Zhong Yan removed his corroded glove and casually tossed it to the ground, then picked up the crystal orb he had also discarded earlier.
A zero score Ether compatibility meant his body couldn't absorb Ether, and thus wasn't affected by Ether corrosion. Even so, there was nothing about this crystal orb that seemed particularly special to him.
Not until Airi snapped out of her daze and quickly explained, "Boss, this thing was something the Exaltists' leader developed a long time ago — it was used as a heart to sustain bodily functions. I don't know why it ended up here, but it's definitely valuable. You should hold on to it... but be cautious about Ether corrosion."
"And also, I accessed a memory stored in the heart. The Exaltists are currently carrying out a plan — they intend to develop a drug that allows Ethereals to survive outside the Hollow, then launch a full-scale assault on New Eridu."
Hearing that last part, Zhong Yan's eyes widened in shock. "Ethereals can't survive outside the Hollow. How are they going to develop a drug like that?"
"Humans and Ethereals merging — that used to be impossible too," Airi said, her tone grave. "But the Exaltists made it happen. So, you can't assume they won't go a step further."
"In the memories stored in this heart, their drug research has already reached the final phase. Now, all they need is to find an Ethereal with the right genetic compatibility, break it down, extract the genes, then release it into Hollow Zero. The Ether in the air will carry it into the body of every Ethereal..."
As she continued, Airi's voice grew smaller, as if she didn't dare to finish the thought.
Because for New Eridu right now, even one ordinary giant-class Ethereal was a massive threat. The idea of all the Ethereals in Hollow Zero attacking at once — neither Airi nor Zhong Yan wanted to imagine what kind of hell that would unleash on the city.
So, the moment he realized how dire the situation was, Zhong Yan knew what he had to do.
"Looks like we'll have to move up our plans to destroy the Exaltists," he said slowly. The most direct way to stop the drug from being completed was to eliminate the ones behind it.
Of course, this wasn't something that could be done overnight. Even if their headquarters was wiped out, as long as the leader's slices remained, the Exaltists could regenerate over time.
Still, delaying their progress was better than nothing.
"Think I could use this thing to draw them out?" Zhong Yan asked after a moment, glancing at the crystal orb in his hand.
The biggest problem they faced now was not knowing where the Exaltists were hiding. They needed something to lure them out.
This orb — the heart once used by the Exaltists' leader — had to be of significant value to them. At the very least, it might tempt some greedy opportunists to expose themselves.
"Not sure, but it's worth a try. The Exaltists are dangerously cunning — especially their leader. Among his many slices, there are some specifically designed to manipulate minds. A lot of the modified people out there were lured in and tricked by him into becoming willing test subjects."
"Boss, this isn't just some petty mission. It concerns the safety of all New Eridu. There can't be any mistakes. And you... you're the only one who can change things."
Airi's words gave Zhong Yan pause. Somehow, it felt like she saw him as the savior of the world.
But the truth was, everything Zhong Yan had done so far was simply to protect the people close to him. If he ended up saving New Eridu, it would only be a side effect.
"I get it. Let's hope this thing does some good... You should hide for now. With others around, I can't act freely."
With that, Zhong Yan activated Kamui, instantly pulling Airi back into the pocket space — whether she agreed or not.
Then, he left the Helios Academy, crystal orb in hand, heading deeper into Hollow Zero.
"This place does have a big one," Zhong Yan murmured, eyes narrowing as he spotted a massive figure in the distance the moment he arrived. It was clearly a colossal Ethereal.
Judging by the oppressive Ether it emitted, this Ethereal far surpassed Nineveh in strength — but it hadn't noticed Zhong Yan and remained in a dormant state.
In this state, its Ether activity was low — it looked more like a sleeping mountain than a living creature.
Zhong Yan hadn't come for it, so he didn't disturb it. He simply waited quietly for the Exaltists to appear.
But before he even saw a hint of them, the dormant Ethereal suddenly stirred — its Ether levels visibly surged.
Zhong Yan's gaze sharpened as he realized the crystal orb in his hand was undergoing a strange transformation.
Sensing danger, he didn't hesitate — he threw the orb.
At the very instant it left his hand, as two powerful Ether sources resonated, a rapidly expanding Ether crystal began growing outward from within the orb.
Within mere seconds, the spreading crystal had engulfed the entire surrounding street.
The colossal Ethereal, influenced by the orb, fully awakened. Its towering frame dwarfed even the buildings around it.
It gazed at the expanding crystal mass in the distance, and, drawn by the pull of the Ether, began to move toward it.
As for Zhong Yan — his body had already been swallowed by the crystal's expansion from the moment it began.
However, he wasn't dead. He had used his phasing ability to enter Kamui's space. Whatever happened outside was now completely beyond his awareness.
"Was this a coincidence? Or part of a plan all along?" Safe within the Kamui space, Zhong Yan couldn't help but wonder. He had intended to use the orb to lure the Exaltists — and ended up getting played instead.
If it weren't for his absurd phasing ability, he'd likely already be a corpse.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, someone else noticed the disturbance and rushed over to investigate.
When they saw the enormous Ether crystal and the awakened colossal Ethereal, shock flickered across their face.
"What on earth... happened here?"