Chapter 112: The Mark of Perfect Awakening

Reality World, Station 13.

The moment Chen Kong’s infallible Presence Elimination was shattered by a single punch from Liu Ma, the entire Dimensional Live Stream erupted.

The chat exploded like an avalanche, flooding the screen with frantic messages.

“One punch to break through?! Is Kong’s Void Pattern made of paper?!”

“Game over. Others might be cool for three episodes, but Kong’s already done in half! The saddest protagonist ever, 555~”

“Horns + muscles = Minotaur. Confirmed!”

“Danger! Bull incoming! Run!”

As the Dimensional Audience buzzed with excitement over the new arrival, the scene focused on Liu Ma, who stared down the now-revealed Chen Kong—forced out by a single blow.

With a smug grin, Liu Ma struck a bodybuilder pose, slapping his biceps—broad and gleaming like polished Gangyan stone—and flashed a wide, satisfied smile. He clearly relished his hardened, battle-worn physique.

After the show, Liu Ma stretched out his words with deliberate flair:

“Kong… you know what your Void Pattern’s biggest weakness is?”

“Cut the crap,” Chen Kong muttered, rubbing his shoulder, still tingling from the impact. “I know my own Stellar Core better than anyone.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Liu Ma said, suddenly unbuttoning his tie and shrugging off his crisp suit. He tossed it aside with a casual flick, revealing the massive, taut frame beneath—wrapped tightly in a white dress shirt.

Then, he rolled up his sleeves, exposing a forearm thick as a tree trunk, etched with deep, jagged scars and bronzed by years of battle.

With that, he locked eyes with Chen Kong and smiled.

“Your Void Pattern… to someone who’s never met you, is incredibly deceptive.”

“They’re more likely to be fooled by your illusion of nonexistence—ignoring you entirely.”

“But to someone who knows you—someone like me—it loses most of its power.”

“You think hiding 99% of your presence is enough? Too bad… I heard your heartbeat speed up.”

He raised a finger, beckoning.

“Come on. Let’s see how much you’ve really grown.”

“I can’t believe you’ve stayed in the same place for six years.”

“Want to play the fool? At least make it convincing.”

“Right now, you don’t look like a pig at all. More like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“And let’s not forget—your Stellar Source, The Dreamer, hasn’t even been used yet.”

“You really think I didn’t notice?”

Hearing Liu Ma mention his Stellar Source, Chen Kong tilted his head, curious.

“Since you know what mine is… fairness demands you reveal yours.”

Unlike the twelve victors of the Final Evaluation, who had their Stellar Sources confirmed back at the base, Liu Ma and the other twelve who failed had only gradually acquired their own after leaving.

Most had been sent out shortly after the evaluation. Others left during the time Chen Kong and Tian Dao were on their mission to Deep Blue Metropolis.

So Chen Kong had no idea what the other twenty-four had gained—especially Liu Ma.

“Kong,” Liu Ma smirked, “you really think I’d tell you?”

“Fair enough,” Chen Kong nodded, then mimicked Liu Ma’s earlier motion—unbuttoning his cuff, rolling up his sleeve.

But unlike Liu Ma’s imposing physique, Chen Kong stood only 1.8 meters tall. His frame was lean, lacking the sheer mass and power of his rival.

In terms of presence alone, he was clearly outmatched.

Yet strangely, Liu Ma’s expression shifted—his earlier arrogance dissolving into a deepening seriousness.

He stared at Chen Kong, nostrils flaring as twin puffs of white vapor escaped.

“Kong… I didn’t expect your Void Pattern to have advanced to the point where you can locally suppress your own Stellar Energy fluctuations.”

“You’re a Level 2 The Dreamer, yet you’re only broadcasting Level 1 energy. You’ve been hiding your cards well.”

Yes. Liu Ma now understood—Chen Kong had been concealing something all along.

If they’d been enemies, not old friends, that single act of suppression would have been enough to ambush countless foes.

Liu Ma didn’t know exactly when Chen Kong had mastered localized presence elimination, but he had no doubt it had cost others dearly.

And if Chen Kong were just a regular Level 2? He wouldn’t have felt anything.

But now, Liu Ma could feel it—the Awakening wasn’t ordinary.

It was something he’d been chasing for years.

The Perfect Awakening.

Just as a Stellar Core Awakening manifests in a unique Stellar Mark on a specific body part, a Perfect Awakening of a Stellar Source reveals its own distinct signature.

And that signature? Pure Stellar Energy.

Pure to the point that even untransformed, it becomes visible to others.

Now, Chen Kong’s aura shimmered like a veil of white mist—clean, undiluted, unmistakably pure.

Liu Ma exhaled slowly, his voice thick with disbelief.

“Kong… I thought you were more complicated than I first saw. But now… I’ve underestimated you.”

“That’s why even him—that arrogant, sky-high Tian Dao—”

“Wrong,” Chen Kong interrupted, dead serious.

“Tian Dao doesn’t care about any of this.”

“To him, whether it’s you, me, or my sister—any genius—none of us are more than toys for his amusement.”

“He doesn’t look down on anyone. Nor does he look up to anyone. Because in his eyes… no one else exists.”

“Except himself.”

“Of course, that only holds if we see ourselves as challengers.”

“Otherwise… if we’re just friends? Tian Dao… is far gentler than you think.”

The words struck Liu Ma like cold water.

The memory flooded back—the quiet, ever-smiling boy who never once raised his voice in anger.

Even when Chen Xing, the No. 2 prodigy, challenged him repeatedly, Tian Dao had only ever looked… troubled.

Rarely did he actually play.

And never once had Liu Ma seen him truly angry.

No matter the challenge, Tian Dao always wore a soft smile.

To him, tasks that others fought tooth and nail to achieve—were effortless. Just a casual flick of the wrist.

Thinking this, Liu Ma let out a quiet breath.

“Everyone says we’re monsters. But only we know… what a real monster truly looks like.”

“Funny… they still haven’t canceled Tian Dao’s wanted status.”

“Of course not,” Chen Kong replied, his left hand rising.

A wisp of ghostly white mist formed above his palm.

It coalesced—slowly, deliberately—into a silver blade.

A Second-Hand Dagger, identical to Vivian’s.

He gripped it firmly, eyes locked on Liu Ma.

“Because they know… the real monster… is one that can never be tamed.”

“Yeah,” Liu Ma said after a long silence.

Having settled into his Perfection-level Stellar Energy, Chen Kong spoke calmly.

“Alright, Liu Ma. The reunion’s over. Now… I’m serious.”

Liu Ma’s forehead flared—his black, scar-like Stellar Mark glowing faintly, like a distant star.

In an instant, his horns darkened, deepening into a shadowed abyss.

His skin shifted from sun-kissed bronze to a radiant gold—glistening like molten armor.

He stood now, a figure of golden light.

“Let’s see it,” Liu Ma said, voice low and grim.

“Show me what kind of monster Perfect The Dreamer truly is.”

Chen Kong’s lips curled slightly.

“You’ll find out.”

As the words left his mouth, the Second-Hand Dagger in his grip suddenly flared with an eerie, pulsing Xueyan.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end