Cryptopolis - November 1, 2075, 6:15 AM

A street bathed in neon lights, lined with luxurious, opulent nightclubs. This was Street 46, the heart of the district that came alive at night, where lost souls searched for someone to take away their loneliness with passionate embraces.

In a suite inside one of the seaside hotel bars, a chemical alarm clock woke Asic at precisely 7 AM. He was roused by the soft hum of the air conditioner and the cool air it blew into the room. The ceiling, white with a hanging chandelier, still carried the faint scent of perfume mingled with sweat, lingering throughout.

The room was empty; he was alone. The only sign that he hadn't spent the night by himself was the still-damp sweat stain on the sheets. His foggy mind gathered the pieces of last night's memories, trying to piece them together.

"Poor girl. Maybe I went a little too hard on her," Asic murmured, sympathy coloring his voice as he remembered his partner from the previous night.

His name was Asic Quadro, a former officer of a special police unit who had quit due to the insurmountable challenges and internal conflicts within the force. Disappointment after disappointment had driven him to hand in his resignation. Now, he was unemployed.

Asic had loved his job. Being a protector of the peace had been his dream since childhood. But once he got into the system, all he found was rot and corruption hidden beneath its polished façade. It wasn't at all like the dream he had envisioned—eventually, he could no longer stand it.

He had devoted his youth to the force. But now, he was the one who signed his resignation, who walked away from everything he had worked so hard for.

The pain of leaving the career he loved was unbearable. He had sat drinking in the pub next to this hotel from early afternoon. By evening, a beautiful woman had joined him, leading to an inevitable conclusion. She ended up in his bed, and he used her body to soothe his sorrow while she used him as a remedy for her own hopelessness.

Two broken people comforting each other—but Asic had been too rough. When he woke, she was already gone. He could still picture her alluring face and body—especially the expressions she had made that spurred him on like a stimulant. Now, a feeling of guilt gnawed at him for his lack of restraint.

Asic walked to the bathroom to wash his face. The mirror reflected a sharp, handsome visage—rare amethyst eyes and black hair that traced back to his Asian heritage. His muscular frame bore countless scars from knives and bullets, both large and small. He had a certain allure that attracted women and even impressed other men.

When he returned to the room, he noticed something on the dresser. Asic walked over to pick it up: a business card and a note.

CEO, Black Rose Foundation

Ivy Tesla Lake, Phone Number: 09x-xxx-xxxx

[Please contact me]

Attached was a prepaid card loaded with $2,000.

"Two thousand bucks? If you're gonna put a price on it, you should at least multiply that by ten," Asic smirked. It was the first time he'd ever gotten paid after a one-night stand. He'd slept with countless women, received business cards and contact information, but no one had ever paid him for it.

This was the first time his "performance" had been priced at $2,000, a hefty sum. Yet, with his confidence in his own prowess and experience, Asic felt it was too low. Twenty thousand would be more like it.

What caught his attention most was the business card itself—it was made from a mix of Etherium and Cardanium.

Etherium was the second most expensive mineral in the world. Using it to make business cards was an extravagant display. The lingering fragrance was a blend of rose, jasmine, and wire musk, unique and unlike anything found on the market—clearly a custom scent that spoke of wealth.

Throwing away such an expensive card seemed wasteful. Asic slipped it into his wallet, dressed, collected his things from the hotel, and checked out. During the process of settling his bill, he learned,

"The lady who accompanied you has already taken care of it," said the hotel receptionist.

"That woman..." Asic smiled at the receptionist and took his leave. Not only had she left him a $2,000 card as a tip, but she had also paid for the hotel. A true charitable rich lady.

------

In 2025, the first group of humans ventured to the new world through a mysterious gate that had appeared after the ice melted at the North Pole, a consequence of global warming. They established the first city: Cryptopolis.

Fifty years later, in 2075, Cryptopolis was home to 40 million people and was growing. Technology had advanced at a rapid pace: gene editing, prosthetics, vehicles—they had flying cars with wings like airplanes, boats that drove on roads, and traveling to the moon was as easy as boarding a cruise.

Asic strolled along the street, seeing the neon lights from a thirty-story skyscraper in the distance. Holographic phone displays floated hundreds of meters above, projected from balloons. On his left was a wealthy residential area, clean and equipped with advanced security systems, with police drones patrolling the skies. On his right, however, was a slum—dim and desolate, a stark contrast.

He walked past a tall man with four arms, a small girl whose skin was translucent like ice, an old man with four eyes, a woman with four breasts, and a young man covered in white fur like a werewolf in a suit. It was all normal here. Advances in genetic surgery and organ transplantation had made humans unconcerned with traditional appearances—the possibilities seemed endless.

Asic took a cab to the suburban community where he lived. He happened to run into a four-meter-tall white security robot patrolling nearby. He raised his hand in greeting.

"Hey, Sergeant Bot, still looking sharp today," he said.

"Hello, Asic. You look good, too," the synthetic voice replied. It paused to greet Asic for precisely three seconds before continuing its patrol—a robot, owned by the community, tasked with security, programmed to keep anyone not registered as a resident out.

Asic's wave and smile were observed by a few drunk men nearby.

"Look at that idiot talking to a robot."

"Must be nuts."

"Hahaha," they laughed, pointing at him. Asic ignored the drunks, entered his home, stripped to his underwear, and went straight to his personal gym. He began his training—running, weightlifting, and shooting practice.

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His training lasted six hours. Afterward, Asic showered, grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, and checked the news online. Upon opening an app, he realized he had been removed from the police network. He could no longer check the updates as usual.

"So, I'm unemployed now," he muttered, realizing he no longer needed to stay in shape for missions, no longer had to prepare for assignments from the department. He was free. Though his expression remained neutral, the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Asic opened a job-seeking app. Although he had hundreds of thousands of dollars in his savings account—enough to live for years without working—a gentleman should not allow himself to grow lazy. Just as he was searching, a system notification appeared in his mind, displaying an unknown phone number.

In this era, humanity had connected to the Fluction System. Everyone could use brainwaves to browse the internet, communicate without needing to carry a phone. Cell phones had become relics of the past.

A simple thought connected him to the caller.

"Hello?"

"Good day, Mr. Asic! This is Satori, an agent with Deep Bank. I'm calling regarding the will of your brother, Legis Quadro." The voice on the other end was lively and energetic.

"My brother's will? I never heard of Legis leaving a will," Asic said, puzzled.

"It was a private will, so it's not surprising you hadn't heard of it. Could you please open the door for me?"

Open the door?

Asic got up and pressed the button to unlock the door. Standing there was a man, giving off an aura of mystery. He wore a silver-white suit, had snow-white hair, red eyes, and a friendly smile.

With a thought, Asic accessed his home's surveillance cameras and confirmed the man was alone. He opened the door wider to let him in. Satori entered, carrying a black briefcase, his smile unchanging. The first thing that struck Asic about him was his mysterious aura.

That silver suit, those snow-white strands of hair, those red eyes that gave off the feeling of a wild hare in a snowstorm—yet, those red eyes made him seem anything but weak. No, they were the eyes of a dangerous creature, something even predators avoided.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Satori Nozen," Satori said, handing Asic a business card. Asic took it, glancing at it briefly before pocketing it.

"Asic Quadro," he replied, leading Satori into the house. His home had two floors, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, storage room, and a living room. It was a house suitable for raising a family—though, for one person, it was a bit too spacious.

"To own a two-story house in Cryptopolis at twenty-seven years old, impressive," Satori remarked. The old world was still suffering from critical climate issues—air pollution, food, and freshwater shortages, even the risk of skin cancer just by standing in sunlight. People were desperate to come to the new world. Once-great nations like Britain, France, and Italy were reduced to wastelands.

But the new world wasn't limitless. Housing was scarce, and as a result, real estate prices soared. Those who made it here without enough money to rent a room had to work in dark mines for food or beg in the streets. If they were lucky, they found a decent job that paid enough to rent a room.

Even so, everyone was happy, because being a rat in the new world was still better than being a person in the old one. Having a two-story home made Asic middle-class here—and achieving it at just twenty-seven was something to be proud of.

"About my brother's will—I need to know more," Asic said, pouring tea for Satori.

"Yes, that's why I'm here." Satori smiled, lifting the freshly poured tea to his lips.

"Your brother, Legis Quadro, was one of our VIP clients. Before he passed away, he specified that all his assets were to be transferred to his only sibling—you. However, the will also stated that it would only take effect six months after his death."

"..." Asic remained expressionless, though a tempest of confusion stirred within him.

'Six months.' Asic and his brother shared a profession where their lives were constantly on the line. Having a will wasn't unusual. But why make it effective only after six months?

"There were also two conditions."

"What conditions?"

"You must report to the Deep Bank Oceanstone branch, along with his daughter."

"Daughter?!" Asic's heart nearly stopped. Legis had never mentioned having a child—not even to his own brother. That wasn't like him. If Legis had a kid, he would have flaunted her in front of Asic until it annoyed him. He wouldn't have kept her a secret.

"I will now list the assets stated in his will," Satori continued, taking out a document and going over the various properties, from cash to rare minerals, real estate, and shares in the stock market. Yet, Asic's focus wasn't on the inheritance—it was on the niece he had never known existed.

'Legis left nothing behind.' To Asic, his brother was like a father. Legis had died six months ago, in a serial murder case. The case was closed suspiciously quickly, and the killer had been shot dead, making further investigation impossible.

But Asic couldn't believe his brother had died that easily. Legis was strong. Asic's refusal to accept the findings had led him to conduct his own investigation, ultimately culminating in his falling out with the police force and resigning just yesterday.

'If his bloodline is still alive, there might be a clue in the will.' His amethyst eyes shone brightly, a fire reignited in his once-hopeless heart.

Had Satori arrived an hour later, Asic might have already applied to work at a fast-food joint.

Satori seemed to notice the shift in Asic. He smiled, reaching into his bag to place something on the table.

"A gift. On my way here, I happened to stop by a bookstore and pick this up. Consider it a token for our first meeting, as I'll be overseeing the administration of your accounts from now on. Please take care of me." Satori took his leave with a bow, exiting the house.

Asic glanced at the book Satori had left behind: [The Path to Miner], a bestseller.

Asic pulled out a cigarette-like object from his wallet, held it between his lips, lit it, and stared blankly into the distance.

------

Later that evening, Asic packed his belongings and necessary gear into a silver suitcase, donned a black leather coat and cap, grabbed his cane, and headed to the Cryptopolis train station.

Travel in the new world wasn't as safe as in the old—the weather and monster attacks made sure of that. If you wanted to travel from one city to another, you had to take the train.

As Asic made his way to the ticket counter, he heard a commotion.

"This is a joke! Here's the money. Why can't I buy a ticket?!"

"Sorry, sir. Your social credit score is insufficient to use the intercity high-speed train. Please raise your score and try again," the ticket robot replied coldly. It had scanned the young man's ID, finding him ineligible. An AI like this was programmed not to bend rules—there were no exceptions.

"Damn junk heap!"

"Calm down, Ejin," said a girl of the same age, holding his arm, trying to prevent a scene. Ejin was rash, and she feared he might cause more trouble.

"No! We've saved up for this ticket! Why can't I buy it?! It's so damn unfair!" Ejin's eyes were red, his lips trembling, and his fists clenched, struggling not to explode in rage.

"Sell it to me! Or I'll turn you into scrap!" Ejin yelled, ready to pick another fight with the ticket machine.

"Please, enough, Ejin. This is why your score isn't high enough," the girl said, sighing.

"Then what do you want me to do?! You got any bright ideas?" Ejin looked at her, hope and desperation in his eyes. She shook her head—she didn't know what to do either. But she couldn't let him give up.

"But there has to be a way," she said, her voice trailing off as if drained of power. It seemed as if fate itself was tormenting Ejin. He wanted to change, but everything conspired against him.

"I… I finally got a job… but if I can't make it in time..."

Asic, who had walked up and overheard their conversation, turned to the ticket robot.

"Good evening."

"Good evening, sir," the robot greeted back, scanning Asic. His clothes were high-quality, his demeanor dignified. The robot scanned his credentials—the ID showed his information, including his immense social credit score. Immediately, the robot treated him with a new level of respect.

Asic's social credit was substantial—truly someone of significant standing.

Hearing the robot address him as "sir," the young girl and Ejin turned their attention to Asic.

The girl's first impression of him was… He was so handsome!

"How many points are they short?" Asic asked.

"The girl has enough, but the young man… he's quite far from the requirement," the robot replied.

"You two, where are you heading?"

"Oceanstone," the girl answered before Ejin even had a chance to open his mouth, much to his frustration.

"Ejin got a job as a miner's assistant, and I'm transferring schools there. He's only a little short of the required points."

"He's very far from qualifying, sir," the ticket robot argued. The girl had stretched the truth quite a bit. 'A little short'? It was more like the difference between a quick drive across town and a cross-country road trip!

"Please, help us! Ejin really wants to become a miner. We just want to start fresh there," the girl pleaded, looking desperately at Asic, her eyes full of hope. Asic always had a soft spot for women, especially cute girls. However...

"Making the girl speak for you while you hide behind her? Not very gentlemanly. Or are my ears broken because I haven't heard a word from you," Asic said, looking straight at Ejin, who still hadn't said anything. The girl, embarrassed, stomped on Ejin's foot lightly.

"Please help us, sir. If I become a famous miner, I'll repay you a hundred times over. You'll be in my biography," Ejin boasted, trying his best. The girl sighed in exasperation.

"This guy!" she thought. That was no way to ask for help. Even as his best friend, she felt like tying him up and throwing him in front of the train. If she were Asic, she'd never help him.

Yet, instead of being displeased, Asic smiled warmly—as gentle as sunlight melting the snow. The girl's heart fluttered, feeling herself go weak. Ejin saw her reaction and became even more irritated.

"Simp," Ejin muttered.

"..." The girl froze, realizing she had shown too much.

"Someone once paid me $1,000 just to make me smile at her. Now, I'm giving it to you for free. You're already $1,000 richer," Asic joked, smiling wider. To Asic, these kids were cute and deserved some help.

"Use my social credit to get this young man on the train. No problem with that, right?"

"Sir, allowing someone without the required points on board will cost quite a lot of social credit," the robot warned.

"That's fine. I have plenty," Asic replied, unconcerned. He could always earn more social credit later, but the future of these young ones couldn't be replaced. Spending some points to bet on the future of the next generation seemed a cheap price to pay.

The girl and Ejin exchanged glances. There truly were still good people in this world.

Ejin finally got his train ticket. He couldn't believe a miracle had actually happened. He had already imagined having to crawl back to his room beneath the sewer pipes.

"My name is Palon. Thank you so much for helping us. This is Ejin—he's my friend and my family."

"Ejin, sir."

"My name's Asic. Nice to meet you, miss," Asic said, giving a wink. Palon blushed, extending her hand. But just as her fingertips touched his, Asic flipped her hand and bowed slightly to kiss the back of it.

"Ah~" Palon's heart nearly burst, feeling like she'd been shot through the chest. Ejin's eyes were burning with jealousy. If it weren't for Asic being their benefactor, Ejin would've punched him already. Asic had noticed Ejin's reaction from the beginning—he chuckled and escorted the two of them to line up for boarding at the platform.