Asic arrived at the medium-sized office that had been transferred to his name. It was located just 500 meters from the nearest train station, making the journey easy. Situated in Special Economic Zone 5, it was surrounded by company offices and numerous restaurants, making daily living convenient—you could order food and have it delivered within five minutes.
Asic stood gazing at the office that Legis had left for him. The building was five stories tall, about 20 meters high, and covered an area of 1,000 square meters. It wasn't too small or too large—perfect for a company office. At least it was better than starting a business out of a garage. With no tall buildings nearby, the view wasn't obstructed by shadows, but what did bother Asic was the waist-high grass and piles of trash heaped like a local dumping ground.
"First thing's first, it needs to be cleaned up," Asic muttered. Though he could endure weeks without a shower or sleeping rough on assignments, if he had a choice, he'd rather not sleep in an office that resembled a community dump. The smell of rot and the scurrying of rats and insects darkened his otherwise handsome features.
In the year 2075, there was no regular trash collection service. If you wanted your trash picked up, you had to contract a cleaning company partnered with the local district. If not, you had to deal with the waste yourself. Empty lots and unused buildings like this one became convenient targets for indiscriminate dumping. People were often too lazy to dispose of their waste properly or reluctant to pay for trash removal services.
Using an app on his system, Asic contacted a cleaning company, uploading photos and tagging the location for a quote.
"That's so expensive—800 dollars for just cleaning up trash? And it would take 20 days?" Asic clenched his fist in frustration. Since Special Economic Zone 5 had a partnership with just one cleaning company, there were no competitors, leaving Asic with no other choice but to clean it himself. Hiring another company was also out of the question since they wouldn't be authorized by the area owner.
[Too slow. Can you do it faster?] Asic messaged the cleaning company. In response, they offered a range of packages:
- 1,600 dollars: done in 14 days
- 2,400 dollars: done in 10 days
- 3,000 dollars: done in 7 days
- 4,200 dollars: done in 4 days
- 5,000 dollars: done in 1 day
- 10,000 dollars: done in 12 hours
- 20,000 dollars: done in 6 hours
- 25,000 dollars: done in 1 hour
"Capitalism at its finest," Asic sighed, feeling like he was being scammed. Who in their right mind would spend 25,000 dollars for cleaning? But as he glanced again at the towering piles of garbage, the prospect of dealing with it became daunting.
"If it were Legis, he'd probably say, 'How many chances do you get to spend 20 grand on cleaning in a lifetime?' and then pick the most expensive one without hesitation. Damn it," Asic muttered, selecting the highest package. He intended that if the company failed to make the office spotless within an hour, he'd send a lawyer friend to sue them.
Twenty-five thousand dollars from Legis's inheritance vanished in an instant. Within five minutes, five garbage trucks came screeching around the corner, parking in front of the office. A group of men in green uniforms, fully equipped with cleaning tools, jumped out.
"All right, you bastards! Time to show off why we're the number-one cleaning crew in Cryptopolis!"
"Hell yeah!"
"It's not every day some fool pays 25,000 for cleaning! Drinks on us tonight! Haha!" The workers were overjoyed, laughing at the sudden windfall. The promise of a bonus if they completed the job made them highly motivated. Asic watched as the mountains of trash began to disappear.
The garbage trucks rotated, taking turns dumping loads and coming back for more. Within just 45 minutes, all the trash was gone, as if it had never been there. The remaining 15 minutes were used to restore the exterior, making the office look brand new again.
"Please sign here," a representative from the cleaning company approached Asic, who had been watching the entire process without blinking. His hand shook slightly as he signed off on the completion.
"Thank you for choosing our service. We hope you're satisfied."
"Very satisfied," Asic replied, albeit reluctantly. Spending 25,000 dollars for cleaning that made the place spotless within an hour was worth it, but it still pained him. He had given in to curiosity and ended up spending extravagantly.
Asic tapped his card to unlock the door and entered the office. He explored the building and found it was full of essential amenities—desks, computers, a library, a kitchen, meeting rooms, recreational areas, a swimming pool, and several bedrooms. The basement had a gym and a training room, much larger than his own house.
Everything looked new and modern—far too well-kept for an abandoned office. Personal items like towels and toothbrushes were even laid out in some rooms.
"Could this have been a secret safe house of Legis's? Maybe he didn't sign a cleaning contract to make it look abandoned," Asic mused. The mountains of trash, which had almost blocked the main entrance, would make entering the building through normal means almost impossible. If Legis had wanted to access the safe house, he must have had another way in.
"This office must have a hidden passage. If it's Legis, he'd hide it somewhere odd but not too difficult to find—like a mouse hole or a drain pipe." Using his investigative skills, Asic searched for any unusual details. He found several mouse holes that seemed out of place. Sending a weak electric current into each one, he heard the distressed squeaks of mice—except for one.
Reaching in, Asic found a hidden lever. Pulling it, the wall transformed into a sliding door, revealing a hidden passageway leading underground.
Asic explored the hidden path for a while. It led to four exits: a sewer line connected to the subway station, the parking lot of a shopping mall, a public park farther away, and a secret room that seemed to be Legis's true base of operations.
"I knew there had to be a secret room. You never change, do you, big brother?" Asic muttered. Legis had once boasted that he would build the greatest underground base, and now Asic could see it with his own eyes. Unfortunately, the one who built it was no longer around.
---
The first thing that caught Asic's eye in the hidden room was the armory—weapons of war-grade quality. Heavy machine guns, pistols of all kinds, sniper rifles, grenades, plasma swords, electric batons, spears, body armor, and other gear. Everything from close-range to long-range weapons was stocked here.
"No wonder he never told us. Otherwise, I'd have had to arrest my own brother," Asic muttered. Each item was something the average citizen couldn't get their hands on, including tranquilizers and healing drugs with illegal ingredients. It made the room look more like a terrorist's hideout.
Aside from the armory, there was a document storage room filled with information on the underground world.
"No ordinary Miner would build a hidden safe house under an abandoned office, and these documents contain cases tied to the dark side of the new world. If I read all these, I should be able to trace my brother's work." Asic had already discarded the notion that Legis was just a regular Miner when he found out about his expensive office in Cryptopolis. Now, it was clear that Legis had always been secretly involved in dangerous operations.
Asic continued his investigation until he found a particular piece of equipment—a card chip reader.
The technology connected the computer to the human brain, allowing the data from a chip card to be uploaded directly into the user's memory. Asic hadn't forgotten that aside from the Asra card, the black box from the Deep Bank contained a memory chip card. He carried the device upstairs and connected it to one of the computers.
Asic inserted the memory chip and put on a helmet-like device. As the machine activated, his consciousness was gradually pulled into a mental realm. When he became aware again, he was in a stark, white rectangular room, and at the center sat a young man on a black sofa.
"Yo!"
It was a man in his mid-thirties with black hair and amethyst eyes, just like Asic. His face bore a bright, carefree smile that radiated warmth—a kind of warmth that made the heart, which had long grown numb, beat a little faster.
"Yo. I never thought I'd see you again, big brother," Asic said, knowing well that the man in front of him was nothing but a recorded memory. The real Legis Quadro had died six months ago.
"Asic, I know you're out there. Well, obviously, since I wrote my will specifically for you. If anyone else had opened this, we'd be in big trouble," Legis laughed cheerfully. His personality was always half-serious, half-joking, but no one could hate him for it—everyone loved Legis for who he was.
"But seeing me here means I'm dead. No doubt about that," Legis said, smiling so calmly that it didn't seem like he was talking about his own death. It was a smile that showed acceptance of his fate, knowing he didn't have much time left.
"You knew, didn't you," Asic muttered. Seeing his brother's reaction confirmed it—Legis's death wasn't just collateral damage from a serial killer. It had been a staged murder. His brother's demeanor said it all: he had known he would be killed. What serial killer victim would calmly record a goodbye message like this?
'I will find them. I will find the real killer.'
"Hey, I know what you're thinking. The fact that you're thinking like that shows you're still naive, weak, pathetic. Not cool at all," Legis suddenly yelled, breaking Asic's focus.
"You're nothing but ash in a can, and you still have the nerve to talk," Asic shot back, knowing it was pointless to argue with a recording.
"Heh, even as ashes, I still care about looking cool. I should probably see a psychiatrist. I wonder if there are any hot ones in heaven?" Legis pretended to fix his hair, concerned about looking good even in his recorded message. Asic looked at his brother with a mix of exasperation and fondness—both of them were hopeless when it came to women.
"Truthfully, there are so many things I want to say to you, little brother," Legis began reminiscing. The ten-year age gap between them had left plenty of stories—memories that made both of them grow into who they were today.
Asic listened intently as Legis spoke. Every word, every tone, Asic absorbed without letting anything slip. This was his final conversation with his brother. Asic's amethyst eyes reddened. Legis rambled on for almost an hour, leaving messages for their mother, sister, nieces, and daughter until finally...
"Honestly, the person I'm most worried about is you, Asic." Legis looked straight into Asic's eyes, as if he knew his brother was standing right in front of him.
"Both of us have talents that make us different. Neither Meri nor Mom really understands what it's like to be people like us. As your elder, I didn't raise you like a brother but more like a son. Now that I'm gone, you're on your own. You're talented, and I have faith in you.
"I trust that you can protect our family. And please, take care of my wife and daughter." Legis entrusted Asic with his family. He had no way of knowing that his partner had died just a month after him and that his daughter now had a new, loving home.
"Alright, enough nonsense. I know you're investigating my death right now. I'll just tell you the truth," Legis said, his expression and tone growing serious.
'Here it is—a clue from my brother,' Asic thought, frowning and focusing his mind to its limit, prepared to listen to what Legis would reveal. But Legis's serious expression turned into a mischievous grin.
"As if I'd tell you, you fool. Don't avenge me, Asic. Absolutely do not," Legis said.
"You were expecting some critical clue, weren't you? Too bad—there's nothing like that here! Hahaha!"
"!!!" Asic was enraged, his anger peaking as he realized he had been deceived, even in his brother's farewell message.
"Why? Why aren't you angry about your own death at all? Don't joke about this!" Asic shouted into the subconscious realm where only he existed. Purple and black lightning swirled around his body, driven by his emotions. Here, in this mental space, he could unleash his feelings without restraint.
"You knew you were in danger, you knew you were going to die, and yet you didn't hold any grudge against those who wanted you dead? And you still sit there smiling like it's nothing? Think about those you left behind! It's too irresponsible, you bastard brother!" Asic vented all his pent-up feelings, the ones he had carried for months. He had lived every day with those thoughts—
'If my brother died an unjust death, but he himself didn't care at all, as if he'd accepted being killed… What am I supposed to feel about that?' Asic wanted to cry, but his tears had long dried up.
"My adventure has come to an end. I don't want anyone avenging me, not in the slightest. I was the one who kicked the hornet's nest and got myself killed," Legis said, his warm eyes turning sharp, crossing one leg over the other, an almost villainous smile playing on his lips.
"Who do you think you are, Asic, to interfere in my affairs?"
"You think just because you're my brother, you can meddle in my personal business? No. I never asked for your help. Stop investigating my death. It has nothing to do with you. Live your life—quit the police force, find a wife, get married, and have kids."
"That's my dying wish, from your oh-so-great brother." Legis sat there, commanding Asic as only an older brother could. His intention was clear—to push Asic out of his business. Asic, who had been confused until just moments ago, found a sense of clarity in his brother's words.
"My brother was killed, and I'm supposed to do nothing? What a cheap joke—it's not even funny." Asic smirked slightly. Legis wanted Asic to return to a normal life, but Asic had already gone too far to turn back. The path he had chosen was no longer one for ordinary people.
"Even if…"
"Even if you have to die, you're determined to catch the culprit, right?" Legis laughed quietly.
"This death-seeking nature must be genetic—you're definitely my brother," Legis said sarcastically. He knew his brother inside and out, as intimately as a parasite in Asic's gut. Though Asic appeared obedient, he was the most rebellious of the three siblings—order him right, he'd go left; tell him to buy wine, he'd come back with hard liquor.
"If you choose to fight on and end up dead, that's on you. I won't be attending your funeral. Blame me for knowing you too well. That's why I prepared a very special gift," Legis said, reaching out his hand. A card appeared before Asic—the same card Legis had placed in the black box at Deep Bank, now floating before him.
"No matter how much someone hones their skills, their potential always has limits. To reach the top without relying on Asra cards? Impossible, honestly. Asic, you of all people should know that best."
"Yeah, I know it well—too well, actually. It's depressing," Asic replied. He had always faced off against those with Egos and Asra cards. No one understood the significance of having a card better than he did.
"At the highest levels of Miners, there's more than just perfected skills—there's also a slew of overpowered abilities. Compared to them, you're just a baby, Asic. You can't use Asra cards like the others, but cheer up—this is my last gift for you, from your oh-so-wonderful brother," Legis touched the card and infused it with power, revealing its information to Asic.
"Its name is Mining System Number 01. Its power is to forcefully awaken the user's Ego and develop it without limits. If you use it, you'll become an Ego user immediately. I've seen someone with the same condition as you awaken their Ego using a similar item."
"But let me warn you, this is a cursed card. It's claimed hundreds of lives. Even I couldn't fully control it. If you survive and manage to install it, you'll gain a power so ridiculously overpowered that even I'd be jealous. It's a power capable of changing the new world."
A power capable of changing the new world.
Asic wanted to see what kind of power it was. Legis's death had taught him that in this new world, without money, fame, or power, one could do nothing. Legis wanted to teach his brother that if he wanted his ideals to become reality, he needed the power to back them up. Justice in this world was broken, and if Asic wanted to fix it, he needed everything his enemies had.
Asic had exceptional abilities, but in the eyes of the new world, he was nothing more than an ant—insignificant and unnoticed. He had served the people faithfully as a police officer without ever seeking recognition or power. But now, things would be different.
Perhaps that was why Legis had specified that Asic should open the will six months after his death—to teach him this lesson. And finally, the last part of Legis's message had come.
"Asic!" Legis's voice suddenly rose, the sternness vanishing, replaced by the familiar warmth and cheerfulness Asic had always known.
"Let me tell you something—I'm really damn cool for having a brother as awesome as you." Legis raised his hand, ruffling his hair in embarrassment. The smile on his face showed joy, pride, and uncertainty, as if he were struggling to find the right words. He hesitated until the very last moment, and Asic noticed that Legis's eyes had turned slightly red, as if he were about to cry.
"I love you, little brother," Legis finally said. And then, just like that, he disappeared, as if he had been erased from existence. Asic stood in the subconscious realm, waiting, hoping his brother was just playing a trick and would pop out to surprise him. But there was no response—the memory chip's content had ended there.
Asic returned to reality, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling.
"Not cool at all," Asic's voice trembled.
"Having a brother like this… Not cool at all." He gritted his teeth, tears mixing with the saliva in his mouth, becoming indistinguishable. The young man, who thought he had hardened his heart to the point of being unshakable, found that his steel fortress had finally crumbled after hearing his brother's final words of love.