"Some things can't be achieved through hard work alone. Why do you think that out of Academy City's 2.3 million students, only seven of you are Level 5 espers? Is it because they don't work hard enough? That's far too large a base of lazy people." Chen Fan smiled.
Misaka Mikoto froze. She had never considered such things before. Seeing the expression on her face, Chen Fan knew what she was thinking. Although Misaka Mikoto was said to be the only Level 5 with a normal personality, she had an obvious flaw: she was single-minded. Her eyes focused only on one thing, causing her to overlook everyone around her, and she had yet to realize it.
"Well! That wasn't really what I meant. When Heaven closes a door, it opens another one. Those with talent are the students who possess esper abilities, while those without talent are the powerless. Espers may be incredibly powerful, but they aren't the only kind of power. There's also magic."
"Magic? Isn't that all fake?" Misaka Mikoto said in surprise. She simply could not understand why Chen Fan was talking about something that existed only in manga and novels.
"If esper abilities exist, why wouldn't magic? And do you think esper abilities and magic are any different?"
"What difference? Of course they're very different."
"That's right, they're very different. That's why magic and science are almost incompatible. If an esper learns or uses magic, it overloads their body—their brain could explode, and their body could be damaged. The reverse is true as well. That's why the magic side and the science side are hostile toward each other. The higher-ups in Academy City all know magic exists, but they won't tell the students, because it would negatively affect the development of their esper abilities." Chen Fan