Chapter 98: My Name Is Megumin…

“Congratulations, Host, you have obtained one Silver-Rank Summoning Card. There is a ninety-five percent chance the summon will exist for one hour, and a five percent chance it will exist permanently.”

“Permanent with only a five percent chance? How is that any different from having none at all?” Yun Xuan said, looking at the suppressed zombies.

“Roar!” The wolf-like mutated beast outside let out a howl.

“End of mission,” Yun Xuan said with a snap of his fingers.

Eight nutrient pods appeared, and the eight Haku girls climbed into them. Then they vanished from sight.

“Battle Time,” Ice Snow murmured softly, and the whole world seemed to fall silent.

Yun Xuan and the other two left the underground garage, leaped onto the wolf-like beast’s back, and rode it toward Research Institute 1215 at full speed.

Because of the beast-taming ring, the wolf-like mutated beast had become Yun Xuan’s pet, and under the Battle Time state, it could still move.

The eight Haku girls were not recognized by the system, so it was impossible for them to move while Battle Time was active.

Putting them into the nutrient pods let them hide inside the strategy machine. This was probably because the nutrient pods provided the necessities for survival, and the system treated the pods as nutrient pods, with any living beings inside considered part of them.

“The prototype strategy machine still has some loopholes, it seems,” Yun Xuan said, looking around. Wherever the wolf-like beast passed, it took the main road, already cleared open.

When they were two kilometers from Research Institute 1215, Yun Xuan recalled the wolf-like beast into the strategy machine, took out a motorcycle, and the three of them reached the gate in less than two minutes.

At that moment, there was still one minute left. Yun Xuan began finishing off the zombies blocking the underground garage entrance.

The moment Yun Xuan closed the door, less than ten seconds later, sounds rang out outside, and hundreds of zombies fell to the ground.

Only after stepping into the research institute did Yun Xuan finally relax. He took a shower, then brought out the eight Haku girls.

The eight Haku girls awakened from the nutrient pods; inside the strategy machine, they had no consciousness.

...

That night, Yun Xuan and the eight Haku girls drank beverages, ate canned food, and browsed the apocalypse forum.

“Is Wushan City still offering a huge reward for supplies?” Yun Xuan glanced at the map. Wushan City was more than two hundred kilometers from Qingyue City.

Normally, Wushan City should have directly requested supplies from Qingyue City. Unfortunately, the Wushan Expressway lay between them, and that route had long since become a paradise for mutant beasts.

Supplies could only be transported by air. Yet the nearest cities around them that could manage air transport were all five hundred kilometers away, and that five hundred kilometers would not be easy to cross.

There were mutated birds in the sky as well. Low-altitude transport was basically suicide, while high-altitude transport could not carry much cargo.

“What a pity. These cans of mine are only a drop in the bucket. Otherwise... wait, if I could get my hands on the pterosaur in the city center... No, that’s too absurd. At my level, I probably wouldn’t be able to control it.” Yun Xuan shook his head and began considering new options.

If possible, he wanted to make a good profit from the gold coins. If he could save people along the way, that would be even better.

He took out the Silver-Rank Summoning Card and looked at it, feeling a little anticipatory. Tomorrow’s monster hunting should be easy, right?

Lying on the soft bed, Yun Xuan felt extremely comfortable. The eight Haku girls were earnestly seeking guidance from Bai Xue and Bing Xue.

...

In the morning, Yun Xuan rubbed his eyes and sat up.

The moment he got up, he saw Bai Xue and Bing Xue staring at each other, while the eight Haku girls were sleeping on the floor.

Yun Xuan smiled, took out a set of cooking utensils and ingredients, and began preparing breakfast.

With Silver-Rank kitchenware in hand, his knife work became even faster. The exquisite dishes gave off a rich aroma, awakening the eight Haku girls.

“Done. Braised pork, steak, sweet-and-sour pork ribs, a mixed vegetable platter, and this braised tofu with meat,” Yun Xuan said with a smile as he set the dishes on the table. The eight Haku girls had already been waiting impatiently.

The moment Yun Xuan put down the utensils, all eight had already started eating.

Yun Xuan smiled faintly and joined them.

Bai Xue and Bing Xue looked over as well, then came closer.

After the meal, they rested for two hours. Yun Xuan checked the time and felt it was about right.

The eleven of them came to the first floor. Yun Xuan took out the Silver-Rank Summoning Card in his hand.

“Summon!” Yun Xuan said.

He tossed the Silver-Rank Summoning Card forward, and a blood-red magic circle appeared on the ground.

Buzz.

The magic circle trembled, expanded slightly again, and even seemed to grow a little hot.

At its center, a bright light flashed, and a young girl appeared.

She wore a mage’s robe, a mage’s hat, and held a staff. An eyepatch covered her left eye.

She had smooth black hair, a cute face, the build of a little loli, and a somewhat flat chest.

“My name is Megumin! I am a Great Mage by profession, and I wield the strongest attack magic: Explosion Magic. Are you my Host?” the red-eyed little loli asked, pointing at Yun Xuan.

“Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the permanent summon, Megumin!” came the voice of the cat-eared girl, Meow Meow.

“Huh?” Yun Xuan stared at the little girl before him, his mouth falling open. It was actually her!

“You are my Host, aren’t you? I—” Megumin had not even finished speaking before she collapsed to the ground.

“Hm?” Yun Xuan looked at this one-hit mage. Could she be... fainting from hunger?

“I’m sorry, could you give me something to eat? I haven’t eaten anything in three days...” Megumin lifted her head, her voice hoarse.

“Just a moment,” Yun Xuan said with a smile. Summoning this one-hit mage had actually brought in a major fighting force.

...

“This thing called canned food is excellent. Thank you for the meal,” Megumin said after eating her fill, bowing with flushed cheeks.

“Although it’s a little abrupt, I have to tell you that you were summoned from a two-dimensional world. Look...” Yun Xuan said, opening the anime A Blessing for This Wonderful World. The cover had actually changed, and Megumin was gone from it.

He opened a video to check, and found the art style had changed dramatically. Megumin’s character had become a magical girl.

“What is it?” Megumin asked, looking puzzled.

“Uh, nothing. Just call me Yun Xuan. From now on, you’ll be the main damage dealer in our team. Let me introduce this world to you first.” Yun Xuan opened the video. Some parts had already been censored, and even so, Megumin still looked pale.

“So our enemies are those monsters?” Megumin asked.

“Mm. Mutant beasts and zombies. For now, I can still control one mutant beast. I came out today to hunt and to find a second one. Once I gather two mutant beasts, and with your power added in, I plan to go into the city, wipe out the zombie tide, and relieve the crisis at the Wushan City survivor settlement. Of course, I also want to sell my canned food,” Yun Xuan said seriously.

“To save a survivor settlement? I’m willing to help. But if you want me to slaughter the innocent indiscriminately, I absolutely won’t do it.” Megumin’s eyes lit up.

“I’m not the kind of person who slaughters the innocent. Once you’re ready, we can set out, Megumin,” Yun Xuan said as he stood up.

“Explosion Magic can be released at any time, as long as the Host gives the order,” Megumin said with a smile as she stood up too.

“Let’s go!” Yun Xuan led these eleven girls forward, a plan forming in his mind.

P.S. I absolutely love Megumin. Just how far can a single Explosion Magic blast really go? Stay tuned. Please vote for the recommendation.