Finally, I managed to suppress my aura properly. No more leaking magicules like some clueless newbie. You could even call it the "basic protagonist skill" hiding your strength until it's time to flex.
It's been over a month since I started training, and honestly… I'm bored out of my mind. I can't even spend a full day alone without wanting to scream into the void.
Well, to be fair, I actually got the basics down within a week. Controlling my aura itself wasn't that hard maintaining it, though, that's another story. I had to keep practising just to stabilise it for longer durations. Now, I can suppress my presence down to around a B-Rank monster level, maybe a bit lower if I focus.
That's probably my current limit. If I want to pass for anything weaker, I'll need a lot more practice.
Still, there's a catch I can only keep it up for about a month before the strain becomes unbearable. After that, the built-up magicules start to feel suffocating, like chains tightening around my body, begging to be released.
I do envy Veldora. He can spill his power whenever he wants and never has to answer to anyone. Then he gets a dungeon to fill on top of it. Lucky bastard. I need to find a place of my own soon, somewhere I can let loose without accidentally flattening a county. If I do it right, the monsters born from my released magicules will useful afterwards.
The little spawn born from my leak are already earning their keep. They've been tearing through the Thaldrin scouts for weeks, some of them even hit B-rank, and a good handful sit comfortably at C. I caught a few stragglers to interrogate before putting them down. From what I wrung out of those fools, the Church plans to send in their "holy warriors" to cleanse the land.
Not that I care. I'll be long gone before their little crusade begins.
But before I leave, it's time for another spin. I've been holding off since I got Antares , adjusting to him took priority. I'm sitting at about sixty percent assimilation now. The speed dropped a bit, though… probably because what's left are his experiences, and that's a lot to process in just a month. Cheat skills like [Thought Acceleration] help, but even they have limits.
[POINTS: 37]
That should be enough for about twelve cards. Let's hope I pull another useful template this time.
— [YURI ALPHA (OVERLORD)] —
Huh… coincidence? Or does the gacha actually react to my subconscious?
I was thinking about wanting someone to take care of me, maybe even start my own Pleiades-like squad someday. Guess the system has a sense of humour.
Should I summon her, though? I'm not sure how these summons behave here. Do they come out loyal and obedient by default, or do they retain their original will? If it's the latter, that could be a problem. If she doesn't find her guild master, there's a chance she'll turn on me.
Not that I'm scared of her attacks, it's her loyalty that's dangerous. That absolute, unshakable devotion coded into her… if it's still there, it might drive her to self-destruct or go berserk. I don't want to waste the card.
Hmm. Best keep her sealed for now. Maybe later I can try something different, give her template to someone from this world, maybe a low-tier skeleton, and evolve it. Not a bad idea, actually.
— [XIAO YE (DRAGON TAMER)] —
Another one that's better off used as a template for a subordinate.
She's a dragon who served her master from birth literally hatched beside him. That kind of loyalty again, huh? I swear, the gacha's mocking me at this point. Loyal types everywhere… just not to me.
Still, she might be useful. I can apply her as a template to a dragon maybe she'll pass on some intelligence or emotional depth to the beast. Most of the dragons around here are purely instinct-driven, especially the lower tiers.
Assimilating her myself isn't worth it. She's not particularly strong maybe around B-rank by this world's standard, and that's mostly thanks to her skill set. I remember her manhwa vaguely, though I never read too deep into it.
— [ORORO MUNROE'S CHOKER (MARVEL)] —
…Really? Let's check the description to confirm it is really what I think not some hidden artifact, a random storm fetish accessory, one can hope right… ah, it doesn't even specify which variant she's from. Great.
Now that I think about it, the gacha lists the world name beside each pull and it matches what I already know.
So either it's referencing my memories to fill in the blanks, or these worlds are permanently designated in the system itself.
Interesting… very interesting.
— [PACKAGE: SHANKS (ONE PIECE)] —
Do I have some sort of connection with redheads or something?
There's no doubt about it, I'm going to absorb this one.
I've been planning to learn Battlewill anyway, and the red-haired pirate's experience with Haki should make for perfect reference material.
Although the terms don't match exactly, the concepts overlap.
In One Piece, Haki is the ability to exert spiritual pressure on others a form of willpower made manifest. Here, Battlewill refers more to the refinement and control of aura used in combat.
Different words, same core idea, manipulating one's spiritual energy to achieve overwhelming results.
And as a bonus, this package even includes his sword, Gryphon.
Maybe if I expose it to my magicules, I can refine its quality. Now that sounds worth experimenting with.
— [TEMPLATE SLOT UNLOCKED] —
Oh? Now that's a pleasant surprise.
I don't have to wait to start Assimilating Shanks after all.
Originally, the system only gave me a single slot. This confirms it can evolve or maybe it unlocks new features as I grow stronger.
—[Kunai ×100 (Naruto)]—
—[Penny Blossom ×19 (Big Bang Theory)]—
—[Aizen's Glasses (Bleach)]—
—[Detection Blocking Ring (Overlord)]—
—[Pokédex (Pokémon)]—
—[The Heart of the Ocean (Titanic)]—
—[Knight Bus (Harry Potter)]—
I pulled out the Detection Blocking Ring and slipped it onto my finger.
"Shhh…"
The moment I did, I felt my aura vanish. From third person perspective, my magicule leak dropped drastically. Even my presence felt… ordinary.
Of course, when I focused Dragon Perception and looked closer, the illusion shattered instantly. Most high-tier beings could probably see through it too, but that's fine, this isn't meant to fool them anyway.
The rest of the items aren't much use right now.
Maybe I'll toy around with the Pokédex to see if they've been updated. Who knows? Maybe there are new Pokémon I haven't seen yet.
Now that I've checked all the cards, it's time to move on. Sitting here any longer won't do me any good. I need to understand this world better, especially how humans and other species distribute their power, what kind of hierarchy exists, and how they interact. Although the priest told me many details, I have to cross check everything.
But more importantly, I need to start filtering out potential candidates for subordinates. I can't just go around naming anyone I meet. That would be reckless and wasteful. Loyalty doesn't come from a name alone, the ogre were given the option to be named but rejected the offer, they have their own thoughts, culture, mindset, they aren't mindless but when rimuru have the same offer they accepted, one can say it's desperation for strength but his behaviour too had a impact. His subordinates followed him not out of fear or obligation, but because he genuinely helped them.
Take Ranga for example. Rimuru didn't punish him for his father's actions. Instead, he gave him and the rest of the pack a chance to grow, evolve, and start over. That single act of mercy became the foundation of unwavering loyalty.
It might have seemed small when I watched it in the anime, but thinking about it now… it's massive. In a world where strength dictates worth, giving a monster the chance to rise above its nature that's something most can only dream of.
I will too follow the same method, ofcourse not everyone will be joining similarly, sometimes I have to be forcefull, but hey I am future demon lord, it's something expected from me.
Taking a look at the sky I flew towards my destination.
***********
Subordinate suggestions from Omniverse