(Before the start of Volume Two, a small note: this book was signed rather late, so it hasn't had any significant promotion until now. Yet, despite such a desperate struggle, last week it managed to surge into the top ten of the category's rookie chart. The support from my brothers has been incredible; your humble servant is immensely proud... This week, even without recommendations, we must push forward bravely! We are currently sitting at 13th place. Brothers, unleash your power and absolutely crush them! Push on, push on, and keep pushing!)

Thud! His body slammed heavily onto the floor! How long had it been since he felt a pain like this? ... Ugh, it seems to happen quite often recently.

As he thought this, Lin Luo felt intensely frustrated. Just moments ago, the instant Starlight Boulevard pulled them into this world, perhaps due to an accident or perhaps by design, a vortex suddenly snatched the two of them away...

"Damn it, for this to happen at the final moment, I must be incredibly unlucky... Huh? Where is this? Where is Sister Gun?"

Lin Luo rubbed himself and sat up, looking up. Before him appeared to be a moderately sized laboratory, crammed with electronic instruments, but Sister Gun was nowhere near him. His heart tightened instantly, and he quickly checked the Book of Contracts in his consciousness. Thankfully, Sister Gun’s status was normal.

"Since it shows normal, Sister Gun must be fine." Lin Luo couldn't help but exhale in relief. Through the bond between the Host and the Contracted, he knew Mikoto was in this world—no, perhaps in this city—but the distance exceeded one hundred meters, preventing telepathic communication.

"Who are you? You seem to be a spatial manipulator, aren't you?" Just then, a girl's voice reached Lin Luo's ears.

Instinctively turning his head, the scene Lin Luo witnessed left him momentarily bewildered... There were four people before him: a man with glasses, a bald man, and two young women.

A 4P? Lin Luo blinked, the word being the first thing that popped into his head. However, he quickly realized his judgment was flawed, as the air lacked any suggestive, ambiguous atmosphere; instead, it was thick with tension.

"Who exactly are you? You just appeared out of nowhere. You must be a spatial transference user. I find you incredibly interesting." The one speaking was a cute girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen, whose face held a mature expression unfitting for her age. She wore a sleeveless hoodie, beneath which peeked out short, orange-yellow hair, and below that, shorts revealing two long, snow-white thighs... Well, she was quite the pleasing sight.

"Hold on a moment, let me try to recall the current plotline; I don't seem to have a strong memory of it..." Lin Luo waved his hand as he spoke, directing his gaze toward the two men beside him—the bald guy and the guy with glasses? Absolutely no impression; ignore them.

Then there was the other girl who had remained silent—a black-haired girl dressed in a school uniform, her eyes looking rather fierce, staring at him with intense vigilance, a handgun held in her hand... Hey, don't point that muzzle around randomly; that’s dangerous!

What plotline was this? He had some vague impression of both girls, but they weren't familiar. How strange?

Lin Luo felt somewhat lost, his gaze lingering thoughtfully between the two girls. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead hard—he remembered!

This was one of the research facilities handling the Misaka Imouto experiments, one that, in the original story, Mikoto failed to destroy. And according to the original plot, Mikoto was currently in the process of destroying the only other remaining facility—the one managed by the Pharmaceutical Association!

Of course, he wouldn't be unfamiliar with the two girls before him either.

"I see now, that's how it is. This is indeed that plot point—the last time Sister Gun destroyed a laboratory. But so much time has passed since that day... Does that mean that when Sister Gun crossed over, time here stopped, or perhaps the timelines of the two sides are not equivalent..." Completely unconcerned by the strange and wary looks from the group, Lin Luo spoke as if no one else were there.

"What are you talking about? I totally don't get it," the hooded girl stated.

"I'd find it strange if you could understand me, Kinuhata Saiai," Lin Luo grinned at her, though his eyes held a hint of malicious intent.

"You know me?!" Kinuhata Saiai stared intently at Lin Luo, her eyes hardening with even greater caution.

"Of course I know you. A member of ITEM in the Dark Side."

"You..." A flicker of change finally crossed Kinuhata Saiai’s normally calm face. She abruptly retreated several steps, attempting to establish a safe distance. Although the other party's origin was unknown, she knew they were definitely not an ally; the greater possibility was... an intruder! If the opponent truly possessed spatial manipulation abilities, the capability to teleport himself inside here without warning implied a Level 4 or higher. Against someone like that, she couldn't afford to be careless!

"Confirmed hostile awareness that quickly? Well, that's fair, we are enemies by default."

Lin Luo smiled. He was well aware of Kinuhata Saiai's ability: Level 4 Nitrogen Armor. By compressing nitrogen gas within 4–5 centimeters of her skin, she could render it highly dense and defensive—an ability that could barely be called impenetrable and granted immense strength... However!

Lin Luo instantly entered the Pact Communion State, condensing over 100,000 volts into his right hand. With a bzzzt, the Lightning Spear shot toward Kinuhata Saiai. She barely had time to react before the Lightning Spear struck her.

Yet, the girl sustained no damage. A faint, misty substance enveloped her body's surface, completely blocking the current—the Nitrogen Armor.

Did his Level 3 electrical output truly fail to contend with a Level 4? Lin Luo felt a touch of disappointment.

"Electromaster!?" Although unharmed, Kinuhata Saiai’s expression was one of profound shock. She had assumed the opponent was a spatial manipulator and had held back from attacking, as spatial users are too bizarre, and in a battle between two users of the same rank, a spatial manipulator would undoubtedly have a much higher chance of winning, especially against a close-combat specialist like herself—an absolute counter. But she never expected the opponent to use electricity!

Multiple Abilities? How was that possible! If Level 6 was a legend, then Multiple Abilities users were pure fantasy, something that couldn't possibly exist! Even taking a step back, if such a person really appeared in Academy City, their Dark Side unit would surely have intelligence on it. Thus, Kinuhata Saiai immediately discarded that possibility.

As for why the opponent suddenly appeared here, that was easily explained: the highest probability was that a Level 4 spatial manipulator had transferred him over.

A Level 3 Electromaster!

This series of thoughts occupied Kinuhata Saiai’s mind for less than a second. Furthermore, based on the previous electrical discharge, she instantly assessed Lin Luo’s strength. Without hesitation, her petite body charged toward Lin Luo like a small tank!

Among the Level 4 Major Abilities users, Kinuhata Saiai possessed a power of absolute defense. Only spatial manipulators could counter her, and there were only two such users in the entire Academy City... It could be said that Kinuhata Saiai was virtually invincible among the Level 4s!

Therefore, facing a Level 3 Electromaster, the little loli felt zero pressure. Such a weakling, Kinuhata Saiai was confident she could instantly kill him even with her bare hands.

However, Kinuhata Saiai was unaware that facing her, Lin Luo was equally without pressure.

Indeed, in terms of raw ability strength, Lin Luo was far inferior to Kinuhata Saiai, and with such a narrow room, if he engaged her in close combat using his powers, he would undoubtedly lose.

But the key was that Lin Luo's strongest combat power currently was not his superpower—it was Bai Rui!

"Shīlíng Release!"

Facing the charging Kinuhata Saiai, Lin Luo did not retreat. He touched his index fingers together, and a brilliant light flashed behind him. A small portion of Bai Rui’s body burrowed out from its seal, its head smashing into the ceiling. With a boom, the entire room shook—and this was him exercising restraint, as Bai Rui’s body was too enormous; this room could barely contain it. Otherwise, if its entire body emerged, everyone in this room would face disaster.

Even so, Bai Rui’s terrifying appearance imposed a massive sense of oppression on the four people in the room.

"So... so terrifying!" Kinuhata Saiai’s face changed drastically. The aura emanating from Bai Rui almost choked her. Her forward momentum abruptly halted; the instinct of survival screamed at her to dodge, and she responded to this instinct, but... it was too late!

The moment her feet tried to retreat, Bai Rui’s cavernous mouth snapped down.

CRUNCH!

Kinuhata Saiai’s proud Nitrogen Armor shattered like dry tofu, completely pulverized!

Bai Rui’s power had seen significant growth after its Nine-Tails transformation. While still far behind Mikoto, it possessed an absolutely overwhelming advantage over Level 4 Major Abilities users. Moreover, as an apocalyptic beast that had survived for a millennium, Bai Rui had devoured countless spirits; the killing intent and malevolence it radiated were utterly beyond the resistance of ordinary people.

All these factors guaranteed Kinuhata Saiai’s tragedy.