Ability Stability refers to whether one can control their ability according to their will when using it.
Natsume Sonoko had experienced a rather noticeable instance of ability loss of control before, when facing that gigantic tentacle monster.
Back then, Natsume Sonoko was using her freezing formula to hinder the gigantic tentacle monster. Her computational power, far exceeding normal levels, was rapidly consumed.
In the end, it led to her computational power being spent as wildly as a bursting dam, completely drained in an instant.
Recently, this kind of problem had lessened considerably, even disappeared.
At the very least, it didn't happen during her fight with Accelerator.
Otherwise, under the pressure and mental state at the time, if her RSPK Syndrome had flared up, she would have lost her combat effectiveness immediately.
As for the improvement in her ability's stability, Natsume Sonoko felt it should be related to the growth of her ability and the refinement of her formula.
Perhaps there was another point: Natsume-san frequently listening to 'Capacity Down'.
Capacity Down could disrupt brain calculations. After listening to it for so long, Natsume Sonoko had even developed a certain resistance to it.
Within the audio frequency range achievable by a mobile phone, Natsume Sonoko could already perform normal calculations while enduring the 'Capacity Down'.
Of course, the ability's effectiveness would decrease to some extent, as she wasn't completely immune.
Her mind wandering through these thoughts, Natsume Sonoko idly touched the RSPK Syndrome inspection device on her hand, seeming somewhat curious about how this thing worked.
"As long as you carry it on your person, it can detect your AIM diffusion field, Natsume-san. Loss of ability control can be easily detected from the AIM field. You can also wear it as an armband on your shoulder; that was actually its original design."
Hirosue Asuka seemed to be playing the role of a caring big sister, explaining gently to Natsume Sonoko.
"Thank you."
Lowering her head slightly in thanks, Natsume Sonoko appeared quiet, serene, and polite, just as described in a certain report circulating among researchers.
Although she didn't know the specific contents of that report, she had heard a little from Yoshikawa Kikyou.
In short, Natsume Sonoko's image was somewhat fragmented among some groups of researchers.
Some researchers intensely disliked the one who ruined the Level 6 Shift Project, while another portion of researchers felt Natsume-san was one of the easiest Level 5s to deal with among the known ones.
After all, to help her classmates, she even went and fought Accelerator, and miraculously won. However, fighting itself was naturally not encouraged.
Instead of putting on the device immediately, Natsume Sonoko simply followed Hirosue Asuka to the examination site.
For some reason, Natsume Sonoko's originally nervous mood vanished, replaced by a strange calmness.
Sometimes it was like this: all sorts of nerves before something happens, but once you're in the thick of it, you become composed again.
'Is this what it feels like to have confidence?' she wondered.
Before the official start of the exam, Natsume Sonoko changed into gym clothes in a nearby preparation room.
The gym clothes weren't Tokiwadai's standard set, but were prepared by the research institute.
The size fit Natsume Sonoko's physique perfectly, and they had even thoughtfully prepared a hair tie.
Her own gym clothes were always kept at school, worn for physical education classes. After each class, she'd wash them and stuff them back into her school locker.
Most of the time at the student dormitory, Natsume Sonoko basically didn't want to see that outfit.
Standing in front of the mirror for a moment, Natsume Sonoko hardly ever wore makeup, but she paid close attention to her appearance.
She was determined to be a proper Tokiwadai student, after all.
Now, a small device resembling a badge was attached to her left shoulder – the inspection device from earlier.
Once fastened, the device immediately lit up with a small light, apparently starting its work.
"Are you ready? The staff are all in position," Hirosue Asuka spoke up just as Natsume Sonoko left the preparation room.
"Ready."
Natsume Sonoko gave a firm nod, her face betraying no extra emotion.
The spacious room was lined with smooth square tiles. Glancing around, Natsume Sonoko found the room's area astonishingly large.
It felt less like a room and more like a plaza or a park.
Natsume Sonoko stood on the designated test point, nearly the center of the room. From this position, with her current ability, she couldn't possibly cover the entire room.
A glass dome covered the ceiling overhead, allowing a clear view of the blazing sun in the sky, yet without the scorching heat that hurt the eyes.
"Natsume-san, without moving from your position, please locate as many constant heat sources hidden in the room as possible. You are also required to provide their specific locations and temperatures, precise to three decimal places."
"Additionally, there are an unknown number of anomalous heat sources in the room. Their temperatures will fluctuate by extremely small amounts over time. Please note, you must exclude these points."
Natsume Sonoko was alone in the room, aside from a few white robots of unknown purpose.
Hirosue Asuka's voice came from speakers installed on the robots. She was probably observing from somewhere, though Natsume Sonoko couldn't spot any cameras or the like.
Natsume Sonoko's expression remained neutral. She gave a slight nod upon hearing the female researcher's requirements.
Just then, one of the robots approached Natsume Sonoko.
As its body morphed, it became flatter.
It projected a small holographic image mid-air, even marking Natsume Sonoko's location.
This was a 3D image of the room. Using the square floor tiles as a benchmark, it divided the room into thousands of sections of varying sizes. The projection could also be zoomed in and out.
Natsume Sonoko's hand could pass through the projection, but by lightly touching a corresponding section with her finger, she could not only select it but also call up a digital keypad for input.
Shortly after this small holographic projection appeared, in the blink of an eye, the entire room began to fill with holographic projections, mapping the dividing lines of the thousands of sections onto every corner.
Holographic projection technology in Academy City had advanced to a level where it could easily be mistaken for reality.
"Natsume-san, you need to mark your answers on the small projection beside you as much as possible," a nearby robot voiced.
"I see."
Natsume Sonoko was slightly dazed, having mostly grasped the rules.
After pondering for just a moment, Natsume Sonoko's fingers began tapping on the small projection in front of her.
One by one, marked constant heat sources were continuously fed back to the staff's computers.
She found roughly all the constant heat sources within her range, about twenty-three or so.
Obviously, these constant heat sources also existed in areas beyond her ability's reach, but there was nothing she could do about those.
Most of these heat sources had temperatures significantly higher than room temperature, but a small number were very close to it. Still, Natsume Sonoko found them easily.
But then, she suddenly remembered a certain Railgun who slacked off during her physical exam. Natsume Sonoko's train of thought hit a brief snag, and she couldn't help tilting her head in thought.
Since it was a points-based system, as long as she ensured her final score reached Level 5, it should be fine. She had quite a few derived abilities; factoring in the bonus points should be enough to pass.
Knowing that this exam was meant to collect data on her, Natsume Sonoko couldn't foolishly expose all her abilities. Even if she often didn't show much expression, it didn't mean she was an airhead or anything.
That imitation Railgun Powered Suit she'd seen before was probably the result of Misaka-senpai unknowingly revealing too much data somewhere.
Thinking of this, Natsume Sonoko's hand, which was in mid-air, suddenly stopped. She didn't proceed to input the locations of the most distant points.
"Please note, the positions of the constant heat sources are beginning to change. Natsume-san, you need to record their movement trajectories on the small holographic projection."
After Natsume Sonoko remained inactive, the white robot beside her spoke again.
The positions of the heat points distributed throughout the room began to change rapidly, tracing countless, dense arcs of heat in Natsume Sonoko's mind.
It wasn't until a mosquito-sized object suddenly flew past her eyes that Natsume Sonoko had a sudden realization. These constant heat sources were actually tiny robots, their tails continuously emitting heat.
So, perhaps among these robots were the ones responsible for monitoring. No wonder she couldn't find the cameras.
Having figured this out, Natsume Sonoko began tracking the movement paths of these robots.
Some scurried around wildly within the area of her ability, some flew out of her ability's range, and even some unfamiliar heat sources flew in.
'They're not just testing my ability's precision and instantaneous computational power, but also trying to accurately map the range of my ability,' Natsume Sonoko realized immediately.
Simultaneously, Natsume Sonoko's brain continued operating at high speed, recording the trajectories of the constant heat sources while filtering out the interference from the anomalous heat sources, logging all those heat arcs in her mind.
'Finally stopped. All that flying around is making me dizzy,' Natsume Sonoko grumbled inwardly.
The paths of these micro-robots were complex, looking like a tangled mess at a glance. Natsume Sonoko could distinguish them quickly enough, but it was still a bit of a hassle.
It took another five or six minutes for Natsume Sonoko to input these chaotic movement paths into the small holographic projection.
However, as she input the data, she subconsciously omitted the movement trajectories of a portion of the heat sources. This made her ability range appear little different from her Level 4 days, but the precision she demonstrated far surpassed her Level 4 capabilities.
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