Chapter 14: We're Not From the Same World, So Why Worry?

It really wasn't a problem for Takumi to collect information from another world. As he'd said before, he wasn't from their world anyway. As long as no traces were left behind, it didn't count as stealing. Bronya now understood just how much Takumi valued knowledge. Since he was so serious about it, she might as well let the laptop do its work. She turned it on and let the automated systems begin collecting data. After glancing at the device, she simply placed it to the side and let it run. Now, it was time for her to try the superpower awakening serum. Without hesitation, Bronya picked up the injector and pressed it into her arm. As the entire serum entered her bloodstream, she felt something stirring within. Power—some strange force—was forming inside her. "Something... is awakening inside me?" The process didn't take long. Soon, Bronya realized what her ability was. She suddenly had a deeper understanding of all the electronics around her. She could control them with a thought. "What kind of power is this?" With a test, she raised her hand and willed her nearby computer to react. Sure enough, it responded instantly. Could she really control machines? Or maybe it was more than that—metal control? To test it, she left her office and took the elevator to her private garage. As she approached, she found that she could sense and influence all the vehicles there. No keys necessary—just her thoughts. "Machine control... or maybe technomancy?" To be sure, she summoned the Reinforced Bunny. The sleek, blue-and-white bike appeared before her. She was instantly smitten. It felt like it had been made just for her. When she touched it, knowledge of its systems filled her mind. She could control its transformations. Even though it was designed to shift forms already, now she could customize those changes with her mind. Excited, Bronya tested her newfound ability. In moments, the Reinforced Bunny shifted into a hovering combat robot. Bronya's eyes sparkled. "Not bad. Not bad at all!" She could control phones, computers, machines—everything with circuitry. This was the perfect ability for a technologically advanced world. Of course, if she went somewhere primitive, it'd be almost useless. She'd have to bring her own tech along. After playing with the Reinforced Bunny for a while, she returned it to bike form and called her assistants to handle the legal paperwork. She wasn't about to get her license revoked. Once that was sorted, she jumped back into the group chat. Bronya: [Used the serum. My superpower is machine control. I can manipulate electronics and tech freely.] Her message made Chika and Sagiri's eyes light up. Controlling electronics? That sounded really handy in a modern world. Fujiwara Chika: [Wait, does this mean you can drive without a license? The car just moves with your will?] It was a fair question. With this power, getting a license was just a formality. Bronya: [Pretty much. I can control anything mechanical. But the Bunny still needs to go through regulations. Kind of a hassle.] She sighed. Even if you got something from another world, it still needed to be approved before use. Still, a few photos and some signatures were all it took. She had the connections. By the time she clocked out that evening, all her documents were approved. The Reinforced Bunny was road-legal now. That evening, Bronya took to the streets, riding her Bunny through the city. No fuel needed—just clean energy. The ride was exhilarating. If not for the crowds, she might've tested the flying feature then and there. Honestly, it was amazing. She might actually buy more tech from Takumi later. But that could wait. She needed to plan. ... Meanwhile, Takumi wasn't aware of all this. He was a little surprised when he heard about Bronya's awakened ability. These superpowers really were diverse. Still, he found her power a bit limited. In low-tech worlds, it'd be practically useless. He shrugged. No need to overthink. The next morning, Chika and Sagiri both tagged him in the group chat. Fujiwara Chika: [@Takumi, the downloads finished on my end.] Izumi Sagiri: [Same here. Everything's done. Should we send you the laptops now?] Takumi: [Yeah, go ahead and send them over.] Now it was time to compare and analyze the data. He wanted to see how similar or different the technological paths of their worlds really were. Chika and Sagiri quickly packed up the laptops and transmitted them through the group system. To be honest, they were amazed by how fast the downloads had completed. One night was all it took? Did the system automatically stop when the drive was full? There was no way it downloaded everything, right? If Takumi knew what they were thinking, he'd probably grin. Yes, it did download their entire network. As long as it was connected to the internet, it was downloaded. These weren't just regular laptops—they were quantum computers. The absolute pinnacle of his world's technology. They had storage beyond anything imaginable. That's why a single laptop could store an entire world's worth of data.