Sam Li, Moon Carver, and Cloud Retainer strode through the air together, heading toward the rapidly expanding void disaster.
The moment they stepped inside, Sam Li felt it—the Ether here was denser, wilder, and more suffocating than in any Hollow he had ever seen.
At the same time, as they looked ahead, they saw two titanic beings locked in brutal combat.
One was a towering, hundred-meter rock beast—Azhdaha.
The other was even larger, its bloated body covered in writhing tentacles, grotesque like some monstrous leviathan from the deep sea—an annihilation-class Ethereal.
For now, though Azhdaha had not fully regained his former strength, he fought without strain. Against an annihilation-class Ethereal, he pressed the assault with overwhelming force, hammering it relentlessly.
Yet the tentacle-laden "deep-sea monster" Ethereal was strange indeed. Its massive body flowed like liquid, soaking up Azhdaha's attacks. With its many appendages, it coiled around him, trying to bind the Bangboo King in place.
Seeing this, Moon Carver furrowed his brow.
"This creature seems to counter Azhdaha's blows. I'll lend him my strength!"
Without waiting for a reply, he was already striding through the air, heading straight for the battlefield.
Cloud Retainer gave a sharp, disdainful hum.
"After all these years, he remains just as reckless."
Xiao spoke with steady seriousness.
"Since Azhdaha has regained his memories, he should not strike at Moon Carver by mistake..."
Sam Li's gaze narrowed.
"Let us hope so."
Then, glancing around, Sam Li's eyes caught movement in the distance. On the town streets, he spotted many Bangboo.
Some lay injured on the ground.
Some wielded makeshift weapons, holding back ordinary Ethereal intruders.
Others raised banners high, shouting encouragement for the Bangboo King.
Sam Li's tone was calm.
"Xianyun, Xiao. Go save the Bangboo first."
Xiao answered at once. "Yes, Archon—"
Cloud Retainer nodded firmly. "Leave it to me, Archon. You may rest easy."
With their tasks assigned, Sam Li stepped further into the air, moving toward the battlefield where Azhdaha and the deep-sea monstrosity clashed.
...
Meanwhile, on the far side of the Outer Ring—more than ten kilometers from Bangboo Village—a heavily modified vehicle packed with equipment sat hidden in a mountain hollow.
Inside, Miss Sarah lounged comfortably in her chair, smiling as she watched the feed on her monitor.
"In this world, beyond the colossi of the Hollow, such beings exist as well... How interesting. Whether you are a rock-born creature or some aberration touched by Ether, you cannot escape the fate of becoming Ethereal."
This was Miss Sarah's plan.
To corrupt Azhdaha into an Ethereal, creating a new battlefield in the Outer Ring and throwing New Eridu's campaign against Hollow Zero into chaos.
Such a creature would not only hinder New Eridu but also advance the Exaltist Order's designs.
It was, to her, a perfect two-for-one.
However—Azhdaha's power had far exceeded her expectations.
She had assumed he was just a peculiar aberration twisted by Ether. She never imagined he could transform into a hundred-meter colossus of stone, capable of standing his ground against an annihilation-class Ethereal.
If she could succeed in corrupting him... his power would soar even higher. Perhaps he could become an apocalyptic-class Ethereal, a monstrosity that could shake all of New Eridu.
The thought curled her lips into another smile. Leisurely, she picked up her coffee and took a slow sip.
At that moment, her walkie-talkie crackled.
"Miss Sarah, something's wrong. Asman doesn't seem to be winning against that rock monster... Miss Sarah, what should we do?"
"Asman"—her subordinate's name for the bloated, tentacled leviathan now locked against Azhdaha.
She didn't need the reminder—the feed made it plain: the rock giant was driving Asman back blow after blow.
Still, she did not panic. She had prepared for this.
For this operation, she had requested not one, but two Ethereal reinforcements from the Creator. Both were annihilation-class terrors.
One was a defensive specialist—the "deep-sea monster" now fighting Azhdaha.
The other was a weapon of offense, waiting for her signal.
At her word, her people would open a rift to Hollow Zero itself and summon the second annihilation-class Ethereal into the field.
Sarah's smile deepened as she watched the struggle on her monitor.
"Not yet. Let him tire himself out first... then we'll bring in the other annihilation-class reinforcement."
With that, she lifted her cup again, sipping her coffee unhurriedly as she waited for the perfect moment.
...
While Miss Sarah monitored the chaos from afar, another scene was unfolding.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi finally arrived at the outskirts of Bangboo Village. The Hollow was still swelling outward, its edges devouring everything, and Zhu Yuan's face paled with helplessness.
Qingyi, however, swept her gaze across the desolate surroundings until she spotted Mountain Shaper waiting nearby.
"Adeptus, what's the situation here?"
Mountain Shaper's reply was calm.
"Mr. Sam Li and the others have already entered the Hollow. Let us follow and see for ourselves."
Zhu Yuan froze.
"Just... walk straight in?"
All the readings marked this as an SS-class Hollow disaster—the highest rank. And now, at full eruption, its interior could only be nightmarish.
Mountain Shaper, seeing her unease, smiled faintly.
"Do not worry, young friends. Follow this immortal inside. I shall keep you safe."
With that, he strode directly toward the Hollow.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi exchanged a glance before hurrying after him.
"Thank you, Adeptus Mountain Shaper—"
At once, darkness engulfed them as they stepped across the threshold.
The Hollow's environment shifted violently the moment they entered. Ether saturation, pressure, and corruption struck them like a suffocating wave.
Zhu Yuan gasped for breath, but with the Adeptus' protective power surrounding them, she gradually adapted.
When she finally raised her eyes, she froze.
In the distance, a battle shook the Hollow itself.
A hundred-meter-tall rock colossus—Azhdaha—was locked in combat with an even greater abomination: a world-ending-class Ethereal.