Chapter 69: No Matter Where I Hide, He'll Always Find Me

At the resort hotel by the glowing beach.

The Stellar Envoy·Goen, though now cornering Chen Kong and the others, showed no rush to capture Isabelle.

As a professional bully, Goen had absolute confidence in his ability to dominate.

Everything was under control.

He swayed his head, still wearing that Husky mask, spinning the Yellow Card in his fingers as he strode toward the center of the hotel lobby.

Though he looked utterly defenseless—every inch of him exposed, a perfect target—Chen Kong and the others knew better.

This was no accident. This was a trap.

Because if they made a move, they’d suffer the same fate as Chen Xing—no battle even begun, just a single Yellow Card slapped on them right away.

And from Chen Xing’s firsthand experience, the group now feared that Yellow Card more than anything.

One card reduced a person’s total stats by one-third.

Three of them? They might not even be able to stand.

Now that Chen Kong’s team had figured out Goen’s “bullying pattern”—no more reckless charges—Goen realized his Yellow Card tactic had temporarily failed.

But he didn’t care.

He’d already achieved his goal: making Astral Flame·Chen Xing eat one Yellow Card.

That was enough.

> Referee · Yellow Card: Each time a participant receives a Yellow Card, their total stats drop by one-third. Accumulate four Yellow Cards, and they’re ejected from the match.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Goen said, “it seems you’ve finally grasped the seriousness of attacking the referee during competition.”

“Since that’s settled, allow me to explain the rules and flow of today’s event.”

Snap!

The lights in the lobby went out.

In an instant, a blinding spotlight struck the center of the room—landing directly on Goen.

From nowhere, he produced a microphone, eyes alight with theatrical excitement.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! I’m your most trusted Deep Blue Metropolis Professional Referee, Goen. Bruce!!”

“Welcome to today’s Dodgeball Tournament! Let’s give a thunderous round of applause for the red and blue teams—now entering the arena!”

As he spoke, the spotlight shifted—locking onto Chen Xing, the red team’s ace.

Goen, holding the mic, dramatically pointed at her like a host introducing a star.

“First up—our red team’s ultimate weapon! The legendary Astral Flame·Chen Xing!!”

“Don’t let her age fool you—just twelve years old—but her power? Unmatched.”

“Her Stellar Source, Red Lotus Inferno, is a top-tier Nature Class Stellar Source, even among the elite of Stellar Envoy.”

“Red team’s strongest ace? Absolutely deserved!”

He lowered the mic, then swept his arms wide in a flourish—pretending the audience was roaring with applause.

But the only “audience” present was Isabelle.

Despite her inner protest, her hands moved on their own, clapping—mortified, embarrassed, utterly trapped.

The applause faded.

Goen turned to the next two.

“Next, the second red team contender—Quantum Ghost · Kalolin, a genius of the Intelligent Mechanism Class!”

"And finally, the third red team member—The Dreamer · Chen Kong, an ordinary boy of the Trait Class."

Kalolin’s mind raced.

They’d been in Deep Blue Metropolis for a while—no public exposure of their Stellar Sources, no registration with the Stellar Envoy Association.

So how did Goen know?

Could his Stellar Source have some kind of information-sensing ability?

Just then, she noticed Goen looking straight at her—his half-smile like a knowing wink.

He’d read her thoughts.

Yes, Goen’s Stellar Source—Referee—did indeed possess a detection function.

Simple, but effective:

> Referee · Pre-Game Inspection: After selecting the athletes, the Referee may view the opponent’s Stellar Source type, base Stellar Energy Value, and fundamental physical attributes.

Even when hunting a rabbit, the lion uses full strength.

That was why Goen was the rare Stellar Envoy in the Association with a 100% mission completion rate.

The first reason? He was shameless.

Despite having the power to reach Tier 3, he stubbornly refused to advance.

Because Tier 3 meant higher difficulty missions, stronger enemies, more complex threats.

And Goen’s Stellar Source? Meant only for bullying.

So when he finally reached Tier 3, his real combat strength might’ve been worse than some gifted Tier 2s.

So he’d told everyone, “I just don’t have the talent. No matter how hard I try, I can’t level up.”

He played the role of someone with no dreams, so no one could force him to have any.

And so he stayed happily in the safe, comfortable pond of Tier 2.

The second reason? He was cautious.

Yes, Goen acted flamboyant, careless—but behind the scenes, he always did his homework before accepting a mission.

Including the black-market jobs.

So it wasn’t that he always completed every mission.

It was that he only took missions he was certain he could win.

No one knew how to bully better than Goen.

Because when it came to bullying—Goen was the expert.

While Kalolin was still analyzing, Goen announced the match rules.

“Alright! Now that the red team’s roster is set, let’s reveal today’s game format!”

Snap!

A massive projection screen appeared behind him.

On it, animated versions of Chen Kong and the others appeared—miniature figures in a cartoonish style.

“Today’s match is a 1v1 Dodgeball Tournament, best-of-three. The first team to win two rounds claims victory.”

“Each round: one red team member faces one blue team member in a dodgeball duel.”

“Rule One: If the defender fails to catch the ball, the attacker keeps possession. If caught, possession swaps.”

“Rule Two: A team loses the round if they’re hit three times or step outside the designated arena.”

“Rule Three: No attacking the referee. Violators receive a Yellow Card. Three Yellow Cards = immediate disqualification and round loss.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I now declare—”

“Wait.”

Kalolin stepped forward, cutting him off.

Goen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He hadn’t expected this one to catch on so fast.

“Referee,” Kalolin said, “before the match begins, we should have the right to ask questions about the rules, correct?”

“And as the referee, you’re obligated to answer truthfully.”

“After all, if this were a real competition, those rules would be real.”

“Hmph. So you caught me.” Goen smirked, then sighed. “Fine. Ask away. Anything about the match—I’ll answer. But if it’s unrelated? Sorry, no comment.”

Kalolin nodded.

“My first question: Is there a limit on how many times a single player can appear in a round?”

Goen blinked.

He hadn’t expected her to catch the hidden rule so fast.

Because in a best-of-three match with three players, most would assume only one player per round—no repeat appearances.

But Goen, being the sole blue team member, had been allowed to play multiple rounds—just to keep the match balanced.

But there was no such rule in the first place.

If there had been, Goen would’ve stated it clearly in the initial rules.

He’d hidden it—because he wanted them to assume it.

To create a subconscious advantage.

But he couldn’t lie. Not with his Stellar Source.

So he answered:

“Yes. A player can appear multiple times. If the rest of the team agrees, they could even play all three rounds consecutively.”

“However, if they carry a Yellow Card, it doesn’t vanish after a round ends—it carries over until the entire match is over.”

Kalolin turned, then pointed to a clock on the wall.

“My second question: Is the match time measured in Reality time—or in a special Subspace?”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Goen stared at her—like he was seeing her for the first time.

After a long pause, his playful expression faded.

His voice dropped, low and serious.

“When did you figure it out?”

Kalolin answered calmly:

“From the moment you took your time explaining the rules.”

“Why?”

She smiled.

“Because I believe that idiot wouldn’t let you drag this out for so long.”

“Since he’s fine, then the problem must be us.”

“Either he can’t find us… or we’re in a different time flow.”

“First option? Impossible.”

“Eliminate all impossibilities, and whatever remains—no matter how absurd—must be the truth.”

“And with the hotel being empty, and Kong nowhere to be seen… the only logical explanation is that we’re in a Subspace—somewhere between the virtual and Reality.”

Goen frowned.

“Impossible. He’s only Level 1. I’m a noble Level 2. How could he not find you?”

Kalolin gave him an answer he’d never expect.

Because as an AI, she abandoned logic.

She spoke not from data, but from belief.

“Because I know—no matter where I hide, he’ll always find me.”

“And I know—no matter where he runs, I’ll always find him.”

Goen stared.

Then sighed.

“You know… you’re more human than a machine.”

“Only humans let their subjective feelings guide their analysis—ignoring all evidence, all logic.”

Kalolin smiled.

“Is that so? Then I must be doing something right.”

“Because that idiot once told me… he’d rather have me be human than a machine.”

Goen shook his head.

“Then he’s the real idiot. Once an AI gains thought, it’s no longer useful.”

Kalolin looked at him, softly:

“Maybe. But… that’s exactly what makes him special, isn’t it?”

“Because of him, I feel truly alive.”

“Because of him, I want to live—like a person.”

Goen said nothing.

After a long silence, he muttered:

“To trick someone as rational as you into believing that… that guy must be quite the talker.”

Kalolin considered.

“He is. His mind works in ways I can’t even begin to understand. He says things that make my circuits spin.”

“But words alone aren’t enough.”

“After all, deception hides in words.”

“We machines trust only actions—real, observable, consistent behavior.”

“And in that… he’s always delivered.”

Goen frowned again.

“What if… he’s lying? What if even his actions are fake?”

“Because the world’s full of people who pretend to care.”

Kalolin paused.

Then, without hesitation:

“Then let him lie to me… for the rest of my life.”

Goen froze.

…

Damn it.

I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.

PS: I know you won’t believe this, but yesterday, I was writing—then the power went out. I had to go to bed. When I woke up, the power still hadn’t returned. So I’m delayed. The last two chapters will be posted together tonight at 8 PM. I’ll try to write extra.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end