"Sorry. I said something unnecessary." Seeing Anby pause in thought, Fang Wen apologized, then immediately steered the conversation back to the mission.
"That building should be our destination, right?"
Anby looked in the direction Fang Wen was pointing. One corner of a skyscraper stood like a pillar holding up the heavens, piercing through the black-purple, bowl-shaped Hollow and exposing the very top floor to the open air once more.
"That's right, Proxy… are you saying…?"
"Yeah." Fang Wen nodded. "Raina should have transmitted the message from there."
That explanation made everything click. It explained how Raina, an ordinary person, had managed to do something only Phaethon was supposed to be capable of.
"The associated Hollow here has shrunk in size. That's probably why the roof of one of the Ballet Twins Towers has re-emerged," Anby said, lowering her gaze. The one making that crisp female voice was the ordinary household Bangboo at her feet, not even half a person tall.
"Proxy, are you all finished preparing?"
"Yeah. Sorry, adjusting the equipment took a little longer than expected, but nothing went wrong in the end," the Bangboo continued.
In Fang Wen's understanding, only Phaethon could make a Bangboo speak in proper human syllables like this.
Even the Public Security Bureau's specially assigned security Bangboos could only make their usual en-ne noises.
It had gone so far that an entire new field of study—Bangboo linguistics—had sprung up around them.
All in all, the little guy really was fascinating.
With that thought, Fang Wen crouched down and stroked the gently swaying Bangboo.
They were about to enter the Hollow. For him and Anby's group, their primary job before the investigation ended would be to protect this little Bangboo.
As for every other problem, Fang Wen believed Belle would solve them. After all, she was the legendary Proxy Phaethon.
What Fang Wen did not know was that at that very moment, Belle—remotely linked to the Bangboo from inside the car—had already blushed bright red.
Since the neural connection was still active, she could naturally feel Fang Wen's touch.
Fortunately, he had not touched anywhere strange. He had only patted the top of its head.
For no reason at all, that thought flashed through Belle's mind.
"Then let's move."
Fang Wen picked up the Bangboo, and under the setting sun, the group set out toward the Hollow in the distance.
The instant he stepped inside, Fang Wen once again felt that oppressive pressure settling over him. After obtaining sensory clarity and master-level coordination—skills that heightened his perception—that feeling had only become stronger.
Without anti-corruption suppressants, even agents with ether resistance would have difficulty staying inside a Hollow for a full twenty-four hours without suffering corrosion. Fang Wen, being an ordinary human, naturally had the lowest ether resistance among them.
According to last year's physical examination report, his ether aptitude score was only 57. Even within the Public Security Bureau, that was not considered especially high.
His safe activity time inside a Hollow was less than twelve hours.
But that would still be enough to finish this mission.
Fang Wen checked the interface.
[Time Remaining: 9 hours 56 minutes]
Otherwise, the mission would fail. There really were no other options.
Guided by Phaethon and Fang Wen, the group soon reached Ballet Twins Tower. By now, night had completely fallen, and the interior of the building was filled with a thick layer of mist.
As they stepped into the empty tower, their crisp footsteps echoed endlessly through the vast enclosed space.
Several giant statues, each multiple people tall, stood in the distance, glowing faintly.
Closer by was a sculpture of Bangboos holding hands, as if it were welcoming them inside.
At the sight of that oddly whimsical artwork, Fang Wen could not help but look twice.
"So this is Ballet Twins Tower." Nekomata looked around, seeming a little excited.
"What an impressive place," Billy echoed.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from nowhere, and everyone shivered at once.
"Ugh… it's really cold in here," Billy said, shrinking his neck and rubbing both hands hard over his arms.
Nekomata was shivering too, and the group unconsciously pressed a little closer together.
Only Anby continued walking calmly at the front, opening the way.
"And don't you feel like this place is kind of creepy?" Nekomata clutched at Anby's clothes, glancing nervously from side to side.
"There's a lot of fog here. Ethereals may appear inside it, so stay alert," Belle warned. Having been set down from Fang Wen's arms, she was now moving alongside Anby to guide them.
Hearing her reminder, Fang Wen tightened his grip on the spear in his hand.
At times like this, only the weapon in his hand and his own strength could give them even a small sense of security.
Bang—!
The silence was suddenly torn apart by a tremendous crashing sound behind them.
Billy and Nekomata immediately leapt into the air, then scrambled behind Anby.
Fang Wen spun around sharply. When he realized it was only the Bangboo statue by the entrance that had somehow toppled over, he let out a small breath.
"Whew. Scared me half to death. Ha… haha…" Billy tugged awkwardly at his vest after seeing what had happened.
Belle, controlling the Bangboo, had also been startled and instinctively wiped at the nonexistent cold sweat on her forehead.
"This place feels like somewhere we shouldn't linger. Let's move faster," someone suggested, and everyone quickened their pace.
Only Fang Wen, after briefly relaxing, found his heart tightening all over again.
There were not that many coincidences inside a Hollow. Ballet Twins Tower had been swallowed for years, and those statues had stood just fine that whole time. Why would one collapse the moment they arrived?
But his sensory clarity was badly hindered by the dense fog. His range had been compressed to barely twenty meters around him. Even so, he was certain of one thing.
There was something else here.
Ever since earlier, he had felt a faint gaze fixed on them.
At that moment, Fang Wen actually found himself wishing it were just Ethereals.
Because if it was Ethereals, they could handle that.
But if it was something supernatural—something weird and inexplicable—then they were truly out of luck.
For the next ten-odd minutes, they encountered nothing unusual. Fang Wen gradually lowered his guard a little, though he still constantly scanned the surroundings with sensory clarity, ready to react the instant something unexpected happened.
As if trying to ease the mood, Billy suddenly said, "It's so cold and damp in here. Feels like the new knee joint components I installed are about to rust."
"Billy, can you stop using those cheap parts from suspicious sources? It's the same principle as eating at sketchy restaurants—you'll ruin your stomach sooner or later," Nekomata snapped.
The atmosphere lightened slightly, and then Anby asked Belle, who had suddenly stopped moving.
"Proxy, what is it?"
"Sorry. The Hollow data inside this building is outdated, and there are a lot of spatial fissures. I need to collect some data along the route so I can generate a new Carrot."
Anby's delicate brows drew together.
"What is it, Anby?"
"Ever since we entered the building, I've felt a gaze fixed on us."
Fang Wen's brows jumped. So Anby had sensed it too.
"Me too. Ever since we came in, I've had goosebumps all over, and every now and then something furry brushes against my legs," Billy said, nodding frantically.
"It just happened again!" Billy yelped.
"That's my tail!" Nekomata glared at the jumpy idiot of a robot.
In horror movies, there were few things more immersive than a terrible teammate.
Because they were the ones who would actually scream right into your ear.
"Uh. Right, I see." Billy scratched his head awkwardly.
"Wait. There's movement nearby." Anby pressed one hand against the hilt of the blade behind her.
The entire group immediately went on alert.
A series of growls rose from deep within the fog. It seemed the true owners of this place were not very happy to see them.
"It's Ethereals. Take them out first!"
-------
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