Chapter 146
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Origin of the Species
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The voice vanished right away.
[Wheeze. Cough.]
[(›´_｀‹ )]
Where had that charismatic voice from just moments ago gone? The text was back.
What the hell is this?
I asked, utterly dumbfounded.
"What was that just now?"
[Ah... I pushed myself a bit too hard.]
[(×﹏×)]
[I forced it open just for a moment to speak.]
"Nice voice."
Hearing its voice somehow deflated my energy.
I flopped back down into my chair.
[Gasp?!]
[Really?!]
"Yeah."
[Heh heh heh, practicing my voice paid off.]
"You even practiced it?"
[Of course!]
Impressive dedication.
But anyway.
"Show me your face too."
I said with a grin.
I'm curious, after all.
[I'd love to show you...]
It hesitated mid-sentence.
[...Ah!]
[No! That's not it!]
[What I mean is... please accept it a little!]
"Tch."
What a shame.
I was going to let it slide.
"......Fine."
[To be honest... you don't seem to have much resistance to polygamy yourself, do you, User?]
"Well... yeah, that's true."
I didn't bother denying it.
If this were Earth, it'd be morally condemned without question. But this world is different.
It respects the freedom and abilities of all Otherworlders.
If it were completely alien, that'd be one thing.
But the lifestyle and civilization level are similar to my original world—except they're unusually lenient about romantic relationships.
Thanks to that, I've naturally blended into this world's common sense without any sense of disconnect.
However.
"As long as it's not the counselor-client relationship... I think it'd be fine."
That was my unbreakable final line in the sand.
Dating while conducting counseling? Absolutely, utterly unacceptable.
[Gasp... in that case?]
"Yeah."
Elise and Luna, as long as they're not clients... they're fine.
So if they come at me with their feelings again.
I won't dodge. This time, I won't refuse.
Truth be told, I already harbored genuine affection for them.
This was the moment I acknowledged those feelings.
What?
Hidden ability?
If it's a hidden ability...
Jin Sea's Brain Ghost.
Mary's... Omnipotence.
Proof that you're one of the chosen few—manifesting only in the rarest of Hunters.
"Buddy, can you explain?"
[Congratulations, User!]
[\\(-Ò｡Ó-”)]
Thanks for the congrats, but...
"So what kind of power is this?"
I tried to sound calm as I asked.
But my heart was racing with anticipation.
Last time with the Expanded Ability, I'd gained an incredible boost.
I could see clients' future emotions and their status windows.
It was the turning point that changed my mindset.
I realized that strict ethics don't always lead to the best outcomes.
This could push me further as a counselor in a positive direction. The excitement was building.
"What?"
As a counselor, I already had some resistance to mental status ailments.
But not to this extent.
Full immunity to all status ailments?
My expectations were becoming reality.
And the ability didn't stop there.
I stared blankly into space for a moment.
Will you accept?
[Y/N]
Accept?
Does it normally ask for confirmation like this?
First time awakening a hidden ability, so who knows if this is standard.
I read the details carefully first.
Physical ability increase...
[Try it out!]
A faint blue energy settled over me.
I grabbed the grip strengthener right next to me.
And...
- Squeeze...
I clenched it with all my might.
It had always been pretty stiff. But now it gave way easily.
The increase in strength... I could feel it to some degree.
A modest rise, fitting the "slight" description.
The second one: Inexhaustible Spring...
What the hell is this?
"What's an inexhaustible spring?"
[......]
It paused for a beat.
[It's exactly what it says! It won't dry up. Probably.]
"You're missing the subject—what won't dry up?"
[Hmm... a metaphor? User, if you open a dam's gates and the reservoir runs dry, what happens?]
Sudden random dam talk.
I furrowed my brow, trying to guess its intent.
"...The water flow stops? Power generation halts too..."
[Exactly. Your rut stops.]
"Power generation."
[The water will never run out. Even if you gush endlessly.]
"So..."
Keep beating around the bush.
I let out a small sigh and looked back at the hidden ability's name.
Then I slowly rolled the words around in my mouth.
Origin of the Species.
And the sub-category below it.
Alpha's Duty.
It could mean many things... but thinking about "Origin of the Species."
This is probably it.
The alpha male at the top of the natural hierarchy, leading the pack.
Alpha... Origin of the Species.
What is their duty?
The obligation of a superior male...
"...Huh?"
My eyes widened.
"Hey, what the hell is this?!"
I caught on.
What this ability was for.
My ominous intuition was spot on.
Hidden abilities usually awaken tailored to the individual's powers, even if only for top S-Rank Hunters.
Sea told me privately: Brain Ghost lets her bestow control over electricity via willpower.
But I'm a counselor. Healing minds through words and empathy.
Origin of the Species?
This doesn't fit at all. Why?
"Hey, this doesn't fit. At all?"
I freaked out and demanded an explanation from the system.
The genre just shifted out of nowhere.
[Well, it doesn't have to fit perfectly to awaken lol]
Its response was half-hearted.
Where'd it pick up that tone?
As I stared in bewilderment, the system flickered and unleashed a torrent of text.
Like a salesman doing PR.
[What's the essence of counseling?! It's identifying clients' deficiencies, easing their anxieties, and giving them stability, right?]