Standing on the platform outside Scott Outpost, Ignis used the zoom function of his Mark X Gravis Power Armor's helmet to observe Hollow Zero.
It was far larger than any Hollow he had seen before—a place marking the end of Eridu and the beginning of New Eridu. At the edges, several skyscrapers pierced through the Hollow's boundary like plants rising from beneath water.
In front of the outpost stood numerous pillars with swollen top structures, drawing in massive streams of ether particles, forming a faint violet column that resembled a smoke plume.
"That's the Hollow Tower, a facility used to convert ether resources," Belle said as she stood beside him. "It's what sustains New Eridu—but all of it comes from the remnants of the old world's destruction."
"But the use of ether resources started even before Old Eridu fell, didn't it? The level of refinement in those technologies doesn't look like something that could've been developed in just ten or so years of New Eridu's existence." Ignis had some understanding of ether utilization—such intricate technology clearly required countless iterations to perfect.
"Who knows?" Belle replied, peering through a telescope at the Hollow. "When the Hollows first appeared, people worshiped them as gods. Thanks to the Void Hunters' efforts, reason eventually replaced faith."
Ignis remembered that New Eridu recognized seven individuals as Void Hunters—each a formidable existence. One could slay massive Ethereal creatures alone, another created the Bangboo units, another led a key research institute, and another proposed the standard protocols for Hollow exploration. These individuals had helped New Eridu regain its footing after apocalyptic calamities, pushing back the terrifying black borders of the Hollows and preventing New Eridu from being swallowed by Hollow Zero.
"Thanks to them, we now have scheduled exploration missions for Hollow Zero." Belle stepped away from the telescope. "This outpost was jointly established by the White Star Institute and the Defense Force. Director Ray of the research division here requires a large number of personnel to enter Hollow Zero to collect data."
"But the Defense Force doesn't have enough manpower, so independent investigation teams like ours were formed to handle the tasks they can't. At least the pay's generous enough to make it worth it."
"You two, this isn't a sightseeing spot."
A man in a black suit approached, his expression stern—his unease particularly evident as he looked at Ignis, clad in his massive power armor.
"Ignis, let me introduce you," said Belle, turning toward the newcomer. "This is Lieutenant Roland, commanding officer of the Defense Force here." Then she gestured toward Ignis. "This is one of our team members, Ignis. He'll be bringing my Bangboo into Hollow Zero today."
"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant," Ignis said, giving a polite nod to ease the tension.
"I've always opposed allowing unrelated civilians into Hollow Zero…"
The lieutenant frowned deeply. The towering giant in strange armor had been silently observing the armored vehicles and armed helicopters stationed nearby—behavior that made him uneasy.
"But the White Star Institute says our exploration progress is too slow, and I can only command so many troops."
"So outsourcing part of the non-critical work is reasonable," Ignis replied calmly. "Don't worry—our leader is very reliable when it comes to Hollow expeditions, and I'm just as reliable in combat."
"To be honest, I don't trust you," the lieutenant said frankly. "Even by sight alone, your equipment is clearly more advanced than anything we have. I don't know which faction sent you, but you'd best not have any designs on this Hollow. If it spreads, everything ends."
"I'm just here to earn a little extra cash, not to cause trouble," Belle quickly interjected. "You saw for yourself—we weren't allowed to bring any weapons in. Even our Bangboo had to stay outside."
"Exactly, and that's what bothers me." Lieutenant Roland's eyes narrowed. "What kind of civilian investigation team carries a 40mm autocannon—modified, no less—and flamethrowers, plus a stockpile of explosives?"
Ignis wanted to sigh. He had followed the rules—dismantled his weaponry, left the autocannon and homemade bombs outside the outpost, even drained the flamethrower's ether fuel for separate storage.
Why was this man still so nervous? Did this outpost have some big secret? What the lieutenant didn't know was that Ignis's most dangerous weapons couldn't be confiscated—a pair of power fists far deadlier than any cannon.
Still, those armored vehicles caught his attention. They looked far better than anything used by New Eridu Public Security, though each had a strange recess housing what seemed to be an intelligent Bangboo unit. Surely, they weren't using those for tactical command, were they?
As for the helicopters—he'd shot down three of those just a few days ago. Not that he'd mention that to the lieutenant.
"I take the most dangerous jobs, so I have friends who supply me with high-grade equipment," Ignis explained. "You can rest easy, Lieutenant. I'm only here to earn money—this armor doesn't maintain itself cheaply."
He spoke sincerely, knowing the officer wasn't being difficult—just doing his duty.
"Let's hope your friends play by the rules," Roland warned before turning to Belle. "Aside from assisting Ray with data collection, your mission briefing also includes searching for missing soldiers. I want you to find them quickly. I need every person who can follow orders right now."
"Understood. I'll upload the data to my Bangboo using your terminal. We'll do our best to find them."
Roland didn't seem to take her words to heart. He turned and entered a tent behind him. Inside Hollow Zero, rifts appeared constantly, and spontaneous spatial shifts were common. Anyone lost inside was, for all intents and purposes, already dead.
The lieutenant had only assigned the search to comply with Defense Force protocol—perhaps praying for a miracle.
After all, this particular investigator's Bangboo had impressed even the members of the Hollow Special Operations Section 6 during her trials. Maybe luck would favor her again.
"Lieutenant Roland's always like that," Belle said quickly, trying to smooth things over before Ignis lost his temper and wrecked the place. "He doesn't mean harm—he just worries that involving civilians will lead to more casualties."
"It's fine. We're here to earn an honest living. Once we find those soldiers, he'll have nothing to complain about," Ignis replied firmly. Being an off-the-grid mercenary, he didn't blame the officer for his bias.
"Then, as agreed, you'll take the Bangboo into the Hollow, and I'll stay in the tent to maintain real-time communication." Belle turned to leave.
"The HDD System exposed just like that? Isn't that your trump card?" Ignis remembered Billy mentioning Phaethon's unique Hollow Deep Dive—technology allowing real-time communication between the inside and outside of a Hollow.
"Relax," Belle said proudly. "Our new AI assistant has temporarily taken control of the outpost's computer systems. I can connect directly to my home terminal through it. All communication and records will appear as falsified data. Costs me five times the electricity, but it's worth it."
Ignis wasn't sure what kind of AI assistant could pull that off, but the ability to infiltrate and control military systems—and automatically forge data—sounded almost daemonic. Hopefully, that blue blob she owned wasn't behind it.
"Can we trust it?" Ignis asked, skeptical.
"Of course. You've seen it work plenty of times. It's flawless in practice," Belle said with a wave. "This time, you'll be entering Hollow Zero alone. Don't worry—I'll guide you through it."
"No problem, leader." Ignis watched her disappear into the tent before turning away from the outpost.
At the gate, the Defense Force sentries gripped their rifles nervously as the giant approached. Not that their weapons could even scratch his armor. Ignis didn't bother teasing them—he waved amicably, passed inspection, and left the base.
The soldier guarding his equipment hadn't tampered with it. Ignis reattached his autocannon to his waist and loaded the three saddle magazines Marcus had supplied him with. Unfortunately, the new ammo wasn't in mass production yet, so he stuck with the older fragmentation shells—still great for clearing out swarms of lesser Ethereals.
"Damn, I still can't believe someone can carry that thing and fire it," one soldier muttered while reconnecting the promethium fuel tank to Ignis's flamethrower.
"Wanna see it in action?" Ignis said, casually reaching for the cannon.
The soldier nearly pulled the trigger in panic—one shot from that gun could wipe out the whole checkpoint.
"Relax, I'm just kidding." Ignis chuckled, finishing his checks. Once the flamethrower was fully armed, he picked up Phaethon's Bangboo. "Calling in, leader—I'm ready."
"Good. Begin entry into the Hollow," Belle's voice echoed from Eous's body. "Make sure the White Star Institute's cargo unit is following properly."
Ignis looked down at what Belle called the cargo buggy—an intelligent transport machine slightly taller than a Bangboo. Its four-wheeled base supported a cubic cargo container built with high-grade anti-corrosion shielding. Inside were basic anti-corrosion serums and first-aid kits.
"I've set the cargo buggy to follow Eous. If you find anything valuable, stash it inside. And if you come across abandoned ones along the way, feel free to check them out—think of it like finding treasure chests in a game," Belle added with a grin. "All finds belong to whoever discovers them. Sometimes you might even dig up relics or tech from the old civilization."
"Got it. I'll take good care of the little guy." Ignis stared at the looming black wall ahead and took a deep breath.
A few others nearby were making their own preparations—each chasing fortune, though not all would return alive.
Then came the familiar sensation—like stepping through a membrane of plastic film. Once he regained his balance, Ignis immediately checked for Eous. Thankfully, the little one was right at his feet, with the cargo buggy close by.
Just as he was about to kneel and inspect it, a wave of discomfort hit him. His face and body tingled, as though pricked by countless tiny needles. His HUD flashed warnings—radiation levels off the charts, even higher than when he'd faced the Dead End Butcher.
"Ignis? Are you alright?" Belle's voice came first, noticing he hadn't moved.
"Radiation's strong. I'm actually feeling it," Ignis replied. "This place is nothing like any Hollow I've entered before—it's terrifying."
"The ether inside a Hollow prioritizes corrosion and assimilation of intelligent life—machines aren't exempt either," Belle explained. "The more intelligent beings a Hollow consumes, the higher its etheric activity becomes. It then corrodes and assimilates at even faster rates."
"Sounds like some kind of malicious infection—invading, killing cells, expanding itself," Ignis muttered, shaking his head to stay focused.
"If you feel unwell, there's anti-corrosion medicine in the cargo buggy. Take it—you'll feel better."
The machine rolled closer with a hiss of released air and opened its compartment. Inside were rations and a few vials of medicine. Ignis had seen how Anby's team used them before. The ampoules were too small for him to handle, so he simply removed his helmet, poured them all into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
"Wow. Billy told me you could chew metal, but seeing it myself is still shocking. Doesn't the glass hurt your mouth?"
"This way's faster. My body mass is several times theirs—and those tiny vials are impossible for me to grip." Ignis raised his massive gauntleted fists.
The medicine worked quickly. His fatigue faded, and the stabbing sensation vanished.
"So, where's our first objective?" Ignis asked his Proxy.
"White Star Institute's data retrieval," Belle replied. "They've set up several data pylons nearby to track ether density variations inside the Hollow. The closest one's just a few hundred meters away—I've locked onto its signal. Let's move."
Eous jumped onto the cargo buggy, and under the Proxy's command, the machine rolled forward into the depths of Hollow Zero.