Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

”Something that can make an Ability User’s ability go out of control...”

Looking at the machine in front of him, Fang Zheng squinted his eyes and chuckled. Beside him, Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai looked at Fang Zheng with serious expressions.

”Mr. Fang Zheng, do you have a way to analyze it?”

”Of course I do, but it’s better to have someone else do this kind of thing... Hmm, wait a moment.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng opened his personal terminal and connected to Mokuyama Haruo.

”Mokuyama, come over and meet your relative.”

”...Relative?”

The group was puzzled by Fang Zheng’s words, but soon they understood what he meant.

”...This should operate on the same principle as the Fantasy Manipulator.”

Wearing headphones and carefully listening to a part of the noise, Mokuyama Haruo quickly provided a response.

”The other party probably based this on my empathy perception thesis and created it from there.”

”So, does that mean there’s someone’s brainwave inside this too?”

Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai were familiar with the Fantasy Manipulator situation, so hearing Mokuyama Haruo’s explanation, they immediately formed their own ideas. However, Mokuyama Haruo shook his head.

”It’s different. The reason I inserted my brainwave into the Fantasy Manipulator was to connect through the resonance of the brainwave to form a network. But the purpose of this program is simply to disrupt the brain of Ability Users and doesn’t require the insertion of specific brainwaves to achieve its goal.”

”I see...”

Upon hearing this, both of them felt a bit discouraged, but Mikoto Misaka soon thought of another question and curiously looked at Fang Zheng.

”By the way, Mr. Fang Zheng, when this machine started earlier, both Kuroko and I were affected, but Saten was completely fine. Why is that?!”

To be honest, this question had been troubling Mikoto Misaka for some time. She couldn’t understand why, given Saten Reiko’s ability level was at most LV3, far below LV4’s Kuroko Shirai and her LV5. Even in terms of ability proficiency, Saten had only been an Ability User for less than a month and couldn’t be more practiced than they were. Yet, this machine had no effect on Saten Reiko at all, which puzzled Mikoto Misaka.

But for Fang Zheng, having analyzed the principle of the machine, this was clearly not a problem.

”The reason is simple. The way she uses her ability is somewhat different from yours.”

”Somewhat... different?”

”Exactly.”

Fang Zheng nodded and then looked at the group, explaining.

”You’ve heard Mokuyama explain that this thing operates like the Fantasy Manipulator, using empathy perception as a basis. It directly stimulates the brain through hearing to interfere, making an Ability User’s ability go out of control. In fact, it only disrupts the part of the brain that controls energy.”

At this point, Fang Zheng glanced at Mikoto Misaka.

”You should understand, it’s like a machine. If the voltage is stable, it works correctly, but if interference disrupts the voltage, it malfunctions. This machine’s effect is to interfere with your brain, destabilizing the energy transfer that operates the ability, hence causing loss of control.”

”Ah...!”

As an Electrokinetic User, Mikoto Misaka was very familiar with this concept, hence she understood immediately.

”But Saten is also an Ability User, right?”

”She’s somewhat different. Although she calculates with her brain like you do, as I mentioned before, her body doesn’t have the power to drive the ability, which classifies her as LV0. Essentially, driving Saten Reiko’s ability is this...”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng pointed to the bracelet on Reiko’s wrist. Hearing this, Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai were astonished.

”Are you referring to the bracelet?”

”Exactly. The machine affects biological entities, but this bracelet is merely a stable energy transmission device, similar to an external battery. It won’t respond to any sound, thus it won’t get disrupted.”

”I see...”

Upon hearing this, Mikoto Misaka seemed somewhat disappointed. She had hoped for advice on resisting the strange noise. As an LV5 Superpower User, she was frustrated that she was incapacitated by the sound. With her strong self-esteem, Mikoto Misaka couldn’t accept it.

Defeated by Fang Zheng or that spiky-haired guy is one thing, but defeated by a machine?

Mikoto Misaka couldn’t accept this!

Know she’s an Electrokinetic User, supposed to be the nemesis of all machines, but now the machine is her enemy?

The cat chasing the mouse has turned into the mouse chasing the cat?

What a joke!

”Is there no way to deal with this thing?”

”Of course there is. Come over here, I’ll give you a buff.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng cheerfully beckoned to Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai. The two exchanged a puzzled look and walked up to Fang Zheng. Then Fang Zheng reached out and lightly slapped each of them on the head.

”Hey.”

”Ouch.”

”All done.”

Fang Zheng clapped his hands with a grin at the two.

”Now you don’t have to worry about noise pollution anymore.”

For Fang Zheng, solving something with a constant resistance boost is really quite simple.

”Mr. Fang Zheng, what did you do?”

Kuroko touched her head and asked in confusion, while Fang Zheng just shrugged.

”Hehe, take a guess.”

”......Ha......”

Hearing this, Kuroko knew she couldn’t get an answer from Fang Zheng.

”Um... Mr. Fang Zheng...”

However, at this moment, Misaka Mikoto paused silently, then looked at Fang Zheng.

”I have a question...”

”A question?”

”Yes, when I fought those members of the Armed Powerless Group before, they...”

As she spoke, Misaka Mikoto recounted what the hooligan had said to Fang Zheng and then lowered her head.

”I’m a bit confused... I think their actions are wrong, but... I always feel that maybe we ourselves have issues... Mr. Fang Zheng, what do you think?”

”Hmm... you want my opinion? Their choice is very right.”

”...Eh?”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Misaka Mikoto, Kuroko Shirai, and Saten Ruiko were all stunned.

”Mr. Fang Zheng, do you really think their actions are right?”

”The idea is right, the approach is wrong.”

Fang Zheng spread his hands.

”Actually, the things you’re talking about are pretty much the same all over the world, essentially identical. For instance, some people are particularly wealthy, while others are quite poor. Some do well in academics and can go to a good university, while some find even graduating from high school difficult. Some can solve complex problems with ease, while others spend a lifetime without achieving it, but do you know why these situations don’t happen outside?”

”...Why?”

”Because the choices are abundant.”

Fang Zheng yawned.

”Take a country for example, it needs various talents. You might not be able to become a scientist, but you can become a celebrity. Maybe you can’t sing, but at least you can work hard. If you can’t work hard, you can learn typing or find another job. In essence, a socially stable country is one that provides most people with enough directions to strive for. Of course, a part of the talent gets special attention. Like the Nobel physics laureate is evidently more useful to the country’s upper echelons than an Oscar winner. If funding is to be allocated, it would naturally go to those who have achieved, who have outstanding capability, individuals, and organizations, rather than silent research institutions that produce nothing.

”.........”

”But Academy City is different. Here, only the Ability Users get attention, while the Non-Ability Users are not offered alternatives. Having abilities isn’t inherently wrong. Much like a class that has both good students and poor students, it’s normal. Learning is the primary focus for students and there’s nothing wrong with that. But Academy City isn’t just a school as it has societal functions; logically, they should be offering more goals and directions to Non-Ability Users for stability. In fact, for Academy City, High-Rank Ability Users get attention, Non-Ability Users are left to fend for themselves...”

At this point, Fang Zheng let out a cold snort.

”Take the Armed Powerless Group for instance, is it that Academy City can’t control them? Or they just don’t want to? It’s actually that they don’t want to. If they wanted, they could have controlled them long ago, right? After all, the Armed Powerless Group are just a bunch of small fry, and they’re Non-Ability Users. A few Guard Officers could easily deal with them. But they don’t, which sends a message to the Non-Ability Users — they’ve been abandoned.”

”This...”

”The kids in Academy City are away from their parents here, logically, schools and teachers should take responsibility, yet they clearly don’t. The so-called student autonomy is nonsense. Expecting a bunch of little kids, not even adults, to self-govern is simply daydreaming. One could even say that many Non-Ability Users have become delinquents due to Academy City’s negligence, so... as a saying goes, it’s a self-inflicted fate. For those Non-Ability Users, it’s their only venting method.”

”.........”

Hearing this, Misaka Mikoto and others fell into silence, while Saten Ruiko sighed softly.

”I can understand that, after all, I was the same before...”

”Saten-san...”

Faced with Saten Ruiko’s words, Misaka Mikoto and Kuroko Shirai didn’t know what to say, while Fang Zheng just shrugged.

”In short, this isn’t your issue to worry about. Just say that the Coordinating Council is a bunch of idiots. If they handle it this way and troubles arise, it’s their responsibility. You just need to be careful not to be used by the Coordinating Council as a tool against fools.”

”Ah, okay...”

Misaka Mikoto nodded blankly, still not quite understanding this aspect, whereas Kuroko began to ponder, clearly as a Discipline Committee Member, she knew more deeply about these issues than Misaka Mikoto.

These little girls’ thoughts were no concern for Fang Zheng. Just then, Rem sent a message that the English Puritanism representatives finally dispatched someone, so Fang Zheng hurried off to greet them with joy.

However...

”What did you say?”

Sitting behind the desk, Fang Zheng glared at the young man in front of him who looked like a delinquent with dyed blonde hair and sunglasses. Fang Zheng had some impression of this person, remembering him as Kamijou Touma’s friend named Tsuchimikado, a dual spy for Academy City and the Magic Side. So, it wasn’t surprising that he came to convey the message for Necessarius Church, but the message itself was quite unexpected.

At this moment, Stiyl and Kanzaki Kaori were staring at him, dumbfounded.

”Ah, dear master, don’t look at me like that. This is a message from the English Puritanism... they say they don’t have that much money for the time being, so... they temporarily entrust you with these two.”

”......Ha?”

Hearing this, Fang Zheng almost slapped the table in anger.

Are you kidding me?!