Mental Out and black magic

"What did you do?"

No matter how [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] blew the white flute at his lips, the rats surrounding Chen Xiao did not move an inch.

He clearly had not lost control over the rats.

"Compared to humans, rats' brains seem a little easier to control."

Chen Xiao did not answer his question. Instead, he looked at the remote in his hand and muttered to himself.

The power he was using was none other than Shokuhou Misaki's Superpower from A Certain Magical Index—Mental Out.

Reading memories and minds, telepathic communication with distant targets, erasing thoughts, amplifying willpower, reproducing thoughts, transplanting emotions...

It handled every kind of mental phenomenon.

However, Chen Xiao did not understand Shokuhou Misaki's ability very deeply. He had never even read the scientific principles described in the original work. At most, he knew that her ability was incredibly powerful and that she needed something like a remote control to impose restrictions on herself.

Under those circumstances, would the ability he manifested be exactly the same as the original?

Would it still operate on the same scientific principles?

Chen Xiao did not know.

But he had now done something Shokuhou Misaki had never managed in the original-control nonhuman animals.

"Looks like there are still differences from the original."

As he spoke, Chen Xiao pressed a button on the remote, and the surrounding rats returned to their nests.

The corner of [Today's Flower City Rich Boy]'s eye twitched at the sight.

"That remote..."

Is it the medium he uses to activate his ability?

Or some kind of magical item?

Why does it seem even more useful than my flute?

"Next, it's your turn."

As Chen Xiao approached him step by step, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] braced as though facing a formidable enemy. His right hand clenched tightly around his flute, but his legs seemed embedded in the concrete. He could not move even half a step...

Wait! Why am I just standing here? Shouldn't I be running away right now?!

Only when Chen Xiao was half a step away did [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] realize something was wrong, a chill running through him.

And despite being this close, he had not even thought of attacking the enemy in front of him!

"Are you wondering why you aren't running away? Why your feet won't obey you?"

Chen Xiao spoke as though he knew exactly what was going through his mind.

"...Mind reading?"

Startled yet again, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] was now drenched in sweat.

What kind of ability is this?

He can control living creatures and read minds, too.

Could this man be using something other than a Superpower? Something like mine...?

"Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer."

Chen Xiao pressed the remote again.

I'm not telling you anything!

Convinced that Chen Xiao could read minds, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] shouted inwardly while filling his head with random thoughts, even throwing in some explicit images.

None of that bothered Chen Xiao.

He was merely a little surprised that this guy had studied overseas. Most of those explicit images were from his own first-person perspective, and the women in them were naturally all Western girls.

After inwardly remarking, This guy really knows how to enjoy himself, Chen Xiao asked:

"Why did you have the rats chew through the sound equipment's cables?"

He already had an answer to that question in mind.

But Chen Xiao still wanted to confirm it.

"To piss Catnip off, of course!"

As soon as [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] heard the question and his brain processed it, his mouth blurted out the truth on its own.

After speaking, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] covered his mouth in horror.

He can even control what I say?!

But no matter how tightly he covered his mouth, he could not stop Chen Xiao's next question.

"Then why did you send the rats to attack Catnip the second time?"

[Today's Flower City Rich Boy] tried to grit his teeth and resist, but his mouth still uncontrollably spoke the truth. "To get revenge on him, of course! And those girls!"

Chen Xiao's expression darkened at those words, and his finger instinctively rested on a button on the remote.

At such close range, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] naturally noticed the change in Chen Xiao's expression.

At that moment, he felt a little dead inside.

"Was the method you used to control the rats just now your Superpower?"

[Today's Flower City Rich Boy]'s expression changed again at that question, but he still could not stop his mouth.

"That wasn't a Superpower."

...I said it. I actually said it.

"Not a Superpower?"

Looking surprised, Chen Xiao continued questioning him.

"Then what was it?"

"A type of black magic called [The Pied Piper of Hamelin]. By playing this magical flute, I can control every rat within a certain range."

After speaking, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] abruptly shut his mouth, his heart pounding with anxiety. He could only hope that the man before him did not understand what that spell's name meant.

After all, most people from Shenzhou did not know much about Europa's stories.

"Black magic?"

Chen Xiao had not expected magic to crop up, too.

This world already had plenty of DLC anyway. Adding magic did not seem like such a big deal.

Still, that name sounded familiar.

As though he had heard it somewhere before...

Then the display cabinet in his bedroom surfaced in Chen Xiao's mind. In the section labeled [Problem Children] stood a red-haired girl wearing a polka-dot dress.

"Pest?"

Chen Xiao remembered.

[The Pied Piper of Hamelin] had appeared in Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?, which he had watched before transmigrating. He had even looked it up out of curiosity back then.

"The Pied Piper of Hamelin, black magic, controlling rats... You're spreading the plague, aren't you?!"

Chen Xiao grabbed [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] by the collar.

"How did you know...?"

[Today's Flower City Rich Boy] had not expected him to actually understand the meaning behind the spell's name.

"When I saw all those Western pornos running through your head, I figured you'd studied overseas... I didn't expect you to be a traitor worth a five-hundred-thousand reward, too."

Now, Chen Xiao looked at [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] as though he were already dead.

"You... want to die once..."

"I'm not a traitor... I just learned a spell while I was studying abroad!"

Just as Chen Xiao's eyes were about to turn scarlet, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] hurriedly explained.

"That's actually the truth?"

Chen Xiao frowned slightly, and the red glow in his eyes faded.

Then he released [Today's Flower City Rich Boy]'s collar.

"Tell me your name, your background, your family, and how you came into contact with magic while studying abroad."

Completely unable to resist, [Today's Flower City Rich Boy] opened his mouth and spilled all his personal details.

His name was Gao Chen, and he was the third son of the wealthy Gao family in Guangdong Province. As the youngest son, unable to compete with his two older brothers, he had been sent to Europa when he started high school.

He had no skills whatsoever, only plenty of money.

Still, Gao Chen had done quite well for himself at school.

Until one day, he picked up a roughly made white flute. The next day, an organization called the Black Magic Society approached him. After discovering that they could not sever his connection to the flute, they recruited Gao Chen instead.

Through that mysterious flute, he then learned a special form of black magic-The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

"So it's the 'accidentally picked up a magical treasure' setup."

Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow.

He had expected something a little more heinous.

Then he continued, "How many people have you had rats bite using this magic?"

"I can't remember..."

Gao Chen answered in a small voice.

Chen Xiao: ...

You don't remember how many little bread rolls you've eaten, huh!

Great! That's heinous enough already!