LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 155
Humans sometimes show superhuman abilities that defy common sense. Kids who have listened to countless tones since childhood develop a skill called Absolute Pitch, while those raised by beasts may find themselves chatting with animals or running at speeds of dozens of kilometers per hour.
And that’s not all; there are also those with abilities that seem humanly impossible thanks to intense training and practice, like special agents from the CIA or Delta Force.
It seems there’s no limit to human abilities, as with enough training and practice, anything can be achieved.
‘I never thought that applied to the Fourth Dimension too…’
Even now, I smirk as I observe Lizbel, who’s continuously stretching and contracting her limbs at will. Her superpower—borrowed from what she claims is the ability of a Fourth-Dimensional Puppy—seems long gone.
Her cells had completely rearranged, and didn’t that Fourth-Dimensional creature, which originally granted her power, flee far away, threatened by my attack? Even if her powers lingered, it would be impossible for her to exhibit that original skill.
At least that would be true if Lizbel hadn’t opened her eyes to the Fourth Dimension.
“How’s your ability? Is it the same as before?”
“Umm… some parts have become easier, and some have gotten harder.”
“Is it because the host is different? Or does that mean that puppy really lent its powers to you, Ms. Lizbel?”
My head starts to hurt. It’s a pleasant throb. Humans can interfere with the Fourth Dimension? I’ve never seen anything like this on Earth, as experiments that could be fatal to human lives were ethically prohibited.
Humans didn’t need to directly interfere with the Fourth Dimension. It’s akin to a fool trying to jump off a cliff to fly after airplanes have been invented.
But now, witnessing humanity flailing its limbs in the air right after falling off a cliff for the first time, I can’t help but feel moved.
‘…I initially planned to send her back to church by now.’
My thoughts shifted. I wouldn’t be able to sleep without understanding how Lizbel was able to interfere with the Fourth Dimension. Well, I have a hunch. Her entire body must be folded along the Fourth Dimensional axis, leaving traces of it on her physical form.
That hypothesis needs to be verified, and once confirmed, I might need to experiment on this very body…
“God?”
“Yes, Ms. Lizbel.”
“Um, what help am I really to you right now…?”
As Lizbel tilted her head in confusion, I couldn’t help but break into a smile—the kind I’d never shown before.
“You’re incredibly helpful. Very much so.”
Yes, I absolutely didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
**
In life, there’s something called inertia. It’s the tendency to predict future events based on past experiences. For example, kids raised in a dangerous neighborhood where gunshots are common just close their windows and fall asleep without any other action.
People in this villain-filled world were no different. City E regularly experienced villain attacks, and as a result, the mental resilience of its citizens reached an abnormal level. Even when the entity known as the Saintess got attacked by a giant monster and buildings were flattened in the process, it made no difference.
People acted as if nothing had happened. Even without Eight lending the power of perception change.
“─Why are they so unfazed?”
At that moment, a red-haired man and a white-haired man appeared. The lanky redhead, Mr. Powerful, chuckled at the calm residents of City E. It seemed unbelievable for such a peaceful city that had once been the site of an angel’s trumpet.
Even with buildings that had crumbled from monster attacks visible just a turn away, it remained that way. Families of victims from that incident weren’t wailing, nor were there protestors seeking truth.
Peaceful. So incredibly peaceful was this era.
“Is it really true that the trumpet rang here?”
“…Yeah.”
“That’s insane. What could possibly exist here…?”
The man, looking around in disbelief, couldn’t fathom that the trumpet of the angels—used as a prophetic signal for humanity’s end—had sounded. If it rang, it must mean a significant event occurred in this city that could lead to humanity’s demise.
But City E was so peaceful that not a single villain could be spotted. One might even wonder if the angel’s trumpet had broken after centuries of prophecies.
Eventually, the two men resorted to the most modern solution.
“Hey, Evilus. What’s been happening in this city recently?”
[Yes. Please wait a moment.]
They asked the trending artificial intelligence. Before long, the AI on their smartphones began explaining the events that occurred in City E. Obviously, the information the AI provided was already widely available on the internet, but…
For the two who had fought for so long to prevent humanity’s downfall, even that shallow information was sufficient.
“Really, we could easily create an information organization ourselves. It’s unclear why we can’t.”
“…That’s not possible. We can’t interfere.”
“I know, I know, but come on—how long are we supposed to stick to those boring rules?”
At Powerful’s words, Raise sealed his lips. There seemed no point in arguing. After witnessing Raise’s response, Mr. Powerful sighed, then casually moved on.
According to the AI, the events that unfolded here involved the Saintess’s disappearance and the appearance of a giant monster. A major incident that reportedly even destroyed a state-of-the-art fighter jet. The wiki nonchalantly stated that it was the Evil Organization who resolved the situation.
This meant that the trumpet, which had echoed here, likely referred to that giant monster, and the Evil Organization that had defeated it was most likely the ones who had prevented humanity’s end…
“Let’s just confirm lightly and head back. Since they’re a friendly organization for citizens, we can just disguise ourselves adequately.”
“…Hmm.”
“Got it. Found it. Let’s go.”
Mr. Powerful pulled out a forged ID from his pocket, and together with Mr. Raise, headed towards the Evilus Corporation’s building. First floor. While admiring the lobby, which screamed how much money had been poured into it, Mr. Powerful approached the front desk with a wide grin.
As soon as the skinny man and the muscular man approached, the receptionist instinctively sensed something was up and greeted them with a smile.
“Welcome. How can I assist you?”
“Hello. Um, we’re here regarding…”
Thud.
As Mr. Powerful pulled out a reporter’s business card and lifted his camera just slightly, he opened his mouth.
“I’d like to cover the recent events… where do we need to go to get to the Evil Organization?”
“Uh, uh? W-wait a moment, I’ll check…”
Interviewing the Evil Organization? That was a first.
Though the staff was flustered, they quickly responded, and thus, the two men used their forged business cards and IDs to infiltrate the Evil Organization’s stronghold.
**
“Interview? No way.”
“Y-yes! I’ll pass that on!”
While I was deeply entrenched in research on Lizbel’s body in the laboratory, Ayle, who had stealthily entered, suddenly reported that some reporters had come by.
Reporters? I never imagined there’d be a lunatic wanting to interview a villain organization—especially one run like a private army by a large corporation. Naturally, not wanting my face on display or to abandon my research for some photos, I waved my hands to decline the interview.
As Ayle walked off into the distance, I returned my focus to studying Lizbel.
“Oh, hmm, yes. So it’s like this…”
“…God. This position, it’s a bit tough…”
“Just hold on a bit longer.”
“Ugh-! You’re asking too much!”
As I guided Lizbel through various postures for research, I realized I had run out of drinking water, so I briefly left the lab headed for the pantry.
There, as I gathered coffee for myself and water for Lizbel, just as I turned to head back to the lab—two unfamiliar men strolled from down the hall. Lanky red hair and muscular white hair.
They might be those reporters Ayle mentioned. Not wanting to get caught up in an interview, I subtly bowed my head and tried to sneak past.
Thud!
“Oh, oh?”
“…?”
“Uh, uh, just a moment…”
Something dropped behind me, accompanied by a voice calling out. I wondered if my identity—as the renowned genius scientist who won the ABC award—had been exposed, and I dashed back to the lab.
After securely locking the door, I smiled at Lizbel, who was resting inside.
“Here, drink up.”
“Thank you, God… what happened?”
“Nothing? Shall we get back to research?”
While I was curious why I startled upon seeing their faces—yet my curiosity paled in comparison to my intellectual zeal. I continued my research on Lizbel’s body.
Before long, I had completely forgotten about those reporters who had found the stronghold.
**
Face to face with Eight, Mr. Powerful and Mr. Raise blinked their eyes several times in disbelief. An unbelievable figure stood before them. The kind that’s not supposed to exist.
“…Did you see that?”
“…You too?”
Exchanging stunned glances, Powerful and Raise abandoned their dropped camera and notepad, leaving the building. The questions from the members of the Evil Organization no longer piqued their interest.
Adam was here.