"Another failure. But the only flaw was that it was interrupted too early by other beings, so it's barely considered an embryo."
"According to what he described, this form might still be salvageable."
A figure stood quietly where Zane had previously been, looking down at the Sacrificial Ghost at his feet and murmuring to himself.
Suddenly, a noise came from afar. His expression sharpened, and he swiftly moved aside, leaving only a residual image behind.
An Ether crystal spear shot straight through the residual image and slammed into a nearby building, causing significant destruction.
Boom! Debris flew high into the air. From the collapsing building, Zane's figure slowly emerged.
As the dust settled, Zane's eyes gleamed coldly. On his chest, countless tiny cracks were rapidly healing, returning to their original state.
Electric arcs danced across his body as Zane stepped toward the figure in his sights. Though his steps appeared slow, he moved with incredible speed.
"You are strong. But I am stronger."
The man calmly watched Zane approaching and spoke without panic.
"Fire Picker, I know you. Even when I was still outside New Eridu, your reputation had already reached my ears."
"I have no intention of starting a conflict with you. Let's end this here. I'm taking this, and you can't stop me."
"Heh..."
Zane's aura stabilized. Standing still, he let out a cold chuckle and said softly,
"A robot?"
The man's arms weren't human, and half of his head had a metallic sheen, giving him the appearance of a robot. But compared to Billy, it looked a bit awkward.
"I am human."
The man shook his head in reply.
"Such a form—neither human nor ghost—is truly disgusting."
Zane spoke without courtesy, sneering coldly.
"I've heard that before. But everyone who's said it is now dust."
The man shook his head, unfazed.
"Flesh is weak. Machines ascend."
"This is the path to salvation for our world."
Hearing this, Zane's gaze dimmed slightly.
Another madman.
"You're not taking the Sacrificial Ghost."
His tone remained calm but brooked no argument.
Zane wasn't about to let this go.
He was always the one to act first. No one had ever forced him to do anything.
"Perhaps you don't know who I am—that's why you speak this way. But I've said it: I will take this."
Facing Zane directly, the man continued,
"Because of my special background, my real name has long disappeared from public records. But I'm known by a title—you must have heard of it."
"It was given to me by New Eridu at its founding. The name is—Void Hunter."
"You are not qualified to stop me."
As the man finished speaking, Zane clearly felt the air around them begin to boil. Strands of terrifying fire energy spread outward.
With the two of them at the center, the area within a hundred meters became a blazing furnace.
"Void Hunter?"
"So what."
"You're not taking the Sacrificial Ghost!"
Zane's voice exploded through the air. In an instant, countless ice energies burst forth. Massive glaciers formed around him, rapidly expanding outward.
Half the space was searing hot; the other half was freezing cold.
Inside Lamia Hollow, the battle was about to erupt!
...
"Who are these people, Nicole..."
Siena and Nicole were hiding behind an abandoned car. Nicole cautiously peeked out to survey the situation. Siena glanced once and quickly ducked back down, whispering worriedly.
"Rebels. No mistaking it with that gear and look."
Nicole's expression was grim. As someone who had long operated in the underworld, she had occasionally dealt with rebels.
From their standard equipment and other details, Nicole quickly recognized who they were.
"Rebels? That sounds dangerous."
Siena didn't really understand what the rebels were, but the name alone made it clear they weren't good people.
"But even if they're rebels... if we can negotiate... maybe..."
Nicole frowned. She didn't know why rebels would come to Lamia Hollow—a place that, compared to other resource-rich Hollows, was basically a wasteland.
For the safety of the children, it would be best to avoid conflict. If something went wrong...
Suddenly, Nicole had a thought. The drastic changes in Lamia Hollow might very well be connected to these people.
But this wasn't something she needed to deal with. After all, Zane was here—he'd surely understand the situation and take care of it...
Just as Nicole, wanting to play it safe, considered trying to negotiate, a small car suddenly turned onto the street, heading toward the edge of the Hollow.
The civilians in the car seemed to spot the rebels too. They slowed down, and someone inside tried to speak.
Nicole calmed herself, wanting to see how the rebels would react. But to her surprise, the rebels didn't say a word. They opened fire immediately.
A rocket was launched, striking the car dead-on.
In an instant, flames shot sky-high.
"Lock down the main streets! Orders from above are clear—leave no one alive. Don't let anyone through. Stay sharp!"
One of the team leaders gave the order, his voice reaching Nicole's ears, deepening her worry.
Siena, who had never seen anything like this, was already pale with fear, though she tried hard to stay calm.
"What do we do..."
With the rebels' intentions so clear, Nicole found herself momentarily helpless. Alone, she had no way to deal with these armed men.
She had also noticed that there was still a combat mech in standby mode nearby!
And this was the only way out. The other routes were either blocked or filled with spatial rifts. The little black cat could help navigate the Hollow, but it wasn't powerful enough to manipulate the terrain.
Trying to walk out or use the rifts was too risky.
But if they didn't deal with the enemies ahead...
Nicole thought of the Cretan Hollow Zane had given her, which now hovered beside her. The only problem...
She didn't know how to use it!
"At this point, there's no other choice!"
Looking at Siena beside her and the little white cat that was relaying updates from the children, Nicole gritted her teeth and made her decision.
She had weathered all sorts of storms—she had even survived owing tens of millions in debt. Compared to that, this was nothing.
She looked seriously at Siena, thought for a moment, then instructed her:
"Siena, these guys plan to wipe out anyone trying to get out. That means someone like me will definitely draw even more attention."
...