The Scolla facility was busier than it had ever been. Once reserved for a handful of geniuses, the halls were now teeming with talented assistants and even ordinary individuals who had been brought in to support those geniuses.
Ordinary people who, under normal circumstances, would never have set foot in Scolla. But the crisis facing humanity—and potentially the universe—was not something the Scolla members could handle alone.
The threat of humanity’s extinction.
Perhaps even the end of the universe itself.
People racked their brains to devise a plan to stop Bif.
“Let’s adjourn the meeting here.”
Dr. Swalon concluded, organizing the meeting notes. Honestly, the meeting hadn’t been particularly productive. The only thing it confirmed was that Scolla’s members were a collection of stubborn eccentrics who refused to yield their opinions, even in an emergency.
“Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“…Frankly, we’re not in a position to indulge in stubbornness. Now is the time to unite under a single goal.”
Swalon’s gaze turned to Eight. His proposal was the most outlandish of them all—an idea that showed no tangible feasibility while demanding vast resources.
The calculations were clear: supporting Eight’s research would mean abandoning the other plans. Someone would have to compromise.
But Eight showed no intention of backing down.
“Isn’t it better than running away and abandoning this universe?”
“But at least that plan has a sliver of hope.”
Member Number 7, Dr. A.A., and Member Number 1, Dr. Auxilion, had proposed abandoning this universe and fleeing to another. Their plan was based on the assumption that Dr. A.A., having discovered another universe once, could do so again.
Swalon supported this plan; to him, it seemed the most viable. The universe was vast enough that relocating the entire solar system might be feasible.
But Eight opposed it. He argued that there was no reason to risk destabilizing a planetary orbit that had already reached equilibrium, nor to act like cowards fleeing from danger.
“Then just provide minimal support. I’ll handle the rest myself.”
“Hmmm…”
“Dr. Swalon, what are you hesitating for? Don’t doubt the divine.”
“Exactly—why abandon the universe and flee? Let’s go with my plan: convert all of humanity into spirits to transcend physical limitations—”
As Swalon groaned in exasperation, Dr. Kuroi and Dr. Shira chimed in with their own radical ideas. Hearing their arguments, Swalon sighed deeply.
Fine. Better to support Eight’s impractical plan than to back Kuroi’s suggestion of trapping humanity in data boxes and launching them into the void—or Shira’s idea of turning people into spirits to escape the universe’s destruction.
“Alright, Dr. Eight. Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll proceed with both plans simultaneously. Dr. A.A.’s Great Escape and your Reignition Plan.”
“That works for me.”
Thus, Scolla was divided into two factions:
"This isn't it."
I sighed as I tossed aside the tool Steelstone had brought. He looked at the device rolling on the floor with an exhausted expression.
“...I followed your instructions to the letter, though.”
“Then it seems you misunderstood something. Was my explanation too difficult? I’m not sure how I could simplify it further.”
“No, I understood perfectly. This is exactly what you asked for. If it doesn’t meet your expectations… it’s because my abilities aren’t up to the level you’re expecting.”
Steelstone’s bitter smile carried a tinge of regret, as if he felt guilty for being unhelpful. But this was no time for such sentiments. We didn’t have the luxury of indulging in feelings.
I immediately presented Steelstone with a challenge.
“When the Zeta curve converges to a single point, what happens to the change in the cosmological constant?”
“...Hmm, that’s—”
“Okay, so you didn’t get it. Good. At least you’re not completely useless.”
With a beaming smile, I casually suggested that he go study properly. Realizing his bluff had failed, Steelstone slumped his shoulders and trudged back to his room.
I understood that he was mentally exhausted, but even feeling tired was a luxury we couldn’t afford. Physical fatigue wasn’t an issue; we were all practically drinking energy supplements instead of water just to keep working.
Being overwhelmed by the challenge of learning something new at his age might be understandable, but laziness was inexcusable.
‘Honestly, that guy’s just as critical as the other one…’
I turned my gaze toward Meister, who was sitting in the corner of the lab, reading the materials I had given him. He scratched his head incessantly after every line he read, likely struggling to comprehend the content.
It couldn’t be helped. Even on Earth, this knowledge was at the forefront of cutting-edge research, and while I had simplified it as much as possible to account for his abilities, it wasn’t something anyone in this world could grasp easily.
It’s like expecting Pythagoras or Newton to immediately understand Poincaré’s conjecture or the P vs. NP problem.
“You getting it?”
“...No, Professor. How is anyone supposed to memorize something like this?”
“I did.”
“...I said, how is anyone supposed to memorize it?”
“Keep complaining, and I’ll implant a chip in your brain. Then your ability would let you memorize everything at a glance. How about that?”
“Ugh…”
Meister groaned as he scratched his head and buried himself back in the documents. He must hate the idea of having a chip implanted in his brain, even though, given his abilities, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad option.
If superpowers stemmed from human willpower—as evidenced by people who lost limbs in accidents but used their abilities freely, and others who couldn’t use their powers after traumatic accidents—replacing parts of his body or brain with chrome enhancements wouldn’t be a bad trade-off.
If he became a cyborg, he wouldn’t just control machines effortlessly; he’d push his limits far beyond what’s possible now. He might even surpass the S-class heroes.
“Hurry up. You two are our only hope. If we’re too late, it’ll be a disaster.”
“What kind of disaster are we talking about?”
“What do you think?”
I smirked bitterly as I glanced toward the Great Escape team, where most of the Scolla members and their assistants were gathered. Dr. A.A. was publicly explaining the principles behind her interdimensional exploration machine, working tirelessly to find a new universe.
Perhaps because she had succeeded once, it seemed likely she’d succeed again soon. Of course, even if they found a new universe, it would still take a long time to open a gate large enough for Earth or to find an environment suitable for humanity to survive there.
“They’re building Noah’s Ark.”
If their plan succeeded first, they wouldn’t hesitate to leave for another world. The entire Earth would be uprooted and transported.
No matter the risks in that new world, or whether its environment was truly safe for humans, they wouldn’t care. All they wanted was to escape the impending apocalypse.
And if they left this universe behind—
‘I’d be screwed too.’
I would lose all ties to Earth forever. Not that I had an overwhelming desire to return, but abandoning it entirely didn’t sit right with me.
It was, after all, my homeland. The blue planet, Earth. The birthplace of humanity, the home of the smartest creatures to have ever lived.
Even those who despise their hometowns don’t want to see them vanish completely. Neither did I.
“Hurry up and memorize it already.”
“Fine, fine…”
I pressed Meister and Steelstone to pick up the pace as I began assembling the parts I could create myself.
Time passed.
Dr. A.A.’s Great Escape team discovered a new universe.
Meanwhile, we were still stuck at square one.