Asic came down from the rooftop and found Ivy and Palon chatting away, talking about typical girl stuff like shampoo brands, skincare routines, and this season's trendy outfits. They stopped and looked at him as soon as he entered.
Asic smiled at them and said, "It's going to take some time to investigate, but I promise we'll get Ejin out soon."
"Really?" Palon asked eagerly.
"Of course. I'm not the kind of guy who lies," Asic smiled warmly and winked, trying to lighten the mood. Palon, who had shot up in excitement, felt her legs go weak and collapsed back onto her seat.
"That's so good... so, so good." Palon visibly relaxed, her tension dissipating as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. Seeing her smile gave Asic the motivation he needed—even if it meant lying. He couldn't bear seeing her cry again, knowing how dire Ejin's situation really was.
It wasn't just Eugene who had a soft spot for women's tears. Asic, too, was vulnerable to them.
'Feels like something's off,' Ivy thought as she eyed Asic. There wasn't anything noticeably wrong with his behavior or voice, but the fact that everything seemed perfectly normal made her suspicious. Even if Asic could fool someone like Palon, he couldn't deceive Ivy's sharp gaze.
Palon, exhausted from the day, went back to her room to rest, leaving just Ivy and Asic. The two were alone, but there was no romantic atmosphere whatsoever.
"As your business partner, I think I have the right to know," Ivy said, her tone blunt.
"It's not exactly legal, you know. Hearing it wouldn't do you any good," Asic replied cautiously.
"I'm not scared. The laws of the New World are just tools made to control the masses. If they really applied to everyone equally, Cryptopolis wouldn't be the way it is today," Ivy crossed her arms. Cryptopolis wasn't a country—it didn't have a democratic government. It wasn't a dictatorship either, but it was ruled by a select few. The law here was different from the Old World's idea of law.
In the Old World, laws were written to be strictly followed, defining life within a country. But in the New World, laws were more like house rules set by whoever owned the place. Not everyone cared about them, and those with enough money or a high social credit score could easily sidestep consequences.
"Ejin's missing person case has already been marked as closed," Asic said.
"Closed? What does that mean?" Ivy asked, her suspicions growing. Palon's friend was still missing, yet the police had already closed the case. Ivy, being in the mining industry for years, had seen her share of shady dealings by corporate backers, but she knew nothing about police work compared to the man standing in front of her.
"Closing a case means it's reached its final stage before prosecution. It means the report, investigation, and arrest phases are done. If I'm not mistaken, we'll get an email tomorrow saying Ejin was found but couldn't be identified."
"Why? Does that mean…" Ivy's face grew cold as a terrifying thought crossed her mind. The atmosphere turned eerily quiet, but what was even scarier was Asic's amethyst eyes, betraying an unfathomable rage despite his calm expression.
His eyes carried a murderous intent Ivy had seen before—at his old job. And Asic wasn't fazed at all, which meant he probably knew a lot about the corrupt practices within the police department. What Ivy saw today was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
"What are you planning to do next? Telling that girl this means you're going to try and help him, right? The police department's involved in this, you know," Ivy questioned, her ruby eyes locking onto his. The police department was one of the largest organizations in the New World. Unlike the Old World, where governments ruled, the New World was governed by corporate landowners, with the police being the closest equivalent to an old-world governmental body.
"I can't just ignore it. I know that kid, and Palon came to me for help. If the police are involved, I especially can't let it go," Asic responded firmly.
"I get it, you want to help. But there are hundreds of millions of people suffering. There are countless victims of cases like this. Are you planning to help every time someone asks? What do you get out of it? This kind of thing only leads to loss," Ivy said. She'd long since figured out Asic's character—he was a good person, always willing to sacrifice himself. He took on terrorists on a cross-city train alone, arrested Zucker by himself. But even then, she thought he was too obsessed with helping people. If there were a hundred people, he'd want to save all of them. She couldn't understand his way of life.
Asic knew what Ivy was saying and had prepared his answer a long time ago.
"If I don't know, that's one thing. But I can't pretend not to see when it's right in front of me. That's my ego," Asic declared, staring directly at Ivy, his voice unwavering, his eyes showing his fiery determination.
"You're making an enemy of the police. What if they catch you? How will you live in Cryptopolis then? They'll treat you like a criminal—an outcast wanted by the authorities. Even if you've done nothing wrong, they'll fabricate charges against you. Are you okay with that?" Ivy pressed, her face tense. She and Asic were setting up a new company together—their futures were intertwined. Whether they succeeded or failed, they were on the same ship now. She needed to think this through—could she accept the consequences?
Looking at Asic's face, she saw no hesitation in his response. He was like a mountain—unshakable, regardless of the storms that battered against it.
'He's ready. Ready to fight against the most powerful force in the New World.'
"In my first year as a cop, I got a report about a criminal stealing from a supermarket," Asic began, reminiscing. His tone was like an adult telling a child a bedtime story, yet it chilled the listener.
"I tracked down the thief's house. What I found was an old woman, using the stolen goods to feed her starving grandchild. She was skin and bones, covered in signs of abuse. Too old to work, with a negative social credit score," Asic paused, and Ivy felt a chill run down her spine when she heard the words "negative social credit." It was like needles were pricking her heart because she could guess what came next.
"By law, a negative social credit score is equivalent to a death sentence—execution on sight. She must've stolen repeatedly until her score dropped below zero. I turned a blind eye and reported that I hadn't found the thief. But a few days later, I learned she was dead," Asic spoke in an emotionless voice. Even if he had ignored her, another officer would've found her, and not everyone was as kind-hearted as Asic.
"Every criminal has a story. Many were good people once. That's why I try to understand why they do what they do. They may have committed a crime, but does that mean they should lose their rights as humans? Should that old lady, who only stole to feed her grandson, have been killed?
"I've always questioned what the police department does. Keeping the peace—but whose peace? And what's the point of the badge I carried if it prevented me from truly helping those who needed it?
"If being labeled a criminal means I can help people, then I'm ready to bear that label." Asic spoke with conviction, his words heavy with his spirit and ideals. His unshakable determination was filled with a noble, admirable ego.
Police officer? Criminal? Asic had stopped caring about that distinction the day he quit the force. Now, he was free to act on his beliefs, unconstrained by his former role. He was even willing to make an enemy of his old organization.
Ivy, having heard Asic's well-considered words, was deep in thought. She was convinced he wasn't saying this out of a fleeting emotion.
'I don't know if choosing him is going to be a loss or a gain, but he's exactly the kind of person we need. No more tests are necessary.' Ivy didn't say anything, but she grabbed her bag, unzipped it, and pulled out something she had kept carefully. She tossed a thin, rectangular card at Asic.
Asic caught it and immediately connected it to his Fluxnet.
[Azure Dragon Power (Spade 10)] [Super Card]
[Type: Power] [Upgradable Range: 3] [Conditions: Azure Strength 5 units, Physical Strength 10 units, Dragon Arts 10 techniques]
[Attributes: Enhances Azure power to Dragon Qi, improves the efficiency of dragon-type attacks, and boosts sky-affiliated power]
"This card..." Asic recognized it immediately. It was the card Ivy had offered him in exchange for working with her. In the end, it had come back to him.
"I'm investing this card as my share. It's not a gift—don't get me wrong," Ivy said, her arms crossed, her face stern. Asic smiled and thanked her sincerely.
"Thank you, Ivy, for not standing in my way."
"If anything happens to you, I'll lose an important partner. And you'd better keep your identity hidden—don't get caught. But I guess just by doing this, I'm already complicit, huh?" Ivy laughed wryly. She was already a part of Asic's rebellion against the police. Asic looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry."
"My enemy is also someone powerful—maybe a big corporation or the police. If you're brave enough to go against the police, you're exactly who I need. It's an investment for my own sake too. But you have to come back, alright? If anything happens to you, I'll be in deep trouble."
"Don't worry. I'm hard to kill," Asic said, putting the golden Azure card back in his pocket. It wasn't a legendary card, but it was a Super Card, and one that boosted his overall combat potential. Coupled with his existing abilities, Asic had no doubt he could take on anyone.
"OC, can it be installed?"
[Currently, Master's card slots do not allow for another Azure card.] OC's response made Asic frown. He had hoped that being able to integrate OC into his system would eliminate his one major weakness, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Just as Asic was about to feel disappointed, OC spoke again.
[OC can evolve into an upgraded version, allowing the installation of up to four Azure cards. If Master desires, please use ten Etherium coins as the cost for evolution.]
"Got it. My ego really knows how to burn through money," Asic chuckled. One Etherium coin was worth fifty thousand dollars. Ten coins meant half a million. Even though the inheritance from Regis included a lot of Etherium and cash, spending that much at once still sent a shiver down Asic's spine.
"Ivy, I can install the card, but there's a small condition. Could you help me with something?"
"What is it?"