After chatting for a while, Chronos took advantage of the free time to return to his room. He opened the system interface after a long while, ready to check the new round of developments.
It seemed the formal settlement for Flam and Moria's joining hadn't been completed yet…
[Ding! Successfully assembled the Ark Maxim. Reward: One Random Technical Talent Summoning Card]
[Ding! Flam has joined. Reward: One Main Cast Member Summoning Card]
[Ding! Moria has joined with Perona. Reward: One Villain Summoning Card]
[Ding! Obtained the Vampire Fruit, acquainted with Red Count and the transformed tanuki Patton. Reward: One Vampire Character Skill Summoning Card]
"The Ark Maxim counts? And obtaining the Vampire Fruit and getting acquainted with Senior Red Count too?"
Chronos wasn't surprised about Flam and Moria joining, as they were important plot characters, but these two rewards were a pleasant surprise.
Considering the Ark Maxim was lunar technology and Red Count was a force to be reckoned with on his own, Chronos thought about it and understood.
Just like the previous summoning round, Chronos's gaze remained fixed on the latter three summoning cards.
Random meant unstable. If characters like Kogoro Mouri or Kohei Imamura appeared again, it wouldn't just be a loss for him—it would also harm them.
As for the next three cards—Main Cast Member, Villain, and Vampire-related Skill—these were clearly good cards at first glance!
"System, summon!"
Chronos didn't hesitate. Now was the perfect time to recruit and build up his forces.
[Ding! Main Cast Member Summoning Card activated]
[Ding! First summon—Jackie Chan Adventures, Section 13 Chief, Augustus Black. Tags: Righteous and Stern, Magic-Difficult, Accidentally in a High-Stakes Game]
Chief Black, an ordinary man who participated in all sorts of chaotic battles involving demons and monsters, went from not believing in magic to being suspected by his superiors of having mental issues.
Although Section 13 under Chief Black's command resembled a public venue, it really wasn't his fault.
Ancient demons, Dark Chi Assassins, Dark Chi Sorcerers, Demon Descendants… these were not foes an ordinary police chief could handle.
Yet even so, Chief Black remained on the front lines of justice. Although he didn't often participate in the main plot, he was still an important member of the main cast.
Without him, Jackie Chan would have gone bankrupt long ago.
[Ding! Second summon—Little Ox Charges Ahead, Divine Ox Hero, Big Ox. Tags: World Guardian, Savior, Good Mentor]
Big Ox, the power ceiling in the anime Little Ox Charges Ahead. A hundred years ago, he sealed the great villain Bat Demon. A hundred years later, he taught the protagonist Big Horn Ox to defeat Bat Demon. Proficient in both physical and magical arts, he fought throughout the entire story.
According to incomplete statistics, Big Ox made at least seventeen rescues throughout the entire plot.
This included teaching Big Horn Ox the move Whirlwind Shadowless Horn in a single day, directly increasing its power dozens of times over;
Helping Big Horn Ox fuse three treasures, so they were no longer just display pieces;
After exhausting all his strength, utterly spent, using up the very last bit of energy, he fought against the Bat Demon, who was giving it his all, managing to stall until Big Horn Ox completed the fusion of the treasure;
Using his truly final reserves of power, he drew out the Samadhi Power from within the Bat Demon...
Though he couldn't fully recharge, even a single bar of power was enough to dominate the battlefield. In an era where anime plots were generally oppressive, with Big Ox present, the main cast of Little Ox Forward went through countless major battles, miraculously achieving zero casualties.
Even by the end, Big Ox seemed to have regained his strength, returning to his peak condition.
One could only ask: which hero brings a former hero along when fighting the demon king?
Big Ox's abilities include defense, teleportation, healing, treasure fusion, energy absorption... capable of attacking, defending, and healing—truly an all-around warrior.
The false pillar of the main cast's combat strength—overpowered in theory, instantly defeated in practice; the true pillar of the main cast's combat strength—constantly putting out fires, achievements maxed out.
The Bat Demon was actually not weak; aside from Big Horn Ox at the end, he was basically always the top fighter, even boasting the terrifying feat of taking on eleven opponents single-handedly.
From the start, he occupied Ox Capital and spent the rest of the time hunting down Big Horn Ox. Snow City was soloed by the Bat Demon four times, and the Five Elements Hero was instantly killed when he unleashed his full power...
If not for Big Ox's presence, the Bat Demon would have long succeeded in ruling the world.
Without boasting or showing off, he remained focused on nurturing the protagonist from start to finish, never complaining about fate. It could be said that Big Ox is the pinnacle of the protagonist mentor archetype.
The Five Stripes Prison Master next door would ask: can such a battle record really be achieved?
[Ding! Summoning the third—Crayon Shin-chan · Rice Ball Head · Masao Sato, tags: hardworking, timid and cowardly, warm-hearted and kind]
Pass!
A kindergarten kid is out of the question. Even though the main cast of Crayon Shin-chan are all combat gods, Chronos already has enough children on his side.
The choice is obvious.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining—Little Ox Forward · Big Ox]
[Accompanying characters: Iron Hammer Ox, Big Horn Ox, Yaya Ox, Little Flying Hero...]
[Summoned identity: The Divine Ox Hero who emerged from the legendary holy land of the little oxen, heading to the sea in search of a cure for his hidden injuries.]
Aside from Big Horn Ox at the end, the rest of the main cast of Little Ox Forward didn't play a very significant role.
However, judging by Big Ox's identity, he seems to be independent as well. It's uncertain whether Big Horn Ox can become the second-generation Divine Dragon Hero in this lifetime.
Though the kid is a bit foolish and clumsy, his nature isn't bad. With proper nurturing, he might very well become the next Big Ox in the future.
Stepping back into the world's timeline, Chronos encountered a snail that seemed to have weathered many years, with a kindly face, and successfully invited it aboard.
[Ding! Villain Summoning Card activated]
[Ding! Summoning the first—Kung Fu Panda · Peacock Clan Young Master · Lord Shen, tags: highly skilled in martial arts, decisive in killing, resourceful and cunning]
[Ding! Summoning the second—One-Punch Man series · Monster Association Dragon-level Executive · Overgrown Pochi, tags: Scorching Heat Bullet, extremely strong defense, good doggy]
[Ding! Summoning the third—Luo Luo's Adventure · Beast Clan Three War Kings · Tyrant Dragon God, tags: aerial type, strongest War King, deeply scheming]
"Lord Shen, Pochi, Tyrant Dragon God?"
Chronos muttered the names a few times, quickly recalling the details of these three, then ranking them.
In terms of strategy, Lord Shen is greater than Tyrant Dragon God, who is greater than Pochi.
In terms of raw power, Pochi is stronger than the Tyrant Dragon God, who in turn surpasses Lord Shen.
Lord Shen knows kung fu and is proficient in using gunpowder and cannons, but unfortunately, he exists only in the martial arts world.
Among the major bosses in the films, Lord Shen's combat prowess is clearly the lowest. Compared to the various demons and monsters in the TV version of Kung Fu Panda, Lord Shen doesn't even rank.
Eliminate him first.
The Tyrant Dragon God's situation is hard to judge because he exists in a game world.
However, based on the cases of Luo Luo and Jing Jing, he's likely just a standard flying robot.
Compared to Genos, the cyborg from One-Punch Man, Genos undoubtedly surpasses the Tyrant Dragon God.
As for Pochi, within the Monster Association, he is one of the top executives.
In the remake, Pochi's defense allowed him to withstand a normal punch from Saitama, the One-Punch Man. He fell unconscious but didn't die—though this might also be because Saitama didn't intend to kill.
Later, Pochi also endured the combined attack of Bang and Bomb, merely staggering for a moment without his defenses being breached. His defensive capabilities are arguably the best within the Monster Association.
However, relatively speaking, Pochi's offensive power is somewhat lacking. A point-blank Scorching Heat Bullet gave Garou a death warning, but that was only Garou during his growth phase. Not only did it fail to kill him, but Garou remained fully conscious.
Bang and Bomb were also able to deflect Pochi's Scorching Heat Bullet using skillful techniques.
If categorized according to fan-made power scaling in One-Punch Man discussions, Pochi's defense reaches Dragon-level peak, while his attack is only low Dragon-level, or even Dragon-level disgrace.
However, compared to Lord Shen and the Tyrant Dragon God, Pochi has one most significant advantage: although his combat power is terrifying, his intelligence is that of an ordinary puppy.
Lord Shen would definitely not submit to anyone, and the Tyrant Dragon God must obey the Beast Clan's Mecha War King.
Whether comparing combat power or obedience, Pochi is the optimal choice.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on obtaining—One-Punch Man series: Overgrown Pochi]
[Accompanying Character: Black Sperm]
[Summoned Identity: A 'puppy' picked up by chance. Under the host's arrangement, due to being fed Little Fu Gui's cooking, it inexplicably grew to full size within a few days.
Although its strength is terrifying, its mind is simple. It views everyone on the ship as friends.]
Pochi indeed occupies the pet dog position, but Chronos noticed Pochi's accompanying character, and his eyes unconsciously flickered.
Black Sperm!?
This one is not like Pochi. While Black Sperm is genuinely powerful, he also possesses considerable intelligence, pride, and arrogance. He won't behave unless thoroughly beaten into submission.
His ability is division and fusion. As long as he supplements protein, he can create clones. The original Black Sperm possessed ten trillion cell clones, and the remake version was enhanced to have fifty-four trillion cell clones.
A single clone can't defeat a dog in combat, but with multiple cells combined, even S-class heroes are no match for him.
During the Monster Association arc, Black Sperm displayed multiple attempted murders and is suspected of having actually killed people.
However, Black Sperm isn't actually a monster that kills indiscriminately. His personality leans more toward being a troublemaker. When facing captured child hostages, he merely chased and teased them, not directly attacking. With his strength as a Dragon-level Executive, if he wanted to kill, he could have done so with a single strike.
In the original version, Black Sperm was the Monster Association's top combatant. After transforming into Golden Sperm, aside from Tatsumaki at full power, none of the other S-class heroes were his match.
The same holds true in the remake, with an even higher form: Platinum Sperm, who simultaneously overpowered multiple S-class heroes.
Unfortunately, in both versions, Black Sperm's strongest forms were ultimately ended by demonized Garou. It just goes to show: there is always someone stronger, and beyond the sky lies another sky.
However, what exactly this thing counts as remains unknown.
A new scene emerged as Chronos stepped through, returning with a large black dog and a small black monkey.
Rubbing his chin, Chronos fell into thought. Black Sperm had indeed come along with Pochi, seemingly due to the dog-food friendship from the original work.
But from the looks of it, Black Sperm appeared to be hiding, perhaps planning to act as a jester for amusement?
Currently, in terms of overall combat power on the ship, Black Sperm seemed to be number one...
This was a bit troublesome, but also an opportunity.
Pochi + Black Sperm—this directly took away two key members of the Monster Association!
[Ding! Vampire Character Skill Summoning Card activated]
[Ding! First skill summoned—JOJO's Bizarre Adventure series: Dio Brando's Vaporization Freezing Technique]
[Ding! Second skill summoned—Overlord: Shalltear Bloodfallen's Blood Frenzy]
[Ding! Third skill summoned—That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime series: Ruminas Valentine's King of Lust]
For this final Summoning Card, Chronos had originally been quite excited about vampire skills.
But after seeing the three options, Chronos's expression showed a hint of disappointment.
When it came to vampire characters, the first one Chronos thought of was Alucard's River of Death from Hellsing. Its presentation and abilities were truly both cool and powerful, fulfilling all the adolescent fantasies about vampires.
Enemies killed would be pulled into the River of Death, becoming an extra life for the user. Their souls would be collected and could even be released as puppets to fight.
Unfortunately, he hadn't drawn that.
Dio Brando, the starting point of the JOJO series, was also a famous vampire, jokingly called the "blonde older sister" who surpassed all others in the anime world.
But Chronos also hadn't drawn Dio's signature ability—The World, which could stop time.
The Vaporization Freezing Technique was essentially an icy breath, a rather lackluster ability. Chronos already possessed the Paramecia-type Freeze-Freeze Fruit.
Shalltear Bloodfallen, the strongest overall combatant among the Floor Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Unfortunately, Chronos hadn't drawn her relatively better skills either, such as the doppelganger with nearly equal combat power, the guaranteed-hit magic, or the time reversal that healed her own injuries.
The effect of Blood Frenzy was to sacrifice rationality in exchange for a significant boost in combat attributes, equivalent to a berserk state.
It wasn't bad, but Chronos clearly preferred Shalltear's other abilities.
Ruminas Valentine, a character from the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime series, was one of the Ten Great Demon Lords and later one of the Eight-Star Demon Lords.
As a character from a Japanese light novel, she existed across multiple adaptations: the web novel, the light novel, anime, manga, and games, each with its own worldview.
In terms of overall strength, Ruminas was undoubtedly at the bottom among the older generation of Demon Lords, if not the very last, then second to last.
In the later parts of the novel, even when facing the Giant King, another Eight-Star Demon Lord, Ruminas had to team up with Shion and others under Rimuru's command to barely achieve a nine-to-one advantage.
However, in the world of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, skills were a crucial component of strength. Ultimate Skills like the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues were extremely important.
Of course, later on, "God"-level skills appeared, demoting Ultimate Skills from tier T0 to T1.
Ruminas's King of Lust, like Rimuru's King of Gluttony, was one of the Seven Deadly Sins Ultimate Skills.
However, the effect of the King of Lust is surprisingly unrelated to its name—it governs life and death.
With a single glance, it can kill living beings, and its subordinates can be revived almost infinitely upon death.
Yet it is not conceptual in terms of life and death; it merely represents an energy form of Life Force and Death Force.
Against powerful opponents, Death Force cannot directly cause death but can only weaken them and steal their life force.
When facing an opponent far stronger than oneself, it is highly unlikely to revive them.
When confronting the Giant King, Shion was killed countless times. Thanks to Lumina's presence, Shion could be continuously revived to fight the enemy; otherwise, there wouldn't even be a one-in-ten chance of survival.
Even though it is not a conceptual ability, being able to interact with the forces of life and death is sufficient.
At the very least, it is better than the previous two effects, Ice Breath and Frenzy.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining—King of Lust from the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime series!]
!
A miraculous sensation surged within Chronos, and his vision transformed as if everything became distinct in black and white. He could now touch two newly visible energies.
The Vampire Fruit underwent a slight mutation, and a sudden surge of hot blood nourished his body.
Cracking his neck, Chronos no longer needed the Soul-Soul Fruit to instill fear in enemies to see Soul Lifespa
n; he could now directly perceive "Life."
"I have Thunderclap, I have the Vampire Fruit, but it seems the Soul-Soul Fruit hasn't been enhanced yet."
Chronos pondered. Why is that? Could it be because he hasn't encountered Charlotte Linlin, the Ability User of the Soul-Soul Fruit in the storyline?
Uncertain. If the opportunity arises in the future, he'll try to make contact and see.