Chapter 216: Ch 216: Found Out? - Part 1

Even if all this was a misunderstanding on Noah’s part, he still needed to move forward and take accountability for what had happened.

For now, Noah decided that he should return first and think about what he had just heard later.

There was no point in standing around in the forest while his body was still hurting and his mind was in complete disarray, especially when he could barely make sense of what the head researcher had told him.

Besides, he still needed to figure out what had happened to Daniel and the others.

When Noah finally made his way back, he found Daniel, Alan and Ethan walking towards him, and all three of them seemed rather concerned to see him awake.

Their expressions grew even more worried when they noticed how pale he looked, and Daniel immediately approached him to check whether he had sustained any serious injuries.

"Noah, are you sure you are alright? You look terrible."

"I am fine. I just need some rest, that is all. The early-morning walk tired me out."

Noah tried to smile reassuringly, but he could tell from their expressions that none of them believed him.

Fortunately, none of them pressed him for an answer, and Noah was grateful for that because he really did not know what he would say if they asked him about the head researcher.

He needed time to think, and he certainly did not want to make any hasty decisions based on what might have been another manipulation.

After they returned home, Daniel and Ethan began taking care of the housework while Alan sorted through the things they had brought back with them.

Noah initially intended to help, but Daniel insisted that he should go to his room and rest instead, reminding him that he had barely recovered from whatever had happened to him.

Noah did not argue and obediently went back to his room, where he lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Unfortunately, resting turned out to be much harder than he had expected.

His mind kept returning to the head researcher’s words, and the more he thought about them, the more unsettled he became.

Eventually, Noah gave up on trying to sleep and decided to join the others instead, figuring that doing something ordinary might help him clear his head.

He had barely started helping Ethan arrange the things in the kitchen when a knock sounded at the front door.

Noah instinctively turned towards the entrance and began walking over to answer it, but Alan suddenly reached out and stopped him.

"I will handle it."

Noah looked at him in surprise, but Alan only gave him a reassuring smile before turning towards Daniel.

"Take Noah back to his room for now, will you? He needs to rest, and there is no reason for him to get involved in this."

Daniel immediately nodded, seemingly agreeing with Alan’s decision, while Noah stood there with a puzzled expression.

He had no idea who was waiting outside, but judging from Alan’s reaction, it seemed that the visitor was someone they had not been expecting.

Noah did not argue when Daniel wrapped his arms around him and gently pulled him upstairs. He heard loud noises, but he tried his hardest not to concentrate on them and instead focus on Daniel.

"Do you want to play a game while Ethan and Alan are busy?"

The other guide asked, but his expression looked tense. He also had sweat running down his face, which made Noah feel concerned.

Was Daniel... truly fine? Or was he pretending to be fine so that he would not worry Noah?

"Daniel, your face looks pale. And you are sweating as well. Let me check your temperature... You are burning up. You need a doctor, and fast."

Noah felt concerned for Daniel, who was panting and looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

Since getting a doctor was impossible right now, he at least wanted to give Daniel some first aid and medicine.

But Daniel stopped him by grabbing his arm and shaking his head.

"There is no need for a doctor. I am fine. I just need a few seconds to recover... that is all..."

He assured Noah as he tried his hardest to breathe normally. But no matter what he did, his body felt like it was on fire.

Noah hissed as he touched Daniel’s burning forehead and decided that it was not worth listening to Daniel right now.

"You might not think you need a doctor right now, but your body says otherwise. I will go and get you some medicine at least—"

Noah headed towards the door and opened it, only to see an unfamiliar face in front of him.

The esper who had snuck up here looked startled as well, but Noah recovered before he did.

"Excuse me, but can I—"

He started to speak, only for Noah to jab him in the stomach before throwing him over his shoulder.

The man hit the ground hard, and Noah grabbed Daniel’s hand to pull him away.

"We should run right now. I don’t know who these people are or how they snuck in here, but it is not safe."

Noah pointed this out as he ran, with Daniel right behind him.

The esper he had just knocked down stood up quickly and looked at him.

"Sir, wait! Esper Daniel, I need to talk to you—"

He spoke confidently, but it was too late. Both Noah and Daniel were already long gone from his line of sight...

But that was just the beginning of this nightmare. Noah could sense a lot of presences in and around his house. They were surrounded, and who knew what Alan and Ethan were doing?

He needed to find them first and then check what was happening. But the second he made that decision, Daniel stopped him.

"Don’t do anything foolish and get yourself hurt, Noah. If you want to resolve this, then I should go. But it would be for the best if you remain hidden."