In the Hollows, any Ethereal with a notorious name is bad news. Once one has their sights set on you, you're in serious trouble.
Last time, it was in the Dead End Hollow.
If they hadn't been lucky enough to stumble upon an exit, they would've had a brutal life-or-death battle with the Dead End Butcher.
If given the choice, no one would willingly take on a notorious Ethereal head-on.
Except for Sam Li.
When Sam Li heard there was a notorious Ethereal in this Hollow, her interest was instantly piqued.
"Proxy, how does this one compare to the Dead End Butcher?"
Belle shook her head.
"I'm not sure. I just guessed there might be a notorious Ethereal here based on the Ether anomalies in the Hollow."
She didn't dare jump to conclusions because the Ether concentration in the C97 Hollow was abnormally low—it didn't feel like the presence of a notorious Ethereal at all.
Nearby, Nekomata's ears twitched at the mention of a notorious Ethereal. Remembering the Butcher's slash, he couldn't help but shiver.
"Why are there so many of them? And why do we keep running into them?"
Billy looked just as frustrated.
"Why do we keep getting stuck with these kinds of commissions? I seriously just want to be done with this one already…"
Hearing them grumble, Soldier 11 frowned.
"You're saying you want to back out of the commission? That would count as a breach of contract, and you'd have to pay five times the deposit."
The deposit was 150,000 Dennies. Five times that meant 750,000. Not even selling the whole Hare's House would cover that.
Nicole cleared her throat and laughed quickly.
"Don't mind what Nekomata and Billy said. Haven't you heard how strong Hare's House is? We even took down the Dead End Butcher with ease. This one's nothing in comparison. But…"
She paused, flashing a sly smile.
Soldier 11 turned to her.
"But what?"
Nicole smiled.
"You didn't mention anything about a notorious Ethereal in the initial commission. Since the situation's changed, I think it's time we renegotiated the commission fee."
At her words, Soldier 11 let out a dry chuckle.
Just like the rumors said—Hare's House was a greedy bunch. They were even bold enough to raise the fee midway through the mission.
"Alright, how much are you asking for?"
"An extra 50,000 Dennies upfront—non-refundable if the mission fails. And if we succeed, another 100,000 on top for future commissions."
In total, that meant an extra 150,000 Dennies.
Soldier 11 only frowned slightly before nodding.
"Deal. I'll have the additional deposit transferred to your account within an hour."
Nicole beamed, quickly covering the corners of her mouth with her hand so Soldier 11 wouldn't notice.
"Deal! As expected from the Defense Force—absolutely loaded."
With 50,000 more Dennies secured, Nicole decided that today, she'd treat Sam Li, Anby, Billy, and Nekomata to a big feast.
After Nicole and the others left, Belle once again spoke up.
"Soldier 11, maybe we should call off the operation for now. I'm worried something might happen to you."
But Soldier 11's gaze was resolute.
"This is my duty. Even if a notorious Ethereal really is here, I will press forward. Only traitors turn back."
Seeing his determination, Belle could only sigh and watch him leave.
...
That night, Nicole, in a rare show of generosity, treated Sam Li, Anby, Billy, and Nekomata to a full-on feast.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning arrived quickly.
As the sun rose from behind Zero Hollow, Nicole, uncharacteristically, was the first to wake up. She roused the others.
"Sam Li, Anby, Billy, Nekomata, get up! Time to carry out the mission!"
Per their agreement with Soldier 11, they scarfed down a quick breakfast and rushed off in a vehicle toward C97 Hollow to rendezvous with him.
When Nicole and the team arrived, they found that Belle and Soldier 11 were already there.
Unlike yesterday, it wasn't Belle herself who came, but the Eous unit she controlled.
After a bit of preparation, Soldier 11 used the Defense Force's communication device to connect to Mr. Mole.
"We're ready, Mr. Mole. Tell us the rendezvous point."
Mr. Mole's voice crackled over the comms.
"Jejejeje, don't rush. I'll tell you. But first, allow me to have a little chat with Phaethon and show my respects to my idol."
Soldier 11 fell silent.
"…"
Belle sighed.
"…"
There was just no dealing with this damn mole.
For the sake of the plan, Belle had to humor him with a few polite lines.
Finally, Mr. Mole got to the point.
"One hour from now, someone will pick you up at the Abandoned Skyscraper. If you really want to join the Resistance, you'll need to make it there within the hour. I'll be waiting—"
Soldier 11's brow furrowed.
"Where is the Abandoned Skyscraper?"
Mr. Mole chuckled.
"Don't you have Phaethon? Let the mighty Proxy—strongest in the world—lead you there! Ahahahahaha—"
With that, he abruptly cut off the call, giving Soldier 11 no chance to ask more.
Soldier 11 shut off the communicator with a snort.
"Same old tricks. Still testing us. When I catch that damn mole, he's gonna pay."
But now wasn't the time to get angry.
First, they had to get to the Abandoned Skyscraper.
Billy turned to Eous.
"Manager, do you know where it is?"
Belle was also handling her first commission in the C97 Hollow. Just like the others, it was her first time hearing about the Abandoned Skyscraper.
"Give me a second, I'm searching…"
A few seconds later, Eous's eyes glowed briefly as Belle received a message from Fairy.
"The Abandoned Skyscraper was one of the iconic landmarks of the old era. It was swallowed by the C97 Hollow during the Hollow disaster forty years ago…"
"Manager, skip the history. Just give us the location."
"Alright, let's see… head north, about 15 kilometers from here."
"Fifteen kilometers? You've got to be kidding."
If it were outside, Billy could cover 20 kilometers in an hour without breaking a sweat. But inside the Hollow, they had to pace themselves and stay alert for attacks from Ethereals or rebels.
Getting there in under an hour was going to be tough.
While Billy was still grumbling, Soldier 11 had already stepped forward.
"Only by pressing forward can we win. To retreat is betrayal. Let's move. Crimson-Eyed Hermit, show us the way."
With that, Soldier 11 scooped up Eous and bolted ahead.
Belle shouted after him.
"Hey! Soldier 11! Stop shaking me—I'm getting dizzy!"
Nicole took off right after.
"Billy, Anby, Nekomata, Sam Li—hurry! That 500,000 commission is getting closer and closer!"
...