Previously: Rina barged into Rades' room, demanding to know what happened to Lockey. Despite Cassian's initial protest, Rades allowed the confrontation, teasing his sister about her sudden concern for Lockey. As tension grew between them, Rina pressed for answers, but Rades deflected, suggesting she ask Glacier if she truly wanted to know more.

Meanwhile, Marco and Adam pleaded with Glacier to join his mission to rescue Lockey. Despite their earnestness, Glacier warned them of the dangers they’d face. As they prepared, Rina unexpectedly joined the group, and the situation escalated when Pinnochi called in, revealing critical discoveries about the Vault—but not before venting his frustration, claiming he was risking his life.

As the doors slid open, Pinnochi stepped into a bustling lab filled with white-coated figures, the atmosphere a blend of clinical sterility and eerie silence. The hum of machines droned softly, while scientists moved around, engrossed in their tasks. Before blending in, Pinnochi noticed a spare lab coat hanging on a hook nearby. He quickly slipped it on, glancing at the name tag: Mr. Gareth.

Perfect. Adjusting the coat to fit, he straightened his posture, adopting a facade of professionalism. With measured steps, he moved deeper into the lab.

Rows of glass tubes lined the walls, each one containing distorted human figures—limbs twisted unnaturally, organs suspended in murky liquid. Bodies floated lifelessly, preserved in eerie stillness. Some specimens were nothing but severed limbs or malformed body parts, as if experiments had gone horribly wrong.

Pinnochi’s stomach churned. This place is worse than I imagined…

“What the hell is going on here?” he muttered under his breath, a wave of nausea rising. It wasn’t just gruesome—it was abhorrent. It’s like a graveyard of failed creations…

Suddenly, a soft voice broke through his thoughts.

"Mr. Gareth? Mr. Gareth!" A feminine voice called out, and Pinnochi felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a woman with short, brown hair and wide eyes, studying him with slight confusion.

Flustered, Pinnochi glanced down at the name tag on his borrowed coat. "Oh, uh, yes! Sorry, I got... lost in thought."

"We need you in Room 5," she said with an unsettling smile. Pinnochi nodded, pretending to understand.

"Right. I'll be there."

The door to Room 5 hissed open. Inside, a large metal table occupied the center, fitted with restraints. Surgical tools were neatly arranged on trays, glinting under the harsh lights. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood, and at the far end of the room, a row of cells stood ominously.

Figures huddled in the cages—men, women, even children, all chained and silent, their eyes wide with fear.

Pinnochi’s heart pounded. What is this place?

“You’re to dissect and remove the organs from each of these bodies,” the woman said matter-of-factly, gesturing to the table. Her tone was calm, almost bored, as if discussing a routine procedure.

His eyes widened. “What the hell—” he blurted out, unable to contain himself.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Gareth?” she asked, her smile thin, almost mocking.

Pinnochi forced himself to smile back, despite the revulsion curling in his gut. “No, it’s just… this room stinks, you know?” he said lightly, trying to sound casual.

Her grin widened, eyes glinting with a hint of madness. “Unfortunate, isn’t it? But they’ll be disposed of soon enough—once they’ve served their purpose, of course.”

His expression faltered. “Served their purpose?” Rage simmered beneath his skin. But he had to keep his cover. “I see… so this is human trafficking,” he murmured, feigning a detached curiosity. “You traffic men, women, and children, and use their organs… for what, exactly?”

The woman’s gaze sharpened. She took a step back, her hand inching toward a panel on the wall. “You’re not staff, are you?” she accused, her voice low and dangerous.

Pinnochi moved without thinking. A flash of purple—his key transformed into a dagger, its blade glinting ominously. “If I were you, I wouldn’t take another step,” he warned softly, his tone ice-cold.

The woman’s eyes widened, but she didn’t stop. Instead, she laughed—a high, unnerving sound. “Did you think a dagger would scare me?” she taunted, inching back slowly, one step at a time.

Pinnochi’s patience snapped. “I told you not to move,” he growled. In a blur of motion, he lunged forward, driving the blade through her hand just as she reached for the button.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

She screamed, her voice shrill, but he clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling the sound. Blood dripped from the wound, staining the sterile floor.

“Now,” he whispered harshly, his grip tightening. “Start talking.”

The woman glared up at him, defiance burning in her eyes. “Like hell I will.”

Pinnochi smirked. “Fine. I’ll make you.” With a swift motion, he locked the door, flipping the sign to read Operation in Progress. “Based on your role here, I’d guess you have access to files—lots of files.”

She spat at him, the bloodied spittle landing on his coat. “Go to hell.”

“I’m already there,” Pinnochi retorted, voice chillingly calm. “The stab I gave you? It’s laced with a slow-acting poison. You’ll start talking eventually.”

Her face paled, the bravado wavering.

“That’s right,” he continued softly. “Ever heard of the Dark Fang? One of the top three on the WCM’s wanted list?” He leaned in closer. “He hacked into Site 22, retrieved classified information, and sold it for 111 million dollars. But what no one realized was that he never acted from the shadows.”

Pinnochi’s smile widened. “Because it was never about hacking. It was about this—” he gestured to his blade. “This little baby pulls secrets straight from the soul.”

The woman’s expression twisted in shock. “You’re… him?”

“Why do you think I’m here?” he whispered. “To play nice?” His gaze hardened. “You’re done. People like you deserve to rot.”

She let out a deranged laugh. “And you’re any better? You work for the very people involved in this! You’re no different from us!”

Pinnochi’s smile vanished. “I’ve committed many sins, but I’ve never sunk this low.”

He tightened his grip on the dagger, voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Playtime’s over. Start talking.”

Pinnochi wiped his blade clean, stepping over her lifeless body. People like her don’t deserve to live. His gaze shifted to the cells, where the captives watched him, eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Pinnochi snapped back to the present, his eyes focusing on the display in front of him. The connection remained stable as Glacier’s voice came through, crackling slightly.

"Alright, listen up," Pinnochi said, the tension clear in his voice. "There are three things I managed to uncover, and believe me, they’re unsettling." He paused for a moment, the awkwardness of the distance evident in the brief silence. "First, these Universal Vaults... they're impossible to use for ordinary humans. So they created artificial humans, merged with the Vaults themselves. That’s who the Hire-Ups really are."

Glacier's voice broke through with a snort.

"How’s that even possible? Creating an artificial human? What are they doing—raiding some underground lab?"

Pinnochi’s tone turned cold.

"They’re probably using human body parts. Trafficking, experimentation—whatever it takes to build these 'perfect' beings."

The line crackled with Glacier’s dry laughter.

"Human trafficking? People could just sell parts if they wanted. It’s disgusting, but it’s not exactly illegal anymore."

There was a brief silence. The other members on the call, Adam, Marco, and the Chronolux team, listened in. The weight of what Pinnochi was saying began to sink in, but no one interrupted yet.

Pinnochi continued, the anger in his voice building.

"One thing’s certain: they’re using limitless energy to power these experiments. It’s why they can even access the Universal Vaults in the first place." He clenched his fist, the device in his hand shaking. "And I’m not letting them exploit my father’s creation like this. Not again."

Glacier’s voice softened, but only slightly.

"Who knew limitless energy would be used for something so twisted, huh?"

Pinnochi’s frustration peaked.

"I don’t care what they think they’re doing—I'll stop them all."

The call went momentarily silent as Pinnochi caught his breath, trying to regain control.

"Now, the second problem..." Pinnochi’s voice came through once more, "Site 22 doesn’t have a fixed location."

Glacier's confusion was audible, even without seeing his face.

"What do you mean no fixed location? I was counting on you to figure that out, Pinnochi."

Pinnochi snapped, his irritation evident even over the call.

"I’ve told you before, Glacier, I don’t know everything! Do I sound like I’ve got all the answers?" His voice wavered as he tried to stay calm. "I’m not your golden hamster you can shake for clues!"

Glacier's laughter rang through the speaker.

"Right, right. So, how exactly did you find Site 22 in the first place?" His tone was mocking, clearly enjoying poking at Pinnochi.

Pinnochi’s voice lowered.

"That’s the thing—I don’t remember. I just ended up there. The details are fuzzy."

Rina's voice came through softly, her tone questioning but firm.

"That doesn’t make sense. There has to be something that triggered it."

Pinnochi didn’t respond immediately. His mind raced as he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory, the silence stretching on the line. Glacier, sensing the tension, filled the gap.

"Well, at least we should try to get Lockey out of there," Glacier said, his voice playful again. "How long do you plan to keep him stuck in that place, you stone-hearted freak?"

Pinnochi’s temper snapped.

"DO YOU THINK I’M PLAYING HERE? I’M TRYING MY BEST, YOU UNGRATEFUL HAMSTER!" His voice boomed through the call, vibrating with anger.

"Alright, alright," Glacier’s voice rang out with mock surrender. "Calm down. And the last problem?"

Pinnochi took a deep breath, speaking into the device.

"This one’s personal. The WCM suspects me of working with Lockey to get the Beta Vault. They think I’m the traitor."

Glacier’s voice dripped with mock innocence.

"Well… weren’t you?"

Pinnochi's growl could be heard clearly over the line.

"I should just hand myself over to Yuri, right? Since I’m such a traitor!" His sarcasm bit through the speaker, his frustration spilling over. "Is that what you want me to do, Glacier?"

Lucien’s voice finally broke the silence, calm but firm.

"We’ll figure it out. We always do."

Pinnochi exhaled sharply.

"I’m working on locating Site 22, that’s why I haven’t left yet. The moment I leave, I forget almost everything about it. But once I’m back in, the memories return."

Glacier's voice lightened again.

"So, how long is this gonna take?"

Pinnochi sighed deeply.

"Three days. In three days, we’ll be ready. Even if we can’t retrieve the Vault itself, we’ll get the information we need."

Glacier chuckled.

"Three days. Got it. Guess we better start packing."

Pinnochi leaned back in his chair, the weight of his mission heavy on his shoulders.

"Three days to stop them from using limitless energy, clear my name, and locate Site 22. Quite the to-do list." His voice carried a hint of exhaustion, but the resolve remained unshaken.