"Jordan," Bruce said evenly, his tone steady and assured, "I may not have money on me right now… but I can offer you something greater."
Jordan chuckled, folding his arms. "Something greater than money? Now I have to hear this. Continue."
Bruce's smile was faint, but the confidence in his voice was unshakable. "To prove it, I'll need a few feathers from those steelquill crows. In Sophie's name, I ask you to trust me."
For a heartbeat, Jordan studied him—then he burst into amused laughter. "Hah! Bold kid. I like that. You've got a silver tongue, I'll give you that. Alright then, I'll trust you this once."
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction. He knew well that if Sophie hadn't been here, Jordan's response would've been different. Right now, Bruce was broke. His so-called noble family had no weight, no backing that mattered in this city, and Jordan clearly didn't recognize him. Without Sophie, he'd have had nothing to bargain with.
But Bruce wasn't about to lean on her more than necessary. She had already given him more support than he could count. Other men might not care about owing her, but Bruce was different. He had his pride, the pride of a man, the pride of the No.1 Surgeon on Earth!
And he was certain his theory would work. He'd pieced it together through memories from the Thousand Lives and Deaths trial, reinforced by the breakthroughs from his research in his past life. He wasn't guessing, he was sure.
Even so, a thread of tension still coiled in his chest as Jordan reached down and plucked a few metallic feathers from the cage.
This should work. It has to work. My confidence won't betray me this time…
As a scientist, Bruce knew better than anyone: even perfect theories could falter. One error, one overlooked variable, and the entire foundation could crumble. He prayed this wasn't one of those times.
Then warmth. Sophie's hand slipped into his, her touch soft and grounding. She gave his palm a gentle rub before lifting her other hand and flashing him a quiet thumbs-up, her eyes brimming with wordless support.
Bruce's heart steadied. He let out a slow breath and smiled. 'Right. No more nerves. I've gone over this a thousand times. There's no way I'm wrong.'
With calm resolve, he watched as Jordan plucked a few feathers from the Steelquill Ravens' cage.
The feathers were long, each nearly a quarter the length of a man's arm. But Bruce wasn't surprised. Jordan had said these were still young, yet even so, the Steelquill Ravens stood nearly two meters tall. Even inside their cages, their size and sharp eyes made them look anything but "low-ranked."
Bruce accepted the feathers and drew in a deep breath.
'First... Observe.'
Just like when he had examined the poison in his own body, his vision tunneled inward. But this time, he pushed deeper—down to the cellular level.
The cells in these feathers should still be alive since they haven't been detached for long…
And there it was. Under his class's unique trait, the feathers unfolded like a slide under a microscope. He saw them clearly: living cells, though fading fast, dying the longer they remained outside their host body.
Bruce's lips curved. 'Good. If they were already dead, this would've failed before it even began.'
He exhaled softly, relief washing over him. 'The first hurdle's cleared. Now… let's move to the next step.'
He muttered a single word under his breath. "Heal."
But he wasn't healing the feather itself. His focus narrowed to one solitary cell, a dying fragment of life.
At his command, the cell responded. It shivered—then revived. Not only revived, but evolved. Its structure shifted, its core stabilizing. It began to divide: mitosis, meiosis, budding, each process ignited under Bruce's will.
Two cells became four. Four became eight. But instead of identical copies, each new division branched with unique purposes—purposes aligned with Bruce's intent.
Bruce pressed on, his will guiding them like a surgeon directing an operation. Two cells fused, fertilizing in the way of sperm and egg, forming a zygote.
And under the stunned gaze of Sophie and the now-wide-eyed Jordan, that zygote took shape.
Jordan's jaw tightened as recognition struck. "…That's… that's no ordinary experiment. That's a half-hatched Steelquill Raven egg—created out of nothing but a feather…"
Sophie's lips parted, her crimson eyes glimmering as the impossible unfolded before her.
Under Bruce's continuous healing, the zygote pulsed, grew, and stretched. Before their eyes, it cracked into life, forming a raven hatchling; small, fragile, and already crying out in hunger.
Caw! Caw!
Bruce didn't stop. His mana surged as he layered "Heal" again and again. The hatchling grew, its feathers darkening into gleaming steel-gray quills. Muscles strengthened, wings stretched, talons sharpened. Within moments, the tiny newborn had matured into a full-grown Steelquill Raven, its eyes sharp, intelligent, and filled with life.
Jordan stumbled back a step, gasping aloud. "By the Emperor's name… Sophie, where did you find this man?!" His voice trembled with disbelief. "This ability, this isn't talent. This is… a cheat. A violation of common sense itself!"
Sophie didn't answer him right away. Her eyes were still locked on Bruce, her lips trembling with a smile she couldn't contain. She had trusted him, supported him, yet even she hadn't expected this.
Her heart swelled with pride, warmth blooming in her chest. 'I knew he was planning something… but to see it with my own eyes… Bruce, you're truly unbelievable.'