Strictly speaking, Level Upper didn't actually increase an esper's level—it didn't override their natural talent assessments. Without connecting to the network, an esper's ability remained at its original state. It was more like a temporary amplifier that boosted output by enhancing available computation power. In practice, though, the difference often felt like a real upgrade.
Listening carefully, Misaki couldn't help but find the whole concept fascinating. "So, sharing computation through a network to enhance abilities... that's quite an interesting idea."
Yet she had no intention of trying it herself. For one, as a Level 5, even thousands of ordinary espers combined wouldn't contribute much to her already immense processing capacity. And secondly—"The person who created this Level Upper… they probably aren't the altruistic type, are they?" she said suspiciously.
Having had her own encounters with Academy City's darker underbelly, Misaki wasn't so naïve. On paper, Level Upper sounded like a perfect system that allowed everyone to benefit. But in reality, nothing was ever that simple. The creator was clearly pursuing some hidden agenda. Otherwise, why secretly distribute it underground instead of openly promoting it? Methods that couldn't withstand scrutiny often concealed motives that couldn't either.
"You're absolutely right," Su Mo agreed. "The Level Upper network might be brilliant in theory, but it hides a dangerous flaw—the creator holds absolute control over the network's permissions. They can freely manipulate and reallocate the entire network's computation power. If they decided to suddenly withdraw too much at once, every user could fall into a coma."
Hearing this, Misaki's expression grew grim. "Judging by the number of incidents so far, at least several thousand people have already obtained the Level Upper. What in the world does the person behind this plan intend to do with that much processing power?"
If this situation exploded, the scale of the damage would be catastrophic. Academy City had only a few million students. For nearly half a percent of them to be affected—it was nothing short of disastrous.
"The mastermind's goal?" Su Mo looked up at the empty sky. "Most likely just the desperate, futile effort of one fool," he said softly. "But don't worry, this incident won't spiral out of control."
After all, Kiyama Harumi only wanted to save her students. By her design, the Level Upper wouldn't cause permanent harm to its users. She had even developed treatment protocols in advance. Unfortunately, due to the sheer scale of her operation and her own limited resources, her plan was ultimately doomed to fail.
Still, Su Mo hadn't intervened directly. Sometimes, letting someone else draw attention made it much easier to operate from the shadows. As for the children Kiyama Harumi was so desperately trying to save—it wouldn't be difficult for Su Mo to help them. But… not just yet.
"Let the bullet fly for a little while longer," Su Mo muttered. The time wasn't quite right yet. All he needed to do for now was make the necessary preparations.
"You're being so mysterious again!" Shokuhou Misaki pouted playfully, but despite her tone, her expression eased. If Su Mo was planning to get involved, then things would never spiral out of control. She had absolute confidence in him.
"If there's anything I can do to help, Su Mo-sensei, just say the word!" Misaki said sweetly, sensing that Su Mo already had a plan in mind. She didn't probe further, choosing instead to trust him completely.
"Alright," Su Mo nodded. "The hero always shows up at the last moment. I'll have to trouble you to wait patiently a little longer."
"No problem! My patience is top tier!" Misaki replied playfully, giving him a mischievous wink.
....
....
After escorting Shokuhou Misaki back, Su Mo waved her goodbye, turned around, and pulled out his phone. He dialed a contact labeled [Nunotaba Shinobu].
"Good afternoon! My not-so-lovable student, are you done for the day?" he greeted warmly.
However, the girl on the other end didn't seem too impressed. "Strictly speaking, Su Mo-sensei, it's evening now. You should be saying 'good evening,'" she replied in a cold, flat tone. "Besides, you actually have the nerve to ask if I've finished work... Thanks to you, I've been working 007 hours lately. Not only am I not done, I'm full of energy pulling yet another late shift."
Despite her words about being "full of energy," the underlying exhaustion and subtle resentment in her voice made it clear she was anything but.
"Sounds tough," Su Mo commented lightly, as though none of it really concerned him. He then smoothly switched to his usual tactic of appeasing his overworked assistant. "Shall I bring you a cup of bubble tea as a reward? What flavor would you like?"
"You really think you can buy me off with a simple cup of bubble tea, Su Mo-sensei?" she retorted. "Even the capitalists of Victorian London weren't as heartless as you."
But halfway through her grumbling, she gave in to reality. "Fine. Lychee flavor. No ice."
"Got it. I'll be there shortly," Su Mo replied nonchalantly, completely ignoring her earlier complaints before hanging up.
In her office at the research institute, Nunotaba Shinobu stared at the disconnected call, letting out a long sigh. "Su Mo-sensei really is..." she whispered to herself, shaking her head. Yet at the corner of her lips, an almost imperceptible smile formed.
Her mind wandered back to when she had first met Su Mo. Nunotaba Shinobu was a student at Nagatenjouki Academy, and at the same time, she was also involved in the Radio Noise Project and the Level 6 Shift Project.
The Radio Noise Project had originally been launched by Higuchi Pharmaceuticals. The logic was simple: since naturally born Level 5 espers were so rare, why not clone an existing Level 5 and mass-produce more? With this idea in mind, they began collecting genetic samples from espers and cloning them, hoping to create clones with the same Level 5 capabilities.
However, the experiment ultimately failed. For reasons they couldn't fully understand, the clones — known as the Misaka Sisters — only possessed around 1% of the original Mikoto Misaka's power, generally reaching no higher than Level 2. Since the results fell far short of expectations, and the research funding eventually dried up, the Radio Noise Project was suspended.
That was when the Level 6 Shift Project appeared. As the name implied, it aimed to create an Absolute Esper—someone who had reached Level 6. According to the calculations of Academy City's most advanced supercomputer—the satellite-based Tree Diagram—out of all eight Level 5s, only the strongest, Accelerator, had any real chance of reaching Level 6.
However, for Accelerator to evolve naturally would take 250 years of standard training—an impossible timespan for a human lifespan. Thus, Tree Diagram proposed an alternative: rapid evolution through combat.
According to its simulation, if Accelerator were to repeatedly fight and kill Mikoto Misaka in real battle scenarios, his abilities would grow exponentially. But since there was only one Mikoto Misaka, the focus shifted to the Misaka Sisters created through the cloning project. Although each clone only had the power of a Level 2 or Level 3, sheer numbers could compensate for quality.
In short, if Accelerator killed twenty thousand Misaka Sisters across twenty thousand battle simulations, he could reach Level 6. Twenty thousand lives, created solely to serve as fodder for one esper's ascension — the sheer inhumanity of the plan left Nunotaba Shinobu horrified. But to the other researchers, it was a perfectly acceptable experiment, worth pursuing.
Despite being only sixteen at the time, Nunotaba Shinobu's talent in research had already been recognized. She had originally been recruited by Higuchi Pharmaceuticals to assist with the educational development systems for the Misaka Sisters during the cloning project. Once the Radio Noise Project was frozen, she naturally transitioned into the Level 6 Shift Project.
And just as the horrific experiment was about to commence, Su Mo intervened.
With overwhelming power, he dismantled the entire Level 6 Shift Project and brought those responsible to justice. Most of the scientists involved were harshly punished. At the time, Nunotaba Shinobu believed she was doomed as well. After all, she had been complicit in supporting the project.
But something unexpected happened—Su Mo recognized her.
Back when he was teaching at Nagatenjouki Academy, he had encountered this somewhat reclusive student several times. Upon seeing her at the research facility, he immediately remembered who she was. Su Mo also knew, from the original timeline, that Nunotaba Shinobu had eventually tried to sabotage the inhumane experiment of her own accord.
After some thought, he decided to give her a second chance. Rather than punish her, he allowed her to stay on, tasking her with maintaining the Misaka Sisters' physical well-being, further developing the learning devices, and managing the Misaka Network.
With a sense of atonement in her heart, Nunotaba Shinobu had diligently worked under Su Mo's guidance ever since, gradually growing into a capable and independent researcher.