"Even the reason why all these people from the other world are coming here — I discovered that too!"
"Oh? And what might that be?" Christian, unbothered by her previous comment about his strength, decided to indulge her a little. So, he responded more dramatically as he asked.
Olivia paused, clearly waiting until she had their full attention, before finally declaring, "It's so… they can get the Earth!"
Silence fell after her short statement.
And, sensing that her words might not be fully understood just like that, Olivia began to elaborate.
"People from other worlds come here for a simple reason: resources."
"Sometimes it's natural resources. Other times, it's people… talented individuals, like those at the Academy."
"But… that's not all. Some of them are far more ambitious. They don't just want what's on Earth — they want the Earth itself."
"How?" she continued, before anyone could ask.
"It's through a process that can be initiated when Earth finally undergoes its full evolution."
"It begins with someone synchronizing with the Earth… with the waves it emits at that pivotal moment. And then, if they succeed, they try to establish a link."
"And when that link is established?"
"Congratulations. You gain a degree of control over the Earth."
"And not just that — your strength will increase as well."
She quickly added, "Actually, the power boost isn't what's most shocking. It's not that dramatic — especially considering that the person capable of forming such a link would already be immensely strong."
"So, more than the boost in strength, it's about the help that connection provides when they practice their essence technique later on."
"It's like gaining a passive buff — more than 200% increase in growth!"
Then, Olivia kept going, explaining that making a link with the Earth isn't only about strength — it's also about control. Whoever forms this link would gain a nearly omniscient power over the planet, seeing all of it as if it were in the palm of their hand.
No one would be able to hide from them.
Maybe feeling the heaviness in the air, even through the phone, Olivia decided to offer one more piece of information, that those who were native to Earth would find making this link much easier than outsiders.
But Christian, deep in thought, hardly paid much attention to that part.
He didn't plan on making a link with the Earth in the first place.
After all, he had his Idle System!
Hundreds of times better than what she had just told him about!
Besides, he already had a rough understanding of how the mechanism worked… especially regarding the so-called buffs.
He was receiving similar boosts himself, all thanks to the Idle System, after all.
In reality, when someone tried to practice a technique, where do they get the essence from?
It comes from the surroundings.
And usually, there was a limit to how much one could absorb.
Naturally, that limit was influenced by many factors: talent, meaning, affinity and attunement, then the technique being used.
But with the light density of essence in the atmosphere, one would eventually hit a bottleneck.
Yet with more essence density in the air?
That problem would disappear.
But for Christian, who practiced through his Idle System, inside a simulated environment so advanced that not even Earth's future changes could compare… this kind of thing didn't hold much meaning for him.
What was holding him back right now wasn't the environment — it was his own talent.
Well, that too, he was already working on, with his Flawless Body!
Anyway, despite all the advantages and benefits one could get by forming a link with the Earth, Christian didn't believe it was all sweet rewards.
There had to be a catch.
Some kind of restriction.
And even more, was this all that came with the Earth's evolution, as Olivia had explained?
He couldn't help but feel there was more to it…
More than anything, what bothered him most wasn't any of that.
It was something else entirely.
It was the idea that whoever linked with the Earth… would be able to see everything on it.
Meaning, no one could hide from their gaze.
That… that was the real problem for him.
Because while Christian liked monitoring others, he absolutely hated being monitored himself.
If someone lived peacefully and didn't try to harm him, Christian would never think about bothering them.
But would someone who gained control over Earth… even if partially think the same way?
He didn't believe so, especially not if that someone came from one of the many groups currently fighting for the Earth's ownership.
After all, these were people who craved control. And someone like Christian, so unique, outside the standard model, would undoubtedly be seen as a variable.
And variables… they were things those kinds of people couldn't tolerate.
His assumptions might be wrong. He knew that.
But Christian preferred to expect the worst — always.
And that was why, even now, he was squeezing his brain for ideas…
Was the only option really for himself to take control of Earth?
Or was there another solution?
Just as he was getting deeper into those thoughts, a voice suddenly pulled him out of them.
"Why are you staying so silent? Delivering your gloomy mood even through the phone?" Olivia's voice came through, a bit annoyed.
"Well, the situation doesn't exactly feel cheerful," he replied lightly, not really hiding the weight on his mind.
But Olivia didn't share the same sense of tension. She simply snorted and said, "Hmph, you're thinking too much. At the end of the day, there's still nearly a hundred years to go, you know."
"And besides," she added, "just like these people are able to go to other worlds — we can do the same, if push comes to shove."
Christian didn't get angry at her scolding tone. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and teasingly replied, "Oh? I see you're including yourself with we, now?"
"So you're planning to run with us this time, if we ever decide to go to some other place?"
Olivia fell silent for a moment.
Then finally, in that now-familiar proud tone, she replied, "I'm not running away… I'm simply moving to another place."
So you won't answer the question directly, huh?
Christian thought, grinning to himself.
Eva, unable to hold back, let out a loud chuckle. And just like that, the heavy mood lifted.