A time traveler arrives in the Multiverse with an ability that turns confident assumptions into reality. If he believes an ordinary object should perform an impossible task, the rules of the world may simply adjust to make it happen. A bicycle can rise into the sky, common equipment can behave far beyond its normal limits, and even the human body can ignore expectations that should be absolute. The power sounds convenient, but every new idea raises a larger question: if reality keeps obeying what he thinks is “scientific,” how long will it be before no one—including him—can tell where logic ends and imagination begins?
Chapter 36: 035: Daily Life
With Wakanda’s secrets laid bare and its international standing severely diminished—not to mention that their own prince was now in the hands of others—they dared not act rashly, even with technology far surpassing that of other nations, given that they were already in the wrong. Moreover, the country was far from peaceful internally. No matter how isolated they remained from the world, ambitious figures would inevitably emerge. Faced with such a rare, golden opportunity, these schemers swayed a group of Wakandans—who were unwilling to remain confined to their corner of the world—and began operating behind the scenes. Externally, even the United States maintained a cautious stance toward Wakanda. Although they coveted the advanced technology seen in the photos and videos, it was precisely because they understood just how advanced that technology was that they dared not press Wakanda too hard. With both sides exercising restraint, Wakanda and the United Nations became mired in a protracted stalemate. No matter how much commotion there was internationally or online, it no longer had anything to do with Kraft, because he… School was back in session! Now a rising eighth-grader, Kraft brought his robot sister Alice—who loved school—with him as the new semester began. By this point, the two were about the same height; if you really had to measure, Kraft might have been just a tiny bit taller, which made him feel much less reluctant about taking Alice to school. “Big bro—! I want to go too! I want to go too, woof!” On the first day of school, Quinn the dog wrapped his two front paws around Kraft’s thigh and howled loudly. “It’s so boring at home without you and Big Sis!” “Stop messing around! They don’t allow pets at school!” Kraft ruffled Quinn’s doggy head and scolded him with a wry smile. “I can’t believe it! It’s racial discrimination again! This is so infuriating! When will we little animals ever stand up for ourselves? Don’t you humans have an animal protection association? Aren’t they going to do anything about this?!” “What on earth have you been watching all day long?!” Kraft tugged at Quinn’s chubby cheeks, thinking he really should limit the little guy’s screen time. “Harro, you’re not allowed to show Quinn any of that weird stuff anymore!” “Haro understands, Haro understands.” “I can’t believe it! Not only are you not taking me to school, but you’re also restricting my TV time! Is that fair?” Quinn threw a full-blown tantrum, flopping onto the floor and kicking wildly at the air with all four paws. “I don’t care! I’m going to school! “…Three packs of snacks!” Kraft played his trump card. “Five packs!” The moment he heard the word “food,” Quinn perked up. He twisted his body and hopped back to his feet, then began bargaining with Kraft with a serious expression. “Just three packs! Take it or leave it! If you eat any more, you’ll turn into David!” “Alrighty~ Have a safe trip, big brother~ Be careful on your way~” Quinn quickly picked up the backpack Kraft had tossed aside, dropped it at his feet, and wagged his tail with a fawning smile. “Sigh…” Kraft sighed wearily, picked up the backpack at his feet, and walked out. He regretted a little that he’d bought Quinn just because of a mere sense of déjà vu; cats were so much easier to handle—Beya never caused this much trouble. He took Alice to register at Fantas Public Middle School. Since Mr. Martin, a member of the school board, had given them a heads-up in advance, the school naturally placed her in Kraft’s class. On her very first day of school, Alice was welcomed by the entire class. With her cute looks, sweet and gentle personality, and the fact that she was Kraft’s younger sister—any one of these traits alone would have drawn a crowd eager to befriend her, let alone the fact that Alice embodied all three. However, Kraft hadn’t expected that some female classmates would try to use Alice as a way to get close to him. “Am I really that popular?” Kraft scratched his head and asked Liao the Fat, who was standing nearby seething with envy, with a look of confusion. In most schools across the United States, nerds aren’t actually very popular; on the contrary, they’re the primary targets of school bullying. Although Kraft wasn’t exactly a nerd, he often spent his time holed up in his lab, so his relationships with his classmates were actually pretty average. “Have you forgotten that you’re the big boss of Dream Toy Company?” Unconscious arrogance is the deadliest of all. Seeing that Kraft’s puzzled expression didn’t seem feigned, Fat Liao clutched his chest, gasping for breath, while grinding his teeth in resentment. Students his age might not yet understand what the Dream Toys Company truly represented, but that didn’t stop them from idolizing Kraft—and besides… If they really managed to hook up with Kraft, wouldn’t they have everything they could ever want—Barbie dolls, magic wands, and more—from then on? Even their desires seem so adorable at this age. Unfortunately, Kraft couldn’t understand that; he politely turned down all the girls’ invitations. “No way! I don’t even have enough time to spend in the lab—how could I possibly have time to go on dates with girls!” When Fat Liao confronted Kraft with heartfelt indignation, that was exactly how he replied, with righteous conviction. Furious, Liao the Fat pointed his stubby, radish-like finger at Kraft, but after trembling for a while, he couldn’t even manage to say a single word. Alice’s first trip to campus went very smoothly, so she was in such a good mood on the way back that she was practically skipping along. Seeing Alice so excited, Kraft’s mood lifted considerably as well. Until… they opened the front door. The house was a complete mess: food and knickknacks from the coffee table were scattered all over the floor, several chairs had been knocked over, the houseplant in the corner had lost almost all its leaves, and the sofa was riddled with holes—clearly torn by sharp claws and teeth. “Quinn! You stupid dog, get out here!” Kraft’s eye twitched as he bellowed at the top of his lungs. However, after he finished shouting, he waited for what seemed like an eternity, but that stupid dog Quinn never showed up, and the little black cat, Beya, also seemed to have vanished without a trace. But Kraft didn’t notice that at the moment. Fuming, he stormed over to the TV. Although the red Haro that had been sitting there was gone, Kraft still had Angela—the AI that existed only online. “Angela! Pull up today’s home security footage!” At Kraft’s command, the TV in front of him turned on automatically and began playing a recording of everything that had happened in the house after he and Alice had left. As Kraft watched, his expression grew darker and darker. He’d originally thought the culprit was Quinn, that stupid dog, but he never expected it to be Beya, the little black cat who was usually so quiet! And to think I used to think she was the easier one to deal with! That said, Quinn wasn’t much better off either. Even though he wasn’t the main culprit, he was definitely an accomplice. Here’s what happened: Beya, the little black cat, had grown bored with the toys Kraft had set out for her and took an interest in the small ornaments on the coffee table. After knocking them all off one by one—and still not satisfied—she pushed over the plate of fruit and nuts as well. After clearing the coffee table completely, Beya jumped onto the sofa and started sharpening her claws. Just then, Quinn ran downstairs from upstairs with the treat Kraft had promised him in his mouth. Seeing Beya wreaking havoc, he didn’t stop her—instead, he joined in, and the cat and dog together turned the house upside down. After the chaos, probably fearing they’d be scolded, the two guilty creatures hid—but not before taking Haro, the surveillance camera, with them. When Kraft tracked them down via the video feed, they looked completely incredulous. “But we hid Haro with us!” “Oh crap…” Watching the evidence of their misdeeds play on the TV, Quinn buried his head between his paws. As for Beya, the ringleader of the whole thing, she put on an innocent act, burrowing into Alice’s lap and rubbing against her while meowing sweetly, hoping to get away with it. “Big brother…” The soft-hearted Alice tried to speak up for them, but Kraft cut her off with a wave of his hand. “No way! These two are done for!” Then Kraft made do with what was at hand, using his engineering skills to cobble together a pile of parts and assemble two pet-specific “do-or-die” treadmills, into which he tossed Quinn and Beya. “Big bro, you’re heartless! RUA!” “You can’t abuse little animals, meow!”
