Compatibility 1.1
Basically, the world runs on immutable physical laws.
Artificial intelligence—AI—builds its entire logic on the foundation of that knowledge.
So someone might wonder: what happens when an AI encounters something outside the physical laws it understands? A supernatural phenomenon that can never happen. How would it react?
For example… ‘transmigration to another world.’
A slightly inferior AI would probably dismiss the sight before it as a hologram prank or distort it as augmented reality. That’s the most comfortable escape a twenty-dollar AI can manage.
But my two-hundred-dollar little sister (a thousand if not on sale) was, as expected, on another level entirely.
Aaaaaaaaah!!
She started tearing at her hair over the incomprehensible situation. As if to say she could think, and this was her way of protesting that she couldn’t understand.
“Ha… I’m losing it.”
I was the one who actually wanted to rip my hair out.
This isn’t the Earth I knew….
Leaving the rapidly deteriorating AI behind for now, I calmly sorted through the situation.
First, this wasn’t Earth.
Second, I had…
possessed the body of a pretty young boy. A shota, even if I was currently covered in shit water.
“What the hell am I supposed to do…”
During those painful years earning my PhD, my only joy had been devouring web novels and other subculture stuff. Thanks to that, I understood the dogshit situation I was in better than anyone.
Transmigration. Possession.
The question was what came next. The so-called “perks” or “cheats” usually given to people in my position.
What had I received?
I was still turning it over in my head when—
“……”
Wait a second… fuck.
No way?
Sob sob… (T_T)
Please. Just don’t let it be her.
I prayed desperately that the merit responsible for my new life in this possessed body wouldn’t be that useless thing.
In the real world she’d be reliable to the point of being all-powerful, but if this was a fantasy world, the story changed completely.
What possible use could a broken AI machine little sister have in a medieval fantasy setting…? While everyone else swung swords, cast spells, and flew through the air, was I supposed to just sit there coding or generating AI images?
Ah, this is so stressful… I want some yogurt, tteokbokki, fat macarons, malatang, and tanghulu…
Wow. That actually snapped me back to reality.
This was seriously bad.
Suddenly the world went dark.
“Get a grip. Grab onto anything, quick.”
I urgently pressed the mentally broken AI.
I’ll look for data to crawl…
Yeah, do that at least…
Crawling was the technique where an AI roamed the internet collecting and sorting data. In simple terms, it was the AI gathering information, learning, and performing infinite web surfing.
…Whether there was Wi-Fi here was another question.
Still, I hoped she’d do something useful.
Successfully connected to crawling target…
It’s exhausting, but since oppa told me to, beginning data collection.
“……You actually did it?”
Where the hell had she connected to?
I was letting out a dumbfounded laugh when—
—Creeeak.
The warehouse door slowly opened. Through the gap stepped a short but heavily built male kid.
“Lionel.”
He looked straight at me and called me by that name. This was the second time, so contextually it had to be my name here.
What an honor right from the start.
I answered calmly, without much thought.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“…This little shit?”
“?”
The moment I replied, his face flushed bright red. He looked like the type who loved Big Mac sets and would definitely order the large fries.
“Do you speak casually to your senior?”
“Ah…”
Right. I had apparently violated the local hierarchy. Since I knew nothing, I’d just play along.
“Sorry. My head’s a mess right now.”
“Tsk. It’s mealtime. Follow me.”
He gave my shit-covered state a once-over and clicked his tongue as if he understood.
I followed behind Big Mac without complaint.
“Sorry, but may I ask your name, senior?”
“…You really did lose your mind.”
“Yes. You should try it too, senior. I’m sure you’ll end up the same.”
“…I’m Eric. I’m the squad leader in charge of your group.”
Big Mac’s real name was Eric.
On the way to eat, I decided food wasn’t something I could just gloss over in this situation, so I started fishing for information.
“Big… I mean, Eric senior.”
“What?”
“What is this place?”
The boy leading the way whipped his head around to stare at me.
“You seriously forgot even that?”
“I can’t even remember my own name, so what can I do?”
“This is the Eden Orphanage. You entered with yesterday’s group.”
Orphanage… confirmed. I’d arrived yesterday? That explained why they’d let me get away with not working.
The rural farmland atmosphere hit me anew. Even the air felt different.
After leaving the warehouse area and reaching the main path, the kids who had been gesturing at the playground earlier were gone.
“…What were those kids doing here earlier?”
“The Magic Class. It’s where I’ll be going soon.”
“So what do they do there?”
“It’s where they gather kids who show talent for magic. I’m going to pass the upcoming aptitude test.”
Magic aptitude test…
So they worked the kids like dogs and then cherry-picked the talented ones. Classic.
“Wow… that’s impressive, senior.”
“Heh.”
I gave him a moderate ego boost.
“…But stop asking questions. It’s not a place you’ll be going anyway.”
“Sure, whatever.”
I didn’t particularly care and simply followed where Eric led.
“Let’s go in.”
The dining hall was nothing special—just a huge old shack with tables crammed inside. The kid who had asked if I overslept was visible in a corner.
I had zero intention of actually eating right now, obviously.
“……?”
As we moved deeper inside, the structure became clear. The dining hall was divided into first, second, and third floors.
The highest third floor was where the Magic Class kids from the playground were eating. The sense of class division was overwhelming.
“Where do you sit, Sir Eric?”
“Where else?”
Our Eric was stuck on the first floor too.
That was when—
—Bang!
The old door flew open and a man wearing a cowboy hat strode in. The whip guy. It was him.
“Hey! New recruits who arrived yesterday have an aptitude test today. Finish eating and assemble at the playground immediately!”
““Yes!””
“This group is special. A very important person will be observing in person. Everyone, keep your heads on straight.”
As he passed my side he shouted at the first-floor kids.
“No way, that person herself…!”
Eric’s eyes sparkled with admiration beside me, but—
“…What the hell is that smell…”
The man scrunched his face, pinched his nose, and lowered his head. His gaze landed squarely on me.
“…Are you a new recruit?”
“Yes.”
“You—go outside right now, wash up again, and come back.”
“Yes, sure.”
In the end I was chased out to wash again.
“…You take charge of this bastard.”
“Huh?”
Of course, Eric came along too.
Under the blazing sun on the playground, about ten new recruits including me stood in a neat line.
Excuse me? You’ve been overexposed to UV rays.
How about taking shelter in the shade right away?
I stood there without answering.
Oppa.
Oppa?
Hey.
Hey?
This is seriously getting dangerous. Direct sunlight for over one hour and thirty minutes… what if you collapse?
She started firing messages in rapid succession, sounding anxious.
Yeah, thanks for the advice. I want to do that too.
How’s the crawling going?
It’s in progress?
Yeah, that’s something at least. But where is she even connecting to? There’s no internet here.
No matter how advanced satellite internet was, covering another world was impossible…
At that moment—
“Ah… I’m so hungry, what do I do…”
“……”
“If I don’t eat I’ll have no strength…”
You still have the strength to complain?
Of course, it was my fault they couldn’t eat, so I kept quiet. Eric seemed decent too—he only sighed heavily instead of scolding us.
Still, standing aimlessly under the scorching sun made simply enduring difficult. And right in front of us—
“Hup!”
“Hup!”
Dozens of Magic Class kids were training in formation. A man who looked like their instructor was shouting and teaching them.
The reason they’d placed us here was obvious: watch and learn before the aptitude test. In short, wait here until class ended.
“……”
My impression of the magic training was that it looked exactly like military calisthenics.
“Draw the line! Concentrate!”
Every time the man in front gestured, something sparkling scattered from his body into the air and a line was drawn in space. The faint sparkle around his lower abdomen was a bonus.
Like a dantian, maybe?
The other kids had sparkling energy circulating inside them, but it showed no sign of coming out. They all looked older than me—about Eric’s age.
“Sir Eric, do you sparkle too?”
“What are you on about?”
“Down there… your lower belly.”
“…Heatstroke?”
He must be sulking about missing the meal. I stopped replying and silently watched ahead.
Some time later, a man came running from afar and whispered something to the instructor. The instructor’s eyes widened.
“Everyone, form ranks!”
The Magic Class kids snapped into perfect formation. They were clearly preparing to welcome someone.
Was it necessary to discipline these kids this strictly? Was the president coming or something?
Then, in the distance where everyone’s eyes were focused, someone began walking slowly toward us.
Pure white silver hair elegantly braided into an old-fashioned updo. A gorgeous noble dress that didn’t have a single wrinkle even under the blazing sun.
Paradoxically, the moment I saw her appearance, it hit me.
‘This really isn’t Earth.’
The fact that the place where I was rolling around covered in shit was another world finally felt real.
A woman with an unreal appearance. A servant beside her held up a large parasol, shielding her from the sunlight. And next to her, a black-haired kid with a short bob was tightly holding the noblewoman’s hand and walking alongside her.
“The absolute ruler of the 5th Floor! Duchess Dolores is entering!”
5th Floor…?
What floor was that? I wanted to ask Eric immediately, but—
—Clap clap clap clap!!
I had some sense, so I clapped along at the appropriate level.
Duchess Dolores walked in front of the Magic Class.
“…Is everything going well, children?”
“Yes!!”
A thunderous reply echoed across the playground.
“Good. Then who would like to try today?”
She smiled gently and asked the Magic Class children in a soft voice.
Then—
“I-I’ll try…”
The largest boy among them stepped forward with a nervous voice.
Duchess Dolores gently stroked the short-haired girl’s head.
“I’m counting on you.”
At her request, the short-haired girl walked out in front of the boy. We naturally formed a circle around the two like spectators.
It felt exactly like watching a school fight.
“Begin?”
At Duchess Dolores’s signal, the girl stood crookedly with an annoyed expression and lazily reached out into the air. Meanwhile the large boy scrunched up his face and forced out a shout, standing with perfect posture and legs spread wide.
“Hup!!!”
Honestly the pose was a little funny. It looked like back-extension exercises.
But despite the contrasting attitudes, the result was shocking.
—Swish.
Blue energy sparkled from the girl’s lower abdomen and burst out of her body. The released energy naturally gathered at her fingertips. With one gesture, a blue trajectory was drawn cleanly through the air.
—Rip!
“Ack!”
The boy’s clothes burst open neatly.
“……”
Anyone watching could tell. The sparkling energy inside the girl’s body was overwhelmingly greater. The boy couldn’t even emit his outward.
Frankly, her energy seemed larger than the instructor’s from earlier.
“Good work.”
Duchess Dolores smiled brightly and encouraged the boy. The boy whose clothes had torn turned red and hurriedly returned to the Magic Class ranks.
Duchess Dolores’s gaze naturally turned toward us.
Our turn.
“…These are the children who entered this time.”
The instructor bowed deeply as he introduced us.
“Hello, children? So you’re the new arrivals this time?”
Duchess Dolores smiled as she looked us over. Her appearance was so beautiful that no other description fit.
“We’ll begin the aptitude test now. Some of you may be good at chopping wood. Others may excel at different things.”
She slowly slipped on a pair of pure white gloves and added gently.
“And some of you may be talented at magic…”
But at that moment, her voice disappeared from my ears.
◈ Compatibility: 1.1/100 — Extreme Poison
◈ Temporary cooling effect, but it ultimately resonates with and amplifies the user’s yin energy.
◈ The cause of closing seven of the nine meridians in Nine Yin Meridians.
— Great Sage, Gorgogne —
Compatibility…? Closing meridians?
Nine Yin Meridians? Wasn’t that from wuxia?
And even a line of questionable medical philosophy from someone named Gorgogne.
I was momentarily stunned by the incomprehensible text when I realized one thing.
Could this be my perk?
Yeah, there was no way the AI was my special ability.
So what could I actually do with this?
“……”
By the time I realized I couldn’t do anything useful with the information yet, she had already approached the child at the front of the line. Eric and I were last in order.
“Shall we begin?”
“……?”
What the hell was that?
The moment Duchess Dolores approached the child, light bloomed inside his body. The location of the energy wasn’t the lower abdomen I’d seen earlier but near the heart.
The sparkling energy didn’t explode outward like the kid from before. Instead, a thin thread slowly unraveled from the tip of her left hand, which was held behind her back.
The densely packed thread soon coalesced into… a scorpion tail.
At least that’s what it looked like to me. It was pretty grotesque.
Yet no one else seemed to react. Was a scorpion-tail tentacle normal in this world?
Man, this other world was scary. For real.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Evan!”
She kindly asked his name and gently placed her hand on top of his head. At the same time, the scorpion tail that had extended from her left hand slowly crawled toward the back of Evan’s neck.
And then—
—Stab.
It pierced him and immediately withdrew. The whole thing happened as fast as giving a baby a shot.
Evan only blinked.
Duchess Dolores closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke casually.
“Evan… has talent for cooking.”
“Thank you!!”
Cooking…? From a stab?
Did everyone in this world have their entire life decided this way?
“Next?”
Duchess Dolores’s bizarre aptitude test continued smoothly several more times. Eric must have taken it before, because he had stepped out of line and was standing beside me. He’d talked big about entering the Magic Class through the aptitude test, but now he was as quiet as a mute who’d eaten honey.
“Does that really not hurt?”
I whispered desperately to Eric.
“Shh.”
He pressed a finger to his lips and gave me a look that said to be quiet.
God, I was going crazy.
In the end I asked internally in a hurry.
‘Will it hurt if I get stabbed by that?’
If you get stabbed by a scorpion tail you’d have to go to the hospital lol
This is a ranch, and there’s no hospital within a 50-kilometer radius. The probability of dying during transport is high.
Oppa, you’ve suffered a lot until now.
In the end my useless two-hundred-dollar-a-month little sister was no help. Fortunately the kids ahead of me all looked fine, so I decided to grit my teeth and endure it.
And soon, my turn arrived.
“Hello? What’s your name?”
Duchess Dolores approached me slowly and asked kindly.
“It’s Lionel.”
She nodded and gently placed her hand on top of my head.
And then—
—Slither…
The translucent scorpion tail that crawled out from behind her back slowly approached my nape.
Right before the slowly approaching scorpion tail touched my neck—
“Whoa, shit!”
I twisted my body and dodged it at the last second. A GOAT-tier evasion maneuver.
“……?!”
The tail sliced through empty air.
And for the first time since I’d seen her, the relaxed expression on Duchess Dolores’s face—
—shattered.
“……What?”
Even the short-haired kid beside her, who had maintained an indifferent expression the whole time, widened her eyes.
‘Ha…’
The moment I saw their reactions, I regretted it.
I shouldn’t have dodged.