By the time the cowboys rushed to the scene, what greeted them wasn't some dangerous or tragic sight.
Instead, it was a mountain of dirty dishes stacked sky-high.
'Sparkle' had already collected her data and slipped away quietly.
The cowboys stared at Nick, who, after continuously eating and replenishing his nutrients, now looked completely transformed—so different they didn't even recognize him.
Whatever commotion tonight would bring was another matter.
After obtaining the results of her human experiment, 'Sparkle' found a random spot and got to work.
Dr. Primitive's data set must have been used on Rappa, and if 'Sparkle' remembered correctly, Rappa's physical capabilities were thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of times greater than an ordinary person's...
That kind of physicality was downright absurd.
Even if it was trained, it was still outrageous.
After all, this was pure bodily strength, without any blessing from a Path.
Sure, most test subjects couldn't handle that intense training pressure—only Rappa survived.
But the key was that impressive upper limit.
Potential for growth is pretty important.
Add in the blessings of a Path...
Really, if you didn't go with Dr. Primitive's ultra-high-pressure approach and just deployed it across an entire species, the future prospects would be quite promising.
'Sparkle' didn't really get why Dr. Primitive had to play things so extreme.
But no matter.
She would carry on his legacy and spread these genes far and wide.
Who knows, maybe this planet would really produce the 'superman' Dr. Primitive hoped for.
He'd owe her a big thank you then.
Thinking this, 'Sparkle' giggled to herself as she worked, doing her best to edit those genes in.
Of course, she didn't forget to add some new touches and trim away the overly extreme parts.
Mostly based on past experience.
'Sparkle' had no intention of making them less than human.
That would be going too far.
After all, they seemed pretty attached to their human identity.
But then again...
Saiyans are people too.
Not that she could create the real deal, and even if she did, she wouldn't dare mess with it recklessly.
She wasn't that crazy.
Everyone being a superman wasn't realistic, nor was it fitting.
She couldn't forcibly twist the people of this world toward good or evil.
But if someone could endure harsh training and become superhuman through their own effort, that was fine.
Rapid growth under pressure, a decent baseline for exceptional individuals, with the ability to 'power up' in critical moments...
It kinda had that vibe already.
At its heart, it was just a clumsy imitation.
'Sparkle' even mischievously added some weird visual effects.
Like when their strength reached a certain level, their hair would turn gold during a power-up, complete with a rising energy aura.
"Hmm... Since we're already here, why not fabricate a bit of 'ki' or something?"
In the end, it was still playing with Imaginary energy.
Transforming Imaginary energy into basic elemental energy.
That was much simpler than Path properties anyway.
Using Imaginary energy to manifest different elemental abilities was actually pretty common in the cosmos.
"Ah well, it's just some visual flair. If anyone actually manages to grasp something from it, they've earned it."
For now, 'Sparkle' couldn't iterate on Dr. Primitive's original data. Without stepping onto a Path, the upper limit was probably even lower than Rappa's.
After all, self-training could never be as brutally harsh as what Rappa went through.
Tickled by her own mischief, 'Sparkle' worked with growing enthusiasm.
In just half a night, she completed the iteration of the genetic sequence.
She spent the other half creating a seed capable of spreading the genetic modifications.
Then, 'Sparkle' located Nick.
This time, however, Nick wasn't alone. A black-haired cowboy was with him.
Nick, having stayed up all night, had been busy being examined by the other cowboys.
His face looked younger, his body stronger; every aspect of his physiology had undergone an evolutionary transformation.
His appetite had also skyrocketed.
Of course, this wasn't true rejuvenation.
At its core, his extended lifespan simply shifted what was an old age into a middle-aged state.
"So, how do you feel, old-timer?"
'Sparkle's' voice came from the windowsill.
Nick whirled around to find the mysterious girl had appeared before him once more, he didn't know when.
"I feel at least twenty years younger. What's your real goal here? It can't just be for an old codger like me."
"Son of a— So you're the little squirt who messed with my old man like this?!"
The black-haired cowboy's mouth was full of curses, though his tone didn't carry much hostility.
Was this Boothill?
Though Boothill wasn't his original name, and 'Nick' was too common anyway.
Hard to verify.
But it didn't matter, as that wasn't why 'Sparkle' was here.
"That's me. But don't get it twisted—this power was always yours. I just unlocked it early."
'Sparkle' giggled, sitting cross-legged on the windowsill.
"The hell you say! What did you shoot my pa up with to make him like this? How come I didn't change?"
Nick grabbed his impulsive child's arm, his eyes on Sparkle. He didn't believe she didn't have any ulterior motive.
"What's the price for this power?"
"The price is you have to say you don't know me."
"...Huh?"
Nick and his son exchanged a look. The young cowboy scratched his head in confusion.
This wasn't what he'd expected.
He thought he'd have to swear fealty or hand over Aeragan-Epharshel's precious mineral rights.
And that's it?
'Sparkle' let out a light laugh.
"A certain switch on this planet has been flipped. The world is about to change dramatically. And me? I'm just curious about the power you originally possessed."
'Sparkle' started spinning a wild tale.
Might as well go all in with the act.
"For real?"
The young cowboy still looked utterly unconvinced.
"Of course. Truth is, even without me, you'd all gradually grow stronger over the next few decades. I just figured you were in a bit of a hurry, so I decided to lend a hand."
'Sparkle' pinched her thumb and forefinger together.
"Why should we believe you?"
The cowboy pressed aggressively, but 'Sparkle' remained unfazed.
With a wave of her hands, she transformed into the young cowboy's likeness:
"I don't care if you trust me or not. In fact, you can't stop me from doing whatever I want anyway. Once my experiment is done, I'll leave. What you do with this power is none of my business."
Then, clasping her hands together, she shifted into Nick's form:
"Besides, you'll never know my true identity. So whether you trust me, thank me—it doesn't matter. Using this power or not is entirely up to you."
Reverting to her Sparkle appearance, she produced a test tube, pulled out the stopper, and watched as the liquid inside rapidly evaporated before their eyes.
These viruses, propelled by a mysterious force, would quickly spread across the globe.
And then, all Aeragan-Epharshelians would experience a grand evolution.
Oswaldo might detect this mutated virus.
No matter what, he'd come to realize:
With the opening of some unknown treasure, precious minerals would start presenting... issues, and the native Aeragan-Epharshelians would show strange mutations.
Even the flora and fauna would evolve to varying degrees.
All these anomalies would pressure Oswaldo, forcing him to make a decision.
The funnier part was, to get ahead in the departmental power struggle, he had suppressed intel on Aeragan-Epharshel. His superiors and rivals didn't even know about this place yet.
Meaning his room for under-the-table maneuvers was terrifyingly vast.
"Heheh~ Oswaldo, whether you make department head this time is anyone's guess now."
'Sparkle' giggled, turning her gaze toward the mining fields.
--+--