Chapter 227: Ch 227: Research Work - Part 1

Hearing that his assignment was with the research team filled Noah with all sorts of dread. He did not want to move, and his feet refused to budge at first.

But once he saw the concerned looks he was getting from the association espers, he decided to start moving.

Still, his legs felt sluggish, and moving felt difficult.

Seeing this, the association esper’s leader decided to offer a helping hand.

"Would you like me to pick you up and carry you to your destination? You should also get your injury looked at if it is troubling you. Sometimes you get injured and you don’t even realise how serious it is until it’s too late."

The esper was clearly concerned for Noah, and while that was sweet, there was no injury he was currently suffering from.

What Noah was going through was psychological in nature, and no one could help him.

Still, the offer was rather sweet, and it made him smile at the association esper.

"Thank you for your help. But I am not injured. Besides, I think I am nervous, and that’s why I am feeling stiff. Moving around would help me a lot."

He assured the esper, who still looked as though he would rather not have Noah move around. But he relented in the end and allowed Noah to do whatever he wanted.

They reached the research team’s section, and Noah remained tense.

He was not sure if this research team was connected to the labs or if it was an independent party. But he did not feel like helping them.

And yet, this was the job he had been assigned to.

He arrived at the section and knocked on the door, which opened within seconds, revealing that the inside of the lab was a mess.

The researchers were moving around as if they had lost their minds, and they continued to try to salvage the situation.

But with how dirty the place was, it felt impossible to manage, and it caused the researchers to panic.

Finally, someone noticed him amidst the chaos and called out to him.

"What are you doing here? Don’t you know that entry is prohibited...?"

Once attention had been drawn to him, everyone else turned to look at him as well. They all had the same question in their eyes.

Noah took a deep breath and introduced himself.

"I am Noah, a new B-class guide. I was assigned here for my first mission with the association."

The researchers paused and looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"You... were assigned here? Are you sure this is not a prank? No one gets assigned to these labs because of the sensitive data they contain."

One of the scientists spoke softly, but the accusation was clear in his voice. He was trying to ask what Noah was playing at.

However, Noah was not playing at anything. He truly was here because of an assignment, and the association esper decided to confirm his words.

"Unfortunately, Guide Noah is right. He was truly assigned here. You can check the assignment page if you don’t believe him."

When the association esper backed Noah up, the researchers had no choice but to check the information panel.

’Sigh.’

"I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you are having, but there is no way we have called for help—"

The researcher started to speak, only to pause when he looked at the screen. Right there on the screen was the assignment data, and it had Noah’s name on it.

Looking at the screen made the research team scream silently, and they looked at Noah with expressions of disbelief and regret.

"Well, since the evidence is clear, we cannot exactly throw you out. But we cannot allow you near sensitive data either. So, for now, just stay where you are and don’t move."

Those were the instructions Noah received, and they suited him just fine. He had no desire to participate in any experiments either.

So he decided to watch from the sidelines as the researchers worked.

The association esper decided to stick around for some time, but then he was called for a mission as well, and he had to leave.

"I will come back if my mission ends early. Otherwise, find someone around the esper hall to take you to Alan or Daniel’s room. Don’t travel alone, even if you have their access ID, alright?"

The esper leader was likely saying this for Noah’s own safety, but Noah could not help feeling like a kid being scolded by his mother, which made him chuckle.

After the esper leader left, Noah was once again left alone with the researchers, who seemed to have finally accepted that he was not going to disappear just because they wished he would.

However, instead of returning to their work immediately, they continued to steal glances at him, as though they were afraid he might suddenly decide to wander around and start touching things he was not supposed to.

Noah found their behaviour rather amusing, but he had no intention of making trouble for himself on his first day, especially when he had already attracted enough attention by being assigned to this place.

He found an empty chair in the corner and sat down, keeping himself as far away from the researchers and their equipment as possible.

If they wanted him to remain still and do nothing, then he was perfectly happy to oblige, since it gave him more time to observe his surroundings without anyone suspecting that he was paying attention.

However, the longer he stayed there, the more uncomfortable he became.

Although the researchers were clearly working on something important, their equipment looked unfamiliar, and the data displayed on their screens seemed to involve more than ordinary esper research.

Noah could not make out the details from where he was sitting, but the few terms he managed to glimpse were enough to make his expression turn serious.

’What exactly are you people researching here?’

He had promised himself that he would not get involved in anything suspicious until he understood the situation better, but that did not mean he could ignore the warning signs right in front of him.

Just as Noah was considering whether he could get a closer look without attracting attention, one of the researchers suddenly turned towards him.

"Guide Noah, since you are here, could you help us with something?"

Noah looked up at him, his expression remaining calm even as his heart sank.

’I knew this was too good to last.’