After hearing the news from Sam Li, Nicole's eyes lit up.
"Supply boxes? Are they from the old era?"
In today's New Eridu, supply boxes from the old era are incredibly valuable. On the black market, there are even specialized shops dealing in them—people call it "box opening."
If you manage to pull old-era tech or rare gear like W-Engines, you could make dozens of times your investment back. But if you get a pile of junk, you lose everything.
Nicole never took part in those kinds of scams. Still, since most boxes were smuggled out of the Hollows by raiders, if they could find a bunch of them in the C41 Hollows, they could sell them to black market shops for a solid profit.
Even if they opened them themselves, they'd probably get a lot of good stuff.
Seeing the spark in Nicole's eyes, it was clear—she was hooked.
Billy reminded her, "Nicole, we already made plans for Sharo Golden Week..."
Nicole responded seriously, "So what? It's just a quick trip into the Hollows. Won't take more than a day or two. Won't ruin the holiday."
Hearing that, Billy covered his face helplessly.
Even though Hare's House had earned plenty of money lately, Nicole hadn't changed a bit. She still never passed up a chance to make more.
Then Anby chimed in, "From what Sam Li just said, raiders are already in the C41 Hollows and have found supply boxes. Nicole, we need to act fast."
After a short pause, Anby continued, "Because of the recent Golden Bangboo incident, there's now a security gap in the C41 Hollows. We have to move quickly—once the Public Security Bureau catches on, it'll be too late."
Nicole nodded repeatedly. "You're right. Let me check the time..."
She pulled out her phone—it was just past 11 a.m. Time was running short.
Nicole grinned. "Anby, Sam Li, Nekomata, Billy, Soldier 11—gear up. We're heading for the C41 Hollows. No way we're letting those raiders snatch up all the loot."
With that, they skipped lunch.
Nicole led the group to a fast-food place, grabbed a load of burgers, and went straight for the C41 Hollows.
While Nicole, Sam Li, and the others made their way to the C41 Hollows...
At the same time, on the other side of New Eridu, inside Hollow Zero...
Ever since the outbreak in the Federer District, the Hollow Special Operations Unit had noticed something off about Hollow Zero—it seemed to be expanding.
To uncover the truth, Hoshimi Miyabi and the rest of Special Operations Unit 6 had been stationed in Hollow Zero, investigating the unusual behavior.
Unfortunately, despite several detected anomalies, they still hadn't found the root cause.
Standing atop a crumbling rooftop, Hoshimi Miyabi gazed out toward the dense fog spreading deep within Hollow Zero. The source of the anomaly might very well be hidden inside that fog.
Just then, Tsukishiro Yanagi walked up beside her.
"Chief, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm wondering if the truth about Hollow Zero is beyond that fog. Maybe we'll finally uncover the source of all this."
Tsukishiro Yanagi chuckled. "Since Hollow Zero came into being, there's never been a record of anyone getting through that fog."
Miyabi shook her head. "There is one."
When she said the name, a complex look crossed her face.
Tsukishiro Yanagi also looked surprised. "You've heard from him?"
Miyabi nodded. "Recently, a Golden Bangboo and a Platinum Bangboo were spotted in Hollow C75, in the city center. They used to be Professor Arche's assistants... But unfortunately, even with the Security Bureau, the Joint Defense Force, and the Hollow Investigation Association working together, they still couldn't catch them."
If Unit 6 hadn't been so tied up with Hollow Zero, they would've caught those two Bangboos for sure.
Just then, Asaba Harumasa came running up to the rooftop.
"Chief! Urgent message from HQ—there's an anomaly in the C41 Hollows. It might be linked to Hollow Zero. There's even talk of a rift connecting the two. We need to get over there immediately."
He handed over the message tablet.
Miyabi glanced at the report and frowned. "C41 Hollows? Didn't we just suppress that one a few days ago?"
That operation had been handled by another elite squad in the Special Operations Division.
But now, just two or three days later, trouble had started again. And if HQ was urgently calling them in, the situation must be serious.
Asaba Harumasa added, "HQ wants us to head straight to C41. There'll be security personnel there to brief us."
Miyabi nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
Before leaving Hollow Zero, she turned to look one last time at the fog that lingered deep within... then turned and left.
It wasn't just Hare's House and Special Operations Unit 6.
News about the sudden appearance of supply boxes in the C41 Hollows had already spread across all of New Eridu. Raiders and professional agencies were swarming toward it.
Among them—Victoria Housekeeping.
Right now, inside one of their vehicles, Lycaon was behind the wheel, with Rina, Ellen, and Corin seated in the back.
Unlike usual, there was someone else along for the ride—a bard holding a bottle of wine. It was Venti, who had only recently arrived in New Eridu.
Venti wasn't a formal employee of Victoria Housekeeping—just a temp, like what other fields would call a contract worker.
As the car neared the C41 Hollows, they were stopped by a group of security officers.
"This area is restricted. Unauthorized personnel must leave immediately."
Lycaon frowned. He didn't push back, simply nodded and turned the car around.
But he didn't go far.
He quickly turned into a nearby alley, evading the security team, and began searching for another way into the C41 Hollows.