Main Character’s POV:

Buzz! Buzz!

My head was ringing like a damn telephone that went unanswered. This shit was so unbearable that I had to take another shower to calm myself. Razi filled the tub with ice water and helped me get inside. The cold wetness did much to calm the broiling sensation in my blood. I soaked for an hour until the ringing wasn’t that lethal anymore.

“Are you feeling better now, Smoke Pac?” Razi was concerned for my health, mainly because she thought that her chest would have exploded if I died.

“I do feel more stable. My head still hurts but it isn’t anything I can’t handle.” Razi was useful when I needed her help the most. It was a good thing that I kept her on a short leash, otherwise, I would have had a harder time fetching the ice from the freezer.

Coming out of the tub, I flexed my muscles a few times to see if I still got it. “Yes, my strength is coming back as well, but I feel like this is temporary.”

“What do you mean by that?” Razi was unaware of what was going on with me internally, so I told her the details.

“I believe there is someone out there that is trying to mess with this power of mine. They must have gotten their hands on one of my Rubik’s Cubes and figured out how to unlock it.”

“I knew something like this was going to happen eventually. If you keep dropping bodies like flies without cleaning up after yourself, then more people will discover your Rubik’s Cubes. Then it will be just a matter of time before they figure you out. So, do you think that it might be one of those Smokepire thingies like what you have in the basement?”

This question of hers got me thinking. “Hmm… Those brainless idiots only have an interest in claiming the original Rubik’s Cube that is sitting in my chest. They wouldn’t waste their time going after useless spoils. This leaves only one…”

“Humans?” Razi finished my sentence. We both came to the same conclusion.

“Yes, some curious son of bitch has come across my Rubik’s Cube. Not only this, but that person also has the brains to try and solve it.”

While I was putting my robe on, Razi asked, “And what will happen if that person unlocks the Rubik’s Cubes? Will they also gain the same power as you?”

“I’m just as clueless. Normally I wouldn’t be concerned about such a thing but this case is different.”

“How so?” Razi was genuinely interested in what I had going on.

I thought she deserved an answer, therefore, I told her, “Well, it is different because the Rubik’s Cube in question is a special grade. Meaning I have no clue what sort of gem is locked inside. It could be a powerful weapon that I could use to dominate Clown City or an upgrade from my power. Either way, I can’t let whoever is trying to hack my shit succeed. Before that happen, I will flush their asses down the toilet.”

“Eww, that’s a gross thing to say.” Razi grimaced then walked out of the bathroom.

I sighed and said silently, “Women, they are all the same.”

After I got dressed in something decent, my legs brought me to the front door. Razi was waiting for me at the side. She asked if I wanted her to come with me but I told her no.

“But what if your head starts ringing again?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Stay here and make sure that those idiots don’t do their jobs properly.” I was referring to the construction workers who were back to their duty again. They had a tendency of knocking down shit their not supposed.

“Their boss already took my money so they better come through on the job.”

“If that is how you feel then don’t worry about a thing. I’ll make sure that everything gets done properly around here.” Razi tried to kiss me goodbye but I shove her stinking mouth aside and let her smooch the air.

“Don’t put your mouth on me. That’s freaking disgusting.” I left Razi with a bitter taste in her mouth as I walked away.

I had no time to waste. Finding the culprit behind my disturbance was top priority. Fortunately, the System helped me out a little. It showed the scent trail of the special grade Rubik’s Cube. While I was following the scent trail, I realized that it was getting further away. This meant that it was on the move.

“Where are you going, you bastards?” My search landed me in the city cluster beneath the evening sun. I was constantly dashing from roof to roof, keeping up with the scent trail. I chose this aerial route because it would be easier for me to see my moving target.

Sometime later, I began to identify the source of my attention. A small squadron of police vehicles was moving along a road that led to the outer edge of Clown City.

“The scent trail is coming from that lead car. What are those cops up to?” Feeling curious, I lowered myself to the street level ahead of where the cops would be to get a closer look at what was going on.

“Hm, that person is…?” As the cars drove by, I recognized the female detective who I rescued from the infested clinic. She was driving an official police vehicle and not the sports car I loaned her a while back. Another female cop was sitting beside her, also I faintly noticed an extra head in the back. The glass was wound up so I didn’t get a good look at who that person was.

“The extra passenger she is carrying must be the hacker.” Now that I’ve learnt that my special grade Rubik’s Cube was in the hands of the fucking law, it made my situation more complicated.

I could have easily knocked over that vehicle in the middle of the street and retrieved what was mine, but not without serious consequences. Although I had special powers which made me the pinnacle of all humans, I wasn’t invincible. Bullets could still penetrate my flesh, especially if Rigid Body wasn’t active. I also factored in the possibility of the Smokepires attacking me at my lowest. I didn’t forget about those annoying bastards.

If I was the old Smoke Pac, I would have jumped into the middle of that road and caused chaos, no question asked. But now that I’ve drunk from the fountain of wisdom, it made me more cunning and subtle in my approach. Looking back, I realized just how much of a truculent fool I was.

Vrm! Vrm!

The following cop cars drove passed me on the street corner. Not letting them out of my sight, I rushed back into the alley where I quickly made my way to the roof. I followed them from above until there was no more stable roofing for me to hop to.

“Why have they come out here?” A part of me was confused as to why the cops left the most fortified parts of Clown City to come to this run-down region where the buildings are almost completely toppled over.

“I remember this place… Vendu, the abandoned sector.” The reason why this place was ruined was due to a major gang war that happened 3 years ago. Everything spiralled out of control when the cops got involved. I don’t know whose fault it was specifically, but a major gas line was ruptured. It got exposed to a spark that set the entire place on fire. People were blown out of their apartments like flies. Countless criminals, cops and civilians were roasted alive.

At the time, I was supposed to join the gang war but my bitch of an ex-wife delayed me from going there with a fantastic head. Her mouth knew how to such dick like a professional sperm slurper. I should have seen the red flags before I gave her the damn ring. Well, we can’t undo our past. We can only ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.

On that note, I’ll get back to the meat of the story. Now, where was I…? Yes, the cops parked their vehicles in a small clearing where less debris had accumulated. I observed as they stepped out of their vehicles. Almost everyone I looked at was covered in red. The car I was most focused on was the one closer to the street corner. There I witnessed the detectives escorting a snot-nosed brat out of the back seat of the vehicle.

“Who the hell is that kid?” At a glance, I could tell that he didn’t look quite right in the head. Due to my purchased intelligence, I figured out pretty quickly that he must have been the one fiddling with my merchandise.

“So they’ve sought the aid of a retarded brat to unlock my power? How low will these cops bend their asses to curb the crime rate in Clown City? They are this desperate to crack my power that they’ve come to this shitty dump?” Of course, I wasn’t going to let their plans go accordingly.