Gathering

My money... my Erica...

Matt tipped his head back toward the ceiling, looking utterly dead inside.

Though he had also joined R-Star and become a player, he rarely killed people due to his superhero principles. The money he earned was nowhere near comparable to what Bullseye and the Punisher had made.

He was short on money, but not exactly short on money either. In fact, he had become much wealthier.

He was short on money because he could not afford some of the vehicles in the R Star Store. He was still saving up to buy the Vigilante.

But he was not short on money because he had made several million through the Game Platform recently. Compared to how he had once been penniless—and had even paid out of pocket to represent impoverished people in court—he was undoubtedly much wealthier now.

Still, money was secondary to him at the moment. He cared more about news of his ex-girlfriend, Erica.

Unfortunately, these young people had no sense of fair play, bullying a blind man like him.

"No, I have to go take a look." Thinking of Merlin's Beard among the players, which might have been Merlin himself, he decided to visit the shop that night and ask around.

And Bullseye was there too.

After the six accepted the mission, an address quickly popped up on all their phones, though it was not Tony Stark's location.

[Please proceed to Merlin's Custom Shop]

Merlin's Custom Shop...

Inside a truck that had driven out of the police impound lot, Natasha, dressed as a driver, glanced at the address on her phone, her expression flickering.

She had just stolen the Bevel Magic Treasure, and it happened to be on the way.

Though Erica knew of the shop through Kingpin, she had never been there herself. The last time she had followed Frank, he had flown away and vanished into the night sky, and she had lost him.

As for Bullseye, Frank, and John, all three were regular customers of the shop.

That night, Merlin's Custom Shop.

"Vroom!!" The deep roar of a motorcycle suddenly shattered the quiet night as a silver-white Mirage sped down the street.

What raced through the street was a motorcycle—or, more precisely, a motorcycle brimming with futuristic technology.

The motorcycle's most striking features were the silver Mirage-like flowing lights shimmering across its surface and its two enormous, broad wheels. Against the silver-white glow, it resembled a phantom panther racing at full speed.

Likewise, perhaps to complement the bike's futuristic sci-fi aesthetic, its rider wore a white glowing prototype outfit, like a walking target.

It stood out sharply in the darkness.

The motorcycle slowly came to a stop in front of Merlin's Custom Shop, and the silver-white light strips on both the vehicle and the outfit went out.

"It looks cool, but it's really uncomfortable to ride." After removing his Helmet, Bullseye, with a circular target stamped on his forehead, got off the bike and complained.

He had fallen in love with the Saint Taro as soon as it came out and had even bought the matching Deathly Wake outfit. But after riding it for several days, he found it less comfortable than his Xin Binu.

It sat too low, making it uncomfortable for him to ride.

"Thud-thud-thud..." At that moment, the roar of a heavy motorcycle sounded again. As two points of red light drew near, a chopper with a skull for a head stopped in front of the shop.

The motorcycle was rugged all over, its frame seemingly built from a skeleton. The skull at its front had crimson eyes, like a demon from Hell. It was filled with a wild wasteland aesthetic, forming a stark contrast with Bullseye's Saint Taro.

A Christmas limited edition: Journey of the Saint.

The motorcycle slowly stopped, and a tough-looking man in a white skull shirt swung himself off it.

Sensing the newcomer's aura, Bullseye's eyes flashed with caution. His hand instinctively went to his waist, though his expression became somewhat crazed.

"Frank the Punisher."

Frank saw Bullseye in front of him as well. The other man's bike and clothes were far too flashy, like some manic street punk; he was impossible to miss.

Frank's hands were itching too.

Just as the two stood at sword's point, a truck slowly pulled up in front of the shop. Then a driver in an orange work uniform opened the door and stepped out, immediately beginning to strip off the clothes.

A sexy woman in a black skintight combat suit appeared in front of the shop.

Natasha tossed her hair and smiled at the two men poised for battle. "Carry on. I'm just here to deliver a car."

She opened the rear cargo door, and soon drove out a Bevel Magic Treasure.

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

They even had a recovery service?

"Vroooom..." At that moment, another engine roared like a wild beast, mixed with something resembling a cat's cry.

A black-and-red muscle car then drove over and stopped in front of the shop.

Adventurer Iron Fist Hellfire, modeled after a Dodge Hellcat.

The three narrowed their eyes. Under their watchful gazes, a melancholy long-haired man in a suit stepped out of the car.

"Woof, woof, woof!!!" Accompanied by deep barking, a dog with green fur all over its body leaped out of the car. It was as wild as a lion and snarled at the three, baring sharp, vicious fangs.

"Duke, Duke... calm down." John stroked his beloved dog's fur and soothed him.

Compared with a few days ago, Duke had grown much larger, like a little lion, yet he still gave off the aura of a cold-blooded beast.

The four people and one dog observed each other without speaking. Under the cool night sky, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.

Bullseye, whose hand had been resting at his waist, quietly withdrew it as well. He did not want to become everyone's target.

Not a single one of these people was simple.

"Rattle..." At that moment, the shop's rolling shutter slowly rose, breaking the silence.

Merlin walked out from inside.

"Black Widow, Don't Provoke My Dog, the Punisher, Bullseye... hmm... one more is missing," he said after thinking for a moment.

"I'm here!" A cold voice suddenly sounded beside Merlin's ear, startling him.

Wearing a mask and a red skintight suit, Erica emerged from the darkness like a ghost, holding a steel fork.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, follow me." Merlin waved his hand, then turned and walked into the shop.

The five outside exchanged glances. Natasha was the first to drive the Bevel Magic Treasure inside, and the others followed close behind.

"I never thought Midtown High School's little genius would show up here." After parking the car at a work bay, Natasha ignored the notification sound indicating that her phone mission had been completed and said to Merlin with interest.

"This shop was left behind by my father. I don't want it to go bankrupt." Merlin took a bottle of cola from the refrigerator and tossed it to her.

Then he tossed bottles to Erica, Bullseye, Frank, and the others.

The atmosphere relaxed considerably. With everyone holding a bottle of cola, it really did look as though they had come to a gathering.

"Woof, woof, woof!!!"

"Alright, I almost forgot you." Merlin casually grabbed a beef bone from beside the refrigerator and threw it out.