Lying on Anby's back, Soldier 11 couldn't help but recall her childhood.
Back then, she had once acted recklessly and ventured into the Hollows alone. She ended up being attacked by Ethereals. If Anby hadn't risked her life to carry her out, she wouldn't have survived.
And now, everything felt just like that day.
She felt the familiar warmth radiating from Anby's back.
Gently, she rested her face against Anby's hair.
"Zero, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
Before she could finish, Anby cut her off.
"Don't talk. You're seriously hurt."
She already knew what 11 was about to say.
...
Eventually, the group made it out of the Hollow.
The moment they stepped beyond its edge, they saw the streets filled with armed personnel—commanders from the Defense Force, Security Bureau officers, and representatives from various other departments.
Clearly, the New Eridu authorities were taking this incident very seriously.
As soon as they appeared, a group of heavily armed security agents rushed over, treating them as suspicious individuals who had entered the Hollow without authorization.
Then, a Defense Force commander approached. When he recognized Soldier 11 and the two Obol Squad members, he immediately frowned.
"Soldier 11, who gave you permission to return? Did you abandon the mission?"
Soldier 11 responded firmly,
"Our mission was to hold off the Ethereals in North Street, Federer District. Don't worry—they've been eliminated."
The commander's brow furrowed.
"That's impossible. There were two high-level Ethereals there, both beyond Notoriety level..."
He suddenly stopped himself.
When issuing the order, he had told Soldier 11 there was only one such Ethereal. In truth, there had been two.
He had deliberately withheld the full intel to ensure the mission went forward.
Before 11 could respond, Anby stepped in.
"Correction—there were three Ethereals. Two beyond Notoriety, plus one Notoriety-class."
The commander grew visibly uneasy but said nothing further, watching as Anby and the others walked past.
Soldier 11 turned to him.
"The mission's done. Don't forget your promise."
Still frowning, the commander remained skeptical.
Three powerful Ethereals were far beyond the capabilities of 11, Anby, and their team. He found their success hard to believe.
After a pause, he quickly dispatched a team to investigate the Hollow.
...
Moments later, the Public Security Bureau's chief arrived.
"Old Li, stop doubting. Your people were telling the truth—they really took down those monsters in North Street."
The Defense Force commander blinked.
"????"
The chief continued,
"We just received confirmation. Team Zhu Yuan reached North Street and surveyed the aftermath. From the damage and remains, there's no doubt—the Ethereals were defeated. And yes, they were beyond Notoriety level."
That only deepened the commander's confusion.
How could 11 and Anby possibly defeat those monsters?
Unless... that man with the birdcage was some kind of super-powered elite.
No—impossible.
There was no one like that on the registry of New Eridu's top combatants.
He thought back. He had never seen someone like Sam Li before.
The Public Security chief went on.
"And that's not all. Something strange happened inside the Hollow."
"Oh? Like what?"
"You remember Seth? The rookie who ran out carrying that little girl?"
"The one who abandoned his mission to save civilians? If your bureau keeps recruiting that kind of dead weight, you're going to collapse before the Ethereals do."
The Security chief didn't take offense. He just smiled.
"That 'dead weight' brought us some very important news."
The commander raised a brow.
"What kind of news?"
The chief smiled wider.
"There's a mysterious statue in the Hollow. It can dispel Ether, suppress Hollow activity, and even grant a new elemental power to humans. I'm sure you've heard the name before—it's the Geo attribute, the one Special Operations has been investigating."
Then he added,
"That young man with the birdcage is a Geo user. Very capable. And now, Officer Seth has become the second person with Geo abilities."
As he spoke, the chief's eyes gleamed with excitement.
If the statue could really bestow the Geo element upon humans, as Seth claimed, it could change everything. It could mean salvation.
The Defense Force commander's expression turned grim.
"Are you saying the Hollow's sudden collapse and the drastic drop in Ether concentration and activity were all because of that statue? Are you sure this is real?"
It was hard to believe something so miraculous could exist.
The Security chief remained calm.
"We can verify it once the Hollow finishes receding. No need to rush."
The commander frowned again.
...
The Hollow was weakening far faster than anyone had expected.
Soon, updates came in from Special Operations Unit Six:
The mission was complete, and they were now assisting other regions.
Shortly after, other Defense Force units reported that they had successfully eliminated the remaining Ethereals.
Originally, it had been projected that the operation would take days.
But by the end of that same day, the majority of the Hollow's threats had been neutralized. Only a few scattered Ethereals remained.
That evening, a joint operation between the Public Security Bureau, Hollow Special Operations, the Defense Force, and the Hollow Investigation Association brought the disaster under control.
By sunset, the Hollow had shrunk to half its original size.
At this rate, it would vanish from the Federer District by tomorrow.
...
As the operation concluded, personnel from every department began exiting the Hollow.
And the first thing they did—wasn't rest or treatment.
They gathered together and started talking.
Everyone was buzzing about the massive Ethereal statue in the center of Federer's main street—
And the mysterious god statue at its heart.
"Did you see that huge vine-like Ethereal? It's just a statue, but it's so realistic. At least a few dozen meters tall—it looked like the real thing!"