The Pearl Institute, second only to the Prometheus Institute within the Prometheus Group, had produced over a dozen Level 4 espers, thousands of Level 3 espers, and countless Level 2 and Level 1 espers.
This remarkable output was largely due to Samuel leveraging his "influence" and "capital" to establish the institute as the official superpower training and testing facility for three of Academy City's five elite schools (excluding Tokiwadai and Nagatenjouki Academy).
Through this, Samuel successfully gathered data on roughly forty percent of the city's mid-tier espers, along with even more detailed intelligence.
Tokiwadai had its own internal research institute, and as an all-girls school, it was impractical to rely on external facilities.
Nagatenjouki Academy, backed by the influential Kihara family—a major player in Academy City's upper echelons—was untouchable, even for Samuel.
After all, esper data was a critical resource for every institute and the powers behind them, especially for the five elite schools, which housed over seventy percent of the city's young Level 3 espers.
Securing three of these schools was already a significant achievement for Samuel.
Among these three schools was one of the only two Level 5 espers who was also a Gemstone: Sogiita Gunha.
The other, of course, was Samuel himself.
Sogiita Gunha was an exceptional case, known as the world's greatest Gemstone. His ability remained a mystery to all.
Unlike espers developed through artificial means, Gemstones had inherently stable abilities. However, this stability often meant limited potential for growth.
Most Gemstone espers reached their peak upon activation, with their abilities rarely evolving further.
If a typical esper was like a computer, a Gemstone was akin to a specialized learning device. While their computational capacity paled in comparison to developed espers, their proficiency in a specific domain was unmatched, allowing them to rival espers with far less computational effort.
Take Sogiita Gunha: his computational capacity was only on par with a standard Level 5, yet his destructive power and ability far exceeded what his calculations should allow.
Samuel's Gemstone ability, "Calculation," was even more unique. Despite Gemstones typically being more stable, his ability embodied an inherently unstable process. This allowed Samuel to progress from an initial Gemstone awakening at Level 4 to a Level 5.
Samuel had conducted extensive research on Gemstones. Their ability "programs" were typically flawless, described as "naturally perfected." Their deployment and application were simple, requiring minimal computational effort.
This was an advantage, as it indicated superior innate talent in Gemstone espers.
However, it also came with a drawback: their perfection meant they consumed minimal computational capacity and required little refinement. Everything flowed seamlessly, making it difficult to train and enhance their computational capacity.
As for Samuel… calculation was always a process. Continuous computation caused his "naturally perfected" program to stack and breach certain limits, creating more imperfections. The more imperfections, the more calculations were needed.
Samuel's "program" was riddled with flaws—when compared to the next iteration of his own calculations.
Recently, Samuel planned to awaken the abilities of Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai, following his work with Sogiita Gunha.
On the way to the laboratory, Hayasaka Ai, nervous yet eager, asked, "Mr. Samuel… are there any tips for awakening superpowers?"
"Ladies, do you want to change your fate of being at others' mercy? Well… here's your chance. Get ready to awaken your own Personal Reality!"
Samuel's earlier words echoed in Hayasaka's mind. She was tired of being manipulated, weary of her powerlessness. She craved the strength to change her fate, the power to be truly free.
As Samuel had suggested, superpowers might just be the perfect opportunity.
"…Awakening superpowers is complex. The key is to have confidence in yourself. That can help."
Superpowers were rooted in "Personal Reality." Honestly, it often came down to luck—or rather, "talent." Even Samuel had no guaranteed method.
However, since he theorized that superpowers were tied to the "soul" or "mind," fostering confidence and individuality might have some effect… probably.
"Thank you, Mr. Samuel."
Hayasaka Ai was genuinely grateful. Though Samuel had been part of those controlling her life, he was now offering her a real chance at power.
Whether she could seize it depended entirely on her.
"Hoo… hoo… I can do this!"
Hayasaka took deep breaths, silently hyping herself up, as if trying to will herself into confidence.
Beside her, Shinomiya Kaguya remained her usual composed self, her expression as cold as ice, seemingly indifferent to Samuel's advice or the prospect of awakening a superpower.
Yet, from the rhythm of her breathing, Samuel noticed she, too, was taking deep breaths.
To be clear, Samuel wasn't a creep or overly fixated on her. His instincts, constantly calculating his surroundings, simply picked up on it.
"Firewall" was designed solely to protect his emotions, not to interfere with his calculations. The results of processing vast amounts of data were still relayed to him.
"We're here!"
At Samuel's words, the laboratory doors slid open from both sides, revealing the interior.
At the center stood a large, capsule-shaped reclining machine, surrounded by four floating crystalline panels.
Nearby was a computer with a distinctly futuristic design.
"Just lie down in there. Who's first?"
"Lady Kaguya should go first!"
Hayasaka Ai's voice trembled with nervousness.
This wasn't just deference to hierarchy—it reflected her own lack of confidence.
"…"
Shinomiya Kaguya said nothing, stepping forward with resolute determination. This girl… possessed a resilience far beyond the ordinary.