"Sure sounds like a 'sweet gig'..."
Belle muttered as she accepted the mission, though a frown still tugged at her brow. She was already considering whether she should look for another Proxy.
Zane wasn't an option—he had his own business to handle and needed to stay under the radar. If he didn't need to make a move, he wouldn't.
Eous definitely couldn't hold off a swarm of Ethereals alone. So… who would be a good fit?
Hollow Zero was far more dangerous than any other Hollow…
Ray smiled at Belle's tone.
"I heard that little tinge of frustration in your voice."
"But passing the Investigation Association's approval at your age and taking on a 'qualification assessment' mission? You and your team must be quite capable~"
After the light flattery, Ray continued with a smile.
"Well, that's it for the official briefing. Once you've registered your team on the mission terminal, you're free to begin."
"Those two boys with you—they're part of your crew, right?"
She glanced at Zane and Wise, then added,
"I'll be waiting for your return like someone waiting for an online delivery—complete with my data drive."
"And as for the courier who loses the package? No need for him to show up at my door."
Ray's demeanor shifted. She was still smiling, but her tone had turned all business.
Then, relaxing again, she returned to her earlier, playful self.
"Kidding. Just make sure you come back alive."
The comparison made Belle chuckle. She wasn't fazed by Ray's tonal shift. With a grin, she replied,
"Be sure to leave me a five-star review."
Her playful tone was pure mischief, as if she were just a sweet, innocent girl.
Off to the side, Zane listened to their banter while his eyes wandered to the screen hanging behind Ray.
Black Obsidian…
Was that the Obol Squad?
The rhythmic, specialized emblem on the display caught his attention. He immediately thought of Soldier 11's unit.
It looked like Obol Squad was a special division within the Defense Force—with serious standing.
If someone as skilled as Soldier 11 was just a squad member, the Obol Squad had to be among the elite of the elite...
"Something catch your eye?"
Wise stood beside Zane, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced toward the information board on the far wall.
The official exploration of Hollow Zero… still woefully incomplete.
"I saw a familiar name. Could mean trouble ahead, but don't worry—I'll take care of it."
Zane pulled his gaze away, his voice quiet.
"You're unaffected by the Hollow, right?"
Wise looked at Zane and gave a faint smile.
"If you get the chance, try going to the center of Hollow Zero—the ruins of the old capital."
"There are secrets buried there no one knows. I'd love to uncover them myself, but I'm just not strong enough."
He spread his hands with a helpless shrug and continued.
"Zane, I know you're curious about your own origins. I don't know much either, but I can tell you this—whatever you're searching for, you'll find it inside Hollow Zero."
"Thanks for the tip."
Zane nodded in acknowledgment but didn't respond further.
Wise left it there, the two of them quietly moving past the topic.
...
At the large desk, Ray was still giving Belle a rundown.
"Hmph, you're a reliable one, aren't you?"
"You're free to use the comms terminal and most of the equipment in the tent, as long as there's no 'Do Not Touch!' sticker on it."
"These are special military-provided support systems, meant for tech-savvy independent investigators like yourself. Whether you're tweaking a Bangboo or making long-range calls—have at it."
"Just don't get reckless—everything you do on those machines is under military surveillance."
With that final reminder, Ray left Belle to it. Belle nodded and turned to leave.
"Alright, let's get started!"
Waving to Zane and Wise, she marched off with renewed energy.
She went straight to the terminal and began installing the remote module—enabling the HDD system to run from the Scott Outpost.
As for the surveillance Ray mentioned? Not a concern.
Thanks to Fairy Neko, the monitoring software was already spoofed with a masked signal.
Belle hadn't used it before, but all she could do now was trust the line from Fairy's memo:
"Whether it's illicit operations inside the Hollow or flirty chats with Proxies, your entire digital footprint is safely protected by Fairy's comprehensive and reliable security protocols."
If it was secure enough for date-level privacy... they'd be fine, right?
But if Fairy blew it…
Then the ZZZ team would crash and burn before it even took off.
The strongest Proxy. The strongest Ethereal. The dream team—gone.
While waiting for the module to install, Belle pondered her next move, her brows knitting slightly.
If Zane stayed with the group acting as a regular human muscle, it'd be a complete waste—and way too risky.
Better to call in a real Proxy.
"Brother, I thought this was going to be a solo op and that Zane would be enough, but given the circumstances, we'll need an agent after all."
"Looks like you'll have to head back and make sure the HDD system's remote sync stays stable."
Belle turned and spoke softly to Wise.
He gave a resigned nod. He understood her point.
They thought it'd be an easy run—but in the end, they had to go by the book. Just meant one more trip...
"Zane, you're coming too. When the time comes, you and the agent will enter Hollow Zero as an independent investigation team."
"Got it."
Zane didn't mind. Outside the Hollow, he was happy to follow orders.
...
Some time later...
Outside Hollow Zero, Eous finally arrived.
"Hey, Proxy—you're one minute and thirty-one seconds late, you know!"
Nicole held a briefcase in one hand, glaring at Eous, who was jogging up on her short legs.
"Time is money! Hare's House is buried in lawsuits right now, and they only squeezed us in because of our relationship. Based on their current income, that delay costs an extra six hundred seventy—"
Just as Nicole was about to tack on a late fee, Anby cut in.
"Nicole, hasn't Hare's House been running at a loss the past two weeks?"
"If we divide the income by the second, that delay would mean Hare's House owes her three hundred..."
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
"Billy! I told you to keep Anby from blurting out nonsense! What were you doing?!"
"I swear, Nicole, I didn't see it coming!"
Eous stood still, looking at Nicole berating Billy, Billy trying to explain, and Anby quietly standing off to the side, feeling... complicated.
It's not that she disliked Hare's House...
She just really wondered...
Was her brother seriously out of options?