The other three felt a sense of suffocation. In fact, when someone who is incapable of communication and speaks only for themselves appears in any corner of anyone's life, it is enough to leave people out of breath.
However, Wanda swiftly altered her tone, stating,
"I do understand what he means. He likely means, 'If you miss university, you should go to high school,' 'If you want a boyfriend, you should change your stubborn temperament,' 'If I want children, I at least need to buy a house and a car first.'
"Yes, he is such a person, never speaking directly. But there are times when Lorna and I can subtly understand him, maybe because we share similarities. Sometimes, it also helps when there's Professor Charles, since he can read minds."
"Our relationship isn't great, but nor is it as bad as you all perceive it. I prefer to describe his excessive controlling behavior as some sort of 'twisted father's love'. He wants me to become what he desires, to master the skills he considers useful, because he has benefited from it in the past."
"He didn't have it easy, but he thinks that his lifetime experience can be of some help to his children, even though that's not true."
Wanda let out a soft sigh, then said, "Our discussion about the cosmos has come full circle again. I haven't felt attacked; neither has Riley. This kind of control is more like a distorted love."
"Something believes that if we were transformed this way, we would have a better life, so it changed us. Ordinary people might not have improved physically or mentally, but probably, it only regards this as an insignificant sacrifice in the process of natural evolution."
"So distorted, so indifferent, yet so grand that it can't be stared at directly, which is unobservable, terrifying yet magnificent, just like another facet of nature."
Jarvis stared intently at Wanda as if enchanted by her. Even though Miss Witch's eyes were entirely black holes now, and her eyelashes were still crusted with dried blood, Jarvis just couldn't avert his gaze from her wisdom, her spirit, and her beauty.
"If we treat this power as nature, then I think we certainly have reasons to be angry." Xu Shang-Chi pursed his lips, his voice echoing in everyone's minds: "Nobody would thank an earthquake."
"Plate tectonic activity doesn't mean to harm us, and neither does this power. But what really infuriates us is that it magnifies human vulnerability."
"Once humans realize their vulnerability, they will become desperate - they cut mountains when they encounter mountains, they divert water flow when they find water. Our ancestors have overcome terrible natural disasters step by step in this way, allowing the human race to have survived up until now."
"Humans indeed are a strange species." Riley shook her head and said, "We all crave power, desire to become stronger. But now that strength has fallen into our laps as if out of nowhere, we are actually rejecting it."
"Because freedom of development lies at the heart of human's true value, rather than constrained strength," Jarvis pointed out objectively. "Restricted by physical form, we enhanced our brains, when efficiency was lacking, we upgraded our tools. The path to human evolution is a constant cycle of 'abandoning and uplifting,' not randomly rewarding an ability."
"Oh!" Wanda exclaimed, finally understanding: "No wonder something felt off! What's the point of evolving my eyes? Apart from mocking Xeseon, what else does this ability do? Do kindergarten teachers need to face the truth of the cosmos?"
Riley sighed lightly and said, "Spider-sense is my unique skill, but I have no interest in foretelling the future. Plus, if someone prepares a surprise for me at a party in the future, wouldn't I have to fake excitement? I hate that!"
"Don't look at me." Xu Shang-Chi shrugged his shoulders, "The ability to communicate inside others' minds is absurd to me. I am self-aware, my persuasion skills are not as good as physical persuasion."
He then lamented, "If I could have gotten the ability to fly, I would have been content. I wanted to go see the monkeys!"
The room fell into silence once again. After a while, Wanda, struggling between laughter and tears, said, "Do you think that if the mysterious entity heard our complaints, it would think we are all lunatics? Rejecting the received powers and being picky?"
"Powers are not obtained for free. Doesn't suffering count as a cost?" Xu Shang-Chi's thinking was extremely straightforward. He emphasized, "We suffered, but did not get what we wanted. Aren't we at a loss then?"
Wanda and Riley were both slightly taken aback, as they were already accustomed to suffering. Xu Shang-Chi spread his hands out and said, "Fine, you can say I have had a privileged upbringing. But the nonsensical attack it waged, causing us such pain, does it think a small token of ill-suited power is compensation enough? Are you guys really that easygoing?"
Wanda and Riley initially weren't too furious, but as they say, the more one tolerates, the angrier one gets; and the more one backs down, the more one feels wronged. It's not the unlucky draw that scares you, it's the annoying friend who keeps whispering in your ear, "You deserve better."
Wanda puffed up her cheeks and said, "You're right. Why should we forfeit the organs we originally wanted and be given unwanted abilities instead? If I find out who's responsible, I swear I will teach it a lesson!"
"Speaking of which," Jarvis pulled them back from their emotional reaction and said, "Wanda, your point of view just now was very interesting, the one about 'the mysterious entity might think transforming humans this way is for the better.'