Psychic Overlord

Speaking of the Six Paths of the Mind, Kaizer had discussed something similar with the Dean last time he visited his mentor. He also shared his speculation that he did not feel limited to only three paths and had a slight affinity with the other three.

The Dean suggested that he continue to accumulate power and that rather than an issue with skill, it was an issue with foundation. His base psychic power was already stretched thin with telepathy, telekinesis, and telesthesia, so trying to add on more was not possible.

This inevitably meant that he would have to take down more people, and to that end, the Dean signed Kaizer up for another mission.

Dean Rochester placed a document on the desk, sliding it toward Kaizer with a gentle shift. The thick folder carried the scent of fresh ink and classified urgency, its pages filled with geopolitics, tactical briefings, and a contract with the Esper Commission.

Kaizer glanced at the cover, which bore the name Operation Iron Crescent.

His placid blue eyes flickered with interest, and he reached out with his mind, flipping it open with telekinesis. The pages fluttered in rapid succession, stopping abruptly as he skimmed the key details.

For the first time today, his expression shifted subtly... one that was pensive.

"A battlefield contract? The United Federation wants espers in the Middle East?" Kaizer inquired with a frown, tapping his fingers on the table.

Dean Rochester nodded, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "The war in the region has escalated far beyond conventional means. Multiple factions, state-sponsored and independent, have started fielding espers of their own. The Federation’s military is powerful, but it’s still human. They need countermeasures."

Kaizer absorbed the information. He knew from the news that the Middle East had been in turmoil for decades, long before he was born, but by 2042, the conflict had taken a different turn.

According to the document, some governments had begun secretly employing espers under the guise of rogue mercenaries, private contractors, even radicalized individuals with devastating abilities.

"The United Federation has hired through the Esper Commission before, but this time, they requested high-caliber individuals, those of B-Class and higher. They need operatives capable of working solo or in small teams, adaptable to unstable environments." The Dean continued, removing his tea seat from his desk.

Kaizer’s gaze sharpened. B-Class and higher, huh? That meant he wouldn’t be the only powerful esper in the warzone.

He closed the file for a moment, thinking. "What’s the mission objective?"

Dean Rochester exhaled softly as he put the kettle on to boil. "Simple on paper, complex in execution. You’ll be deployed to assist Federation forces in retaking a strategic city currently occupied by a coalition of insurgents, foreign mercenaries, and esper combatants. Your role is twofold: to firstly provide tactical support and secondly eliminate high-priority esper threats."

Kaizer’s mind calculated quickly. "Kill the competition, grow stronger."

The Dean smirked with satisfaction that his student got on quickly. "Essentially, but don’t be reckless. You’re not a nameless grunt in this affair, you’re a contracted mercenary, so your actions have political consequences."

Dean Rochester shook his head. "On top of that, you are an S-class esper who is also my student, someone everyone knows is being trained to hold the title of strongest. Your every move is being watched by many factions, so expect interference."

Kaizer nodded, already considering the implications. Unlike his previous mission, which involved hunting fugitives, this was large-scale warfare, a true battlefield. The chaos would provide plenty of opportunities to grow his base psychic power through killing and also introduce him to the grey area where espers and non-espers mixed to control the world.

Thinking like this, his telekinetic grip tightened on the file subconsciously. "When and how is the deployment?"

The Dean casually poured his hot tea into the cup, added cream and sugar, then stirred. "Three days. You’ll be inserted via air drop into the outskirts of Al-Rafid, a heavily contested city near the Persian Gulf. Intelligence suggests at least three A-Class espers among the enemy forces, along with several B-classes and an unknown number of unranked combatants."

Kaizer shook his head. "They will all be no match for me."

The Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "That’s true, my student, but there is no place for arrogance in war, Kaizer. Expect the unexpected. The moment you land, you’ll be on your own."

Kaizer stood, tucking the file under his arm. "Understood. I’ll make the necessary preparations then."

..........

Returning to the villa, Kaizer came across Rina, who was sitting in the downstairs living room, watching an anime series about a necromancer who got teleported to a fantasy world with his guild base and was forced by his subordinates, through misunderstandings, to take over the world.

She was sprawled all over the couch in sleepwear, a lot of her skin visible as she chewed on a bunch of potato chips, chocolates, and popcorn mindlessly.

For that matter, Rina, just like Kaizer, had grown extremely toned after weeks of physical training along with her esper training with Madam Sylvia. Her formerly soft and flabby arms were lined with the edges of muscles, enough to highlight her physical fitness while remaining suitably feminine.

Her thighs, which were her most noticeable feature due to their thickness relative to her body size, had become even more compact and shapely, causing her backside to become more enhanced as a consequence.

"Rina, I’ll be heading out on another mission in three days, and I won’t be back for about a week," Kaizer informed her casually, quickly taking his eyes off before he became tempted to indulge himself.

Rina hurriedly switched off her show and rose up, causing her loose upper wear to bounce along with her chest muscles, clearly highlighting the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything to secure them. She then vaulted over the couch in an agile manner and came to stand before Kaizer.

"Where are you going? Can I come with you this time?" She asked with hope in her eyes.

Looking at her, who was looking up to him with sparkling eyes, her lips covered with potato crumbs, Kaizer was slightly amused. He lifted a finger and wiped her face gently, inwardly remarking at how soft her skin was.

Rina did not react and let Kaizer do what he wanted, only maintaining eye contact that seemed to convey the complete acceptance of anything that came her way from him.

This made Kaizer’s fingers pause as he glanced at Rina’s beautiful face, which had been continually occupying his thoughts recently, especially after they reconciled their issues.

Knowing that she could be all his at any time was like a devil’s whisper in his ears. His initial resistance was based on the fact that he was worried that after crossing that barrier, something might occur to dull their affections, and he did not want to do that to Rina.

But after these few weeks living together, especially after encountering countless beauties in the school, like the other S-class espers, his two A-class esper servants, Martha and Julia, and finally Madam Sylvia, he recognized the attraction of these women but was not really inclined toward it.

Yet Rina was like a drug he was actively trying to resist, so Kaizer understood in some part of him that his affection for Rina was the real deal.

And yet, there was still some hidden resistance within him towards the idea, and the reason was one he couldn’t even fathom. For all intents and purposes, he was practically overtly fine with it, but it was as if some voice within was whispering to halt.

Like now, Kaizer wanted to embrace Rina and indulge in her, but he eventually took his hand from her face and turned away with a calm look.

"I am going to the Middle East to participate in an active war zone. Your abilities would be extremely useful to me, so I’ll tell the Dean so that Madam Sylvia can collaborate."

Rina was initially slightly disappointed to see Kaizer hold back once more but was pleasantly surprised to hear him agree to her coming.

"Really?" Rina verified with skepticism.

"Of course. You are an S+ class esper with a power that even I cannot easily beat, so how can anyone else match up against you? You can literally bring back the dead on top, so there is no one more suited to the battlefield than you. All the deaths will feed you limitless death energy, allowing you to be unstoppable." Kaizer remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know that, but... aren’t you gonna be worried that an accident might happen?" Rina couldn’t put her words down in a way she liked, so she said this.

Kaizer raised an eyebrow. "You know how much I hate those protagonists who try to lock up their loved ones to forcibly keep them safe only for it to backfire. Besides, you’ve died before and literally raised yourself back up. If anyone is likely to fall, it’s me more than you."

Rina was silent for a bit in surprise, then chuckled. "You really are the best, Kaizer."