Gathering

My money... my Erica...

Matt tilted his head toward the ceiling, his face a portrait of utter despair.

Although he had also joined R Star as a player, his adherence to superhero principles meant he rarely killed, so the money he earned couldn't compare to what Bullseye and the Punisher had raked in.

He was short on cash, but not exactly broke—in fact, he was even fairly well-off now.

Short on cash because he couldn't afford some of the vehicles in the R Star Store; he was still saving up to buy the Vigilante.

Not broke because he'd recently made a few million through the Game Platform, which was a vast improvement over his former penniless state, when he'd even had to dip into his own pocket to handle legal cases for the poor.

But right now, money was secondary. What really bothered him was news about his ex-girlfriend, Erica.

Unfortunately, these young punks had no sense of honor, bullying a blind man like him.

"No, I have to go check it out." Thinking of the player known as Merlin's Beard—who might just be that Merlin guy—he decided to visit the shop at night and ask around.

And Bullseye was there too, of all people.

After the six of them accepted the mission, an address popped up on everyone's phones, but it wasn't Tony Stark's location.

[Please proceed to Merlin's Custom Shop]

Merlin's Custom Shop...

On a truck driving out of the police impound lot, Natasha, dressed as the driver, glanced at the address on her phone, her expression flickering.

She'd just stolen the Bevel Magic Treasure, and it was conveniently on the way.

Though Erica knew about the shop through Kingpin, she'd never been there in person. Last time she tailed Frank, he'd flown off into the night sky, and she'd lost him.

As for Bullseye, Frank, and John, all three were regulars at the shop.

Nighttime, Merlin's Custom Shop.

"Vroom!!" The deep rumble of a motorcycle suddenly shattered the quiet night, as a silver-white phantom raced down the street.

Streaking along the road was a bike—more precisely, a bike brimming with futuristic tech.

Its most striking features were the shimmering silver phantom light strips on its surface and two massive, wide tires. Bathed in the silver-white glow, it looked like a phantom leopard in full sprint.

And, as if to match the bike's sci-fi aesthetic, the rider wore a white luminescent prototype suit, like a walking target.

Very conspicuous in the dark.

The bike pulled up slowly in front of Merlin's Custom Shop and came to a halt, the silver-white light strips on both vehicle and suit fading out.

"Looks cool, but it rides like crap." Bullseye took off his helmet, revealing the circular target on his forehead, and grumbled as he dismounted.

He'd fallen in love with this Saint Taro the moment it came out, even buying the matching Deathly Wake outfit, but after a few days of riding, he found it less comfortable than his Xin Binu.

It sat too low, making the ride unpleasant.

"Clatter clatter clatter..." Just then, the heavy roar of another motorcycle sounded. As two red lights approached, a long-handled bike with a skull-shaped front stopped in front of the shop.

The bike was rugged all over, its frame seeming to be made of skeletal parts. The skull at the front had glowing red eyes, like a demon from hell, exuding a wild, post-apocalyptic vibe—a stark contrast to Bullseye's Saint Taro.

Christmas limited edition, Journey of the Saint.

The bike slowed to a stop, and a tough guy in a white skull-print shirt swung his leg off and stepped down.

Sensing the newcomer's aura, Bullseye's eyes narrowed with caution. His hand instinctively went to his waist, but his expression turned slightly manic.

"Punisher Frank."

Frank spotted Bullseye too—after all, the guy's bike and outfit were way too flashy, like some show-off kid. Hard to miss.

He felt his own trigger finger itch.

Just as the two were about to clash, a truck slowly pulled up in front of the shop. A driver in an orange work uniform opened the door and climbed out, then started stripping off his clothes.

A sexy woman in a black skintight combat suit appeared at the shop entrance.

Natasha tossed her hair and smiled at the tense pair. "Go ahead, you two. I'm just here to drop off a car."

She opened the rear compartment and quickly drove out a Bevel Magic Treasure.

Frank recognized it as the vehicle the police had impounded from him earlier.

They offered retrieval services too?

"Vroom vroom..." Just then, a roar like a wild beast's sounded, mixed with an engine note that resembled a cat's meow.

A black-and-red muscle car pulled up and stopped in front of the shop.

Adventurer Iron Fist Hellfire, based on the Dodge Hellcat.

The three of them narrowed their eyes. Under their watch, a man in a suit with long, melancholic hair stepped out of the car.

"Woof woof woof!!" A low, guttural bark followed, and a dog with green fur, like a lion radiating wildness, jumped out of the car and snarled at the three of them, baring sharp, vicious fangs.

"Duke, Duke... easy now." John smoothed his beloved dog's fur and calmed him down.

Compared to a few days ago, Duke had grown a lot, now the size of a small lion, but still exuding a cold-blooded reptile's aura.

The four people and one dog sized each other up in silence. Under the cool night, the atmosphere was unusually oppressive.

Bullseye, who had originally kept his hand on his waist, quietly withdrew it. He had no desire to become a target.

None of these people were simple.

"Clatter..." Just then, the rolling shutter of the tuning shop slowly rose, breaking the silence.

Merlin's figure emerged from within.

"Black Widow, don't provoke my dog. Punisher, Bullseye... Hmm... one more missing." He said after a moment of thought.

"I'm here!" A cold voice suddenly rang out right by Merlin's ear, startling him.

Erica, wearing a mask and a red bodysuit, stepped out of the darkness like a ghost, a steel fork in hand.

"Good. Since everyone's here, follow me." Merlin waved his hand and turned back into the shop.

The five outside exchanged glances. Natasha was the first to drive the Bevel Magic Treasure into the shop, with the others close behind.

"I never expected Midtown High School's little genius to show up here." Natasha parked the car in the workstation. Ignoring the mission-complete notification on her phone, she got out and spoke to Merlin with interest.

"This shop was left to me by my father. I don't want it to go under." Merlin grabbed a bottle of cola from the fridge and tossed it to her.

He then tossed one to Erica, Bullseye, and Frank.

The tension eased for a moment. Each of them holding a bottle of cola almost felt like they were at a gathering.

"Woof woof woof!!!"

"Alright, almost forgot about you." Merlin casually grabbed a beef bone from beside the fridge and tossed it out.