Chapter 98: She hid it

Kyke was still in his room, resting as he waited for the chaos outside to settle.

Meanwhile, the system was going crazy with notifications.

[Total viewers: 9]

[You have received: 200SP]

[Continue to stream such thrilling moments, host, and you could earn many more rewards from your fans.]

"..."

He had risked his life out there, even sacrificed his identity, and yet the system sounded like it was enjoying the show just because his viewership had increased.

Shaking his head, he asked, ’Why am I getting different viewers now? Earlier, it was always the same five.’

[Streaming through the system has exposed the host to a wider audience, as this mode of streaming had never been used before.]

Kyle hummed in understanding. From what he knew, those five familiar viewers might have been focusing too much on him, prompting the others to take notice of him too.

Now, whether that was a good thing or a bad one, only time would tell.

’If I remember correctly, I even saw the God of Mischief among my viewers.’

[Indeed, host.]

’So these people just watch me and assign quests based on what happens?’

[Indeed, host.]

’But didn’t you say earlier that receiving gifts would cause trouble?’

[Not with soul points and temporary buffs, host. However, gifts and relics would create friction between the two realms, causing more rifts to appear in the mortal plane.]

That sounded problematic. System points were fine, but he should probably warn them against sending weapons.

’Speaking of gifts... what are my stats right now?’

Stats:

Strength: 12 -> 14

Speed: 11 -> 15

Endurance: 15 -> 19

Intelligence: 9

Affinity: 7%

[Skills: God’s Eye (Lvl 1)]

[Items: Aquilla of Archilles

Red Elixir: 1]

[Soul Points: 1381 -> 6021]

"...."

Damn.

Seriously, damn.

He had gained an absurd amount of points from a battle that hadn’t even lasted ten minutes.

He wouldn’t say it came without effort, but for something that short, the rewards were ridiculous.

Now he could unlock Myuri’s gift too.

Just then, his phone began to buzz.

He pulled it out immediately, relief washing over him when he saw Veronica’s name.

Picking up, he said, "Hey," trying to keep his voice steady.

{Where are you!}

Her voice came through sharply, layered over a noisy background filled with chatter and movement.

Why did that sound so familiar?

"In the resort, in my room... what about you?"

She didn’t respond.

The call abruptly disconnected.

Kyle frowned, his thoughts spiraling. What happened to her? Was she angry because he broke his promise and used his powers? No... for her to even know that, Layena must have reported it.

Then...

Did that mean his secret was no longer a secret?

Knock

The sound hit the door, sharp and cracking.

Kyle shot to his feet, eyes locking onto it.

His heartbeat quickened.

Swallowing, he stepped forward and looked through the peephole.

His breath caught.

A man stood outside, unfamiliar, clad in protective gear that screamed authority.

So Layena had finally reported him. He couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. She was, after all, a devoted officer of the organization.

But now what?

Were they here to arrest him?

His mind raced.

Should he run? But they knew who he was. They knew his family. How far could he really go? And Amanda... wouldn’t she get dragged into this too?

’No... I can’t run from this.’

Kyle clenched his fist, forcing his breathing to steady.

He had always known this moment would come, no matter how careful he was.

And when it did...

He would have to face it.

Taking another deep breath, he finally rested his hand on the doorknob and twisted it open.

Click

As he slowly pulled the door open, his anxiety shifted into surprise.

"Veronica..." he breathed, staring at the familiar silver-haired girl standing there, arms crossed and eyes stern.

He didn’t fully process the situation, nor did he question how she had gotten here.

Stepping forward, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a trembling hug.

Veronica froze, completely caught off guard. All the words she had prepared, every bit of scolding she had rehearsed on her way here, dissolved in the warmth of his embrace.

"Is this... your way of escaping a scolding?" she murmured softly.

"And what if it is?" he replied, his voice no longer tense. His shoulders had relaxed, and his eyes softened.

Veronica clutched the hem of his shirt before muttering, "Then know that... it’s working."

Kyle let out a quiet chuckle before guiding her into the room, finally letting her go.

Once inside, Veronica made him sit on the bed before asking, "Are you hurt?"

Kyle’s lips were still curved as he looked at her. "First, tell me how you got here." Somehow, with her around, everything felt different. Safer.

Veronica shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Because of some incompetent fool who failed to arrive on time, I had to come here myself."

"And I’m glad you did," Kyle replied, his eyes warm, the tension in his face easing.

Veronica coughed, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Aren’t you flirting a bit too much today?"

Kyle shook his head. "No. I genuinely mean it. I’m thankful you’re here. I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve started relying on you more than I probably should."

Veronica couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her lips. She sat beside him and gently took his hand.

"It’s okay to rely on me... but it’s not okay to take the kind of risks you did today."

Kyle glanced at her. "Layena told you?"

Veronica nodded. "Yes. She said they received help from the rogue one. But she also assured me it wasn’t you behind the mask."

"...What?" Kyle lowered his head slightly, brows lifting in surprise. "Did she say that on purpose?"

Veronica hummed. "Yes. Didn’t I tell you before? During our last conversation, Layena mentioned that she and Ethan suspected you might be the rogue one. But when we spoke earlier, she made it clear the tracker showed no disturbance, even while she witnessed the rogue one fighting right in front of her."

Nodding, she added, "So yes... your name has been cleared from the list of suspects."

Kyle fell silent.

There was no way he had imagined it. He had heard her call his name clearly. Her eyes had held absolute certainty when she said it. And if what Veronica said was true, then the reason he couldn’t find the tracker in Layena’s bag was simple.

She had been carrying it on her all along.

Which meant...

She must have seen him using Genesis.

"Kyle?" Veronica called, a hint of concern in her voice. "What happened?"

Kyle let out a quiet chuckle before looking at her.

"Veronica... I think your student just lied to you."

Her eyes widened slightly as he continued,

"The same woman who has never hidden anything from you... just chose to hide the fact that she knows the rogue Nightwalker."

Veronica was too stunned to speak.

A part of her was happy that Layena decided to hide it or Veronica would have been forced to report it.

But a small part of her was hurt too. Did that brat really....

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.