From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals-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.

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

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."

Blue’s eyes widened as she buzzed over to inspect the compass. "Whoa, that’s pretty cool. You think Ty will get it?"

JJ nodded, setting the compass down. "If he sees the needle pointing somewhere that isn’t north, he’ll know something’s wrong. If he follows where it’s pointing, it’ll lead him straight to the Orange Team."

The spider bot beeped softly, as if satisfied with its work, before it scuttled back to the corner of the table, its job done for now. JJ eyed the small machine cautiously, but it had proven its usefulness yet again.

Blue hovered next to JJ, her eyes still trained on the spider bot. "You sure this thing isn’t up to something else?"

JJ let out a slow breath. "I don’t trust it completely, but for now, it’s helping. And we need every bit of help we can get."

She picked up the map next, examining it thoughtfully. "We’ll mark the map, too. If we leave a blank spot where the ambush is going to happen, Ty will notice. He’ll understand that something’s coming."

Blue buzzed around the room, her excitement building. "This is shaping up nicely. Ty’s sharp—he’ll figure it out."

With a final glance at the spider bot, JJ nodded and moved with purpose, putting the final pieces into the care package: the tampered compass, the altered map, and the marked smoke grenades with the Suns’ emblem. Each item held a clue, guiding Ty toward the ambush and giving him enough time to react.

"Care package ready," JJ said quietly, sealing the package. She glanced at Blue, who gave an eager nod, before turning toward the door.

As they stepped out of the sponsor’s space, the familiar hum of the place surrounded them once again. The path to the delivery room wasn’t far, but the tension simmering just beneath the surface made each step feel deliberate. Blue zipped back and forth in front of her before darting into JJ’s pocket.

"I’ll hang tight in here," Blue whispered, peeking out from the fabric. "It’s not like they’ll take kindly to me buzzing around."

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 novelbuddy

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."