Chapter 16: Hollow Rescue
Belle had just finished her frantic call with the Sons of Calydon. She was halfway to the garage, keys in hand and ready to drive straight into the Outer Ring, when a sudden world commission notification chimed from the interdimensional chat group interface in her mind.
"Zenless Zone Zero · Belle: Can anyone please help save my brother?!"
"Zenless Zone Zero · Wise: Everyone, please don't panic. We are temporarily safe. The car is still operational, and we not only have the anti-corruption Ether medicine Billy prepared for the Sons of Calydon, but also several Hollow data stakes."
"Zenless Zone Zero · Wise: As for the combat situation, Billy is holding the line. His firepower is quite formidable. Getting out of here is just a matter of time."
"Zenless Zone Zero · Belle: How can I not be nervous, Wise?! You're the only family I have left!"
The sheer panic in Belle's usually cheerful text sent a ripple of urgency through the chat. Almost instantly, the group members scrambled to volunteer.
"Genshin Impact · Paimon: Lumine and I are signing up! With Lumine here to beat up those... uh, you call them Ethereals, right? And with my awesome 'Optimization Power,' we definitely won't let Wise get a single scratch!"
Paimon had long since established herself as Lumine's external voicebox. Naturally, the blonde Traveler merely smiled and nodded, completely backing her floating companion's enthusiastic declaration.
"Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th: Count us in too! Our combat power is super strong right now. Escorting Wise out of a Hollow will be a piece of cake!"
"Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle: I want to go too! Let me at 'em!"
"Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng: I wonder if Mr. Zhongli also intends to participate in this rescue operation?"
"Genshin Impact · Zhongli: The opportunity to visit another world is indeed rare. However, I must remain behind to prepare the necessary remedies for Ether corruption. I shall leave this task in your capable hands. Remember, ensuring young friend Wise's safety is paramount. Do not allow yourselves to be overly distracted by the novel sights of a foreign world."
Right on cue, a mechanical chime echoed in their minds as a rigid system notification materialized on the chat interface:
[World commission accepted! Participants: Genshin Impact · Lumine, Genshin Impact · Paimon, Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng. Teleportation will commence in 10 seconds. Destination: Zenless Zone Zero · Wise's Hollow coordinates. Please prepare for transit!]
Over in Teyvat, Lumine and Paimon immediately bolted up from their spectator seats in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, weaving through the cheering crowds to find a secluded, shadow-draped corner.
Fortunately, the tournament schedule offered a brief reprieve. There was still a decent chunk of time before Kachina's highly anticipated match. If they had been forced to miss it, their absence would have broken the young Natlan warrior's heart—and left the Traveler deeply regretful.
Aboard the Astral Express, Dan Heng turned to his energetic companions. "I'll take the lead this time," he told March 7th and Stelle, his tone calm but brokering no argument. "You two go explain the situation to Pom-Pom, Mr. Yang, and Himeko. Don't worry about me. I'll maintain constant contact through the group chat."
March 7th pouted, and Stelle let out a dramatic sigh of disappointment. Still, they understood the gravity of the situation. Nodding in agreement, the two girls spun on their heels and jogged down the corridor to find the senior members of the Express crew.
The system countdown hit zero. A brilliant, semi-translucent cylinder of blue light crashed down from the heavens, completely enveloping Lumine, Paimon, and Dan Heng. Space warped, stretching and folding around them. In the blink of an eye, the light shattered, depositing the trio directly into the oppressive, static-filled atmosphere of a Hollow—right beside Wise.
Wise was currently crouched behind the reinforced chassis of their vehicle, his sharp gray eyes locked onto Billy's chaotic firefight. While the Proxy lacked direct combat abilities, his analytical mind was working in overdrive. He constantly tracked the Ethereals' movements, calling out blind spots and tactical warnings to keep the cyborg gunslinger one step ahead of the horde.
The sudden flash of blue light and the materialization of three figures right at his flank made Wise flinch violently. His heart hammered against his ribs, momentarily convinced that a new, highly advanced breed of Ethereal had just ambushed him.
As the residual light faded, revealing the familiar faces from the chat group, Wise let out a long, heavy exhale. The tension bled from his shoulders. "You guys got here fast," he said, genuine surprise coloring his voice. "I figured interdimensional teleportation would take at least a few minutes of buffering."
He quickly gestured toward the ongoing firefight. "Everyone, please go help Billy thin out those Ethereals. We need to end this battle fast so we can extract. After all, staying inside a Hollow for too long without proper gear is basically a death sentence."
Lumine and Dan Heng exchanged a brief, professional nod. Now was not the time for casual introductions. With a flash of golden light, a pristine blade materialized in Lumine's grip. Beside her, Dan Heng summoned his polearm, Cloud-Piercer, the jade-colored tassel swaying as he spun the weapon into a ready stance. Together, they launched themselves into the fray.
"We're here to support Wise!" Lumine shouted over the deafening roar of gunfire, ensuring the trigger-happy cyborg wouldn't mistake them for new enemies.
While a stray bullet from Billy likely wouldn't do much more than annoy them, avoiding friendly fire was always the preferred tactical choice.
Meanwhile, Paimon zipped directly over to Wise, her tiny face scrunched up in deep concern. "Wise! How are you holding up? Are you hurt? Have you been corrupted by the Ether yet?!"
As she babbled her rapid-fire questions, her tiny hand reached into the void, subconsciously summoning a heavy, gleaming silver wrench. She gripped it tightly, her eyes scanning him up and down, looking entirely ready to administer some aggressive 'Optimization Power' at the slightest sign of infection.
Wise sweatdropped, raising both hands in a placating gesture as he eyed the disproportionately large tool. "Thank you, Paimon, but I'm perfectly fine for now. We had only just entered the Hollow a few minutes before you all arrived."
Paimon lowered the wrench, though she didn't dismiss it. "In that case, I'll treat you to a proper check-up after we get out of this creepy place! Oh, right! You should quickly let Belle know you're safe. She was practically crying in the chat!"
Wise's expression softened into a warm smile. He tapped his temple, accessing the chat interface.
"Zenless Zone Zero · Wise: Belle, I'm fine. I've already linked up with the support team. Little Paimon is floating right next to me, gripping a massive wrench and looking ready to give me a blunt-force 'optimization' at any moment."
It was a rare, uncharacteristic joke from the usually stoic brother, deliberately crafted to break through his sister's mounting panic.
Reading the message, Belle finally let out a shaky breath, her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel loosening just a fraction. Still, she didn't take her foot off the gas. The car continued tearing down the highway toward the Outer Ring. Until she saw Wise with her own two eyes, she wouldn't truly be at peace.
Back in the Hollow, the skirmish concluded with brutal efficiency. The horde consisted of merely a dozen low-level Ethereals. Billy could have easily cleared them out on his own given enough time, but the arrival of two seasoned multiversal combatants turned the fight into a one-sided slaughter.
Billy spun his custom revolvers, sliding them back into their holsters with a metallic clack. He stared at Lumine and Dan Heng, his mechanical optical sensors zooming in on their attire. Flowing garments, archaic armor plating, and glowing elemental accents—their outfits were wildly different from anything he had ever seen on the streets of New Eridu.
'As expected of the boss!'Billy cheered internally, thoroughly impressed.'His connections are insanely wide! We barely just fell into this Hollow, and elite backup is already here. And man, every single one of them is a total monster in a fight!'
His awe was entirely justified. Lumine and Dan Heng had carved through the Ethereal ranks with terrifying precision, dispatching the corrupted monsters with effortless, one-hit kills.
Seeing the area finally clear of hostiles, Wise stepped out from behind the vehicle, with Paimon floating faithfully at his shoulder.
"Is everyone alright?" Wise asked, his gaze sweeping over the trio.
"I'm peachy, boss!" Billy gave a jaunty thumbs-up. "Are these two the reinforcements you called in? They got here in record time, and their combat power is off the charts!"
The cyborg leaned in closer, his optical visors whirring as they focused on the tiny, floating girl. "Oh, right, boss, how are you holding up? And uh... what exactly is this little thing next to you?"
He rubbed his metallic chin thoughtfully. "Could it be some kind of ultra-rare, latest-model flying humanoid Bangboo?"
Wise waved off the concern. "I'm fine, the Ether hasn't gotten to me yet."
He then gestured to his newly arrived saviors. "And to answer your question, this is Paimon. She is definitely not a Bangboo. The two who just helped you wipe the floor with those Ethereals are Lumine and Dan Heng."
The moment Paimon processed the word 'Bangboo,' her little face puffed up like an angry blowfish. She crossed her arms, glaring daggers at the tall cyborg.
"Hey! Paimon is not some weird robot mascot!" she shrieked, stomping her foot in mid-air. "Hmph! Since you're being rude, Paimon is going to give you an ugly nickname too! From now on, I'm calling you... 'Dual-Gun Kid'!"
Realizing he had offended the boss's mysterious backup, Billy threw his hands up in immediate surrender. "Whoa, sorry, sorry, Paimon! My visual sensors must need recalibrating! Tell you what, when we get out of here, I'll buy you a full, limited-edition set of Starlight Knight merchandise as an apology. How does that sound?"
The promise of shiny new gifts instantly deflated Paimon's righteous fury. She rubbed the back of her head, suddenly looking a little sheepish.
"Well... okay. I forgive you," she mumbled, coughing into her fist to regain her dignity. "I won't call you by that nickname anymore." She pointedly did not refuse the merchandise. After all, free loot from an entirely different universe was a rare treasure!
Seeing the minor diplomatic crisis averted, Wise immediately pivoted back to business.
"Alright, moving on. We still need to plant three data stakes to map out the Hollow's shifting topography and calculate a safe extraction route. I'll have to trouble you all to watch my back while I set them up."
With a powerhouse escort team guarding his flanks, the rest of the operation was a walk in the park. The group moved swiftly through the distorted, fragmented geometry of the Hollow. Wise planted the data stakes with practiced efficiency, the localized network pinging back the necessary topographical data. They encountered virtually no resistance along the way.
Even when their luck finally ran out and they stumbled into the path of a towering, heavily mutated Feral Brute, the threat was neutralized before it could even roar.
Lumine reacted instantly, slamming her palm into the ground. A massive Geo construct erupted from the earth, pinning the hulking beast in place with crushing force. A split second later, Dan Heng hurled Cloud-Piercer like a bolt of jade lightning. The spear tore through the air, piercing the Ethereal's core with surgical precision and instantly disintegrating it into a cloud of harmless ash.
Billy stood frozen, his mechanical jaw practically unhinged. He had barely even drawn his guns. His reverence for Wise's mysterious, multiversal connections skyrocketed to entirely new heights.
Finally, the data stakes compiled a stable route, leading the group directly to a shimmering, distorted fissure in space—the Hollow exit. Just as they stepped forward, preparing to cross the threshold back into reality...
A deafening, guttural engine roar echoed through the cavernous space. Tires squealed against the fractured asphalt as two heavy-duty motorcycles tore through the dimensional tear. Caesar and Lighter, leading the charge for the Sons of Calydon, had just crashed the party.
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