There was no way a small chainsaw could block a foot the size of a car.
In that critical moment, Sam Li commanded the Geo elements to converge. In an instant, they condensed into a round, solid rock ball. With a flick of his wrist, the rock ball shot out like a bullet toward the Ethereal.
With a loud bang, it pierced straight through the Ethereal's foot.
"Thick skin and tough flesh... perfect for testing out my new technique."
Had that rock ball hit a wall, it would've reduced it to rubble on the spot. But against the Ethereal's foot, it didn't even explode, which surprised Sam Li slightly.
Gradually, Sam Li had already gotten a feel for this Ethereal's capabilities in battle. In his eyes, it was far stronger than the Dead End Butcher and even more powerful than the monster Ethereal he had encountered in the C97 Hollows.
He now fully understood the enemy—and had lost all interest.
To him, this Ethereal was nothing more than a walking pile of system points.
Sensing the time was right, Sam Li stood atop a building and slowly raised one hand, making a gesture as if grasping a long spear.
Strangely, no Vortex Vanquisher appeared in his hand—no weapon at all, just air.
But in the next instant, countless Geo elements surged from the building, gathering in his hand.
Sam Li commanded the Geo elements—ordered them to form an incredibly sharp spear capable of piercing through anything.
In no time, the elements condensed and began to take the shape of a long spear.
"Nothing can stop me—"
As the words fell, Sam Li hurled the spear with force toward the Ethereal.
The spear broke the sound barrier.
A sharp sonic boom rang out.
In a flash, it crossed dozens of meters and pierced straight through the chest of the Notoriety Ethereal, exploding with a thunderous blast right in its torso.
A hole nearly a meter wide was blown through its chest—front to back.
Seeing this, Lycaon flinched and quickly looked behind him. Sure enough, he spotted Sam Li standing atop the roof.
It was even stronger than the Defense Force's artillery.
Lycaon stared at Sam Li in disbelief. He thought he could crack the Notoriety Ethereal – All-Powerful Actor's defenses, but even with the sharpest weapon, there was no way he could cause this kind of devastation.
He had clearly underestimated Sam Li.
Nicole was just as stunned—but her shock quickly turned into excitement.
"It's on its last legs—finish it off while it's weak! Billy, go full firepower! Anby, attack from behind!"
"You guys from Victoria Housekeeping—don't just stand there! Support our assault!"
Hearing Nicole's voice, Lycaon snapped out of his daze and glanced over at Ellen, Corin, and Rina.
Without hesitation, he led the charge.
And of course, there was Sam Li—still gripping the Vortex Vanquisher—as he leapt down from the upper floor.
Surrounded on all sides, the Notoriety Ethereal – All-Powerful Actor finally buckled and used that Ether attack again—the one delivered through singing.
Its voice echoed like an ancient god's whisper, reverberating through the area.
Everyone had to drop their weapons and cover their ears.
But instead of pressing the advantage, the Ethereal turned and fled in the opposite direction.
Nicole shouted, "Don't let it escape—!"
Billy had just picked up his spear but was immediately overwhelmed by the sound. He covered his ears. "Boss Nicole! That singing's way too sharp—I can't aim at it at all...!"
They could only watch as the Ethereal fled farther and farther...
But at the last second—
Sam Li unleashed the same move again. Standing on high ground, he summoned Geo to form an unbreakable spear.
He hurled the rock spear with full force.
This time, his target was the Ethereal's head.
With a sharp whistle, the spear instantly traveled over a hundred meters.
Before the Notoriety Ethereal could dodge, the spear struck its head head-on.
Half of its skull was blown away in an instant.
It had already reached its limit—there was no remaining Ether for regeneration.
The next second, the Ethereal collapsed with a heavy thud.
Like a black glass statue, it shattered into pieces, dissolving into wisps of black smoke that dispersed within the Hollow.
The Notoriety Ethereal was finally dead.
The moment the All-Powerful Actor perished, a system notification rang out in Sam Li's mind:
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on successfully killing Notoriety Ethereal – All-Powerful Actor ×1. You have received 60,000 system points—]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on earning +4% role-playing progress—]
As the system's voice faded, a golden light descended upon Sam Li.
Bathed in that warm glow, he could feel new power flowing into his body. His sensitivity to Geo and control over it had grown stronger again.
If he condensed another rock spear now, it would form faster—and hit even harder.
And as his role-playing progress increased, his control over Geo would only become more refined, unlocking even more attack methods.
Like shifting mountains with a gesture... unleashing a volley of spears with a wave...
Or summoning a meteor from beyond the skies to obliterate everything in its path.
Sam Li turned his attention to the character details panel in his mind:
[System]: Ultimate Role-Playing System
[System Points]: 153,700
[Current World]: Zenless Zone Zero
[Current Role]: Geo Archon – Morax (Zhongli)
[Abilities]: Spearmanship – Rock Rain, Jade Shield, Rock Ridge
[Weapon]: Vortex Vanquisher
[Items]: Teyvat Fried Egg ×1
[Shop]: Statue of the Seven, Jade Chamber, Azhdaha (Bangboo), Serenitea Pot...
With the 60,000 system points he had just earned, his total had surpassed 150,000.
One more strong high-tier Ethereal—and he'd be able to reach the 200,000 needed to exchange for the Statue of the Seven. Sam Li was already starting to look forward to it.
While Sam Li received his system rewards...
Nicole, Anby, Billy, Nekomata, and the entire Victoria Housekeeping team finally let out a breath of relief after seeing the Ethereal fall.
After such a brutal battle—they had won.
As they rested briefly...
Nekomata suddenly seemed to recall something, quickly stepping over to Nicole and handing her a gleaming golden treasure.
Nearby, the Victoria Housekeeping crew was still gasping for air from exhaustion.
Lycaon, straightening his jacket, glanced toward Sam Li—his eyes full of curiosity, amazement, and a hint of wariness.
The last time he'd seen Sam Li in the Dead End Hollow, he'd only witnessed close combat.
He had seen far more—from devastating long-range techniques to that earth-shattering spear throw.
And now, he knew he had to reevaluate Sam Li's power.