It resembled something out of a science-fiction film—taking a person's memories, converting them into data, then transferring them into another body or even a robot.
Perhaps this too could be considered a form of resurrection.
But Brandon White had no interest in such things. He had no one he wished to resurrect.
And this sea of consciousness wasn't unique to Huaxia; every nation had one.
Why these seas of awareness existed separately, each bound to its own country rather than merging into a single whole—he did not know.
Nor was he particularly curious.
Brandon's spiritual will was still not yet equal to his physical strength, but compared to before, it had advanced tremendously.
Especially after his exchanges with the world's consciousness and civilization's will, and after witnessing that awe-inspiring ocean of memory, his spirit had undergone sublimation. His very being now exuded a natural, soul-deep aura that drew others to him.
It was a special charm, born from the elevation of his soul.
Yet that did not mean people turned to stare whenever he walked outside. On the contrary, those whose mental strength was too weak, whose extraordinary power had not reached sufficient depth, instinctively lowered their heads or looked away the moment they saw him.
It wasn't that Brandon carried the kind of commanding authority or oppressive aura of a high ruler. It was simply that the essence of his life had become so elevated that ordinary people could not help reacting this way.
In a sense, once your life level evolves, you are no longer an ordinary person.
Naturally, that changes your daily interactions, even your ability to live a normal life.
Take romance, for example. Or not even romance—men naturally like to look at beautiful things, and Brandon was no exception.
Back when he had only just awakened the Authority of Nature, he realized how vital physical constitution was. His body began strengthening itself at extraordinary speed. Along with it, his senses—smell, sight, hearing—all heightened.
Smell and hearing he could tolerate. But sight…
At that stage, his vision hadn't yet reached the x-ray level of seeing through to people's bones. But it had sharpened enough for him to clearly perceive the dirt clogging pores in human skin, even the mites crawling across it.
The crucial point was that this came built into his body. It wasn't an ability he could simply switch off.
He could try to suppress it with tricks, the way someone with excellent eyesight might wear glasses, but it was uncomfortable.
Under such circumstances, how could he possibly feel any interest in the opposite sex?
Among Huaxia's gifted, Skyler Quinn was the only one besides Brandon whose body had attained that level of strength. His divine dragon ability was such that, if not for Brandon's existence, he would unquestionably have been Huaxia's strongest.
Others had extraordinary talents, but all bore weaknesses. Their physique was one of the most fatal flaws.
Skyler Quinn did not. His growth was all-encompassing.
He could control wind and thunder, command rain and storm. He could also fight at close range with the sanctity of a perfected body.
Thus, he was the first besides Brandon to notice something strange.
But because those around him were all ability-users of considerable strength, their bodies rich with spiritual energy and relatively free of impurities, he did not feel particularly disturbed.
Still, the elevation of life's essence meant inevitable change.
The stronger one became, the greater the distance from the ordinary.
The closer to God, the further from Man.
Dragons do not dwell among snakes. Tigers do not walk with dogs. Such is the way of things.
During this period, Brandon had purchased some berry seeds, along with equipment and recipes for making Pokéblocks, from Meowth.
Don't ask where Meowth got them.
The Rocket syndicate had many channels.
Brandon bought them not only for Pikachu and the others, but also because berries themselves had countless uses.
With the nourishment of spiritual energy, who knew how potent they could become?
And indeed, just as Brandon had suspected, they turned out not only more effective but also far more delicious than before.
That day, as he was making Pokéblocks, a crisp chime rang out. Brandon's brows furrowed, then eased as surprise lit his eyes.
Ding! Chat group activity has reached the required standard. The Group Mall function is now open.
Ordinary Group Leader: "????"
Ordinary Group Leader: "Am I dreaming right now?"
Ordinary Group Leader: "The Group Mall actually opened?"
Boil Daigu Into Soup: "Then that means I don't even need to rely on the lottery anymore—I can just buy things directly?"
Come Be My Son: "Ku-la-la-la! This old man has long coveted the Sage Body from the Naruto world. I wonder how many points it costs."
Lazy Sister Umaru: "Uuuuuh… feels like it's completely useless to me."
Lazy Sister Umaru: "With how few points I have, all I can do is window-shop."
Ordinary Group Leader: "Speaking of points… I don't actually have many either."
Ordinary Group Leader: "Arghhh! No, no, I've got to start earning points!"
Ordinary Group Leader: "Young masters of noble clans? Peerless prodigies? I'm coming for you!"
Ordinary Group Leader: "Heavenly treasures, rare spiritual materials—you're all mine!"
Uchiha Dance King: "…"
Among the group members, the most awkward one had to be Uchiha Madara.
Points didn't worry him—once revived, he would never lack them. But the problem was: he wasn't revived yet.
As a disembodied soul, what use was the Group Mall to him now? None at all.
Lazy Sister Umaru: "Right now the richest should be Daigu, right? Monster corpses fetch a fortune."
Boil Daigu Into Soup: "It's not that exaggerated… I only earned a little. Sorry.jpg"
Brandon ignored their chatter. He opened the Group Mall and browsed its contents.
The selection ranged from the mundane—like toothbrushes and cups—to the miraculous—like destiny, fortune, and fate itself.
There were all forms of power: the three types of Haki, Devil Fruits, Sharingan, Rinnegan, Tenseigan, God Tree Fruit, cultivation manuals, heavenly treasures, even Peace Bombs.
Everything imaginable was there.
But the prices were steep.
A single Logia-type Smoke Fruit cost one hundred thousand points.
Brandon, naturally, had little interest in Devil Fruits.
What he wanted was the Rat Talisman.
One million points.
At first glance, expensive. But not impossibly so.
From the price alone, it was clear the Rat Talisman must have an upper limit—not too high. Likely tied to Shendu's own strength.
But Brandon didn't care about its combat applications.
From beginning to end, his wish was only to bring Doraemon to life. That was all.
Whether or not it came with the Four-Dimensional Pocket didn't matter.
Of course, he could also use it to test other things. Say, a certain Chinese-brand smartphone.
Beyond these, there were items not from their respective worlds, but from entirely different ones.
For now, there were only ten such products. They would refresh once every seven days.
(End of Chapter)