"Let him in," Beast commanded.
"Understood, Boss," the voice replied.
A moment later, the heavy wooden doors swung open, and Ethan stepped into the private office. Beast stood behind his wide desk, offering a welcoming smile, while Ethan's eyes instantly settled on Henry, who was leaning back comfortably on the couch.
"Ethan, my man! Take a seat," Beast said, walking over to sit on the sofa beside Henry.
Ethan pulled out a chair across from the two seasoned veterans and sat down.
"So, Ethan, how are you enjoying your break from school?" Henry asked, breaking the silence with a light smile.
Ethan looked at him, pausing for a beat before answering in an even, cold voice. "It's fine. What about you?"
Henry chuckled softly, glancing over at Beast. "I heard you're looking for intel on Loop's Second Branch."
Ethan nodded strictly.
Beast let out a slow, heavy sigh.
"Ethan... why are you pushing yourself into this fight?" Henry asked softly, his eyes locking onto the young man.
Ethan remained dead silent, his expression unreadable.
Henry smiled gently. "Don't feel like answering? That's fine."
"Alright, alright," Beast chimed in, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Let's get down to business. Ethan, you want the lowdown on the Second Branch... but before we start..."
"I don't have any money," Ethan cut in bluntly.
Henry burst into a short laugh, while Beast cleared his throat, trying to keep a straight face.
"Setting funds aside for a second, Ethan—you need to understand that the Second Branch is completely different from the others," Beast explained, his tone growing serious.
"How so?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Once upon a time, the Second and Third Branches operated as a single entity under the banner of the Second Branch," Beast revealed. "But somewhere down the line, a conflict forced them to split. What you fought—and brought to its knees—was the Third Branch."
"Why did they separate?" Ethan inquired. "What made them divide the Second Branch into two?"
"I don't have every classified detail," Beast replied, "but both branches developed radically different methods of operation. Two separate, horrifying dark secrets. The two directors—Lewis and Mike—couldn't see eye to eye, so they took the issue straight to Loop's leader, the Head, the Chairman himself: John Levi."
Ethan leaned forward slightly. "Uncle Beast, what was the Third Branch's dark secret? When we raided their main building, we couldn't find a single trace of incriminating physical evidence."
"That's because the secret was destroyed during the collapse," Henry interjected. "If memory serves me right, the Third Branch operated under the cover of a massive telecom and network provider."
Ethan nodded quietly, turning his head to Henry.
"Their real revenue came from harvesting and selling the private data of every single civilian using their network," Henry explained.
"Selling it?" Ethan frowned. "To who? Who would even buy standard user data on that scale?"
Henry offered a faint, somber smile. "Ethan... you are still far too innocent for the reality of this world."
Ethan's frown deepened.
"They sell it on the Dark Market," Henry continued, his voice dropping an octave. "A hidden online website where every form of filth and corruption thrives. People on those forums have... specific, twisted desires. Many of them pay fortunes just to gain real-time access to live feeds, accessing personal device cameras belonging to unsuspecting users on the network."
Ethan stared at him, trying to digest the concept. "I don't fully understand..."
"Allow me to paint a picture," Henry said softly. "Imagine a buyer—let's call him 'Subject A.' He develops a obsession with a prominent female celebrity or public figure."
Ethan nodded slowly, listening.
"Subject A goes onto the Dark Market and posts a high-bounty request for private photos, personal videos, or continuous tracking on that individual," Henry explained. "If that target happens to be using a network controlled by Loop's Third Branch, the branch harvests her phone's location, personal media, and camera feeds, selling the package directly to Subject A for an exorbitant fee."
"And once the buyer has that data, he uses it to harass, blackmail, or ruin their lives," Beast added with a grim sigh. "That was the sickening machinery driving the Third Branch."
Ethan absorbed the reality of it, a cold disgust settling in his stomach. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the gym owner.
"Uncle Beast... what about the Second Branch then?"
Beast exchanged a heavy look with Henry before turning back to Ethan.
"Loop's Second Branch... that one is far more complicated."
"Complicated how?" Ethan pressed. "Is the facility structured like a maze?"
Beast shook his head. "Loop relocated the Second Branch's central operations to an old, abandoned city known as Heronics."
"Heronics?" Ethan murmured, searching his memory. "I've never heard of that place."
"It's an ancient, forgotten city," Henry clarified. "A decaying relic from a past era."
"Elaborate," Ethan demanded softly.
Beast nodded, leaning back against the sofa. "It's a completely ruined, ghost city. According to old legends and historical archives, it was originally called Heronics or Hero Town. It has remained in total ruin since the 1600s. Because of its ominous history, unnatural atmosphere, and bizarre incidents, governments worldwide deliberately keep it off the maps and strictly avoid it."
Ethan sat in silence, the name echoing through his mind.
Heronics... Ethan thought.
"So, according to our latest intelligence on the Second Branch," Beast concluded, his eyes sharpening, "their headquarters is either buried deep within the ruins of Heronics... or hidden away on a untraceable island somewhere in the vast ocean."
"Uncle, I want a fix location." Ethan said.
Beast smiled.
Ethan sighed, "I will pay you once I earn the money."
Beast nodded, "Okay, I will contact them."
Ethan nodded and sat back then he realized, "What? You are in contact with Second Branch?"
Beast shook his head, "No, I am in contact with Loop's Number 1, the man himself, John Levi. He asked me to send him men for the second branch."