“……Misaka Mikoto!” “……saka Mikoto!” “……Mikoto!” “……koto!” …… The name echoed incessantly in Lin Luo’s mind, freezing him so completely that he barely registered the notification chime from the contract system.

However, Lin Luo quickly sensed that something was amiss because immediately afterward, a black book suddenly materialized in his consciousness.

It opened automatically, much like a game interface, and the upper left corner of the first page displayed a full-body profile—it was Lin Luo, albeit significantly miniaturized.

Beneath the profile was a row of status fields: Contractor: Lin Luo. Race: Human. Status: Normal. Strength: 20 Constitution: 20 Intelligence: 145 Spirit Power: 300 Vitality: 200 Current Contracted Partner: None. Current Target Awaiting Contract: Misaka Mikoto. The Book of Contracts is currently Level LV0; it will ascend to LV1 upon signing one Contractor. (Contractor: A person bound to the Contractor through the signing of a Heart Contract, sharing the same life-chain; their fortune is intertwined, their losses mutual.) Note: Since the Book of Contracts was activated by confirming the identity of Misaka Mikoto, the system has defaulted her as the highest priority signing target. This means no other contracts can be formed until an agreement is reached with Misaka Mikoto. Furthermore, if a contract is not established within one month, the Contractor will die. Signing Condition: When Misaka Mikoto’s Affection Level towards the Contractor reaches Soul-Bonded, the contract mode will automatically activate upon mutual consent. Friendly Reminder: Due to the current low level of the Book of Contracts, only the contract system function is available. Please endeavor to raise the Book’s level quickly; higher levels unlock more functions.

That was the content of the first page.

The second page followed, also featuring a profile image in the upper left corner, with status fields below: Name: Misaka Mikoto. Race: Human. Status: Normal. Strength: 80 Constitution: 70 Intelligence: 200 Spirit Power: 5000 Vitality: 600 Overall Strength Level: A

These were Mikoto’s general attributes. In addition to these, she possessed a special status panel reserved for targets awaiting a contract: Name: Misaka Mikoto. Age: 14 Occupation: Student. Ability: Electromaster. Special Status: Host to the seventh benevolent Heart of the World’s Core. World Core Form: Moving. World Core Affinity: Ninety-five percent (Irrevocable). Heart Battle Skill: Inactive. Heart Seal: Triple Layered. Affection Level: 0. Capture Notes: Misaka Mikoto, an LV5 Esper attending a prestigious noble academy, the strongest Electromaster. Talented in all sports, academically excellent, straightforward, impatient, fiercely competitive, somewhat boyish, but in reality, a tsundere who unleashes random electrical surges when angered. She loves Goota, loves childish underwear, loves freeloading off Biri-Biri’s books, loves mooching free drinks, and likes wearing safety shorts under her skirt. Years of kicking vending machines have forged her legs into diamond-hard instruments; her finishing move is the 45-degree angled ‘Crotch-Annihilation Kick.’ Perverts beware! She has over twenty thousand sisters and is nicknamed ‘Railgun,’ known to all as ‘Onee-sama.’ (Capture Hint: Embrace her willfulness and flaws; treat her with an equal and sincere heart. Wishing you success in your quest.)

The Book of Contracts? This thing fused itself into my body? And the Railgun girl is the signing target?

...Fine. Seeing this thing, Lin Luo was genuinely shocked. He had to admit, just as Gui Qu Lai Xi said, this was even more miraculous than his own transmigration!

The great Railgun… had actually crossed over from a two-dimensional world!

As the pinnacle otaku among otaku, Lin Luo certainly couldn't fail to recognize the massively popular Onee-sama. As the saying goes… ah, if you haven't known the tsundere Railgun, you’ve lived in vain as an otaku—wait, was that line pirated?

But a character from a 2D world crossing into the real world felt truly surreal, an entirely different sensation. If he hadn't already experienced his own pseudo-transmigration, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Still, no matter what, this had to be a perk, right?

Lin Luo didn't quite grasp the Railgun's special attributes panel, but it was clear that signing a contract with her wouldn't be easy; it wasn't something achievable by mere mutual desire. The key was the Affection Level!

And this Affection Level was truly… very game-like. 0-29 was Cold, 30-59 was Normal, 60-79 was Favorable, 80-89 was Trust, and 90 and above was Soul-Bonded. This meant Lin Luo could only enter the signing mode when the Railgun’s affection for him surpassed 90. By the way, anything below 0 wasn't Affection, but Hatred Value.

Even though dropping her affection level by just a little more would turn it into Hatred, Lin Luo wasn't disheartened; instead, he was filled with anticipation… Capturing the Railgun—what a challenging, what a lewd-potential, what a high-level pleasure in life this endeavor promised!

In short… utterly thrilled!

……

“According to what you’re saying, I experienced a temporal shift, which is how I ended up here.”

Sitting on the sofa, Mikoto crossed her arms, a flicker of disbelief crossing her deep brown, beautiful eyes. A steaming cup of coffee sat on the table before her, but she had no appetite for it.

“That’s the basic situation,” Lin Luo said, picking up his coffee and taking a light sip. Then, he lowered his head, affecting an air of profound mystery. However, if one looked closely, they would notice his eyes darting toward Mikoto’s face every second.

Now that he knew the female intruder who broke into his residence was the Railgun, and furthermore, his designated conquest target, Lin Luo naturally shed all hostility. He generously invited her to sit down and rest, even offering the Blue Mountain coffee (likely fake) that he had long cherished and never dared to drink.

This proved how accurate the saying "Unsolicited kindness either hides ill intent or outright villainy" truly was.

Mikoto, sitting opposite him, had already removed her hat and the ribbon from her hair. Her shoulder-length chestnut hair gave Lin Luo a sense of familiar closeness.

In Lin Luo’s memory, Mikoto was always this image: short, spirited shoulder-length hair paired with the Tokiwadai school uniform. This image was deeply ingrained, and he hadn’t recognized her in her previous attire. Of course, the most critical reason was that he had never expected the Railgun to appear in the real world.

It was always the three-dimensional characters crossing into the two-dimensional world; he never thought he’d be the one they reverse-crossed into. This script was truly… Wait, if this was a story, was the Railgun the protagonist, and was he, brother, just a minor extra? Was the title The Railgun’s Conquest Across the Three-Dimensional World?

Oh dear, that’s no good! According to the fundamental laws of transmigration novels, the protagonist’s first stop after crossing over is always a low-level map, where the inhabitants serve only to guide the main character. Once the protagonist reaches a high-level map, they either get written out or divinely forgotten by the author.

Damn it, if that’s the case, does that mean I’m destined to receive my boxed lunch after one month? Maybe my boxed lunch is meant to fuel the Railgun’s breakthrough to LV6…

Thinking of this, Lin Luo became genuinely worried, losing all composure to sneak glances at Mikoto.

While Lin Luo's mind was racing through fantastical scenarios, Mikoto remained silent opposite him. Her mood was terrible because the boy named Lin Luo had just told her that this was not Academy City, that there were no espers here, that this was not her world, but a different parallel China…

Mikoto was no stranger to temporal displacement; she often saw it in manga. But she never imagined such a thing could happen to her, making it utterly unbelievable.

Of course, she could choose not to believe Lin Luo, but she couldn't ignore her own capabilities. By decoding electromagnetic signals and using her hacking skills to decipher online data… the truth was laid bare.

She, Misaka Mikoto, had transmigrated!

Mikoto sat frowning on the sofa. She accepted the fact of her temporal displacement, but she couldn't accept it. She didn't want to stay in this world because it was completely alien to her; she couldn't stay because her parents, relatives, and friends were in the other world, and she had something vital she needed to accomplish there.

She wanted to go back, no matter what!

But how to return?

...Eventually, Mikoto turned her gaze toward Lin Luo.

Although this boy was young, his words and actions were mature. The fact that he had deduced she was from another world with just a few sentences was astonishing. Perhaps he might have a solution. Mikoto thought to herself.

“Little Brother Lin,” Mikoto called out softly.

At this moment, Lin Luo was still trapped in the tragedy he had conjured up. He couldn’t accept the possibility of being a disposable supporting character. He was unwilling! Even if he was fated for a boxed lunch, at least he should have a few deep interactions with the Railgun first, but his body—it seemed he lacked the capability for deep interaction… Hmm, he had it before, but not now!

Damn it! Lin Luo grew more despondent the more he thought about it.

“Little Brother Lin.” Seeing Lin Luo unresponsive, Mikoto called out again, this time with a noticeable edge of dissatisfaction in her tone.

Still no reaction. Sadness in progress.

“Little Brother Lin!” Mikoto shouted, a faint electric arc snapping across her body.

“Ah! What is it? Railgun!” Lin Luo jumped, looking up at Mikoto with a bewildered expression.

Mikoto’s mouth twitched. She was very displeased with the nickname, but since she needed a favor, she decided to ignore it for now.

“Little Brother Lin, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Railgun, please speak. For the Railgun, I would climb mountains of knives or descend into seas of fire without hesitation!” Lin Luo thumped his chest, pledging sincerely… to boost his Affection Level.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Mikoto sensed that the other party’s affection level toward her seemed quite high. “I want to return to my original world. Do you have a way?”

“Railgun, you overestimate me. How could I possibly manage something like that?” Lin Luo gave a wry smile, thinking to himself that if he had such an ability, he wouldn’t wait for her to come here; he’d have gone to her world already.

“But you could determine I came from another world with just a few words—that’s miraculous, isn’t it!” Mikoto stated this as a certainty, her gaze fixed intently on Lin Luo.

Lin Luo felt immense pressure and complex emotions. I know you’re from another world because I’ve watched A Certain Magical Index and know you’re the main heroine, the electric middle-schooler… but can I tell her that?

Lin Luo knew that if Mikoto stayed here long enough, she would eventually discover the truth. After all, Mikoto was somewhat of an otaku, well-versed in manga and games, and Index was a popular anime. But he didn't want her to know right now. What if she read his story and got snatched away by the Hand of God?

It had to wait until the rice was cooked… Ah, no, until the contract was signed!

“The reason I knew you came from another world is because I practice a method of observation that allows me to discern a person’s origin. But aside from that, I am truly just an ordinary person,” Lin Luo tried to concoct a convincing lie.

“No, you are mistaken, Little Brother Lin!”

Mikoto suddenly stood up, slamming both hands onto the table, which startled Lin Luo. He briefly feared the Railgun was about to forcefully initiate a relationship!

Lin Luo quickly realized his fantasy was misplaced and felt a slight disappointment. He then heard Mikoto say, her face flushed crimson, and with an utterly resolute tone: “Little Brother Lin, I know! A person of your exceptional talent is like a firefly in the dark night—so outstanding, so distinct. No matter how much you try to hide it, it’s useless. Your extraordinary discourse, your calm demeanor, and the ease with which you carry yourself have thoroughly betrayed you… You are an LV6!”

Lin Luo was utterly speechless.

He suddenly realized that facing such a Railgun, even being the starting guide in the beginner’s village might not be an easy job!

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