Chapter 110: So what?

Edwin jolted at the sudden interruption, coughing as a layer of dust filled the air.

His eyes widened in shock before his expression twisted into one of pure fury.

He roared, sputtering spittle everywhere.

"Who dares to barge in here!"

He quickly regained his composure, his initial surprise giving way to indignation. Turning toward the two researchers with him, he fixed his gaze on the Esper among them and pointed sharply at the doorway.

"Go and find out who it is! Tie him up and drag him here! How dare that guy damage the door to my room in the Association!"

Edwin had barely finished speaking when an indifferent voice echoed from the entrance to the room, where the door had just been kicked open.

"What is going on here?"

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Edwin could not immediately place it.

Where had he heard it before?

Just as Edwin wondered this, a tall figure stepped through the drifting dust, entering the room with an air of coldness that made the already tense atmosphere even more oppressive.

The moment Lucien caught sight of the figure, his eyes lit up. The relief that surged through him was so overwhelming that he momentarily forgot everything else.

"Zephyr! I’m here!"

He struggled against his restraints, desperately trying to free himself. Yet, despite his frantic movements, the panic that had been gnawing at him only moments ago had already begun to melt away.

For some reason, Lucien couldn’t help but feel that as long as Zephyr was around, he would be safe, no matter what happened.

Unlike Lucien, however, Edwin was thoroughly startled by the unexpected appearance of the Esper he recognized.

He had heard about Zephyr’s terrifying strength, how he had slaughtered a horde of monsters before taking down several S-rank monsters alongside Erick. Reports from the many Espers and Guides who had witnessed all this firsthand had long spread throughout the Association. It was precisely because of these reports that the Awakened Association had explicitly warned Edwin not to lay a hand on Zephyr.

But Zephyr had just barged into his private room and destroyed his door without so much as knocking. Besides, Edwin had received permission from the Association to do whatever he wanted with Lucien. As far as he was concerned, he was the one who had been wronged here!

Although unease stirred in his heart, Edwin quickly drew upon the confidence that came with his position as a valuable researcher for the Association and the government. He pointed an accusing finger at Zephyr, trying to make himself appear more imposing than he felt.

"You! How dare you barge in here like that! Have you lost your mind? Leave immediately, or I will report you to the Association and have you punished!"

As Edwin spoke, his gaze shifted ever so slightly toward the Esper among the two middle-aged researchers. Without saying a word, he gave the man a subtle signal.

Attack him.

No matter how exaggerated the reports of Zephyr’s strength might have been, Edwin found it hard to believe that he could walk away unscathed from a surprise attack by an S-rank Esper. Surely, there had to be a limit to his power. After all, Zephyr had originally only tested as a B-rank Esper!

That was what Edwin thought.

Unfortunately, he was about to discover just how terribly mistaken he was.

The middle-aged Esper immediately understood the signal. Without warning, he lunged at Zephyr, intending to catch him off guard.

But before he could even complete his attack, Zephyr reached out and seized him by the neck.

Everything happened so quickly that neither Edwin nor the other researcher had time to react.

They could only watch in horror as Zephyr’s fingers closed around the Esper’s throat, stopping his attack as effortlessly as one might stop a child from running past.

Both Edwin and the remaining researcher went pale.

Zephyr, however, paid them no attention. His eyes had settled on the figure struggling in his grasp. When his gaze shifted toward Lucien, he noticed something familiar. A dark mass, seemingly woven from many thick, tangled threads, stood beside Lucien’s struggling figure.

Zephyr recognized it immediately.

It was the man who had once treated him as nothing more than a test subject. The very same old man he had wanted to kill back then, only to stop himself because Lucien had appeared and saved him.

For a moment, Zephyr simply stared at the short, elderly man he couldn’t see. Yet his presence was so disgusting. Under that icy gaze, Edwin instinctively staggered backward, his earlier confidence crumbling.

Then Zephyr spoke.

"It’s you."

His gray eyes narrowed dangerously.

The next instant, he flung the struggling Esper he was holding toward the right side of the room.

A deafening crash rang out as the man’s body smashed into the machines and equipment lining the wall, reducing them to a heap of shattered components. The force of the impact drove him straight into the wall, leaving a web of cracks in its surface. He slid down with a strangled cough, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to remain conscious.

Zephyr was already moving.

He crossed the room so quickly that the others could barely make out his blurred silhouette before he appeared directly in front of Edwin.

Onicus, who had hurried in after him, immediately realized something was wrong. The little dragon’s expression changed as it spotted Lucien bound to the bed, struggling against the restraints.

"Your partner is in bad shape! These people were trying to hurt him!"

Zephyr’s condition was far from normal. The moment he had sensed Lucien earlier, he had known something was wrong. He could tell that Lucien was struggling against something. After discovering that the old man who had once treated him as a test subject was behind it, he knew his suspicions had been correct. Now, with Onicus confirming that these people had intended to harm Lucien, whatever remained of Zephyr’s restraint was rapidly slipping away.

Before he could even think about what he was doing, his hand shot out and closed around Edwin’s neck. He lifted the man off the ground as though he weighed nothing.

Edwin’s feet dangled helplessly in the air. His legs, which had already begun trembling under Zephyr’s gaze, kicked uselessly as he struggled to escape.

The last researcher, who had been standing beside Edwin just moments ago, took one look at the scene and promptly fainted.

Edwin, meanwhile, clawed desperately at the hand constricting his throat. His face flushed as the pressure increased, and the veins in his eyes began to stand out.

"L-Let me go!"

He choked out.

"I’m important to the Association!"

He struggled to draw a breath, but Zephyr’s grip showed no sign of loosening.

"You w-won’t get away with this!"

Edwin rasped, his voice growing weaker.

"If you hurt me, you’ll regret it!"

Zephyr tilted his head slightly.

His expression remained indifferent.

"So what?"