Eight picked up a candy—an ordinary, strawberry-flavored candy that you could find anywhere in this world.

As he popped it into his mouth, however, he tasted not strawberries, but the unique flavor of a fruit that had been recently developed on Earth.

It was a flavor he had tasted only once, a long time ago. It had been a rare delicacy back then, but now its familiar taste filled his mouth completely.

‘To think I could actually pull this off...’

He rolled the reality-warped candy on his tongue and smiled. On Earth, to do something like this, he would have needed to submit an application to use hypnosis and mind control in the lab, which would have been promptly denied for something as trivial as altering the taste of candy.

And as a bonus, he would have gotten chewed out by his professor for trying to pull such a stunt.

But here? Here, there were no bureaucratic restrictions or administrators blocking the use of scientific technology. This reality-warping technology—though it technically belonged to the Fairy Queen—was a new invention of his own making.

In other words, there was no one here to stop him.

‘Of course, I can’t just use this on others at will.’

He could use the reality-warping technology freely because he was using it on himself. If he chose to take drugs, engage in prostitution, or even kill someone without letting anyone know or getting caught, who could punish him?

But it would be a different story if he used it on others. If a rescue team were to be sent from Earth to retrieve him, and a follow-up team arrived to investigate what had transpired here—

And they discovered he had been using hypnosis and mind control on the inhabitants of this world? It would mean prison, the loss of the degree he had worked so hard for, and his life’s work gone in an instant.

He couldn’t allow that. Ever.

─Scientist, sir? Are you in?
“Yes. Please, come in.”
─Pardon the intrusion!

As he was mulling this over and rolling the candy around, a combatant entered the lab. When Eight looked over as if to ask what was going on, the combatant placed his hands behind his back and spoke.

“The boss is calling for you! She said you’re not answering your phone...”
“Oh, right? I’ll head over right away. Thanks.”
“No problem!”

He glanced at his smartphone, realizing he had turned off all his electronic devices to prevent them from being affected by the reality-warping. He had relaxed a little too much after savoring this rare treat from Earth.

After all, he was no longer a mere graduate student but an evil scientist—a senior member of a villainous organization. He reminded himself of that fact and made his way to the boss’s office.

“Alright, that wraps up this executive meeting. You’re all dismissed.”

After the regular evil organization’s executive meeting concluded and the other executives left, the boss, as if suddenly remembering, spoke up again.

“Oh, scientist, I need you to stay. I have something to discuss.”
“With me?”
“It’s nothing bad, so don’t worry.”

Eight tried to think of what this could be about, but nothing came to mind. He hadn’t caused any trouble recently, which made him even more curious.

After everyone else had left, the boss gestured for him to come closer. He stepped forward, and she reached out to his face, touching and inspecting it from different angles.

“Hm... No trace left at all.”
“...What are you doing?”
“You borrowed my face, didn’t you? I was just checking to see if there were any traces left.”

Not long ago, Eight had attended a parent-teacher conference on her behalf, using a face identical to hers. Naturally, she had scolded him about it afterward and asked how he had pulled off such a feat.

He had explained to her that he used her genes. The realization had caught her by surprise at the time.

“I’m keeping you here because... we’ve received a proposal for a technological exchange.”
“A technological exchange?”
“Yes, a technological exchange.”

Eight tilted his head in confusion. Who would Eblis Corporation, an evil organization, exchange technology with?

By definition, a technological exchange required both parties to offer something in return. And there was no one in this world who could provide technology valuable enough to be worth trading with him.

So why bring it up?

“I can’t think of anyone who would want to exchange technology with me...”
“I thought the same. But the request this time isn’t for the evil scientist—it’s for Eight.”

“What do you mean?”
“They’re interested in you, the public genius scientist, not the evil scientist hidden by our organization.”

Only then did he understand why she was bringing this up. The boss kept the identity of the evil scientist tightly under wraps, restricting his public appearances.

But Eight, a member of Scholar, who had discovered souls and was nearly certain to win the ABC Prize, was a different matter.

The fact that Eight was a researcher at Eblis Corporation was widely known. So this request for technological exchange wasn’t directed at the hidden evil scientist but at the renowned genius scientist.

“What’s the project about?”
“Research on souls, specifically to contain a soul within a machine...”

Containing a soul within a machine—he’d already achieved it once, quite by accident, with the android Lucia. Doctor Kuroi, another Scholar member, had imbued Lucia with emotions, which inadvertently resulted in her developing a soul.

As such, the project didn’t particularly pique his interest. As a scientist, a research topic he had already explored and could easily reproduce didn’t inspire him.

However...

“What’s the offer?”
“Oh, it’s quite generous. They’re desperate for this technology, and they’ve agreed to very favorable terms. We could gain immensely just by sharing a bit.”

“So if I accept, that’s the arrangement?”

There was one surefire way to get a scientist involved in a project they weren’t interested in: money. Scientists had always been creatures dependent on research funding, and those with ample funds were the ones they had to serve.

“I’ll do it. I accept the exchange.”
“Good. Take two people with you to ensure your safety.”
“Two people? But if I’m discovered, my cover could be blown...”
“It’s fine. Losing you by accident would be a far bigger problem.”
“...Understood.”

And so, Eight was dispatched to City P, not as an evil scientist but as a renowned researcher from Eblis Corporation.

The first impression people got upon entering City P was the extreme bleakness. Countless factories lined the streets, and the smog from these factories filled the air.

Just looking at the intricate web of industrial structures was enough to make some people dizzy.

This was a city built for machines, not humans. That was the essence of City P.

“Cough, cough—! Ugh, what kind of air is this?”
“It’s not so bad. I can handle it.”
“Of course you can. You’re human. Any beastman would be—cough!”

Galm, accompanying Eight as his escort, could barely stop coughing after breathing in the smog-filled air. His nose was already stuffed up, a clear sign that the polluted air was particularly harsh on beastmen.

For Eight, however, this level of pollution was nothing unusual.

‘Not even bad enough to warrant a gas mask...’

While the air quality on Earth was generally clean, factory zones were a different story. The air around industrial districts was like a toxic wasteland where not even bacteria could survive.

Compared to those factories, where you couldn’t even pass by without a gas mask, this pollution was tolerable.

“Welcome! It’s an honor to have you here!”

Soon, a representative from the company requesting the exchange with Eblis Corporation came to greet them. After exchanging pleasantries, Eight followed him to the location where the exchange would take place.

“So you’re with Eblis Corporation? The company that made headlines with that giant robot recently.”
“Yes, that’s us.”
“Is it real? Online, most people are saying it’s fake...”
“Well, I haven’t seen it myself, so...”
“Haha, so it’s probably fake, then.”

Eight held back his laughter, refraining from telling him the truth about the robot. The man seemed unusually happy at the thought of the robot being fake. Wouldn’t most people be disappointed if such a sensational story turned out to be false?

As he entered the lab, the representative handed him some papers to sign.

“A non-disclosure agreement. As you’d expect, it’s enforced by our ability users. If you break it, you die.”
“...Die if I break confidentiality?”
“Yes. This research is that critical. If you’re uncomfortable with that, you’re free to decline.”
“No, this only makes me more curious about what you’re trying to hide.”

Only Eight signed the agreement. Galm, acting as his escort, refrained, wary of any potential tricks. Both signing could be risky, so Galm chose not to enter the lab if he couldn’t sign.

But he didn’t mind. If things got dangerous, he’d have no problem tearing down the lab to get to Eight.

With the paperwork complete, Eight was finally about to learn the true nature of the technological exchange request.

“This way, Dr. Eight.”

After passing through several security checkpoints, Eight entered the secret lab, where the reasons for the strict security and the joy over the robot being a fake in City E became clear.

“...This.”
“Yes, it’s the main project of Punk Technologies.”
“Haha—! So this is what you’ve been working on?”

Inside the lab stood a giant robot, towering several dozen meters high. Unlike the hastily assembled fake he’d used, this one was the real deal, with every screw meticulously placed.

The proud employee, beaming, turned to Eight and spoke.

“Dr. Eight, we’d like you to put a soul into this robot.”

Now, this was a fascinating project. If he had known about it sooner, he might have agreed even without the payment.