As the conversation continued, Firewing's voice suddenly weakened, her gaze a bit dazed as she stared at Brandon, who now looked unresponsive.
"…Wait, don't tell me you can really do it?"
"Of course not! What are you thinking?" Brandon snapped, sounding more annoyed than usual.
His ability was [Nature's Authority], not some "conceptual" [Nature's Authority]! It wasn't like he could just say "this counts as nature" and make anything happen at will. Did she really think he was that overpowered?
If it really worked that way, then black holes were part of nature too—what, was he supposed to just conjure up a black hole out of thin air? That was ridiculous.
But then he recalled a line from the chat group's template: "Sometimes, you can also choose to act on belief."
Could he really do it?
No, [Nature's Authority] was just Earth's power—beyond Earth, even if it still worked, it wouldn't be nearly as strong. There was no way he could pull off something so outrageous. It just wasn't possible.
Yet… why did he have a lingering sense that "maybe I actually could"?
"Hey, chat group—our awakened powers only exist because of Earth, right? You didn't mix in anything extra, did you?"
"Ding! Aside from awakening Earth's spiritual energy, the chat group has not used any other power. All members' abilities are due to Earth's consciousness. The chat group itself is not involved."
That confirmation made Brandon sigh with relief.
If the chat group hadn't interfered, then his [Nature's Authority] was really just what Earth gave him. Doing things like "conceptualizing" comic book abilities or creating black holes just wasn't on the table.
…Okay, maybe black holes might be possible someday, if Earth got even stronger as spiritual energy continued to recover. But copying things straight out of manga? Absolutely not!
Ding! "While the chat group hasn't used any power beyond awakening spiritual energy, the ability [Nature's Authority] is not as simple as you think."
Ding! "Reminder: Earth is the most unique existence among all worlds. The power it gives is also the most unique. When you become a 'god,' your true ability will be revealed."
Those cold, mechanical chat group messages echoed in Brandon's mind, and the meaning behind them left him at a loss.
What did it mean, "Earth is the most unique in the multiverse"?
What was this about "becoming a god" unlocking the true power?
So all the power he was using now was just a tiny sliver?
Those few sentences made Brandon seriously wonder if, someday, he really could do conceptual stuff.
How would he become a god?
And what was the definition of "god" in this context anyway?
Firewing, of course, had no idea about the chaos in Brandon's mind. She just patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "For a second, I really thought you were about to do something crazy."
"Yeah, that kind of thing is just too conceptual—no way even a world as strange as ours could allow it. Unless, I guess, our planet isn't really a 'normal' planet at all. Maybe it's actually some kind of primordial relic, like those legendary ancestral worlds in web novels?"
"Only something like that could explain why spiritual energy recovery is so special here—and how we get monsters like you awakening." She paused, then added dryly, "But, well, even if you can't do that, your powers are still pretty damn monstrous."
"Seriously, how can there be someone so ridiculously overpowered among humans?"
"Are you some kind of reincarnated prodigy or something? Out of all the talent in the world, you hog ninety-nine percent of it!"
Brandon just stared at her in bafflement as she let out a heavy sigh.
"Anyway, get ready. In three days, we're heading to the Vantora City Nature Reserve."
"There's been a huge surge of spiritual energy detected there. Most likely, something unexpected has happened."
"I wonder what kind of animals have mutated this time?"
"If you do spot mutated creatures, check if they're the kind from cultivation novels—the kind that are basically gentle, spiritual beasts—or if they're the brutal, apocalypse-style monsters. The first kind, we just observe for now; those areas are isolated, so there's no rush.
But if they're the dangerous type… Well, do as you see fit. Heck, you can even try eating them. I heard beast meat that's been nurtured by spiritual energy is delicious and really good for your health. I wonder if that's true…"
She subconsciously licked her lips. Realizing what she'd done, Firewing blushed, coughed twice, and then tried to play it cool.
"Just bring back a couple of legs, alright? The scientists only need a sample to study. As long as you leave them a piece, they'll be happy."
"One leg from each kind, got it? Try a variety. We'll see which tastes best."
Brandon couldn't help but feel exasperated. "Can't you go yourself?"
"I've got other business—and besides, if I did it, I'd get scolded."
She shook her head, sounding genuinely frustrated.
"You're different. The higher-ups treat you like a national treasure. Heck, if you only brought back one tiny piece of meat, they'd still be grateful."
"Back when I joined with Skyler and the others, we were the pride of the program. But after your profile came in, all of us just dropped a tier—like, overnight. Not that we can really complain."
"Ugh, whatever, it just pisses me off thinking about it."
"This time, it'll be you, Yue Frost, and me going. I've got Hazel Yates and Carl Stone on another assignment. You don't really need Hazel's healing powers, anyway."
"Watch out for Yue. She's got basically zero battle experience. Treat this as training—at least she'll learn not to freeze up next time she faces a monster."
"If she really wants to jump in, let her try. With you there, there's no way she'll die."
After all, Brandon could use [Nature's Authority] to heal just about anything—far better than Hazel's healing, so long as you weren't dead on the spot.
That reminded him—were souls a part of nature?
If people counted, then souls must too, right?
And if that's the case… could he control someone's soul after they died? Maybe even put the soul back in the body?
(End of Chapter)