Comic: Becoming a Phantom Thief to Steal Hearts

Peter had a Coke in one hand and a Fanta in the other.

"Which one do you want?"

"No carbonated ones," Gwen said.

"Um...this is all carbonic acid." Peter said speechlessly.

"Well... then..." Gwen took the Fanta.

Peter handed the Coke to Lucas, "Here you go."

Lucas took the Coke, and Hope on his shoulder couldn't help but say, "What about mine?"

"Ah? Do you want a bird too..."

"Are you calming down a little, Miss Stacey?" Hope asked.

"Um...your name is Hope, right?" Gwen held her forehead and said with a complex expression: "I am actually talking to a bird. It feels really unbelievable...Ah, I'm sorry, you are not a bird."

"It's natural for you to feel confused." Hope said considerately. "When you encounter something like this suddenly, it's difficult for you to understand it immediately."

"Honestly, I still can't believe it." Gwen lowered her eyes, "And that kind of power...persona..."

"That is Miss Stacey's will to resist. As long as you have this power, you can fight in that world." Hope explained.

"If what you said is true, then we can let Thompson repent, right?" Gwen confirmed again, "Let him change himself... Can this kind of thing really be done?"

"Now, we can only take a gamble." Lucas said.

"Betting? In other words, you are not 100% sure, right?" Gwen raised her eyebrows, "Then, let me participate."

"Eh?!"

"If you said you had a 100% success rate, I would still have doubts, but now it's just right." Gwen pursed her lips and smiled, "Let's work together, I can fight too."

"I believe you, Gwen." Peter frowned.

"I agree, after all, our combat power is insufficient." Hope raised a wing.

"Then, you're welcome to join us, Miss Stacey." Lucas smiled and extended his hand.

"Then it's decided, then I'll take more care of you from now on." Gwen also had a smile on her face, "Hope and Lucas, just call me Gwen from now on."

[I am you, you are me.

Here you gain a new bond.

As the saying goes, the wings of salvation free from bondage.

I, the lover's mask, was born in the wind of blessing, and added more help to the invitation to salvation...]

Somehow, Lucas felt that his relationship with Gwen had deepened.

"Let me know when you want to go." Gwen said with a smile. She looked at Lucas, "By the way, I don't have your contact information yet. Please add us and give me your number and ID."

"In that case, how about forming a group?" Peter said.

"Yeah, well, let's discuss anything in the group in the future." Gwen shook her phone, "I have to go home first, bye."

Looking at Gwen's leaving back, Hope couldn't help but sigh: "What a good girl, strong and caring... And she is not afraid of hardships for her own wishes, which is really touching. Not only does she care about her friends, but she is also a beauty , there is such a girl..."

"Hey..." Peter felt a hint of danger.

"In other words, let's find a place to gather in the future." Lucas said.

"Yeah, in order to talk about these things, we have to have a secret base." Hope agreed.

"Secret base? It sounds really good." Peter's eyes lit up, "It's as cool as a superhero."

"The school's rooftop looks nice." Hope suggested, "And I don't think anyone will come, so let's treat it as our secret base for the time being."

"Um...isn't this a bit crude?"

"The power of another world cannot be used in the outside world. It is just a place to talk. Does it need to be very high-level?" Hope asked strangely.

"That makes sense."

"I can't contact you if I stay in the palace, so I'm going to stay here." Hope said, "It just so happens that someone seems to be living in my temporary stronghold, so I'll move to another place."

Hope stopped on Lucas' shoulder, "So it's your decision to adopt me. This is my direct nomination. You should be honored."

"...Please." Peter put his hand on Lucas's other shoulder, "My room is already full."

"Okay." Lucas didn't mind very much. After all, the house he rented was really big. Not to mention one more bird, more people wouldn't be a problem.

"Then let's go see where I will live in the future." Hope raised his head and said excitedly.

The closer he got to where Lucas lived, the more confusion appeared in Hope's eyes. Until Lucas stood in front of a familiar house and took out the key, he finally couldn't help but speak.

"Um...Lucas, is this your home?"

"To be precise, it's a temporary residence." Lucas opened the door and threw his schoolbag on the sofa.

"Yes...yes."

Sensing the guilt in Hope's words, Lucas asked, "What's wrong?"

"Well... I just feel that the world is really small." Hope muttered, but because he was on Lucas' shoulder, even if Hope's voice was low, Lucas could hear it clearly.

"What do you mean?"

"Um..." Hope rubbed his paws subconsciously, "I... lived here before."

"what?"

After understanding what Hope said, Lucas' expression became strange, "It's really surprising. Do you know how the previous head of household moved away?"

Hope looked even more embarrassed, "I didn't mean to do it! I... I just saw that there was an empty room here, and I just came back to rest by chance. Who knew it would scare her. What's more... not to mention that you didn't rent the room because of it. We’ve arrived at a cheap house!”

"Although the relationship between cause and effect is not calculated this way, it is indeed the case." Lucas just felt that this was such a coincidence, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to rent such a cheap house."

He would not get to know Peter, nor would he understand the dispute between him and Thompson, nor would he interact with Gwen.

"It's good that you know." Although Hope said this, his tone was still low.

He said unwillingly: "If I... I was still a human being, these things wouldn't have happened. At least I could apologize, but as I am now... I can't do anything."

"Why are you so sure you are human?" Lucas asked, "Don't you remember nothing?"

"...You're right, I don't remember the memory of my birth at all." Hope said with disappointment, "I lost my memory due to the distortion of the other world...and my true appearance."

"Originally human?"

"Of course." Hope said with certainty, "It doesn't make sense why a bird can talk so much, right? I lost my nature due to distortion. This is unmistakable, so as long as the source of the distortion is eliminated, , I will definitely be able to find myself again. I already have a general understanding of the method, and I am staying in the palace to investigate."

The hunger in his belly made him stop and he took the initiative to end the topic, "Is there any food? You won't feel hungry in the palace. I even forgot that I haven't eaten in several days."

"What do you want to eat?"

"Toast, French fries, maybe a little breadcrumbs will do." When it came to eating, Hope felt a little better.

"I don't have French fries, but I can have toast." Hope took out a piece of toast for breakfast, "Do you want it hot?"

"No, no, no." Hope looked at the toast greedily.

Lucas tore the toast into small pieces, piled them on the plate, and put them on the table, while he planned to make a curry to eat.

After eating and drinking enough, Hope said with satisfaction: "As a gift in return, I will teach you how to make a stealth tool."

"You can actually do this?" Lucas asked in surprise.

"Humph, who are you looking down on, but there's really nothing you can do in the real world."

Lucas looked at Hope's little paws and it was true.

"Then it's settled."

"It's a word."

[I am you, you are me.

Here you gain a new bond.

As the saying goes, the wings of salvation free from bondage.

I, the magician's mask, was born in the wind of blessing, to invite salvation and add more help...]

...Hope seemed very happy.

"I will teach you about sneaking props and stuff later." Hope looked at Lucas, "Speaking of which, the power you showed in the hall is really powerful. If that power grows, you can grow into a A reliable trump card. Okay, I will act with you from now on."

"Personality is the power generated by the mind. No matter what experience you accumulate, it will definitely have an impact on that power." Hope continued, "If you get to know talented people, you may be able to learn many useful skills. Is this part of growing up?"

Isn't this... learning from each other with your peers? As for what is said in such a roundabout way.

"Anyway, I'm very optimistic about you. Don't live up to my expectations of you."

"Please don't put your expectations on me without permission."

"Be more confident, be more confident!"

"This has nothing to do with whether you are confident or not."

……

The two bickered easily and returned to the bedroom.

"When you go out, I'll go with you. Just treat it as an extra service." Hope stayed in the bird's nest prepared by Lucas. "But in the posture of a bird, it may be inconvenient to move. . There is no other way, although I am not willing to do so, but I can only make do with your jacket pocket."

The phone rings.

[Stacey: Thank you for today.

Stacey: You saved my life and I haven't said thank you yet.

Lucas: It's okay.

Lucas: Say thank you to Peter.

Stacey: Thank you just now.

Stacey: Anyway, I wanted to say thank you.

Stacey: See you tomorrow. ]

"This is how you send messages, right?" Hope looked at the phone in Lucas's hand curiously, "I want to send it too, please send some for me."

"If there is a chance in the future."

"Okay, it's going to be very busy starting tomorrow, so get some rest."

Since he had been to the palace during the day, Lucas quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Lucas heard Peter's angry greeting as soon as he left the house.

"Good morning, Lucas."

"You are really so energetic so early in the morning." Hope poked her head out of Lucas' pocket.

"Huh? You are here, Hope. Do you want to go to school with us?" Peter asked.

"I'm different from you. I don't have a mobile phone and can't contact you in time. We might as well go to school together." Hope said helplessly, "Sure enough, humans are better."

"Yeah, we'll help you, Hope."

Even if everyone is thinking about the palace strategy, as students, they still have to go to class, but a few top students don't have much thought.

During the self-study class, Lucas felt the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket.

Glancing at the podium, the teacher was reading a book. As long as he didn't make any noise, it should be fine. Lucas quietly took out his cell phone and read it on the table.

[Parker: Is it okay to meet in the secret base after school?

Stacey: Class is going on, okay?

Parker: Oh, our class is studying on its own.

Stacey: I just didn’t understand the course content at all.

Parker: I think so.

Parker: So, it's okay to meet at the secret base after school?

Stacey: Where is the secret base?

Parker: The rooftop of the school.

Stacey: There really wasn't anyone there.

Stacey: But I have to ask for leave from the club.

Parker: No problem. Lucas and I will go there first and wait for you.

Lucas: Got it. ]

After school, Peter couldn't wait to drag Lucas to the rooftop. After waiting for more than ten minutes, Gwen also came.

"Now everyone is here."

Lucas took out his mobile phone and clicked on the Different World APP.

"Then, let's go."

"Wait, it's too early to leave now." Hope suddenly said.

"Why? Can't we just steal it next?" Peter asked strangely.

"Don't underestimate the palace. Make preparations first."

"Isn't the Persona powerful enough?"

"This kind of thinking is too naive. If you are not careful, someone will die, right?" Hope shook his head, "You must be prepared before going to the palace."

Lucas nodded, "Hope is right, it's better to be careful."

Gwen, who officially participated for the first time today, asked: "So what kind of preparation is it?"

"Good question, Miss Gwen." Hope raised her head, "First of all, we must find a way to strengthen the fragile equipment."

"A weapon?" Gwen thought for a moment, "A gun... okay?"

"Eh?!"

Gwen's words shocked the two of them.

"Is this...is this okay?" Peter's eyes widened.

"What's not allowed?" Gwen asked strangely, "I have a gun license, don't you?"

Peter: "Of course not!"

"Emm..., it doesn't matter whether you have a gun license or not in Gotham." Lucas said with a complicated mood.

Anyway, as long as you have it, anyone can hold it.

"It's not difficult to get the certificate, but I can't buy a gun." Peter said worriedly.

"No, no, no, you are exaggerating!" Hope said quickly, "A model gun will do!"

"Model? Is it useful?"

"That's a world of cognition. As long as it's true in the opponent's cognition, it's true," Hope said.

"It's so convenient." Lucas not only sighed, but he quickly thought of another question, "What about the bullets?"

"Humph, as long as you kill the shadow that thinks you have used up all your bullets, how will the other shadows know that you have not used up all your bullets?" Hope asked.

The three of them suddenly realized.

"I see."

"What Hope means is that we get the equipment first and then enter the palace." Gwen nodded, "I understand."

"Yes, let's say goodbye here today." Hope said, "Injuries are inevitable, so we still have to deal with the issue of injury medicine, right?"

After Hope's reminder, everyone realized that they were completely unprepared.

Peter scratched his head, "It seems that I can't go to the palace today. I have to buy something first."

Gwen: "But it's a sound suggestion."

"Then, let's disband first and wait until we are ready tomorrow before entering the palace."