Chapter 58: Innocent and naive

Zephyr paused.

Of course, he had not been able to see it.

When he received no response once again, Han looked at Zephyr with slight confusion.

And then, he finally noticed the emptiness in the gray eyes of the person before him.

A disbelieving thought flashed through his mind. But... how could that be possible?

At least, that was what Han told himself.

Yet the longer he stared into those vacant gray eyes, the more the realization sank in.

He hesitated for a second before finally asking.

"Are you... by any chance blind?"

Zephyr sighed. A golden glow appeared around his hand as he healed his injured knee, while he calmly nodded toward Han.

"Hmm."

Han had already suspected it, but hearing the confirmation still left him shocked. He stared at Zephyr from head to toe.

This person did not look blind at all!

Then, another realization struck him, and his expression turned horrified. He had just brought a blind Esper with him outside the safe zone—into a place this dangerous, where monsters were running rampant!

"Then... how were you following me all this time? Tell me you have some kind of skill that lets you see, because there is no way you were keeping up with me just by luck!"

Zephyr’s brows knitted together.

The injury on his knee was already completely healed.

"I do not have such a skill. But I can sense people’s auras. Everyone has a unique aura, so keeping track of you was not difficult."

Han facepalmed, unable to believe he had made such a careless mistake. But then, his gaze suddenly fell on Zephyr’s knee, which had just been completely healed.

"You have a healing skill as well?!"

Zephyr nodded.

At this, Han felt a little complicated. This Esper already possessed such a powerful Telekinesis skill, and now he had a healing skill as well. Judging by how quickly Zephyr had healed his own injury, it was clearly no ordinary healing skill either. Most healing skills could not heal injuries this quickly.

These two skills alone were enough to tell Han that Zephyr’s status in the Association should not be ordinary. Yet, strangely, Han had never heard of a powerful blind S-Rank Esper like him... Was he a new Esper who had only recently joined the Association?

With skills this strong, he probably had a capable team assigned by the Association to look after him. That was likely how this guy had managed to survive despite being blind. But now, because Han had taken him away from the safe zone, Zephyr seemed to have ended up separated from his team.

Han glanced at Zephyr before finally extending his injured elbow toward him.

He felt a little guilty, but considering how powerful this guy was, Han did not want to send him back to the safe zone just yet.

"Help me heal as well. I took you out of the safe zone. I am sorry about that. I will keep you safe, so just stick with me for now."

Zephyr was slightly surprised.

"You are still okay with me following?"

Before Han could answer, Zephyr’s hand had already reached toward him. A golden glow, brilliant as sunlight, surged from his fingertips and enveloped Han’s entire body.

Han froze.

"Wait..."

He stared down at himself, completely dumbfounded.

He had only suffered a minor injury! There was absolutely no need to cover his entire body in so much healing power!

Was this man crazy?! Did he not fear going berserk if he exhausted his power like this?!

Yet the instant the glow surrounded him, a soothing warmth spread through his body.

He was dazed by the comfort.

His tense muscles relaxed.

Even the exhaustion he had accumulated from fighting and running today seemed to melt away.

Only after the glow disappeared did Han finally come back to his senses.

Feeling not even the slightest trace of discomfort in his body, he instinctively lifted his shirt—and immediately froze.

All the scars and old injuries covering his body were completely gone! He could even feel that the internal injuries he had never been able to get treated were gone as well!

Just how powerful was this guy’s healing skill?!

No.

It was not merely powerful.

It was on an entirely different level!

The way Han looked at Zephyr changed completely.

This guy was a valuable treasure that needed to be protected!

Han took several deep breaths, trying to calm his excitement. Once he had finally composed himself, he stood, intending to help Zephyr up. But before he could, Zephyr had already gotten to his feet on his own.

Han didn’t mind. A friendly smile curled on his lips as he fell into step beside Zephyr.

"By the way, what is your name?"

"Zephyr."

"Zephyr... What a good name."

Han grinned.

"Zephyr, we should keep moving. My teammates are waiting for assistance."

Zephyr nodded.

The two resumed running toward the school.

But this time, Han’s attitude had clearly changed.

He kept a close eye on Zephyr, instinctively adjusting his pace and making sure he did not fall behind or stumble over the rubble.

Zephyr might possess incredible strength, but that did not change one simple fact.

He was still blind.

He also seemed innocent and naive.

And in a battlefield this chaotic, even the slightest mistake could put him in danger.

After witnessing his skills, Han had already made up his mind. He was not going to let anything happen to this powerful blind guy.

More importantly, he had to leave a good impression and become friends with him!

That way, if he ever got seriously injured in the future, having an Esper with a powerful healing skill as a friend could be a lifesaver!

Running at such high speeds, the two did not stop this time. They passed through another area where several Espers were fighting a group of monsters, and Zephyr casually helped them without stopping.

Just like before, his sudden intervention scared the group of Espers more than the monsters themselves, making Han laugh despite himself. At the very same time, however, Han could not help but worry.

Zephyr was using too much mana.

And far too casually at that.

He showed no signs of conserving his mana, as though it were inexhaustible.

This guy really was strange.

Could he really be a new Esper who had only recently awakened and had not yet learned to manage his mana properly?