Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Truth of Psionics
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Psionic abilities are the power to alter a species' very origins.
Just the fact that they can produce results defying the laws of physics has revolutionized fields like communications, logistics, military operations, and research.
For example, every member of the Bahilila Holy Knight Order had their minds somewhat open, allowing them to converse via telepathic waves. The stronger knights could even wield superhuman powers like psychokinesis.
The legion operates as a single entity—'me'—with a mind evolved to command countless individuals. Naturally, I can communicate through telepathic waves as well.
Once the mind surpasses its threshold, it transcends the basic five senses, functioning as a sixth sense and a new organ in its own right. Isn't this what they mean in wuxia novels by reaching the pinnacle?
Telepathic waves reveal just how inefficient human conversation is—vocalizing sounds with the mouth and interpreting them through the ears.
Humans lack the genetic evolution of the legion, the mechanical prowess of the Telluris Assimilator, and the mental superiority of the Bahilila Holy Knight Order.
On the flip side, that means they can specialize in any direction.
Given humanity's strong individualistic traits, it's entirely possible for individuals to specialize differently. In other words, their lows are abysmal, but their peaks are sky-high.
The Deneb Federation must remain my eternal ally forever, so no superhuman capable of upending the world can be allowed to emerge.
Genetic engineering to create chimeras is fine. No matter how hard they try, they can't outdo the legion's gene manipulation.
Replacing the entire body with machinery is a bit tricky, but manageable. We can block it with laws banning body modifications or by shaping social perceptions. Sure, some people will still get augmented, but a few machines won't change the world.
But a sudden psionic superhuman with immense talent? That's a different story. They drop from the sky with no warning, and their power dwarfs a couple of machines.
We can't completely prevent it from happening, either. Would Denebians stop smoking a cigarette that aids psionic awakening just because we say it's harmful? Of course not. If the world worked that conveniently, Earth wouldn't have a drug problem.
Before figuring out a countermeasure, I need to confirm if this cigarette truly aids psionic awakening and how ordinary creatures achieve it in the first place.
In games, you get a simple "You have awakened" message and that's it. Reality won't be so straightforward.
After the diplomat Hihirak sacrificed himself to the knights, his successor—granted diplomatic authority by the Queen—headed to the Galactic Peace Committee.
Since it was just for a few light questions, there was no need to request an audience with the chairman. You don't summon a nation's leader for trivial matters.
The space whale from our first meeting with the Deneb Federation obliged once more.
Even so, sending a Treegalaon for a friendly diplomatic visit between allied nations felt off. Imagine the U.S. Secretary of State arriving on an aircraft carrier—what would people think? Should we develop a bio-unit like a passenger jet?
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Professor."
"Not at all. I'm sorry my roots no longer heed me, forcing you to travel so far."
This plant specimen was the most outstanding in psionics among the Galactic Peace Committee members—the Bahilila with the strongest mind. He'd heard it taught mental disciplines to young Bahilila.
He'd wondered if sending a diplomat just to meet a professor was overkill, but in foreign eyes, diplomat was the only position with enough authority. The researchers on Ferma Planet weren't ready to go public yet, and without those brains, only Hirak diplomats and manual laborers remained.
He had no choice but to dispatch a diplomat.
The professor rushing out to the space station to greet him warmly—such was the power of a great nation.
From the other side's perspective, it was as if the head of state had come personally.
That was because the Queen of the Lushaka Kingdom was shrouded in mystery.
She'd never engaged in political activities abroad, nor did she seem to issue direct commands to her subjects, yet the kingdom's people followed her devotedly, openly declaring the nation as her possession.
They probably saw it as something akin to faith. Thus, anyone granted "diplomatic authority" by the Queen would be viewed as the most powerful entity in the kingdom—since no one else had received such privileges.
This approach was unavoidable. I had no desire to expose my main body. I didn't want to create even the tiniest risk of it being threatened. Better to shoulder other dangers instead.
Thinking about it, we lacked judicial or police authority too? Society was running pretty haphazardly. Time to patch those gaps bit by bit.
"Our species is ignorant about psionics, so I've come with a few questions."
"I'll share what I know."
"How do Bahilila awaken to psionics?"
Bahilila and humans were entirely different species, so relevance might be minimal, but since both followed the domain of the mind, it should help. There had to be common ground.
"Ah... Has someone in the Lushaka Kingdom awakened to psionics?"
"No, nothing like that. We're just gathering knowledge."
No psionic ability user could manifest in our species. My mind was developed enough for psionics, true—but whether that allowed my divided selves to wield superpowers was another matter.
My brain might be strong enough for superpowers, but that didn't mean an expeditionary finger could channel and fire them from afar, right?
"In that case, I should tell you about my own awakening. This was back when I was a mere sapling on Nualalkaima..."
What followed was a dull, pedantic tale. The river by the World Tree on Nualalkaima is truly beautiful... The first light of Alhamra in the new year is something everyone must witness at least once...
"Ah, yes. I see, Professor. So, to sum up, your mind opened through a process of resonating with the World Tree postnatally?"
"Yes, exactly. The World Tree may be gone now, but the sight of it stretching beyond the skies into space is truly majestic. The Bahilila of Nualalkaima drew pride from gazing upon it. Speaking of which, our homeland was right before the World Tree—it blocked Alhamra's light originally, but it would refract it to us, creating a spectacular view—"
How could a tree end up so convinced it was the oldest in the world? The Confucian respect lingering in me made interrupting difficult.
But business was business.
"That must have been truly beautiful, Professor. Do you know anything about this plant?"
"Hmm?"
He handed the professor a Deneb tobacco leaf. The professor examined it carefully and, with permission, chewed on it to savor the taste.
"It's Ozz. Applied to the plant's leaves, perhaps?"
"Ozz? What's that?"
"A substance that stimulates the mind and activates psionic abilities. Occasionally, comets rich in Ozz enter star systems. We don't know their origin, but as they burn up, the components spread across the entire system, likely adhering to plants."
So, not a genetic trait of the plant, but a natural environmental factor?
"Yes. The substance depletes slowly, so plants grown on the surface absorb lingering Ozz until it's all gone."
There was a reason Deneb tobacco could enhance the mind yet wasn't smoked constantly.
For some reason, tobacco grown on Earth or Lushaka lacked the mind-opening effect of Admiral Nikolai's gift. So they'd stockpiled imports for critical moments. Now the reason was clear.
But if so, wouldn't all plants on Deneb's Catea continent show psionic enhancement? And claiming Ozz was limited to certain areas didn't add up—why wouldn't the company selling it expand operations? That made no sense.
Just ask directly? It wasn't my business, after all.
"This is tobacco available in the Deneb Federation. How do you think they're mass-producing and selling it?"
"Hm. Truthfully, natural Ozz dispersion doesn't allow cultivation like this. Nualalkaima has seen Ozz comets a few times, but concentrated planting depletes soil Ozz quickly. Long-term mass production is tough."
The professor debunked the core assumption. Mass production was difficult.
"Do you have other plant samples?"
*Munch munch*
"Hm. Achieving consistent Ozz levels artificially is impossible. They're probably mixing in Ozz deliberately. The knights did something similar—we blended it into fertilizer."
"So, someone in Deneb is dusting tobacco with Ozz and selling it?"
"Precisely. Without awakening, even detecting Ozz is hard. Looks like the Federation has an awakened psionic too. A joyous occasion."
*Hahaha!* The professor laughed heartily, as if genuinely delighted.
"Hahaha. Indeed. An ally growing stronger is always good news."
"Absolutely."
*Heh heh heh.* Look at these guys?
This is a headache.