Rain continued to drizzle steadily from the gray sky. As Belle guided Eous toward the exit marked by Fairy, a shift in perspective revealed Zhong Yan walking just behind her—arms wrapped around the injured Ninja Bangboo.
In the end, they had chosen not to abandon the little guy.
Truthfully, Bangboos being left behind in Hollows after attacks by Corrupted Entities was quite common. To most residents of New Eridu, Bangboos were nothing more than convenience-born tools.
Even though their advanced design gave them intelligence and emotions nearly equal to humans, they were, at their core, still machines. And most Bangboos lacked any combat capability.
Their main function was to assist inside Hollows—drawing Carrot trails to help lost explorers find the exit. That was their original design purpose.
Over time, though, as technology evolved, Bangboos expanded beyond that role. They were modified into highly versatile domestic robots.
Cooking, cleaning—child's play for them.
Some Bangboos could even fight and cook at the same time.
In short, as a specialty product of New Eridu, Bangboos played a major role in society—so much so that the New Eridu Public Security had enacted a series of laws just for their regulation.
The reason Zhong Yan and the siblings chose to rescue this Bangboo was purely out of kindness.
Some Bangboos... really were worth feeling sorry for.
...
After leaving the Hollow, Zhong Yan immediately regrouped with Belle and Wise on Sixth Street, then brought the Bangboo to a modification shop not far from the video store.
The shop owner, Uncle Enzo, was a car mechanic on the surface—but behind closed doors, he was a top-tier Bangboo modder, and naturally, a skilled Bangboo repairman.
Zhong Yan knew this, which was why he bypassed the official Bangboo service center and brought the injured Bangboo here instead.
"This little guy's in rough shape. Battery's almost dead, and multiple modules are seriously damaged. But the fact that it's still operational? Whoever designed it wasn't your average technician."
Uncle Enzo took the nearly lifeless Ninja Bangboo into his hands, carefully inspecting it and letting out a heartfelt sigh.
"Uncle Enzo, can you fix it?" Belle asked anxiously. Eous—no longer under direct control—frantically waved its arms beside her, clearly awaiting a hopeful answer.
Enzo chuckled, his pipe releasing a slow puff of smoke. "Relax. Even if it's hanging by a thread, I can bring a Bangboo back to peak condition. And if you're interested, I can even enhance it—custom mods, no problem."
Zhong Yan and Belle exchanged a glance, speechless at his confidence.
Wise, on the other hand, declined without hesitation. "Let's save the upgrades for later. Fixing it comes first. It's not our Bangboo—we only brought it out of the Hollow because it looked pitiful."
"Kindhearted folks are lucky folks—that's one of my life mottos," Enzo said with a grin. "You helped it today, and I'm sure it'll repay you somehow."
He waved his hand. "Alright, it's getting late. Head on home. I'll have this little one back on its feet by tomorrow afternoon. Be sure to come pick it up then."
Knowing they'd only be in the way if they stuck around, Zhong Yan and the siblings thanked Enzo and headed out of the mod shop.
"That wraps up another job. Thanks again, Zhong Yan. We'll split the payment the usual way," said Wise.
Ever since Zhong Yan became their personal Proxy, every Hollow commission from the Proxy Network had been a perfect success.
Zhong Yan played a big role in that. As far as they were concerned, even without calling in Uchiha, typical Corrupted Entities posed little threat to him.
Of course, Fairy deserved its fair share of the credit, too.
"No big deal. Beats sitting around bored. What about you two—what's next?" Zhong Yan asked, glancing at the siblings.
Wise answered honestly, without hesitation. "Our next move is Hollow Zero. There's something in there we need to find out. And when the time comes... we'll be counting on you again."
Hollow Zero was in a league of its own when it came to danger—far beyond that of parasitic or primal Hollows.
Within it were colossal Corrupted Entities, far more powerful than any giant type. Creatures so dangerous, even the Hollow Investigation Association couldn't deal with them.
That was why the military and elite organizations like the Sixth Anti-Air Division—seen in the game—had stepped in to join the hunt.
The Sixth Anti-Air Division was one of New Eridu's most powerful forces. Not only did they have a Void Hunter on the team, they were even capable of hunting down the monstrous Niniveh with overwhelming force, leaving it no chance to fight back.
So far, Zhong Yan hadn't explored Hollow Zero much himself. He hadn't run into one of those colossal entities, so he couldn't be sure how dangerous they truly were to him.
But in raw strength, he far surpassed even the youngest Void Hunter.
Meaning... those so-called colossal Corrupted Entities probably weren't that terrifying after all.
At least—not to Uchiha.
If Zhong Yan explored Hollow Zero without revealing his identity, things would be very different. He'd have to rely on shadow clones to keep the siblings safe and eliminate surrounding threats without giving himself away.
Or... he could prepare for full exposure.
Then he'd be free to tear Hollow Zero apart without restraint.
For now though... all he wanted was to go to sleep.
It had already been half an hour since the last train left. Getting back to the Ninth Street from the Sixth Street by subway was impossible. Zhong Yan had no choice but to ask the siblings to give him a ride.
Belle didn't even hesitate. She agreed instantly—and insisted that her brother go home and rest, offering to drive Zhong Yan alone.
Wise was understanding. He respected his sister's choice and quietly returned to the video store, letting her take the wheel.
At this point, the story could have pivoted into premium content.
But truthfully, Belle just wanted to give Zhong Yan a ride home. If she had an ulterior motive, it was simply this—she wanted to find out where he lived.
And in the end...
She absolutely got what she wanted.