Chapter 193: Temporary Base
"Misaka 9981, according to experimental requirements, you need to return to the experimental research base. Please respond."
Just as he had flown a short distance, the voices of multiple Misaka clone units echoed in his mind.
"It's the Misaka Network!"
George didn't respond. Instead, he immediately used his psychic abilities and brain-sealing technique to temporarily isolate himself from the Misaka Network.
Misaka Mikoto's ability is related to magnetic fields, so the Misaka clones can connect their brains through identical brainwaves to form a special Misaka Network.
Within this network, all the Misaka clones can share information with each other, thereby improving overall computational power.
However, George was highly suspicious that this was one of the laboratory's methods for controlling the Misaka clones. Therefore, he directly isolated his brainwaves to avoid being affected by the Misaka Network.
According to information about the Misaka clones, the superpowers in this world are actually different from those in the Marvel universe.
Superpowers in this world are artificially developed through drugs, hypnosis, and mechanical modification, using one's "Personal Reality" in the brain to influence the microscopic world, and amplifying that influence through chaos theory to form superpowers.
Thus, the strength of superpowers is also linked to the brain's computational capacity—the stronger the computational ability, the more powerful the superpower.
In contrast, Marvel's superpowers don't require brain computation—they are used instinctively.
This is because mutants' superpowers come from the X-gene, which is the result of Celestials experimenting on humans.
There are also the Inhumans, whom he hasn't encountered yet, who were the result of experiments conducted by the Kree on humans.
This is somewhat similar to the concept of Gemstones in this world.
Gemstones are a special exception among superpowered individuals. They do not require brain computation, nor have they been artificially developed—they are born with the ability to use superpowers.
It is said that the current method of artificially developing superpowers actually originated from imitating the Gemstones.
Before Academy City was established, ordinary people in this world didn't even know superpowers existed, because the number of Gemstones was extremely low—less than a hundred could be found worldwide.
Scattered around the globe, they were extremely rare. Ordinary people who had never seen them believed that such powers were merely fictional.
The reason George was able to jump directly to Level 4 after combining with the Misaka clone's Level 2 superpower…
…was because his original magnetic control was entirely instinctual. Now, with the addition of brain computation, his superpower had been vastly developed through scientific means.
And the reason he believed he could continue developing to Level 5 and even beyond…
…was because he didn't have just one brain—he had his main body and multiple clones. Theoretically, his brain computational capacity could be multiplied several times over.
"Found her!"
Outside the girls' dormitory building of Tokiwadai Middle School, George, while in stealth mode, saw through the window the real Misaka Mikoto, wearing cartoon-themed children's pajamas.
However, the situation inside the dorm shocked him greatly.
"Onee-sama, I won't do it again! I promise I won't!"
Inside the dorm, the twin-tailed girl wearing revealing lace lingerie was pleading while swinging pink panties with a frog pattern. She was using her teleportation ability to dodge Misaka Mikoto's electric shocks.
Misaka Mikoto, furious, roared:
"Kuroko! Today I'm going to fix your perverted personality once and for all!"
Moments later, the twin-tailed girl, Kuroko, collapsed on the floor, trembling from being electrocuted.
At that moment, a calm Misaka Mikoto suddenly turned her head to look in the direction where George was outside the window.
"What is this sensation? It feels similar to my brainwaves?"
"She sensed it?"
Seeing that Misaka Mikoto was looking toward his direction, George immediately used his psychic power to further conceal the diffusion of his brainwaves.
His current clone was a Misaka clone, so naturally, he had the same brainwaves as Misaka Mikoto.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't sense anything through brainwaves, but Misaka Mikoto was a Level 5 Electromaster and was extremely sensitive to brainwaves.
"Maybe it's just my imagination."
Misaka Mikoto murmured as she looked at the empty sky, then smoothly pulled a rope from under the bed, tied up her roommate Kuroko, threw her onto the bed next to hers, and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Recently, her nerves had been on edge because of her clone plan. Fortunately, her investigation revealed that the cloning project had long been terminated.
"Maybe... as a mutated Misaka clone, it's not so bad to integrate into this world first."
Flying to the rooftop of the girls' dormitory, George thought to himself.
He always felt that this Academy City wasn't simple. It had created such a massive superpower zone, maintained autonomy, and allowed so many superpowered individuals to live and study in order. The creators and top brass of Academy City were definitely not ordinary people.
So it's better not to act too recklessly.
"Dig three feet!"
On the rooftop wall, George used a digging spell to dig a hole the size of a fist, then used an Extension Charm to expand the space inside to the size of a house.
"Muggle-Repelling Charm."
After finally casting the concealment spell, he flew into the hole.
This would serve as his temporary base for now.
In the world of wizard apprentices, when a wizard's magic level reaches level 500, they can achieve immortality.
Although George hasn't reached level 500 yet, thanks to the continuous efforts of his panda clone, he had already reached level 400.
While he hadn't achieved immortality, he could now survive without eating or drinking.
So, his current Misaka clone also wouldn't worry about food and drink.
After entering the space he had created, he didn't rest immediately, but started familiarizing himself with his superpowers, especially his control over electricity.
Meanwhile, at the research headquarters of the Level 6 Shift Project—
"Misaka 9981 has disconnected from the Misaka Network. She doesn't appear in any of Academy City's surveillance. It's like she disappeared into thin air."
A subordinate asked the person in charge:
"Should we temporarily suspend the project and continue only after finding 9981?"
"9981 might just be an accident. We can't abandon the Level 6 Shift Project because of this one anomaly.
9982 will continue with the first outdoor combat simulation tomorrow. At the same time, don't give up searching for 9981!"
After thinking for a moment, the person in charge gave his final order.
The Level 6 Shift Project came from the higher-ups—even he, the project leader, had no authority to suspend it.
As for 9981, the mutated one, he would report the relevant information to the top brass of the academy and let them decide.
"She was confirmed dead—so why did she revive, and her power even evolved? This doesn't make any scientific sense. Could it be the work of those magic-side magicians?"
(End of Chapter)