Chapter 39: Chasing and Being Chased
Although I had found a suspect, I couldn’t act rashly yet. I needed to identify the target first. To be safe, I had to memorize the person’s appearance and build, but I couldn’t let them know I had discovered them. Ah, in this world where time had almost stopped, they wouldn’t sense me observing them at all.
Once I deactivated Thought Acceleration, from their perspective, I would have merely glanced in that direction, not stared intently at a specific individual. So, while I had the chance, I could scrutinize this guy more.
Judging by his appearance, he was a young man about my age. He seemed taller than me, probably around 1.8 meters or more, possibly even approaching 1.9 meters. It was precisely because he was so tall and not blocked by the people in front of him that I could see his face clearly.
As for his looks, they could be described in just two words: ordinary. The kind of person who would disappear in a crowd. To be more specific… he looked similar to me. Well, he was probably a bit better looking than me; at least he had the advantage of height, with broad shoulders and tall, sturdy legs. Tall people are never overlooked anywhere.
Moreover, if I had to say, he wasn’t actually ugly… he just lacked distinguishing features. After getting to know Ji Zhibai recently, I found my standards for evaluating men had risen considerably. What was going on? Why was I so interested in appraising men…
No need to waste my Spiritual Power. Maintaining it for too long would make me feel like I had stayed up for three consecutive nights at an internet cafe. I should quickly memorize his appearance and then deactivate Thought Acceleration.
Just as I thought this, I witnessed an incredibly shocking scene. In the dim, almost still world, his dark pupils widened and moved, and then… he looked towards me!
How could this be? This… is supposed to be still?
Thought Acceleration had always been used to create my exclusive world; it was arguably my most prized domain. It had helped me gain thinking and action time in extremely dangerous situations countless times, and I had even further mastered the method of controlling my body’s movements within the slowly flowing time…
No, it was only then that I realized I had been overthinking things. Thought Acceleration wasn’t an ability to stop time; it was merely a way to speed up thought processes, extending one second infinitely. This meant his Spiritual Power was at least on par with mine, possibly even higher… The crucial question was, where did his Spiritual Power come from?
My Spiritual Power was obtained through a contract with the mother and daughter pair, Nana and Lily, inheriting half of their Spiritual Power. Afterwards, I underwent trials from the Mother of Black Goats and the Mirror Realm with its faster time flow, among other things. I had crossed countless Shura Fields and endured numerous hardships to reach my current level of Spiritual Power.
Yet, he… he could actually… My mind raced with implications. This single piece of information revealed a lot. It seemed he was another unlucky guy like me…
At this moment, I inexplicably felt a sense of shared misfortune. Finally, there was someone else who was a Master of Fate, and who might have had a worse experience than me.
…I’m sorry. For Lianbing, I must suppress you right here and now.
SF Light Novel
No matter what your reasons are, to play with someone’s emotions to achieve your goals is unforgivable.
Deactivating Thought Acceleration, the person didn’t immediately leave the banquet hall, so I didn’t apprehend him right away. My gaze remained fixed on him. At this moment, I genuinely ignored everything else in the venue, my eyes not blinking, my attention wholly focused on him. My heart was filled with a single thought… *Don’t misunderstand, I have no special feelings about this. I’m not interested in men, unless they’re cute boys like Phil.*
After a while, the person began to retreat towards the back. Was he leaving? If I didn’t chase after him now… but Lianbing was still tied up. Should I bring Lianbing along? I didn’t know his background yet, so it was best not to alarm her. Moreover, Lianbing, as the protagonist, was being surrounded by others and couldn’t leave right now. Plus, she was wearing a formal gown that wasn’t conducive to quick movement. After thinking it over, I decided it was better for me to go after him alone, so I began to move before anyone else.
“Huh? Mr. An, where are you going?”
“The restroom!”
Lianbing glanced at me. Now, after breaking away from the crowd, that guy actually started running! And he was so fast! No, if this continued, he would escape. I had to use Destiny Power.
Seeing him about to dash out of the banquet hall’s entrance, I directly used Calamity from the Mouth to issue a command.
“[Stop! Halt right there!]”
And indeed, he stopped. But I couldn’t get past him. Since I hadn’t specified a target, the surrounding crowd froze like statues, forming a human wall that separated him from me. However, as another Master of Fate, he seemed to have some resistance to my abilities. I could see his shoulders trembling, indicating he would soon break free from the restraint.
How could I let him escape!
“[Everyone, fall down!]”
At this point, I had no other choice but to issue another command for everyone to fall down. Then… I stepped on the backs of these prominent figures to get past them…
Honestly, I didn’t want to step on them, but these people were packed too tightly. After ordering them to lie down, the entire floor of the hall was crammed, leaving no gaps. I was afraid that if I stepped elsewhere, I might break someone’s bones, so I chose their backs, which had larger surface areas to bear my weight.
“Ah!” “Urgh!” “Who stepped on me!” “You’re dead!”
It’s over. I’ve completely offended all these important people now… It’s all your fault! Why did you have to run!
I concentrated all my resentment onto that guy and sped up my pursuit. At the same time, that guy slowly got up from the ground and started running again. The distance between us was now less than five meters.
I didn’t use Calamity from the Mouth again. Instead, I let him run out of the hall because I wanted to create a situation where it was just the two of us… Don’t misunderstand, still no special feelings involved. Just then, I heard a loud exclamation from behind.
“The groom is chasing a man!”
This has truly become problematic now…
I felt like crying, turning my grief and indignation into motivation. I chased the man all the way to the rooftop of the International Trade Building and finally issued a command.
“[Stop right there, you bastard!]”
It worked immediately, far better than any immobilization spell. I slammed the door shut behind me, walked to about three meters behind him, crossed my arms, and said sternly.
“[Hands up, turn around.]”
He had no choice but to comply, raising his hands and turning around. I took a breath, and with a mix of annoyance and helplessness, I gave him a glare.
“Hoo… Finally caught you. Wouldn’t it have been better to just stay put until the banquet ended? You just had to put me through this chase scene… And it’s all your fault, kid. Not only did I offend a bunch of big shots, but I’m also being mistaken for being a gay man! If I don’t teach you a good lesson, I won’t be satisfied.”
Stay put obediently for me!
