With an excited heart and trembling hands, Haruto watched as the red light swept across the lottery panel.
He tightly hugged the Eye Pods in his arms. These two were definitely his lucky charms!
In that moment, he decided that from now on, he would always hold the Eye Pods when drawing lotteries.
Based on his past experiences, white rewards were junk, blue rewards were average items, purple rewards were useful and valuable, and gold rewards were game-changers; things that could drastically boost his power, even to the point of being overpowered.
For example, the Infinite Devour Evolution, which was even stronger than the Blacklight Virus, or "The World," which could stop time and affect the entire world.
If gold rewards were already this overpowered, what kind of insane reward would a red light bring? Could it involve a Supreme Deity? Haruto felt like he was about to become invincible.
As the red light finally settled, he cautiously looked at the result.
[Red Reward Obtained: Fragment of the God of Knowledge: Cognitive Immunity.]
[Note: Non-Level-6 lottery draws cannot provide complete Supreme Deity rewards.]
Seeing this note, Haruto sighed in disappointment. As expected, reaching the top in one step was impossible. But at least he got a red light!
He extracted the reward.
Fragment of the God of Knowledge: Cognitive Immunity.
This red reward had no physical form. It couldn't even be observed.
Haruto only felt a strange power surge into his mind. In an instant, the entire world seemed different. For a brief moment, it was as if he could see the code running the world, like in The Matrix.
When that strange feeling faded like a receding tide, he felt a sense of loss. Was this what it felt like to experience a Supreme Deity?
Even though it was just a tiny fragment, it made him feel omnipotent for that brief moment.
The ability granted by this fragment of Supreme Deity was exactly as its name suggested: Cognitive Immunity.
Anomalies weren't just physical entities. There were also unobservable, indescribable memetic anomalies. Memes and anti-memes.
Memes were cognitohazardous information with potentially strong contagious properties. Simply knowing this information could lead to irreversible anomalous transformations.
Anti-memes, on the other hand, were self-concealing information that couldn't be described, recognized, or observed.
If you somehow became aware of an anti-meme, you would be contaminated, your cognition erased, and you would undergo irreversible anomalous transformations.
Memetic anomalies were terrifyingly weak or devastatingly strong, capable of easily causing world-ending scenarios. Compared to these, the Shy Guy (SCP-096) seemed almost cute, friendly, and harmless.
The fragment of divinity Haruto obtained granted him Cognitive Immunity. His cognition could not be distorted or interfered with in any way. Whether it was memes or anti-memes, neither could contaminate him.
This was the power of a red reward, a fragment of divinity.
Haruto decided to test it out.
"Anomaly Item: I Am a Toaster (SCP-426)."
He found that he could now describe the item normally.
SCP-426's characteristic was that it couldn't be described in the third person. It also influenced the minds of those nearby, making them believe they were actually toasters. This would lead them to imitate a toaster's functions (plugging themselves in, swallowing large amounts of dough, etc.) and ultimately kill themselves.
Anyone describing this toaster would refer to it as "I." This was a weak memetic effect. But now, Haruto could describe it in the third person without issue.
This confirmed that Haruto had indeed gained the trait of Cognitive Immunity.
-----------------
Time passed, and the school season finally arrived. Today was the day for registration.
As Haruto walked toward Sobu High, he pondered whether he should slightly alter the cognition of his homeroom teacher, the grade supervisor, and the principal.
It would make it easier for him to skip classes or take leave whenever he needed. Dropping out entirely would be a shame; after all, Haruto had worked hard for three years, without any special abilities, to achieve the top score and secure a place at Sobu High.
So, he decided to subtly tweak the cognition of the relevant staff. This would allow him to skip classes freely in the future to focus on Foundation matters.
With this in mind, Haruto arrived at the gates of Sobu High.
Although Sobu High was considered the weakest of the "Big Three" elite schools in Japan, it was still far more luxurious than the average high school.
Its grand entrance, lined with cherry blossom trees, was the dream environment for many students. The security guards, dressed in crisp uniforms, stood at the gate, meticulously checking the IDs of incoming students.
Wait—IDs?
Haruto realized he had forgotten his student ID.
The ID and admission notice had been issued together, but during the holiday, Haruto had been busy with Foundation work and managing anomalies from the Titan world. Both items had been tossed into a corner of his apartment and completely forgotten.
'Should I modify the guards' cognition or just use 'The World' to stop time and slip in?'
Haruto quickly shook his head, dismissing the dangerous thought.
He had only recently gained these powers, and already his mindset was becoming reckless! Using anomalous abilities for something so trivial was out of the question.
Instead, Haruto walked up to the two security guards and explained his situation.
"So, I forgot to bring my student ID. Is there any way you could let me in?"
The guard wasn't surprised. This kind of thing happened occasionally. Of course, he had no idea that Haruto had just considered altering his cognition.
"Without proper identification, I'm afraid I can't let you in. Sorry, but those are the rules. You could call your homeroom teacher and have them come get you or escort you in," the guard suggested, offering the standard solution.
Haruto nodded. He recalled that his homeroom teacher was Hiratsuka Shizuka. He pulled out his phone to call her.
However, before he could dial, a woman's voice called out from behind him.
"Hey, you must be Takamine Haruto, right?"
Haruto turned around to see a beautiful woman with long black hair, wearing a black uniform and a white lab coat. Her demeanor was bold and straightforward, giving off a lively and energetic vibe.
Haruto recognized her as his homeroom teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Hello, I'm Haruto. Do you know me?" Haruto replied politely.
Hiratsuka grinned and walked over, giving Haruto a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"Of course I know you! You're the top scorer in the entrance exams, and with your looks, it's hard not to notice you. I'm your homeroom teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka. I'll be in charge of your academic life for the next few years."
Haruto nodded. "Nice to meet you, Shizuka-sensei."
"Hah, you're a smooth talker. So, what's the situation here?" Hiratsuka asked with a smile.
Haruto shrugged helplessly.
"As you can see, I forgot my student ID and got stopped at the gate."
Hiratsuka chuckled and shook her head.
"I thought a genius like you wouldn't make such mistakes. I guess even geniuses are human, huh?"
She then explained the situation to the guards and escorted Haruto into the school.
Once inside the building, Hiratsuka gave Haruto a firm pat on the back.
"Alright, head to your classroom. I need to grab the lesson plans and attendance sheet from the teachers' office."
Haruto couldn't help but laugh.
His teacher was... quite the character. Her strength was no joke either, that pat would've sent an average guy stumbling.
Hiratsuka, on the other hand, seemed intrigued.
This genius... seemed to have a sturdy build too.
Following the class signs, Haruto found his classroom. The room was already buzzing with chatter, indicating that Haruto wasn't exactly early.
The moment he stepped inside, the room fell silent for a brief moment. Even without displaying any extraordinary traits, Haruto's presence was distinctly different from that of an ordinary high schooler. Naturally, he drew everyone's attention.
Unfazed, Haruto calmly walked to his assigned seat and sat down. The momentary silence was quickly replaced by renewed chatter, though the topics among the girls had clearly shifted.
"Hey, did you see that guy?"
"He's so handsome! Not just his looks, but his aura is so commanding!"
"I thought all the guys in our class would be average, but there's someone like him? We're so lucky!"
"I wonder if he has a girlfriend. I want to exchange LINE IDs with him!"
These comments reached Haruto's ears.
He was used to it.
Even before gaining his system, during his three years of middle school, Haruto had received countless confessions thanks to his looks and intellect. At times, his desk would be filled with pink letters.
Haruto refocused his attention. Typically, high schools allowed students to choose their own seats, but Soubu High was stricter, assigning seats in advance.
And Haruto's seat...
Back row, by the window—the king's spot!
His desk mate hadn't arrived yet, but the seat behind him...
Haruto glanced back at the last row. Sitting there was a cute girl with short black hair, bright black eyes, and soft pink lips. Everything about her was perfectly adorable!
Noticing Haruto's gaze, the girl blinked in surprise, then smiled at him.
"Katou Megumi?"
Haruto was surprised. His seatmate was none other than the legendary Katou Megumi, often hailed as the ideal girlfriend and wife in the anime world.
Fate truly was a strange thing.
.