"Well, well, you two are quite a sight."
Seo Myung-hyuk's voice was cold, but his eyes scanned Do-yoon and Joo I-dam with apparent interest. Blankers' operatives surrounded them without leaving a single gap. They had just escaped from Yoo Seo-hyun and the "flame emblem" assailants, but now felt like they had entered another predator's territory.
"Seo Myung-hyuk... Why are you here?" Jin Do-yoon asked without lowering his guard. He could still feel the small data chip that Yoo Seo-hyun had secretly slipped into his hand.
Seo Myung-hyuk shrugged and replied, "We detected unusual energy readings from the 'Akasha Field,' so we came to check. I had my suspicions, but sure enough, it was you, Jin Do-yoon. And... Joo I-dam, it's been a while. I thought you'd still be tinkering with scrap metal in back alleys."
Joo I-dam's expression hardened. Among the Blankers operatives, a familiar face stepped forward. It was Ryu Jae-ha, a taciturn and persistent hacker. In the past, he had been I-dam's colleague in toying with government systems. But now they walked different paths.
"Ryu Jae-ha... Why are you with them?" Joo I-dam growled lowly.
"Because changing the world requires greater power, Joo I-dam. How long do you plan to just stand by and watch?" Ryu Jae-ha's voice was cold.
Seo Myung-hyuk seemed to enjoy the tension between the two. "Now, let's save the old stories for later. Jin Do-yoon, we've already confirmed your abilities. And we know you saw something in the 'Akasha Field.' Why don't you join hands with us, Blankers? To destroy Mainnet's false paradise and reclaim true freedom of memory."
His proposal was firm, but beneath it seemed to lurk an ulterior motive to exploit the information and abilities Do-yoon possessed. Do-yoon fell silent for a moment. The data chip from Yoo Seo-hyun. He discreetly passed the chip to Joo I-dam while avoiding Seo Myung-hyuk's gaze, signaling with his eyes, 'Analyze this for me.'
"I cannot agree with your methods," Do-yoon spoke up. "True freedom cannot be achieved through violence and destruction. I will find the truth in my own way, and in that process, I may walk a different path from yours."
Seo Myung-hyuk's eyes gleamed coldly. "Still caught up in idealism, Jin Do-yoon. But fine. I'm not asking you to join us right now. Just remember that the information we have and the information you have might be necessary for each other."
At that moment, Joo I-dam whispered quietly in Do-yoon's ear. "The chip... I'm decrypting it, and this is no joke. Yoo Seo-hyun wasn't ordinary. But... there's something... something huge in here."
Joo I-dam's fingers moved rapidly over his portable terminal. Finally, one encrypted file opened. Inside was a short video clip along with complex coordinate data and a single photograph.
The photo showed a young girl with a youthful face smiling brightly. Jin So-ra. Do-yoon's younger sister. But So-ra's appearance in the photo looked much healthier than the last image he remembered... and somehow different. As if she were a different person.
The video clip appeared to be a short recording secretly filmed by Yoo Seo-hyun. It showed what seemed to be a top-secret facility inside Mainnet. Surrounded by numerous medical equipment and neural interface devices, So-ra appeared to be in deep sleep. And at her bedside... Dr. Yoo Jin-ha stood. He was checking So-ra's neural chip data as if handling a precious test subject.
["Project 'Lucid Dream'... entering stabilization phase. Synchronization rate with the 'First Memory' at 73%. Faster than expected. This child is... the key to a new era."] Dr. Yoo Jin-ha's voice in the video was low and calm, but the madness contained within could not be hidden.
Do-yoon was struck by breathtaking shock. So-ra was alive. But... it wasn't simple imprisonment. She was being used in Mainnet's horrific experiments. Synchronization with the 'First Memory.' Dr. Yoo Jin-ha's 'First Memory' that Ha-yoon had mentioned was directly connected to So-ra.
"So-ra... my sister..." Do-yoon's voice trembled with despair and anger.
Seo Myung-hyuk sensed their unusual atmosphere. "What's wrong? That data chip... did Yoo Seo-hyun give it to you?"
Do-yoon looked straight at Seo Myung-hyuk. There was no more hesitation in his eyes. "My younger sister... is being held by Dr. Yoo Jin-ha. She's being used in experiments related to his 'First Memory.'"
Seo Myung-hyuk's expression instantly hardened. "Yoo Jin-ha's 'First Memory'... That's something we Blankers have been tracking for a long time. It's the source of all memory control and the sanctuary hidden in the deepest part of the Mainnet system. But accessing that place is... tantamount to suicide. It's the final line of defense designed by Yoo Jin-ha himself."
He fell silent for a moment, then spoke as if he had made a decision. "Fine, Jin Do-yoon. If it's about rescuing your sister, Blankers will lend our strength. After all, our goal is also to destroy Yoo Jin-ha and his 'First Memory.' But remember this. This is a deal. We need your abilities and information, and in return, we'll cooperate in rescuing your sister. But after that... we go our separate ways."
Do-yoon nodded. Right now, he had no choice. To save So-ra, he could even shake hands with the devil.
"Do we have the coordinates?" Seo Myung-hyuk asked. Joo I-dam nodded. "In the data Yoo Seo-hyun left behind... there's the location of the facility where 'Project Lucid Dream' is being conducted. But... the security level is beyond imagination."
"It doesn't matter." Seo Myung-hyuk's eyes shone with determination. "We are those who make the impossible possible. Prepare yourselves, gentlemen. Soon... it will be time to enter directly into the lion's den."