"And Ogerpon, if you encounter the Harlequins, try to avoid fighting them."
"Pone pone!"
Ogerpon opened her little mouth, looking eager for an explanation.
"I'm worried they'll trick you."
Ogerpon's childlike innocence made her vulnerable to someone as cunning as Yuuki Kagurazaka.
"Pone!"
Fortunately, Ogerpon never caused Damien worry.
She was obedient, always taking his warnings to heart.
"Of course, if you do run into them, the simplest solution is to contact me."
Damien added, "I'll decide whether to fight or flee."
"Tch!"
The Ice Empress bristled at being underestimated.
But she didn't dare defy Damien's words.
"In fact, I have a plan that will require all of your strength soon."
"So for now, keep a low profile whenever possible."
Damien referred to his and the Snow Empress's ongoing plan regarding a new otherworld.
Originally, their calculations suggested it would take at least half a month to open that gate.
But with Violet's emergence, the process had accelerated significantly.
"Barring any surprises, it'll be in the next few days."
Damien said, "Once we confirm the new world's details, I'll take you all with me!"
"A new world?"
"All of us together?"
"Won't transporting so many put too much strain?"
Shion and Shuna had traveled with Damien to the Douluoverse.
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress, as martial souls, had also joined him in the Pokémonverse.
Thus, the women were well aware of the limitations of Damien's world-traveling.
Sometimes it was a headcount limit, sometimes a power cap, or even a need to align with the target world's rules.
"What kind is it this time?"
The Ice Empress was eager, craving battle and growth.
A new world meant new opportunities.
She couldn't wait to clash with strong opponents!
"None of those."
Damien shook his head. "This crossing is unlike any before."
"Violet, explain it to everyone."
"Yes."
Violet materialized before the group.
With a wave of her hand, magicules traced an image in the air.
It was a tree.
No!
It was a cosmos... a vast universe encompassing numerous parallel worlds and timelines!
"I've completed partial analysis of that world's laws."
"These laws are sufficient for us Familiars to enter that world."
Violet's voice rang out. "However, for safety, we won't enter with our true bodies this time."
"Not our real bodies?"
Souei was the only Familiar who hadn't experienced world-crossing.
But as a Familiar, he was entitled to know Damien's secrets.
"Yes."
Damien explained, "This time, we'll descend as projections."
"This projection mode is somewhat similar to the second type of crossing, like in Konosubaverse."
"I'm the anchor, and you're linked to me."
"Ogerpon knows this!"
Ogerpon raised her hand. "In the Konosubaverse, if Ogerpon broke the rules, it'd drag Damien down, and we'd both get kicked out."
"Exactly, that's the second type."
"Then there's the Douluoverse, where you and Ice were, which is the third type."
In that mode, everyone Damien brought was independent.
If someone broke the rules, only they would be ejected, not affecting others.
For third-type crossings, Damien could use his Familiars like disposable bombs.
Facing tough enemies, he could send out a Familiar to unleash their full power.
They'd erupt, defeat the enemy, and get kicked out.
While this meant the Familiar would be sidelined, watching others continue, for someone like Ice, suppressing her power was worse than a single, exhilarating fight.
"This descent isn't quite the second or third type."
"It's somewhere in between."
"Through this descent, I'll have a projection with a legitimate identity in that world."
"The projection's power will be limited by that world's rules."
Damien wasn't sure how severe the restrictions would be, but he could guarantee the safety of this descent.
Compared to safety, a bit of weakening was negligible.
"Alright, gather everyone."
Damien instructed the Snow Empress to assemble all combat-ready forces in the village.
"5,000 hobgoblins."
"200 Kijin."
"400 wolves, forming 200 cavalry!"
At the village square, Damien looked at the dense crowd, grateful for the recent expansion.
Otherwise, there'd be no space for so many.
"Violet, take it from here."
"Understood."
Violet appeared beside Damien, activating the soul corridor, pulling everyone's souls into it.
Simultaneously, they gained a second perspective.
It was like controlling a game character with a remote... their real body and the character's body.
Every monster in the soul corridor received their own game avatar.
"My head… it's spinning."
"Ugh, controlling two bodies at once feels awful."
"Close your eyes and don't move your body."
"Oh, oh, that's much better!"
In the unknown space, avatars identical to them were moving animatedly.
Unlike them, Shuna, Shion, Hoshiga, and the Kijin handled it effortlessly.
For those with Thought Acceleration and Parallel Processing, an extra body was no burden.
Even dozens of avatars wouldn't faze them.
"Are these the bodies we'll use to descend into the other world?"
"Correct."
Damien explained, "Our true bodies won't enter. We'll send remotely controlled puppets."
"Those without Parallel Processing, prepare to rest."
Like a virtual dive, the hobgoblins and wolves needed to lie down somewhere, focusing all their energy on the other body.
"Benimaru, Hakurou, you're not joining this descent."
Damien continued, "You'll lead the remaining 50 Kijin to protect the village."
***
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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