Although Eren's face bore a bit more makeup than before, Ilena still recognized the man who had left such a deep impression on her.
After all—
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever paid her just to take her home and clean.
Back then, she had been utterly terrified of the clown Eren, nearly believing that her life would end right then and there.
However—
It was precisely because of that experience that Ilena found herself unable to understand why this strange "customer" had appeared before her again and spoken those words.
Did he want her to clean his place again?
Or was he looking to discuss some "serious" business?
Looking at the somewhat disheveled Ilena, the clown reached out and tidied up her messy hair before speaking again.
"Beautiful lady, you still haven't answered me—are you free tonight?"
Hearing Eren's voice again, Ilena felt momentarily dazed before quickly replying, "Apologies, sir. I… I'm afraid I don't have time lately. Thank you, but I must leave."
She had secretly kept some of the guests' tips, violating Kingpin's rules, all to save money for her younger brother Michael's medical treatment.
Now that she had finally gathered enough for his surgery—
Davis had suddenly barged in with his men, not only taking away the guests' tips but also robbing her of all her hard-earned savings, including the money her "sisters" had voluntarily lent her upon learning of her brother's condition.
Michael's condition could not be delayed any longer.
Ilena had no time left. She had to find a way to raise the surgery fees again as quickly as possible.
For that, she had already made up her mind—she was willing to do anything.
Even if...
Just as Ilena gritted her teeth, enduring the pain in her body and struggling to stand up, Eren's voice rang out again.
"Is that so? What a pity."
"I was planning to entrust my newly acquired mansion to you for cleaning, seeing as you did such a thorough job last time. I even have the money prepared."
Money!
Ilena, who had been trying to force herself to leave, instinctively froze upon hearing the word she had been dreaming of day and night.
She turned to look at Eren.
But soon, she forced a bitter smile and shook her head.
Am I going crazy thinking about money?
Last time, after cleaning such a massive haunted house, he only gave me a hundred dollars. Even if this new place is bigger, how much could he possibly offer?
Even if that hundred dollars were multiplied four or five times, it would still be nothing compared to the $8,600 I need for Michael's surgery. Besides... I don't have time to earn money by cleaning houses anymore.
Just as Ilena was about to take another step forward—
Eren's voice reached her ears again.
"What's wrong? You don't believe me?"
With an exaggerated expression, Eren reached out into the air and made a grabbing motion.
As if performing a magic trick, a thick stack of freshly printed hundred-dollar bills appeared in his hand, their ink still fragrant.
"Rustle... rustle..."
Deliberately shaking the wad of cash in front of Ilena's eyes, Eren spoke in a tone of regret.
"What a shame. This ten thousand dollars—if not for the fact that you were so diligent last time—I wouldn't have even considered giving you this job."
As he spoke, Eren patted the stack of cash and then reached for his mask, acting as if he was about to leave.
"Wait—!"
Before he could take a step, Ilena lunged at him like a madwoman, clutching his arm tightly.
"You mean… this ten thousand dollars… is for cleaning a house?"
Eren, who had pretended to leave, turned his head and shook his head. "Of course not..."
The moment she heard "not," the light in Ilena's eyes dimmed visibly.
I knew it. There's no way cleaning a house could be worth ten thousand dollars...
But before she could finish that thought, Eren's voice rang in her ears again.
"This ten thousand dollars… is just the deposit. After all, my new place is quite large. Cleaning it will be a huge task."
Ten thousand dollars.
As a deposit.
Ilena didn't even wait for him to finish his sentence before she let out a desperate, hoarse scream.
"Give it to me! I'll do it—please!"
Perhaps her voice was too sharp, or maybe she was too anxious—she ended up breaking her voice mid-sentence.
"Oh, is that so? Then it's yours."
Seeing the desperate plea on Ilena's face and the rekindled hope in her eyes, Eren's grin stretched into a wide arc. Without hesitation, he handed her the thick stack of bills.
At that moment, there was no pity or condescension on his face—only a pure and equal exchange of goodwill.
Stuffing the ten thousand dollars into Ilena's hands, Eren patted her arm and said,
"Hey, beautiful, you should let go now. If you keep pulling, my clothes will tear… and you'll have to compensate me."
"S-Sorry…"
Flustered, Ilena let go of his arm.
She looked down at the cash in her hands, still unable to believe that Eren had given it to her so easily.
With this money, Michael could have his surgery.
He wouldn't die.
The hope she had just grasped shattered the despair that had consumed her earlier, making the world in her eyes bright again.
At some point, tears had welled up in Ilena's eyes, quickly blurring her vision.
"Thank you… thank you…"
Eren adjusted his slightly ruffled clothing with a graceful gesture before turning and walking away.
"Oh, right—tonight, I'll have someone come find you. Don't forget our agreement, beautiful lady..."
He had only taken a few steps when Ilena's urgent voice rang out from behind him.
"Thank you! I won't forget—also, my name is… Ilena."
Ilena's voice was hurried, but it was filled with the most sincere gratitude.
Hearing this, Eren, hidden beneath the clown mask, revealed a faint smile.
But he did not turn back.
He simply waved his hand and walked away.
Not long after Eren left the dark alley, Ilena, clutching the ten thousand dollars tightly against her body, sprinted toward the community hospital across the street and immediately handed over the money for Michael's surgery.
In a shadowed corner nearby—
Watching everything unfold and confirming that Ilena was now safe, Eren slightly lowered the brim of his magician's hat.
Then, he continued walking toward Fisk Tower.
Despite his own miserable circumstances, he still couldn't stand seeing others suffer.
Perhaps, that was what it truly meant to be a clown.
Fate had dealt him a cruel hand, yet he still responded with laughter.
Using a smile to mask all sorrow, and performing absurd acts to bring joy to others.
At that moment, Eren seemed to understand the true essence of a clown.
At the same time, a delighted, maniacal laughter once again echoed in his mind.
As if celebrating the birth of a true clown.
However—
Unlike before, this time—
That crazed laughter carried away the last trace of hidden madness within Eren's heart.
At that very moment, as enlightenment struck Eren, the remnants of the Jester potion, which had been forcibly digested within both his and his original body's system due to the Jester of Fate's bizarre methods, seemed to become even clearer.
Simultaneously, the Seed of Fate's Laughter, gifted by the Jester of Fate, unknowingly grew stronger.
Feeling a sudden rush through his body, as if breaking through some invisible shackle, Eren narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Ah… that feels good."
"It seems even fate itself stands against Kingpin this time."
With a faint smile, the masked Eren arrived at the base of Fisk Tower.
Gazing at the prominent entrance, he strode forward with a cheerful gait.
The moment the guards stationed at the entrance spotted him approaching—
Not only did they not stop him, but they even rushed forward attentively to open the passageway for him, bowing deeply in respect.
From the moment he neared the building, Eren had activated his Mind Field, distorting the perception of the guards.
At the same time, he utilized the Magician's Illusion, further reinforcing the mind distortion.
As a result, the guards standing watch at the entrance all saw Eren as one of their direct superiors.
Passing through the security checkpoint that required identification—now conveniently opened for him by the guards—Eren turned to the security captain, whose badge displayed his rank, and snapped coldly:
"Useless fool. Go press the elevator button for me, now."
"Ah! Y-Yes, sir!"
Terrified by Eren's reprimand, the captain broke into a cold sweat and rushed toward the nearby elevator in a panic.
His slightly rotund belly made his frantic sprint appear almost comically exaggerated.
The other guards, hearing the scolding, immediately lowered their heads further, much like frightened ostriches.
Meanwhile, the onlookers who had witnessed the security team's deference toward Eren instinctively assumed he was someone important.
None of them dared look at him directly.
Afraid that their gaze alone might invoke the displeasure of this "big shot."
Utilizing the captain's clearance, Eren smoothly entered the elevator leading to the third basement level of Fisk Tower.
In an effort to ingratiate himself with this supposed "high-ranking official," the security captain even stepped into the elevator with him, intending to personally guide the way.
"Ding!"
The moment the elevator doors closed—
A sudden premonition of danger surged through Eren's mind.
At the same time, a vision appeared in his consciousness—an elevator drenched in blood and shredded flesh, riddled with bullet holes and smoke.
As soon as that vision vanished from his mind—
Eren immediately used Threads of Resentment to slice open a person-sized gap in the elevator's seemingly welded-shut maintenance hatch.
Without hesitation, he pulled himself up and climbed onto the reinforced elevator roof.
Almost the instant he managed to reposition the hatch—
"Ding!"
The elevator doors slid open.
The security captain—completely unaware that Eren had already escaped—stepped forward as if nothing was wrong.
Only to be met with—
The frenzied fire of seven or eight assault rifles aimed directly at him.
"Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!"
In mere seconds, hundreds of bullets shredded the slightly overweight security captain into a bloodied sieve.
Leaving behind only a mangled corpse and a bullet-riddled elevator.
Evidence that he had once stood there.
For a full seven or eight seconds, the gunners continued unloading their magazines before finally stopping.
After ejecting their empty clips, the tattooed men lowered their smoking barrels.
"You idiots! He's already gone! What the hell are you shooting at?!"
The instant the gunfire ceased, Bullseye—clad in a form-fitting combat suit—raised his pistol and fired a single shot directly at the cut marks Eren had left on the elevator ceiling.
"Bang!"
"Go after him!"
Wasting no time, Bullseye's men swiftly reloaded their assault rifles.
However—
Just as they were about to aim at the hole Eren had escaped through—
A strange, rustling sound suddenly echoed through the air.
"There he is—!"
For a split second—
The three gang members who had rushed into the elevator caught sight of a black silhouette darting past them.
It bolted toward the exit in a blur.
The moment they saw the fleeing figure, an overwhelming emotion surged through their minds.
Without hesitation—
They turned their guns toward the figure that had just run out of the elevator and opened fire.
"Tat-tat-tat!!!"
Watching his men suddenly turn their guns on each other and pull the trigger, Bullseye's expression darkened instantly.
"Shit! Get down!"
(End of Chapter)
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