Chapter 41 : Mental Attributes!!!

In the dining hall during the evening, Carl gazed across at the lovely girl and asked casually, "Clarice, what kept you occupied this afternoon?"

Clarice lifted her head and whispered, "I was learning the art of making dim sum with my instructor."

"How did it go?" Carl inquired with a hint of curiosity.

Clarice replied sorrowfully, "I attempted it several times, but each time ended in failure."

"It's alright. Cooking demands perseverance. With practice, the taste improves," Carl reassured.

Indeed, there's also the possibility that one continues to attempt something, only to find it increasingly futile, and eventually gives up. After all, without trying, how would one know if they truly cannot succeed?

Encouraged by Carl's comforting words, the girl nodded obediently, then spoke with anticipation, "Carl, I've read Dragon Ball five times already. When will you illustrate the story behind it?"

To lift her spirits after the disappointment of the afternoon, Carl contemplated for a moment, "...tonight."

However, after dinner, Carl headed to Professor X's chambers while it was still early.

In the medical section of the underground base, Professor X, engrossed in his documents, glanced up as Carl knocked on the door and spoke gently, "Carl, you seem to have questions weighing on your mind."

Carl nodded, took a seat across from the professor, and voiced his uncertainties.

"Professor, I feel a considerable strength in my mind. Why haven't I experienced an Awakening similar to Psychokinesis or any form of mental perception?"

In response to Carl's query, Professor X smiled softly, "Ah, so that's the issue. Let's delve into the attributes of everyone's psyche."

"The psyche possesses attributes?" Carl was taken aback.

Professor X affirmed, "Indeed, the psyche does possess attributes. For instance, my Telepathic Ability is a manifestation of this, as it stems from the ethereal nature of the mind."

"Thus, despite your formidable mental prowess over the years, you cannot manipulate reality or levitate a glass of water."

"I can sense the abundance and potency of your mental strength."

"As for why you haven't experienced an Awakening in mental abilities, it likely pertains to your Mutant Ability."

"Abilities are intertwined," Carl pondered deeply.

Professor X explained gently, "Precisely. When a Mutant's abilities awaken, their mental power or soul has already been influenced by the X gene."

"Because the body and the consciousness of the soul are intertwined."

"This is why certain Mutants become increasingly radical over time, filled with impulses of destruction, violence, and aggression."

"Because their powers influence the soul, subsequently affecting their consciousness and emotions."

"Your mental power is formidable now, yet you haven't acquired an extended mental ability, indicating that during your Awakening, your mental power hasn't acquired the attribute of 'reality'."

"In this scenario, unless you refine your abilities to the utmost extent in the future and manifest them into reality, regardless of how potent your abilities may be, you won't be able to directly affect reality."

"Of course, there's an exception to this rule, and that's the second Awakening of the X gene."

"However, you've seen the research on this matter, and you know it's nearly impossible."

"Moreover, due to the unique attributes of each person's psychic powers, if they're influenced by external psychic forces, their own abilities will be impacted to some degree."

"This impact could vary significantly, and it's possible that their strength may not improve over their lifetime."

"However, this isn't always the case. I will opt for a gradual guidance instead."

"Rather than delving into the mental consciousness of the rescued students from the institute and shielding or altering their traumatic memories."

"Because my ability alters the essence of others' memories, essentially it's the psychic energy that envelops that segment of memory, subsequently rewriting a portion of it to blend in."

Carl nodded understandingly, "Ah, I see now. Thank you, Professor."

Professor X smiled warmly, "As your mentor, it's my duty to clear your uncertainties. No need for thanks."

Having resolved his mental quandary, Carl bid farewell to Professor X and left.

Back in his dormitory room, Carl took a shower and dried his hair.

He then changed into comfortable clothes, grabbed paper and brushes, ready to fulfill his promise to Clarice.

But just then, there was a knock at the door.

Opening it, Carl found Clarice standing there, clad in white pajamas with bear prints, her hair still damp from the shower, clutching the coarse comic book.

Clarice blinked with anticipation, "Carl, are you already sketching?"

Amused by her eagerness, Carl shook his head with a smile, reaching out to tousle her hair, "I was just about to. Come on in."

Once Clarice entered, Carl left the door wide open instead of shutting it completely.

It wouldn't look good if a girl was seen entering his room at night with the door closed for too long.

Even though he didn't particularly care, he felt responsible for Clarice's reputation. After all, people's minds were unpredictable, and one couldn't foresee what rumors might emerge.

The first installment of Dragon Ball depicted Bulma venturing into the mountains and encountering Son Goku, persuading him to leave the mountains and embark on a journey to find the Dragon Balls together.

It introduced concepts like the Dragon Balls themselves, capsule technology, and so forth.

The subsequent part narrated some amusing incidents along their journey, such as when Goku woke up one morning only to find Bulma had run out of eggs."

And the third time, it's about the turtle encountering the Turtle Hermit on the road, encountering robbers while escorting it back to the sea, defeating them, and safely returning it to the shore.

With over 30 pages and more than a hundred panels each time, for Carl, who draws from memory, it's a simple task, taking only half an hour to complete the third rendition.

"Wow! Carl, you're incredible."

The girl's face lit up as she examined the small pieces of paper laid out in front of her, quickly arranging them according to the page numbers indicated by Carl in the corner.

For Clarice, the highlight of her day is reading Dragon Ball. Not only is the story captivating and beautifully illustrated, but it's also drawn by Carl specifically for her.

"No rush, we still have plenty of time today. I'll draw a few more."

"Really?"

Clarice's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of Carl drawing even more faces today, resembling a flickering light in the darkness.

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