Where did he go? Agaret's heart pounded as he realized his target had vanished. The last he remembered, Asic had been perched on the highest metal railing in the factory. Now, scanning the area, he saw no trace of the cloaked figure. The factory remained brightly lit, even without the intense beams from earlier.
Agaret couldn't figure out where Asic had disappeared to. Door Thirteenth's power had a severe flaw: it provided no awareness of the outside world once the door was closed. Agaret had only stepped into the shadow dimension for a few seconds. The limit of Door Thirteenth's usage matched the length of time Agaret could hold his breath. If he managed ten seconds, he could remain there for that long before the shadow energy started harming him.
Even if Agaret could hold his breath for hours, he still wouldn't have a clue how Asic had evaded his perception in mere seconds. He scanned left, right, forward, and back, but the cloaked figure was nowhere to be found.
"!!" His spider instincts screamed a warning. Reacting instantly, Agaret launched his mechanical spider arm to the side, only to see Asic's cloaked form, now surrounded by a wild surge of black lightning. The sheer heat radiating off him was palpable even from a distance.
**Overclock Miner – Prototype**
Asic had entered overclock mode, enhancing his thoughts, reflexes, and combat strength. A thunderous roar emanated from him as the grapple wire retracted with immense force. His violet blade, cloaked in black lightning and infused with ominous draconic energy, looked as foreboding as a storm cloud.
**Chrono Arts, 3 Seconds Time Fold**
Like a bullet, Asic launched himself at Agaret, his form enveloped by the spectral image of a massive black dragon. His blade slashed forward in a grand, sweeping strike.
**Azure Dragon School: Progenitor Wu Jin Style – Dragon Devours the Clouds**
The draconic energy surged into the blade, erupting into a devastatingly powerful technique.
*Even if you've got spider instincts and eyes that can track bullets, you'll never keep up with my speed, Agaret,* Asic thought. His blade cut deep into Agaret's torso. Despite his muscular physique and cybernetic implants, Agaret couldn't withstand the strike.
The sound of the air splitting filled the space as Asic leaped into the air like he was flying. Agaret's shock was evident; the pain struck him like a tidal wave. The black lightning and blue draconic energy spread through his body, a venomous force tearing apart his cells.
"AAAAAHHH!" Agaret screamed in agony. The pain was so overwhelming that Door Thirteenth's power dissipated. When a user lost focus or willpower, their ego entity would vanish immediately.
*How is this happening? Where did he go? There's no way my eyes couldn't see him,* Agaret thought, confused. His enhanced vision could even track bullets, and he'd seen Asic overclock before. He was confident he wouldn't lose sight of him.
What Agaret didn't understand was perfectly clear to Avid and Ejin, who were observing from afar. They saw Asic waiting on the railing, timing his grappling shots to precisely calculated positions while compressing time. To Agaret, it seemed as though Asic had disappeared for two or three seconds.
Asic had compressed time multiple times, moving strategically to a blind spot in Agaret's field of vision. OC, his AI companion, helped map out Agaret's blind spots and guided Asic's overclocked movements for a high-speed, decisive attack. Even with all his skills and instincts, Agaret couldn't match Asic's enhanced combat speed.
From start to finish, Agaret had no clue how Asic kept evading his sight. With time compression, three-dimensional maneuvering, and overclocking, Asic exploited every flaw in Agaret's vision and strategy.
*His narrow field of view is his biggest weakness,* Asic thought. Agaret's reliance on Door Thirteenth for safety also blinded him to his opponent's movements, giving Asic the perfect opportunity to counterattack.
Agaret collapsed to his knees, his cybernetic implants rendered ineffective by the surging electrical current in his body. At this moment, even an ordinary human might move better than he could. He needed time to recover, but Asic wasn't going to give him that luxury. Approaching steadily, Asic drove his blade ten centimeters into Agaret's back, unleashing continuous surges of black lightning into his opponent.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Agaret's screams echoed through the factory, his body convulsing as if every muscle was tearing apart.
"Agaret, before I ask my main question, I have something else I want to know. Why did you take on a job like this?"
"*cough cough*" Agaret vomited, his strength almost completely drained. The high-frequency blade hovered just centimeters from his spine, his life entirely in Asic's hands.
"Why do you care? Does a hero like you need to know the history of a criminal?"
"I just want to know where you got that dumb hairstyle. If you don't want to answer, fine," Asic said coldly. Agaret glared at him, offended, but every time he tried to move, the blade dug deeper, causing fresh waves of pain.
"I had a daughter once. My wife died giving birth to her, and I had to raise her alone. But those bastards at school bullied her until she jumped from a four-story building. She didn't die, though—she's in a coma, like some twisted version of Sleeping Beauty.
"So I took revenge. I kidnapped those kids and extorted their parents. One thing led to another, and I became a criminal. That's how I ended up here. Satisfied?"
"Got it," Asic replied, devoid of sympathy or the desire to reform Agaret. Unlike his feelings for Sucker and Ada, Asic's empathy was minimal, and he had no intention of showing mercy.
"One more question. What was Legis working on, and how did he die?"
"Heh, you really are one of his lackeys," Agaret sneered.
"If you don't answer, I'll show you what hell looks like," Asic threatened.
"Fine. Legis worked for the Joker's organization. He was one of the Joker's trusted agents, handling shipments and deals. Heard he was one of the Joker's 'toes.' The Joker killed him, though. No idea why."
"The Joker… Got it," Asic said. The mystery was becoming clearer. Legis's death wasn't the work of a nameless serial killer but the Joker, one of the most powerful criminals in the new world.
*Legis worked for the Joker and got killed by him. Either he betrayed the Joker, or he screwed up so badly that the Joker decided to eliminate him,* Asic theorized. In large crime organizations, hierarchy mattered. For the Joker to personally kill Legis, his rank must have been significant.
"If I want to find the Joker, where do I go?"
"Heh… If you're looking to die, don't bother going anywhere. The Joker… is already here," Agaret laughed weakly.
Asic's sharp senses picked up on an intense aura nearby. Someone was using an ego card within the factory.
---
Earlier, as Asic battled Agaret and emerged victorious, a young boy's face lit up with joy. Watching the mysterious cloaked man defeat his captor filled him with hope.
"He won! He actually won!" Ejin exclaimed, his smile wide. But when he turned to Avid, who stood calmly with arms crossed, he realized there was still one more foe. Ejin glared at Avid with hatred, but Avid ignored him, feigning indifference.
The door behind them opened, drawing both their attention. A man in a white suit and long coat stepped in, his face obscured by a clown mask and white hat. The moment this man entered, Avid's heart raced.
*The oppressive atmosphere… It's unmistakable. This guy is the Joker,* Avid thought, his certainty absolute. The Joker, the prince of crime in the new world, exuded an aura that was worlds apart from the other ego users they'd encountered. His mere presence made the room feel suffocating.
Ejin trembled uncontrollably, like a chick watching a snake slither toward it. The Joker's gaze fell on the screen displaying Agaret's defeat. Whether he was disappointed or indifferent wasn't clear. Ignoring Agaret entirely, he turned his focus to Ejin—a malnourished boy with dry, cracked skin and unkempt hair.
"Joker, I have something to discuss with you," Avid said, his amber eyes locking onto the man as though trying to negotiate.
"Not now."
"It's urgent."
"Later. I'm busy. Next time, Avid Sherbovid."
"!!!" Avid's eyes widened as the Joker said his full name. Instinctively, he grabbed his daggers.
"I've never told anyone in this business my full name. How do you know it?" Avid demanded, alarmed. He'd taken every precaution to hide his identity, yet the Joker had uncovered it effortlessly.
*When did he start targeting me?* Avid wondered. The Joker's extensive network made it easy to dig up anyone's past, but why had he focused on Avid?
"Don't overthink it. You're not important enough for me to keep tabs on. It's just a coincidence that I know," the Joker said smoothly, his polite tone carrying an intimidating weight. Though he wasn't overtly threatening, Avid felt terrified.
Ejin couldn't move or speak. The Joker's gaze stayed fixed on him, making him feel like a pig being led to slaughter.
The Joker connected his mind to the Fluction system, equipping three cards simultaneously. Unlike ordinary ego cards, all three were egos. Even a naive boy like Ejin understood the impossibility of this; a human could only wield one ego.
Yet the Joker had three.
"Come forth: The Godfather. The Loan Shark," the Joker commanded. Two of the cards activated, unleashing their power. One formed a bulky man in a black suit with a gray mustache, while the other manifested a shark-faced businessman in a gray outfit.
**The Godfather (King Diamond)**
**The Loan Shark (King Club)**
[System Message: Compatible card combo detected. Two Kings – Pair. Ego card efficiency increased by 20%.]
The Fluction system's message appeared in the Joker's mind.
"White Joker," he activated the third card. The pure white ego card consumed all of his energy, materializing as a slim, white figure with glowing red eyes that stared directly at Ejin.
**White Joker (Joker)**
[System Message: Compatible card combo detected. Two Kings and one Joker. Joker counts as a wild card, forming Three Kings – Trio. Ego card efficiency increased by 75%.]
The White Joker, The Godfather, and The Loan Shark surrounded Ejin, their combined presence pressing down on him like a physical weight. It was at this moment that Asic sensed the powerful aura from afar.