Jackal's Bad Day

"Why are you back?"

Jackal, meticulously fine-tuning her elaborate trap in the underground tunnel, was interrupted by a report from a drone. Stan had returned to the lab.

"Oh? The little guy actually succeeded!" she thought to herself, a smile forming on her lips. She quickly abandoned her work, eager to check in on him.

But when she reached the lab, she found Stan sitting alone in the dimly lit space, his eyes wide as he looked up at her expectantly.

"Meow."

Jackal looked around, scanning the room. There was no one else there. Her brow furrowed.

"Where is she?" she demanded, a flicker of annoyance creeping into her tone.

Stan's ears flattened, and his tail tucked between his legs. He drooped, looking at her with an expression of confusion and guilt.

"Meow..." he said softly, as if trying to explain, though his words made little sense.

Jackal stared at him, her frustration growing. "What happened?" she asked.

Stan was just as lost. He didn't understand why that man's gaze had made him flee in terror.

"You useless..." Jackal's voice cracked with frustration. Instead of offering any comfort, she felt a surge of anger rise within her. "I should have turned you into a mindless machine like the others!"

"Meow!" Stan flinched at her harsh words, completely bewildered.

Nearby, a drone glanced at them, its sensors seemingly reacting to Jackal's tone. However, it remained silent, its mechanical gaze fixed on the pair.

Jackal, noticing the drone but not caring, took a deep breath to calm herself. She walked over to Stan and, with a hesitance that wasn't typical of her, bent down and reached out to pet him.

As an Egyptology enthusiast, Jackal had always had a soft spot for cats, but this gesture felt mechanical, like it was done out of obligation rather than affection.

Stan, in turn, couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Her touch reminded him of the golden-haired girl, whose warm embrace had once felt like a refuge from the harsh world.

He knew Jackal's "affection" was transactional. She viewed him as nothing more than her experiment, a tool to achieve her goals. And Stan? He had long since accepted his role as her cold, calculating creation.

When he had walked out of Jackal's lab covered in blood, he'd accepted her as his master—no longer the stray that fought for scraps of food. Now, he had the power to crush those who once tormented him.

But despite the power, something lingered—a longing for something simpler. The golden-haired girl had awakened in him a yearning for a life that no longer existed. A life before he had been turned into a tool.

He wondered if his life would have been different if she had found him instead.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought. He was smarter now—smarter than he had ever been before the enhancements. He knew better than to involve her in his dangerous world. He had only one choice: stay away from her.

"At least, I won't hurt her..."

Stan's thoughts were simple, but they carried weight.

He lay down, feeling dejected.

Jackal noticed his sudden shift in mood. "What's wrong now?" she asked, her voice laced with annoyance. "Is he in heat?"

She scowled. "Should have neutered you while I was at it."

Stan shuddered at the thought.

Jackal grabbed his collar, impatience rising. "Let's see what you've been up to…"

"Meow!"

The moment she touched the collar, Stan's fur bristled, his body jerking as if he'd been electrocuted. Instincts kicked in. He wriggled free and leapt away in a panic, his muscles screaming with the need to escape.

"What are you—"

Before Jackal could finish, a shockwave pulsed from Stan's collar, blasting her off her feet. She was sent flying into a workbench, then crashing into the wall.

Fortunately, Jackal's light weight carried her higher into the air, sparing her from most of the debris.

Unfortunately, she still had to land.

Thump!

She landed in a crumpled heap, groaning in pain. The impact shielded her from the flying debris—thankfully, her reinforced clothing absorbed most of the blow.

Without it, the lab's sharp objects would have made a much more gruesome impression.

.........

Above ground, in the university library, Lin Wei turned a page, feeling the distinct tremor through the floor. A subtle smile tugged at his lips.

"It's begun…" he whispered to himself.

The shaking intensified. A student, panic rising, shouted, "Earthquake!"

Chaos erupted. Students scrambled for the exits, abandoning their belongings in their haste.

Footsteps thundered, and screams echoed through the library. A few brave souls tried to calm the panic. "Don't panic! Don't push!" one shouted, but their voice was lost in the chaos.

The usually quiet library was now a scene of utter chaos. Yet, Lin Wei remained seated, seemingly unfazed by the turmoil around him.

A student rushing down from the upper floor stopped when he noticed Lin Wei. His eyes widened in disbelief. Without a second thought, he grabbed Lin Wei's arm and pulled him along.

"Forget studying!" the student exclaimed. "It's an earthquake! Do you want to die?! No teacher is going to give you extra credit for this!"

"Uh, thanks…" Lin Wei chuckled, letting himself be dragged along, still calm.

"Leave the book!" The student, annoyed by Lin Wei's indifference, snatched the book from his hands. He glanced at the contents and tossed it onto a nearby table. "Seriously?! You're reading graduate program brochures?!"

Lin Wei grinned sheepishly. "Dr. Cleo is recruiting students. I was just… exploring my options."

"Don't even dream about it!" the student shot back, voice filled with disbelief. "Dr. Cleo is a legend. Her research has unlimited funding, and her students get overseas internships." He looked almost envious. "Those guys are practically celebrities. They don't even answer their old friends' calls anymore! It's like they vanish off the face of the earth! So arrogant!"

Lin Wei raised an eyebrow, amused. "You seem to know a lot. Are you applying too?"

"Of course!" the student responded without hesitation. "Everyone is! You have no idea how amazing Dr. Cleo is! Too bad she always wears a mask…" His voice lowered as if sharing a secret. "She single-handedly made that program the most popular one! If I could just…"

Lin Wei's expression shifted. He stopped walking, pulling the student to face him. As he did, a black feather fluttered down from above.

"No, buddy, you don't want that," Lin Wei said, his tone serious. "You have absolutely no interest in Dr. Cleo. In fact, you want to stay as far away from her as possible."

.........

Below ground, Dr. Cleo, who was usually revered, now looked rather pathetic.

"Ugh…" Jackal groaned as she regained consciousness, her head spinning. She staggered to her feet, still disoriented. "What happened?"

She clutched her head, and as the memories flooded back, her anger surged.

"Stan, you traitor!" she shouted, but a sharp pain in her lungs cut her words short. She gasped for breath. "You're trying to overthrow me?!"

The lab was in ruins. Most of the lights were broken, and sparking wires illuminated the wreckage.

In the dim light, Stan, now in his massive Honkai beast form, had crashed through the ceiling. His head was embedded in the floor above.

He seemed to know he'd done something wrong, staying perfectly still. But when he heard Jackal's voice, his giant ear twitched. He felt unjustly accused.

I didn't do anything! The inhibitor malfunctioned! It's your fault, not mine! I'm just a cat!

"Roooar…" Stan let out a mournful howl, the sound echoing through the damaged structure.

More lights exploded above them.

Jackal, thankfully on the lower level, remained unharmed. She grit her teeth. "Shut up!" she yelled.

Stan immediately obeyed.

The giant cat filled most of the lab's space, but Jackal cautiously approached, confirming that he wasn't hostile.

"What happened?" she asked, still trying to piece it all together.

"The inhibitor malfunctioned," the drone reported, its voice calm. "It's programmed to activate transformation if it detects an attempted theft."

Jackal stared at the pristine drone, her mind racing. She glanced at her own disheveled state. "How are you so clean?"

"Master, is something wrong?" the drone asked, tilting its head. "You knocked over the workbench, which shielded me from the blast. Thank you, Master."

Jackal's frustration grew. "Theft? I'm his owner!" she sputtered, exasperated. "Get the constructs upstairs to remove his collar!" Removing it while he was transformed would be difficult—if not deadly—but she had to know what went wrong. "I need to see what happened."

"Yes, Master," the drone replied, immediately relaying the command.

.........

Above ground, the tremors slowly subsided. The students began to disperse, muttering amongst themselves, but curiously, no one mentioned posting about the "earthquake" online.

Lin Wei sat down on the steps, feeling a slight dizziness from the aftermath.

"Was that a bit… reckless, Lin Wei-kun?" Yae Sakura asked, her sharp eyes observing him carefully. She knew he'd caused the tremor intentionally to prevent Schicksal from detecting the anomaly. An unusual earthquake at this time and place would undoubtedly raise suspicions.

"Reckless? Not really," Lin Wei replied with a calm smile, opening his eyes. "I just overlooked the students." He shrugged nonchalantly. "A minor oversight, easily remedied."

He was confident that as long as no one posted about it online, the incident would fade from memory, overshadowed by the usual daily activities. A small earthquake wasn't something anyone would remember.

"Good," Yae Sakura nodded, though she knew there were other motives behind his actions.

Lin Wei's smile deepened. "I'm more curious about Jackal's reaction to my little gift," he said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "It's time she 'noticed' me, don't you think?"

.........

Below ground, Jackal examined Stan's collar. Everything seemed normal on the surface, but when she tried to access the deeper systems, a message popped up.

"Insufficient Permissions."

The words mocked her, adding fuel to the growing frustration.

Her frown deepened. Something was definitely wrong with the permissions.

Without hesitation, Jackal ran a backdoor program, bypassing the system's restrictions. She quickly checked the permission logs.

Slam!

In a fit of rage, she threw the collar against the workbench. Her chest heaved as she panted, her anger bubbling over. "Lin Wei… you again!"

.........

Above ground, Lin Wei sat in the shade, enjoying the cool breeze. He stretched his arms out lazily and spoke, his voice casual.

"Let's keep dear Dr. Jackal occupied, so our esteemed Overseer doesn't have to work so hard running around," he said with a shrug. "Leaders should be sipping tea in their offices, waiting for their diligent subordinates to report back." He sighed dramatically. "This loyal spy is working himself to the bone!"

Yae Sakura, unfazed, shot him a look. "Just get to the point," she said flatly. She knew his theatrics always hid something deeper.

"Sakura, you wound me…" Lin Wei feigned hurt, placing a hand on his chest. "If I don't reveal myself soon, Schicksal and World Serpent will clash. This is the only way to de-escalate the situation."

He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I need Jackal focused on me, so I can focus on our dear Overseer." He mimed shooting a gun with his fingers. "We need a triangle for this game to work."

"After all, every game needs its players."