Chapter 15  

Saturday, a sunny day.  

The preliminary round of the Vitality Star Hole Drilling Competition was exceptionally lively.  

The audience lined up in an orderly manner to enter the venue, including family members, friends, and groups of supportive classmates and colleagues of the participants…  

This wasn’t a professional event—most participants were amateur drilling enthusiasts with their own studies or jobs. The organizers naturally understood this well, scheduling every competition on weekends.  

The venue was located in an abandoned base outside the main city district. The base was filled with various strange caves, making it unsuitable for habitation. Years ago, the Vitality Star Group purchased the land at a low price, developed it, and repurposed it for the drilling competition. During peak tourist seasons, it was even opened as a scenic spot for visitors.  

Everyone arrived by hovercars. The moment they stepped out, countless oddly shaped hands excitedly snapped photos.  

Suddenly, a massive starship came to a stop in the distance.  

Starships weren’t vehicles ordinary people could own, and gossip was human nature.  

The crowd quickly set aside what they were doing, craning their necks to look toward the starship, whispering and speculating about who might be aboard…  

But the distance was too great. They only caught a glimpse of a tall figure stepping out of the hatch. Just then, another wave of hovercars arrived, and a group of tall passengers enthusiastically poured out, completely blocking the distant figure.  

By the time the crowd dispersed, the starship had already vanished.  

As for the person who had disembarked from it, no one knew where they had gone…  

Amid the bustling crowd, You Mi sat in a shopping cart, his eyes darting backward from time to time.  

Anshus had donned a humanoid skin suit early in the morning. You Mi hadn’t known about this beforehand, so when he woke up and walked out, he was startled to see a handsome man with golden pupils standing in the room.  

It was a strikingly chiseled face—sharp jawline, pronounced brow ridges, and cold, solemn eyes that seemed slightly nervous when they met his.  

You Mi took his work seriously and had already looked up photos of the Imperial Crown Prince beforehand. Objectively speaking, this skin suit was indistinguishable from the real person. But the oppressive aura of the real thing was entirely different from a photograph. For a moment, You Mi couldn’t reconcile the imposing man before him with the monster he knew.  

He froze for a long moment before finally saying, “Your Highness, Anshus?”  

The tension on the other’s face finally eased, and his thin lips curled slightly as he nodded.  

Regarding the Crown Prince accompanying You Mi to the preliminary round of the drilling competition, Carl hadn’t been entirely supportive. When Anshus first proposed the idea, Carl had even been tempted to say something treasonous like, “I think I’m perfectly capable of accompanying You Mi in Your Highness’s stead—after all, I’d definitely be more suitable than you, who might cause a commotion.”  

But faced with that icy expression, he could only force a smile and say, “No one could be more suitable than Your Highness. I’ll make the arrangements right away.”  

To avoid being recognized, Anshus was now fully disguised—wearing sunglasses and a mask.  

Meanwhile, Carl and the guards quietly infiltrated the spectator stands, providing covert protection.  

With their numbers, following the Crown Prince openly would have been far too conspicuous.  

You Mi had initially planned to walk on his own, but Anshus, worried he might be jostled by passersby, simply placed him in a shopping cart provided at the competition entrance.  

You Mi kept glancing at Anshus while cautiously scanning his surroundings.  

Carl’s earlier grave demeanor had left an impression on him, and he couldn’t shake the fear that someone might recognize Anshus’s identity.

Anshus, with his broad shoulders and long legs, quickly reached the entrance of the competition venue.  

The broadcast at the entrance repeated: “Competitors, please swipe your cards to enter the backstage preparation area…”  

Anshus lifted You Mi out of the shopping cart and handed him the small sports backpack hanging from his elbow.  

You Mi slung the backpack over his shoulders, then touched his horns to make sure they were secure before waving at Anshus with relief. “I’ll head backstage first. Wait for me in the audience seats.”  

Instead of nodding, Anshus reached out and mimicked You Mi’s gesture, touching his horns and then his backpack, as if double-checking for him. Only then did he nod.  

You Mi swiped his card and entered, following the staff inside.  

Today, he was wearing a brown tracksuit that Anshus had found in the wardrobe of his castle. You Mi had fallen in love with it the moment he tried it on—the fabric was incredibly comfortable and stretchy, and the design was stylish, perfect for the competition.  

The staff led him to a lounge connected to the changing rooms, where numerous makeup stations were set up.  

The staff member struggled to suppress an overwhelming urge to coo at You Mi’s serious expression, biting her lip to maintain professionalism. She reminded him, “The competition starts in half an hour. If you need makeup, you can do it here. The changing rooms and restrooms are over there… If you need anything else, just come find me.”  

“Got it, thank you,” You Mi replied as he sat down. He opened his backpack and pulled out a book titled *Essentials of Hole Drilling*, flipping through its pages.  

With thirty minutes left before the preliminary round, the audience outside was busy buying souvenirs and trying out entertainment facilities, while the competitors backstage were either warming up or studying past competition footage for insights.  

After all, only those who passed today’s preliminaries would have a shot at the grand finals and the prize of 100,000 Star Coins.  

But soon, someone noticed the tiny figure in the corner…  

“Wow, this year’s really something—they even put a simulated doll backstage to motivate us?” someone remarked, prompting everyone to turn and look at You Mi.  

The backstage noise was loud, but You Mi, wearing earplugs, remained focused on the oversized professional book in front of him, which was several times larger than his head.  

“What simulated doll? That’s a real person! I saw the staff bring him in myself!”  

“He even went to the restroom earlier. Since when do simulated dolls use restrooms?”  

“Alright, stop teasing him! That kid’s name is You Mi, and he’s a competitor just like us. I was doing my makeup across from him earlier—he even greeted me… So polite!”  

“He greeted me too, and we chatted a bit. He’s from the wastelands outside the Main City District, so it’s normal for him to look different from us… Keep your voices down if you’re gonna gossip. Don’t make him uncomfortable.”  

At that, the initially surprised competitors all nodded in understanding.  

The environment of Sina Star’s Main City District was vastly different from the outside world, and such disparities naturally gave rise to diverse Sina Star People.  

According to official records from the Main City, adult Sina Star People ranged from a minimum height of 1.96 meters to a maximum of 6 meters, with the average being between 3 to 4 meters.

Sina Star People under 2 meters tall were an extreme minority. Someone like You Mi, standing at just 1.7 meters, truly didn’t seem like they belonged to the Main City District.  

However, the world beyond the Main City District was vast, with no authoritative records. Thus, many Sina Star People privately referred to those outside the Main City District as “wild Sina Star People”—after all, out there, Sina Star People who were shorter, taller, or even far more bizarrely shaped had all appeared…  

The crowd quietly observed the petite yet refined contestant, engrossed in their scrutiny, when a voice dripping with disdain cut in: “Just a stupid wild Sina Star Person. Instead of properly reviewing past match footage to study the caves before the competition, they’re wasting time with some shabby book. Is an opponent like this even worth paying attention to?”  

You Mi had no idea he’d been labeled a “wildling.” Just as he was reading intently, he heard a commotion break out nearby.  

Removing his earplugs, he looked up and spotted a man with a crocodile tail and a buzzcut arguing with a group. The topic of their dispute seemed to be what exactly one should watch before a match…  

Now that sounded like a professional discussion!  

You Mi set his book aside and pricked up his ears to listen, but before he could catch the conclusion, the crocodile-tailed man strode over toward him.  

This man was much shorter than most Sina Star People—even shorter than Lin En, who stood just over two meters tall—likely somewhere between 1.9 and 2 meters.  

The reduced height difference made You Mi instinctively lower his guard. He smiled and said, “Hello.”  

But the man’s expression was hostile as he looked down at him and sneered, “Short stack, take my advice—if you don’t want to come in last, ditch that worthless book!”  

You Mi froze.  

“Meikai, don’t be like this,” a blond man hurried over to pull him back. “He doesn’t even know you. What’s gotten into you?”  

The man named Meikai shoved him away dismissively. “I’m just looking out for him! Instead of studying the competition’s cave formations before the match, he’s reading some pretentious nonsense. What kind of attitude is that?”  

After a brief moment of confusion, You Mi finally snapped out of it. He closed his book and slowly turned his gaze to Meikai.  

Meikai crossed his arms, smirking as he watched the pitiful little thing.  

But instead of the embarrassment or fear he expected, You Mi met his eyes and asked, “Does my existence bother you?”  

Meikai’s smirk stiffened. After a pause, he roared in fury, “What did you say?! Why would a short stack like you bother me? I’m just laughing at—”  

“Short stack? Who are you calling a short stack?” A leisurely set of footsteps approached from behind. A woman with a fox tail sauntered over, hands on her hips. “From what I know, this kid’s hometown is outside the Main City District. Sure, he’s not tall by our standards, but his proportions are clearly excellent—for all we know, he might even be considered tall back home!” She covered her mouth with a laugh. “Meanwhile, you’re the one who can’t even hit two meters! You’re the real short stack here! What, you finally found someone shorter than you and decided to puff yourself up? How pathetic!”  

“Exactly!” others murmured in agreement.  

Meikai was livid. He wanted to retort, but facing the woman towering over three meters tall, his earlier mockery of You Mi had clearly backfired spectacularly.  

Amid the crowd’s jeers, Meikai stormed off to the locker room, his face dark with humiliation.

The blond man seemed to be friends with Meikai. He kept apologizing to everyone before walking up to You Mi and bowing deeply. “I’m truly sorry. Meikai had something happen to him today. He’s not usually this rude…”

You Mi ignored him, keeping his eyes on his book.

The blond man continued in a hushed voice, “I’m really sorry. I know this is entirely his fault, but I understand his nature—he’s not a bad person… He… he ran into someone who used to bully him at the venue today. It shook him up mentally, and then seeing you so popular… It was his first time meeting someone even shorter than him, yet receiving completely different treatment… He just couldn’t control his emotions for a moment. His behavior was offensive, but that wasn’t his true self.”

“I didn’t harm him,” You Mi said.

“Yes! Of course I know that! He’s the one who lost his mind! Please don’t let him affect you—”

“I don’t care. I simply look down on him,” You Mi enunciated each word clearly.

“…”

After the blond man left, You Mi returned to his book.

Yet the sudden incident had still tugged at his emotions, causing long-buried memories to break free from the shackles of time and resurface.

As a child, You Mi had always been extremely frail. In the years right after his parents passed away, he was so thin he could practically be blown away by the wind. It wasn’t until middle school, when he hit a growth spurt and developed an enormous appetite, that his body filled out somewhat.

Still, among his peers, his fair skin, overly pretty features, and quiet demeanor often made him the target of teasing from certain boys.

Back then, You Mi had a childhood friend. Before his parents died, the two would often eat, do homework, and play games at each other’s houses. Even after their deaths, their relationship remained unchanged.

But for some reason, one day, his friend started keeping his distance, hanging out instead with a group of older, burly boys two grades above them.

Those bullies were awful. They used to mock his friend for being chubby, giving him cruel nicknames. You Mi had even stood up for his friend against them before. He couldn’t fathom why they’d become friends now.

Then one day, the bullies suddenly turned their attention to him.

“Looking like a bean sprout! Are you sure you’re not still in elementary school?”

“Even talks all soft and quiet—no manliness at all!”

“Hey, you’re not actually a girl pretending to be a boy, are you?”

“Sissy…”

You Mi retreated from their taunts, backing away until one of the larger boys reached out to grab his arm. “Get away from me!” he shouted.

The group froze—then grew excited.

Their words grew crueler, their gazes more disgusting.

His childhood friend, trailing behind them, seemed unable to meet his eyes, staring at his phone until he heard the group demanding You Mi strip. Only then did he look up sharply.

“We won’t hit you. How about this—take off your clothes yourself so we can see if you’re really a boy…”

“Not willing? Then we’ll do it for you!”

“Not like you’ve got parents to tell on us anyway, right?”

Through the crowd of figures, his friend saw You Mi’s face—pale as a lamb awaiting slaughter—staring silently back at him. But in the next moment, amidst the group’s laughter, his wavering resolve shrank back into place.

His friend clenched his fists and turned away.

Yet barely two seconds later, a chorus of frightened screams made him whirl back around in disbelief.

He watched as You Mi, usually delicate and petite, pulled out a fruit knife and began slashing wildly: “Come on then! I won’t strip your clothes—I’ll strip your skin!”

It was the first time his childhood friend had seen You Mi snap.

The big guys were caught off guard, all panicking:

“Y-you’ve lost it!”

“Stop, stop—don’t swing that around! Someone could get hurt! Take it easy!”

“Agh—he’s serious!!! My arm’s bleeding… quick, someone hold him back!”

They never expected it—never expected the quiet boy who never raised his voice to suddenly brandish a knife and say, “You’re right. I have no parents. I have nothing. So no matter what I do, my life can’t get any worse.” His voice was still soft, but it sent chills down their spines. “That’s why I have nothing to lose!”

Everyone knows the saying: those with nothing fear nothing.

Those guys never dared to escalate things, let alone risk everything.

To them, this was just a meaningless “game.”

Cursing him as a “little lunatic,” they ran faster than anyone.

After that, You Mi used a secretly recorded audio clip to apply for a transfer. He didn’t know if those bullies ever faced consequences, but he never saw them again—including his childhood friend.

Later, in high school, during New Year’s visits with his uncle, he unexpectedly ended up at that friend’s house.

Though the friend was home, he didn’t dare come out. You Mi acted as if he’d forgotten him, never asking about him.

As he left, the friend’s older brother ran out and pulled him aside.

He said, “My brother was led astray by those guys back then. He had no choice… But they got what they deserved. After graduation, two of them got into trouble—heard they’re serving sentences now.”

“…”

“One of the ringleader’s fathers was my dad’s boss. Dad was in the middle of a promotion then… we really couldn’t afford to cross him. And you didn’t actually get hurt in the end, right? Now, it’s just karma. My brother had no choice. If he hadn’t gone along, both of you would’ve been targeted. At least this way, he could protect himself…”

You Mi felt sick but held it in. “No, you’ve got it wrong.”

“…What?”

His voice was still quiet, but it fell like a storm. “You shouldn’t be apologizing for him or asking for forgiveness. I don’t care what strangers do—I just look down on him. I lost nothing. He’s the one who lost himself. And I despise him for it.”

……

A few minutes before the competition began.

You Mi packed his sports bag and started warming up.

The woman with the fox tail, Asang, came over cheerfully to chat. After a short while, she gasped in surprise. “How do you know the Cave tunnels so well? I only remember a few of the internal maps…”

Stretching, You Mi smiled. “During registration, I studied past competition footage and all the Cave tunnel videos from the base several times.”

She was amazed.

Just then, the host outside began hyping up the crowd. Staff came with clipboards, instructing them to line up in order.

Taking a deep breath, You Mi tightened the headband marked “No. 5” and followed the other contestants out, nerves prickling.

Exiting the player tunnel, You Mi stepped into the bright outdoor stairway. Gazing at the sea of spectators below, he couldn’t spot Anshus or Carl in the crowd, so he turned his attention to the cameras hovering in the air.

At that moment, as the host announced each name, the large screen displayed a freeze-frame close-up of the contestant’s upper body.

You Mi wasn’t sure how the cameras were arranged. Knowing he was too small and worried the cameras might miss capturing his upper body—potentially causing a stage mishap—he instinctively jumped up when the host called out, “Contestant number five: You Mi from the Black Miasma Wasteland!”

…The entire venue fell silent.

The freeze-frame on the big screen showed a tiny figure floating mid-air.

The little figure had sheep horns on his head and a sports headband with the number “5” printed on it tied around his forehead. The long, thin tail of the headband was wrapped around his horns, and his strikingly delicate face wore a forced, nervous smile.

One second later, the audience erupted in unprecedented screams.