The Hollow where the grab-arm unit had gone missing wasn't far from Belobog Heavy Industries' worksite. Factoring in both the drive and the trek on foot, the trip took about an hour.
By the way, riding in the same vehicle as a Bear Thiren? It was a hard-to-describe experience.
Once they arrived, the group parked at the closest lot and, led by Zhong Yan, entered the Hollow.
Normally, navigating inside a Hollow required proprietary Carrot data. As a civilian company, Belobog's Carrot system only mapped out areas relevant to their construction zones. Anything beyond that required an official application to acquire additional data.
Obviously, their corporate rivals had no intention of letting that application go through. That's why they had turned to the Proxy Network for help.
The Network was known for its secrecy—so secure even the authorities had trouble breaching it.
But Zhong Yan didn't need Carrot data at all. His Sharingan allowed him to observe the flow of Ether in the air and the positions of spatial nodes leading to other regions.
With a single glance, he could distinguish safe routes from dead ends.
"Mr. Obito, do you have matching Carrot data for this Hollow?" Ben finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Zhong Yan offered no detailed explanation. He simply said, "I do. Just give me the signal coordinates."
His vague response left Ben uneasy, but seeing Koleda remain silent, he said nothing more.
"There's Ethereals approaching—everyone stay sharp!" Grace suddenly called out while monitoring her scanner. The device had picked up a large cluster of Ethereal signals rapidly closing in.
The group immediately tensed, readying their weapons for combat.
Only Zhong Yan remained calm. He stepped forward, slowly raising both hands and forming a seal in front of him.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
With a shout, a small spark of flame erupted from his mouth, emerging through his mask—and in an instant, it expanded into a sea of fire. The blazing heat surged through the Hollow, as if it might incinerate everything in its path.
The Ethereals that tried to charge them were turned to ash the moment they touched the flames. Only Koleda's group remained untouched, protected by Zhong Yan's careful control.
"What... what is this?" Koleda stared at the raging firestorm, stunned by the scale of it. She couldn't believe such a technique could be performed by a human.
This level of destruction was far beyond anything she had ever witnessed.
Ben instinctively threw himself in front of Koleda, Grace, and Anton, shielding them with his massive arms. But as a heavily furred being, he was clearly terrified of fire—his trembling limbs and twitching ears gave him away.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hollow, a group of criminals wanted by New Eridu's Public Safety Bureau were hiding out.
"Boss lady, you think we're safe from those cops now that we've made it this deep?" asked a nervous lackey wearing a white mask, clearly a follower of Uchiha.
Their leader was a red-haired Rat Thiren woman with dark shades and layers of bulky clothing that concealed any trace of an alluring figure.
Had Zhong Yan been here, he would have recognized her instantly—this was Jane, disguised.
Not long ago, she had been assigned to infiltrate a criminal organization and take it down from within. But she had performed her role so well that in just a few days, she was named the boss.
The group wasn't as big as the Mountain Lion Gang, but it wasn't small either. This time, having learned from her last operation, Jane intended to wait until all the members had gathered before calling in Public Safety for a complete takedown.
Until then, she was enjoying the experience of being a gang boss.
"The Bureau wouldn't dare follow us this deep into the Hollow," she said casually. "And even if they did, they'd need to request specialized Carrot data first."
Carrot data had always been essential for Hollow exploration, and that was why Proxies—though unrecognized officially—had become so prominent in New Eridu.
"But boss... do we have Carrot data?"
"Nope."
That single word sent a wave of despair through the lackey. Without Carrot assistance, anyone who ventured too deep risked Ether corruption—and eventually, transformation into an Ethereal.
The only real way out would be to stumble across a spatial node by pure luck.
The underlings grew visibly worried, but Jane remained cool and composed, as always.
Until a burst of intense flame lit up a nearby section of the Hollow.
The towering fire caught everyone's attention. Heads turned, stunned that such a sight was even possible.
"What the hell..." Jane frowned, her curiosity piqued by the sudden eruption. But alongside her curiosity came suspicion—who would unleash such a massive attack without fear of drawing in more Ethereals?
She likely wouldn't have guessed that the fire had been conjured for precisely that reason—to wipe them all out.
"Stay here. I'm going to check it out," Jane told her crew, then darted toward the fire zone alone.
Before long, she arrived at the scene. All around her, scorched buildings and particles of raw Ether floated in the air. The heat still lingered, and Jane could feel the residual energy from the inferno.
Even a massive Ethereal—the kind that usually gave Public Safety nightmares—would have been reduced to ashes here.
"When did New Eridu get someone this strong..." she muttered, eyes narrowing. Whoever did this had to be immensely powerful.
A moment later, she spotted a team moving through the area. Her instincts kicked in, and she crouched behind cover.
But when she got a good look at the figure leading them... she froze.
Red Moon. Mountain Lion Gang. Katana.
One by one, fragments of unforgettable memories flashed through her mind.
It took her a long moment to collect herself—but when she did, her expression was filled with unmistakable emotion.
"I finally... finally found you."