HPDBC Chapter 577: Continued Banter
Chapter 577: Continued Banter
The man’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "You’re planning something clever, aren’t you?"
JJ didn’t answer, instead moving toward the section reserved for care packages. Blue darted ahead of her, already flitting through the shelves of items available to them, scanning for the right pieces.
As Blue zipped around the room, JJ started speaking, mostly to herself, but loud enough for the man to hear. "We need something subtle... something that Ty will understand without tipping anyone else off." She scanned the various items laid out before her, her fingers brushing across a few potential tools before pausing over a compass.
"This one," JJ muttered, lifting the compass carefully and inspecting the details. "It’s not broken—it’s just off." She turned it slightly in her hand, watching as the needle wavered, struggling to point north. "The needle’s been tampered with, shifted slightly so it doesn’t point to true north anymore."
Before she could fully process this, the spider robot crawled forward from where it had been waiting, its mechanical legs clicking lightly across the table. JJ glanced at the familiar machine, still unsure about its full intentions, but she knew it had been helpful so far. The little bot paused near the compass, almost as if it were watching the needle.
Blue floated closer, her eyes widening at the sight of the spider bot. "What’s that thing?" she asked, confused. "Did you always have a robot helper?"
JJ shook her head. "No, it... just showed up after that encounter earlier. It’s been useful, but I don’t fully understand its purpose."
Blue crossed her arms, fluttering around the bot. "It looks... weird. But I guess it hasn’t tried to attack you, so that’s something."
Without a sound, the spider bot extended one of its legs and tapped the compass. Instantly, the needle snapped into place, no longer wavering. Instead, it pointed firmly in a direction, one that was clearly off from north.
JJ blinked, her mind clicking into gear. "It’s pointing toward something... not north, but..." She paused, realizing what was happening. "It’s locking onto the members of the Orange Team. The spider is guiding the compass."
JJ nodded, her expression calm but her mind already running through the next steps. The hallways were quieter here, the soft sound of gears turning and distant chatter carrying through the sterile, metallic corridors. It didn’t take long before they arrived at the wide door marked Delivery Processing.
The room beyond was bustling with other sponsors, each dropping off their packages, overseeing the process as it went through strict checks. A tall man with graying hair stood near the entrance, his uniform crisp and covered in various insignias of rank. His sharp eyes scanned the room, narrowing slightly when they landed on JJ.
She approached him with the package in hand, her grip firm but casual. "Here for a delivery," she said, handing the box to him.
The man took the package, inspecting it carefully. "Another care package, huh?" His voice was gruff but not unfriendly, just tired, as if he’d been through this routine hundreds of times. "Who’s it for?"
"Contestant , Ty Hockinson," JJ replied, keeping her voice steady.
The man glanced at her for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, the demon boy. He’s still kicking, huh?" He gave a soft chuckle, turning the package in his hands. "Let’s see what you’ve packed this time."
As he moved the package toward a conveyor system that carried it through the inspection process, Blue shifted nervously in JJ’s pocket. JJ could feel her tiny wings buzzing faintly against her side, but Blue stayed quiet, poking at the spider bot that had settled next to her.
"Careful with that," JJ whispered under her breath, as she could already tell Blue was more curious about the bot than she should be. Your next read awaits at Freewebnovel
The officer’s sharp eyes flicked back to JJ. "What was that?"
"Nothing," JJ replied quickly, clearing her throat. "Just hoping the package gets there in one piece."