It wasn't long before Ivy believed she would see Asic again, but she could have never imagined their reunion would be in the midst of a life-threatening crisis. He appeared, revolver in hand, rescuing her and the other hostages from the terrorists.
Ivy had helped countless people, but when she had hit rock bottom, left hopeless, she had been abandoned and left to fend for herself. On that day, she had walked into a bar and seen him sitting alone, his eyes filled with emptiness and sorrow, as though his heart had already died. Ivy had been drawn to him because of their similar brokenness and had approached him.
He had liberated her from her pain, and now, when she no longer expected anything, he had saved her again. It made Ivy realize her heart wasn't as strong as she had once believed. The image of herself standing strong against the terrorists vanished, replaced by the truth—she was just a weak woman yearning to be protected. For Ivy, Asic was now like a hero, a prince riding a white horse.
"You..." Ivy began to say something to Asic, her ruby eyes meeting his amethyst ones, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
BOOM!
An explosion shook the train's wheel assembly. The rails were damaged, and the high-speed train began to derail. The entire train shook violently, accompanied by the screams of passengers. Asic grabbed Ivy, wrapping his arm around her, and used his other hand to grip the nearest metal railing.
'He's so strong.' Ivy's cheek was pressed against Asic's chest, which felt like solid rock—massive and unyielding. The proximity made her acutely aware of his hardened physique. She wondered how much effort it had taken to forge a body like this.
CRASH!
The shrieking of metal and the deafening clatter of scattered belongings filled the air. People who hadn't found anything to hold onto were thrown around, crashing into objects and getting injured.
Zucker, who should have been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes, leaping up and running toward the door. An orange aura emanated from his body. A card that had been hidden up his sleeve fell, and he caught it between two fingers. He turned back, looking at Asic and Ivy with a murderous glare.
"You ruined everything!" Zucker shouted, still aching from the bullet wound. His men were down, and he alone couldn't control the hundreds of passengers and train police. If he stayed, he'd be captured by the incoming special police forces. His only choice was to flee.
Unforgivable.
'Unforgivable, unforgivable!' His meticulously planned operation, the manpower invested, all ruined by one man. Zucker swore to remember this vengeance for eternity.
'I will destroy everything.'
An intense aura erupted from Zucker's body. A card flew out from his chest, and he grabbed it, channeling all of his energy into it.
"Manifest! My Ego!" Zucker crushed the card in his hand, his body dimming slightly as though half of his life force had been extracted. The surrounding atmosphere grew heavy, and Zucker's eyes sharpened as he announced the name of his power.
"The Gambit!"
A mass of energy began to form behind Zucker, taking on a humanoid shape. Asic saw a shadow behind Zucker—a figure made of thousands of cards pieced together.
He was an Ego user!
"The Gambit! Shuffle!" Zucker commanded his Ego. The Gambit grabbed a deck of cards, shuffling them at blinding speed, its hands a blur. Zucker reached out, touching the deck, and drew a card.
The Eight of Hearts.
Zucker hurled the card like a shuriken, sending it flying straight at Asic. The young man raised his revolver, ready to shoot it down.
"No! It will explode!" Ivy warned Asic just as he was about to fire. The explosion on the train's wheels must have been caused by Zucker's Ego power. Ivy used her experience and intuition to recognize that Zucker's attack would result in an explosion.
Asic focused, gathering electrical currents in his legs, and dashed forward, catching the card in mid-air. He looked up, finding a small opening in the window above—barely two centimeters wide. With precision, he flicked the card through the gap, just in time for it to fly outside.
BOOM!
The explosion rattled the train car, the force just strong enough to cause damage but not as devastating as it could have been. If Ivy hadn't warned Asic, or if he hadn't managed to throw the card out in time, it would have been a catastrophe.
Zucker clicked his tongue, frustrated at his failed attempt. He reached for another card, intending to use his power again. Ivy spotted a pistol dropped by one of Zucker's men. She lunged for it, raised it, and fired without even aiming.
BANG!
The metal bullet pierced Zucker's hand, splattering blood. The pain twisted his face in agony, and he glared at Ivy with murderous hatred.
"You bitch!" Zucker cursed. He would remember Ivy's name, and one day, he would make her pay. The terrorist leader used his aura to enhance his speed and fled from the train. Asic left Ivy and the other passengers, pursuing Zucker closely.
----
Asra Power was a fundamental force necessary for combat, akin to magic in wizardry tales or Qi in martial arts novels. To increase one's combat potential, two other elements were needed—technique and Asra Cards.
Asra Cards connected to the Fluction system, granting special abilities to users. They could transform bodies into fire, summon beings from another dimension, conjure rare weapons, communicate with animals, cause seeds to grow instantly, teleport items, and more—limited only by imagination.
Asra Cards were divided into two types: those that could be bought on the market and those that couldn't—the Ego Cards.
Ego.
An Ego was a manifestation of one's thoughts, resolve, and ideals, brought to form by the Asra energy. Its power depended entirely on the user's spirit. The stronger the user's spirit, the more powerful the Ego. Among thousands, only a handful had the ability to wield an Ego. It was a gift bestowed upon the chosen, with each Ego being entirely unique, without duplicate.
Zucker was born with this talent, but he couldn't use it until he reached a turning point in his life.
'Damn it, everything's ruined. Completely ruined.'
According to the original plan, Zucker would seize the intercity train, use the passengers for ransom, and spread the Neo-Guevara ideology. He had planned an escape route in case of failure, planting cards on the train wheels to detonate for his getaway.
'Who is that guy? How is he so skilled? How did he manage to catch the card I threw? Damn it! He's not human—he can't be!' Zucker ran with all his might, placing all the blame on Asic for foiling his plan. Every misfortune was because of Asic.
As he ran, he recalled Ivy's accidental mention of the word.
Agent.
An Agent was a secret officer, a specialized unit formed by the elite from various special forces, trained specifically to handle Asra-powered criminals. They could face any type of power user and solve cases beyond the capacity of regular police.
Agents had earned the nickname "Ego Hunters."
If Asic really was an Agent, then Zucker and the Neo-Guevara group had been truly unlucky—of all times to conduct a terrorist act, it had to be when an Agent happened to be on the train. No wonder their plan had fallen apart.
Zucker increased his pace, his senses on high alert as he noticed movement behind him. When he turned, he was met with a rubber bullet flying straight at his face.
"The Gambit!" Zucker instinctively called for his Ego, flinging a card to intercept the incoming bullet, resulting in an explosion. The blast was weaker than those on the train.
Zucker drew another card with his left hand, searching for his enemy, but there wasn't even a shadow in sight.
'Where are you?!' Zucker was in a panic, quickly relocating from his current spot. He knew Asic would be able to pinpoint his position, while he remained clueless about where Asic was. Every passing second was like dangling his life by a thread.
Positioning was key in battle, especially in modern combat where an engagement could be decided in an instant. Asic had learned about psychological warfare, the importance of positioning, and strategies during his time at the police academy.
If the enemy knew your position, you were vulnerable to attack, which could mean death. Conversely, if you knew your opponent's position, it became a weapon. In battle, finding the enemy's location while hiding your own was fundamental. Asic stayed hidden, watching Zucker's movements with a calm focus.
Asic was crouched behind a tree, not far from Zucker's position.
'His power involves throwing cards that explode. I've seen him use it twice—once on the train and once to destroy my bullet. Each explosion varied in intensity, so there must be some conditions tied to its use,' Asic analyzed Zucker's Gambit power. Aside from the two explosions he had witnessed, there was also the blast that had derailed the train, strong enough to throw it off its tracks.
When Zucker used his power the first time, Asic clearly remembered that the card had the number Eight of Hearts. The card thrown just now had a number too—though it wasn't clear, it seemed to be a Five.
The first use of the power had a more potent explosion than the second. Asic concluded that the higher the number on the card, the greater its destructive power. This meant that Zucker couldn't fully control the damage caused by The Gambit. He had to keep a certain distance from his target to avoid getting caught in the blast.
'On the train, he kept about twenty meters away before throwing the card. Twenty meters must be his safety range,' Asic inferred. Ego powers were unique—gifts with great benefits but also restrictions. The power of an Ego was far greater than that of an ordinary Asra card, but its use came with considerable caution.
Zucker wielded a dangerous power, and it was a waste to see him use his gift for terrorism. If Zucker had used The Gambit as a Miner, he could have benefited both himself and society. It was a pity, Asic thought.
Asic moved stealthily through the shadows of the trees, making sure Zucker couldn't spot him. He checked his revolver—only 26 bullets left. He needed to find the perfect position and end the fight in one swift move. His footsteps were silent as he stepped through the grass.
'160 meters—within range.' Asic raised his revolver, aiming carefully, then pulled the trigger. Six rubber bullets fired in rapid succession, hitting Zucker squarely in the back.
Zucker fell to the sandy ground without a chance to retaliate. Asic approached cautiously to confirm Zucker was truly unconscious. As he stepped closer, something beneath his foot lit up—a faint orange glow, followed by a sensation of energy building beneath his sole. Asic's pupils contracted in alarm.
BOOM!!!
Another powerful explosion erupted. This one was far stronger than the blasts on the train or the previous encounters with Zucker's explosive cards. The surrounding air seemed to ripple from the shockwave, the force felt kilometers away.