The train police took control of the situation at the scene. The train company compensated all passengers for damages and dispatched a new, more modern, luxurious train to continue their journey to the original destination, without any extra charges.
Security systems were upgraded to the maximum to rebuild customer trust. In truth, this was more of a PR move to show the public that they were taking full responsibility and to save face. The company pressured the police to investigate how the terrorists managed to bring war-grade weapons onto the train.
The Neo-Guevara group could be seen as both small and large. Their ideology originated from discontent with the social credit system. Many ordinary people shared similar frustrations, which led to the formation of this terrorist group. However, until recently, the police had largely ignored Neo-Guevara.
First, they were a relatively new group with no history of severe incidents. Second, although many sympathized with Neo-Guevara's cause, few actually joined their ranks. So long as they did nothing illegal, the police would turn a blind eye.
The police certainly didn't expect that Neo-Guevara would possess war-grade weapons sourced from a major company. These were black-market arms far more effective than anything available to civilians for self-defense. Even the train police used war-grade arms, but the terrorists' weapons were visibly superior. There were clearly unanswered questions: where did these weapons come from, and which company produced them?
As for how the weapons were brought onto the train, the only logical conclusion was that there was an inside man aiding the Neo-Guevara, facilitating the smuggling. The baggage checks at the train station were extremely strict, with multiple security systems and numerous eyes watching. Even with someone at the station cooperating with the terrorists, they couldn't just wave the baggage through without opening the bags.
Whether it was the weapons' origin or insider help, it was impossible for Neo-Guevara to pull this off alone.
'An unseen hand is manipulating things behind the scenes.'
Since Asic only used rubber bullets during the confrontation, no one died except Zucker, who was shot by that other officer. All the terrorists were captured and interrogated, but it was a shame that Zucker, who might have held crucial information, was already dead.
The cross-city train hijacking became a trending topic on the internet, hitting the top of search rankings. This was partly because people from various walks of life were involved—wealthy businessmen from leading companies, famous artists and celebrities taken as hostages, and even Ivy, who was a former six-star Miner.
Rumors suddenly began circulating online that the person who took down the terrorists was a lone young man. Before the speculation could spread further, the posts were mysteriously deleted, vanishing as though they never existed. Even the passengers were approached by a group of police officers, who requested they keep their mouths shut and sign confidentiality agreements.
Palon and Ejin received assistance—they were given private accommodations and a large compensation to help start their new life in Oceanstone. Everyone seemed content, except for Asic, who was granted special privileges. He got the best room on the train, being treated like royalty. But to Asic, it felt more like a prison.
Two train police officers were stationed outside his room, ensuring his security. No unauthorized persons were allowed to see Asic, which meant Palon and Ejin couldn't visit him even if they wanted to. Rumors were already spreading that the one who saved the hostages and recovered the train was, in fact, an agent.
Although Asic had resigned from the police, he was still in the witness protection program as a former agent. Information regarding agent officers was classified at the highest level.
The upside was that Asic had the entire train carriage to himself—a luxurious room, a private bar, unlimited buffet meals, and even a swimming pool, all at the company's expense. He could live like a king until reaching Oceanstone, provided he didn't go wandering around as he pleased.
Asic picked up a book, a three-shot cappuccino, buttered bread drizzled with condensed milk, and played soft classical music on a vintage record player. The view out the window rushed by quickly. The atmosphere was perfect but felt empty and overwhelmingly lonely.
Asic's heart remained numb, his mind consumed by the anger over Zucker's death, unable to concentrate on the book in his hand. Two hours later, he received a message notifying him that his social credit score had increased by 300 points.
Social credit points increased when you contributed positively to society, while it punished those who acted as a malignant force. Quality of life either improved or declined based on this number, managed by a program. The moment your score went negative, you lost your humanity in the eyes of the system.
It was a detestable system. Tens of thousands of people understood Neo-Guevara's ideology, but they didn't dare rise against it.
"If you're a good person, there's nothing to fear," was often said. As long as you weren't guilty of anything, you didn't have to fear the social credit system. If you behaved well, life was comfortable; if you didn't, you faced discrimination. Even though it was an oppressive system, it had its own form of fairness.
"So, a human life is worth just 300 points, huh? Depressing." Asic muttered, seeing the score increase by less than 0.01% of his current total. For someone else, it might be a huge number, but for Asic, it was meaningless. If he could, he would trade those 300 points to bring Zucker back.
'That man… He must be Agent 09.' Asic recalled the officer who used the sniper rifle to blow Zucker's brains out right before his eyes. Even someone as calm and composed as Asic could feel a surge of rage.
Asic spent time alone in his room until he received a notification from the officers outside, informing him that someone wanted to meet him. This piqued his interest. Given that Asic was under the witness protection program, ordinary people had no access to his information. Anyone allowed to meet him at this point had to have connections with the police or the train company.
"If it's not a beautiful woman, I'm not interested," Asic thought, connecting to the camera installed outside his door. On the screen was a young woman with silver-purple hair, ruby eyes, and skin as fair as pearls. Her pink lips and flushed face, coupled with her graceful figure, matched Asic's taste perfectly.
Ivy had shown her quick thinking, picking up a gun and shooting Zucker's dominant hand just as he was about to throw his second card. She had saved the other hostages and made it easier for Asic to track Zucker by the blood trail he left while fleeing. She had played a significant role in the capture.
"Let her in." Asic didn't normally meet with women he had shared a bed with twice, but given his loneliness and desire for company, he made an exception. As soon as he approved, the locked door opened.
Ivy stepped inside, scanning the room. She gave Asic a sweet smile, her gaze different from the last time. Her first impression of Asic had been that he was charming and eloquent, his voice melodic and captivating. But seeing him again made her realize he was mysterious and intriguing.
She wanted to know who he really was, what secrets he was hiding. Standing before Asic again felt like encountering a first love—it was something new for her.
"Hello. I hope I'm not disturbing you," Ivy said.
"Not at all. I'm always happy to welcome a beautiful woman, especially a courageous one like you. I hope you don't mind my messy bachelor pad," Asic replied with a wink.
"If this room is messy, then there's no clean room in the entire train," Ivy chuckled.
"Would you like something to eat? My treat. I have the privilege of a five-star buffet—it would be a shame not to make use of it. I could order enough for the entire train car, but let's keep it modest so the company doesn't go bankrupt," Asic said, showing Ivy the menu.
"Thank you," Ivy replied, sitting down in the chair across from Asic. She looked over the menu and ordered a bubble tea, some sweet bread dusted with sugar, and a Black Forest cake. Asic observed her demeanor—she had the aura of someone born into an extraordinary family.
"Back then, if you hadn't helped, I don't know what would've happened to me. I wanted to thank you in person," Ivy said.
"It was my job... or rather, something I had to do. I'm honored to play the role of a prince on a white horse saving a princess like you," Asic replied, smiling softly.
"I think our meeting was fate. It brought us together in strange situations—twice," Ivy said.
"I didn't think the beautiful woman from last night would end up being taken hostage by terrorists. You've really impressed me," Asic said.
"And I didn't think the handsome man I met last night would be a specialist. Your shooting technique almost gave me a heart attack. I know some good shooting stances myself—if you'd like, I could teach you? I charge just a matcha latte for the lesson," Asic teased.
"Stop messing with me," Ivy blushed.
"Who's messing around? We were just talking about shooting stances. Oh, or are you thinking about something else, Ivy?" Asic grinned playfully, watching Ivy's face turn crimson. She felt like her entire body was vibrating with embarrassment—Asic seemed to be enjoying teasing a pure-hearted girl like her.
His face seemed to say, 'I love making a beautiful woman like you blush.'
'Jerk, womanizer, natural enemy of all women,' Ivy cursed Asic silently, taking a deep sip of her bubble tea to regain her composure.
"I didn't expect the man from last night to have special abilities," Ivy said, her gaze now scrutinizing Asic with curiosity. Asic didn't mind—he even struck a pose for her to admire.
"If you keep staring, even I might get shy," Asic said with a flirtatious look. The pink aura from Asic almost made Ivy's heart ache—he could switch from hunter to prey as easily as flipping his hand, setting a sweet trap that tempted her to step closer.
"Your eyes aren't ordinary. They gather more information than most people's, slowing everything down for you. You can see the bullet paths and intercept them. At first, I thought it was an eye implant, but when we locked eyes, I realized it wasn't," Ivy said, a sly smile playing on her lips. Eye implants that could detect bullet trajectories cost a fortune, yet Asic had similar abilities without any surgery or modifications.
It was a natural talent.
"When that man used his Ego, I warned you. But if you hadn't been quick-witted and reacted fast enough, we would all be dead. At that moment, I saw electricity flowing through your body. You must have a rare lightning-aspected Asra ability that enhances your nerve responses and physical abilities beyond human limits."
"I clearly remember you using a revolver and firing six rounds—that's the maximum capacity of the chamber. But you shot a seventh bullet immediately without reloading. Others might not have noticed, but my eyes didn't miss it. It's not that you didn't reload; it's that you reloaded so quickly it was as if the time taken had been erased. It was like a video edit."
"As incredible as it sounds, if I eliminate all other possibilities and leave only the truth, I have to conclude that you possess some form of time manipulation power. Am I right?" Ivy's description of Asic's abilities was as thorough as if she had written an entire book about him.
This woman seemed to be utterly captivated by Asic. She had pieced together a remarkably accurate picture of his abilities based on limited information. Beyond witnessing Asic taking down the terrorists to save the hostages, she must have even reviewed footage from security cameras.
"Even more impressive, you seem to have expertise in handling power users, and you were allowed to carry a gun onto the train. There aren't many people in this world granted such privileges. You must be one of them, right?"
"That's an outstanding deduction, truly. I admit defeat," Asic applauded Ivy. Though she hadn't said it outright, from her confidence, it was clear that she had deduced Asic was one of the agents simply by analyzing the situation.
Asic was not just a mysterious young man worth exploring. He was a walking treasure trove—a former agent of immense skill, still young, with a rare Asra affinity for lightning and even temporal manipulation. You could search the entire world and only find a handful like him.
Asic had met many types of women—those who were affectionate, those who wanted to possess him, and those who harbored malice. The look Ivy gave him didn't hide her desire. She wanted him, not just his abilities and his body, but his heart as well. But she approached him carefully, choosing her moves with caution.
"I have a proposal," Ivy began, shifting to a more assertive tone.
"Black Rose Foundation needs talent like you—your skills, your experience. I want to hire you as a Miner under our banner, with a contract equivalent to that of a four-star Miner. The commission split would be 8:2, and the guarantee is this card." Ivy pulled a card from her pocket and placed it on the table.
It was an Asra card.
Asic reached out, touching the card and connecting to the system. Information about the card instantly appeared in his mind.
[Azure Dragon's Might (Spade 10)]
[Super Card] [Type: Power] [Development Potential: 3]
[Conditions: 25 units of Asra Power, 10 units of physical strength, mastery of 10 dragon-style techniques]
[Attributes: Augments Asra Power with Azure Dragon Qi, increases the effectiveness of dragon-style offensive techniques, and enhances sky-related powers.]