"This temporary suppression program, while it can't completely undo the effects of the Ability Body Crystal experiment, can still keep the ability out-of-control incidents contained within a certain range," Kiyama Harumi began, forcing down the excitement bubbling inside her and speaking in a relatively calm tone.
"As long as we perform ability suppression at regular intervals, everyone can live a normal life. If we combine it with Capacity Down, we might even extend the time between sessions."
"That's truly good news. Your capabilities in these areas are clear for all to see, Kiyama, and I trust your judgment. However, from a doctor's perspective, if they wake up, I'd still recommend each of them take some medication to stabilize their condition."
"Furthermore, they cannot leave the research institute until we obtain the original sample and they've made a full recovery," Heaven Canceller stated seriously.
Besides, this institute was large enough to accommodate all of them.
"Agreed. It's enough that everyone will wake up," Kiyama Harumi said, having now calmed down, and she accepted Heaven Canceller's suggestion.
After all, the temporary version had hidden risks. The factors that caused their miscontrol remained in their minds.
Even if the risk was suppressed to a minimum, the potential to trigger Poltergeist still existed. These children needed to be monitored until they were confirmed fully recovered.
"So, is the suppression program ready for use now?" Heaven Canceller continued asking.
"Procedurally, it's complete," Kiyama Harumi nodded. Sonoko Natsume couldn't help but admire Kiyama's efficiency.
It had only been just over an hour since she produced that audio file.
"But we can't use it directly yet. We still need to run several simulated tests using the computer to confirm the program's safety and reliability, and eliminate the probability of accidents."
Whether she was concerned for the students' safety or the security of Academy City, Kiyama Harumi didn't directly wake the students. Instead, she chose to run computer simulations first.
Furthermore, both the temporary and final versions of these suppression programs were developed based on the experimental data from the original Ability Body Crystal experiment.
It was impossible to wake any single individual among them; it had to be done simultaneously for everyone, just like in that experiment. This also increased the risks associated with the suppression program.
"Hmm, if we use the equipment here, it should probably take about three or four hours to complete," Heaven Canceller nodded.
The equipment here was not the common junk found in other institutes. Aside from Tree Diagram, no other supercomputer could hold a candle to his resources—not even Kiyama's own Bio-Computer 02.
"Thank you, Doctor," Kiyama Harumi said gratefully, a new gleam in her eyes.
Kiyama Harumi didn't return to the third floor, as it only housed the life support pods and a few other pieces of equipment.
This research institute actually had a supercomputer.
Sonoko Natsume had seen rows of server cabinets and dense clusters of cables on the first floor from a distance, but the computer's input and output devices seemed to be installed here on the second floor.
Slipping into work mode, Kiyama Harumi moved past Sonoko Natsume and Heaven Canceller, retrieved her ID card, and entered a nearby room.
Sonoko Natsume looked somewhat enviously at the equipment and instruments behind the sealed door.
'If I had a lab like that, once my calculation power reaches Level 5, maybe I could become a genuine Level 5 pretty quickly too.'
There wasn't a clear-cut standard for Level 5 calculation power, but it required being at least ten times greater than an ordinary Level 4's. Sonoko had even gone to the trouble of verifying this with Misaka-senpai.
Sonoko Natsume had always felt she might have the potential to become a Level 5. During those three-plus months trapped in the time disorder, her calculation power had continuously grown.
Coupled with the effects of Capacity Down, her current calculation power was already very close to that requirement.
But to be officially recognized as a Level 5 by Academy City, one didn't just need calculation power meeting the normal Level 5 standard; they also had to pass the city's evaluation.
Ability development progress, lateral (derivative) ability development, precision, endurance, destructive potential, even psychological state and health condition—all were part of the evaluation criteria. With the help of a supercomputer, many of her problems could be solved.
But she'd heard that the electricity and maintenance costs for supercomputers were pretty high. Her scholarship money might seem like a lot, but in reality, it probably wouldn't even cover the electricity bill.
'Maybe I could ask Doctor Heaven Canceller to lend me some time on his.'
Then Sonoko silently dismissed that unreliable thought. That kind of request would obviously be a bother.
She'd better just go upstairs and eat her cup noodles, then get ready to head back to the student dorm.
'Someday, when I'm rich, I'm definitely buying two supercomputers,' Sonoko Natsume secretly mused, her thoughts running wild. 'One for calculations, and one for gaming.'
Heaven Canceller, naturally unaware of Sonoko's peculiar train of thought, watched her with slight concern as her expression shifted from envy to dejection.
He seemed to want to say something, but ultimately didn't speak up.
"Students these days are really hard to figure out," he shook his head, patting his stomach. It was late, and he was feeling a bit hungry too.
When Sonoko Natsume returned to the third floor, she was lucky—the cup noodles were still sitting intact on the computer desk, unharmed by the earlier tremors.
"But they're completely soggy now."
Pulling a wry face, she looked helplessly at the noodles, which had practically turned pale from over-soaking. Silently, Sonoko picked up the cup, found a corner, and began noisily slurping them down.
She didn't take the Cleaning Robot transport. Instead, Teacher Kiyama drove her back.
While the supercomputer was running the simulations, Kiyama Harumi didn't need to stand watch; she just had to wait for the data to come out. During this gap, Kiyama took the time to drive Sonoko back to the student dorm.
"Thank you, Natsume-san. The materials you brought were a great help to me," Kiyama Harumi said suddenly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Even if they can only stay within the institute, it's still better for Tomori and the others."
"Ah, don't mention it! You helped me last time too, Kiyama-sensei," Sonoko Natsume hurriedly replied, referring to when Kiyama had instructed her on mastering the Tornado Wings.
"You can rest assured, Kiyama-sensei. We'll find that original sample soon, and Edasaki and the others will definitely be able to live normal lives too."
Sonoko encouraged Teacher Kiyama.
After a moment's thought, she figured that the original sample was probably in the hands of that woman whose name contained 'Kihara'.
The car pulled up on a street near Tokiwadai's student dorm, stopping in the shadows where the streetlights didn't reach.
As Sonoko opened the car door and prepared to get out, she felt a sudden sharp pain on her head. A strand of her hair had been plucked out, making her bun wobble.
"Kiyama-sensei, what was that for?" Sonoko frowned, looking somewhat displeased at the expressionless teacher in the driver's seat.
"It's nothing. I just saw a bit of dirt in your hair, Sonoko," Kiyama Harumi said calmly, her tone measured.
"...Really?" Sonoko Natsume hesitated, seemingly still weighing the truthfulness of Kiyama's words.
"Well then, good night, Natsume-san."
The car door automatically closed. With the rumble of the engine, the blue Lamborghini gradually disappeared from Sonoko Natsume's sight.
Standing on the street, a certain Sonoko Natsume slipped an ID card into her pocket.
Back at the institute, Heaven Canceller had given her this card—an intern assistant researcher ID for that institute, with her own information on it.
Even if she only used this card to enter and leave the institute, in a way, she had now become an employee of that research facility. At the very least, the computer system had a record of it.
It felt a bit strange. Was she a researcher now? The only difference was that this researcher didn't get paid—she was just an intern.
[Name: Sonoko Natsume]
[Position: Intern Assistant Researcher]
[Affiliated Unit: Independent Research Institution, District 7]
Stepping out of the shadows, Sonoko Natsume noticed the Dorm Supervisor already waiting at the dorm's main entrance.
Sonoko's eyes met the Supervisor's, and she felt an inexplicable sense of fluster. But it was fine—she wasn't late. The Supervisor was a woman of principle, after all.
Walking into the dorm under the Supervisor's gaze, Sonoko finally let out a sigh of relief. Ah, that familiar sense of pressure.
The lobby was brightly lit. All the preparations for the Midsummer Festival were complete. Tokiwadai students gathered in small groups throughout the hall, chatting about the festival, bursts of laughter and chatter floating through the air from time to time.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.