In the basement of the office, Asic sat cross-legged, focusing on his breathing. A purple aura circulated around him, controlled with precision. Asra power was a special energy similar to life force, adaptable to the user's will. It could be increased through both mental and physical training.
Asic's method for enhancing his Asra power was to continuously refine his mind by simulating battles in his head and breaking his own limits. OC helped by creating battle simulation programs within his mind, which meant that even while Asic was meditating, his body experienced strain as if he was undergoing rigorous physical exercise. Overcoming these simulations increased his mental resilience, which in turn strengthened his Asra power.
Asic opened his eyes when he felt his power was sufficient. In front of him lay a small red box containing ten Etherium coins, silver-gold in color. Etherium was the second most valuable mineral in the world, priced at fifty thousand dollars per coin. To get these coins, Asic had to ask Ivy to help sell the house he had worked so hard to buy. Houses could be repurchased with money someday, but certain opportunities couldn't be regained, no matter how much one was willing to pay.
"OC, what's my current Asra power and physical strength?"
[Master, your current Asra power is 25 units, and your physical strength is 12 units.]
"Finally met the requirements," Asic said, standing up and pulling out the golden Azure Dragon card from his pocket. The card's installation required three things: a minimum of 25 Asra units, 10 units of physical strength, and proficiency in ten dragon-related techniques.
Since receiving the Azure card, Asic had been training tirelessly to boost his Asra to over 25 units, and today he finally succeeded. When Asic took the two-star miner exam, his Asra power had only been 21 units. The rapid progress was thanks to OC's assistance; without it, Asic doubted he could have come this far.
"Going from 21 to 25 in less than a week—people would call me a liar if I told them. Even I have trouble believing it," Asic murmured, testing his aura by pulling a purple glow from his body. The color had noticeably deepened. He closed his eyes and separated half of his life force.
"Overclock Miner," Asic commanded, and his form blurred slightly before a crude, unfinished-looking robot appeared beside him. This was Asic's ego, Overclock Miner. OC eyed the ten Etherium coins that drew its attention, extending its sense toward them.
[Detected ten Etherium coins. Requesting payment to proceed with evolution.]
[Payment complete!] OC extended its hand, and the coins shattered into fragments, flowing into its body. As it absorbed them, OC's form changed, with circuit-like patterns resembling veins spreading across it, channeling Asic's purple Asra power like blood.
[Upgrading Overclock Miner to version 0.2.]
[Evaluating Master's request. Upgrading Overclock Miner's capabilities to install additional Azure cards. Request to Fluxnet approved. Overclock Miner has successfully increased capacity.]
[Installing Azure Dragon Card… Installation complete.] OC dissolved the golden card from Asic's hand, and it integrated seamlessly into OC's system.
The Azure Dragon card couldn't be installed directly onto Asic's body, but it could be incorporated into OC's system—something no one had done before. After installation, OC evaluated the conditions again.
[Condition 1: Asra power 25 units—Complete.]
[Condition 2: Physical strength 10 units—Complete.]
[Condition 3: Mastery of 10 dragon-style martial techniques—Incomplete.]
Martial arts were categorized into five levels: Beginner, Basic, Proficient, Master, and Sage. Basic was the level at which techniques could be used practically in combat, while Proficient required a level of skill beyond what a basic practitioner could match. Typically, it could take years for an amateur to reach proficiency, but Asic's extensive combat experience gave him an edge, allowing for quicker mastery.
"Dragon techniques, huh? It could take nearly a month to master just one. For me, maybe a day each at best, but that's still too long. OC, is there a way to speed up my training?" Asic asked his ego. OC processed for five seconds before responding.
[I will compile dragon-style martial arts data from the internet and directly overwrite it onto Master's brain. Based on the card's power, the Azure Dragon School's techniques are most suitable. There are three styles available—please choose your reference.]
"Who are they?"
[First: Grandmaster Oliver Chang, male, 54 years old. Specializes in unarmed combat, a senior disciple of the Azure Dragon School, six-star miner. Employed by a major corporation, successfully cleared over 456 mines.]
[Second: Grandmaster Wu Jin, male, 31 years old. Weapon combat specialist, excels in combining Azure Dragon Qi with melee weapons like staffs, batons, and swords. Champion in over ten modern martial arts competitions.]
[Third: Ivy Tesla Lake, female, 27 years old. Specializes in Azure Dragon Qi and Asra control at an advanced level. Her power is versatile, effective in combat against both monsters and humans, with mid-to-long-range attack capabilities.]
"Looks like someone familiar made the list," Asic smiled when he saw Ivy's name. OC displayed video references it had pulled from the internet. Oliver Chang, Wu Jin, and Ivy—each had their own distinct fighting style.
Oliver focused on physical combat, utilizing Azure Dragon Qi and techniques from the school, equipped with armor for close-range physical attacks. Wu Jin, on the other hand, avoided punches and kicks, channeling power through weapons for lethal strikes. Ivy's style was more akin to magic, utilizing Qi and Asra in an intricate manner.
In this world, there was no such thing as magic—every power had its roots in science. However, Ivy's techniques were applied in such a way that they resembled magic, like using precise Qi and Asra control to create small yet powerful blades, or releasing Azure Dragon Qi to strike opponents hard.
Each style had its strengths and weaknesses.
[Master, please select a style.]
"Why not all of them?"
[!!!!] OC displayed an emoji of shock. If it had a face, it would've stared at Asic in disbelief. He was supposed to choose one of the three, yet he chose all of them!
"The styles of Oliver, Wu Jin, and Ivy don't conflict. I believe I can combine them to create a new hybrid style. Can you do that?" Asic questioned, basing his decision on experience. Oliver focused on techniques, Wu Jin on weaponry, and Ivy on specialized energy manipulation. There were no overlapping areas, which meant no conflicting elements. There was no reason to choose just one, though OC likely operated within AI logic that required a singular selection.
OC processed the information and took on Asic's request. It proceeded to integrate all three styles, merging their combat approaches and powers into a single cohesive form.
[Analysis result: Combining all three styles is theoretically possible. Master's combat potential will increase by up to 321%. This will be 82% more effective than Oliver's style, 91% more than Wu Jin's, and 123% more than Ivy's. However, power consumption will increase by 67%.]
[Detailed data collection is required. The programming needs to be designed meticulously. Estimated time: 4 days. Proceed?]
"No problem. Start immediately," Asic said. It was just four days—compared to the months it would normally take to master all those techniques, it was worth it. And if OC succeeded, his combat power would skyrocket.
[Master's pushing too hard. AI labor abuse detected,] OC teased.
"Can't help it. Haven't you heard? Kids get choices, adults take it all," Asic grinned at OC before dismissing its physical form. He grabbed his bag and made his way to Regis' secret safehouse.
A bodysuit, twin tonfas, high-quality scent suppressant, black boots, gloves, and a helmet that resembled a visor-covered motorcycle helmet—all designed to fit Asic perfectly. Made from lightweight yet tough materials, the gear was ideal for concealing his identity and could be folded down to the size of a grapefruit. Asic packed everything into a single bag.
He left the office quietly, not saying goodbye to Palon or Ivy, only leaving a message that he'd be away on some business for a few days. It felt more like he was going on a short trip rather than embarking on a high-stakes mission.
---
In a dark, damp place, Ejin sat hunched over. It had been so long since he'd seen the light of day that he'd lost track of time. Every day, protein bars were dropped in through a vent, and water could be drunk from a hose hanging from the ceiling. For waste, there were ten plastic buckets in the room, all of which were filled and reeking. No one ever came to clean them.
'What day is it? How's Palon doing? She must be worried sick.' Ejin thought about his future. After failing the miner's license exam, he'd tried to find work as a miner's assistant through the plaza without going through official channels.
Going through unofficial channels made it risky—the company's credibility was low. But Ejin didn't have many options due to his low social credit score and past fights. It could've led to rejection from employers. He never imagined that on reporting day, he'd be knocked unconscious and wake up in this dark room.
'I thought at worst I'd be a slave laborer, but this… what is this? What are they doing with us? No, Palon… I can't leave Palon alone. She's so naive. Who'll protect her if I'm not there?' Ejin could think of nothing but Palon. He felt pathetic—he had wanted to become stronger and protect her, but here he was, captured by criminals before even getting started.
'I need to get out of here. No matter what, I have to find a way out. I can't give up. Palon needs me. I have to fight!' Ejin held onto his mental resolve. Despite being locked in darkness with barely any sound for days, the desire to see Palon again kept him going.
He saw her face, heard her voice in his mind. As long as he was alive, he'd do whatever it took to return to her. Just as Ejin focused his determination, the door that had remained closed for days opened.
Ejin flinched and pressed his back against the wall as bright light poured in, blinding him. A group of burly men entered, binding his hands and feet.
"Let me go! Who are you? Why are you doing this to me? Let me go!" Ejin yelled, trying to resist, but his body was weak from surviving only on protein bars. Even in peak condition, he wouldn't have been able to match the strength of these grown men.
A device resembling a blood pressure cuff was strapped to his arm and head. A man in a lab coat read data off a screen displaying numbers and graphs.
"Heart rate and stress levels are lower than expected. The product isn't ready for delivery. Inject agitation drugs and isolate him for two more days. Strip him and lower the room temperature to below five degrees."
"Understood."
'What?' Ejin, still in shock, didn't fully grasp what the man said, but he heard the word "product" clearly. His clothes were torn off by one of the men's steel hands, leaving his upper body exposed, pale and skeletal. Chemicals were hastily mixed and injected into his veins.
"No! Don't! Please, no drugs! No drugs, please! Help! Somebody, help!" Ejin screamed, his voice echoing as one of the men forced a metal hand into his mouth. He tried biting down, but it was no use—the hand was made of steel. The needle pierced his vein.
"Aaaargh!" Ejin howled as the drug surged into his bloodstream, his mind going blank. He didn't know what the drug did, but it made him visibly lethargic.
Negative thoughts flooded his mind as if being imposed by an outside force. The man in the lab coat adjusted his glasses and signaled, and Ejin was thrown back against the wall. They didn't harm him further; they locked the door tightly as they left.
The room's temperature began to drop, his heart pounding along with the onslaught of intrusive thoughts. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
'I… I can't control this. I can't stop feeling this way.' Ejin curled up on the ground, hopeless, no longer able to resist. It felt like someone else was taking control of his thoughts.