Chapter 153: Ch 153: Limited Time

’Darn it! I was not supposed to snap at Noah. Ugh, this is all Alan’s fault! It is because of him that I am so tired and in a crappy mood. I even mistook Noah for that bastard before.’

It was not even Alan’s fault, but Daniel felt good blaming him for everything that went wrong in his life.

Anyway, for the past few days, Daniel had almost run himself ragged doing what he needed to do.

The teachers were ruthless since they only had one pair of espers and guides to torment, and whatever time they were being left with was being used to find out more about their past and the secret ties of the academy.

Alan was far too passionate, and Daniel had to keep up as his guide.

It was not comfortable guiding Alan, but they were in the same grade, so it helped a little and eased the burden.

But by the end of the day, Daniel felt drained and was in a bad mood...which Noah fell victim to. That, in turn, made Daniel’s bad mood become worse.

’Darn it! I need to apologise to Noah and tell him that it was not his fault. I am the culprit here. I should give him some time to cool down and then tell him...’

But by the time morning came, Noah was already out of the room, and Daniel did not get a chance to apologise to him.

Well, that was fine. Daniel would get another chance soon. He was sure of it.

...

*[Dear Erin,

How are you doing with your assignment? I am delighted to tell you that we have finished the last parts of the next experiment. It will be held in a few days, and we will finally see a reawakening. Aren’t you excited?

Noah was useless until now, but he had a lot of potential, right? Once he reawakens, bring him back to the labs. Once you do, you will be given more freedom.

Oh, and the device I am sending you is a power blocker. Use it once Noah reaches the peak of his power. It will knock him out and temporarily lift all restrictions from him so that we can check his power.

Make sure it does not get contaminated with external power before that.

From

The head researcher]*

Erin clutched the letter in his hand and then the small device in his hand.

Finally, this was the key to his and Noah’s freedom. But it was a one-time-use item that could only save one of them.

And Erin already knew who was going to get out of here safely.

Despite the warning for him not to take the small device out, he took it out anyway. He observed it, and his instincts could tell him how it worked.

Erin was a beast at heart, but one that was born to wield esper powers. With it came a sharp intelligence and an instinctive understanding of how powers worked.

So far, Erin had remained in the background for this exact moment. Now that he had this device in his hand, he could modify it.

However, every power had a price to pay. He could modify this permanently, cut Noah’s control off, and give him freedom, but it would require this device to be charged beyond its limit safely.

It was usually done over time by slowly introducing power into the device. But there was no time to waste right now.

Erin gripped the device hard and poured his power into it. But when it was not enough, the device demanded another form of payment.

Usually, this was where people pulled back and went back again. But Erin had no time.

"Well, my life was always going to be short. What’s shaving a few more weeks off going to do?"

And thus, the new energy resource became Erin’s own life span.

He could feel himself being drained. He would likely have a week to live after this was all done, but it was worth every second of being drained if it meant that he would be able to help Noah.

Draining his life span hurt a lot. His body felt cold and numb, leaving behind a sensation that was hard to describe.

But it felt worth it when the device started to shine and evolve.

Soon, it broke and turned into a pill. This small thing was the result of Erin’s efforts and his very life. And now, it was going to save Noah.

"It is all working fine. Now, I just need to convince Noah that he can leave calmly. Both Alan and Daniel are playing their part well as well. I am sure Noah would agree with me."

Erin let out a soft smile before he headed out.

His body protested and told him that he needed to rest. But if he only had a few weeks left to live, then Erin did not want any regrets in his life. He wanted to spend them by Noah’s side.

Luckily, his plan was working. Daniel and Alan were spending too much time together these days, trying to chase after the truth. They were fools who were far too focused on the past to consider the future.

Not that it mattered.

In fact, it was good for Erin if those two pests fucked off and decided to leave his Noah alone.

But what Erin did not like was the lonely look on Noah’s face when he looked at the pair. There was a longing in his expression that made Erin grit his teeth. As a result, he ended up walking up to Noah and tapping him on the shoulder.

"Are you alright? Did something happen?"

He asked, and Noah looked startled by his presence. But he quickly grinned to show that he was fine and nothing had happened.

"No, I am fine. There is no need for you to be worried about me..." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He assured him, and Erin nodded to show that he understood. But in reality, he could see the fatigue building up behind Noah’s eyes. The guide was not fine.