//13// Run

"No?" Arsenal replied, shaking his head from side to side, but Ohana wasn't convinced and her facial expression tells it all.

[ Quest complete! ]

[ + 10 Exp, + 20 Aether coins ]

[+ $ 1,000,000 ]

[ You will return to earth. ]

"Hold on system, give me a minute, " He requested, hoping to explain things to Ohana before he leaves, but the system did not give him a chance to finish speaking before taking him back to the bathroom where he had been.

"Come on, man!" Arsenal exclaimed,

"Just one minute to talk to Ohana, how are you sure that she wouldn't take the amulet while… oh," Arsenal's voice trailed off when he realised that the amulet was hanging from his neck on a thick silver chain.

[ It must remain with you until you return to Gnomon ]

"Alright." Arsenal nodded, took off the necklace and threw it in his pocket.

"I still can't believe this, but it's real but… argh I'm rich! although…" Arsenal paused when he recalled what happened between him and a student before he was transported a second time.

"Why did I try to attack that student under beast mode even though I was on Earth and ten minutes had passed?"

[ That's a side effect, you are the weakest host I've ever had and your body is trying to adjust to the changes. Also, you are the first host from a distant planet, the others are from Gnoman, and Gnomans are mostly beasts. Most of the things you consider to be superpowers are natural to them.]

"I see." He nodded and accepted his new reality, it was strange but exciting and has earned him more money than he's ever earned in his life. So the first thing he wanted to do was to pay off all his debts and focus on his test.

But when he got out of the bathroom, a student called out to him saying that the school authorities have sent for him and he might get expelled for violence or obscenity.

To prove his innocence in this kind of case would be difficult, especially considering that a lot of students witnessed what he had done to the boy, and as for Lisa, all she needed to do was to grease the palms of officials and they would rule in her favour.

But he couldn't avoid a trial, and even if he ran, wouldn't he still come back? So with this in mind, Arsenal headed for the chairman's office first. It was a long trek that took him ten minutes, and by the time he got there, Lisa and her good-for-nothing boyfriend were already seated.

Two lecturers were present, including the executive chairman, and a few witnesses. The student that he flung to the side also came in after him along with two witnesses. Overall, Arsenal felt like he had just walked into a courtroom to fight a case that he would surely lose.

Even when he was asked to sit, he refrained and stood, leaning against the wall and waiting to hate what judgment would be pronounced against him.

"Ahem!" The chairman cleared his throat, before talking about the news being heard from those that had reported.

"Miss Duran," He said, referring to Lisa by her father's name

"What happened exactly? I need you to be honest and very detailed."

"Oh, she will lie for sure," Arsenal thought to himself, but Lisa had the spotlight and he was asked not to speak until she was done

"Well… I," Lisa stuttered, she broke into tears immediately and Edmond drew near to comfort her.

"Freaking actress." Arsenal rolled back his eyes in disdain.

"I had just walked into my dormitory earlier today after getting my exam passes. I remember correctly that I picked up my phone to call Tess so that we could have lunch together, when someone knocked on my door."

"Starting with such lies."

Arsenal burned with rage from the inside and was getting difficult to control his urges to call her a liar.

"I was changing at the time, so I quickly wrapped a towel around myself before going to the door, but as soon as I unlocked the door to check who it was... he grabbed my neck and pushed me back into the room…

"Shut up! You bloody liar!" Arsenal gave in to the temptation, he wanted to say the truth as it was but that would also implicate him for agreeing to collect test questions papers and working out the answers for her.

"Mr. Basset," the chairman cut him off,

"This should be my first and final warning to you."

[ Warning: Your rage could trigger the beast mode and take you unaware. Be careful! ]

"I'm sorry," Arsenal apologized and tried to take a deep breath. He knew very well that the more Lisa talked the more he'd get upset but what could he do?

"Go on, Miss Duran." said the chairman, and Lisa went on with her lies. She painted a different picture from the truth and made Arsenal look like he had committed quite a horrendous crime.

Even after that, Arsenal wasn't given a chance to defend himself, rather the injured student spoke next. However, he spoke the truth, highlighting his fault before Arsenal's reaction.

And then Edmond. The six-foot bully was visibly upset since the beginning of the meeting, and this was because of Lisa's tale. Now he was even more upset with Arsenal and had tried so hard to contain his fury.

"Go ahead and lie too!" Arsenal uttered, and these words triggered the delicate bomb to explode.

"You fool!" Edmond snapped, and did not hesitate to rush toward Arsenal, ready to give the young man a second beating.

But before his could throw a punch, Edmond froze in place and so did everyone else in the room, the clock stopped ticking but Arsenal was still moving.

When the system told him that beast mode would be triggered by his rage, Arsenal did not imagine that it was this attribute.

"No, no, no!"

He was slightly terrified because he believed that everyone in the room had seen something that they were not meant to.

"Come on! Please work."

Arsenal squinted his eyes, trying to turn things back to normal like a psychic trying to read the mind of a customer, but nothing happened, everyone was still frozen in place and there was only one thing in his mind, 'run'