"This is definitely a problem," Su Mo murmured, falling into thought.
He had intended to use the Level Upper Network as a way to strengthen his forces. While it offered limited benefits to Level 5 espers, it could significantly boost Level 4s, making it an excellent support system. However, selecting the right candidate to serve as the network administrator was no simple task. The candidate not only needed to be someone Su Mo could trust unconditionally but also capable of withstanding the burden of encrypted brainwave control. People who satisfied one requirement were rare enough; finding someone who met both was nearly impossible.
Mikoto Misaka, though powerful, was too driven by her sense of justice. She wasn't entirely part of his camp yet and couldn't be fully trusted. Shokuhou Misaki, on the other hand, was completely trustworthy, but her weak constitution made her unable to endure the strain. The other Level 5s either had problematic personalities or lacked sufficient connections with him, making them unsuitable as well.
After pondering for a while, Su Mo's eyes lit up as a new idea came to him. "Now that I think about it, who says the Level Upper Network administrator even needs to be human?"
"Huh?" Nunotaba blinked, visibly surprised. "You mean—?"
"What if we replace the administrator's brainwaves with those of the Exterior Brain itself?" Su Mo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We hand the entire Level Upper Network's control authority over to the Exterior Brain. That way, logging into the device would grant access to the full computational power of the Level Upper Network and simultaneously control all connected espers' abilities. More importantly, this method completely eliminates the burden of encrypting a human brain."
After all, the Exterior Brain had already undergone encryption. For a massive biological supercomputer like it, such additional pressure was negligible.
Nunotaba paused for a moment to consider his proposal before sighing in amazement. "Su Mo-sensei, you really are a genius."
The solution was surprisingly feasible. When the Exterior Brain wasn't actively logged in, the Level Upper Network would function simply as a cloud-computing platform, distributing and amplifying power across its members. But once the Exterior Brain was logged in, all that computational power would instantly be centralized under Su Mo's control. Moreover, there would be no risk of anyone tracing or stealing the administrator's brainwaves. Not only were the signals encrypted, but even if someone somehow cracked the encryption, the data wouldn't match any human records—because the Exterior Brain wasn't human, and its brainwave patterns didn't exist in any database.
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you," Su Mo said after some thought. "Try to have a working prototype of this Exterior Brain-based Level Upper ready within three days. Also, if you can, combine it with the Level Upper disconnection audio—I'll have use for that soon."
"Three days?" Nunotaba exhaled lightly. "A bit tight, but it's doable. After all, we're just building on someone else's foundation. It's not too complicated."
Satisfied with her answer, Su Mo felt reassured. They chatted idly for another half hour before Nunotaba began ushering him out—clearly eager to start working on the project as soon as possible. Seeing this, Su Mo generously offered to double her monthly salary. Unfortunately, Nunotaba's expression remained flat and disinterested. It seemed that at her age, she had already grown indifferent to money.
He really didn't know what would interest this child.
…
…
Leaving the Higuchi Pharmaceuticals Research Center, Su Mo found that the sky had already turned dark. He strolled leisurely along the streets, heading home while reflecting on whether there were any oversights in the matter of the Level Upper. After carefully thinking it over, he confirmed that there were no major issues. All that remained was to wait for the next events to unfold, and at the right time, he would step in and seize control, securing the results he desired.
As his thoughts settled, he raised his head and realized he had wandered into a narrow alleyway. The place was so secluded that even delinquents didn't bother gathering here — after all, there was no one to rob. Just as he was passing by a trash bin, Su Mo suddenly sensed a faint sign of life coming from inside. Someone was hiding in there.
Was this an attempted ambush? That was his first instinct. But almost immediately, he dismissed the idea. After all, even Su Mo himself hadn't planned his route today; he had simply chosen a random path. It was unlikely anyone could have anticipated his arrival and laid an ambush here.
More importantly, the presence inside the trash bin was extremely weak — even feebler than that of a research technician like Nunotaba Shinobu. Although one's strength as an esper wasn't directly tied to physical vitality, being this frail usually meant illness or severe malnutrition. Either way, whoever was inside didn't seem like someone capable of being a threat.
Su Mo found it odd. In Academy City, even the poorest Level 0 espers received subsidies for food; starvation cases were virtually nonexistent. The most reasonable explanation was that this person was likely ill. Having thought of that, Su Mo felt it necessary to take a look — after all, if he just left, whoever was inside might not make it through the night. As long as the person wasn't some heinous criminal, Su Mo still had a certain sense of humanity.
Just as he stepped closer and paused, the person inside seemed to have noticed movement as well and struggled to climb out, only to fall heavily onto the ground with a soft thud. Seeing the figure sprawled before him, Su Mo was speechless. Of all people—this one?
Clad in a platinum-colored nun's habit, with a petite frame and silver hair spilling from beneath her headpiece, there was no mistaking her identity. She raised her head, looked at Su Mo, and spoke. "I'm hungry! Excuse me, kind sir, could you treat me to a meal?" The silver-haired, emerald-eyed girl politely introduced herself. "My name is Index. I'm a nun from Neccessarius of the Anglican Church. If you're willing to help me, I'll be very grateful!"
Her clear, innocent eyes sparkled with anticipation, showing no trace of deceit. Judging from her condition, she probably hadn't eaten for quite a while, yet she still carried herself with natural poise. If Su Mo were to refuse, she likely would've simply accepted it and gone on her way.
But of course, Su Mo wasn't about to turn her away. "Just a meal? That's fine." He nodded and agreed to Index's request, but still asked out of curiosity, "Are you alright like this though?"
Because the alley was so remote, even the trash bin was fairly empty, and she hadn't been soiled by any garbage. She was simply covered in dust, looking like a dirty little kitten.
"Eh? You mean this?" Realizing what Su Mo was referring to, Index stood up with his help, thanked him, then energetically hopped in place and patted her nun's robes. The dust immediately vanished, leaving her outfit spotless. "See! No problem at all. My clothes have a self-cleaning function. Just a few pats and they're good as new, so you don't have to worry, kind sir!"
Proudly showing off the unique feature of her outfit, she then looked at Su Mo with sparkling, hopeful eyes. "By the way, kind sir, you promised to treat Index to a meal, didn't you? You won't go back on your word, right? I've heard that God does not bless those who regret their promises!"
Having finally encountered someone willing to feed her, Index's eyes were practically shining.
Su Mo couldn't help but chuckle. "It's just a meal. I won't regret it. But you know, randomly adding things to the Bible and making up things God never said—are you really a nun?"
Though normally devout, when it came to food, Index always became somewhat… unorthodox. Nowhere in scripture was there anything like what she had just claimed. At most, the Bible spoke of God not favoring those who lacked faith in Him. The bit about regretting things? Complete nonsense — pure improvisation on her part.
"…" Being called out so directly made Index blush slightly, but her embarrassment didn't even last a full second before she tossed it aside. Blinking, she suddenly asked curiously, "How do you know God never said that? Are you a believer too?"
Realizing this possibility, Index grew visibly excited. It was like finding a familiar face in a foreign land. Su Mo glanced around with mock caution, then shook his head and whispered, "Yes, but not entirely."
"???" Index tilted her head in confusion, but before she could press further, Su Mo cut in, "Let's focus on eating first."
"Yay!" The mention of food immediately wiped away any curiosity Index had, and she followed along happily.
Happily, she caught up with Su Mo's pace, her once-exhausted body now full of renewed energy.