The buzzing continued—Nineveh felt like she had a stomach full of grievances with no one to vent to. Damn it, if she had a choice, who'd want to fight this violent maniac...
She didn't even know why he had that strange aura that drew her in, piquing her curiosity. Sure, she'd made a move back at the beginning, but fighting? That was the last thing she wanted...
"Wait... you have sentience?"
Zane had been silently thinking when he suddenly caught on to something and looked at Nineveh in surprise. Being able to communicate and actually having sentience—those were two very different things.
His gaze turned deep. Normally, after fusion, the Ethereal's intellect would come from the human side. But in this case... something was off.
Tch. Maybe that researcher's experiment hadn't been a total failure after all...
"And you recognized me?"
Zane realized he'd never revealed his identity, nor had he transformed into his Ethereal form.
Granted, his mask had broken once during the fight due to shoddy material, but he'd put on a spare at the end. And even if he hadn't covered his face—Nineveh had never seen him in human form.
Yet she still recognized that the Ethereal and the human were one and the same.
As Zane spoke, Nineveh seemed to regain a little strength. Her upper body floated slowly into the air, her expression dazed.
The buzzing echoed in Zane's ears again.
"There's... a unique aura on me?"
Zane pondered her words carefully. Aside from Nineveh, this had never happened before.
The Dead End Butcher didn't exactly lunge in for a bear hug when they met.
Zane followed up with a string of questions.
When he finished, his face darkened.
Not a single useful answer.
"Judging by this... not even the IQ of a three-year-old. And her way of communicating... has some serious Panta vibes."
In short, Nineveh knew nothing beyond the tiniest details about him. It was less "communication" and more "confused Panta-style babbling."
Originally, Zane had wondered whether Nineveh's consciousness had been newly born or borrowed from the researcher.
Now he was sure—definitely the former.
So much for digging up more intel from her...
Zane gave her another glance, his eyes sharp.
"Tch. That mutation hasn't faded either. These stripes... those massive blades..."
It was clear her physical changes hadn't disappeared along with the researcher's consciousness, which didn't match his expectations.
Looking at her again, a new thought flickered in Zane's mind.
This one seemed to like him now. Maybe he could use that. She was an Ethereal with rudimentary sentience, after all...
Just as Zane was about to deploy some "silver-tongued charm" to "coax the girl," Nineveh suddenly started shifting again.
The buzzing intensified—but now, it had no meaning. It was as if her sentience had vanished, and she'd reverted to her original state.
Nineveh shot into the sky and fled without looking back.
Zane narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right. He quickly formed an Ether spear in his hand.
He raised it, Ether energy crackling, preparing to throw—then hesitated.
And lowered it.
The crystalline spear dissipated as he silently watched her fly away.
"Was it that presence deep in the Hollow again? Or something else entirely..."
The questions circled in his mind. But with a shake of his head, Zane looked around at the battlefield, now left in ruins. With Nineveh gone, there was nothing more to be done here.
"Whatever. Time to check in with Xin—maybe she's got something new for me."
He removed his mask. A shimmer of light flowed over him as liquid fire cloaked his form. Frost crept across the ground beneath his feet, and when the glow faded, traces of black and gold shimmered faintly.
To meet Xin, he couldn't show up as a human.
With a loud crack, the ground split beneath him, sending dust billowing skyward. By the time it cleared, Zane was already gone.
...
"No memorial. No mourning."
"Just take care of their families. Make sure the Staff Army martyrs receive proper honors. That's all."
Inside the pit carved by the Black Coffin, Xin was giving calm orders to her subordinates. She hadn't taken a single step away—after all, she had promised Zane she'd wait here.
"Let them rest here. When we take back the old capital, this ground will be their monument."
As her orders concluded, the officer saluted and moved to relay them. As he passed, another officer arrived, rushing up with a report.
"What's the situation?"
"Report: Twelve fighters. Three confirmed destroyed—no survivors. Two more have been located and are returning."
"The remaining seven... still missing."
The officer's face was grim. There was no doubt about the speed of the modified Jian 20, especially those tuned solely for mobility and power.
If they hadn't returned by now... chances were bleak.
"I understand."
Xin waved him off, her voice steady.
Her expression remained unchanged—this wasn't the first time she'd received news like this. Not by a long shot.
She wasn't numb yet, but she didn't drown in grief anymore, either.
She had to stay composed—for the sake of the fallen.
...
"You haven't pulled all your people out yet, have you?"
A low voice drifted in. It was Zane—in his Ethereal form.
"You're here."
Upon hearing him, Xin smiled faintly and turned to face him.
"I'm the Chief Operations Officer. They report to me. I make decisions. Surely the great Fire Picker is generous enough not to mind... right?"
She blinked innocently, her expression helpless—almost pitiful.
"If the Fire Picker does mind, well... there's nothing I can do."
Zane's deep blue eyes paused. This version of her—soft and yielding—was nothing like the sharp interrogator from before.
"Spare me the pleasantries. I don't care about that. Just give me more information."
As he spoke, Zane was already standing right beside her. An invisible pressure settled over her, and Xin's expression froze for a moment.
She was now inside his danger zone.
She tried to recover her composure, about to speak—but Zane cut her off.
"Hold it. Don't even think about negotiating. This time, you asked for the meeting. All you need to do is give me answers."
"As for anything else—depends on my mood."
"Believe me, even if you don't talk, I've got plenty of ways to make you."
His voice was cold and direct. After their last encounter, Zane didn't trust Xin one bit.
He needed to establish dominance early—take control of the conversation.
Unlike the researcher, Xin hadn't come here expecting to die. She had things she cared about. Leverage.
"You—"
Xin's face darkened. Her once radiant features and soft pink hair began to show hints of tension.