Yeah, yeah, double updates resume on the 21st...
"Not bad, not bad. These students are much better than last year's." The second Brown Bear met the same fate as the first. The middle-aged man who had been watching from nearby spoke to Jiu Ming.
There was a faint note of surprise in his voice. They were so young, yet they were already doing this kind of thing?
He wondered whether the genius students from the various academies would be shaken once they learned Jiu Ming existed.
"But they were lucky, too. When mutated bears developed special abilities, those abilities were usually related to Earth Ability. Trying to trap them like this was just playing with fire."
"Luck is part of strength." Jiu Ming smiled. Hadn't he also been lucky to become the Mysterious Shop's shopkeeper?
"You're so young. Why are you doing this kind of work?" The middle-aged man rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He started to take one out, then seemed to think better of it and put the pack away.
"There are lots of reasons." He shrugged. He couldn't exactly say he was a ghost, so how could he go to school?
"Sorry for prying. Well, let's split up here. If we stand around chatting, some unlucky student might get into trouble somewhere else." The middle-aged man shook his head, waved to Jiu Ming, and quickly left. He seemed even more eager than Jiu Ming.
A man with a story, all right.
Jiu Ming took out his watch and left, heading after one of the Red Dots deep in the Death Forest.
"Huh?" Just as he was making his way there, Jiu Ming froze for a moment. His body immediately stepped through several ripples. A new customer had arrived.
--New Customer--
Jiu Ming found the girl standing by the entrance strange in every way. First of all, he sensed very little emotion from her. She was almost like the Three-No Girl he'd met last time... No, even less expressive. Her eyes were utterly lifeless.
She wore what looked like a school uniform... probably. But she also had a pair of Military Night Vision Goggles on her head. Where had this girl come from?
"Welcome. What would you like to buy?"
"This is a shop...? Misaka 1 says she can't see anything about this place that makes it look like a shop." The girl tilted her head adorably and glanced around. "This is just an excuse, isn't it? You kidnapped Misaka 1 and brought her here."
"Misaka 1 thinks she's figured out the truth. Will you get angry out of embarrassment?"
"..." Jiu Ming scratched his head, caught in an inexplicable tangle of emotions. It was obvious that this customer belonged in the "abnormal" category.
Generally speaking—no, it was practically certain! Customers classified as "abnormal" never brought him any profit. How was he supposed to make a deal with them?
For example, right now, Jiu Ming was struggling just to recite the Mysterious Shop's introduction. Judging from her reaction, would saying it even do any good?
"Um, this isn't a kidnapping. You came here entirely thanks to your luck. So, is there anything you can't handle on your own that you'd like to hire me for? Of course, it'll cost you a small something..."
"Can you help Misaka meet Onee-sama? Misaka is a little excited at the thought."
"Onee-sama?"
Jiu Ming immediately thought of a sister complex. Then he wondered... Had the girl been separated from her sister for some reason?
"Sure." In that case, he'd definitely lend a hand!
"Then, do I need money?" Misaka 1 asked in a flat tone. "Since this is a commission, it must require something like money. Misaka is starting to worry that she doesn't have any."
"Urk!" Jiu Ming choked. Could she please not bring up money?
Money ruined the mood! Had money's existence really managed to bridge every dimension!?
"Ahem. Something else will do. So, what do you have?"
"The cost of cloning a Misaka is only 180,000 yen... Misaka has nothing."
For some reason, her words carried an unexpectedly desolate feeling. Jiu Ming rubbed his cheek, very unwillingly recalling his dark history in the maze—damn it!
A clone?
"If that's the case, then goodbye. Misaka says she's very disappointed, while hoping the mysterious person before her will change his mind."
"Wait! You don't need to give me anything. I accept the commission!" Jiu Ming hurriedly called out as Misaka 1 turned to leave.
"Thank you very much." Misaka 1 glanced at the watch, her expression still indifferent. "Misaka 1 has been here for five minutes. The experiment is about to begin, and Misaka regrets that she won't get to meet Onee-sama."
"An experiment?" Jiu Ming raised an eyebrow and strode over. "Whatever kind of experiment it is, I've accepted the commission, so I'll help you achieve your goal."
A clone plus an experiment?
Ha. There were plenty of examples of people being driven insane by that combination, weren't there? If there was a Number 1, there had to be a Number 2 and Number 3, too.
Even though the girl before him lacked basic emotions, Jiu Ming could still sense the faint presence of a soul in her body. A soul meant life. In truth, the conditions for a soul to form were both harsh and simple.
Even a clone would gain a soul when she opened her eyes and saw the world around her, when she came into contact with it. No matter how faint that soul was, Jiu Ming was a ghost, and his perception of souls was exceptionally strong.
"What a strange person. He's forcing himself to accept someone else's commission? Misaka is a little worried he'll come after her for payment later."
"...Tch. Then I'll take this as payment."
With a soft click of his tongue, Jiu Ming simply removed the Military Night Vision Goggles from the girl's head. "You give me these, and I'll help you find your 'Onee-sama.'"
"Misaka 1 is concerned for your safety. There shouldn't be any outsiders near the experiment."
"You're the client, so I'm not an outsider. Besides, I'm already dead. How could I die a second time?"
Jiu Ming smiled casually. Compared to the students' field training outside, it wasn't even the first day yet, and there were still plenty of Hidden Support. They'd be fine without him for now. He needed to prioritize things, and he really wanted to see who was behind this mysterious "experiment."
At the same time, this would be his first proper trip to another world. The Mysterious Shop had chosen him because of his energy efficiency. When taking commissions from clients in other worlds, he often had to go there in person. Crossing worlds took energy, and bringing a physical body along took even more. Since he only had a soul, the cost was nearly cut in half...
He was also more energy-efficient in other ways. For ordinary people, the safest way to improve was to train both body and mind together. Jiu Ming only needed to improve his soul, and that would raise everything else along with it.
"Come on. Let's see who the experimenters are..."
"Misaka 1 refuses. The experiment cannot proceed if an outsider is present."
"I'm not an outsider! And I've already taken the item, so I'll see the commission through. This is the first time I've officially started a job, after all."
"Misaka 1 feels deeply helpless at the unreasonable behavior of the awkward good Samaritan before her."
Misaka 1 checked the time again. "There are 48 seconds until the experiment begins..."
"It'll only take a second to get to your location. Let's go!"
The moment the Military Night Vision Goggles became Jiu Ming's property, the Mysterious Shop's rules took effect. The trade was complete, and the commission officially began!
"Test Subject Number One has gone missing. We suspect a Space Ability User interfered in an attempt to disrupt the Level 6 Shift... Wait! The test subject has reappeared. She's heading to the testing site." Inside a research institute, an experimenter reporting Misaka 1's disappearance saw the girl suddenly reappear on the monitor and froze.
Then a strange, semi-transparent shadow appeared on the monitor. It gradually became clearer, though it remained bizarrely translucent. The moment its features came into focus, the surveillance feed turned into a mass of static.
"An intruder!!"
An intruder?
It didn't matter. Even if they realized what was happening, it was already too late. Misaka 1 had entered the research institute's testing area.
"Now then, let's see what kind of person would use you as a test subject..."
It was unexpected—very unexpected. Standing inside the testing area was a young man dressed in ordinary clothes. He had white hair and skin, red pupils, a slender figure, and thin limbs with barely any muscle. He looked neither entirely male nor female...
Well, let's just call him a young man for now.
"Th-this... Are you kidding me?" Jiu Ming glanced at Misaka 1, who was about to speak, and waved her quiet. "Never mind. This should be the right place."
He moved his hands and feet slightly. His Soul Body was in perfect condition. Perhaps because of the trip between worlds, his energy consumption seemed somewhat higher than usual. He just had to be careful. For now, he needed to keep his attention on the White Hair in front of him. The guy gave Jiu Ming an utterly dangerous feeling!
"Tch! You made me wait this long. You weren't on the schedule, were you? Hey, you! Which one of these bastards are you? What are you doing here... looking to die?!"
A cold, viscous killing intent swept over them. Jiu Ming stepped forward, completely blocking it. As for killing intent?
He'd fought countless opponents created by the Mysterious Shop. Their killing intent was no weaker. Those opponents might have been "simulated," but to Jiu Ming, they were every bit as real as anyone else.
The Misaka 1 standing behind him showed no reaction at all. She lacked emotions, so the killing intent had little effect on her. Killing intent mostly affected the mind. What use was it against a block of wood?
"...You did insult me, but how could I hold that against you, right? Come on, young lady! Show me your weapon. I want to fight you one-on-one!"
"That's what Misaka was supposed to do... Accelerator is a woman? Misaka says she's very surprised."
"It's my turn now. What are you going to do—die?" Jiu Ming raised an eyebrow. He could already tell they weren't even remotely on the same level. He wouldn't be surprised if Misaka 1 were taken out in a single move.
Before you continue