Chapter 67: Special Abilities
The superior physical abilities and intelligence granted by the Creator.
The ability to control the spirits of light given by Rios, the six-handed elf god.
Following that, the ability given to them by Idra, the god of abundance, was the ability to grow plants on any land.
It was literally an ability befitting the name of abundance.
[I gave them the ability so that they would never starve wherever they go and always see the plants they love.]
[Oh….]
Even if Idra gave that ability with pure intentions, the ability itself was truly absurd.
Think about it.The ability to grow plants as long as there is land for them to take root, without needing oxygen, water, or anything else.
Of course, there would be differences in abilities depending on the elf individual, but if a group of elves with excellent abilities gathered, they could turn a barren planet into a plant planet with an incredible terraforming ability.
As long as they could grow, they could create an atmosphere and secure food.
In other words, even a barren planet with nothing.
Even a planet full of death.
Even an asteroid where nothing could exist could be turned into a planet where life could live.
Originally, terraforming required an enormous amount of time and cost.
Creating a base where people could live, first focusing on microorganisms and hardy ferns that could produce oxygen in the atmosphere, and gradually turning it green.
It was a task that required hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.
But to finish it all in one go with just this ability.
To understand the significance of this, one only needs to look at the terraforming processes of other planets.
For instance, the Lubaran race, which has terraformed dozens of planets, most of which already have environments suitable for life.
However, some of them were still in the process of being terraformed, and in fact, the Lubaran race was living in sealed research bases.
In the case of the Meias race, they created barriers with magic, and there were even magicians dedicated to producing oxygen and maintaining those barriers. 𝑅𝘈ꞐŏBƐŞ
But the elves could create a habitable planet within a few decades, or even a few years, without going through such cumbersome and labor-intensive processes.
As a result, the importance of the elves to the Galactic Union increased significantly.
Previously, they were considered a smart and rapidly developing race, similar to the Lubaran race, and were quite helpful to the development of the Galactic Union.
Now, they had become essential for the terraforming of planets to expand the Galactic Union’s influence and accommodate the growing population.
If Idra had known this and given them the ability, one might think, “He intended to make the elves the rulers of the universe by giving them such an overpowered ability.”
[Hehe, now they can see their beloved plants wherever they go. Elves love dense forests.]
[….]
Hmm, it seemed like she didn’t have any grand plans.
She just really liked elves.
It was said that she gave the same ability to the original universe outside the laboratory.
So, there wouldn’t be much difference between the two worlds.
So far, things seemed to be progressing almost identically, with only minor differences in small incidents and accidents.
These minor incidents didn’t seem to affect the entire universe, so it didn’t matter much.
While there is a saying about the butterfly effect, it only applies to specific events.
Truly trivial incidents have no impact on the entire universe.
Only significant events can change the course of the universe.
A butterfly’s flap might need to be as powerful as a cosmic storm or a black hole on a universal scale.
The new terraforming ability given to the elves?
This was an event significant enough to completely change the dynamics of the universe.
It was not just a butterfly’s flap but a massive cyclone shaking the entire world.
This could be said to have completely altered the flow of this universe.
…So, what now?
Are we screwed?
[Haha. It’s a good ability.]
Well, I don’t know either.
Let’s just see how it goes.
#
“The god has bestowed upon us a new ability!”
“Ooooooh!”
The new ability was conveyed to all the elves, and a detailed explanation was delivered as an oracle to Rodri, the highest religious authority and priest of the elves.
The power of abundance.
An ability to grow plants anywhere, securing food and vegetation no matter where they fell.
“Rios, the elf god, has bestowed upon us a special power with his hand of abundance! He said you could make flowers bloom even on barren land!”
“Ooooooh! Rios! Rios!”
At the words of Priest Rodri, the elves cheered and prostrated themselves before the giant statue of Rios.
Of course, the ability was not given by Rios but by the foreign god, Idra.
For convenience, they credited Rios, the god they worshipped.
Moreover, it was believed that one of Rios’s six hands, the ‘hand of abundance,’ had the power to grow crops, so it made sense.
[….]
Rios, watching this, had mixed feelings, but since Idra had already informed him separately, he said nothing.
After all, from his perspective, it was good if the elves, entrusted to him by the great Creator, were doing well.
“Is it really true…?”
Yujin and the members of the Galactic Union, who had come to the elf planet to negotiate cooperation and union membership, were taken aback by the news and asked Lasi for confirmation.
“Yes. We have developed the ability to grow plants. We can grow plants on any barren land, even places without oxygen or water.”
While there is individual variation among elves, even the weakest can grow plants over an area of 2 to 3 square meters.
Lasi and Rodri, who had particularly strong abilities, were able to fill hundreds of square meters with shrubbery, as experiments showed.
Even experiments conducted on planets without oxygen or water through spaceships demonstrated that plants could grow on any soil, even on iron ore, without any other conditions.
These plants survived for days without water, oxygen, or light, and are still thriving.
The experimenters’ last words were that they needed to observe how long the plants could survive without any conditions.
“…This is unbelievable.”
Yujin and the members of the Galactic Union knew what this meant and were dumbfounded.
It was something not even the most mysterious and special ability of the Meias race, ‘magic,’ could achieve.
While it was possible to create barriers and produce oxygen to sustain life within them, growing plants from nothing and maintaining them in a verdant state for days was impossible with Lubaran technology or Meias magic.
A special ability that allows for easy and rapid terraforming.
Did the elves realize how special, dangerous, and precious this ability was?
“With this ability, it will greatly assist in the stabilization and territorial expansion of the Galactic Union that you mentioned, Mr. Yujin. We could build bases wherever we want, significantly reducing the need for manpower, resources, and time.”
“…Indeed. It’s the kind of ability we’ve been wanting to the point of desperation.”
At least Lasi was very aware of the importance of this ability.
She understood how essential it was for Yujin and the Galactic Union’s future direction.
‘Our elves can secure a more definite position.’
Lasi had no intention of generously sharing this ability like a fool.
She intended to ensure that the elves received treatment and returns commensurate with their newfound abilities.
“We need to start by revising the contract terms.”
“…Yes.”
Yujin sighed inwardly, feeling resigned.
‘Haa… What on earth is the main body thinking? Giving such an absurdly overpowered ability to the elves? Is he favoring the elves over me?’
He had never particularly desired the main body’s help or affection, but now he felt a sense of injustice.
Of course, this ability was given by Idra on her own accord, not by the main body.
The main body had only given the elves and Yujin their inherent abilities and wasn’t paying attention at all.
In fact, in terms of individual abilities, what was given to Yujin was far more preferential.
Nevertheless, Yujin, unaware of these inner workings, felt increasingly resentful towards the main body.
[What do you expect me to do? That woman did it on her own. I can’t just take it away, can I?]
The main body felt wronged.