Chapter 177 The Space Tree
In the heart of Seattle, in a cozy apartment overlooking the bustling city streets, there lived a man named Dante.
He was a kind and gentle soul who had always found solace in the companionship of animals.
Among the many pets he had cared for over the years, there was one who held a special place in his heart, a little cat named Whiskers.
From the moment Dante brought Whiskers home, a tiny ball of fur barely old enough to open her eyes, a profound connection was forged between them.
Whiskers knew she had found her forever home, and Dante, in turn, had found his most loyal friend.
As Whiskers grew, her bond with Dante deepened. She would curl up on his lap while he read his books, her purring filling the room like a soothing melody.
They would explore the apartment together, Whiskers playfully batting at her favorite toy mouse while Dante chuckled at her antics.
Each day, he would make time to sit with her, gently stroking her soft fur, and telling her about his day.
Dante was a man of simple pleasures, and he found immense joy in the simple act of caring for Whiskers.
He ensured she had the finest food, the coziest bed, and regular visits to the veterinarian.
However, more than anything, he gave her his love and attention, which she cherished above all else.
As the years passed, Whiskers remained a constant presence in Dante's life.
Through the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, she was there, a source of unwavering support and love.
She was his confidant, his cheerleader, and his greatest comfort.
However, as the inevitable march of time went on, Whiskers began to show signs of aging.
Her once-quick paws became a bit slower, and her naps grew longer.
Dante, ever the attentive caregiver, adjusted their routine to accommodate her changing needs.
He would gently lift her onto his lap, mindful of her arthritic joints, and they would spend their days together, savoring the moments they had left.
One sunny afternoon, with Whiskers nestled in his arms, Dante noticed her breathing had grown shallow.
He knew that the time they had spent together, though beautiful, was coming to an end.
He held her close, whispering words of love and gratitude.
In those final moments, as the golden rays of the setting sun bathed them in warmth, Whiskers looked into Dante's eyes with a love that transcended words.
She knew that he had given her the most beautiful life any cat could hope for, filled with love, care, and companionship.
With a soft sigh, Whiskers closed her eyes for the last time, her head resting against Dante's heart.
She passed away in the arms of the man who had been her world, leaving behind a legacy of love and a bond that could never be broken.
Dante held her lifeless body, tears streaming down his face, but he knew that their love would endure forever.
Whiskers had been more than just a pet; she had been his confidant, his friend, and his family.
And though she was gone, the memories of their time together would live on in his heart, a testament to the profound love between a man and his beloved cat.
...
Stellareon's eyes became clear again, and its face changed in the light of the lifelong memories it had experienced. When it glanced at Dante, who was smiling at it, there was no longer a look of vigilance and caution, but endless love and dependence.
The other eight beasts also felt the same as they had gone through similar but different memories where they had been Dante's beloved pets or partners in their 'previous lives' on an earth-like world with normal technology and no superpowers.
So seeing Dante now, they understood that they had likely reawakened their memories of him after they introduced themselves to each other through the still-active Celestial Tether.
Only Nebulion felt like something was wrong, as its superpower kept pulsing in a weird and irregular rhythm as if trying to tell it something. However, even if this was a subtle warning, it did not think that there was anything wrong with its memories.
This was the frightening effect of Dante's eyes. The memories did not feel implanted because you totally lived through them in your own mind and your brain did not filter them or suppress them.
A person who started doubting his own memories was surely on the pathway to madness. And most people, whether they knew it or not, did not like to be mad or thought of as mad, so even if they had suspicions, they would refuse to heed them.
Even if Dante told them right now that it was all a lie and it was the effect of his eyes, they would not fully believe him. They might doubt it, but they would not accept. Even Beatrice, who had such a high SDI and knew the full details of the powers, had to be reassured continually before she could believe it.
"I need your help, guys. Apart from this fruit, I need you to show me the location of the others, and I also need you to help me try some things out," Dante requested gently, knowing they would agree just looking at their faces.
Naturally, they did, with great joy too. They all rushed up and wanted to cuddle him in different ways but noticed that they butted in each other's ways, which made them glance at the others with confusion.
After all, in their minds and memories, they were each raised by Dante alone, devoid of the presence of the others. As such, they could not understand why the others would want to get close to Dante until they had a thought that they might want to attack Dante.
Immediately, the 9 beasts became hostile to each other and leapt back, glaring at one another with limitless killing intent, willing to fight to the very death to protect Dante if necessary.
Dante himself was amused and did not stop them immediately. How was he to explain himself? One should know that he had already exhausted his energy to put them in the illusion so he couldn't control what they saw to the fullest degree.
Otherwise, he would naturally synchronize their memories and make it such that they were one big happy family, cultivating camaraderie between the group.
Now, though, he could only let them fight it out. If he dared to butt in, he would have to provide an explanation, which he didn't have. Better to let the misunderstanding propagate and the issue solve itself before making his next move.
Besides, for what he required next, Dante did not need all 9 of them alive.
A battle soon broke out with nothing stepping in to stop the issue. Seeing the 9 fight amongst themselves ruthlessly while purposefully avoiding hurting him, Dante stood a safe distance away and monitored everything with both his eyes and his spirit sense.
This was his actual first time seeing superpowered users fighting head on since he arrived in the Eternal Universe. He did not obviously count his scuffle with the deceased Luo Yue and Killian because they were a disgrace to superpowered users.
Even if they were beasts, they were likely just as adept, if not far more skilled in the usage of their superpowers, so there was much to learn from watching them like this. Especially since most of them had spatial superpowers which were the most troublesome of the lot.
While spectating, he wasn't idle.? He walked over to the relatively small tree that was just as big as a backyard oak. Interestingly, this tree was similar in ways to Stellareon and Astrafin in terms of aesthetics.
Its bark was dark to the point of almost being black, with a 'background' of a starry sky within looking like blood vessels that crisscrossed through it. Its leaves were even more magnificent as they were purple-black and highlighted through the midrib to the veins with a glowing white light that pulsed rhythmically.
If trees had elements, then this one definitely had announced to the world that it was a space element tree. Looking at the palm-sized purple-black fruit with a similar design to the tree, Dante was speechless.
My Brother in Christ, wasn't that a Devil Fruit?
While the design was not the same, the feeling it gave was similar. It was essentially a fruit that gave superpowers, but this one did not have any noticeable costs. The downside was that there was a success rate for acquiring the superpower within, and it was not possible to know beforehand.
However, looking at it, Dante was not sure if the people in the Eternal Universe were empirical heavy or whether this virtual world was joking around. Looking at the design of the tree and the fruit, he was willing to bet all his money that the superpower within was space element-related.
Like a silly tourist who was too curious for their own good, Dante walked up to the tree and phased his body upwards to reach out and grab the fruit that was dangling oh so very attractively…
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