By the time Zhong Yan left the supermarket, it was already past 1 a.m.
The café was empty—Jane had long since packed up and left. As for her earlier offer, tempting as it was, Zhong Yan had ultimately kept his mouth shut about anything related to Tobi.
"So, Section 6's arc is done. That means… next should be the Belobog Heavy Industries storyline, right?"
Walking alone under the faint glow of streetlamps, he began organizing the game's narrative timeline in his head.
Section 6 and Nineveh were part of a transitional arc—not directly tied to the main plot, but closely followed by something much bigger.
Soon, Belobog Heavy Industries would issue a high-paying request to the Proxies, asking them to recover three missing machines from within a Hollow. This questline would introduce a mysterious keyword: Sacrifice.
Sacrifice. The game offered few solid clues about it. But according to community speculation, its true nature was likely that of a man-made Ethereal—or perhaps a mutated variant.
Its ability? Possession.
It could parasitize any host, embedding itself within objects like a virus. The host's power would increase dramatically, with only one real flaw—the Sacrifice's original form was relatively weak.
Zhong Yan saw every unknown entity as a potential threat. So, tracking down clues about Sacrifice would be one of his next big priorities.
And if necessary, he'd even consider working with Belobog Heavy Industries. Any character who had appeared in the game and possessed distinct traits—he was more than willing to approach.
…
Meanwhile, within a Companion Hollow near the Original Hollow [Solove]…
This place had once been a luxurious estate, built by a wealthy magnate. But when the Hollow expanded, the estate was consumed—becoming a den for wandering Ethereals.
On the roof of one ruined structure, two figures stood.
"Boss said there's news from Section 6. That guy Uchiha? He killed a colossal Ethereal," said a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties.
Her form was almost otherworldly—curvaceous, clad in a skin-tight outfit that accentuated every contour. Even the slightest sway of her hips seemed to stir something primal.
Each of her wrists bore razor-sharp claw blades—but they weren't made of metal. They shimmered with crystalline Ether.
Ether crystallization—a trait of Ethereals. But she was clearly human.
"It doesn't concern us. Boss's orders were simple: gather viable samples for experimentation… and collect the essentials," replied the other—a middle-aged man.
Unlike her, his arms were more than half crystallized with Ether, so deeply it seemed like he was on the verge of becoming an Ethereal. The sight alone was unnerving.
What both shared were their eyes—identical in hue and structure to the symbolic "core" of Ethereals.
"Samples, huh? Looks like we've got a few candidates down there. Seems like they're about to throw down… Maybe the last one standing will have the best research value."
The woman rested her chin on her hand, gazing down at the brewing confrontation below.
Had Zhong Yan been there, he would've immediately recognized the groups involved.
Cunning Hares and Victoria Housekeeping.
Not long ago, the Cunning Hares had received a commission offering an enormous payout. The job? Retrieve an unknown item from this estate-turned-Hollow.
With such a lucrative reward on the table, Nicole had accepted without hesitation, prioritizing the mission.
What she hadn't expected was to find someone else already there when they arrived.
The opposing party refused to give their names or affiliations—only that they, too, were looking for something important inside the estate. And until they had it, no one else was allowed in.
But Nicole wasn't stupid. It was obvious they were all after the same thing. If she let them succeed uncontested, her payday was gone.
Thus, a tense standoff began, the air between them growing colder with every passing second.
…
"Young lady, I've told you several times—this estate is private property and currently off-limits. If you insist on entering, wait until we've retrieved what we came for," said Lycaon calmly, standing in front of the estate gates. Corin and Ellen flanked him, all three ready for combat. Rina was inside searching for their client's target.
"This isn't your property," Nicole snapped back. "Nothing inside a Hollow belongs to anyone. Step aside before we make you."
"Billy, time to initiate lethal strike mode!"
Billy's eyes lit up. Not that he actually had a lethal mode—Nicole just liked bluffing.
But Lycaon and the others weren't buying it. They stood firm, unimpressed.
Ellen yawned, grabbing a pair of garden shears from nearby. "Boss, why are we still talking? Let's just deal with them."
She always preferred the direct route.
Still, Lycaon wasn't so hasty. "Not yet. We're not the only ones after that item. No point fighting just to let someone else swoop in."
Tension simmered between the two groups.
Then—Rina reappeared, leaping gracefully out from the estate.
"Mr. Lycaon, I've found it," she said, holding up a data drive retrieved from the basement—their client's target.
Nicole's eyes immediately locked onto the device.
Their target... was identical.
Which meant only one side was going to leave satisfied.
But just as Lycaon had feared—they weren't alone.
"It's time," said the woman on the rooftop above, her voice like a whisper before the storm.
The man beside her nodded. "Two groups. You take one. I'll handle the other."
"Of course."
As they spoke, the cores in their eyes began to spin, glowing ominously.
And with that...
The battle began.