"Did it really go that smoothly?"
Damien was still a bit dazed. He'd hoped to gain more advantages in this new world.
But he hadn't expected things to go this well.
Setting aside the power level of Konosuba's world for now, its adventurer skill system and leveling mechanics were undeniably helpful for someone like Damien in his current state.
Damien quickly examined the divine gift he'd received... the ability called "Copy."
[Race: Hybrid Majin-Human]
[Existence Value: 3505]
[Magic: Energy Cube Creation, Spirit Space, Appraisal]
[Intrinsic Skills: Adaptability]
[Unique Skills: Planeswalker [Exceptional] (Returnable), Leader, Capturer, Learner (Analyzes and copies abilities of others)]
[Marked Worlds: Pokémonverse, Konosubaverse]
Seeing the description of "Learner" in his Unique Skills, Damien knew this trip was already worth it.
The Voice of the World from the Cardinal World didn't exist in Konosuba's world.
The two operated under different frameworks, unable to directly influence each other.
Thanks to the exceptional nature of his Planeswalker skill, Damien acted like an anchor cast from the Cardinal World into Konosuba's.
Like a signal tower, he could interact with the Cardinal World's Voice of the World at any time.
This interaction didn't just apply to him.
It extended to familliars within a certain range, like Ogerpon.
So, the moment Damien gained the Copy ability, the Cardinal World analyzed and reclassified it.
The result? His Copy cheat vanished.
In its place was the powerful Unique Skill "Learner."
"Let's see the purity of this Unique Skill."
Damien focused on the word "Learner."
Soon, detailed information about the skill flooded his mind.
"Learner's replication isn't instant."
Damien mused, "It takes varying amounts of time to analyze an ability based on its strength."
"Only after the analysis is complete can I learn the skill and make it my own."
In theory, as long as the ability wasn't "Unique" or "Physiological." Damien could copy it.
"Unique" meant one-of-a-kind in the entire world.
"Physiological" referred to abilities requiring specific physical traits... like a tail, a third hand, or specialized organs.
However, if a physiological ability could be replicated with Magicule... like spider webbing made of magical energy rather than physical silk... Damien could mimic it with his own magic.
The exact limits of Learner were unclear since he'd only just acquired it.
"Gotta find some targets to test Learner's effects."
As Damien thought this, Ogerpon gently tugged at his hand.
"What's up, Ogerpon?"
"Where are we, Damien?"
Ogerpon had seen similar Western fantasy architecture before, back in the village at the forest's edge where Damien once lived.
But that rural village couldn't compare to the bustling beginner city of Axel.
Compared to Axel's vibrancy, that village was a backwater.
"This is the new world we're exploring next."
Damien patted Ogerpon's head, smiling. "Don't worry, I know a bit about this place. Just follow my lead."
Ogerpon was brimming with curiosity about this new world.
The dazzling market stalls and the varied attire of passersby left her starry-eyed, a sight for someone who hadn't seen much of the world.
"First, we'll head to the Adventurer's Guild and register as adventurers."
Damien recalled Konosuba's plot, knowing that only by becoming an adventurer and getting a skill card could he fully integrate into this world.
With his Adaptability skill, Damien wasn't worried about being unable to access Konosuba's power system.
Ogerpon, however, might face some adjustment issues.
Without Adaptability to blend into this world, she'd still operate under the Cardinal World's rules.
As Damien had noted before, the Cardinal World's power level far exceeded most others.
While Konosuba's world had magical elements... its flora and fauna infused with magic, granting them supernatural strength and resilience... the magic concentration here paled compared to the Cardinal World.
By Chaos World standards, it was only medium-tier.
In simple terms, Ogerpon, a B-rank in the Cardinal World, would jump two major tiers in Konosuba, equivalent to Special A-rank.
Damien could do the same by disabling Adaptability, boosting his power to A-rank.
But that would cut him off from acquiring Konosuba's power system.
"By the way, Ogerpon, you need to control your strength in this world. Don't use more than B-rank Magicule."
Ogerpon looked at Damien, puzzled, as he explained, "This trip is different from when we went to the Pokémonverse."
"There, I entered with my real body."
"This time, it's a bit different."
By slipping into Aqua's reincarnation process, Damien had exploited a loophole in Konosuba's rules, making the system treat him as a native.
In essence, his actions were like sneaking in under a false identity.
"I want to gain this world's powers."
"So we need to keep a low profile and avoid being rejected by its rules."
If Damien disabled Adaptability and stepped outside this world's framework, Konosuba's rules would blacklist him.
Worst case, he'd be expelled, unable to return.
At best, he'd lose the chance to harness Konosuba's system to strengthen the Cardinal World.
Neither outcome was acceptable.
Ogerpon raised her hand. "Ogerpon gets it! Ogerpon will be careful!"
"You don't have to be too careful."
Damien smiled. "Just keep your power around B-rank, and it'll be fine."
"If we hit real danger, survival comes first."
"A world's just a world. There'll be other chances."
While staying cautious, Damien saw no harm in keeping things discreet.
"Ogerpon has a question!"
Ogerpon felt incredibly strong now and wasn't sure what Damien meant by B-rank in this context.
"Let me explain simply."
Damien said, "It's about power expression. Can you follow, Ogerpon?"
Damien elaborated, "Worlds differ. The Cardinal World is much stronger. A rock there might be tougher than steel here."
"In the Cardinal World, your normal attack could destroy a house."
"That's what we call B-rank power expression!"
"Now here's the question."
Damien pointed at the street beneath them. "If you went all out in this world, what kind of damage could you cause?"
Each tier of magic concentration marked a major power gap.
In Konosuba, Ogerpon was equivalent to a Special A-rank monster.
A Special A-rank's full strike?
"Everything here is so fragile."
Ogerpon wasn't dumb... her battle instincts were sharp, and she quickly judged, "One punch from Ogerpon could make the whole city collapse."
A Special A-rank's full attack could cause earthquake-level destruction to Axel.
That was Special A-rank power expression!
Damien said, "In Konosuba, you need to keep your power expression the same as in the Cardinal World."
"So, Ogerpon's punch should only make a few-meter crater?"
Damien nodded. "That's the idea!"
If you're B-rank in the Cardinal World, you stick to B-rank expression in the new world.
Unlike his Pokémonverse trip, where Damien entered with his real body and didn't need to worry about power expression.
Back then, as an E-rank, he jumped three tiers in a lower Chaos World, reaching B-rank.
The Kitakami villagers stood no chance against a B-rank Damien... one punch per troublemaker!
"Worlds have memories. We can fool them once, but not twice with the same trick."
So, unless Ogerpon gained something like Adaptability, she'd need to match her Cardinal World power expression in other worlds.
She wasn't the type of Pokémon to cause trouble for her master.
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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