Erik delved into the data with painstaking precision, examining each file as if it held the key to a hidden world.
Videos flowed in his mind, each one a glimpse into Doran's murky past. Erik had seen his share of unsettling things, but nothing could have braced him for what he was about to see.
The video opened to reveal an upscale restaurant within Haven Market, its ambiance set by the soft glow of overhead chandeliers. The setting was lavish, with plush red velvet chairs, crystal glassware, and polished mahogany tables.
A private booth was tucked away in a corner, separated from the main dining area. Three men sat there, each radiating an undeniable aura of power.
Doran, his grin as ominous as ever, sat on one side of the table. Across from him was a man Erik recognized from the guild's intelligence files—a high-ranking member of the Silver Serpents.
But the third man seized Erik's attention, making his heart skip a beat. There, attempting to blend in with a disguise, was Uncle Benjamin.
Erik had always seen Benjamin as a supportive figure from his childhood. Although he had once suspected Benjamin's involvement in past events, he had never imagined anything like this. Even the disguise couldn't mask Benjamin's athletic build and dark skin. He knew him too well to be mistaken.
Besides, that goatee—neatly trimmed—was a dead giveaway. It framed his chiseled jaw, making him look exactly like the man Erik remembered. But what was he doing here, mingling with these people?
Erik replayed the clip to make sure he wasn't mistaken. The men seemed at ease, laughing and clinking glasses like old friends. Dark deals were undoubtedly cemented, knowing the kind of people he was dealing with.
A storm of emotions engulfed Erik—confusion, disbelief, and rising anger. The man he had looked up to, considered a mentor, was in cahoots with Doran and the Silver Serpents, two scum of human beings. It felt like a betrayal that cut deeper than any blade. And what was Benjamin doing in Etrium, of all places?
Memories of warm summer days filled with Uncle Benjamin's stories of courage clashed violently with the reality unfolding before him. Had all those lessons on morality and integrity been a sham? Was the Uncle Benjamin he knew just a mask?
Questions flooded Erik's mind, each demanding an answer. His initial shock morphed into a steely resolve. If Benjamin was entangled in this dark web, Erik vowed to unravel it, no matter how personal the cost. He needed the truth and would go to any lengths to find it.
Sitting silently, Erik felt the weight of the video's revelations pressing down on him. Although the footage showed the faces of the three men, including Uncle Benjamin, the dialogue was muffled and indistinct. But Erik was resolute in his quest for clarity.
Turning his focus to the entity within him, he addressed the biological supercomputer. "Can you enhance the video? I need to know what they were saying," he asked, his voice tinged with an unyielding determination.
For a moment, everything seemed to pause, as if the gears of a complex machine were realigning themselves. Then, in the straightforward, emotionless voice Erik had come to expect, the biological supercomputer spoke up.
[AUDIO ENHANCEMENT IS POSSIBLE TO A DEGREE. HOWEVER, I CANNOT GENERATE PERFECT AUDIO. MY ABILITIES ARE CONSTRAINED BY THE DATA WITHIN YOUR BRAIN.]
Erik took a moment to absorb this. The data he'd gathered from Haven Market was still limited to what the cameras and microphones had captured. As advanced as the biological supercomputer was, it was not almighty.
"I get it," Erik responded, his voice tinged with hope and caution. "Do your best."
[PROCESSING REQUEST. EDITING DATA FOR AUDIO ENHANCEMENT.]
The world around Erik seemed to fuzz out for a second. His recollection of the video surged to the forefront of his consciousness.
The supercomputer set to work, refining the jumbled audio and attempting to separate the dialogue from the background noise. Erik felt an odd, ticklish sensation as if someone were gently poking around in the corners of his mind.
Time stretched, each minute feeling like an eternity as Erik waited, his breath held in anticipation. Then, the video started relapsing; a word or phrase would occasionally emerge more clearly, but the complete conversation remained elusive.
The mental exertion was draining, but Erik clung to the hope that each enhancement brought him closer to understanding the truth about the secret meeting and Uncle Benjamin's role.
[FOCUSING ON TARGETED AUDIO. PLEASE NOTE CAPABILITIES ARE LIMITED TO EXISTING DATA. CANNOT GENERATE OR REPLICATE MISSING INFORMATION.]
Erik braced himself, channeling all his focus into the memory. The scene's visuals started to blur as if a camera lens adjusted its focus. The ambient sounds—the clinking of glasses, the murmur of other diners—began to fade while the voices of the three men grew more distinct.
Though still marred by static and distortion, fragments of the conversation became clearer.
"...important shipment... next week to... Blenheim Close," Doran's voice broke through.
"...trust your judgment, Benjamin. But we can't afford mistakes..." added the member of the Silver Serpents.
Erik strained his ears to hear every word, aware that each phrase was packed with meaning. The conversation was all over the place, yet it seemed to hint at bargains, secret activities, and broader plots. The most important thing was that it mentioned a location, and that location was Blenheim Close, which was located in a street in Testrovsc's Rest.
It was a fact that couldn't be refuted that Uncle Benjamin was mired to the core in this murky swamp. The initial shock that Erik felt quickly gave way to a grim intent. He had to go deeper if he planned to understand the entire extent of Benjamin's involvement and if he wanted to reveal the broader plot at hand.
[TERMINATING EDITING PROCESS. DATA ENHANCEMENT COMPLETE,] the biological supercomputer finally announced.
Taking a deep breath, Erik tried to wrap his mind around the implications of what he'd just heard. There were still many unanswered questions, but he was one step closer to the truth and to find Doran.
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