The enormous Monument Plaza lay under a hush of eerie stillness.
Fine dust floated in the air, carrying the distinctive smell of old metal and some unknown residue of energy. Surrounded by the group, Qianye looked oddly slight. He nodded lightly, acknowledging Lycaon's summary.
"So, to put it simply," Lycaon said, "Lord Qianye commissioned Victoria Housekeeping and the members of the Cunning Hares in order to ensure Miss Koleda can recover the prototype machine smoothly?"
Qianye met his gaze and gave a confirming look.
Lycaon smiled sincerely—one of his silver-gray wolf ears twitching faintly in the dim glow. He inclined in a refined, genuine bow.
"To go this far for a friend… Lord Qianye, that fine character of yours is like a winter flower—pure, immaculate, and lovable, yet never yielding to wind and snow."
His deep, magnetic voice echoed clearly through the silent Hollow.
"To be of service to you is an honor for Victoria Housekeeping."
"…Bootlicker," Nicole muttered under her breath, so quietly her pink twin-tails barely swayed with the pout.
She didn't expect what came next.
In the very next instant, Lycaon pivoted like a hunter catching movement in the grass. His sharp red eyes locked precisely onto Nicole, and an invisible pressure spread outward.
"Miss Nicole. Insulting others behind their backs is not a virtuous act. Please restrain yourself."
"Eek—! Your ears are that sensitive—?!" Nicole flinched hard. Then, noticing Qianye's disapproving glance as well, she grudgingly lowered her head.
"Fine, I'm sorry. Happy now…?"
Her fingers unconsciously twisted at the edge of her clothes in irritation as they finally reached their destination.
"We're here," Ben said, his steady voice breaking the awkward pause. His heavy metal body stopped at the plaza's edge. Anton immediately extended a mechanical arm and pointed toward the center.
"Look! There's a huge white thing in front of the monument!"
Everyone's eyes snapped over at once.
A towering memorial monument stood in the plaza's center. After years of Hollow corrosion, its surface was weathered, etched with dull, faded energy patterns.
And at the base of its thick pedestal…
A massive machine—boxy, rugged, all angles and hard lines—stood coated in silver-white paint. It had clamped its thick mechanical arms around the monument's base column, gripping it as if refusing to let go. In the dim environment, that silver-white coating emitted a soft, steadfast glow.
"This clean color, these handsome lines… yes!" Grace's voice trembled with excitement—then with confusion. "But… what is this weird posture? It looks like it… voluntarily clamped onto the monument."
"Yeah, I don't really get it either," Ben said, scratching his head.
Qianye stared at the strange tableau, brows drawn.
"It really does look like it chose to clamp it on purpose."
He turned to the most reliable person at his side.
"Lycaon—what do you think?"
Lycaon stepped forward a few paces, his red eyes scanning the junction between prototype and monument, then the surrounding environment. He paused, thinking, and answered in a calm, analytical tone.
"…At this distance, I can only conclude someone drove the prototype here and controlled it to clamp the monument. There are several possibilities."
"First: for various reasons—materials, structure—the monument may have been at risk of collapse, so someone brought the machine here to stabilize it. If my inference is correct, that person is very likely Belobog Heavy Industries' former president… Miss Koleda's father, Mr. Horus Belobog."
His gaze flicked toward Koleda with a hint of careful probing.
"But," Lycaon continued, voice sharpening with doubt, "considering Belobog Heavy Industries' reputation… and the fact that this structure has endured over a decade of Ether erosion inside the Hollow without collapsing, that possibility is vanishingly small."
"And moreover…"
His eyes returned to the priceless prototype.
"To drive a machine of such value all the way here for that single purpose would be… excessive."
The group's silent agreement was immediate.
Then Lycaon turned his head, looking toward the other machine nearby—the completely different-style pile driver known as Friday.
"Sir Friday—if—"
"Address me as Dawn's Judicator, steward!" Friday's mechanical arm waved, buzzing with displeasure.
"…(a nearly inaudible sigh) Sir Friday," Lycaon corrected smoothly, tone still steady. "From earlier discussion, Mr. Anton mentioned you claimed to have received orders from Mr. Horus to come here and reinforce the seal. Correct?"
At that, Friday seemed abruptly "switched on"—its core brightening.
"That's right! Damn it! I almost forgot! I was ordered to come reinforce the seal!"
"Which means," Lycaon said slowly, eyes narrowing, "the prototype sent you a signal and wanted you to come here and reinforce the seal…"
His gaze locked onto the monument that the prototype was clamping.
"Then may I assume the 'seal' the prototype wanted you to reinforce… is this monument itself?"
"—Hiss!" Friday made a simulated intake of breath, as if processing at high speed. "I don't know what the seal is exactly, but your reasoning sounds very plausible!"
After Friday's confirmation, Lycaon turned back to Qianye and bowed slightly.
"My apologies, Lord Qianye. There are other conjectures—Hollow raiders, or the Hollow's own rifts dragging things here—but their likelihood is extremely low, so I discarded them."
"It's fine," Qianye said with a gentle smile. His jade-green eyes held approval. "Your thinking makes sense. As expected… you all are very reliable."
Then he looked toward the Belobog group, who had fallen into contemplation.
"Koleda—what do you think?"
Koleda kept her eyes fixed on the silver-white prototype, small fists clenched unconsciously.
"Lycaon is making a lot of sense," she said, voice faintly trembling. "But we're still far away. We're only observing."
She lifted her head, gaze turning firm.
"I want to get closer and investigate personally."
She looked at her partners.
"Anton, Ben—you two check the area around us. Proxy, big sis—you come with me into the cockpit and take a look."
"Wait, Miss Koleda."
The moment Koleda chose to put herself at risk, Lycaon immediately intervened. His tall figure moved to block her path.
"This prototype has been exposed in the Hollow for a long time. Some internal components may have been eroded by Ether—there may be unknown danger. If possible, I advise against you entering personally."
His voice was serious, openly concerned.
"We could have one of your company's three machines replace the prototype in supporting the monument, and have the other two tow the prototype away safely. We can bring it out of the Hollow and decide our next step there. That would be more prudent—what do you say?"
Koleda looked up at Lycaon. Complex emotions flickered in her clear eyes.
"…Thank you for your concern, Mr. Lycaon."
She drew a deep breath and bowed deeply—formal, sincere.
"Earlier, I… didn't have the best impression of you, because your maids looked… completely lovestruck. I apologize for my rudeness."
When she straightened, her gaze was unwavering again.
"I understand your concern. And I know your proposal is reasonable. Finding the prototype already achieves the main objective—we don't have to rush."
"But…"
Her voice lowered, a tightness creeping in, and her eyes drifted back to the silent machine.
"If… if your guess is right… if this prototype was driven here by… my father…"
"Then that means there must be clues about him inside."
Her small hand gripped the fabric at her chest as if trying to hold down a heart that was pounding with equal parts anticipation and dread.
"I can't stop myself. I need to know the truth. Even if it's… only a trace. Even a little… is enough."
"Boss…" Anton and Ben stared at her stubborn back, wanting to speak—yet swallowing it.
Qianye watched the heavy atmosphere settle over them. He sighed quietly, opened his medical bag, and fished out three vials that glowed with a faint, deep blue light.
"Koleda. If that's how it is… drink these first."
He handed them over, voice mild.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught Lycaon's approving look—and Nicole's eyes lighting up with sudden, desperate longing.
Qianye couldn't help snapping:
"Stop looking at me like that. When we get out of the Hollow, come to my clinic and pick yours up."
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Qianye," Lycaon said with graceful composure, "Victoria Housekeeping will prepare sufficient compensation."
Right beside him, Nicole blurted something completely different—half sobbing, shamelessly pleading:
"Qianye, you do still love me…! Can we pay in installments?!"
The contrast was so stark it produced two completely different reactions from the people around them:
Approval toward Victoria Housekeeping…
And an indescribably complicated stare toward the Cunning Hares—mostly aimed at Nicole.
Nicole's face went bright red, humiliated and furious all at once.
Sensing danger, Anby had already silently shifted closer to Qianye along with Billy and Nekomata, clearly trying to distance themselves from their boss. Billy even whistled out of tune, eyes drifting away as if he'd seen nothing.
"Anby! Billy! Nekomata! That's too much!" Nicole jumped, pointing at her "traitors." "At least this time I didn't write an IOU! I just said installments!"
"…Heh."
Someone—no one knew who—let out a crisp, razor-sharp, deeply mocking laugh. Like an ice needle, it pierced the awkward air and echoed across the silent plaza…
Inside the Prototype
The hatch opened slowly, sealing off outside sight.
Qianye waited below, looking up at the closed entrance with patient attention.
Time passed in the Hollow's peculiar silence, Ether light drifting noiselessly in the air.
At last, the hatch opened again. Koleda appeared at the doorway—head lowered—moving a bit sluggishly as she climbed down the ladder. Eous shimmered with gentle blue light and supported her lightly.
"Koleda—are you okay?" Qianye stepped forward immediately, keenly noticing her reddened eyes and the lingering moisture caught on her long lashes.
"I—I'm fine!" Koleda jerked her head up and blinked hard, trying to chase away the wetness. She spoke with forced stubbornness. "It's just… sand got into my glasses!"
She quickly wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.
"Alright, alright. Want me to blow it out for you?" Qianye leaned down, voice softened with reassurance, jade-green eyes full of concern.
"Ugh… with everyone watching…" Koleda trembled almost imperceptibly. Feeling the instant flood of attention—Victoria Housekeeping, the Cunning Hares—she instinctively wanted to refuse.
But then a thought barged in:
Rina and the others… they hugged Qianye shamelessly in front of everyone… If I keep pushing him away like this…
Koleda gritted her teeth, as if making a decision. Her cheeks warmed. She lifted her face toward Qianye, voice tiny as a mosquito:
"Qianye, um—"
And at that critical moment—
Anton and Ben's booming voices exploded like thunder, completely drowning out the words she'd finally forced herself to say.
"A little more this way! Stop—right there! Hold on… rope secured!" Anton was directing Hans to adjust position and prepare to replace the prototype in supporting the monument. Ben was busy fastening the tow lines. Both were completely focused on the task, blissfully unaware they were the worst possible "mood killers" on earth.
Why now?! Why do you have to be loud RIGHT NOW?!
Koleda looked at the confusion in Qianye's eyes, and every scrap of courage evaporated.
Annoyed, she shook her head. All her disappointment and embarrassment instantly transformed into murderous intent toward the two "culprits."
When we get back, Anton and Ben are going to learn—deeply—what the "serious consequences" are for ruining the boss's big moment!
"Movie Flags" and the Immediate Payoff
On the other side of the plaza, the Cunning Hares were temporarily on standby.
Billy, bored, spun his revolvers in a flawless gun flourish. The two beloved hand cannons rotated and danced like living things in his hands, producing crisp metallic friction. With a satisfied sigh, he holstered them cleanly.
"Seriously, Doctor Qianye's commissions are the best—low risk, high reward. This time we barely even fought," he said, relaxed. "Aside from taking down a few Ethereals on the way here, we haven't even seen any real trash mobs."
Anby folded her arms and stared at him with a flat expression. In her orange-green eyes was the calm certainty of someone who's read the script.
"Billy. In movies, whenever someone says that, it means something big is about to happen in the next moment."
"Haha! Anby, that's just movie stuff—how could that—"
Billy tried to laugh it off, but the laughter quickly turned dry. He seemed to recall certain unpleasant "precedents." His voice dropped, turning nervous and tentative.
"Uh… it probably won't be that—"
Before he could finish—
"Damn it!! What the hell are you?! Sneaking inside the monument like a freak?! Eat this!!"
Hans, which had just clamped onto the support column to replace the prototype, suddenly erupted with an earth-shaking roar. Its huge mechanical eye flashed with furious red light.
In the instant the mechanical arms swapped load points—
From an extremely hidden little hole—
A silver-gray object shaped like a twisted humanoid Ethereal slipped out like a ghost.
The sudden scare made Hans feel like it had lost face in front of its big brother (Ben). Rage surged, overrunning its logic circuits. A thick mechanical arm screamed through the air and smashed down—not just toward the thing, but toward the monument base where it had emerged.
BOOM!!!
A deafening blast tore through the plaza.
Hans's furious strike hit the monument base with terrifying force. The massive stone pillar shuddered violently. Bits of rubble rattled down, and dust surged up in a cloud.
"No way!" Hans bellowed in disbelief.
That silver-gray humanoid thing reacted with impossible speed.
At the split second before impact, it snapped backward into an extreme backflip—so agile and pliant it looked weightless—barely dodging death, and landing steadily several meters away.
Its strange, iron-shaped head turned slowly, as if "confused" by the sudden appearance of a dense crowd of people.
Then—
A shriek like metal scraping glass exploded from within it.
Its iron-like head flared, flooding with the same source as the surrounding Ether energy—an intensely glaring,幽蓝 light.
And a formless wave—packed with heavy mental impact—burst outward like ripples, sweeping across the entire plaza in an instant.
Everyone present felt only brief dizziness and ringing in their ears.
But far away, inside the video store—
Belle, who was deeply mentally linked to Eous via special equipment—
was hit like her soul had been smashed by a hammer.
She let out a muffled cry and was violently kicked out of the connection state, collapsing back into her chair. Both hands clamped over her eyes as she curled inward, emitting a restrained, pained groan.
"Belle?! What's wrong?!" Wise lunged to her side, voice full of panic.
Belle couldn't answer—only gasped, her mind still filled with the afterimage of that cold, chaotic, malicious psychic shock and its warped fragments.
"What… is that thing…?" she whispered, brokenly.
Battle Breaks Out
Almost the instant Belle was injured, combat erupted in the plaza.
Except for Corin and Lycaon's assigned guard (and "An," who remained nearby), and Anton and Ben staying close to Koleda—
Everyone else—Victoria Housekeeping and the remaining Cunning Hares—reacted on reflex, unleashing built-up firepower at the silver-gray monster.
But the situation warped immediately.
Lycaon and Rina reacted fastest—and most violently.
Cold light flashed in Lycaon's eyes. A biting white mist of freezing air poured out around him, surging like a polar storm toward the target.
Rina rose into the air, silver hair lifting without wind. She held her hands as if gripping invisible conductors, and brilliant blue arcs erupted and leapt between her palms like a thunder god descending.
Their attacks were wide, overwhelming—
so much so that the others' trajectories—Nicole's energy shot, Billy's bullets, Nekomata's clawing rush—were all disrupted: weakened, pushed off-line, or outright skewed by the storming frost and lightning.
"Hey! What are you, a dog? You have zero sense of tactical coordination!" Nicole shouted at Lycaon as her energy shot veered.
Lycaon didn't spare her a glance.
He was already there—appearing like a ghost at the creature's landing point.
His frost-covered boot came down with crushing force.
Crack—!!
The sound of ice freezing was violently sharp.
The creature's lower body was instantly entombed in thick ice, locked in place.
At the same time, Rina's two puppets—Drusilla and Anastasia—shot in like blue lightning and latched onto the creature's exposed, twisted head, pouring high-voltage current into it.
It screamed—inhuman, shrill—its body convulsing in violent spasms.
Lycaon stared down at the thing—ice-bound, electrocuted, still struggling uselessly.
Shock churned in his red eyes… and something else.
Something like disbelief—mixed with a joy he was desperately trying to suppress.
He snapped his head up to Rina, voice urgent and low.
"I never expected this… a lucky accident bearing fruit. Rina—send the highest alert to Lord Qianye immediately! Have Corin protect Lord Qianye at all costs! We must withdraw at once—with this 'Ghoul'—now!"
"My, Lord Lycaon… lovely idea," Rina said from midair.
But her signature languid smile was gone, replaced by a killing intent so cold it felt like it could freeze bone.
Her crimson eyes swept the plaza's edge.
From the shadows of ruined structures, a dense mass of insurgents poured out like green sludge—each holding crude but lethal weapons, eyes burning with fanatic malice.
"But it seems," Rina's voice turned poisonous and crystalline, "some naughty children have been following us all along… and finally couldn't resist coming out to cause trouble."
"Lord Lycaon, I suggest—ah?"
She broke off in sudden surprise.
Lycaon's eyes flashed. His leg drove down—
Splat!
Like crushing a fully ripe watermelon.
The creature's charred, iron-shaped head exploded beneath his heel.
Stinking dark fluid and shredded tissue sprayed outward.
The convulsing body stiffened, limbs going rigid for a fraction of a second—
then collapsed completely.
Dead.
"Lord Lycaon—you killed it?!" Rina's voice carried genuine disbelief. That was not the plan—they had meant to take it as a clue.
"Delay invites change," Lycaon said, decisive and absolute.
He wrenched his foot free of the wreckage without looking down, gaze already locking onto the fast-approaching insurgents.
"They only entered the field after we subdued the Ghoul. Whether they wanted to seize it or something else, they're connected to it."
"If we can't extract it safely, then we must not leave it to the enemy."
Cold surged around him, silver-gray fur lifting under the pressure of his own energy.
"Rina. Change of objective—crush all hostiles. Leave none."
"Yes, sir."
Rina's eyes ignited with cold fire.
"To think they wanted to lay hands on Lord Qianye… then I can only grant them a sweet fear… and death."
She raised her hand. Her amplifier roared at full power.
Several thick bolts of lightning speared down like divine punishment, striking the insurgents at the front and turning them into instant charcoal.
At the same time, her body became a streak of electricity, shooting toward the direction where Qianye—carried by a Belobog machine—was already being evacuated at speed.
The Watcher in the Shadows
Outside the plaza, atop a collapsed high-rise swallowed by shadow—
A woman in a black coat stood motionless.
She had waterfall-black hair and deep emerald eyes glinting with eerie light. Her entire presence was dangerous, seductive—like a blade wrapped in velvet.
She held a high-powered binoculars, staring excitedly—greedily—at the fast-moving figure being carried by machinery:
Qianye.
"Ah… so I didn't see wrong before…"
Her red lips parted with a whisper like a fever dream, trembling with frightening fervor.
[Explicit sexual actions follow in the original text. I'm skipping that graphic depiction. Plot-relevant summary below.]
Summary of the skipped explicit segment (non-graphic):
The woman—calling herself Sarah—reveals obsessive, quasi-religious fixation on Qianye, addressing him as a "holy child," "shepherd," and "divine heir." She watches the plaza fight like it's an offering, speaks of sacrifices and a future "altar," and decides to withdraw for now after noticing Lycaon's overwhelming presence and sensing him as an obstacle.
Back in the plaza, Lycaon suddenly looks up—feeling as if something was watching—but sees only empty shadow. He dismisses it as possible illusion and returns to combat, tearing through attackers with ruthless efficiency.
Back at Victoria Housekeeping
"Boss? Rina? Corin? I'm back!"
Ellen pushed open the heavy doors of Victoria Housekeeping's base, carrying the fatigue of school and the lightness of being done for the day.
But no one came to greet her.
The spacious, luxurious living room was empty—no attendants, no butler, nothing. The air felt unnaturally quiet, broken only by the crackle of flames in the fireplace.
"…Weird."
Ellen scratched her head, puzzled, and looked around.
Her gaze finally landed on the glossy black-ebony tea table in the center of the room—
A handwritten letter, sealed with deep purple wax and edged in gold, lay there quietly. Under the fireplace glow, it looked glaringly out of place.
A sense of foreboding crawled up her spine.
Frowning, Ellen strode over, picked it up, and tore the wax seal open in one swift motion. She pulled out the faintly cool-scented paper and scanned the elegant—but icy—handwriting.
Only a few seconds passed.
"Huh?!!!!"
A shriek sharp enough to shatter a crystal chandelier—packed with shock, rage, grievance, and utter disbelief—exploded through the empty, opulent base like the howl of a wounded beast…
If you want, paste the next chapter too—I'll keep the same approach: clean English, correct names, remove the site noise, and fade any explicit segments while preserving plot continuity.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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