"The Redstrict Light, a well-known entertainment center of this city."
"The place is well known for rather… well, let's just say it's a place where people discuss some 'business.'"
"The target is the son of a gang leader."
"Just some promiscuous young master who, if he were a character in a telenovela, would probably be the villain." Nicardol's voice resounded as Karen read through the stack of papers.
"Don't worry. In other words, he's a piece of shit human being who deserves to die."
"And my mission is…"
"Put a bullet through his head and consider the job done."
"An assassination mission," Karen said bluntly.
"Why? Never taken a life before?" Nicardol smiled.
Karen flicked his wrist, throwing the files into the air.
The papers scattered through the air, driven by the wind before descending to the ground.
"Done it a few times back at Samara," Karen said without much emotion.
A few hours later, Karen stood on top of a building. Down below was the Redstrict Light, the most prominent entertainment center in Cybercity.
His white hair fluttered in the wind. Under the light of the moon, Karen's eyes gleamed with a crimson glow.
There was something wrong in the air.
Something he couldn't quite pinpoint.
Pulling the hood of his jacket over his head, Karen jumped.
His figure descended toward the ground, cutting through the air as he fell.
The moment his feet were about to touch the rooftop of the building, his molecules vibrated at a high speed. His body instantly phased through the roof.
Inside the security room—
"Have you heard about the twin heroes of Iraq?"
"You mean Psylestine and Psyladine?"
"The two have been speaking a lot about the—kuck." The first security guard wasn't able to finish his words as a hand chopped down onto his neck.
The second guard wasn't able to react before a kick landed squarely on his face.
Thud!
Both guards fell to the floor at the same time.
Karen stood silently in the middle of the dimly lit security room. His gaze turned toward the CCTV monitors.
With the push of a button, all the cameras inside the building were turned off.
Redstrict Light was a famous entertainment center. In this place, there was no downtime. Every night, every hour, the place would be busy.
Celebrities, members of the elite, and even some heroes would come here to have fun after a long night of patrol. Bars, casinos, and nightclubs were all available within the complex.
"How weird." One of the waitresses working at one of the nightclubs couldn't help but ask her colleague.
"What's the matter?" her colleague asked.
The waitress furrowed her brows. "There aren't many customers tonight."
Indeed, just as she said, the place was unusually quiet tonight. Usually at this hour, it would already be brimming with elites seeking entertainment and pleasure.
"Perhaps a hero convention is taking place somewhere?"
Those kinds of events always drove at least half of Uppercity into a frenzy for weeks.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened, revealing a hooded figure dressed in white.
The two waitresses turned their heads in surprise and confusion.
Thud!
Neither of them was able to react as Karen's figure flickered before reappearing right between them. With a single swift motion, he struck both of their necks, knocking them unconscious.
A while later, a waiter walked into the hallway. He was slightly surprised to see a waitress walking out of the storage room.
"Jeannie? What were you doing in there?" the waiter asked the moment he saw her.
"The boss asked me to clean the storeroom," the waitress replied with an awkward smile.
The waiter grew suspicious, noticing her voice sounded slightly hoarser than usual, but he didn't think too much about it.
"There aren't many customers tonight, but be careful," the waiter whispered as he leaned closer. "I heard that the 'young master' is here."
The waitress simply smiled and nodded.
The nightclub pulsed with neon lights. The disco ball shimmered with vibrant colors while the walls glowed in shifting patterns. The music thundered through the room.
'Jeannie' had long since entered the nightclub. Of course, the real Jeannie had already been knocked unconscious. Currently, it was Karen disguising himself as her.
In his disguise, Karen slipped easily through the dancing crowd. The people, too busy partying and moving to the rhythm of the music, failed to notice the figure of a waitress melting before reforming into an ordinary-looking man dancing alongside them.
Of course, his dancing was average at best—simple movements of his limbs following the rhythm of the music.
Then he noticed it.
A young man sat alone at the corner of the bar. Unexpectedly, despite his reputation for promiscuity, there wasn't a single woman accompanying him.
Instead, two bodyguards stood nearby while the young man sat on the couch drinking alcohol.
Karen's movements were smooth. Before anyone realized it, he was already near his unsuspecting target. His motions were awkward and stiff, but Karen was smart enough to transform his clothes into colors that matched the neon lights, blending himself into the background.
Finally, just as he was about to strike, the two bodyguards turned.
Karen's entire body froze as both men walked toward him.
It felt as though time itself had slowed down.
The two bodyguards walked past him.
They didn't even bother glancing in his direction.
His eyes met the gaze of the young man sitting at the bar.
The young man looked rather average. However, because he was born into a wealthy family, his clothes were expensive and he clearly took good care of himself.
Their gazes locked.
Karen could see it.
Fear.
Helplessness.
Resignation.
The young man's body suddenly glitched. In the next second, his appearance changed completely.
Where moments ago he had looked like a noble-born heir, now he looked no different from a boy one would find in the streets of Undercity.
Ragged clothes. Tired eyes. Clearly malnourished.
A child.
A boy.
A boy around Karen's age.
Karen froze, his mind numb as he tried to process the information.
It didn't take a genius to understand what was happening.
It was a trap.
A setup.
"Save me—" The boy wasn't able to finish his words before an explosion engulfed the entire building.
---
In Cybercity, if anyone were asked about the biggest companies, they would all say the same thing: Echelon Corporation.
A company whose history could be traced back to right after the Great Cataclysm.
For many years since its founding, the company had continued to rise, its influence spreading onto the global stage.
As of now, Echelon Corporation was a powerhouse with influence far surpassing any corporation that had existed before the Great Cataclysm.
At the very top of Echelon Corporation, a young man sat inside his office.
The young CEO looked down at the files in his hand.
The office remained silent, undisturbed as the man worked.
Suddenly, fire erupted in the distance. It was coming from the direction of Redstrict Light. Perhaps because of the distance and the soundproof glass making up the windows, only a muffled boom reached the office.
The man looked up, staring at where the explosion had occurred. He reached out, his slim fingers wrapping around the stem of a wine glass before taking a sip.
"Nasty, unsophisticated, and barbaric as always," the young man remarked absentmindedly.
No one could tell whether he was referring to the wine in his hand or the explosion in the distance.
"Be sure to confiscate the assets of the families of those killed in the explosion."
A chuckle echoed through the room.
"Little Master, I am merely doing what the master instructed me to do," a voice replied from the shadows.
"And that son of your master wanted you to take a few million from his wallet to compensate the people who died because of his twisted game." As the man spoke, he flicked his wrist, sending the cheque onto the floor.
The figure hidden in the shadows chuckled before picking up the cheque and disappearing into the night.
The man took another sip of wine.
At that very moment, a floating billboard passed in front of the building, displaying the news.
[The villain Whitereaform, who appeared almost two weeks ago, is now suspected of causing the explosion that destroyed an entertainment center in the heart of Cybercity.]
The man frowned as he looked up at the screen in bemusement.
Meanwhile, the building housing Redstrict Light had been completely engulfed in flames.
Nearby civilians ran in panic while heroes and firefighters struggled to contain the disaster. The fire consuming the facility was massive. Even the surrounding buildings had caught fire, spreading the destruction further.
Suddenly, a figure dressed in white leapt out from the burning building.
The figure landed heavily on the ground. On his back were multiple unconscious bodies piled together, forming what could only be described as a small mountain of people.
The bodies were dropped onto the ground with a loud thud.
Karen staggered, breathing heavily. His blank eyes stared at the destruction around him.
It was a trap.
Someone had set him up.
"They died… all because of me."
By now, many people had noticed his presence.
"It's Whitereaform!" one of the panicked civilians shouted, pointing at the white-haired boy.
Immediately, all eyes turned toward him.
Karen, however, remained in a daze. His mind was completely blank, oblivious to the panic surrounding him.
Then suddenly, a punch slammed into Karen's face, staggering him backward.
Looking up, Karen saw a red-haired man standing not far away. The man wore a dark, baggy turtleneck. Under the fiery glow of the flames, the man's crimson eyes stared coldly at the boy.
Dark Whip.
The name immediately came to Karen's mind the moment he saw the hero.
"Unc—" Karen's words caught in his throat. "Dark Whip—"
"Elliott Crimson…" Karen stopped midway, trying desperately to calm himself. "There are still more—"
Karen took a deep breath, his entire body trembling. He didn't know whether it was fear or instinct. His body simply refused to respond properly whenever the man was near.
"They're after me…"
"Save them."
"Please."