Chapter: 38. Always Wanting to Be My Mother’s Sister
If we were to discuss the difference between the abilities awakened within oneself and those brought by contracted beasts, the first distinction would be growth potential.
Self-awakened abilities grow with the expansion of one’s inner emptiness, which is to say, with one’s obsessions and hatred toward the world.
In contrast, the strength of abilities derived from contracted beasts is fixed. Even though one can enhance the effects of these abilities through various means in a short time, they do not grow as a result.
The second major difference lies in the flow of magic power.
To use a contracted beast’s abilities, one must convey their magic power to the contracted beast or pass it to the contractor through the contracted beast.
In simple terms, a “magic connection” is essential.
This is also one of the criteria used by the ability user organizations in this world to assess individuals.
—As long as one can store a contracted beast within their soul, they can activate their abilities through this internal connection, thus preventing any external magic fluctuations from being detected.
For the people of this world, the technology of “storing a contracted beast in the soul” is not widespread, and even among those who know about it, there are very few.
Ark Academy, Zone Zero.
“Good job, we have gathered sufficient data.” The lab-coated staff member said happily to the black-haired girl in front of him.
Her deep black hair, reminiscent of the night sky, was slick with sweat against her snow-white skin. Coupled with her form-fitting white bodysuit, which had become even more clingy after getting wet, it faintly revealed the skin beneath the fabric, giving her every movement a strangely provocative quality.
The middle-aged lab technician felt his heart race a little.
However, due to his professional ethics and the dignity of being an adult, he ultimately managed to divert his gaze.
According to existing reports and supernatural phenomena.
The staff members in Zone Zero conducted a study on the recovery capability displayed by the black-haired girl before them.
Was it because she had just awakened? Her magic power was very low.
After each experiment, they had to wait a quarter of an hour for her to gradually recover her magic power.
Moreover, every time she used magic, they could intuitively sense a significant reduction in her vitality.
Although she was a student who had just awakened her abilities, such data did not appear to be at a level suitable for combat.
This left the staff member feeling a bit disappointed.
However, this disappointment quickly faded during the second round of testing.
In the second round, it was confirmed that this girl’s ability could be utilized on others.
Not only could she quickly heal minor injuries, but she could also restore lost stamina.
“A very rare recovery-type ability, and its functionality is very comprehensive.”
Through the recorded data from several rounds of experiments, combined with analysis and comparison with the existing SEGA database.
This sunny and somewhat naive black-haired beauty had awakened an ability known as 【Shared Feather】.
A very convenient and practical recovery-type ability but with a slightly high cost.
—————–
As Tian Yu had anticipated earlier.
Upon confirming that Nagi’s ability was recovery-type, the personnel from Ark Academy immediately showed an extraordinary level of care and attention.
Especially after learning that it required the costly “Shared Feather.”
The onsite commander immediately called for the next round of ability tests to be halted.
For the users of the “Shared Feather” ability, each time they used their power, it consumed not only the magic power within them but also their vitality.
Even though the rules for using this ability had been researched, as long as they used a limited amount of vitality within the corresponding timeframe, the consumption could be viewed as ordinary metabolism and would not negatively affect the body.
From a certain perspective, they essentially leveraged their own future to heal themselves or others.
Although the cost of the Shared Feather is high, it excels in having no preconditions for activation, and its healing effects are immediate.
It can be said to be a standard “medical soldier.”
With just this ability alone.
Ark Academy could easily place Nagi in the “double digits” category.
After Nagi and Tian Yu completed a series of experiments.
Perhaps considering that Nagi had excessively used her ability during the earlier experiments today, related evaluations were temporarily set aside to be addressed later.
And this was part of Nagi’s strategy.
After all, based on her real situation, she could not undergo overly thorough examinations right now.
Even though Garuda was not relying on her magic power to operate and Nagi had contained all contracted beasts within her soul, if a comprehensive and detailed check were to be conducted, it would still reveal some “contract” traces.
Therefore, she displayed a weak side during the experimental sessions.
This way.
In a place like Ark Academy, where recovery-type abilities are scarce, they would surely not conduct overly thorough checks on someone who appeared to be on the verge of collapse.
Thus, the two successfully evaded a crisis.
As for future examinations.
There was time for Nagi or Tian Yu to handle that well.
……
……
After Tian Yu graciously declined Maria’s offer to drive the two back to the Shiki Pavilion, she and Nagi got into the taxi they called.
Considering that the campus had just experienced an attack today, the nighttime campus should ideally have been accompanied by a teacher.
But since Tian Yu, as No. 9, was there to escort them, Maria did not insist on accompanying them.
After all, as a powerful teacher, she was needed at Ark Academy tonight to patrol the entire artificial island.
Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Thus, Tian Yu and Nagi finally had some time alone once again.
As for the driver of the taxi—
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, young lady.”
It was Koharu from the Tenkuu-in family.
Truly worthy of being the personal guard of the Tenkuu-in family; she could even drive a taxi.
On the way to the Shiki Pavilion.
Sitting in the back seat beside Nagi, Tian Yu took out her phone and added Nagi to her contacts on Ark Academy’s internal system.
“Therefore, from now on, I will be your guardian.”
“Wait—”
Nagi quickly interrupted Tian Yu’s statement.
“What does ‘guardian’ mean?” Nagi felt that she had been treated like an untrustworthy child by those around her lately; if it could be attributed to her character playing out with Mana, then Tian Yu—who for some reason always wanted to be her mother’s sister—seemed like she needed a proper rejection.
After all, she was the older sibling, an undeniable elder!
“A guardian is actually just a nickname; to be precise, it means ‘informed person,'” Tian Yu explained.
“Informed person?”
“In Ark Academy, concerning each person’s specific abilities, unless they are the assigned staff or faculty, only one person will know,” Tian Yu pointed to herself, “that is the person who accompanies the individual for their ability evaluation.”
“These individuals are also required by Ark Academy to assist ability users in understanding their powers and adapting to the real world, hence they are called ‘guardians.’”
“Oh, I see, if that’s the case, you should have said so earlier…”
Upon hearing this, Nagi felt a bit apologetic and smiled.
“I thought you were using this opportunity to become my guardian in Ark Academy to discipline me or something…”
“No, it’s you who are overthinking things, okay?” Tian Yu said as she turned her head to look out the window.
“…Then why did you look away? Isn’t it common sense to look someone in the eye when you talk?!”
“Wow, as expected of Ark Academy, the night view is so beautiful…”
