Mash-up Anime World: Creating the SCP Foundation to Contain Anomalies-Chapter 320 - 314: Talent Workshop, Misaki’s Memories

After leaving the Garden of Life, they arrived at the experimental floor, haruto quickly saw Awaki.

Just as Misaki had said, Awaki was cooperating with the Foundation's research, releasing her abilities in a designated lab.

Several Foundation staff members stood nearby, closely observing as she used her teleportation powers to move objects.

They were also recording data using a vast array of equipment.

At present, Awaki had already undergone memory cleansing.

The trauma from that accident during the initial ability development phase had been erased.

However, her abilities remained at Level 4 for now.

While the deepest psychological shadows had been removed, she still needed time to adjust and grow.

But now, Awaki's potential was no longer capped at Level 4. In time, she would surely reach Level 5—an esper of the highest rank.

Noticing Haruto and Misaki's arrival, Awaki greeted the Foundation staff and then immediately teleported out of the lab.

"Well, look who decided to drop by. Didn't expect that."

After spending some time together, Awaki was no longer afraid of Haruto like she had been initially.

Their interactions had become more natural.

"Just came to check on how you two were doing. Looks like you've adapted pretty well. I need to make a trip back to Academy City. Want to come?"

Awaki froze for a moment.

To be honest, she didn't have fond memories of Academy City. In fact, most of her memories of that place were bleak. After her ability development, she was quickly recruited into the dark side.

And became what they called a "guide."

Not only did she carry out unspeakable dirty work in the shadows—

But because of psychological trauma, she had remained stuck at Level 4 for a long time.

She was nothing more than a tool.

Life back then held no hope.

After a moment of hesitation, Awaki shook her head.

"No thanks. I have no intention of ever returning to that damned place."

Hearing this, Haruto smiled but said nothing more.

"Alright then. You carry on—we'll be heading back."

Saying so, Haruto took Misaki's hand and walked out of the station. Watching them leave, Awaki crossed her arms, feeling a little sour.

"That damn lolicon!"

Well... not much to argue there.

Misaki was only a first-year in middle school at the moment, and not yet fully developed.

She was a loli, technically speaking.

Meanwhile, Haruto, holding Misaki, took to the skies, heading toward Academy City.

Feeling a bit nervous, Misaki clung tightly to Haruto's neck.

Watching the rapidly shifting landscape below and the clouds trailing behind them, She was filled with a unique sense of exhilaration.

Flying had always been one of humanity's greatest dreams and in that regard, she was no different.

Misaki couldn't help but smile, savoring the joy of flight.

Soon, the two arrived outside of Academy City.

After landing, Misaki was still hugging Haruto, momentarily dazed.

It wasn't until she noticed his teasing smile that she quickly let go, turning her eyes away guiltily.

Haruto casually took her hand, fingers interlaced, and led her into the city.

As they walked, Misaki asked nervously,

"H-Hey, where are we going now? How are we supposed to investigate that organization?"

Haruto shook his phone.

"No need to investigate. I've got a friend who knows a bit about the inside story."

Misaki glanced at his phone screen.

There was a file about an organization called the Talent Workshop.

The name triggered an instinctive reaction in her.

Disgust.

Even without her memories, her body instinctively rejected it.

She didn't need to ask—she understood this must have been the institution responsible for researching and developing her.

"Come to think of it... this damn institution was behind some of the other incidents we ran into."

Haruto said suddenly.

Misaki blinked.

Other incidents?

She looked closely at the data on Haruto's phone. Within the Talent Workshop's experimental logs, she found a particular project.

A plan to mass-produce espers through cloning.

Target quantity: twenty thousand.

Yes—the Misaka Sisters Project.

In fact, the English name of the Talent Workshop—Clone Dolly—was likely taken from Dolly the sheep, the world's first successfully cloned animal.

The twenty thousand Misaka Sisters had all been created in this lab.

Through deception and manipulation, the Talent Workshop had collected a massive amount of DNA data from various espers.

Among them, Misaka Mikoto's development stood out the most, having reached Level 5.

They aimed to replicate her success on a mass scale. Thus, the twenty thousand Misaka Sisters were born.

However, it turned out these clones were "defective products."

Their power levels never exceeded Level 3, and most were stuck at Level 2.

The cause for this deviation was unknown.

As a result, the defective sisters were discarded and handed over to other institutions.

Thus began the Level 6 Shift Project.

And when cloning espers failed...

The Talent Workshop apparently set their sights on espers who were already developed. This was when Misaki got caught up in their plans.

The Talent Workshop was located in Academy City's Second District. It was an organization that couldn't be found in any public records. But thanks to his friend, Haruto had gotten an address.

Together, he and Misaki made their way there.

Soon, they arrived at a restricted zone marked for no unauthorized entry.

Misaki picked up a remote but hesitated.

Her Mental Out ability was still underdeveloped, and she felt unsure about using it on others.

Haruto placed his hand over hers.

Then, with a snap of his fingers—

The power of the world activated.

Everything around them dimmed; time had frozen.

Haruto gently touched Misaki's forehead.

Pulling her out from the suspended time.

She looked around in astonishment.

Birds in the sky, dust rising from the ground—everything had stopped moving.

Misaki's eyes widened.

"Haruto... you can control time!?"

Haruto smiled and nodded.

"Just a little trick. Anyway, now we can freely explore this place."

Misaki nodded, but then looked at him suspiciously.

"Hey... You didn't use this time-stop ability to do anything weird to me, did you!?"

Haruto's mouth twitched.

"That's straight out of a hentai plot! Never done it before, but now that you've suggested it, it'd be a waste not to consider it."

He said, grinning.

Misaki's eyes bulged as she pointed at him, clearly fuming. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Then Haruto added,

"Eh, forget it. You're still too flat. Wouldn't work even in a hentai."

Misaki: !!!

She was just embarrassed at first—but hearing that made her explode with fury. In fact, Haruto not doing anything felt even more perverted somehow.

"I! AM! STILL! GROWING! One day, I'll make you regret saying that!"

She growled through gritted teeth.

Then, without waiting, she stormed into the facility.

Haruto followed happily behind her.

Indeed—bullying young girls was the most entertaining.

(T/N: I prolly wonder what's going on in the original author's mind. Then again, its fiction, he wouldn't do it in real life, .....right?)

Inside the frozen time, the two wandered through the Talent Workshop as if it were empty.

Even locked doors posed no problem—Haruto used SCP-005, the Universal Key, to open them with ease.

Truly, the Universal Key was unbeatable.

However, the Talent Workshop wasn't quite what Misaki had imagined.

There were no sinister experiments, no bloody procedures.

In fact, the place looked a bit run-down.

Many of the machines were broken or damaged.

More importantly, this vast facility was nearly deserted.

Especially the researchers.

As they walked through, Misaki barely saw any researchers at all.

It made her frown slightly.