A Novitiate, you said?
Logically, rather than a total stranger, Willie and Todd trusted their teammate more, and the same goes for Odell.
"I was wondering, why you were here so casually as we were passing by…"
"That also explains why there are no plants in this place to use my ability… you knew my weakness from the beginning!"
Odell changed his friendly attitude, giving Sebastian a glacial stare.
"Was all this planned? You must have been watching me all this time, haven't you? Learning about my schedule, taking notes on the people I make contact with… sorry for saying this, but you should be at school at this time, kid, not here. And silly me for not noticing the odd."
"Why would I spy a grown-ass man in his thirties?!" Sebastian exploded.
"I have the same question, what's your intention? Money? Gems? What do you want from us, Mr. Landlord."
Agh, I'm gonna sound like a boyfriend who cheated, but here I go…
Sebastian sighed and looked up. "This is a misunderstanding, and not what you think."
"What? You mean using yourself as bait to allure us here, not explaining what that… that thing is, making us fight and risk our lives against what you summoned, and then receiving your betray was all a misunderstanding?"
"That-"
"I don't know which part of your plan went wrong so you didn't stab our backs right away when we were 'protecting you', but you really shouldn't have targeted us."
"Why does this sound like an initiation phrase for a fight…"
"You're perceptive."
"Wait, what? The four of you?"
Four Handlers beating me? A Novitiate IV? That's like four adults playing soccer with a baby! As the ball!
Sebastian screamed inside and started praying to all regionally available gods.
But Odell, in a whole different channel, saw that poker face as disinterest, he felt that it was necessary to not be looked down on.
And an affirmation was what they needed.
"Yes, we won't tolerate the damage you cause to Jessica."
Bro! She tried to kill me!
Sebastian repulsed deeply so as not to curse everyone present. "That was self-defense."
"Look at the mirror, Mr. Bercic, you ain't white, you have no such privilege on your constitutional rights." Someone who was not Odell said.
"....."
"What in the racial slur world did you just say! Todd!"
"That wasn't me," Then he pointed to the black man beside him.
"Willie?"
"What you looking at, I don't have those either."
"...…"
"...…"
"...…"
"...…"
"Wait, don't let him distract us!" Jessica dragged everyone back to the serious conversation, "He's doing this on purpose!"
Huh? When! I didn't say a word!
"Have you always been this manipulative? Mr. Son of a wealthy family." Odell's cautiousness increased at bare eyes.
"What? I'm not rich."
"You literally own property."
"...…"
Why does the number of misunderstandings keep increasing!
"Listen, I don't know what idea you have of me, but I was just here absolving mana like a-"
"Don't waste your valuable brain cells fabricating a lie, Mr. Bercic. We will get you to the place for you to confess and spit all the truth." Odell interrupted.
"What? You guys are not gonna kill me?"
"?????"
"What in the sick world would I kill a minor?"
Sebastian scanned them from head to toe.
"Fine, I believe you, unlike you that don't believe in me." That being said, Sebastian extended both arms forward as he was waiting for handcuffs. "Come on, take me to church."
"?????"
"Huh?"
"To confess and spit the truth… Duh, you said it yourself."
"We are not going to church! We are getting you to the police!"
"I bet you're the soul of the party Odell." Sebastian rolled his eyes.
"...….."
No more words were spoken.
Seeing that, Todd took a rope out of his waist bag.
Willing to go tie the teen up.
"Stop!"
In an outburst of suddenness, Willie blocked his friend's way toward Sebastian. "Pay damn attention, it's a trap again! He can explode and kill one of us to debilitate the entire group, making his escape easier."
"!!!!!"
Todd's face turned pale.
Oh! Come on!
Conspirators of shit!
At this point, I can explode myself, hell yeah!
Sebastian looked with irritation at Todd, the 'warning' has completely erased his every intention of approaching.
Worst even, they started to whisper to each other.
Sebastian obviously couldn't hear:
"What do we do then? Just let him go?" Todd started with questions.
"No, it's a fact that we're gonna get him to the MDW, before he runs away from Zhreta or goes attack other groups that might fall into his traps." Odell declared with a full sense of duty and responsibility.
"I have seen his speed, he's not a Handler."
"What if that's what he wants us to believe?"
Odell's reply made Jessica keep silent. It was possible.
"Let's just do what I say, we attack until he has no mana left, that way he has no option to escape. And don't listen to anything he says, that's how we are gonna get him."
They looked at each other.
"Yes, captain." X3
….
Did they finish their meeting?
Sebastian glanced at each of the four pairs of eyes that decisively looked at him.
The reason why he hasn't escaped while they were calmly talking is that knowing these four idiots, they would probably… no, DEFINITELY think he is guilty and hiding things.
So to not stimulate their sensible brains, he waiting for them to get into reason.
"So, what? What happens now?" Sebastian lost count of how many times he has said the word 'what' today.
"Guys?"
"Holy sh*t!"
The worst scenario happened, seeing the four of them sprinting toward him, with lances each, Sebastian knew he f*cked up.
"What's your problem, just tie me and get me to wherever you want." He shouted as he ran.
But no one responded to his demand.
Well, actually, they did answer, but in their ways.
Todd with his energy beams.
Willie stone spikes.
And Odell and Jessica showed him that, oh surprise, those lances were detachable and could be dangerous projectiles too.
Sebastian jumped, jumped, and jumped again.
He never thought he could run that fast in life.
'System! If you don't want your host to die, do something!'
But the system was quiet as always.
Thus there were no pre-written responses for this kind of situation.
'Stupid system!'
Options, he needed options.
If the system didn't go to him, he'll go to the system.
While dodging and running, Sebastian opened the panel of abilities to find one that might be useful:
[Inventory Lv.3]?
He only had supplies and money inside, what can that do? Drop items for the one that kills him first?
Out.
[The Scared Immortal (C)]?
[Synopsis: Accumulates the fear experienced by the user to keep their body alive when critical damage is received. ]
Yeah, those four have definitely scared the sh*t out of him.
Great, he dies, but slower now.
While he suffers longer too.
Out.
[Death Predictor (B)]?
[Synopsis: Knowing/predicting the way the user is going to die will absolve all the tolerable damage. The next attack by the user will carry an 'unavoidable direct damage effect'.]
He dies, but doesn't die…
Perfect.
The Schrodinger Sebastian.
Out!
[Eager Fabric (D)]?
[Synopsis: Creates an illusion that the receiver most wants to see.]
What they want to see?
They want me dead apparently.
Let's show them my corp… wait a second.
An idea came to Sebastian's mind.
They have the wrong impression of me, right?
That I'm strong…
And dangerous…
So…
…
…
…
'I knew he was hiding his true power!'
In the same place, just that farther from the road, the group stopped in guard, everybody fixing their glances on the teenager.
They were scared.
"You four fools really thought I was trying to escape?" Sebastian cracked a diabolic smile, "From you?"
"Pffff-hahahahahahhaaha!" His laugh was so loud that it even sounded hoarse.
"Naive."
"Then why!" Willie despite his shaky body, decided to confront Sebastian.
"Huh? Isn't that obvious? It would be tiring to move all your bodies from there to here, one by one, so I decided to be creative and leave all that job to you."
"Now it would be even nicer if you also dug the hole to bury yourself, hahaha."
It's working!
Sebastian present that the four Manifesters backed up, celebrated.
With [Eager Fabric (D)], and a little of intervention, his appearance, in the point of view of his former chasers, changed.
For Todd, Sebastian's figure was covered in a malefic aura, so dense and thick the 'smoke' was, that his faces started to become indiscernible. Adding a mysterious touch.
Jessica however, is seeing horns and scales growing out of the boy's head and body, at such point, his eye colors changed as well. Like an authentic demon.
Willie was more straightforward, he witnessed the 5' 9" slim guy transforming into a 6' 11" sturdy man. Every fiber of muscle seemed to have life.
And Odell, who had to be an complete conspiracy Redditor, behold "Sebastian" summoning dozens and more of suicidal Marionettes.
They all saw different things, but that did not avoid them to look at Jessica with those eyes saying:
Are you sure that that's a Novitiate?