The Ashen Dominion
Chapter 92 - Join Me [3]

Chapter 92: 92 - Join Me [3]

"Brock!"

Kaiser exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.

And just like him—

"Brat!"

Brock responded, grinning from ear to ear.

They stared at each other for a second, the shock of the encounter settling in.

Both of them were now Silver Rankers—but Kaiser hadn’t expected to run into Brock this soon. With multiple Silver Places and Training Grounds, the chances were slim.

Yet here they were, they met on Kaiser’s second day in the training ground.

"It’s been a while."

Brock said, chuckling and shaking his head. He still looked like he couldn’t believe it.

Kaiser nodded, his smile growing wider. Then, with growing excitement in his voice—

"Where are Jin and Khan?"

He asked that.

Kaiser glanced around, eyes scanning the training ground, expecting to see the two not far away.

But no matter where he looked... There was no sign of them.

"Hm?"

His smile slowly faded. Confusion settled on his face.

Then, turning back to Brock—

That’s when he noticed it.

"..."

The frown on his face.

Brock’s expression was dark.

Swoosh~

"...?"

A heavy silence hung between them, and Kaiser became nervous.

"Why? Did something happen to them...?"

He asked slowly. His voice trembled slightly, his eyes wide with unease.

"Tch—"

Brock clicked his tongue, looking away for a moment.

His usual bright expression was nowhere. Then, with a bitter twist to his lips—

"They’re gone..."

He muttered that.

Frustrated. Sad. Angry.

And Kaiser... He just stood there, stunned.

"..."

He was speechless.

He couldn’t believe what he just heard.

"What...?"

Kaiser asked weakly, his voice almost a whisper.

But Brock... He just looked down.

Silent. Motionless. Not saying anything anymore.

Kaiser’s mind spun into chaos.

’Gone? What do you mean gone?’

His thoughts were tangled, frantic. Then suddenly— Fragments of memories surfaced in his head, uninvited.

Khan’s calm voice teaching him the things he didn’t know when he was just beginning to figure out things here in the coliseum.

Jin’s patient hand correcting his grip during training, and his tips for him to get stronger too.

Their laughter. Their support. Their strength.

"No way..."

Kaiser mumbled, eyes dropping to the ground. His fists clenched slightly at his sides.

He was in shock.

"Huh, Kaiser?"

"Kid?"

But just as the weight started to sink in— Voices suddenly came from behind him. Familiar voices.

"...?"

Kaiser turned around to the voices, and when he did—

"Huh?"

He saw Khan and Jin, both of them standing there with wide smiles on their faces.

They looked alive, well, and completely fine.

"Huh?"

Kaiser was stunned. His head slowly turned back to Brock in disbelief...

And there—

He saw the bastard grinning ear to ear, looking proud of himself.

"Haha, just kidding."

Brock said casually, like it was no big deal, his tone completely playful.

And hearing that—

"YOU OLD FUCK!!!"

Kaiser yelled, red-faced—half embarrassed, half annoyed as hell.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!"

Brock burst into laughter, clutching his gut like it was the funniest thing ever.

Meanwhile...

Jin and Khan stood a few steps away, blinking in confusion as they looked at the two of them.

"...What just happened?"

Khan muttered.

"...I have no idea."

Jin replied.

*****

Turns out... The two of them are just taking a pee in the bathroom.

Kaiser told Jin and Khan what Brock did.

And after hearing the story— the two frowned at Brock almost immediately.

"..."

"..."

Their eyes squinted, clearly unimpressed.

Brock scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

"Haha... I was just joking."

But the two didn’t really bother pressing him for long. They knew Brock.

He was always like that— loud, annoying, and an idiot.

So they just let it slide and went on.

And with that, the four of them started talking again, catching up like old times.

...

...

"So the place you’re staying at is not that far from here?"

Jin asked, curious.

"Yeah, just a couple of minutes walk."

Kaiser nodded.

"It’s your second day going here, right?"

Khan asked him. And before Kaiser could even answer—

"Heh, we drank yesterday the whole day for no reason. That’s why you didn’t see us."

Brock said with a smug grin.

...

A few minutes later, the topic shifted—

"By the way, I saw your last match."

Khan suddenly brought up, turning to Kaiser.

"The one that got you promoted. Congrats."

"Thanks."

Kaiser said with a small smile.

Then Jin chimed in right after—

"You were so damn lucky in that fight, though."

He stated.

"Yeah, I know"

In which, Kaiser agreed, nodding seriously.

"I underestimated him... almost paid for it. I only won because I got a lucky strike in."

His tone was different now— more grounded, more honest.

But then Brock suddenly raised his voice and clapped a hand on his shoulder—

"Bah! Doesn’t matter! A win’s a win!"

He laughed.

Kaiser frowned slightly at him, but... He couldn’t argue.

He did win, after all.

Then, at that moment—

"What’s your plan now?"

Khan suddenly asked him that.

"Yeah, are you planning to join an organization?"

Jin followed, his tone curious.

And hearing their questions— Brock turned to Kaiser as well, raising a brow, clearly waiting for his answer too.

Kaiser just shrugged his shoulders, then with a calm voice—

"Ah, no. I’m going to make my own organization."

He declared that.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Brock, Khan, and Jin... The three of them fell silent.

For a second, they weren’t even sure if they heard that right.

But then—

"Oh right, do you guys want to join me?"

Kaiser went and casually asked them that, like it was the most normal thing in the world!

"What?"

"Huh?"

"...?"

Khan, Brock, and Jin couldn’t believe their ears. They all looked at Kaiser— and he looked serious as fuck.

They didn’t know what to say.

"If you guys are curious, we already have two members. Including me, of course. Then I invited someone else— still no answer though."

Kaiser suddenly explained that out of nowhere.

This just made the three even more speechless.

"Who’s your other member?"

Khan asked weakly.

And without hesitation—

"That guy."

Kaiser pointed toward Viktor, who was currently lifting a big-ass dumbbell with a deep frown on his face.

The three of them turned to where he pointed. To Viktor.

They faintly recognized his face... Though, they couldn’t remember exactly who he was.

But one thing they were sure of—

’That guy is decent.’

Khan, Jin, and Brock thought the same thing in unison.

’I guess Kaiser is really serious about what he just said earlier.’

They thought to themselves, eyes narrowing slightly.

Then, as if feeling their stares—

"...?"

Viktor turned toward them, tilting his head as he recognized Brock and the others.

’So those monsters are here too, huh.’

He thought.

Then, seeing that Viktor noticed them—

"Viktor, come join us!"

Kaiser called out to him.

"Why?"

Viktor asked, still frowning, the huge weight still in his hands.

"Recruitment!"

Kaiser replied loudly, grinning.

Viktor blinked, confused. He had no clue what was going on.

But nevertheless—

’Ugh, whatever.’

THUD!

He just dropped the dumbbells and began walking toward them. He wants to rest for a short while too anyway.

*****

As soon as Viktor got to where Kaiser and the others were—

He casually nodded at them.

"Hello."

He greeted Brock, Jin, and Khan.

From the way they stared at him, Viktor could tell they were still trying to figure out who he was.

So, with a small smirk—

"I was in the same cell as you three and Kaiser, back in the Copper Place."

He clarified.

And hearing that—

"Ah!"

The three exclaimed at the same time, realization hitting them.

"So that’s why you looked familiar."

Khan said.

"I did notice you before."

Jin added, nodding his head.

Though they still didn’t know his name.

So Viktor introduced himself.

"I’m Viktor."

Then each of them did the same, shaking hands with him one after another.

"Khan."

"Jin."

"The Amazing Brock."

After that— Viktor turned to Kaiser.

"So? What’s going on?"

He asked, looking a little skeptical.

Kaiser looked at him, then replied—

"I invited them to join our organization."

"..."

Viktor went silent.

Then after a short pause, he opened his mouth—

"They’re already strong without one. There’s no reason for them to join us."

He bluntly said that, as always.

But Kaiser just shrugged his shoulders.

"I know. But I still asked them."

"I mean... If they don’t join, we already expected that. But if they miraculously do—then we’re super lucky, right?"

He said.

Then casually, with a tiny grin—

"You miss all the shots you don’t shoot, after all."

He ended with that.

’There’s really something in this guy’s head.’

Viktor furrowed his brows at how laid-back Kaiser was being.

But suddenly—

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!"

Brock burst out laughing.

"You’re still funny as ever, kid."

He said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Then, with a mischievous smirk forming on his lips—

"Say, wanna make a bet?"

He asked Kaiser that.

And Kaiser—

"Hmm? What bet?"

He tilted his head, curious what he was about to say.