In terms of monster destruction levels, the Explosion spell Damien poured nearly fifteen minutes into condensing reached the instantaneous burst power of a Special A-rank monster's full magicule output.

For context, this Explosion was equivalent to the devastation caused by a Special A-rank monster self-destructing.

Special A-rank monsters, with over 100,000 magicules, were far beyond Damien's current comprehension.

Yet, through the extreme manipulation of Explosion's potential, Damien, with a mere C+-rank foundation, achieved this unthinkable feat.

This showcased the immense potential of Explosion and the massive boost from his Mage class.

"Now's your chance, Ogerpon!"

With so many incapacitated monsters, this was the perfect feast for Ogerpon.

"Bo-ne!"

Without needing Damien's command, Ogerpon seized the moment, unleashing area-of-effect magic derived from Pokémon moves.

In an instant, Seed Bomb and Leaf Storm swept the battlefield, energy spheres raining down like a storm, shredding the crippled bugs into fragments.

[Defeated C+-rank monster x15, gained 120 existence points]

[Defeated B--rank monster x8, gained 160 existence points]

[Defeated B-rank monster x4, gained 400 existence points]

[...]

The flood of notifications for gaining magicules was like the sweetest music to Damien, nearly making him grin.

[Individual 'Ogerpon' existence value has reached 10,000, triggering evolution]

"Evolution?"

Reaching 10,000 existence points so quickly caught Damien off guard.

But what shocked him more was the "evolution" prompt Ogerpon triggered.

As a Pokémon, Ogerpon was already in her final form, unable to evolve further.

"So, this evolution must be the transformation of a Majin into a higher-tier Majin."

Ogerpon, standing amidst the battlefield, glowed with a dazzling light.

"Bo-ne?"

The little creature was a bit flustered.

Fortunately, Damien quickly communicated through their bond, explaining the mechanics of monster evolution.

"Ogerpon's going to evolve?"

Evolution was a dream for any Pokémon.

Ogerpon was eager to see what she'd become.

[Evolution complete]

[Individual 'Ogerpon' has evolved from 'Elemental Spirit' to 'Oni']

"Bo-ne!"

Ogerpon, once just 1.2 meters tall, had grown to over 1.5 meters.

Her orange face was gone, replaced by a slightly youthful, fair complexion.

Her green cloak transformed into an emerald kimono, her hands hidden beneath wide sleeves. Her pale green hair flowed, and her black-wrapped legs clacked on wooden sandals as she ran toward Damien.

"Damien, Damien, Ogerpon got so much bigger!"

Ogerpon's pale golden eyes, sparkling with star patterns, glimmered with boundless magic, captivating Damien's gaze.

"This is a monster's evolution. You're an Oni now, Ogerpon."

Damien fondly patted her head, and she immediately looked content.

He opened Ogerpon's status panel.

[Ogerpon]

[Contractor: Damien]

[Race: Oni]

[Existence Value: 12,000 (A-rank)]

[Magic: Pokémon Moves, Appraisal

[Class Skills: Melee Mastery (includes Swordsman, Knight, Lancer, Crusader, Hunter, Thief, etc.)]

[Inherent Abilities: Elemental Hyper-Absorption, Ability Hyper-Enhancement, Hyper-Speed Regeneration]

[Extra Skills: Mask Glow (unleashes inner power, summoning masks of different attributes)]

[Special Skills: Magicule Solidification, Explosion Magic (pseudo-nuclear strike magic condensing vast magicules), Oni Transformation (comprehensive attribute boost)]

[Unique Skills: Destroyer, Grower]

"Her race changed to Oni."

No surprise there.

In the Cardinal World's lore, Elemental Spirits and the Ogre Tribe were on the same tier, both B-rank Majins.

Their first evolution led to A-rank Oni, followed by Special Divine Onis or Soul Onis.

Divine Onis excelled in melee, while Soul Onis leaned toward magic, though both were on the same level.

As they grew stronger, Divine Onis and Soul Onis could earn the Demon Lord Seed title, recognized by the Voice of the World, qualifying them to evolve into True Demon Lords.

This process, however, was arduous.

For Ogerpon, as Damien's familiar, she couldn't awaken independently.

Damien would need to collect souls and grant them to her for her to become a True Demon Lord.

"Appraisal and melee skills?"

Ogerpon hadn't possessed these before.

"Is this because of me?"

Damien recalled how, in the original story, Rimuru's named monsters sometimes inherited his abilities.

"Ogerpon's case must be similar."

"During evolution, she inherited some of my abilities."

Damien mused, "Appraisal lets Ogerpon better understand her opponents, and the Konosuba-derived Melee Mastery makes her already melee-focused style even stronger."

"Elemental Hyper-Absorption, Ability Hyper-Enhancement, Hyper-Speed Regeneration."

"Hyper-Absorption and Hyper-Enhancement are advanced versions of Elemental Absorption and Ability Enhancement, giving Ogerpon higher magic resistance and faster magic absorption."

"Ability Hyper-Enhancement likely evolved from traits like Defiant."

As for Magicule Solidification and Hyper-Speed Regeneration...

Hyper-Speed Regeneration was self-explanatory, a recovery ability surpassing the Ogre Tribe's. Per Appraisal's feedback, it allowed survival unless her head was severed, with feats like limb regrowth and organ repair.

"Magicule Solidification is probably like mine, converting magicules into 'levels' to boost base attributes."

In the Cardinal World, magicules and monsters were like a pool and its water.

The water didn't reinforce the pool.

So, a 100,000-magicule entity versus a 10,000,000-magicule one didn't have as drastic a physical strength gap as one might think.

But with Magicule Solidification, it became like a level 50 facing a level 100.

Even if the level 100 monster exhausted its magic, its base attributes far outstripped a mere level 50's.

***

Bonus Chapter:

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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