Asic was rambling, heavily under the influence of the drugs. Under normal circumstances, there was no way he would reveal so much of his inner thoughts. He confessed everything—his investigation, the corruption in the police department, the involvement of high-ranking officials in human trafficking. He even revealed that his own brother, whom he had been investigating, might be one of the vile criminals he had once despised and pursued.
Asic showed his vulnerable side to Ivy. Partly because of the drugs, but perhaps also because his mental state had reached its limit. He was a man who had quit the police force because he couldn't stand the injustice, investigating his brother's death with a recklessness that threw away his future.
And what did he get in return? His brother didn't want revenge, and after investigating, Asic found out that his brother turned out to be a criminal who deserved death. Who could understand Asic's feelings?
The hatred he held toward the powerful figures in the police department, the grief for his late friend, the confusion regarding his once-admired brother—it all mixed together, leaving Asic unsure of his path forward. Ivy listened silently, offering no opinion. Meanwhile, Susinna drove them to a certain building.
The two women helped him into the building, which turned out to be an underground clinic. Though it was an illegal clinic, it was equipped with medical tools capable of saving lives. Susinna personally performed the surgery, successfully extracting the Sui bullet. Thanks to OC's intervention, which prevented the mineral from spreading into his bloodstream, removing the Sui was not too difficult.
Once the surgery was successfully completed, Asic was transferred to a hospital bed, and OC immediately got to work.
[Removal of Sui mineral 99.987% complete. No danger detected to Master. Initiating rapid cellular repair... Temporary regeneration speed increased by 200%. Accelerating digestive system activity. Urgent protein requirement detected. Awakening Master.] OC generated brain waves to wake Asic up. He opened his eyes in a daze to find Ivy by his side, with over ten boxes of protein bars. Each box held more than twenty bars.
Hunger hit Asic like a tidal wave. He grabbed one of the boxes, tore it open, and began devouring the protein bars without needing water. He almost stuffed the bars into his stomach, and as he thought he would feel full, he only grew hungrier. OC accelerated his digestive and absorption systems, and the protein was immediately used to repair his body.
Asic consumed more than two hundred protein bars in less than ten minutes. Astonishingly, his body absorbed them so well that hardly any waste was left. His once frail and battered body was almost fully healed, with even the surgical scars vanishing.
"Amazing... OC's power is truly incredible," Ivy remarked, visibly impressed. Susinna, after checking on her patient and finding Asic almost fully recovered, was stunned. She stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend such rapid human regeneration.
"Do you have an Asra card that helps heal wounds, Mr. Asic?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"That's impossible. How could your wounds heal so quickly? Even the surgical scars are gone. Is your body made of metal or something?" Susinna exclaimed. Only machines or robots could replace parts and function normally again, but biological bodies needed time to regenerate and replace cells. Yet, Asic's body used the protein he consumed to heal almost instantly.
"What exactly can your power do? I heard from Ivy that it's only about accelerating your thoughts and reflexes, but this is far beyond that." Susinna was a professional miner, experienced with Egos and various Asra cards, but she had never seen a power as versatile as OC.
"Honestly, I don't know the limits of OC myself," Asic laughed softly. Even as its user, he didn't fully understand what OC could do. It was like a program that could do whatever he wrote for it. The only downside was that OC couldn't directly help in a fight—other than that, it was perfect.
"Asic, what do you plan to do next?" Ivy asked the young man lying on the bed. Though his body had healed and appeared to be back to normal, Ivy knew that there was damage beyond the physical. She believed Asic wasn't ready to fight again right away, but his answer was:
"I have to save Ejin. I might still make it in time. I have to go now, Ivy, before Ejin reaches Joker."
"Joker, huh?" Ivy had heard rumors about Joker, but the miner community didn't intersect much with the criminal underworld, so she only knew of him in the context of urban legends. Still, she rated Joker's danger at the highest level, as he was known as the Prince of Crime.
"I'm sorry, Susinna. Could I speak to Asic alone for a moment? Please step out for a bit," Ivy requested.
"Sure, sure. I don't want to be a third wheel anyway. Take your time, lovebirds," Susinna teased before gathering her medical tools and leaving the room, giving Ivy and Asic some privacy.
"I heard everything you said while you were under the influence of the drugs—all your true feelings."
"I see... I must've said some pathetic things, huh? I don't even remember."
"Not pathetic at all. In fact, it's admirable."
"Admirable?"
"Yes. Even after facing so much hardship and discovering so many disappointing truths, the first thing you thought of after recovering was to save someone else—someone who has nothing to do with you. If it were me, I couldn't do it, and I think most people wouldn't be able to either. It's rare to find someone like you, who holds onto their ideals so strongly. That's why I admire you."
"Ideals... My ideals..." Asic wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. It felt like there was a hollow shell inside him. Outwardly, he might seem strong, but deep down, he was broken beyond repair. The things he believed in, the people he loved and cared for—they were all different from what he had imagined.
"To protect love and peace, I dedicated my life to fighting terrorists. My friends and I risked our lives, and one by one, they fell until only I was left. I hear their voices every time I forget to take my sedatives. I remember the times we had together, and I envy them for leaving before me.
"We sacrificed so much, but nothing changed. The New World remained as it was. We wiped out countless criminals, and now I realize that even if I put a million bad guys behind bars, if I couldn't eliminate the truly evil ones, all our sacrifices were meaningless. There are too many people who exploit others legally, and those in power manipulate us from the shadows, using us as pawns.
"All my beliefs and sacrifices... they meant nothing. Everything I fought for didn't make anything better. When I think that way, it makes me so tired, Ivy." Asic shared his vulnerability—he had dedicated his life to making the world a better place.
But when he realized that all his actions and sacrifices had been in vain, it drained him of the will to fight. Even though he knew he needed to save Ejin as soon as possible, his heart was weary and powerless. He wanted to be a light for the New World, but it was so dark that it dimmed his light, making it flicker like a firefly.
"I don't think their sacrifices were in vain. What you and your friends did wasn't worthless. There are countless people who have benefited from your actions. You and your friends have done great things—you are heroes who protected peace. They are still alive within you. Hearing their voices means they haven't disappeared; they're still giving you strength.
"The New World is harsh and dark, but if even you lose hope, there will be no hope left for anyone," Ivy said, looking directly into Asic's eyes, conveying her emotions and posing a question.
If the world was so dark that his light was reduced to a mere flicker, then what would happen if that light went out? Wouldn't that mean there would be no light left at all? Ivy held Asic's hand. She had no powers and couldn't physically support him, but her feelings and determination to fight reached him.
'Hope...' Asic's throat was dry. Hope—in this cruel, dark world, hope was needed. Someone had to be a light. Asic had fought for years and knew how hard it was to maintain goodness.
Good people often died young, while the wicked lived long lives. Good people who acted for others were often exploited or eliminated by the wicked. Keeping the light alive was so difficult that looking back made him want to laugh at his younger self. But if he couldn't hold onto that light, he would sink into the ocean of despair.
Ivy said everything she wanted to, then left the room, giving Asic time alone. It was a delicate moment for him to decide whether to continue or to give up. He wasn't a police officer anymore—he no longer had a responsibility to society. He could be selfish and use his power for his own benefit.
Asic couldn't sleep, knowing that every passing minute might put Ejin in greater danger. He sat on the hospital bed, reflecting on his life experiences from birth to the present. The person he thought of most was his brother. If Regis were still alive, the one person Asic wanted to open up to would be his brother.
But his brother might be one of the criminals. Asic hated murderers for taking lives, hated fraudsters for ruining the economy, but he despised human traffickers the most because they didn't just destroy society—they destroyed entire lives. Regis might have been involved in the human trafficking network.
Asic looked at his contact list and accidentally called Meli. Before he could end the call, she answered.
"Hello, you little brat! Finally decided to call me, huh? Didn't you say you'd visit your nephew? It's been ages, and you still haven't shown up!"
"Sorry, I've been busy."
"Hmph. What's wrong? You sound like a drowned dog. Did something terrible happen to you?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"Sort of? With you, it's never just 'sort of.' By the way, you never told me you had a girlfriend, let alone a famous one! I used to be a fan of hers, you know. I never thought someone like her would lower herself to date you. If you ever cheat on her, prepare to die." Meli threatened her brother. Asic was puzzled—how did his sister know he was dating Ivy?
"How did you know?"
"Well, your girlfriend asked me to give that girl named Palon a job at my shop. I happened to be short on cute waitresses, so I hired her." When Meli explained, Asic finally understood. Ivy didn't feel comfortable leaving Palon alone at the office, so she asked Asic's sister to take care of her. And since Meli needed help and Palon didn't have a job, it worked out well.
Meli talked on and on while Asic quietly listened. Just hearing the voice of his family brought a sense of calm to his chaotic mind. Nearly ten minutes later, Asic spoke up.
"Hypothetically, Meli... What if I turned out to be a criminal? What would you think?"
"Huh? You, a criminal? I'd sooner believe that God is actually Satan."
"It's just a hypothetical. If I did something bad, became an awful person, what would you think? Would you hate me?"
"I think I'd be more disappointed than anything. I love you, but I'd be sad that you turned out to be a bad person. But... I don't believe you're capable of that. I trust you, Asic. Even if you ended up being the worst criminal in history, I'd believe there was a reason behind it."
"I see... Thanks, sis." Asic ended the call there. He felt like he had found the answer he was looking for. The young man sat in thought, questioning himself. What is a criminal? What is conviction? What is hope?
[Detected Ego Fragment. Ego awakening progress increased to 42%.] OC observed that there was a shift in Asic's thoughts and spirit, suddenly surging to 42%, as if scattered pieces had started coming together again.
Asic stepped off the bed and opened the door. The first thing he saw was Ivy standing with her arms crossed, waiting for someone. She smiled sweetly and gave him a gentle look. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since she left his room, yet here she was, waiting, as if she believed Asic would walk out at any moment.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"If you help me, there's no turning back."
"It's too late for that. The moment I gave you my Asra card, I was already in the same boat as you. Even if we're going to hell, we'll go down together."