A Newcomer Has Arrived~

After recruiting Hiruko, a research assistant with tremendous potential, Orochimaru was in an excellent mood.

He returned to his quiet home, easily emptied his mind, and let his consciousness sink once more into that strange Shared Space.

However, things looked a little different this time.

Besides himself and the ones who had arrived earlier—Harry Osborn, Zhuge Qing, and Reed Richards—there were two more people in the space.

Both had Asian features.

One wore what looked like a uniform. He appeared to be no older than a middle schooler, and had a rather aloof air about him.

The other seemed much more mature, perhaps in his early twenties. He wore a simple white lab coat and looked somewhat languid.

"Newcomers?"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up at the sight, and he walked over of his own accord.

After all, the first time was the hardest. He'd been in their shoes once, too.

The sooner they exchanged information, the sooner they could get down to business.

As he sized up the two newcomers, his mind was already racing.

One teenager and one young man. What worlds were they from? What knowledge did they possess?

"Harry... I mean, the one from the Marvel World just gave us a brief introduction to this place."

"This is... beyond anything I could have imagined."

The young man in the lab coat spoke, his voice tinged with disbelief.

The teenager said nothing, only nodding as his eyes moved between Orochimaru, Zhuge Qing, and Harry.

"Every phenomenon must have a cause.

"As scientists, it's our job to figure out the principles behind it, isn't it?

"Understand it, analyze it, and then put it to use. That's what we should be doing."

Orochimaru gave a slight nod, glanced at the two of them, and replied with a smile.

"You're right. Rather than getting caught up in the phenomenon itself, we should investigate its nature."

The young man in the lab coat smiled in agreement, then held out his hand.

The teenager beside him nodded and did the same.

Orochimaru reached out and shook their hands. As before, after a brief mental connection, a vast stream of information poured into his consciousness.

He quickly sorted and organized it.

First, the young man in the lab coat. His name was Zhang Qi, just like before he'd crossed over?

The world he came from... Neon Genesis Evangelion?

He currently worked for the Artificial Evolution Research Institute, Gehirn—the predecessor to Nerv.

He was working under Dr. Naoko Akagi on the construction of the seventh-generation Bio-Computer, MAGI. At the same time... he was also getting involved with Project E, the project to build the EVAs!

The seventh-generation Bio-Computer, MAGI...

Orochimaru's eyes lit up.

In his previous life, it had existed only as a theoretical concept, yet the world of Evangelion had already advanced to the seventh generation.

And the other newcomer, the middle schooler, was... Makishima Gaku?!

And judging by the boy's memories, he was the one from Kryonaut.

The Kurosu Organization existed! So did the Zoanthropes!

In this world, he was the adopted son of Shigizo Makishima, a high-ranking official in the Kurosu Organization's Japan branch. His status had given him access to many of the organization's core human-modification technologies!

The technology in this world could directly edit and alter the human genome on a massive scale, turning people into living weapons with extraordinary strength!

It was only the basics, but it far surpassed the knowledge they currently possessed...

An irrepressible thrill welled up inside Orochimaru. These two worlds had arrived at exactly the right time.

One possessed top-tier Bio-Computer technology and artificial life technology.

The other possessed genetic-level modification technology...

This Shared Space was practically a... treasure trove!

"Phew..."

Zhang Qi was the first to finish browsing the information. He let out a long breath, his face showing a hint of emotion.

"Unbelievable... Naruto, Marvel, The Outcast... and now Kryonaut, too..."

He looked at everyone, his expression a little strange.

"But doesn't anyone else think... there seem to be rather a lot of villains here? Or, at least, characters with morally gray affiliations?"

He glanced at Orochimaru, a future S-rank rogue ninja from Konoha, then at Harry Osborn, a future Green Goblin, and then at Makishima Gaku, an ambitious man who walked the line between good and evil. Finally, he turned to Zhuge Qing, as if searching for someone like himself.

"That's true... Either we're villains in our own stories, or we've joined organizations that are definitely villains."

Makishima Gaku nodded, his voice carrying a hint of resignation.

"What's so strange about that?

"Villainous organizations have lower ethical standards and fewer restrictions on research, so it's easier for them to get results.

"Besides, think about all the anime, movies, and novels you've seen. How many organizations with core technology and technology that outclasses the rest of the world are on the protagonist's side?

"Advanced technology means you're the villain. That's common knowledge~. Relax, relax."

Zhuge Qing took it all in stride. He spread his hands and smiled with narrowed eyes.

"That's easy for you to say. You're not a villain."

Makishima Gaku rolled his eyes at Zhuge Qing and grumbled.

Everyone there except Zhuge Qing had some connection to a villainous organization.

Those organizations might have advanced technology, but their ultimate goals were all somewhat inhuman.

Take the Kurosu Organization, where he worked. It wanted to turn all of humanity into Zoanthropes, rule the Earth, and then seek out the Creators who had descended from the heavens.

Or Nerv from Evangelion, whose goal was to turn all of humanity into orange juice and bring about Human Instrumentality.

It wasn't easy to get by in organizations like that.

"Hehe~"

Zhuge Qing laughed, not the least bit bothered.

"But I lean toward another possibility...

"The new members who appear in this space may be chosen based on the 'needs' of those already here."

Harry Osborn, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke.

"Needs?"

Orochimaru immediately picked up on the key word, a flash of insight crossing his mind.

He looked at Harry, then at the newcomers, Zhang Qi and Makishima Gaku.

"You mean... because you and I both urgently need cutting-edge knowledge and technological breakthroughs in biotechnology for our current research,

"the space 'summoned' Zhang Qi from the world of Evangelion, with his knowledge of Bio-Computers and artificial life, as well as Makishima Gaku from the world of Kryonaut, with his knowledge of genetic modification?"

Everyone paused at the suggestion, then fell into thought.

The more Orochimaru considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

His research—whether it involved analyzing Chakra and Kekkei Genkai, pursuing the evolution of his body, or seeking immortality—was all tied to biology, especially technologies that worked at the genetic level.

And Harry Osborn carried a hereditary genetic disease passed down through the Osborn family. He, too, desperately needed biotechnology beyond the limits of current science to save himself.

The MAGI Bio-Computer theory and some of the ideas behind the EVAs as artificial life forms that Zhang Qi brought, along with the Kurosu Organization's gene-editing and modification technology that Makishima Gaku could access...

This knowledge was essential to their current circumstances.

They would still need to test and adapt it according to the rules of their respective worlds, but it would undoubtedly save them a great deal of time in research!

"Exactly."

"The number of parallel universes is practically infinite, so there must be countless versions of 'us' with all kinds of knowledge."

"Why these two in particular, and why did they appear just when we needed this knowledge most?"

"The odds of that being a coincidence are too low."

"I think this Shared Space may be selecting and connecting individuals from specific parallel worlds based on our needs."

Harry Osborn nodded, confirming Orochimaru's theory.

Harry's analysis plunged everyone into silence.

If the theory was true, then the value of the Shared Space went far beyond simply exchanging information.

It was more like a... treasure trove of knowledge that gave you whatever you asked for?

A kind of super cheat that could match members with precisely the technical support they needed?

At the thought, everyone's breathing quickened a little.

Needs... principles... mechanisms...

The secrets of this space were getting more and more interesting!