"Remarkable. These nanoparticles are truly a breakthrough in medicine."
"Hahaha, don't worry! It won't be long before this product is rolled out to every hospital in Academy City. And… you'll be the first to get them."
"Hah! I bet you're going to snag a ton of data from this, aren't you, kid?"
"Come on, what's some data compared to a life? What do you think?"
"…"
Outside the medical room, Heaven Canceller had devised the most suitable recovery plan for Dolly.
As for the nanoparticles, of course he wanted them.
He was a doctor. His only concern was whether this technology could pull a patient back from the brink of death. Data? That was beyond his purview.
The nanoparticles were a byproduct of Samuel's mental calculations. Their applications extended far beyond medicine.
For instance, once injected into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the body, Samuel could interface with the particles to monitor and collect data on a person's physical condition and superpower programs.
This was Samuel's primary objective. Additionally, while the nanoparticles would gradually be absorbed by the body, they left a backdoor in the individual's computational data. In critical moments, Samuel could even tap into their computational capacity for his own purposes.
The rest—fame, money—were mere byproducts, incidental to achieving his goals.
Acquiring such things might be difficult for ordinary people.
But for someone with Samuel's abilities, they were just side effects of pursuing his objectives.
After all, in terms of fame, Samuel was one of only two Level 5 espers in Academy City, designated "Eternal Variable." In terms of wealth, roughly thirty percent of Academy City's economy flowed into his accounts.
These were merely resources he'd amassed to further his goals.
"Alright, I'm heading back. Take good care of your patient. Contact me if anything comes up."
Heaven Canceller wasn't Samuel's personal physician. As the director and chief doctor of a hospital, he couldn't linger with one patient when others needed him.
"I've arranged a car for you. This way, please!"
"Good."
Heaven Canceller didn't refuse Samuel's offer. The car Samuel provided would get him to the hospital fastest, and in his line of work, every second could save a life. Time was indeed life, and for him, that was no mere saying.
Watching Heaven Canceller's car depart, Samuel boarded another vehicle.
He had a meeting scheduled today, and because of Dolly, he'd already kept the other party waiting for half an hour.
A minute after Samuel left, the institute's steel gates sealed shut automatically. The robots' lights shifted instantly from blue to a faint red.
"Daily Mode" switched to "Combat Readiness Mode"!
These robots, linked to "Firewall," could, in critical moments, draw on Samuel's computational capacity and deploy ability programs equivalent to a Level 4 esper.
Though they appeared few, there were nearly a hundred robots inside. Their defensive capabilities were such that even a Level 5 esper couldn't breach the facility quickly.
This institute was Samuel's most critical stronghold—the home of "Firewall," the repository of cutting-edge technology, and the storage site for countless espers' data.
Oh… and now, it housed Dolly as well.
Samuel's destination was the headquarters of the Prometheus Group.
Let's take a moment to detail the Prometheus Group.
On the surface, the Prometheus Group was a leading technology corporation in Academy City, collaborating with numerous nations and organizations. It operated nearly a hundred research institutes, employed over a thousand researchers, and had factories scattered throughout the city's industrial district, renowned for excellent benefits and high credibility.
Aside from the core "Prometheus Institute," which served Samuel directly, the other institutes focused on various technological fields. The ideas and algorithms of their researchers were collected by Samuel's "Firewall," constantly evolving to produce byproducts.
These were the products the researchers originally intended to create.
Of course, Samuel didn't take their ideas for free. He allocated five percent of the profits from these byproducts to the respective researchers and boosted their status.
This time, his guest was none other than the chairman of a major conglomerate.
Shinomiya Ganan, chairman of the Shinomiya Group! With total assets of 200 trillion yen, over a thousand subsidiaries, and operations spanning multiple industries, it was considered one of the four major conglomerates.
Shocking, right? Samuel was stunned at first too.
But not because of the Shinomiya Group's power—rather, its very existence.
To ordinary people, the Shinomiya Group was a colossal entity, wealthy enough to rival nations.
But for Samuel, who could single-handedly rival a nation, the Shinomiya Group was merely an ATM if he so desired. Moreover, the Prometheus Group led the world in cutting-edge technology. Compared to the Shinomiya Group's ventures in real estate, automobiles, and other miscellaneous industries, advanced technology represented the true pinnacle of the world.
After all, those industries merely set a nation's baseline, while cutting-edge technology defined its ceiling.
Though Samuel wasn't as wealthy, the gap was like that between a top scholar and a rustic landlord.
What shocked Samuel about the Shinomiya Group was its origin—it came from another anime he'd watched in his previous life, distinct from Academy City's world.
Of course, this only surprised him briefly. He was no longer the otaku who sat at a computer desk, grinning foolishly. Now, he was a qualified scientist, an exceptional talent.
He rationalized this phenomenon as the "Multiversal Information Quantum Transmission Theory."
In essence, events from one world manifest in another through certain mediums—like novels or anime—and are perceived by others.
Whatever. It wasn't that important. What mattered was that a few days ago, Shinomiya Ganan had suddenly contacted him with a request and arranged today's visit.
Because of Dolly, Samuel had kept this conglomerate tycoon waiting, a breach of etiquette.
Of course, Shinomiya Ganan wouldn't dare complain, but keeping him waiting was still improper.
Then again, Samuel didn't dwell on it. Dolly's situation was far more important.