As soon as Asic's exam ended, the medical team rushed in to assess his injuries. Before long, news of the rookie Miner defeating a Fallen Hammerhead spread like wildfire, and most people's reactions were pure disbelief.
The Miners Federation's message boards were flooded with comments:
Jacob: Is the Miners Federation so desperate these days that they have to fabricate hype?
I.Novell: A rookie passing a two-star exam beat a monster that needs a four-star Miner to handle it? Even if you swear on a stack of holy books, I ain't buying it.
Captain Roger: Just show us the evidence. Who was the examiner? Hurry up and put in the overtime, folks.
Several phone calls came into the Miners Federation office, and Higgs had a headache. The higher-ups were reprimanding him. The federation's headquarters was now facing accusations of fabricating events, damaging a reputation that had been built over fifty years.
"Edit his footage as quickly as possible. Release Handsome Undertaker's clip first, then announce the date and time for Asic Quadro's video. If we don't shut those foul mouths with proof, we'll be done in by their annoying barking," Higgs ordered his team.
"Yes, sir!"
The team wasted no time, transferring high-quality video files to the editing crew handling social media. They pitied themselves—today was clearly going to be an all-nighter, with no hope of going home, as they needed to make the clip as perfect as possible.
Higgs was certain that as soon as Asic's video went live, Asic would become famous as the strongest newcomer.
'I wonder how Asic Quadro's former agency feels about this,' Higgs thought to himself with a laugh. Whether Asic was from a special ops unit or some elite police force, the higher-ups couldn't be thrilled about letting a monster like him run wild in public.
The scouts no longer stayed in the control room; they all rushed to find a way to contact Asic. Sarn, Fujioka, and Swan went to the medical center but found no trace of Asic Quadro.
They hurriedly called their companies to prepare three-star Miner contracts for Asic. Though he only had a two-star license, his skills were undoubtedly on par with a four-star Miner.
However, as soon as they entered the medical center, full of other injured examinees, they raced around like cats chasing a mouse but couldn't find their target.
"Where is Asic Quadro?!"
"Where is he?"
The scouts hadn't been this eager to chase down a rookie Miner in years. They were desperate to talk to Asic before anyone else could. Even if Asic had signed with another company, they were prepared to make a better offer. Contracts were just pieces of paper—they had sacks of compensation money and kept teams of lawyers on retainer to handle these situations.
'How far could he go—six stars? No, maybe even seven. We're not competing over a four-star Miner; we're fighting for a future seven-star Miner. No matter what, he must end up in our company,' Fujioka thought. He was obsessed with Asic—having an elite Miner would mean progress in exploring the new world and earning profits far greater than traditional mining operations.
Swan and Sarn questioned the medical staff, who broke out in a sweat because none of them knew where Asic had disappeared to, as if he'd vanished with the help of a ghost.
---
[Your body requires a large amount of water to dissipate heat. You're currently dehydrated. Please drink water and electrolyte solutions to replenish the fluids lost through sweating.]
[Your muscles are damaged from pushing beyond their limits. Releasing endorphins to temporarily relieve pain. You need protein, calcium, and iron to repair the damage.]
OC kept issuing alerts to Asic. As an AI, it wasn't confined to electronic devices; it was part of Asic as an ego. Whatever happened to Asic happened to OC too—if Asic was hungry, OC felt it; if Asic was in pain, so was OC. There was a reason it nagged him so much.
Asic stepped out of the Miners Federation office. Scouts and reporters were in a frenzy, scouring the place for him, flipping every tile. But none of them realized that the target they were looking for had just walked right past them.
Asic wasn't dressed like a sharp, handsome man in a cool coat holding a document case like a spy movie protagonist. Instead, he wore a dress with a dark brown coat, a long purple wig down to his hips, and two-layered amethyst-colored contact lenses with light foundation. He looked so stunning that even flowers would shy away.
Those who paid attention to Asic were admiring the cool, beautiful woman, not Asic Quadro, the rookie who had just defeated a Fallen Hammerhead and become a hot topic.
OC almost short-circuited, wondering if there was an error in its programming when its esteemed master had snuck into the staff dressing room with a bag. Upon opening the bag, there were various disguises. He could have disguised himself as an old man or even a foreigner, but Asic had chosen to dress as a woman!
Sometimes agents needed to disguise themselves to approach their targets. Members of the agency were skilled in disguise based on their individual specialties—it wasn't unusual for men to dress as women or vice versa.
When someone was either too conspicuous or had been compromised, cross-dressing could divert attention from the target. Asic often used this tactic back in his agency days, using mild electric currents to contract his muscles, wearing clothes slightly larger than his true size to obscure his build.
From an outsider's perspective, Asic appeared to be a rather tall, attractive woman. In 2075, it wasn't uncommon for women to be taller than men. Without a close inspection, no one would guess Asic's true identity. Even if they did, cross-dressing men weren't unheard of in 2075.
Asic headed to the bus stop to catch public transportation. Even with an impeccable disguise, it wouldn't be long before someone tracked him down. It was then that someone approached, pressing a gun into his back.
"What exactly are you up to?" The voice was familiar. It was Morgan, one of the examinees.
"That's dangerous," Asic said, sounding exactly like a woman. Previously, he could only mimic a woman's voice about 70%, but with OC's help, he could now pull off a perfect imitation.
"Incredible. If I didn't know who you were, I'd think you were a woman—it's absolutely disgusting." Morgan sneered.
"I'm sorry, but perhaps you've made a mistake?"
"Still pretending, huh? You can fool others, but not me, Asic Quadro," Morgan said with absolute confidence. Asic realized he could no longer keep up the act.
"So that's it. You tracked me by scent?"
"!!" Morgan's eyes widened, and he pressed the gun barrel harder against Asic, as if daring him to keep talking.
[Master, Morgan Frisch appears to have had nose surgery. He likely has an implant enhancing his sense of smell,] OC reported after analyzing Morgan's nose. Asic was confident his disguise was flawless—height, hair color, eye color, voice—all perfectly concealed.
But changing one's scent, even with the world's best deodorant, was impossible to achieve 100% accuracy. Besides, Asic's bag contained clothes he'd worn as a man.
Morgan's nose implant increased his olfactory capabilities by a thousandfold, which allowed him to track Asic. Even Morgan was surprised to find not Asic but a beautiful woman—but it didn't matter; he was certain this was his target.
"Who the hell are you? Which gang are you from? If you don't answer, I'll make your guts paint the street." Morgan's eyes were practically piercing through Asic. Asic turned, grabbed Morgan's gun before he could react, disarming him, and dismantled the weapon into pieces that clattered to the ground.
"Can a gang member do this?"
"!" Morgan was left defenseless, and as he tried to back away, Asic grabbed his arm, pulling him close. They were nearly face to face, Asic's amethyst eyes staring deeply into Morgan's, unaffected by the previous threat.
"I don't want to hear the word 'disgusting' from a woman pretending to be a man. This is the second time you've provoked me. Lucky for you, I don't enjoy hurting women who haven't shared a bed with me. I'll let you go this time."
"You—"
"And another thing, who I am doesn't matter. Don't meddle in my personal affairs. If you do, you'll find yourself in a worse state than that gun." Asic's voice was stern and threatening, cutting to the core despite the lack of profanity.
"!?" Morgan shivered, involuntarily stepping back. Asic then smiled at him—sweet and lively.
"Sorry for breaking your toy. And if you want to approach someone, don't pull a gun on them; not everyone is as forgiving as me." Asic's voice returned to a perfect imitation of a woman's. Morgan's face flushed with anger. Though he and Asic were close in age, Asic treated him like a child, which he couldn't stand.
It felt like he was being insulted.
"Fight me again, next time fair and square!" Morgan was stubborn and hated losing. Despite Asic's overwhelming victory, Morgan wasn't afraid to challenge him head-on.
"I don't have the time."
"Fight me!"
"Maybe some other time. Give me your contact number." Asic extended his hand. Morgan scowled but wrote down his contact information. Asic took it with a smile and boarded the bus before anyone else could identify him. If Morgan, an amateur, could find Asic by scent, it was only a matter of time before other, more experienced Miners did too.
'Using cheap deodorant was a stupid mistake,' Asic thought, feeling embarrassed.
---
Back at the office, Asic removed his wig and wiped off the makeup. The women's clothing was comfortable, but wearing it always felt like he was losing a part of himself. Asic knew agents who were the picture of masculinity but had a passion for wearing women's clothes—maybe it was a preference?
[Master, do you have a psychological condition? Should OC connect you to a mental health hotline?]
"I dress as a woman only when necessary, unlike that guy who does it at every chance he gets. We're different." Asic dismissed OC's comment.
"OC, what's the response on the internet?"
[Congratulations. People are searching for information about you 140 times per second. Within the next hour, that number will rise to 951,412 searches, and then increase by another 780% once the Miners Federation uploads your video to their channel.]
[Based on calculations, the earliest the video will be ready is tomorrow. I recommend you rest. Let OC handle the rest.]
"Thanks." Asic was exhausted. He had fought intensely and used up a lot of energy. He quickly ordered food through a delivery app—enough for ten people. Neighbors were baffled by the constant arrival of delivery riders from various companies.
Asic ate it all himself, then went straight to bed. Ten hours passed. The scouts gave up searching for Asic after the second hour, and the editing team worked tirelessly until the video was finally ready.
The six-minute video of Asic's fight against the Hammerhead was uploaded, along with a supplementary one-minute, twenty-three-second clip of his shooting contest with Morgan.
Anthony: Damn! A two-star Miner, for real? That's so badass.
Stephan: Lightning-elemental Asura power is super rare, right? No wonder he's so strong. I couldn't even count how many punches he threw.
Coconut: If it were me, I'd have run away the moment I saw a Fallen. No way I'd fight—and I'd sue the examiners too.
Kiwi: He looks like a movie star. Does anyone have his socials?
Blibri: His socials? Haha, my friend who's a scout says all the big companies in Cryptopolis are trying to find his contact info, but they haven't had any luck yet.
Kiwi: Isn't he still at the exam site?
Blibri: Nope. Word is he vanished after the exam. They searched everywhere, like he disappeared into thin air.
Anthony: So mysterious. I love it.
BrownieSugar: I'm gonna be his fan.
The view count for Asic's battle against the Hammerhead skyrocketed, surpassing a million within an hour. The Miners advancement exam always attracted public interest, with life and futures closely tied to Miners.
The more elite Miners there were, the more progress could be made in developing new areas—food production, housing, jobs. The benefits could directly affect the people watching.
OC created a hundred bots, low-intelligence AIs designed for simple tasks like spreading rumors on forums or social media to sway public opinion. People addicted to social media often consumed information too quickly, neglecting to verify facts. It made misinformation easy to spread. The bots' job was to add fuel to the fire.
OC also created a social media account for Asic Quadro, using a slightly retouched profile photo of Asic. It wrote a brief introduction about Asic and posted it on the feed:
"Hello, everyone. I'm Asic Quadro. You might be wondering who I am. I used to be an anti-crime officer but had to resign for personal reasons. I graduated from Saint Minerton Academy, 39th cohort, fourth in my year. Starting this month, I'm a Miner.
I'm just a guy trying to do good for myself and others. Right now, though, I'm in a difficult situation because my mother is suffering from chronic Asura Effect disease and urgently needs an Elixir.
My goal is to join the Rookie Miners event in 2076. But before dedicating myself to humanity's development, I want to help my mother first. Please, support me.
Follow and share to support me.
For inquiries, email Asicxxxxxx@cmail.com.
Donate for coffee: 9854-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx."
OC posted ten photos of Asic. He'd always been handsome, but due to confidentiality agreements, he had never posted his face online. OC knew that in this world, a good-looking face was a God-given asset.
Having good looks opened doors to attention effortlessly. Being attractive, with a charming figure, could draw attention even if no one knew who you were. OC used this to promote Asic, introducing him to the masses—his background, his past.
The gist was that Asic had left the police force to save his mother's life, painting him as a dutiful son deserving sympathy from the public.
Asic was someone with a clear, verifiable past. Once he revealed himself, the media rushed in, digging into his history. He wasn't an overnight sensation but certainly gained significant attention.
There were videos about Asic—discussing his background, analyzing fight scenes, and even conspiracy theories about him being an alien.
This sudden fame caught the eye of a certain woman.
"Him, huh." Ivy, who was on a cruise trip, couldn't help feeling a bit miffed. Less than a month ago, he'd said he wasn't interested in being a Miner, and now he was a two-star Miner. But the intriguing part was what Asic used—an ego, clearly.
Just weeks ago, Asic claimed he couldn't install an Asura Card. Now, he was an ego-user powerful enough to take down a monster that required a four-star Miner—by himself. Ivy watched the video more than twenty times.
'So, he overcame his weakness.' Ivy smiled, feeling proud. The serious flaw that prevented Asic from using Asura Cards was gone, meaning he could grow even further.
She couldn't help but wonder how far Asic would go in the future. Just then, an unknown number called her personal phone. She frowned; only people in the Miner circle or those she'd given her card to could call her directly.
Ivy answered and heard a man's voice.
"Hello." The voice was warm.
"!!!" Ivy's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the familiar voice.
"Hello, Asic. Congratulations on becoming famous," Ivy said. She often thought about his voice, and her heart pounded now, more than it ever had—even more than when she took her company public.
"I told you that if I became a Miner, I'd contact you first. Have you missed me?"