Hollow Zero—within New Eridu, it's the oldest and most dangerous Hollow. Its very existence is an unknown.
The destruction of Old Eridu was primarily due to the expansion of Hollow Zero. Even now, New Eridu's exploration and understanding of it is less than thirty percent.
Even Zhong Yan had to admit—he might not be able to solo clear Hollow Zero. The powerful Ethereals inside far outclass any criminal organization like the Mountain Lion Gang.
Because of this, for this Hollow Zero investigation, he had to be fully prepared. Before departure, Zhong Yan summoned a Shadow Clone, keeping it on standby in Kamui space at all times.
Only then did he set off for Sixth Street to rendezvous with the Phaethon siblings.
After a little over an hour, he arrived at the video store located in Sixth Street and found Belle and Wise, who were also getting ready to depart.
Apparently knowing they'd have no time to manage the store today, they didn't open for business. The front door was tightly locked, so Zhong Yan entered through the back door by the garage.
"We were just about to drive over and pick you up—who knew you'd get here so fast." Seeing Zhong Yan arrive, Belle stopped fiddling with her car keys and stepped up with a cheerful smile.
Watching his sister, who had just been seriously discussing business moments ago, now eagerly cozying up to Zhong Yan, Wise could only helplessly rub his forehead.
He didn't mind Belle dating Zhong Yan. But come on—at least show some respect for your big brother.
If she's like this now, what's it going to be like after she marries out? Not even a visit every ten years?
Girls really are useless once they grow up...
While Wise gradually faded into irrelevance, Zhong Yan naturally placed his hand on Belle's head and said, "You guys needed time to get ready anyway, so I figured I'd just swing by. Saves a trip."
"It's not like it's my first time driving to your place. I've memorized the route from my house to yours. A few more trips won't kill me. Just listen to your big sister—next time, let me pick you up."
Belle moved Zhong Yan's hand off her head in an effort to maintain her "older sister" image, but the glaring height difference between them still shattered any illusion she was trying to preserve.
Still, in terms of age, Belle was a few years older than Zhong Yan.
Of course, that was only her apparent age. Zhong Yan's real age was probably around twenty—still younger than Belle.
For the record, Anby was also older than him. Only Ellen was slightly younger, having just turned eighteen.
"Let's save the catching up for later. We've got important work ahead," Wise said, pulling them both back to reality. "Belle, explain our operation plan to Zhong Yan."
Belle nodded and patiently began her explanation. "According to Fairy, in order to track and control Hollow Zero's development, New Eridu regularly assembles capable individuals for exploration, suppression, and research missions."
"Generally, Proxies and Hollow Raiders aren't favored by the authorities. But for Hollow Zero investigations, you don't need a license from the Hollow Investigative Association. So even we can legally take part in the exploration—and the rewards are pretty generous."
"By the way, my brother and I have our own reasons for investigating Hollow Zero. You know, our old home—Old Eridu—was swallowed by it. Saying we're doing this out of nostalgia wouldn't be wrong."
Belle explained their personal motivation, though she carefully avoided the core reason. Clearly, there were things she wasn't ready to tell Zhong Yan.
Zhong Yan didn't mind. After all, he hadn't told Belle he was the Uchiha either.
Everyone has their secrets. Knowing too much only complicates things.
Sometimes, playing dumb can be to your advantage.
"So, I'm the only agent you brought along for this? You really trust me that much?" Zhong Yan said, half-jokingly, after hearing Belle's rundown.
In the game, players could bring up to six agents to explore Hollow Zero, with three active on-screen at a time.
Clearing Hollow Zero solo wasn't impossible—but it required serious agent investment and skilled gameplay.
Normally, Zhong Yan could handle standard Ethereals and low-tier Named ones just fine. But if something like the Death End Butcher showed up—he'd be in real trouble.
In Hollow Zero, giant-class Ethereals weren't exactly everywhere, but they were far more common than in other Hollows. There were even super-giant Ethereals, like Nineveh, whose strength dwarfed regular giants.
Zhong Yan had never fought one personally, but based on his calculations, even the Uchiha would need to pull out some serious firepower to take down a super-giant Ethereal.
Which was exactly why he had his Shadow Clone on standby.
In fact, if he wanted to explore Hollow Zero, he had to be prepared to expose his identity at any moment.
"I did think about other agents—like Nicole and the rest—but the Cunning Hares have taken so many commissions lately, they're booked for the next three months. They've even stopped taking new ones. No time to babysit us," Belle said with a touch of frustration.
"As for the others, we've worked with some before, but none of them really earned our trust. And this is too important. When we thought it through, you were the only one who completely fit our criteria."
"Don't worry. We've explored Hollow Zero before. It's not as scary as people make it sound. As long as we don't go too deep into the uncharted areas, we'll be fine. And with Fairy around, even if we can't win—we can escape."
Seeing the thoughtful expression on Zhong Yan's face, Belle assumed he was worried and quickly tried to reassure him.
Little did she know—Zhong Yan wasn't worried about Hollow Zero's dangers at all.
He was wondering whether he should have his Shadow Clone stir up some chaos inside.
Like, say... taking down a couple of super-giant Ethereals right in front of those government officials.
After all, with the timeline starting to align with the game's main storyline, a lot of events could be anticipated based on in-game plot.
For example, this Hollow Zero investigation very likely corresponded to the Hollow Special Operations Section 6 arc.
And with them... came the super-giant Ethereal inside Hollow Zero—Nineveh