Chapter 50: What was that power?

Stepping into the familiar room, Zephyr shut the door behind him and took a slow breath.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

He paused for a moment before turning back to open it, only to hear an unfamiliar young female voice from the other side.

She explained that Jake had sent her to return his Esper ID, Association badge, and watch, all of which had been confiscated before he was sent to the research lab.

Zephyr thanked the woman and took the paper bag she handed him. After closing the door, he walked over to the table and chair in the room, then sat down, placing the bag on the table without opening it.

His hand rested on the cool, coarse wooden surface as he closed his eyes.

The next second, a wisp of mana slipped from his body, followed by more and more.

It circled around him, creating faint ripples before rapidly spreading in every direction.

Zephyr’s brows furrowed in concentration as he focused on maintaining control.

Within a few moments, his mana had enveloped the entire Association building.

Unlike before, when his mana had run wild, causing his skill to slip beyond his control inside the training dome, Zephyr was now able to keep it firmly under control. But the moment his mana spread throughout the building, his mind was overwhelmed by the countless sensations flooding into it.

He could perceive many people sleeping, talking, and walking, while also picking up the rustling trees, shifting furniture, flowing wind, and countless other sounds, even the faint movements of tiny insects scattered throughout the entire Association building.

Yet he couldn’t make heads or tails of any of it.

Everything was jumbled together, an endless stream of chaotic noise that he couldn’t properly grasp or distinguish.

Still, when he opened his eyes again, a subtle smile flickered in his calm gaze.

"My S-rank Psychokinesis skill has improved. But I need more practice."

His fingers resting on the table tapped lightly. The next second, everything in the room began moving, at first clumsily, but soon Zephyr started to get the hang of it.

His voice softened as he spoke.

"With enough practice, I will one day be able to perceive everything around me and control anything within my range with nothing more than a mere thought."

He continued practicing for a few hours.

Only after he was tired did he brush his teeth and head to bed. Pulling the blanket over himself, he finally closed his eyes.

Fortunately, all his belongings remained untouched, exactly as he had left them, making it easy for him to settle back in.

Thinking that, Zephyr fell asleep, unaware that the sudden use of his powerful mana within the Association building had alerted many S-Rank Espers who had just returned after many days from the same powerful dungeon as Erick and were trying to relax.

Most people couldn’t sense his power.

But among the S-Rank Espers, there were those whose senses had been sharpened through countless life-and-death battles.

Their perception was far beyond ordinary Espers, allowing them to detect even the faintest disturbance in their surroundings.

And Zephyr had just released a massive amount of mana. How could they possibly have missed it completely?

Erick was the first to sense the barely perceptible yet extremely pure mana.

Lucien was guiding him in his room when Erick suddenly snapped his eyes open and jerked his head back, startling Lucien, who had been growing increasingly concerned as his guiding wavelength was drained dry.

Lucien unconsciously cursed.

But Erick ignored him and vanished.

Yet, in the end, Erick couldn’t pinpoint the source of the mana before it disappeared.

He left the Association building.

Now, floating above the building alongside several other S-Rank Espers who had been greatly startled, Erick narrowed his eyes.

"What was that power?"

One of the S-Rank Espers, who had rushed out in the middle of his bath without even putting on a shirt, foam still clinging to his hair, rubbed his arms and sighed solemnly.

"I almost thought another dungeon break had happened. Or we were under attack."

Another S-Rank Esper replied, his gaze sweeping over the Association building.

"No. If it were a dungeon or an attack, we would have sensed some hostile intent."

Another one with a burly build frowned.

"Then what was that power?"

The shirtless Esper replied.

"I have no idea at all. It appeared without warning and disappeared just as quickly. But there is one thing I can say for sure..."

He paused and looked down at the Association building.

"It came from inside the Association, not outside. Whatever caused that power we sensed could still be somewhere inside."

The group fell silent.

They exchanged solemn glances. None of them had been able to identify its source.

They attempted using their powers to investigate, but ultimately found nothing.

Erick was the one to break the silence.

"We just got back. Let’s wait and see for now. Whatever caused that power... it may be able to evade everyone else, but it won’t be able to hide from us. Let’s call it a night."

The shirtless Esper shivered.

"I was waiting for you to say that! I’m freezing. Good night."

With that, he vanished.

The others chuckled, their earlier tension finally easing. One by one, they dispersed, leaving only Erick behind. He watched them leave before slowly descending onto the silent rooftop of the Association building.

Sitting atop the large rooftop water tank, Erick stared at the moon in the night sky.

His golden eyes reflected the moonlight, quiet and distant, as if lost in memories.

Then, without warning, he reached into the space before him with a sigh and pulled out a can of beer from his space pocket. It was a special ability he had acquired from one of the countless dungeons he had cleared over the past seven years. Tasting the faint bitter taste, his lips curved upward slightly.

"Life feels a little better today. I didn’t feel exhausted pretending to be the good guy."