Arcane Keepers Headquarters. Hallway.
The hallway was long, dimly lit, and quiet, the stone walls echoing every step with a low thud. Tension hung in the air, a stillness that promised conflict.
Asher pulled out a dice from thin air. It appeared in his palm without a sound, a clear indication that it wasn't an ordinary object. The dice was transparent, as if sculpted from glass, and faintly glowing with a soft, mysterious light. It pulsed like it was alive, infused with energy waiting to be unleashed.
Noah silently watched from behind, smiling as his eyes observed everything. He didn't miss a single thing, even though he already had a rough idea of what was happening.
Asher had told Noah about his power before.
[Roll the Dice] was what Asher called his ability. It was simple in theory—once every five minutes, he could roll his special dice. The number he rolled would directly enhance his stats. The higher the number, the greater the boost. A strange but fitting power for someone with a gambler's spirit like him.
He dropped the dice onto the cold stone floor. It clinked sharply as it bounced and spun, tumbling across the hallway before coming to a stop.
Two.
"Only two," Asher said, disappointment in his voice as he looked down at the result. "Well, I guess it was better than nothing."
Even with a low number, the change was immediate. A surge of raw energy rushed through his body. His muscles tensed and expanded slightly. His stance grew firmer, more solid. A 2x power-up wasn't much, but it was enough to make a difference.
"Intruders!" a tall man shouted suddenly, his voice echoing down the corridor. He turned, trying to alert the others nearby.
"Shut up," Asher said, striding forward without hesitation. He lifted his leg and kicked the man's face hard.
The tall guy flew back and crashed against the floor, blood spurting from his nose as he groaned.
"Damn, that hurts!" he said, struggling to sit up. His eyes narrowed in anger. "Are you from Joker Roulette too?"
"Does it matter?" Asher replied calmly, as if the question bored him.
"Have it your way, criminal!" the man said, wiping the blood from under his nose. "I'm Robert from Arcane Keepers. I can move faster if I touch my hand to the wall. And with this narrow hall, it's the ideal place for me!"
Noah whistled from behind, clearly amused. "So nice of you to tell us that."
"You will see it for yourself anyway," Robert said, his eyes fixed on Asher.
"Show me, then," Asher said.
"My pleasure," Robert responded with a grin. He placed his palm flat against the wall.
In an instant, his body blurred—almost vanishing before their eyes.
A rush of movement burst forward. Asher barely registered it.
Robert's fist drove directly into Asher's stomach with brutal precision.
"Ugh!" Asher grunted, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He collapsed onto the floor, struggling to breathe.
"That's a clean hit," Noah commented, folding his arms. "Need a hand?"
"No," Asher said through gritted teeth, pushing himself up slowly. The pain radiated through his torso, but he held his ground. "And I don't think you'll stay idle any longer anyway."
Just as Asher predicted, three people appeared from a door on the opposite side of the hallway. The odds had turned sharply. Now they were surrounded, caught in the heart of enemy territory.
"What happened here?" asked one of the new arrivals, a guy with spiky hair named Joey. He looked down at Robert with concern. "Robert?"
"Intruder!" Robert said quickly. He pointed toward Asher and Noah. "They were from Joker Roulette! Be careful!"
"They even dared to attack our headquarters?" said another, a guy named Alexis. His voice was sharp with anger. "Getting arrogant, aren't you?"
The last person was a girl with long blonde hair. She stayed a step behind the others, her expression calm but wary.
"Please move back, Miss Gloria," Joey said, stepping protectively in front of her. "Let us handle this."
"Okay," Gloria replied with a nod. "Be careful."
Noah smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Three vs one? Sounded like fun."
"Don't think you can beat us, you criminal scum!" Alexis growled, launching forward with fury in his eyes.
"Come on now, no need to trash-talk me," Noah said casually. "You'd hurt my feelings."
"Shut up!" Alexis roared. He leaped forward, slashing downward with a short sword that hadn't been visible a moment ago.
"Cool move," Noah said as he dodged the slash effortlessly. "But you need to hit me if you want to win."
"He moved so fast!" Joey said in shock. "It was almost like he instantly moved to another place!"
"Eh, it's not almost," Noah said with a shrug. "But whatever. Come on, attack me properly. Weren't you supposed to beat me, a criminal scum?"
"Shut it!" Alexis shouted and slashed again with more force.
"How scary," Noah said, leaning back with ease. "You almost cut me in two."
"Stop mocking me!" Alexis roared in frustration. But his rage made no difference—his sword couldn't touch Noah.
The fight between Noah and Alexis was a stark contrast to the one unfolding beside them. Alexis's attacks never found their mark, while Robert's blows kept slamming into Asher. Every move Robert made landed cleanly. Asher just couldn't keep up with his speed.
"Dammit!" Asher shouted as he was knocked back once again, skidding across the floor.
"Give it up already!" Robert said, standing tall. "You can't match my speed."
Asher started to laugh, even as pain surged through his limbs. "You think you're already winning?" he said through a grin. "You don't get it, do you? If you truly wanted to win against me, you should eliminate me instantly."
"What?" Robert said, confused.
Five minutes had passed.
Asher summoned another dice into his hand. The faint glow returned, the energy inside it swirling.
He dropped it again. The dice spun across the floor, bounced once, and then stopped.
Six.
"Bingo," Asher said, grinning wide.
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