Back at the base, Nara and Jin-woo examined the ID card with the circle and three lines symbol with intense attention. Nara typed rapidly on her computer, searching her databases.
"This symbol..." he murmured, frowning. "I've seen it before. It's associated with a clandestine organization that's been operating in the shadows for years. They call themselves 'Project Styx.'"
"Project Styx?" I asked. "What do they do?"
Jin-woo explained. "They're a very secretive organization. Rumor has it they're involved in researching and manipulating superhuman abilities, both from the Marked and other sources. They've always been a potential threat, but we've never had concrete evidence of their connection to the Troubles... until now."
The discovery of Agent Thorne's card confirmed their worst fears. Project Styx was not only aware of the modified Troubles, but was likely behind them.
"The device they disconnected is also concerning," Nara added, displaying a magnified image of the transmitter on the screen. "It appears to be advanced technology, not something easily obtained. This suggests Project Styx has significant resources."
We were told that Project Styx was known for its secrecy and use of highly trained agents. Agent Thorne was likely one of them. The fact that he was in the warehouse manipulating the machinery indicated his direct involvement and that the dimensional energy source was crucial to their plans.
"We need to know what they're doing," Jin-woo said urgently. "If they're modifying Troubles, they could be creating a much bigger threat than we've faced so far."
Nara nodded. "We have a lead. According to our records, Project Styx has several secret facilities in the city. One of them, we suspect, may be located near the port area, not far from the warehouse."
They showed us a map with the possible location of the facility, an abandoned industrial complex on the outskirts of the port. "We want you to go there," Nara told us. "Investigate. Try to find out what they're doing and if they have any more modified Troubles."
This time, the Guardians provided us with additional equipment: small cloaking devices that would make us less visible to basic security systems, and energy jammers that could help us remain invisible if we encountered any kind of scanner or detector.
As we prepared for the mission, I felt the weight of responsibility weighing on my shoulders. This wasn't just about fighting monsters anymore. We were facing a human organization, with resources and technology. The game had become more complex and dangerous.
"Are you ready for this, Ryu Hyuk?" Min-ah asked, noticing my serious expression.
I nodded. "More than ready. We have to stop them, whatever they're planning."
We left the Guardian base with a new sense of purpose. We knew the task ahead was risky, but we also knew it was necessary. Project Styx was a threat to everyone, not just the Marked. And we were determined to stop them.