Chapter 435: Duty Call

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Chloe was absolutely losing the battle against the crowd.

There were thousands of people, and they all wanted one thing: to get into the fan zone, the area with the barriers where the players sign autographs after the game. And here, nobody was playing. Nobody was letting anyone else pass, no matter how sexy you were.

"Excuse me! Sorry! I need to..."

Bam.

An elbow hit her in the ribs, then a shoulder shoved into her back. It was like a human ocean, pushing her forward, then backward, then sideways. The crowd didn’t give a fuck about her.

"Hey, watch it!" someone yelled.

"I’ve been here for an hour!" another screamed.

"Stop pushing, big boobs!" a guy barked.

Big boobs?!

Chloe was stunned. She had read every single stat report in the league; she was basically a legend in Juggernauts, in a way, and she was an expert in the science of Breakball. And here she was, reduced to her chest. She was being crushed like a sardine in a can by a bunch of crazed fans. But honestly? She didn’t even care. She just wanted to get through.

She squeezed between two guys, found a tiny gap, and bolted. Finally, she crashed against the barrier, breathless, her face bright red, and her hair looking like a bird’s nest.

Finally.

Her heart was drumming against her ribs as she pulled out her notebook. She wanted an autograph on the first page, a dedication with her name, maybe a little heart, a photo, or even a strand of hair if she was lucky. She reached into her bag for a pen and...

Her bag.

She felt her shoulder. Empty.

She looked down. No strap, no bag. She spun around, frantically checking her jacket, her pockets, her pant, and even slapping her own chest in a panic.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no."

Her wallet, her phone, her keys. Her hotel key card, her credit card. Everything. She had left it all on a seat up in the stands.

Meanwhile, in the players’ corridor, the doors opened.

The screams from the crowd hit a whole new level.

Blacklist entered the fan zone like a group of kings, or rather, one King and several Queens. Nash was leading the way, wearing a clean jersey with a towel draped around his neck. Victoria was on his left, regal, calm, and totally indifferent to the chaos. Dahlia was on his right, walking with more dignity than what she had showed during the celebration. Behind them, the other girls followed, eyes sparkling and smiles wide.

The fans went absolutely crazy.

"Nash!" "Baby-Boom!" "Aiko!" "Jaz!" names were flying everywhere. Hands reached out, clutching markers, jerseys, and hats. One guy even tried to get a signature on his dick.

Kai looked at the guy with a disgusted face.

"Yeah, nope. I only touch my man’s dick. The best I can do is sign your belly."

"Wait... Does that mean he actually wants a tattoo on his..." Yuna realized and nearly choked.

Nash didn’t miss a beat. He grabbed the first marker offered to him and started signing. A jersey, a ball, a cap. He was smiling, chatting a bit, posing for photos. He felt the rush of the crowd, the energy of being the center of attention. Around him, the girls were handing out autographs like seasoned pros. As idols, this was their bread and butter.

This was exactly the kind of moment Nash had dreamed about as a kid, back when he lived in a neighborhood where nobody except his cousin even knew his name. He felt a surge of pride, he had actually made it to the top.

But then, a blue light flickered in the corner of his vision.

[Special Quest Detected]

Nash blinked. He kept the smile on his face like a pro liar, for the man in front of him, signing a cap, but his mind shifted entirely to the interface.

[Special Quest: Secret Meeting]

[Location: 480 meters from current position]

[Time remaining: 11:42]

[Details will be revealed upon arrival.]

What the hell is this?

He frowned slightly. No description, no reward, just a location and a ticking clock. Usually, the System laid at least something out with percentages, gauges, or an hint, but this one was being mysterious.

"Nash?"

Victoria was watching him from the corner of her eye. She was signing a kid’s jersey, but her attention was on him.

"You okay?"

"I gotta go," Nash whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"Something came up. I need to handle it right now. Head back to the manor, I’ll catch up with you guys."

She signed two more jerseys before answering in her usual flat tone.

"Is it serious?"

"Yeah."

She thought about it for a second, then gave a small nod.

"Fine. We’re basically done anyway. We’ll organize an open training day for the public soon so we’ll have a proper time with them. Let me know when you’re completely free."

That was it. No questions, no demands for an explanation. That was her way of saying she trusted him and that she’d cover his ass.

"Sure, thanks." He started walking away.

When the other girls realized he was actually leaving, the silence lasted about two seconds before a chorus of protests broke out.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where do you think you’re going with my evening plans?" Hina puffed out her cheeks, looking annoyed.

"What?! You’re leaving?!" Hana asked, shocked.

"Something happened, I need to check something quickly," Nash answered, glancing back.

But the timing was so terrible... The girls started getting restless.

"You promised us a tsunami!"

"Are you running away from your responsibility?!"

"I’ll catch up!" Nash promised, holding his hands up in surrender. "I’ll be back fast."

He felt so horrible, all this build up for this. But he couldn’t ignore a special quest popping out of nowhere.

Last time something like that happened, it changed the lives of everyone around him and created his new perfect life. What could he get with this one? Especially with Apex in the corner.

The reactions were all over the place, and he couldn’t do shit about it. Some pouted, some crossed their arms, and Nia even gave him a playful middle finger. Only Jaz and Miko smiled with their usual sweetness.

"We’ll wait for you," Jaz said.

"Thanks."

He pushed his way through the crowd. One fan shook his hand, another yelled "Bravo!", and a third handed him a pen, which Nash used to sign everything in his path until he finally hit the secondary exit.

Finally outside. The stadium was still roaring behind him, but it sounded muffled and distant now.

[Time remaining: 10:18]

He started walking.

On the other side of the stadium, Chloe was coming out of the stands for the third time.

She had searched everywhere. The rows, the seats, the steps, the trash cans. She had even asked two security guards, who told her that lost and found wouldn’t be open until tomorrow. They basically told her that in the "law of the street," if you lose something, someone else is probably having a great dinner with your money so deal with it.

She had even gone back to the exact spot where she had sat with Snow, but still nothing.

Absolutely nothing. Her bag was gone. Someone had stolen it, moved it, or thrown it away.

She ended up outside on the deserted plaza, right in front of the big glass doors that a tired employee had just closed.

The night air was chilly. The streetlamps cast large, orange circles of light on the ground. There wasn’t a soul around, and maybe it was better this way.

Snow was gone, and Rain was probably gone too. The others were in their hotels, miles away. She had no phone to call them, no money for a taxi, and no key card to get back into her room, even if she knew how to get there.

She sat down on a step, clutching her notebook tightly against her chest.

Calm down, she told herself. Just take your inventory.

A notebook, without a pen. A coat. A pair of shoes. Zero money. Zero ID. Zero plan.

Her throat tightened.

Don’t panic, she repeated. Don’t pan... I’m gonna panic, I’m so dead...

A single tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily.

"Stupid," she whispered. "Stupid, stupid Chloé. Snow was right. All this for one autograph."

She buried her face in her knees. She had never been good at asking for help. Numbers? Yes. People? Not so much. In that moment, she felt tiny, lost, and completely alone in a city she didn’t know. She felt like a little lamb in a world full of wolves.

Then, she heard the noise of a wolf , and she shivered. Footsteps on the concrete were coming to her.

She didn’t look up right away. Someone was approaching slowly. She just stayed still, hoping she would blend in the decor and be avoided, but the footsteps came closer and closer.

She grit her teeth, ready to scream at any moment.

"Hey."

She froze.

It was a man’s voice, calm, almost soft. And somehow, she felt like she had heard it somewhere.

She slowly rose her head, her eyes red and her cheeks wet.

And for her, time just stopped.

Standing there in the orange glow of the streetlight, wearing a black jersey and a towel around his neck, Nash.