The data before him was still as complicated as ever, and Fang Zheng stared at its contents with a deeply furrowed brow.
"So... this isn't just some kind of substance, is it?"
"Yes, Master."
Nymph nodded from the other side of the screen.
"This is really interesting."
Fang Zheng shifted his gaze and glanced at the sample beside him. He had not lied to Misaka Mikoto, Saten Ruiko, and the others. He really was researching how to let non-Espers gain abilities. Of course, his original reason for conducting this research was Riko. But now, Fang Zheng had suddenly discovered something else strange.
It was a mysterious chemical substance inside Riko's cross.
At first, Fang Zheng had become interested because this substance emitted a certain energy that affected Riko and allowed her to use abilities. But during his research, he made an unexpected discovery—although this mysterious substance looked inanimate, it seemed to possess a certain degree of thought. The discovery shocked Fang Zheng, and he hurriedly contacted Nymph.
After carefully studying the data and conducting experiments, Little Angel had reached a similar conclusion.
"What is this supposed to be? Non-carbon-based life? Is that it? I really don't understand this thing..."
Fang Zheng scratched his head, feeling utterly confused. He did not know much about this sort of existence. In truth, he had encountered very few similar races, so even if he wanted to study it, he had no idea where to begin. After all, this was not his area of expertise. But it did not matter. Little Angel was here, wasn't she? Fang Zheng did not need to handle everything himself.
At the very least, however, the effects had been confirmed. By analyzing and comparing samples from Riko, Flanda, and Ruizi, they had determined that the substance could indeed release a