Admission (1)

The soft blue glow of my computer monitor dimmed as a translucent purple hologram materialized in the air before me. The warm, pink hues of my bedroom lights reflected faintly on its surface, giving it an otherworldly aura. I instinctively recoiled, pulling my hands back from the keyboard.

[You're using the system wrong,] the text read, hovering in crisp clarity on the hologram.

The words caught me off guard, irritation bubbling in my chest. "What do you mean, Sys—Shun?" I corrected myself quickly, remembering he preferred his name over being called "system."

[The system hasn't truly helped you grow. That's my role,] Shun replied smoothly, his tone as polite as ever, despite the jarring claim.

I squinted at the screen. "What are you talking about?"

[The system was designed to track your progress—a basic database. When we met and you awakened it, my intention was to subtly guide your growth by gradually introducing mana into your body. But… unforeseen errors occurred due to your unique traits—'Universal Affinity' and 'Thought Acceleration.' The exposure to magic from infancy only compounded the issue.]

"Errors?" The word lingered in my mind, heavy and unsettling.

[Exactly. Even with your WIS stat surpassing 1000, do you truly feel any wiser? You don't, do you?]

"That's not true," I snapped, defensive. But the knot forming in my stomach told me otherwise.

[It was the placebo effect.]

My breath hitched. "…What?"

[The system's data is accurate in tracking progress. Bone conditioning, strength, defense—all those improvements are real. But there's a ceiling to what stats can achieve.]

"A ceiling?" My voice wavered.

[Yes. Take WIS, for example. Despite the claim of permanent wisdom enhancement, your growth cap is tied to your human lifespan—72 points, one for every birthday. You've already reached that limit. The rest of the stats? Just inflated numbers.]

My mind reeled, flashing back to the countless battles where I'd placed my trust—my life—in those numbers. "But… I killed him. My father," I shouldn't be able to do that if I had less wisdom. And all the parts where I use basic hacking enhanced with Thought acceleration... "That wasn't just a coincidence. He sent that stalker, to kill Mom—I know it. I read his thoughts in his final moments. He wanted to hurt her. I managed to conclude that in just an encounter with the stalker and mom's conversation with both the uncle president and Miyako-san."

There's no way I won't be able to do that without having that much wisdom, right?

Shun's response was immediate, the hologram flickering briefly.

[You're correct. Your actions were deliberate. Bone conditioning made your body stronger, and the system tracked those changes. But what truly influenced you wasn't your stats—it was your Thought Guidance.]

"Thought Guidance?" I whispered, if it was that skill...

[It's a skill that's been active since we met. I thought you were using it consciously, but it seems you've been triggering it unconsciously. It influences both you and those who interact with you.]

Before I could respond, another voice spoke—not Shun, but a neutral, mechanical tone echoing in my mind. It was Great Sage,

«Report: Thought Guidance is designed to make those who interact with Master view her favorably.»

«Inquiry: Would you like to deactivate it?»

Favorably? Then... why would that matter?

[Because it's not just others being affected,] Shun interrupted, his words on the screen were bolded now. Catching my attention fully.

Not just others, so... I am too?

«Answer: Affirmative, there are traces of past activations suggesting it was once used to influence Master's own thoughts—before she acquired me.»

"..." So the whole reason I was able to kill my father, and every thing else were... Someone guided my thoughts.

[Correct. Your own thoughts have been subtly guided, shaping your decisions and actions. That's why your choices seem unnaturally aligned to your benefit. "That Guy" is manipulating your skill.]

"Who?" I demanded, frustration boiling over. "You keep saying 'that guy.' Can't you just tell me his name?"

[No]

The room felt smaller, suffocating, as the weight of his words sank in. The truth unraveled like a thread pulled loose—my progress, my victories, my choices—all of it tangled in a web I hadn't even known existed.

[Name: Amethyst Hoshino]

[Age: 13 years old]

[Lv: 15]

[EP: 1154/1154]

[Strength---> Atk: 184.2]

[Wisdom---> Energy Regeneration: 2230]

[Dexterity---> Speed: 30]

[Defense----> Def: 184.2 ]

[Luck: 40 (+0.1)]

[Points: 25]

[Skills: ...+]

The status that I opened changes immediately.

[There, I've fixed it. This should help you adapt to all the stat features now] Shun declared thus.

 I sighed. "Haa… so much for hoping maxing out my wisdom points" I thought I can turn myself into a genius who could predict stock prices.

At least Thought Acceleration had its uses. But now? Isn't all that effort wasted if it just turns into this so-called "Energy Regeneration"?

[Don't think like that. I can guide you with the system now. It's not all bad,] Shun replied.

His words didn't feel very reassuring. Still, if my past actions were manipulated, and that person even helped me take out someone who could've been a massive problem later on (Like helping me kill my father), maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought? If you ignore the mind control part, at least…?

[No.]

Shun's reply cut through my thoughts sharply, bold text flashing on the hologram.

[I told you not to trust him.]

[Listen to me.]

[Do not trust him.]

The bold messages lingered, forceful and unrelenting. Shun seemed almost desperate, as if he knew something I didn't—and it made my chest tighten.

.

.

.

Shun has finally gone quiet so I can go back to what I was doing...

Click Click Click Click Click

The sharp clacks of my new space-themed mechanical keyboard echoed The flickering blue glow from the monitor strained my tired eyes. On the screen, a name caught my attention—Miyano Kagurazaka. PhD titles are stacked beside it like trophies.

The memory in my head finally stirred.

Years ago, during my time with the whole "Necro - the evil hacker" Arc, I'd done more than hijack a NASA satellite. Out of curiosity, I'd copied some journals too. Turns out, they were hers.

Her name was there, clear as day.

Yesterday, I planned to summon a clone and sacrifice another PC at a distant location. Afterward, the police were dispatched to investigate, only to end up chasing the clone, which disappeared the moment they reached the scene.

But none of it mattered anymore.

The journals weren't secrets anymore—they were out in the open. The operation had been called off.

Still, I couldn't stop reading, trying to make sense of it all, even with my supposed 2000+ wisdom points, which turned out to be just 2000 points in Energy Regeneration.

"Reversed Fission Principle?" I muttered, raising an eyebrow at the bold title. Below it, detailed logs and diagrams of a machine that looked like a particle accelerator.

Something felt off. Was Miyano Kagurazaka really behind this?

I paused, piecing things together. What did she mean by "fission"?

The term reminded me of nuclear fission—the splitting of heavy atomic nuclei, like uranium-235, when it absorbs a neutron. That process releases huge amounts of energy and causes a chain reaction. In reactors, this energy heats water, making steam to power turbines.

But this paper suggested something far more revolutionary.

I read aloud: "Abstract: Reverse Fission represents a paradigm shift in energy science, proposing a mechanism for synthesizing matter from the energy released during nuclear fission. This paper outlines the theoretical framework, technological implementations, and potential applications of Reverse Fission..."

It claimed you could reverse the process. Instead of splitting uranium for energy, you could create radioactive minerals from pure electricity.

The minerals weren't like uranium; their radioactivity was unusual. A cloud chamber showed no signs of alpha or beta particles, yet a Geiger counter detected high radiation levels.

Despite strict precautions, many researchers later developed cancer.

Initially, it was assumed the material emitted strong gamma rays. But a few years later, scientists discovered something new—a previously unknown type of radiation was identified and named.

This… this was incredible.

No, she was incredible.

That Kagurazaka woman…

The material they'd invented— it was something the Great Sage was already familiar with.

«Report: Material suspected to be: Magisteel»

It was that similar.

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To be continued.