelming power, he had long acknowledged Rin's strength.

Serving such a powerful existence, Benimaru felt no hesitation whatsoever.

But the problem was...

"Sorry."

Benimaru was extremely reluctant, but he still made his decision. "I am the young leader of the Ogre village. I cannot abandon the people in the village."

"So please forgive me. I cannot follow you."

"Is that so..."

Hearing Benimaru's reason for refusing, Rin wasn't angry. Instead, he felt even more appreciative. This was indeed the man who would become the Commander-in-Chief of the Jura-Tempest Federation in the original work.

With that level of responsibility and sense of duty, having someone like Benimaru guarding the rear would allow Rin to confidently leave the Cardinal World and seek opportunities in other worlds in the future.

"I think you misunderstood something."

Rin waved his hand and said, "I actually don't plan to leave the Ogre village."

"What?"

Benimaru was stunned. Shuna, Souei, and Shion were just as shocked.

"You mean..."

"I want to subdue the Ogre village!"

Rin didn't hide his ambition at all. "Then I'll build this place into my base, as the foundation for my advancement to Demon Lord!"

"This...!"

The four exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words.

Subduing the Ogre village, this essentially meant taking over the place.

If it were anyone else saying this, Benimaru and the others would have definitely fought them to the death.

The Ogre race would rather die than surrender. They'd never compromise in the face of violence.

However, Rin was different.

First, he had saved their lives. Rin and Ogerpon had rescued the village's younger generation, preserving the future of the Ogres.

Then, not long ago, Ogerpon had single-handedly defeated the entire Ogre village.

No flashy magic, just brute force.

An Ivy Cudgel, and a pair of pink fists.

Ogerpon had simply beaten them all senseless in the area the Ogres prided themselves on the most.

A fellow Ogre who had shown great kindness to the village, coupled with the overwhelming aura Rin gave off, along with his respectful and friendly attitude toward the Ogres.

Rather than a conquest, it felt more like Rin and Ogerpon wanted to become a part of them.

"What conquest?" Shion blurted out. "Clearly, Rin-sama wants to protect us and lead us forward!"

"That's right." Shuna tugged on her brother's sleeve, her meaning obvious.

If they refused something so good, they'd be idiots.

"Please accept my loyalty, Rin-sama!"

Benimaru no longer hesitated. He placed his hands on the ground and swore, "I can't make decisions on behalf of the village, but I'm willing to follow you!"

He was only the young leader. The real clan leader was his father.

But so what?

As for whether the Ogres should submit to Rin, Benimaru had already chosen a side.

Besides, he didn't believe his father was so foolish that he couldn't see the situation clearly.

To receive the protection of Rin and Ogerpon, the only price to pay was the leader's seat.

"Welcome to be my companions."

After Rin finished speaking, he raised his hand. Four invisible oaths enveloped the four of them.

"Here, I bestow names upon you."

"Benimaru."

"Shion."

"Shuna."

"Souei."

Rin didn't change their names. He followed the original work faithfully.

On the other side, the four who had received names were stunned.

They had thought Rin's talk about "following" was only superficial, but who would have guessed, Rin had actually named them.

"Rin-sama!!!"

Though shocked, the four were also filled with worry.

Everyone knew that naming monsters consumed a tremendous amount of magicules, which was a heavy burden on the master.

"No need to worry."

"Carefully feel the changes in your bodies."

In Rin's view, magicules were like money.

Using Capturer, Rin began transforming the four into his true subordinates.

Benimaru's initial magicules were 7500, Shion's were 7000, Souei's 7200, and Shuna's slightly lower at 6500.

Since 50% of a subordinate's magicules would be returned to Rin, this meant he gained 14,100 magicules out of thin air.

Now, there were two prerequisites for naming monsters.

First, there had to be a fundamental difference in magicules between the namer and the named.

In the original story, Rimuru named the Storm Dragon because they had exchanged names and formed an equal soul-level contract.

That situation was different from normal monster naming.

Additionally, a single naming required enough magicules to allow the target to complete their evolution.

Meaning, to name Benimaru and the others, Rin had to raise each of their magicules above 10,000.

Only then could they evolve from the Ogre race into the Kijin race.

"10,800 magicules?"

However, since half of their increased magicules would flow back to Rin, the real cost was only 5400.

"Going by that, I actually profited 9000 magicules."

So, after this wave, Rin didn't lose magicules. He gained, increasing his total from 18,000 to around 27,000.

If over 10,000 magicules meant A-rank,

Then with nearly 30,000, both Rin and Ogerpon could already be considered mid-tier A-rank.

The advantage of recruiting monsters from the Cardinal World as subordinates was that Rin already knew their initial rank and magicule count.

Unlike Ogerpon, who had been like opening a blind box.

Only after bringing her to the Cardinal World did her talent and potential become clear.

Considering the possibility of traveling to more dangerous worlds next.

Rin wanted to strengthen his team as much as possible.

Now that Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, and Souei had become his subordinates, Rin would be able to take them to other worlds, just like Ogerpon.

Boom!!!

The commotion caused by the simultaneous evolution of four Ogres was even greater than Rin's earlier transformation.

Because no isolation barrier had been set up, the eruption of power immediately drew the attention of the Ogres led by the Red Ogre leader.

In an instant, countless Ogres rushed toward the wooden house where Rin was, quickly surrounding it.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 37: Evolution and Stats

This commotion?"

Hakurou's eyes grew serious. "A powerful magicule fluctuation, no mistake. Someone is evolving to a higher level!"

"It's an evolution?!"

The Red Ogre leader was stunned. He could sense the auras of Benimaru, Shuna, and the others within the surge of magicules.

If his perception wasn't mistaken, didn't that mean the ones evolving were them?!

"Everyone, calm down. Don't disturb Benimaru and the others."

Rin stepped out of the wooden house with Ogerpon and briefly explained what had happened inside to Hakurou and the others.

When he heard that Rin had willingly expended his own magicules to name Benimaru, Shuna, Shuna, and Souei, the Red Ogre leader's expression changed instantly.

"Thank you, Rin-sama!"

"Our Ogre village is willing to follow your lead and serve at your command!"

Once Benimaru and the others completed their evolution, they would become four new A-rank Kijin species.

The rise of the Ogres within the Great Jura Forest would be inevitable, and at a time like this, a powerful and wise leader was exactly what they needed.

Just as Benimaru and Shuna had anticipated, the Red Ogre leader chose to submit to Rin.

Not long after, as the magicule fluctuations gradually subsided, four figures stepped out of the wooden house in turn, none other than the newly evolved Benimaru and the others.

Just like in the original work, their appearances had undergone dramatic changes.

"Rin-sama!"

Benimaru and Souei dropped to one knee simultaneously, expressing their loyalty to Rin.

Shuna and Shion, as females, knelt on both knees and bowed gracefully to Rin, swearing their unwavering devotion.

Of course, such an oath had little actual meaning.

Not only had they already become Rin's subordinates and were unable to disobey his commands,

Even the naming system of the Cardinal World had its own effects, those who were named would naturally develop a dependence and loyalty toward the one who named them, much like the bond between a child and a parent.

This change was subtle.

For example, the way Shuna and Shion now looked at Rin was filled with closeness and affection.

It was completely different from the awe they'd shown before.

"Rise."

Rin allowed the four to stand, and at the same time, he used Dragon Eye to appraise their current status.

----

[Benimaru]
[Race: Ogre → Kijin]
[Magicules: A-rank (12000EP)]
[Magic: Battlewill, Mystic arts, Fire Magic]

[Extra Skills: Magic Perception, Spatial Motion, Flame Domination, Magic Flame Transformation]

[Unique Skill: Commander (Accelerated Thought, Mind Domination, Predictive Calculation, Army Morale Boost)]

[Special Skill: Magicules Solidification
Resistance: Status Ailment Nullification, Pain Nullification, Physical Attack Nullification, Natural Influence Resistance, Mental Attack Resistance, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance.]

---

Benimaru's magicules weren't just 10,000. They were 12,000.

The additional 2,000 had nothing to do with Rin.

It was a reward granted by the Voice of the World after Benimaru completed his evolution, giving Rin an extra 1,000 magicules out of nowhere.

"Commander. So it really is this command-type Unique Skill."

The appearance of this Unique Skill proved Benimaru's potential. He had the makings of a Demon Lord Seed.

"Battlewill and Mystic arts must be inherited from the Ogre bloodline. They're combat-type magic techniques and special casting methods."

Almost all of the other abilities came from Rin, or were granted by Rin through naming and the Vassal System.

Magic Perception was common among monsters, nothing worth mentioning.

Spatial Motion seemed to have evolved from Traveler.

Based on Rin's connection with his vassals, most awakened abilities, excluding Unique Skills, could be mirrored one-to-one by Rin.

That's right, Rin now also possessed the extra skill Space Manipulation.

"Flame Domination and Magic Flame Transformation."

Rin remembered that in the original work, Benimaru had possessed similar abilities, obtained from the superior fire elemental spirit Rimuru had absorbed.

But Rin hadn't absorbed any fire spirit.

"Is it because of Explosion Magic?"

Benimaru already had fire-type sorcery, and his compatibility with Explosion Magic was unexpectedly high.

The combination of the two allowed Benimaru to awaken these two brand-new abilities.

"This extra skill, Flame Domination, is seriously strong."

Rin felt the feedback from the skill and understood its effects. "It's like my Explosion Magic. It ignites the magicules inside the body to unleash explosive power on par with a nuke."

However, unlike the long charge time of Explosion Magic, Flame Domination could control its output speed.

Short-duration fireballs. Long-duration compressed detonations.

With enough magicules, Benimaru would become a terrifying artillery unit, burning everything in his path for Rin.

"Magic Flame Transformation allows him to elementalize his body."

Its effect was similar to the Mera Mera no Mi from One Piece, except it could burn nearby matter and absorb it to replenish magicules.

Especially while in Magic Flame Transformation, combining it with Overlord's Flame turned Benimaru into something far beyond his pre-evolution self.

In the Cardinal World, magicules alone didn't determine combat power.

Benimaru's stats before evolution were very simple.

---

[Benimaru]
Race: Ogre
Magicules: B-rank (7500EP)
Magic: Battlewill, Mystic arts
Inherent Skills: Super Strength, Regeneration

---

No extra skills. No Unique Skills. At best, he relied on the passive inherent abilities of the Ogre race, living on the fringe of the forest.

With 7500 magicules, Benimaru's actual combat power could barely place him mid-tier among B-ranks.

"Magicules are the foundation, but skills are the true gap between the strong and the weak."

After receiving Rin's naming, Benimaru's combat strength was enough to annihilate tens of thousands of B-rank monsters.

Compared to his past self, he could take on a thousand versions of his old self without issue.

Not to mention the Unique Skill Commander, which allowed Benimaru to share some of his abilities with subordinates under his command, instantly boosting the entire army's combat effectiveness several levels.

"Very good."

Rin was quite pleased with Benimaru's abilities.

"Thank you for your recognition."

Benimaru bowed his head. His face remained composed, but inside, his heart was bursting with excitement.

The combination of naming and the Vassal Oath bound Benimaru, Shuna, and the others to Rin in body, heart, and soul.

Now nothing brought them more joy than Rin's approval.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 38: Father, Please Abdicate!

[Shion]
[Race: Ogre → Kijin]
[Magicules: A-rank (12000EP)]

[Magic: Battlewill, Mystic arts, Evil-type Magic]

[Extra Skills: God of Combat Transformation, Magic Perception, Multilayer Barrier, Haki]

[Unique Skill: Tyrant (Accelerated Thought, Omnisense, Super Strength, Super-Speed Regeneration, Magic Destruction)]

[Special Skill: Magicules Solidification
Resistance: Omitted]

---

"God of Combat Transformation and Tyrant, huh?"

Shion's God of Combat Transformation was also a transformation-type ability.

However, unlike Benimaru's elementalization, hers amplified her physical body using constantly regenerating magicules. It was like an enhanced version of Magicules Solidification.

Though she couldn't elementalize, her strength, defense, vitality, and more would all receive a massive boost.

"Pure Berserker specialization."

If Benimaru was a battle mage, then Shion was a berserker, focusing on raw power.

Combined with Tyrant's Super Strength and Super-Speed Regeneration, on a one-on-one battlefield, she even surpassed Benimaru. Only Ogerpon was stronger.

---

[Souei]
[Race: Ogre → Kijin]
[Magicules: A-rank (12000EP)]

[Magic: Battlewill, Darkness-type Magic]

[Extra Skills: Magic Perception, Shadow Motion, Spatial Motion, Body Double]

[Unique Skill: Shadow Striker (Accelerated Thought, Super Acceleration, One-Hit Kill, Concealment)

[Special Skill: Magicules Solidification]
[Resistance: Omitted]

---

In the original work, Souei served as Rimuru's shadow guard and ninja.

And now, after receiving Rin's naming, he had awakened the Unique Skill Shadow Striker, enhancing his assassination and stealth capabilities.

---

[Shuna]
[Race: Ogre → Kijin]
[Magicules: A-rank (12000EP)]
[Magic: Mystic arts, Elemental Magic, Illusion Magic, Faux Magic]

[Extra Skills: Magic Perception, Multilayer Barrier, Spatial Motion, Majesty]

[Unique Skills: Analyst (Accelerated Thought, Analysis Appraisal, Chant Annulment, Law Manipulation), Manufacturer (Material Transformation, Fusion, Separation)]

[Special Skill: Magicules Solidification]
[Resistance: Omitted]

---

"All of them received Magicules Solidification, allowing them to convert magicules into physical attributes."

"Benimaru is a battle mage, Shion is a berserker, Souei is an assassin, and Shuna is a mage."

What surprised Rin most was Shuna, who had awakened not just one, but two Unique Skills.

Analyst and Manufacturer—these were true god-tier abilities in the realm of magic. Their potential was no less than Rin's own Duplicator.

"All of them reached 12,000 magicules."

Which meant the four would provide Rin with a total of 24,000 magicules in feedback.

Subtracting the 5400 he'd used in naming them, Rin now had about 36,000 magicules remaining.

That number had even surpassed Ogerpon.

"So strong!"

"Young Master and the others became so strong!"

The surrounding Ogres looked at Benimaru, Shuna, and the rest with expressions full of admiration and envy.

The instinct to evolve was rooted deeply in monsters.

And the easiest way to achieve a higher form of life was to be named by a powerful being.

"Rin-sama~"

Before the Ogres could react further, Shion, who had already received Rin's permission, quickly stood up and threw herself into his arms.

"Eh?"

Rin suddenly felt something soft pressing against his arm.

"Rin-sama's scent! Mmm~ such a dreamy smell!"

Shion's movements were too fast. So fast, Rin didn't even have time to react.

But rather than feel threatened, Rin felt a natural sense of comfort and closeness. It was Shion's innate desire to be near him.

Rin was the master of Ogerpon and the others.

Subconsciously, vassals regarded Rin as their most important family member, someone they instinctively wanted to be close to.

Of course, male vassals like Benimaru and Souei wouldn't act like Shion.

"Ah~~ Shion is so sneaky!"

"I wanna be with Rin-sama too!"

The pink-haired Ogre princess didn't hesitate to follow suit, clinging tightly to Rin's other arm.

"Ponii?"

Ogerpon tilted her head, unsure what was going on.

Luckily, Ogerpon wasn't the jealous type.

She looked at Shion, then at Shuna before silently throwing herself into Rin's embrace as well.

Rin's arms belong to Ogerpon!

"Cough, cough... okay, let go, let go a little…"

Rin struggled to free his hands from their embrace.

"Hmm?"

Rin noticed that the other Ogres seemed completely unbothered by Shion and Shuna's actions.

Well, this wasn't human society.

Monsters naturally revered power.

And Rin was the one who had personally named Shuna and Shion.

"Father, you've seen Rin-sama's generosity."

Benimaru directly addressed the Red Ogre leader. "Please entrust the Ogre Race's future to us!"

This was practically a forced abdication.

But in the end, the result was the same.

In the monster world, the strong ruled.

Benimaru's meaning was clear, he wanted his father to step down with dignity.

Souei, standing next to him, was carefully watching Hakurou to prevent any rash decisions from the old man.

Hakurou, of course, noticed. He looked deeply at Rin, then sighed with resignation. "Leader, since the Young Master has made his decision, what choice do we have?"

"Very well."

The Red Ogre leader had no attachment to power.

The Ogre village didn't even have that many people to begin with.

If this would make them stronger, he had no reason to refuse.

"Sorry, Father."

"No need to apologize."

The Red Ogre leader wasn't offended by his son's actions. In fact, he fully supported them. "You made the right choice."

He raised his hand and gestured for Benimaru to look at the other villagers.

"This is..."

Benimaru saw it. In the eyes of the Ogres, there was a burning desire for strength.

They didn't necessarily want to be named by Rin.

But if they could follow him and help the entire Ogre race rise, they might receive the Voice of the World's recognition.

And if that happened, all of them could evolve together.

(To be continued.)