Chapter 44

Chapter 44

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 44: Yeah, It’s Me. Your Brother (1).

The development of the Gravity Particle Bomb is classified into four stages:

1. Discovery of Gravity Particles

2. Understanding of the Gravitational Field-Ether Theory

3. Manufacture of a Container and a Dedicated Detonator for the Bomb

4. Test Launch

Reading a paper authored by an Outer God is a unique experience.

It’s crafted in an easily digestible manner, quite fitting for the God of Wisdom and Curiosity.

‘The God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ is proud of your assessment.

Moving on.

The first stage involves the discovery of gravity particles.

This topic is complex from the outset.

In an era where warp technology has been commercialized, gravity particles remain undiscovered.

In this advanced space civilization, one might wonder what the physicists have been doing, not having discovered even a single gravity particle.

To be frank, they couldn’t do it because of insufficient funding.

The cost of operating a particle accelerator even once could feed children in Africa three meals a day.

Yet, the only ones excited about the discovery of the Higgs boson were science enthusiasts.

Others argued that even if it were discovered, it would be completely useless! They claimed it was nothing more than a colossal waste of money!

Such is the plight of those in basic science.

Here’s a tip for discovering gravitons: deposit a ‘Black Sphere’ onto the experimental equipment.

A ‘Black Sphere’ is the egg of a monster created by the Maxwell Legion. It’s black and round.

It possesses the property of accelerating supersymmetric particles. Utilize this property to design more cost-effective accelerators.

“Whoa…” I silently cheered.

The monster we had encountered was affiliated with Maxwell, which meant that an Outer God from the Maxwell Legion was targeting the erosion of Stellarium. The entire planet must be covered with Black Spheres. Actually, that was good. It turned a crisis into an opportunity. We needed to find all the Black Spheres before they ‘hatched’ and render them infertile.

But how were we to find them?

Notice

Use the Calipers of Wisdom to locate them.

Ah, right. The Calipers were with me. The Calipers of Cartesia had two functions: one for combat and the other for measurement. What to measure was up to me.

Measurement Target: Black Sphere

Measurement Distance: 8.23m

I set it without much expectation, but there was one nearby. The area in front of the cave was a barren wasteland. I turned my head and looked behind.

“Is there something inside the cave?” Zelnya asked.

“It seems so,” I replied.

The inside of the cave, deep and deceptive like a snake’s camouflage, was so dark that you couldn’t see an inch ahead.

We needed something like a torch.

It couldn’t be helped.

I used the calipers as a poker to stir the bonfire. A spinning candle got tangled on the blade of the calipers, which I then rolled up like cotton candy.

“What are you doing?”

“Fireball.”

…?

‘The God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ is greatly perplexed.

I discovered another new feature of the calipers.

They are perfect for a torch.

‘The God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ screams in despair.

Cartesia, the calipers you gave me are awesome.

Though definitely made of metal, the handle wasn’t hot, perhaps due to its low thermal conductivity. I stepped further into the cave with a pleased smile, followed by the curious Lieutenant Zelnya.

Holding the torch, I walked, driving away the darkness.

Measuring distance: 1.34m

I saw it.

In the darkness, there was a sphere ‘shining’ darker than the darkness itself.

Should I say it resembled a paradoxically white black person?

For a moment, I became curious about the composition of that object, but I soon shook my head.

Condensed matter isn’t my field. Nor is it an urgent research topic.

I’ll have another friend conduct research when we head to graduate school.

Hmm, that would be better. That’s what division of labor is for.

I took another step closer, and then I was certain that the fist-sized gem in front of me was the black sphere.

Lucky me.

I picked up the black sphere tucked away in a corner and showed it to Zelnya.

“What is this? A black pearl? It’s pretty.”

“Don’t touch it.”

I quickly pulled it back before Zelnya’s hand could reach it. It was a close call; she had almost been consumed by madness.

“So stingy,” Zelnya muttered, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

Come to think of it, Zelnya had a hobby of collecting jewelry and stones of rare colors, seemingly to prove she was the daughter of a prestigious family. She was obsessed with jewels.

“Hey, shine the torch over there,” Zelnya commanded, scouring the cave floor in search of another black pearl.

“…None.”

Regrettably, what I had found was all there was.

Zelnya clicked her tongue once more.

It was this hobby that had led Zelnya to make a contract with an Outer God. How could she resist the allure of shiny, fascinating stones?

Wait.

Maybe I could use this trait of hers to pull her into becoming an ally?

“It isn’t like its shine will wear out, right? Let me see it.”

“You want to touch it?”

“Are you deaf or something?” she sneered, looking up sharply.

Using the calipers here would yield the following results:

Figure 1. Zelnya’s height: 155 cm.

Figure 2. Aidel’s height: 180 cm.

Figure 3. The height at which Aidel holds the black pearl: approximately 175 cm.

“…”

Zelnya cast “Hug me!”

Standing on tiptoes, she reached out here and there, her floundering look quite endearing.

Soon, frustrated by the height difference, Zelnya slumped her shoulders and returned to her spot.

“Enough. What are you even doing?”

I taunted her with perfect timing.

“If you beat me in the midterm, I’ll give it to you.”

Whipping around, Zelnya’s eyes shone like a blazing comet. “Really?”

“Really.”

“No take-backs now.”

She gave a sly smile. I bit my lip hard to suppress my laughter.

Meanwhile, Rustila had been groaning strangely, legs pressed together and head buried in her hands. “Ugh…”

What was with her now?

I wanted to understand her mental state, but unfortunately, I had no remaining pron. I was broke from paying for thesis access fees.

“…Hmm.”

Zelnya, who had been glancing at Rustila, leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

Right, they must both be tired.

Let’s allow them some rest.

After all, we couldn’t break through the storm right now. And we’d lost all our electronic devices, so contacting the school was impossible.

I felt sorry for my sister waiting out there, but it seemed like we would have to spend the night here.

“Yah.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Ah, right.

Of course, I’m not sleeping.

I have a thesis to read.

Zelnya bit her lip as she stared at the burning bonfire.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

This had been happening ever since she woke up in the cave.

Hypothermia? Arrhythmia?

It might be simple palpitations or pulsatile tinnitus.

Why would someone like her, who exercised regularly and ate balanced meals, experience such symptoms now?

Despite her medical knowledge, she couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

Suddenly, Zelnya glanced at Aidel.

He seemed amused by something, staring into the void with a chilling smile or occasionally letting out a giggle.

She could only conclude that he was mad.

But he was the top student.

A rival she was determined to surpass.

Perhaps it was his presence that made her heart race.

Yes, it must be an inferiority complex.

Because Aidel was the top student, and she was second.

Struggling to accept this, anger intensified her feelings.

‘He said he’d give me the black pearl if I beat him in the midterms.’

Zelnya, who had a passion for jewels and a deep understanding of minerals, held a jewelry master certificate.

The black pearl Aidel had found was undoubtedly valuable.

Adding it to her collection would be a triumph.

‘I need to win.’

A smile spread across Zelnya’s lips.

What matters is that the heart continues, even when broken. Teachers carried out their duties diligently, even as their mental strength was shredded.

They counted the dead and searched for the missing.

Around 10 p.m., an abnormal weather event occurred. Torrential rain poured down all night.

They launched rockets containing chemicals to reduce the rainfall, but it wasn’t enough.

“It’s the work of the Outer Gods. It has to be the work of the Outer Gods…” Ceti mumbled.

Kendra, their homeroom teacher, gently placed a hand on Ceti’s shoulder and said, “Ceti, it will be fine.”

“Teacher…”

“It hasn’t even been a day yet. Surely, everyone is alive.”

Ceti was a product of a contractual pregnancy. No one loved her, no one was close to her.

In the midst of this, Ceti didn’t want to lose Rustila, the friend she had made. The same was true for Aidel.

The grudges of the past had almost all been washed away. More than the hatred of the past few years, Ceti wanted to remember the kindness of the recent months.

Even the thought of her brother dying felt too horrible to imagine.

“I’ve come to report that we’ve discovered traces of bizarre deforestation extending up to one kilometer in the north-northwest direction from the clearing where the monster appeared.”

Kendra abruptly stood up and asked, “Is this the path the monster took?”

“Although the path itself has been greatly damaged by a recent downpour, based on the testimonies of students and inspectors, it’s almost certain,” replied a search team member.

“Have you searched the area?”

“Yes. There’s a cliff about fifty meters high at the end. We dared not descend due to the dense fog and the risk of landslides… however, we did find this.” The team member pulled out a plasma sword covered in mud and moss.

“Ah…” Ceti’s pupils trembled.

“The investigation results show that an Ether reaction was detected from student Rustila Kersil.”

Ceti slid off her chair. “Ceti? Ceti! You can’t faint now! Hey, didn’t you see what’s below that cliff? Like, if there’s a lake!”

“Due to the heavy rain, visibility was extremely poor. It seems impossible to explore below the cliff unless the rain stops or we use better equipment.”

Impossible.

The word Ceti hated the most.

If something was deemed impossible, shouldn’t efforts be made to render it possible?

The emotionless, purely business-like tone of the rescue team members felt repulsive.

“Sis, brother…”

Rustila. She had followed her since childhood. She loved her.

Aidel. She had barely started to like him.

So please, come back.

Time passed. The rain gradually thinned. The team deployed three helicopters.

As dawn broke, the waiting room emptied. Ceti rubbed her face, crouched down, and sighed…

She was hungry and sleepy, yet sleep eluded her.

How much time had she wasted like this?

When she regained her senses, something was right in front of her nose—a stone, shining in gold.

It was twisted and distorted in shape, appearing to be no ordinary mineral.

But that wasn’t what was important right now.

Why had this suddenly appeared before her?

Ceti cautiously backed away from the stone, remaining alert. The next moment, a giggling voice echoed in her mind.

Someone inside her screamed, “Pick up that stone right now. Then you can find out whether your brother and sister are alive.”

The voice was as comforting and sweet as cotton candy, compelling Ceti to extend her hand slowly.

Just then, the door to the waiting room swung open, and two people entered.