Early in the morning, Anby bought several burgers and handed them to Sam Li.
"The Hollow Zero is full of danger. Take these—if needed, they'll help you recover your strength."
"Sam Li, why don't we come with you? We should be able to help."
Billy looked at Sam Li with earnest determination. He had already guessed Sam Li's identity as an Adeptus and knew his power was immense.
But after spending so much time together at Hare's House, Billy no longer saw Sam Li as some distant immortal—he was a partner, one of the most important to him. If there was a Hollow to be suppressed, then it should be done together.
Sam Li replied calmly, "This time, the mission is only to probe the Hollow's interior, not to wage a large-scale battle. When the real fight comes, your help will be needed then."
Billy exhaled helplessly. "Alright..."
Before departure, Nicole, Nekomata, Anby, and Hu Tao all fussed over Sam Li, reminding him again and again to be careful.
Sam Li gave a small smile. "No need to worry. With the Adepti at my side, there is no danger to fear."
Cloud Retainer pretended not to hear. "..."
Moon Carver cleared his throat. "Ahem, indeed. With us here, Sam Li's safety is assured. You may rest easy."
Xiao simply glanced at Sam Li. "..."
At that moment, Keqing's phone rang again—it was Tsukishiro Yanagi.
She answered, spoke briefly, and then hung up. "The Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 is ready. They're on their way now."
They didn't wait long outside Hare's House before several vehicles from the Hollow Special Operations Department arrived, pulling up beside them. Get full chapters from novelꞁire.net
It wasn't just the four members of Unit 6. Many support staff had come as well, and even the highest-ranking officer from H.A.N.D. Headquarters had personally come to escort them into Hollow Zero.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi arrived too, bringing Eous from the video store along with them.
Zhu Yuan explained, "This little one's communication capabilities are stronger than our own equipment. That's why I asked Belle for help and arranged for Eous to accompany you into Hollow Zero."
Hearing this, Guoba at the side seemed to want to object. "Lu-lu-lu—"
Xiangling quickly shook her head. "No, Guoba, you can't go. You've only just regained a little of your strength. It's too dangerous to enter Hollow Zero now."
Mountain Shaper spoke slowly, "The young lady is right. If you wish to fight alongside us, there will be another chance later."
After exchanging information with New Eridu officials, Keqing led the Adepti, along with Sam Li and Yae Miko, toward the Scott Outpost.
Though Hollow Zero could be seen even from the rooftop of Hare's House, the distance was still considerable.
The convoy drove across district after district, nearly forty minutes in total, before finally reaching the Scott Outpost.
From there, the immense Hollow Zero loomed directly before them. They could also see numerous ether-collecting towers surrounding it, providing New Eridu with its vital energy supply.
At Scott Outpost, Sam Li, Keqing, and Hoshimi Miyabi were greeted by Soldier 11, who was stationed there.
Upon hearing that Sam Li was entering Hollow Zero, Soldier 11 immediately volunteered:
"Coffee-Lance Knight, Foreign Lightning Seven-Star, Crane Adeptus soaring the skies—please allow me to join this operation!"
Keqing blinked, startled, before realizing 11 was speaking to her. The "Foreign Lightning Seven-Star" was meant for her.
She frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, but this mission is to scout and gather information. We can't bring too many people."
In fact, according to her plan, she hadn't even wanted to bring Sam Li or Yae Miko. The fewer people, the better. Too many would only become a burden inside Hollow Zero.
Of course, when the time came for a full-scale assault, the opposite would be true—more allies would be invaluable, as a great battle was inevitable.
Soon, Tsukishiro Yanagi finished discussing arrangements with the Scott Outpost commander.
"Section Chief Hoshimi Miyabi, Miss Keqing, for the past week the etheric readings inside Hollow Zero have fluctuated violently. Something significant has happened in there. Please be cautious."
"Mhm. Thank you for the warning—we already anticipated this."
With Keqing and Hoshimi Miyabi at the lead, the members of Unit 6, the Adepti, Sam Li, Yae Miko, and Eous—brought along by Zhu Yuan—stepped through the rift and entered Hollow Zero.
The moment they crossed over, the scenery changed completely.
Like other hollows, the land before them was nothing but ruins. But here, the devastation was even more dreadful.
In companion hollows, buildings and structures merely collapsed under ether corrosion, their forms still faintly recognizable. But in Hollow Zero, countless structures had been eroded for so many years that their original shapes were lost forever.
And beyond the sights, the most overwhelming sensation was the crushing pressure from the high-concentration ether, halting Keqing in her tracks.
Fortunately, Cloud Retainer had modified her W-Engine. Without it, adapting to such crushing force so quickly would have been impossible.
Yet this was only the outer edge of Hollow Zero. Ahead lay the mist-shrouded depths, where they would follow the Adepti to uncover its mysteries.
Hoshimi Miyabi paused, turning to the others. "The pressure here is immense. Can you all manage?"
Keqing nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I've been here once before."
Yae Miko, meanwhile, observed with curiosity. "Just as you said. Centuries ago, this must have been part of the city."
Tsukishiro Yanagi shook her head. "No—it was ten years ago. Ten years ago, this place hadn't yet been swallowed by Hollow Zero."
That left Yae Miko slightly stunned. She had judged the corrosion of the ruins to be at least a century old. The truth was even more shocking.
She then turned to Cloud Retainer. "Thank you for the W-Engine, Adeptus. Without it, I couldn't withstand such pressure."
Cloud Retainer replied calmly, "For you, the W-Engine is merely an aid. Even without it, you could walk this place unhindered."
Yae Miko smiled faintly. "Adeptus flatters me—"
Seeing their light banter, Hoshimi Miyabi cut in firmly. "Let's move deeper into Hollow Zero."
Tsukishiro Yanagi turned to Eous. "Manager, have you analyzed the terrain and ether distribution ahead?"
Belle directed Eous at once. "Almost there... Done. I've got the readings from the Hollow ahead. We can move forward now."