Chapter 6: High-Energy Alarm System
"Go… go to school!!?"
Jo Hyun seemed to panic. He grabbed the corner of my sleeve and asked:
"Hyung, what do you mean? From today on, am I not supposed to become an Esper and eliminate rifts? Why do I still have to go to school?"
My eyebrow twitched. I looked toward Jena, signaling for her to continue, while I myself walked to the window and looked up at the sky, which was gradually growing dark.
"Jo Hyun, since five years ago, a new law has been implemented. It prohibits the use of Guides and Espers who are underage."
Jena said with a smile.
I looked toward the distant crimson horizon, recalling the time when I was almost Guided to death at only sixteen years old.
After awakening inside a rift, Jae Hyo and I were immediately forced to work relentlessly under slogans like "for the sake of saving humanity" and "being a hero does not care about age."
I had even lost my first sexual experience before turning eighteen, just to save the life of an Esper who was on the brink of death.
I did not regret it, but I did not want any more children to have to endure such trauma. Whether Guide or Esper, saving the world was not something that should be placed on the shoulders of a child who had not yet matured.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I am an Esper rank S!! I want to be like Kim Jun Hyung, and I also want Hyung to be my partner!"
Jo Hyun could not understand this at all. He must have always seen the glamorous images of the Guide and Esper world promoted to civilians, and then developed fantasies about how famous he would become after awakening.
After all, he was still too young to understand the hardships of becoming a world-saving hero.
"Come back after you graduate. This world is not meant for children, Hyun."
I tried to persuade him, but Jo Hyun did not listen at all.
Jena also seemed unwilling to let this future rank S Esper develop resentment toward the headquarters. She turned to look at me with a pleading gaze.
"If Jo Hyun wants to become your partner, then take care of the boy. After all, within the headquarters, you are probably the only one with high compatibility with Jo Hyun."
"No."
I rejected her coldly. I looked at that handsome yet innocent face and could not allow myself to be lenient toward him.
"I will not become a partner with a minor, and I will only perform basic contact Guiding for him. I still hope that before coming of age, Jo Hyun will not be permitted to carry out Esper duties."
The young teenager's face flushed red, not from embarrassment, but from anger.
"Hyung! Are you looking down on me!? I am very strong! I will be your best Esper!"
Jo Hyun suddenly rushed forward and tightly grabbed my hand, squeezing so hard that it hurt a little. His overly handsome face was so close that my voice trembled slightly.
"Jo Hyun, do not get so worked up. Calm down."
"Hyung…"
I saw an inexplicable stubbornness in Jo Hyun's eyes.
Then Jo Hyun stepped back one pace. To my confusion, he raised his hand, and immediately, blood-red flames surged out from his palm, making the surrounding air seem on the verge of exploding.
"Hyung! I am really very strong. I do not need anyone's protection!"
Jo Hyun had completely lost control. I knew that at this moment, nothing would make him understand the situation.
"Director, this is absolutely not my fault."
Director Jena nodded. She sighed and walked outside, not forgetting to call back:
Jena: "Go easy on him. The kid is still in school."
I nodded.
Then I looked at the boy blazing with momentum, gently raised my hand, and cracked my knuckles.
Jo Hyun seemed not to know what he was about to face. He looked at me with a confused and uncomfortable expression.
Jo Hyun: "What are you doing, Hyung?"
"Do you know that the Guide and Esper management headquarters always has a high-energy alarm system? Any Esper who uses energy inside the headquarters without authorization will be immediately detected by the system. As long as management judges the action to be improper…"
I smiled as kindly as possible at the misbehaving child.
"Then the system will classify you as a dangerous element and impose punishment."
My hand lightly pressed on the bracelet. Using an indifferent voice, I gave an order to the system:
"Underage Esper Jo Hyun has used high-level energy without permission. Disabled."
Immediately, the flames in Jo Hyun's hand went out.
I stepped closer and patted the head of the psychologically stunned child, speaking gently to him:
"This system was established by an Esper rank SS. So unless you are an Esper rank SS, once your energy is disabled, you will just be an ordinary person here."
At most, an ordinary person with slightly stronger physical fitness.
That was exactly why Min Ha Dong did not use force to coerce me. If the system detected him abusing energy without permission, he would be disabled by me immediately as well.
"Come on, let Hyung teach you a basic lesson."
I raised my clean and soft fist with a radiant smile.
"Do not behave rudely or threaten adults, high school student Jo Hyun."
Just an underage newly awakened Esper. I did not mind letting him know that Espers were not invincible. Tone down the delusions, kid.