Chapter 174: Ch 174: Fire and Smoke - Part 5

The benefit of having a clingy bird was the fact that Noah did not have to be alone. He could take the small bird everywhere he could, and it was also easier to hide it.

Moreover, the bird had esper abilities that allowed Noah to help him out in a way he had not been able to help anyone before. And it helped him feel better a lot, at least mentally.

It was safe to say that Bluey was the reason he was able to hold on after he had been left alone in the Labs. And seeing the small creature trying its best also made Noah feel like he could get through his troubles.

He finally began to feel stable after a month of having Bluey when the head researcher visited again.

The man looked just as dangerous and unnerving as always as he walked into Noah’s empty room. His eyes moved all over the place before they landed on Noah and Bluey.

Noah’s first instinct was to hide Bluey behind him so that the head researcher would not be able to see him. But it was already too late.

The head researcher’s gaze looked like it could pierce through Noah’s mind and see his inner thoughts. Hiding from him was a futile attempt. But his presence not only agitated Noah, it also put Bluey on edge.

The small blue body tensed, and it looked at the head researcher with so much anger and contempt that even Noah felt surprised by it. But he quickly grabbed that small body before it could do anything drastic.

The head researcher chuckled after seeing this struggle and reached out to pat Noah’s head.

That action made him flinch, and Noah closed his eyes, anticipating something different to happen. But he relaxed once he realised that it was only his head that was being patted and nothing else.

"What are you doing? Are you teaching your pet how to take care of itself? It is good. It should know what its place is and what it needs to do for you."

The head researcher sounded happy but commanding at the same time. It made Noah hesitate to look up at him, so he kept his head turned down.

Not that it seemed to matter much to the head researcher, who simply walked past Noah and sat down in the cell. His sharp eyes seemed to be observing the cell.

Noah felt his hands tighten into a fist, and he hesitated to look up. But he wanted to know what the head researcher was here for.

"Sir, what do you want from me?"

He finally voiced his question, but his insides felt cold when those sharp eyes turned to look at him.

"What do I want from you? It’s simple. You are my lovely experiment, so I want you to produce results. However, you are not currently doing as I want you to. So imagine my disappointment. I don’t know what I am supposed to do with you."

It was a threat. Noah could hear it in the Head Researcher’s voice. If he did not comply, then something bad was going to happen.

And the person it would likely happen to was Bluey.

So he took a deep breath and plastered a happy and cheerful smile on his face before replying.

"Of course, sir! I am doing my best to produce the results that you want. Please give me as much as you can, and I will carry your expectations."

Noah promised, and the terrifying smile widened even more. Just looking at it made Noah’s heart skip a beat in fear, to the point where he could not even look up anymore.

"I see. That’s good to hear. Then, shall we begin the next experiment? You can leave Bluey behind."

And for the next few years, Noah was back in the cycle of constant experiments. But he had to endure...

He did not know why, but he knew he had to keep on living. He had a mission he had to see through.

’Those kids... they need to be happy. I need to see them getting together and then... one day... maybe I can be free as well...’

...

Time passed like that, and finally, Noah reached the age where his visions began. It was also the time when this world would fall under danger.

He had not told anyone anything, but the head researcher seemed to know everything.

They had never openly talked about it, and he did not intend to either. Moreover, he was not sure if the head researcher wanted him to head out to the academy or not.

But just when he decided to head there and beg, the head researcher called for him.

Noah felt suspicious but decided that it was his best chance to get his voice heard. So he decided to make this visit.

"Ah, Noah! Please come and take your seat. I believe we have a lot we need to discuss here."

The head researcher patted the seat in front of him, and Noah took that seat with a suspicious look in his eyes.

He was not sure what the head researcher wanted, but he knew that it could not be anything good. This man was trouble, after all.

"Noah, I am aware that we had our issues, but I believe it is time I allow you a little bit of exposure to the outside world. You will need it in order to grow stronger."

The head researcher’s smile looked sinister, and it made anything he said feel like a trap.

And yet, Noah could not help but feel intrigued.

"Sir, what does that mean?"

He asked cautiously, causing the terrifying man to let out a small laugh.

"Well, what I mean is rather simple. All I want you to do is head to the academy and learn as much as you can there. And once you come back to the Labs, use this knowledge to grow. Of course, that bird of yours needs to stay behind. We cannot have a monster roaming around without permission."