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This is my Grand Order!
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Carl had no idea how Kyo had discovered such an absurdly cracked way to play.
Perhaps for a pro player like him, gaming had already reached an almost unhinged level.
The combat in Oath's base ga could no longer satisfy Kyo. The gaplay being dull was one thing, but there was another problem. It was too easy.
The skills of Oath's banner characters were all about flashy explosions and screen-wide effects. As long as the stats were high enough, no high-difficulty challenge was really a challenge.
In Kyo's eyes, that made for an incredibly boring combat experience.
So pro players like Kyo would start setting restrictions for themselves. At first, it was soloing high-difficulty dungeons with a single limited five-star character. Later, it beca soloing them with a four-star character.
And now, the completely unhinged Kyo was not even using a character kit anymore. He was using the most basic villager template, wielding a shovel as he attempted to defeat an Abyssal Knight.
The result was that, with everyone watching, Kyo dodged and weaved in front of the Abyssal Knight while holding a shovel. Every now and then, he managed to smack the knight with it, dealing a miserable -1 damage.
But the Abyssal Knight's health bar did not even seem to move.
In fact, Kyo's Abyssal Knight was also holding back. Every move it used was pure swordsmanship, trading blows with Kyo in a proper duel.
"Don't hold back!"
But Kyo noticed that his opponent was pulling its punches and imdiately shouted the command.
The Abyssal Knight's gaze then landed on Anan, who had co to visit. Realizing that Anan had business with Kyo, it had no choice but to go all out.
Pitch-black flas erupted from the Abyssal Knight's entire body. That single, completely unfair full-screen damage attack instantly killed Kyo in his villager state.
"Savior, you should borrow the power of that Dawn Radiance if you wish to face . With only your own strength, even the slightest touch from will end your life instantly."
The Abyssal Knight looked at the resurrected Kyo with deep helplessness.
Although Kyo's main Oath account had been soft-banned, he could still use Hasumi's combat kit.
As long as Kyo borrowed Hasumi's power, going toe to toe with this Abyssal Knight would not be a problem.
"If I do that, it doesn't feel like I won with my own skill."
Kyo stretched his joints. In truth, he had already defeated many Abyssal Knights who had been holding back while using Hasumi's power.
But the more he won through raw stats, the more bored Kyo beca.
Kyo noticed Carl and the others arriving, so he stopped asking the Abyssal Knight to keep sparring with him.
"Shopkeeper, sorry. I've been obsessed with a degenerate challenge run lately, so I haven't even been attending the Pokémon League."
Kyo had spent all this ti researching how to defeat an Abyssal Knight through pure skill.
Although he was interested in the many ga modes Carl had created afterward, this ridiculous playstyle of smacking powerful enemies over the head with a shovel had beco a little addictive.
"How can the rush of real combat be called degenerate? I think it's about ti this world saw what a truly exhilarating combat system looks like."
Carl had co here precisely to fulfill Kyo's wish. It was also the most crucial step in allowing Pokémon to compete with the monsters of Oath's base ga.
"Alright, everyone! Allow to briefly explain what I'm about to do. Ms. Anan, could I borrow your Charizard for a demonstration?" Carl asked.
Charizard? Since when did I have a Charizard?
But Anan was very sharp. She understood that Carl wanted to borrow the Abyssal Knight under her command who was disguised as a Charizard.
Anan let out a small, helpless sigh. After contacting an idle Abyssal Knight, she had it land beside Carl in the form of a Charizard.
"As all of you should know, the most basic way for a Pokémon to level up is to devour the opponent's Data Volu through battle. But if a Pokémon devours the Data Volu of a monster from Oath's base ga, it will be contaminated as it levels up."
This was the biggest problem with increasing the Data Volu of the Pokémon Carl had created.
If Pokémon defeated and devoured monsters from Oath's base ga, they would have to endure an equivalent level of contamination. If that contamination beca too severe, the Pokémon would mutate.
And that kind of outco would be terrifying enough to leave players traumatized.
"The way to purify this contamination is also very simple. Emotional Antidotes. Players might not understand the underlying chanics, so to put it plainly, as long as they're having enough fun, their Pokémon can keep leveling up."
At this point, Carl looked at the Charizard beside him and said, "When fighting ordinary Pokémon, the joy that Pokémon battles bring to players is enough.
"But if they're facing a powerful enemy with heavy contamination from Oath's base ga, then players may need to take the field themselves and fight alongside their Pokémon. At the sa ti, they'll rely on the excitent generated by the player's own combat experience to purify that contamination."
Carl deliberately paused there. The glow of life creation granted by Elysium suddenly gathered in his hand.
"As for how we let players experience that kind of combat excitent, we'll set that aside for now. First, I'll show everyone the form Pokémon can take after absorbing enough Data Volu and evolving further into a state capable of standing against Oath's most terrifying monsters."
In Pokémon, there were certainly many terrifying Legendary and Mythical creatures, many of which possessed the power to reshape the world.
But not every Pokémon had that level of destructive power.
So how could naturally weaker Pokémon gain combat power on the sa level as monsters from Oath's base ga?
ga Evolution? Dynamax? Terastallization? Those were probably the answers most veteran Pokémon players would give.
Carl would certainly implent those evolutions as well. If players wanted to use those systems to let their beloved Pokémon face enemies in their original forms, that was perfectly fine.
But beyond those evolutions, Carl wanted to give Pokémon players another choice.
This evolution, like ga Evolution, would only be temporary. It would also consu a great deal of the Pokémon's stamina, making it a trump card for players to use in critical monts.
"Charizard, co! Undergo transcendent evolution! Descend in a form capable of wiping out an entire small town!"
Under Carl's construction, the Charizard's body began to reshape itself at trendous speed.
Because its true essence was an Abyssal Knight, its massive Data Volu was enough to withstand the descent of this terrifying monster.
Similarly, if a veteran Pokémon player were present, they would probably imdiately think of ga Charizard X or Gigantamax Charizard.
But after being enveloped in a burst of light, this Charizard's body rapidly began to swell.
Finally, the small dragon-like creature that had originally stood only 1.7 ters tall instantly grew into a gargantuan beast with a forty-ter wingspan.
When the light fully faded, the slightly cartoonish scales on Charizard's body had all transford into rough, realistic crimson dragon scales.
A massive amount of fire gathered in its throat, and its breathing alone caused the surrounding temperature to rise by several degrees.
The wild roar it unleashed the mont it was born sent out shock waves that almost seed to take physical form. Everyone present felt a sharp pain, as if their eardrums were being torn apart.
This Charizard had transcendently evolved into a Rathalos.
"Can this really still be kept as a pet? If my Lucca could beco sothing like that, wouldn't the cost of raising him increase by hundreds of tis? But Lucca, can you beco like that too?"
The poor Saintess first considered how much it would cost to raise a Rathalos, then pointed at the Rathalos and looked at her Lucario.
It was as if she were asking, "Can you do that too?"
"Luca, Luca!"
Lucario held its breath, seemingly eager to try this transcendent evolution as well.
Unfortunately, Carl had not implented it for him yet. At most, he could only ga Evolve into ga Lucario.
"This transcendent evolution is temporary. Once the battle ends, it will return to its original form. Think of it as an option that allows Pokémon to fight those giant monsters from Oath's base ga."
Although Carl could have replaced this transcendent evolution entirely with Dynamax, one of the greatest joys of raising Pokémon was watching them constantly unlock new forms.
When Carl used to raise Charizard, he would often wonder what it would look like if it could evolve one step further.
Although forms like ga Charizard X and Y existed, Carl always felt that sothing was still missing.
But what if monster forms from Monster Hunter were added? Even if it was only a temporary evolution, that would be enough.
It would be enough to ignite countless players' passion and make them take their Pokémon out to brawl with Oath's base-ga monsters.
"If those weaker Pokémon can all evolve into forms like this, they really could compete with those troubleso monsters from Oath's base ga."
Anan examined the Rathalos's physiological structure and realized that Carl had not simply slapped together a fire-breathing wyvern.
If this thing were truly released into the wild, it seed capable of occupying its own ecological niche in Elysium, a dangerous world already filled with magical beasts, monsters, and all manner of strange creatures.
"But for weaker Pokémon to evolve into forms like this, they would need to consu a large amount of Emotional Antidotes. Where would those antidotes co from?" Anan asked Carl with a hint of anticipation.
"As for the antidotes, they'll co from the excitent players feel while fighting monsters."
As Carl spoke, he pointed at Hasumi in the crowd and said,
"Hasumi, it's ti for your big debut. According to the latest news, in the next version, you'll be completely free. Every Oath player across the server will be able to claim one copy of your base unit."
Although Hasumi would beco a starter support for every player in the next version, that was not necessarily good for her popularity.
Players had always cherished free things the least.
"Is it finally my turn to debut? Lord Carl! During this ti, although I have been accompanying the Saviors as they explored Netherworld Village, I have not neglected my own combat training in the slightest."
After Hasumi let out a few proud "hmph, hmph" sounds, she drew the rapier at her waist. A Dawn Radiance even more dazzling than before burned along the blade.
"Co! My light is hundreds of tis stronger than it was when I first debuted. I definitely won't disappoint you, Lord Carl."
"Can you use this?"
Carl constructed a two-ter-long Long Sword in his hand and tossed it to Hasumi.
"This is a weapon I've never seen before. It seems specifically designed for hunting so kind of giant monster."
As Hasumi spoke, her gaze turned toward the Rathalos beside Carl, which was still radiating scorching heat.
"From now on, I'll teach you the chanics of this weapon, along with the related combat system. As long as you can master its core playstyle, I can guarantee that you'll beco the most popular character in Oath. So, what's your answer?"
Carl's gaze shifted to Griff behind Hasumi. In truth, Carl only needed a banner character kit that players could copy.
Whether it was Hasumi, Griff, or even the Saintess, any of them would work.
If Carl had not been so busy lately, even he would have wanted to try practicing Spirit Helm Breaker himself.
"A-although it feels a little hard to give up the weapon I've trained with for over ten years, since this is your wish, Lord Carl, I will surely master the essence of this weapon!"
"But Lord Carl, can learning a new weapon really raise my popularity even further?"
At that mont, Hasumi felt an extrely hostile gaze coming from the Saintess.
Carl had almost forgotten that, in the battle for player popularity, these two were the fiercest rivals.
"Of course. After all, looking cool is a lifelong pursuit for most players."
Carl took this opportunity to begin teaching Hasumi how to beco a qualified Long Sword user.
(To be continued.)
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)
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