Ethan gave a silent, decisive nod.
"Planning on paying them a visit?" Beast asked, leaning back with a knowing smirk.
"I'll visit the Second Branch," Ethan replied coldly. "Specifically to tear it down."
Beast nodded, his smile widening.
Ethan stood up, adjusting his cuffs. "Thank you for your time, Uncle Beast, Mr. Henry. I'll take my leave." He turned and walked out of the private office, the heavy wooden doors closing quietly behind him.
Stepping out onto the street, Ethan stopped for a moment, staring up at the building before walking away into the sunlight.
I need a real crew, Ethan thought, his mind racing through tactical possibilities. Taking on an entire branch alone is suicide.
Taking out his phone, he dialed Liam.
"Ethan! Long time no see, man. How are you doing?" Liam's energetic voice came through the speaker.
"I'm doing well. What about you?"
"Everything's perfect!" Liam replied.
"Liam, I'm forming my own team," Ethan stated bluntly.
Liam paused on the other end. "Your own team? Where did you get that idea, and what's the objective?"
"To dismantle Loop's Second Branch," Ethan explained. "The opponents there are going to be far stronger than what we faced before. I can't do it solo. I also need a team for future confrontations against the other pillars."
"Makes sense," Liam agreed thoughtfully. "Well, what about Allen? He managed to defeat one of Loop's Top Ten executives on his own."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. and there are a few key people I need to recruit."
"Sounds like a plan. Hope you assemble a dangerous squad," Liam said.
"Talk to you later," Ethan said, ending the call and sliding his phone back into his pocket as he resumed his walk home.
Before long, Ethan arrived at his apartment. Heading straight into his room, he sat in front of his PC and booted up the system. Opening a browser, he typed a search into the engine:
The City of Heronics.
A stream of obscure forum posts and archive links flooded the screen:
>The Lost City of the 1600s
>Why Is Heronics Still in Ruins?
>Government Protocols Surrounding Forbidden Sites
Ethan scrolled downward until an old, archived article headline caught his eye:
"What Truly Happened in Heronics During the 1600s? The Incident one tourist revealed..."
Curious, Ethan clicked the link. The text filled Ethan's screen.
"The Ruined City of Heronics does not exist on any modern global map, it only existed in history books. So how was it found, in the present? In early 1600s, a Atliop City was established—famous even today for its historical landmarks. When people visited Atliop, they would take a look even at the ruined city called Heronics or Hero Town."
"Back then, Atliop city was the most richest city in the world and had visitors from all around the world. So, along with Atliop, the ruined Heronics was also recorded in history books."
"Many tourist still visits Atliop city, as the old culture and way of living still exists. Though, there are no people but an old city, a blueprint of how old people lived."
"A few yeas ago, a group of five energetic teenagers planned a trip to Atliop City. They drove toward Atliop City, but spotted the eerie, jagged silhouette of massive ruins in the distance, surrounded by an unnatural atmosphere. Thrill-seeking, they veered off the main road and drove straight into the fog."
"Out of the five friends who entered those ruins, only one returned."
"A brief, seven-second clip of his police interview exists in private archives before the teenager vanished completely without a trace. Later, the authorities discovered that he had previously ran away from home due to family disputes, and was living alone far from home. The investigators searching his abandoned bedroom uncovered a single, crumpled piece of paper."
"On it, the teenager had written:
'The moment we crossed the perimeter, the decay was total. Endless debris... then I spotted a rusted metallic signboard pointing toward "Heronics Airport 2." I realized the city was called Heronics, but beneath the concrete, there was something—'"
"The text cut off abruptly. Historians confirm that Heronics was already a fallen ruin the very first time it was documented in recorded history..."
Ethan scrolled to the very bottom of the page, where a username was tagged:
~ Written By: White Reaper
Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring at the glowing monitor.
So Heronics really is a twisted, anomalous zone... Ethan thought, rubbing his chin.
If I can track down this "White Reaper" guy, he might have actual actionable intel on the layout. But where on earth do I start looking for an anonymous archivist? That's concerns for later.
He stared up at the ceiling, a heavy question weighing on his mind.
"If Heronics was already in ruins the moment recorded history began... then who—or what—destroyed it in the first place?" Ethan muttered under his breath.
VZZZT! VZZZT!
His phone vibrated violently against the desk. Ethan picked it up—it was a text from Jake.
Jake: Get ready. I'm on my way.
Ethan: Isn't it a bit early?
Jake: It's evening.
Ethan glanced at the system clock and blinked, realizing hours had slipped away while he was down the rabbit hole.
Standing up, he walked out into the living room. "Mom?"
"She stepped out to run an errand a little while ago," his grandfather replied from his armchair, looking up from his newspaper.
Ethan nodded.
"Is something wrong, Ethan?"
"No, I was just looking for the clothes she picked out for me."
"Ah, right before she left, she mentioned that your outfit is laid out on your bed," his grandfather informed him with a smile.
"Thanks, Grandpa," Ethan said, turning back toward his room.
Lying neatly on his bed was a sharply tailored black suit. Draped right beside it was his father's vintage black leather jacket.
Ethan stared at the strangely familiar jacket for a long moment, memories flickering through his mind, before deciding to leave it on the bed for now. He slipped into the tailored suit, checking his reflection in the mirror.
Taking out his phone, he sent a quick text to Jake.
Ethan: Can you bring a car with enough room for three people?
Jake: Are your friends coming along?
Ethan: Yeah, one friend.
Jake: Got it.
Ethan then opened his chat with Madison.
Ethan: Madison, get ready. We're picking you up in a few minutes.
Madison: Okay.👍👍
Ethan grabbed his phone, headed downstairs, and stepped out in front of his apartment building into the cool evening breeze.
Ethan: I'm downstairs at my apartment entrance.