Chapter 34: Ch 34: Arrange for Help

"Listen...what happened just now was an accident. But I intend to take full responsibility for it. So for the next few days, you can rely on me. As much as I don’t like it, I will put aside my laziness and cooperate with you. If you tell me where your room is, I will come and get you as well..."

This sounded familiar, and Noah immediately felt the need to decline Ethan’s offer.

"There is no need to do that. The medical esper will be back tomorrow, and I can get myself treated then. As for my broken shoulder...let’s call it an accident for now. I am sure it will heal soon."

Noah assured Ethan, and the lazy esper nodded.

Since Noah was assuring him that it was alright, he did not bother to question it any further, and he headed back to his room.

Noah let out a sigh of relief as he watched the esper leave before heading back to his own room.

"Thankfully, Ethan is an easy-going person. Had it been Alan, I don’t think it would have been so easy to get rid of him."

Noah let out another sigh of relief, but he had barely taken one step before he felt someone sneak an arm around his shoulder.

"Did you call my name? I was nearby, so I decided to visit you...what happened to your shoulder?"

Alan’s voice changed from easy-going to dark as he lightly touched Noah’s broken shoulder.

Noah had a feeling he would see a unique expression on Alan’s face if he turned around now. That was why he decided not to and instead kept facing forward the whole time.

"Ignoring me won’t make me go away, my dear guide. Now, would you like to tell me what happened, or should I start asking around?"

Alan was serious about asking around, and that made Noah immediately change his mind about trying to ignore him.

"Don’t worry about it. This was just an accident that happened during training. Anyway, what are you doing here? Can I help you with anything?"

Noah quickly tried to change the subject, but Alan’s silence told him that the esper was not ready to change the subject yet.

An awkward silence followed Noah’s explanation, and Alan let out a chuckle after a while.

"There is no need to look so tense. Accidents happen all the time, especially during training. I sometimes forget just how fragile B-class guides are, and I’m sure it must be the same for other people."

Somehow, Alan’s voice did not sound like someone who understood what Noah was saying. But Noah was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Still, if this was deliberate, you will tell me, right? I don’t want my guide to be harassed by other people."

Alan’s hand, which had been resting on Noah’s shoulder the whole time, slowly slid down until it landed on his lower back in an almost possessive grip as he stepped forward.

That small gesture somehow made Noah feel as if he were being held in a tight embrace by the esper with no way out.

"I...should head back to my room and rest. I will see you tomorrow."

Noah quickly slipped out of Alan’s grip, and the esper did not follow after him.

Somehow, that had been the most nerve-wracking meeting Noah had ever had with Alan, and he still felt shivers running down his spine even after he reached his room.

"What the hell was Alan thinking back there? Isn’t he messing with me too much?"

Noah questioned, trying to distract himself. But he was not ignorant enough to believe that Alan was only fooling around.

Somehow, Alan had developed an interest in Noah, of all people.

"This is a nightmare. I might need to call in backup to help me out. I cannot handle this situation by myself anymore."

Coincidentally, it was time to report back to the lab.

Noah had wanted to resolve his task before this and then disappear. But he had not gotten the chance to do that yet.

The clock struck 09:00 PM, and the scheduled call came through. Noah sighed as he prepared himself to hear the mocking tone from the other end.

Ring

[Hello, my dear Noah! How is your mission going? I saw your earlier reports, and somehow, you managed to break both your leg and your shoulder within a week? I cannot say whether it’s impressive or reckless. See? I told you that you were not ready to leave my embrace.]

Noah felt a shudder run down his spine as the head researcher picked up the phone. He was the last person Noah had expected to hear from.

"I am doing just fine, sir. Those reports were an exaggeration compared to what actually happened. Please don’t worry. I am not compromising the mission in any way. I will show you the results we need."

Noah promised the head researcher, but his head started to lower with every word he spoke. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard the head researcher speak once more.

The next voice that spoke was even more mysterious and bone-chilling.

[My dear guide, there is no need to be so cautious around me. As for your mission...I would actually prefer it if you failed and came back soon. That way, we can start our other experiments.]

Noah’s insides turned cold as soon as he heard the head researcher address him. And the mention of experiments made his whole body flinch.

There was no way he was going to allow himself to be subjected to that torture again.

"Sir, are you saying that you don’t care about the fate of this world—"

[What I am saying is that I don’t believe your vision showed you the whole future. Besides, why would a guide like you be able to see the future? Too much of what you’ve said does not make sense. But since you predicted some things correctly, I am still willing to invest in you.]

The head researcher was the kind of person who preferred logic above everything else, and yet he had an irrational side.

Noah had a feeling that if he ever returned to the lab, he would never be able to leave again.

So he had to do whatever he could to remain outside.

[Fine! If my dear guide does not want to come back, then I guess I have no choice but to let him stay outside. However, I still cannot help but worry about you. So I will send someone else to keep an eye on you. Franklin will be joining you soon. Make sure you get along with him.]