Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary - Chapter 334

Chapter 334: Chapter 334 Nianni’s Origins
While Avery certainly did covet money to strengthen his forces and provide the occasional luxuries, he was not the type to seek out and horde every Krenin he could get ahold of.

He naturally wanted to be paid for his work, but he only wanted his fair due. Getting far more or less for what he had accomplished did not sit right for him.

The company that represented Nianni had already paid far more than enough for the service that he and Kasandra had provided anymore.

“It’s a thoughtful gesture, but I’d rather you tell us about yourself and the powers that you have. And naturally, we’re willing to tell you anything you want to know about us too.” Avery said, casually, trying to change his tone and demeanor to how he would interact with a friend.

“Again, that was something I already planned on doing. Still, I don’t want things to be stiff between us, so I’ll drop the matter of rewarding you any further.”

With that matter settled Nianni started off by asking Avery if he really was human.

He looked exactly like one, but he exhibited abilities that no human, enhanced or otherwise, should have.

“You know, I’m not really sure about that myself anymore. I definitely used to be a normal human, and my past medical data proves it. After I received some augmentations from a specialist though, my body has started to change. None of these alterations have been negative, and every medical scan I’ve taken comes back showing that I’m perfectly healthy. In fact, my body’s only becoming stronger and more efficient from I can tell.” Avery explained the best he could.

Nianni titled her head and sat there in contemplation for a few seconds before nodding her head as if she had just come up with an answer.

“Perhaps you are also a descendant of a god.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“A god?”

Avery, Kasandra, and Jasmine all reacted to Nianni’s words in a similar manner. Utter confusion.

There was no widespread religion in the Dramid Alliance, and most people did not believe in any higher beings like gods.

That was not to say that there were not some species that still had fervent beliefs, but they were certainly in the minority. At least within the Dramid Alliance.

In other major galactic powers, especially the Reswen Theocracy which worshiped several gods, religion played a major part in their society, but Avery had not expected someone from the Dramid Alliance to call him the descendant of a god.

Then there was the fact that Nianni had used the word “also”.

That almost certainly meant that she believed herself to be related to whatever figure she was calling a god.

“I can tell from the look on your faces that you don’t truly believe what I say. And perhaps the one I’m speaking about would not be considered a god to any of you, but they are considered a such on my home planet.” Nianni said, clarifying what she meant.

As it turned out there was a legend on Forencia, Nianni’s home world.

Millenia ago, her species was said to have been born form the union of their world’s god, and the original intelligent lifeforms that had been on the planet and no longer existed.

This had been a long time ago, so there were no written records, but there were still a few monuments from back then that still stood and paintings and carvings that had been preserved.

The tale had also passed through the generations by word of mouth, though there was not telling how much had changed over time.

“That’s certainly interesting, but what does it have to do with you?” Avery asked, wearing a skeptical expression.

It sounded preposterous to him that Nianni could be certain she was related to Forencia’s “god”, if the events she was talking about happened so long ago.

“Well, my roots can be traced back to the first child born from our god and the Forencians that are our ancestors.”

“And that’s what makes you a descendant of your world’s god. Except, wouldn’t that mean that every Vensian is also part of the same lineage?” Kasandra said, jumping into the conversation.

“No, it’s said that the rest of the Forencians began transforming over time through the power of the Trees of Origin planted by our god. Only the first child is said to be their descendant.” Nianni clarified.

Of course, this only made things more confusing for Avery, Kasandra, and Jasmine.

‘Maybe there was some kind of mutation in the original species. It started out with one person who ended up with strange abilities and got revered as a god. Then, slowly it spread over the entire planet and myths and legends got mixed up with facts.’ Avery thought, coming up with a more plausible scientific reason for the chance on planet Forencia.

Vensians were well known to have psychic abilities that allowed them to communicate with plants.

What made Nianni special was that her powers were able to reach other people as well.

Avery had seen and experienced this firsthand, so there was no reason to doubt it.

However, he did not truly believe in this being the power of some god that the Vensians believed was the origin of their species. Most likely it was just another mutation that had occurred.

“Okay, I’ll accept what you say to a certain degree. But how did you come to the conclusion that I’m also a decedent of a god? And would it be the same one or a different one?”

“Well, I don’t have any basis for this. All I know is that this is the first time I’ve ever had connection like the one I had with you. It was shocking to me to feel your presence for the first time. I’ve never had anyone so violently break away from me while I was singing before.” Nianni said, not have a good explanation for what had occurred.

Despite being aware of her unusual abilities, she had little control over them.

When she sang, those that liked her music and were on a similar wavelength to her became connected to her through her powers.

It was not something she did consciously, but this was one of the reasons that her music was so beloved by many.

There was a connection on a deeper level than just an enjoyable song with a good rhythm and lyrics.

People would partially experience Nianni’s true emotions as her music played. Even recordings had a hint of her psychic powers in them.

All of this made her songs more alluring to those that heard them and were on susceptible to her abilities.

“Does that mean that everyone only likes your music because we’ve been brainwashed?” Jasmine suddenly asked, a conflicted look on her face.

“No, it’s nothing like that. As far as I know, all it does is make people more in tune with my emotions. And there are plenty of people that just don’t like my music that it doesn’t affect at all. When I’m doing a live performance, the effect becomes stronger, and I connect to most of the audience, but I’ve never tried to control anyone before. All I want to do is make music and bring a bit of joy to the people that hear it.”

Nianni’s words clearly rang true. Even without Kasandra’s specialized hearing and training that allowed her to tell when people were lying, it was easy to tell that there were no falsehoods in what Nianni had just said.

Nevertheless, learning what he had about her gave Avery an inkling as to why she had been targeted by the people wanting to abduct her.

While she may not have had any ill intentions, her psychic powers could reach billions of people.

Her music was currently the most popular in the Dramid Alliance.

And this was only in small part due to her abilities. Her skill as a singer was impeccable, and no one could deny that. Even those that did not particularly like her music would still agree that she was talented.

‘If someone kidnapped and brainwashed her, I could see it being possible to influence a great deal of people with her voice. Honestly, the idea is terrifying.’ Avery thought, shuddering at the prospect.

He could still vividly remember when his breaking of the link forming between him and Nianni had sent a wave through the other members of the audience.

Even Kasandra had glared at him and accused him of running Nianni’s performance.

Should her abilities be weaponized, they could easily become the most terrifying power in the galaxy.

“Who else have you told about this?”

It was possible that Katarina’s still unknown employer might have pieced things together, but Avery thought it more likely that someone close to Nianni had sold her out.

“I think only my mother, father, and some of the elders know that I have this power. Though my family is said to be descended from our god, there are several others as well and it has not been a particularly big deal on Forencia for several centuries now. I’m just the only one currently that is said to have inherited our god’s powers.” Nianni said, not a hint of suspicion on her face.

She had obviously not even suspected that one of the people she had confided in had told anyone else about her psychic abilities.

Seeing that she was not worried about the possibility and figuring that she was well protected enough now. Avery decided to not mention his thoughts and possibly poison the relationships that Nianni had. So long as he did not have any proof at least.