CH 47.3

Jiang Yiyi smiles at Magician, “a secret, existing within a small enough minority of the populace, which is tied to each affected person’s own body. The secret compels darker desires to be sought after, that would cause death and blood should those possessing it follow through, and they often lose themselves in the temptation.”

Jiang Yiyi claps his hands together, putting them under his chin, and asks Magician gently, “a sort of ‘superpower,’ if that is the right term?”

Magician really wants to make dramatic smiles, but his face is too stiff to pull that off. Instead, he simply goes through the routine introduction mechanically——The one every Extraordinary will receive upon their arrival on the fifth floor.

“As you seem to have noticed, Doctor, some aspect of your capability goes beyond what is humanly possible.” After a few seconds of pause, he continues, “within this vast universe, there are many realms humans have yet to make forays. This capability of yours is one of them.”

“The first person to categorise and document this power, called those possessing such abilities ‘extraordinary.’ You are one of the Extraordinaries, without a doubt.” Magician’s explanation is succinct and brief——During their century-long research, they have discovered far more concrete data and applications for their research, but those need not be mentioned here.

Right here, Jian Si suddenly looks up at Magician.

While Lin Yi glances at Jiang Yiyi; after having heard the grand deduction, the introduction gives him no stimulation——So what if there actually are real-life superheroes in this world?

The Federation has not bettered for their existence, and thus, it remains remote in possibility that the Federation politics will worsen for their existence.

Lunatic swivels his eyes a little. He has a reaction to something said for once.

“Extraordinaries are defined as people who reach, and then surpass a peak in ability in a field.” Magician sees that everyone but Jiang Yiyi has some reaction to his explanation.

“An insurmountable peak in ability is human, but Extraordinaries have gone beyond this limit. In a sense, they are a sort of new human.” Magician stares closely at Jiang Yiyi, “this is definitely a future direction of humanity as a species.”

Jiang Yiyi’s perception is sharp as always, “the confidence means I can reasonably suspect that you have already closely investigated Extraordinaries——In order to understand them thoroughly?”

Magician’s speech freezes up for a moment, as no one has asked that thus far after hearing this——Not even Extraordinaries.

Jiang Yiyi didn’t need an explanation though, “beginning from nothing, with rules established along the way, during which time, a decision was made to relinquish part of the initiative from your side… It would appear, you have learned to afford proper respect and distance after a heavy price.”

Magician opens his mouth, but shuts it once more.

“I have only one question.” Jiang Yiyi asks Gatekeeper, “has every Extraordinary imprisoned here committed real crimes? Enough to justify a life sentence, I should add.”

Gatekeeper nods, “two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. [1]”

“We observe and dutifully execute laws and abide by ethical standards that all of humanity is afforded.” Magician is raising his hand to push an imaginary cap down, “the single principle from which all Stargaol operations derives from, is to ‘act on our conscience, and act on behalf of the people.’”

“Starry heavens; moral law; ethical standards, and people.” Jiang Yiyi repeats key phrases, and says, “we have the final piece of the puzzle regarding Extraordinaries.”

“As new humans, the future evolution of the human race, who possess abilities beyond what is humanly possible, they…” Jiang Yiyi pauses, “are balanced by an additional downside.”

Lying to Jiang Yiyi is meaningless——For it cannot succeed.

Magician has come to understand well what Coordinators of previous floors experience when dealing with Jiang Yiyi——On the very first day that Jiang Yiyi comes to the fifth floor.

A conversation target immensely difficult to handle and face.

“Exactly. All Extraordinaries are clinically insane.” Magician answers frankly, “although they express their frenzy in different ways, but they are all lunatics.”

Lunatics? Jiang Yiyi glances at Jian Si, the gaze colliding with Jian Si sneaking a peek at him.

Jian Si/Doctor sure is no lunatic.

That is the same sentence both of them are thinking of right now.

“Without exception?”

“Without any exception.” Magician is adamant.

“Very well. This means, there is one thing we can conclude.” Jiang Yiyi points to himself, “I am not an Extraordinary.”

“Doctor, I understand how you would feel right now.” Magician quickly reverts back to his flippant self, “but see, that ability you showed us earlier…”

He says, faking profound sadness, “not even the most prominent expert psychologist would have been able to achieve that.”

Jiang Yiyi glances at his skills as a player. Sure, no actual psychologist can achieve that, but he’s a game character… What, are there actually people who’d complain if a game skill was ‘unrealistic’?

“I also understand how you must be feeling right now.”

Jiang Yiyi states candidly, “but I am only an average, normal person.” After a couple seconds of pause, he decides to pre-emptively address with a friendly attitude, the confusion that has followed every Coordinator of every floor thus far, “an average, sane and upstanding person.”

???

Does, does he actually believe in that?

Magician is scrutinising Jiang Yiyi closely, and after a few seconds, something even more terrifying dawns on him——Doctor believes it. Wholeheartedly.

Still, after completely blanking out for a moment, he realises——Is this, possibly, how Doctor’s frenzy manifests itself?

A delusional belief that he is a good person?

Thus inspired, Magician feels like he has become the first to discover a secret no one else knows——Doctor has completely lost it.

What else could be more insane than the Doctor alleging himself to be sane and upstanding?

Please direct anyone who agrees to the scene of Lone Wolf’s suicide, and to Jian Si, still cowering and following after Doctor, and to the prison earlier whose body is still warm. They will have to agree that this is ludicrous.

Jiang Yiyi may not be able to read what Magician is thinking, but he can easily read Magician’s change in facial expression, especially when he is in melodrama mode——He appears to be in the middle of fantasising about something ridiculous.

So he decides to reflect on what he just said – he was actually quite humble then.

Words are weak, and, if he were a less humble person, he might say that he often finds himself torn because of his noble moral standards.

For example, giving up on testing the ‘Save/load functionality,’ because of a simple oral promise. Any Earthian from the 21st century knows exactly just how noble a person must be to do so.

It would appear no one else shares Jiang Yiyi’s sentiment, unfortunately——Quite possibly, because they are not 21st century Earthians.

Author’s notes:

[1] “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe […]: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” A quote from Immanuel Kant, in his ‘Critique of Practical Reason.’

Tomorrow is Thursday, so the update will be a bit late.

Of course, you, the audience, already knows about Extraordinaries, but Jiang Yiyi has only got his actual confirmation right now.

This is also the moment the deepest secret of Stargaol is making itself known to them.

Also, please just let me say, if a player can actually act morally and abide by ethical principles in a game…

He must be a living saint