My spirit animal is a F–Rank gecko-Chapter 8: Drama on a train (5)

Thud... Thud... Thud...

The loud footsteps of Jaster and Annie echoed throughout the train.

Annie looked fierce, her green eyes burning with fire, ready to face the two people.

Jaster, on the other hand... well, let’s just say he wished he had taken another train.

"Annie, are you sure we have to make a scene? Can’t we just report this to the police?!"

Jaster tried to wiggle Annie’s shoulder, but she remained unfazed.

"No! I know the Nightroot Clan. These people are slick as snakes! The police won’t be able to handle the whole clan. But since they only have one member on this train, we’ll corner him in this tight space and capture him!"

Annie was grabbing Jaster’s hands while they walked. She gripped them so tightly that it made him squeal.

Jaster had to agree with what Annie said.

He had no problem helping her with this, but there was one problem.

Jaster was scared that if he provoked something early in the game, it could change the game’s direction and make it difficult for him to predict what came next.

Confronting the Nightroot Clan should have been after Act 2! Getting involved with the clan this early could change the timeline!

"What are your plans exactly?" Jaster asked Annie.

Annie looked at him and smirked.

"I’m going to provoke Hanjon, and if he gets mad enough, he’ll potentially use his active skills in a public space, which is not allowed!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Article 12 of the Spirit Animal Code: Instinct Control. If a citizen loses their temper and activates combat abilities in a public den, it’s a Class-A offense. That’s what I learned from the book!"

Jaster had no idea what Annie was talking about. He was just exhausted from running so long.

"What about the other passengers? If you both fight, they’ll get hurt too!"

What Jaster said made Annie stop walking.

Annie was quiet at first, which worried Jaster. He poked her back, then—

"HAHAHAHAHA, Jaster!"

Annie laughed hysterically. Tears even dripped from her eyes as she kept laughing.

"Do you seriously think that we’ll fight?" She flicked Jaster’s forehead.

"Ouch!"

"I doubt we’ll actually be fighting. Let’s be real here." She patted Jaster’s shoulder and turned forward again, wanting to continue hunting the two people.

When Annie pulled on Jaster’s hands, he resisted her, even pulling her back.

"What? What’s wrong with you?" Annie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Hah... I should be asking YOU! What’s wrong with you?!" Jaster pointed at Annie, but she was completely dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you out of your mind?! You can’t just joke around about fighting like that! I’m literally risking my life for you—"

That last word slipped out of Jaster mouth. He didn’t mean to say that.

Annie tilted her head. "What do you mean by risking your life—"

Thud... Thud... Thud...

Jaster and Annie heard loud footsteps coming toward them. They looked behind and saw Amanda walking toward them.

"Amanda?" Annie asked, curious why she was here.

"I was just looking for you! Where were you?"

Instead of answering, Amanda walked toward them, her arms crossed.

"Annie, what are you doing, causing a commotion on the train? Also..." Her eyes shifted toward Jaster.

"What are you doing with him?"

Annie stood in front of Jaster, her eyes blazing. Then Annie smirked.

"How much did they pay you?"

Hearing those words made Amanda’s eyes widened.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she looked around. Many passengers were watching the commotion.

Amanda’s whole body began sweating. She rubbed her forehead and looked at Annie with a fake, confident smile.

"So what? How did you even find out? It must’ve been the help of that guy, wasn’t it?"

Amanda pointed at Jaster.

"CHAA!!" Purple hissed at Amanda.

"It’s okay, Purple." Jaster hid Purple in his pocket.

"He has nothing to do with this! I’ll give you two options. First, you give up and surrender to the police. Tell them everything the Nightroot Clan told you to do."

Amanda scoffed.

"And why would I do that?" she replied cockily.

Both girls stared at each other. Annie stood her ground while Amanda tried her best to hide her shaking.

Annie opened her mouth and said:

"Under Starastan Penal Law, Article 44: Aiding Hostile Factions. Anyone who engages with or assists a terrorist group is branded with a permanent criminal record."

Amanda’s fake smile slowly faded.

Every watcher, including Jaster, gasped.

Many passengers began whispering.

"Nice one, kid."

"I have no idea what’s happening, but I’m up for it!"

"Is that two kids from Bondspire?!"

Jaster tried to hide his face with his jacket.

Dang it! If someone records this and it spreads around Bondspire, people will see my face and my plan of staying unknown in the academy will be ruined!

He tried to use Annie as a cover.

"Now what will you do, Amanda?!" Annie extended her hands toward Amanda.

Amanda looked around and saw many passengers recording everything.

She sighed.

She walked toward Annie. For a second, Annie smiled, thinking Amanda had changed her mind.

Until—

SLAP

Instead of shaking hands, Amanda slapped Annie across the cheek.

Annie’s cheek turned red. She was in awe.

Everyone stopped whispering. They were as shocked as Jaster.

"Krrk?" Jaster immediately covered Purpleberry’s mouth.

He whispered, "Now’s not the time!"

"Wh—why..." Annie touched her bruised cheek.

Amanda let out a mocking scoff.

"I honestly don’t care if I go to jail or can’t get any jobs anymore. Besides..." Amanda’s eyes looked upward.

She began salivating as she touched her head.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THEY GAVE ME~~~~"

Amanda’s eyes were now full of greed. All she could see was money and fortune. She imagined herself swimming in a pool full of Bosan.

"Haha! What a splendid performance!"

A clap and loud footsteps echoed behind them.

Everyone turned around.

They saw Hanjon. But instead of wearing worn-out clothes, he now wore a fancy gray shirt with a long coat reaching his feet.

He also wore a black top hat that covered half of his eyes.

"Hanjon! What are you doing here? Go back!" Even Amanda herself was shocked.

"Why cower in fear like prey when you could be the predator?" Hanjon flicked his finger.

[ Skills Activated ]

Electrical Obstruct — Lv. 2

"What... why doesn’t my phone work?" a passenger complained.

"Mine too!"

"So does mine!"

The section filled with complaints as phones stopped working.

Jaster checked his phone. It wouldn’t turn on either.

He scoffed.

"I knew it! You’re the one who blocked the security cameras!" He pointed at Hanjon.

"Ha... ha... HAHAHAHA!!!" Hanjon laughed maniacally, making Jaster shiver.

"What’s wrong with this dude?" Annie rubbed her cheek, keeping her stance.

"HANJON! You can’t just expose yourself like that!" Amanda screamed.

"Oh, please." He flicked her forehead.

"You don’t know how WE, the Nightroot Clan, do it!"

"Hah! Don’t you guys perform your crimes at night? Isn’t that your motto?" Jaster mocked casually.

Hanjon looked around, then sighed.

"Yeah, you’re right! But I’m in charge of this mission. So I can do ANYTHING I WANT!"

This guy is bluffing. The Nightroot Clan is run by an ironfist ruler nicknamed Joker. I remember him specifically from the game.

"Oh, really?" Janster rubbed his chin.

"What would the laughable Joker think when he sees you not following his orders?"

Hanjon’s smug face shattered. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

He shook his head, trying to regain control.

"How do you know him?!"

"Wait... Joker isn’t known yet in Starastan?"

"I said... how do you know him?!"

[ Skills Activated ]

Mud Tentacle — Lv. 10

A slimy brown tentacle burst from Hanjon’s back.

A passenger shouted,

"LOOK! THAT GUY IS USING HIS SKILLS—"

The tentacle struck his face, covering his head in mud and knocking him unconscious.

After that, all hell broke loose.

"EVERYONE RUN!"

Passengers scattered, but the tentacle was faster.

One by one, each passenger was knocked out until the floor was filled with unconscious bodies.

Only Amanda, Annie, and Jaster remained as Hanjon walked toward Jaster.

"I’LL ask YOU again... How do you know Joker?"

Jaster was shaking. Purple peeked out of his pocket.

He was now a prey, face-to-face with a predator.