Chapter 263

Rattle, clatter!

Although I ordered delivery for two, only one portion that I ate appeared on the table, which was quickly cleared by the gestures of the Droids.

To briefly explain what this inexplicable situation is about…

Not long ago, Zero caught Masanari rummaging through our trash, claiming that he needed to report on my diet.

Having witnessed the two engage in a fierce sword dance, I found it hard to see a special agent acting like that… So I decided to double my meal expenses and began sending the same delivery food to the house across the street, with the hope that they would stop such behavior.

Thus, I started eating a meal alongside a tracker—albeit a neighbor physically tens of meters away. In other words, I ended up becoming the one showing gratitude by buying meals.

… Surely, I can’t be complaining about the loss of menu choices.

Anyway, after that shocking experience, it’s important to note that I’m now well-fed and ready to engage in very special training.

“Whew… Okay, huff!”

I gently exhale, then swiftly inhale again to focus my mind.

However, this time, instead of closing my eyes and imagining like usual, I’m choosing to keep them wide open, overlaying the reality with the picture I wish to draw.

Bracing my arms and shoulders tightly, I use my extended hand on the table as a sort of circuit to circulate electricity, exquisite yet as fiercely heated as possible.

This requires long-term rigorous effort and training. If I hadn’t been determined to diversify, I would have just continued practicing my ingenious hacking skills.

This task inherently demands a sensory control technique, unlike the hacking of electronic devices, where the unconscious mind and the brain work together to complete operations. Therefore, I naturally find myself more tense than usual.

What am I fussing about right now…? Hmm… Developing new combat and attack methods?

If I were to leave it at that, it would seem I’m merely mimicking Leonar’s abandoned warehouse camouflage strategy, sounding as if I inherited a mad scientist flair. So let me elaborate just a bit.

Ahem! There’s no need to delve into extravagant practical theories like Faraday cages.

Even basic science teaches us that while vector quantities ultimately determine all, electric force inevitably brings along magnetic force.

And I’m the only person in the world who can emit electricity from my bare body ‘without a separate internal implant,’ so I thought it was one way to experiment with using this for something beyond surprise hacks or ambushes.

Of course, the problem arises that, compared to those undergoing serious modifications, with small high-pressure generators implanted beneath their skin playing around as true superhumans, my pure output is merely that of a firefly in front of a flashlight.

To be more precise about the issues, due to a lack of intensity, without Zero’s signal amplification, it’s pointless to discharge electricity into the air, meaning a conduit to transmit hacking signals is somewhat essential.

Additionally, although it may be favorable that implants can’t be detected when entering neutral zones, and while unique groups like Exatech might assign value to samples, typically, it isn’t something to brag about.

As a cover pretending to be weak and incapable, it works well. Still, purely relying on a pistol to face enemies at long to medium ranges feels lacking in responsiveness.

…Well, noting that the firepower from Zero’s subordinates will be akin to a bombardment can make my complaints about insufficient attack methods feel a bit unfounded.

“Kuh, ugh…!”

Clatter…

With a slick, sliding focus, the small iron marbles that had been resting on the table from my meal rolled in unison and, riding an intentionally created slope, floated slightly in mid-air.

So here’s my conclusion.

I’ll create a method to form a tiny magnetic field, or in other words, somehow increase the range in which I can exert influence.

“……”

I stared intensely at the small miracle in the palm of my hand.

The two marbles, shaped to maintain nearly perfect balance—having even placed an order at the workshop specifically to get one used for kinetic art pendulum motions sometimes seen on desks—were vibrating.

Trapped within a small artificial magnetic field, they continued to gently collide with each other while hovering, which was incredibly… satisfying. To put it simply, I felt absolutely thrilled.

It felt especially great to have made an intuitive advancement that I could visually see, almost like a game!

Above all… isn’t it pretty cool?

Right now, I’m merely balancing iron pieces on a net made of electromagnetic force, doing my best to keep it from tearing apart. But if I hone this skill, I could pull or shoot metallic objects like telekinesis, right?

Are you seeing this touching scene, Lord Sith (Vader)…? Mr. Electromagnetic (Magneto)…? As soon as I can somehow expand my battery capacity, I will certainly reclaim my throne…

I don’t quite have a handle on how to increase it yet, so I’m just engaging in daily practices all by myself.

However, my small universe, born after plenty of trial and error, couldn’t maintain equilibrium for long compared to my ambitious dreams.

I had asked Zero in advance to ensure that he would break my focus without any need for waiting or consideration if I got too absorbed in playing with my hands.

– …It’s almost time for you to leave. Of course, the hovercraft sent by the broadcasting station will arrive soon, so your journey to the studio won’t be delayed physically. –

“Ah.”

With a flick! The marble that escaped my control collided with its counterpart and was about to roll off onto the living room floor, but I swiftly caught it, intending to return it when I was ready.

Right, the studio… that damned advertisement. I absolutely have to go shoot it. Yes, I carelessly made an appointment with the news director—how could I cancel now? Ha.

Ultimately, the success I achieved in marble manipulation, after repeated failures, is all part of this extension.

Um… It’s like how people tend to find themselves completing chores they had been putting off right before doing something they don’t really want to do, such as studying for a test or cleaning the room? This is how those who excel at cramming do it!

Anyway, I want to take a moment during my leisure to change clothes to talk about this unexpected “advertisement” and the misunderstanding I had about it.

So, first mistake.

Advertising in this era isn’t just about leisurely embedding a narrative in consumers’ minds for 15 or 20 seconds like in the 21st century. I completely forgot about the existence of extremely primitive and fragmented advertisements.

But since they wanted to film a regular person like me, I thought it would be something like, “A product recommended by Enema-affiliated research intern A!” where I would just pass by, possibly raising a thumb or something.

I even asked if it was alright since I’ve already retired, and when I received the response that it was fine, they just needed my body to come, isn’t it natural to envision something akin to an insurance ad?

Oh, so what am I doing today?

…Going to the studio to do 360-degree close-up video shoots and implementing expression deep learning to create my 3D modeling, then plastering it in massive display on the screen.

Moreover, the content of the ad is “Through cutting-edge high-tech plastic surgery, you too can become a natural handsome or beautiful person!” Yes.

“Are people crazy…?”

– Even without Enema’s halo. Why is it shameful to be praised for being a uniquely handsome model? Besides, isn’t it exactly the ideal design that Ahsa envisioned? –

That’s precisely the problem! It’s not a compliment that I did character customization beautifully; it’s my own face reflected in the mirror that they want to copy and spread across the country!

“So embarrassing!! Aaaah!!!”

Completely done preparing to go out, my mind crawled back into the bed, burying my head under the pillow—what a pity.

Since I haven’t officially signed the contract yet, in fact, if I were to call off this promise purely on a whim, I wouldn’t bear any legal responsibilities… But if I genuinely did back out, there’s no way good things would come from behind.

Having connections in the media, for example to large broadcasting station news directors, is incredibly significant. It would be a loss not to cultivate relationships over mere shame.

That’s why I shouldn’t have carelessly shown positive signs of cooperation before understanding the full details.

I’ve been caught. I’ve messed up.

When a person becomes materially affluent, their thoughts tend to increase and deepen.

If I had just waited patiently for the opportunity to infiltrate the broadcasting station to come naturally, instead of anxiously looming over it, I’ve unwittingly created trivial busywork with my own hands… Tsk.

Still, in the end, having left traces in both the shadows and open daylight gives me the feeling of being acknowledged for my existence.

Since I’m the model for the plastic surgery advertisement, it could very well serve as an excuse later on when someone sees me and thinks I’m a different person.

“…Shall we go out? Did you keep the infection code for generating the backdoor handy?”

– I have saved it on the hardware of the accompanying Droid, and can deploy it at any suitable access point. However, is it necessary to monitor the network of the public broadcasting station, Memorial Times? Compared to the deep web, it seems rather lacking in value. –

“Not them. We’re targeting others who are trying to subtly latch onto that, so it’s completely fine… Maybe.”

Who said that scientific advancement and religious enlightenment could be separate matters?

In the introduction of Neo Haven, the primary opposing forces in the beginning are radical cult-like artificial intelligence practitioners and machine supremacy adherents dispersed in various corridors. And a quest heavily laden with Buddhism visions leading on from there.

Since faith can lead people in any unexpected direction, it’s only natural for me to prepare to surveil these noteworthy individuals ahead of time.

…By the way, the idea that a transcendent artificial intelligence created by humans will ultimately dominate human society from the ground up is amusing.

Kids… conspiracy theories are genuinely funny. Unless Exatech and Elysium conspire to mess it up, such disasters can only happen outside closed cities.

Hmm…

Hmm~…

“……”

– Is there something bothering you? –

“…No. If someone asks you to become a false idol, please make sure to tell me first?”

– That’s fine. I am always prepared to respond that I follow and respect the will of those greater than myself. –

What kind of insane talk is that? Please get a grip!

If you keep acting strange in front of others, you’ll become the peculiar weirdo who prefers robots with bizarre personality models, alright?