Ascension Code: Reborn in the DC Universe - Chapter 0127

Jade proceeded with precise, silent steps through the vast underground warehouse of the black market, navigating between the makeshift stalls and shadowy stands with the familiarity of someone who had already traversed that dangerous path on several previous occasions. The air down there was thick, laden with an oppressive mixture of odors—human sweat mixed with the metallic smell of freshly lubricated weapons, the sweet aroma of cheap incense burning in discreet corners to mask other, less pleasant smells, and the faint hint of ozone emanating from alien technological devices that hummed softly in some of the more secluded counters.

The neon lights flickered erratically, casting elongated shadows on the faces of the dealers and buyers, all enveloped in an aura of constant tension, where a wrong look or a poorly chosen word could result in sudden and lethal violence. She kept her body on high alert, the wind elemental bound to her soul constantly whispering in her mind, filtering out the distant sounds of whispered negotiations, the clinking of coins or cards being exchanged, and the cautious footsteps of other patrons circulating through the underground labyrinth. Every detail of the environment reinforced the feeling that this place was a viper’s nest, a perfect reflection of the dangerous world that the protagonist Erick had recognized upon reincarnating in this DC Comics universe, a world where constant threats demanded relentless preparation, absolute power, and precise information to ensure survival and dominance.

Following a familiar path, Jade dodged small groups of merchants who whispered about recent shipments of organs or packages of mercenaries, keeping her gaze fixed ahead without showing excessive curiosity. The short dress of her disguise brushed gently against her thighs as she walked, the cheap synthetic fabric absorbing the humid heat of the underground, and her heavy makeup helped maintain the illusion of an ordinary call girl lost in the city’s underbelly. Her dyed brown hair swayed slightly with each movement, and her makeup-lightened skin contrasted with the cold lights of the warehouse.

After passing through a more secluded section of the market, where the stalls became less frequent and the shadows deeper, she arrived at a small, discreet establishment, almost invisible amidst the chaotic architecture of the warehouse. The entrance was a simple metal door without any markings or signage, blending perfectly with the reinforced concrete wall around it, as if the place were just another abandoned corner. Jade pushed the door open with the palm of her hand, feeling the cold steel against her skin, and entered the simple interior.

The atmosphere was austere and almost empty, a small room with no apparent decoration, its bare gray concrete walls absorbing the dim light from a single lamp hanging from the ceiling. There was no visible furniture, chairs, or counters—nothing to suggest conventional commerce. Only one opposite wall drew attention: on it, mounted in a minimalist fashion, was an old microphone fixed to a metal stand, and just below it, a small, circular, polished steel hatch, sealed and discreet, like the entrance to a safe or an automated delivery system. The silence inside was almost absolute, broken only by the low hum of hidden ventilation, creating an atmosphere of constant and impersonal surveillance.

Jade approached the microphone with measured steps, aware that, at that very moment, she was being recorded by hidden cameras and sensors covering every inch of the room. However, thanks to the easy and precise actions she had executed—the complete disguise, the vocal alteration, and the trained body posture—she was ninety percent certain that she would not be recognized, even by advanced Intergang or League systems. The wind elemental acted again, manipulating the air in her throat and vocal cords with mastery, completely masking her natural voice so that it came out with a neutral, slightly hoarse tone and without an identifiable accent, a voice that did not betray her true identity. She positioned herself directly in front of the microphone, her heart beating at a controlled rhythm despite the tension inherent in the place.

“I want to find some information,” Jade said clearly, her words echoing faintly in the empty room.

A mechanical, distorted voice, impersonal and cold, immediately came from the intercom connected to the microphone, as if it belonged to an automated system or a hidden operator somewhere remote:

“Once you state what you’re looking for, a price will be given. And payment will have to be made upfront. Do you agree to this term?”

Jade answered without hesitation, her voice still altered by the elemental power:

“Try.”

The voice on the intercom responded efficiently:

“Excellent. Tell me what you’re looking for.”

Jade took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her next words. That information was vital for Erick. With a firm and clear voice, she declared:

“I’m looking for Nth Metal. I want information on its location and who owns it. The number of people who own it doesn’t matter, I only want the number and location. The price is irrelevant.”

There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the intercom, stretching for several minutes. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier, as if the system were processing complex data, checking hidden databases, or consulting contacts in the vast underworld. Jade remained motionless, her senses amplified by the elemental, picking up even the slightest static noise in the system. Finally, the voice returned, with a slightly deeper tone:

“The price will be high. One hundred million US dollars.”

Jade allowed a subtle smile to curve her red-painted lips, a gesture of controlled satisfaction. Without saying a word, she pulled an elegant black card from an inside pocket of her dress, provided directly by Erick. After all, he already expected the information to be valuable, as he knew the worth of Nth Metal and how much it could boost his plans for power and protection against the constant threats of this world. The card was cool to the touch, with discreet metallic edges and an advanced chip that guaranteed secure transactions even in black markets like this one.

At that moment, the small hatch below the microphone opened with a soft hydraulic click, revealing a compact, shielded payment terminal that slid out onto a metal tray. Jade inserted the black card into the machine’s slot with precision, and a small electronic clicking sound was triggered, followed by a short processing hum. A receipt printed on thermal paper came out of the side of the machine, detailing the transaction without revealing sensitive information. She took the receipt and carefully put it away. The terminal then automatically retracted into the hatch, which closed for a moment before opening again, this time expelling a small, compact, unmarked black flash drive, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room.

The voice in the hatch spoke one last time, maintaining its impersonal tone:

“I hope you like it. See you later.”

Jade gripped the flash drive with firm fingers, feeling its light yet significant weight—it contained the information Erick so desperately needed to advance his strengthening project. Without wasting time, she tucked the device into a secure pocket and left the simple building, closing the door behind her with the same silent care with which she had entered. Her return to the surface was executed with the same stealth: she crossed the underground warehouse, returning along the long corridor illuminated by flickering fluorescent lights, feeling the air grow progressively more humid as she approached the elevator. The doors creaked open, and she climbed into the cabin, pressing the mechanism that would take her back to the upper floors.

The elevator ascended with the same metallic groans as before, and upon reaching the ground floor, Jade passed once more through the decaying reception area, where the old man still smoked his cigarette and played solitaire on the old computer, the fat cat sleeping on the counter as if nothing had changed. She didn’t exchange unnecessary glances, simply continued on, leaving the dilapidated building and returning to the bustling streets of Bangkok. The Thai night welcomed her again with its sea of ​​people, colorful neon lights, intense smells, and constant chaos, but now with the safe flash drive in her possession—a key piece for the powerful future Erick planned to build in this dangerous universe.

……….

The reinforced door slid silently to the side with a low hum of well-oiled hydraulic mechanisms, allowing Jade to enter the spacious room, illuminated by a cool artificial light that filled every corner of the functional space. In the exact center of the room, Erick stood focused, manipulating a complex series of holograms that floated in the air before him, displaying intricate diagrams, constantly moving graphs, equations that rearranged themselves, and three-dimensional projections of slowly rotating structures in translucent blue and green tones.

The holograms projected a soft glow onto his face, highlighting the sharp contours of his focused expression as his fingers made precise gestures in the air to rotate, zoom in, or zoom out on specific parts of the digital information. Jade couldn’t comprehend anything he was manipulating—the layers of data were too dense, filled with technical symbols, intertwining energy lines, and patterns that seemed to defy immediate understanding, demanding a profound knowledge that went beyond his own expertise in infiltration and elimination. The air in the room had a faint smell of ozone emanating from the holographic projectors and the constant hum of the cooling systems that kept the equipment operating at optimal temperature, creating an atmosphere of intense work isolated from the external chaos of Bangkok.

As soon as Jade had completely stepped through the door and began to approach him with silent steps, Erick deactivated everything with a quick gesture of his hand. The holograms blinked once and disappeared completely, leaving the room in a more neutral state, with only the main lights illuminating the clean environment equipped with work tables, built-in monitors, and discreet control panels. He turned to her with a fluid movement, his eyes meeting hers immediately, and asked in a calm and direct voice:

“How it was?”

Jade, now dressed normally again after exchanging her escort disguise for practical, discreet clothing that allowed for greater mobility—tight dark pants, a long-sleeved blouse, and a light jacket that concealed small weapons—slung her hand into one of the inner folds of her clothing. Her fingers found the small, cold, compact black flash drive, and she carefully removed it, extending it toward him while replying in a firm, professional tone:

“I got what you were looking for.”

Erick nodded once, satisfied, and said simply:

“Excellent.”

He took the flash drive from her hand, feeling its light but significant weight, and walked straight to the room’s main computer, a robust machine positioned on a wide, reinforced metal table. The screen was on standby, reflecting the ceiling lights slightly. Just as he was about to insert the device into the USB port, Jade spoke, her voice laden with practical caution:

“Are you sure you want to plug an unknown USB drive into your computer?”

Erick gave a confident smile, the corners of his mouth curving in a controlled manner, and replied without hesitation:

“Relax, this computer has very good protection. Besides, it’s not connected to the main network. There won’t be any problem.”

He plugged in the flash drive with a gentle click. The computer screen lit up immediately, displaying a notification that the device had been successfully connected. Using the mouse—something Erick hadn’t used in a while, preferring gesture and holographic interfaces—he clicked the icon that appeared and opened the flash drive’s contents. Several organized folders appeared on the screen, each clearly and professionally labeled. Erick smiled at Jade over his shoulder and commented:

“Very good.”

Clicking on the folders inside the flash drive, he began to browse through the different types of documents. The information revealed the location of various pieces of Nth Metal, small pieces so tiny that it was difficult to pinpoint the size of a gram. There were detailed records of fragments scattered across various universities around the globe, private laboratories hidden in discreet research facilities, and even data on billionaire buyers who had acquired samples for private collections or personal experiments.

Most of these locations contained only grams of the material, some with a few kilograms more under controlled conditions, but Erick meticulously examined everything, analyzing every line of text, every geographical coordinate, and every security note associated with the locations. He clearly saw that if he could collect all of that, he would indeed have a substantial amount of the metal he needed, enough to significantly advance his projects to strengthen and prepare against the threats that surrounded the world.

However, in the last folder he opened, something more impactful appeared. A large quantity of Nth Metal was in the hands of just one person: Lex Luthor. Erick gave a slow, calculated smile, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of recognition and strategic anticipation. He murmured to himself:

“Well, well, well… it looks like we’ll have to face each other. I hope you’re prepared.”

He turned completely to Jade, who was watching the screen intently, and spoke in a decisive tone:

“Excellent. He sent the coordinates of all the metal he has around the globe. Your task will be to collect it. And lastly, we will rob Lex Luthor.”

Jade’s eyes widened for a brief moment, surprised by the scale of the last part, and she asked:

“Aren’t you rushing?”

Erick replied with firm conviction:

“No. If we want to break our limits, we have to put ourselves in stressful situations. It will be a way to evolve and improve our training.”

Jade raised an eyebrow, processing the words, and he continued:

“Yes, and I’ll be with you. I won’t let you invade LexCorp alone. We’ll work together on this little venture.”

Jade smiled, accepting the partnership with an expression that mixed respect and lighthearted amusement:

“Great. Working with a boss breathing down your neck is always more stressful.”

Erick approached her, closing the distance between them in the silent room, and asked point-blank:

“How long will it take you to collect all the material scattered across the globe?”

Jade looked at the computer screen, carefully analyzing the number of countries, locations, and security levels indicated in the documents. After a few seconds of internal evaluation, she replied:

“Perhaps a month or two, depending on the level of security. However, thanks to the powers you have given me, I will now have a wider range of abilities. Maybe even in less time.”

Erick nodded, satisfied with the realistic analysis:

“Great. I expected nothing less from one of the best assassins in the world.”

Jade responded in a loyal and confident tone:

“At your service.”