NOVEL WEB Chapter 52: Tonight's Plan
Panicking or getting anxious in a situation such as this was not going to do him any good. Also, it wasn't like him.
Jethro had been confronted like this many times before. Although back then, in his former world, he was always confident in his ability to fight back if things went sideways. Now, aches and bruises reminded him he was the weakest here; a brawl was the last thing he needed.
Avoiding physical altercations was the only real move.
Kaden's advice rang in his ears as he came to this conclusion.
"We asked a question, lizard face!" the crony taunted, edging closer, his posture almost begging for a fight. "Show us what's behind you!"
"Hold it, Nov." Eryn Fenlor extended his hand, blocking his crony from advancing to Jethro. His eyes stayed locked with Jethro's, this time more assessing than its usual anger or mockery. Then he calmly approached Jethro, and rather than the lunge of fist he expected, Jethro saw that Eryn had offered his hand for a shake.
"We haven't been properly introduced," Eryn said, his lips curling into a princely, almost civil smile. "I'm Eryn Fenlor, Prince of higher Sector Two. A Dual Bond Tamer, currently Class D." He paused before continuing. "And you are?"
Jethro glanced down at his waiting palm, shooting him an untrusting brow raise. "I'm Jethro Merrick," he said flatly, making no move to accept the handshake.
Eryn let his hand drop with a smirk.
"When will you learn to start respecting the nobles around here, Jethro?" Dash asked him, silent frustration on his face. Dune, his cheetah, was curled around his leg.
"He punched Nyro Vexx," Eryn said with a scoff. "Surely a person who would do such a thing has clearly missed the lecture on respect for those above him."
"I have an idea," Nov said, luring closer. "Why don't we beat it into him?" He pounded a fist into his open palm, eyes glinting.
"Calm your nerves, Nov," Eryn said with a pragmatic smile. "I've got this all under control." He peered deeply at Jethro. "Why don't you just show us what it is you have behind you, Jethro?"
Jethro's eyes moved from the restless Nov who was just itching for a fight, to Eryn, who stood with one arm extended, palm open in wait.
This situation was stickier than he expected. He couldn't hold back for long because they could force it out of him. Running wasn't an option either; they were faster, and he'd get a beating once they caught him.
Even worse, he'd still be labelled as a thief.
This became one of those moments where none of Jethro's wit or quick thinking could get him out of trouble. It was one of those situations where he really needed dumb luck.
Eryn closed the space between them so tightly Jethro could smell what he ate for lunch. "Don't make us take it from you by force."
"Well, well. Is there a party going on here that I wasn't invited to?" A voice sliced clean through the tension.
They all turned. Jethro's luck had arrived, except it was dressed in a red coat and had red hair. "Princess Jessamine," the three muttered almost in unison.
Jessamine sauntered into the circle, radiating the kind of unbothered confidence that instantly seized control. She sized Jethro up, assessing him like fresh meat before turning her attention to Eryn. "Three against one. That doesn't seem fair, Prince Eryn. Hardly noble."
Eryn snapped out of his trance before responding, "It's not like it would make any difference if it was one-on-one."
"How about two against three, then?" she said, her eyes sparkling with intrigue that showed she really meant it. "Jethro and I against the three of you. What do you think about that, Eryn?"
For a fleeting moment, the prince paused, eyes flickering between Jessamine and Jethro. He held her gaze before backing down, voice clipped. "Forget it. We've wasted enough time. We're going."
Jessamine pursed her lips nonchalantly. "Tell that to your legs so you can move along quicker."
As Jethro watched, the three of them turned and left. Eryn's final gaze promised him future troubles, while Dash's promised him troubles for that night once he returns to the dorm.
Jessamine turned to him, smiling at his impassive face. He quickly sunk the Portal Box into his pocket before she could see.
"You can thank me by walking down this hallway with me," Jessamine said.
Jethro still looked expressionless, though his gaze was fully locked on her now. "Thanks for that, but I really don't know how much more obvious I have to make it. I don't want your help, or anything to do with you as a matter of fact."
Jessamine chuckled. "You're only in denial, Jethro. Everyone wants everything to do with me."
Jethro began to walk, grumbling under his breath. "You're like a clingy ex-girlfriend. Except we never dated."
She appeared by his side, keeping pace. "We can change that."
Jethro stopped, turned, locked eyes with her. For a heartbeat, neither said a word. "Stay away from me," Jethro declared abruptly, as he quickened his pace and walked away.
Jessamine watched him silently until his silhouette disappeared, a scheming smile stretching on her face.
A few quiet minutes later. Jethro met up with Kekius and Oand at the tram station. The ride back to the dorm passed in relative silence, but instead of heading straight inside, they caught a hovercab and headed for an Academy-licensed commercial mechshop.
There, Kekius and Oand searched for cultivation modules for Brain Turtles and Glimmerpond Toads, while Jethro Jethro wandered toward the beastlinker aisle.
Since he was going to start Scorch's evolution tonight, he needed the device to keep record of every growth and change. He wasn't certain that his mind— even as vast as it had become —could store all of that.
Professor Luria's words were his guide. His mind might have been elsewhere when she was talking but that didn't mean he wasn't listening.
Her advice was solid. In fact, she had been the only one who had spoken to him like an actual adult should. He scanned for the b57x Medium Standard beastlinker, the one she'd vouched for; best for tracking lower-tier beasts.
Not long after finding it, Jethro scanned the price tag, and the result— a brutal 42.00 Cr. His credits would be down to single digits after this.
But he had no choice. It was necessary. Tonight's plan hinged on monitoring Scorch's aether flow meticulously, letting him adapt to the strong flame-based aether.
With a resigned sigh, Jethro paid, locking the heavy, metallic device to his wrist. The model was quite bland compared to the one he'd seen Fenris using. Maybe if Scorch successfully evolved, he could get a bigger model.
Kekius and Oand returned, purchases in hand, and they headed back to the dorm.
Dash, surprisingly, barely said a word to Jethro— not a hint of confrontation about Eryn or what Jethro might have been hiding.
Perhaps it was because he and Ben had gotten into an argument about the Factions. Dash had vouched to get Ben into Knight, but now Ben was stuck in Ravelin while Dash spent his time with Eryn and the upper crowd.
Of course Jethro wasn't there to witness the argument. But he could tell that was the issue, especially because of how they were acting towards each other.
It was sad. A satisfying kind of sad.
After dinner, which was served at the doors, Kekius had indulged Oand and Jethro on how the day had been, and plans for the days ahead. His excitement at being a Riftwalker only surprised Jethro more and more.
Time passed by and eventually, they all retired to their separate pods, the soft hums and purrs of their mechbeasts the only sound in the silence, like a countdown until lights out.
And then, lights-out finally came. The artificial illumination in the walls of the room dimmed to darkness. Minutes bled into hours. Soft snores created a rhythm in the room.
Tick… tick… tick…
Jethro's eyes snapped open in the darkness. The crimson screen was already floating right above his face.
[Red Lizard Evolution].
A slow, excited grin stretched across his face. He turned, meeting the bright, eager gaze of his partner curled nearby, an unspoken understanding thrumming between them.
"It's time to start your evolution, big guy."