The members of the Cunning Hares had been blasted down from the twentieth floor.
Given that each floor is about three meters high, the fall came from a height of sixty meters.
In the blink of an eye, Su Chen was already nearing the ground, holding Nicole in his arms.
"Let go of me, now!"
Nicole suddenly shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
It wasn't because she was throwing a tantrum, nor was it out of sudden shyness—she wasn't the coy or dramatic type.
Su Chen's embrace was warm and secure, but in this situation, it was no longer safe to be held like this.
They were falling from a height of sixty meters, and the acceleration due to gravity had built up to a terrifying level.
Landing safely would be difficult enough for one person.
Let alone Su Chen, who had to bear the weight and force of two.
Perhaps she, cradled in Su Chen's arms, would come out unscathed, but Su Chen would definitely be injured.
If they separated mid-air and landed independently, both might only suffer minor injuries.
That's why Nicole shouted again, even more anxiously, "Let go of me, Su Chen!"
She only yelled—she didn't flail or struggle, knowing that any reckless movement could endanger them both.
"What kind of nonsense is that? You're the last person I should let go of right now!"
Su Chen didn't listen. Instead, he held her even tighter.
He wasn't afraid of a sixty-meter drop or the combined impact. Holding Nicole and landing together was actually the optimal way to ensure neither of them got hurt.
And on the other hand...
With their chests pressed together, the soft, bouncy sensation was quite the perk—and one he wasn't eager to give up.
"Sigh~"
Nicole let out a long sigh.
Though her heart was touched by Su Chen's resolve, this was still far too dangerous!
She focused her mind, watching the ground draw closer.
"Dodge!"
Just as they were about to make intimate contact with the ground—
Su Chen rolled forward with Nicole in his arms, dispersing all the force with a swift tumble, landing with flair.
[Concept Skill: Dodge – During the roll, Yàn Shuāngyīng cannot be locked onto and enters an invincibility state.]
"Eh!?"
Nicole was stunned.
Other than a slight dizziness, she felt... nothing.
That roll had absorbed the impact way too well.
"Stop doubting my decisions. I don't want you to get slapped in the face again."
Su Chen said with a grin.
"Got it."
Nicole pouted slightly, a little sulky.
Seriously, it had only been one day, and Su Chen had already slapped her in the face with reality three times—each time immediately.
Where was she supposed to put her pride as the team leader?
Still, having such a reliable teammate didn't feel too bad.
That said... could this reliable teammate please let go of her now?
"Su Chen, we've landed safely. Can you let go of me now?"
Nicole's cheeks were flushed as she spoke in a low voice.
She hadn't minded during the fall, but now on the ground... she really couldn't take it.
The masculine scent radiating from Su Chen, combined with her not-so-serious injuries, made her limbs feel weak.
Especially the pressure on her chest—it was making her body tingle all over.
"Sure thing, Boss Nicole."
Su Chen released his hold without protest.
Nicole resisted the strange sense of loss creeping up on her and began surveying the surroundings.
"From the looks of it, we're on the outskirts of the Cretan Hollow. If that's the case, Anby and Billy have most likely fallen into the Hollow itself."
"And without a Proxy to help them, there's almost no way they'll find an exit after falling in accidentally." Nicole's expression grew tense.
"Even if they have Ether Aptitude, staying too long inside a Hollow puts them at risk of Ether corruption. Not to mention, they'll also have to face the threat of Ethereal."
"That's a serious crisis."
Su Chen sighed with some concern.
This world was just that dangerous. A single moment of carelessness could leave someone lost in a Hollow.
Inside, the space was wildly unstable. Spatial anomalies could occur at any time, making it impossible to retrace one's steps.
In times like these, only the assistance of a Proxy wielding a Carrot could lead people out of a Hollow.
They were heading now to find Phaethon, one of the best in the Proxy world—one of the rare legendary ones.
Which meant he should get on Belle's good side. That way, when he ended up trapped in a Hollow, he'd have someone to save him too.
"Su Chen, let's go find a Proxy and get them out!"
Nicole took a deep breath. It looked like she'd be asking Phaethon for help again.
She had hoped to repay a bit of her debt, but now it looked like she'd owe even more.
As she spoke, Nicole started leading the way.
But after taking a hit from a falling rock midair, her steps weren't very steady.
"Better let me carry you."
Su Chen lifted Nicole onto his back. "That'll get us there faster."
"Alright."
Given the situation, Nicole didn't refuse.
After what just happened in midair, a little physical contact didn't seem like a big deal anymore.
Nicole lay on Su Chen's back, guiding him toward their destination.
…
Sixth Street. Inside a video store named RandomPlay.
A news broadcast from Fourteenth Street was playing on the TV.
["Let's return to the scene at Fourteenth Street. Shortly after the accompanying Hollow appeared, the upper floors of a nearby residential building exploded. The cause: an operation to strike down the violent Red Fang Gang. In this operation, the Public Security Bureau and justice-minded citizens responded with swift force, deploying aerial police units for the bombing."]
This was the base of operations for the legendary Proxy, Phaethon. The video store was merely a front.
That's right—legendary Proxy Phaethon was two people. Just like how the Four Heavenly Kings are sometimes five, it wasn't strange for a legendary Proxy to be a duo.
At this moment, Nicole and Su Chen's sudden entrance caused some headaches for Belle and Wise, who were watching the news.
Nine times out of ten, it meant their old friend Nicole had run into trouble again.
And bringing a new face with her? That only spelled bigger trouble.
Still... this guy's pretty good-looking.
Belle gave Su Chen a once-over, silently noting her impression.
"Nicole, what's with the sudden rush? And who's this?" Wise asked, clearly wary of Su Chen.
Their status as legendary Proxies wasn't something to be revealed to strangers lightly.
Especially not this kind of handsome stranger, who looked like he'd charm the socks off any girl in the room.
Guys like this made it hard for him to feel safe as an older brother. Seeing Belle looking a bit dazed only made Wise more uneasy.
"This is my new recruit. Very reliable!"
Nicole pulled Su Chen forward and introduced him earnestly.
"Didn't think the Cunning Hares could even afford a new hire. Are you paying him?"
Belle asked curiously.
"Not at all." Su Chen extended his right hand toward Belle. "Nice to meet you, I'm Su Chen."
"Nice to meet you too, I'm Belle. And this is my brother, Wise."
Belle shook Su Chen's hand and introduced Wise.
It was only their first meeting, but Belle's impression of Su Chen wasn't bad.
After all, a good-looking guy willing to work for the Cunning Hares for free—how bad could he really be?
After a quick round of introductions, they got down to business.
"You saw the explosion on the news, right? We were the ones involved!"
"Billy, Anby, and my target client all fell into that Hollow!"
"I need a Proxy's help urgently—this is the request of a lifetime!"
Nicole bowed deeply as she spoke.
Whenever things got desperate, the legendary Proxy Phaethon was her strongest and most dependable ally.
"That phrase sounds so familiar. Feels like I hear it at least three times a month. Nicole's 'request of a lifetime'~"
Belle stroked her chin with a teasing grin.
"Make fun of me later. Right now, help me get them out of there!"
Nicole insisted.
"Alright, give us the full rundown."
"We stole the target item from the Red Fang Gang, only to get surrounded. I tried to use the Public Security Bureau's helicopter to negotiate with them—but I got screwed over by that furious reporter from the New Eridu News Channel!"
Nicole's voice was full of frustration.
Just thinking of that bossy journalist and the Hoot-4 helicopter obeying her commands made her grit her teeth.
"So that's what the Public Security and justice folks 'cracking down on the Red Fang Gang' was all about."
Belle's face lit up in sudden realization.
She had assumed some official collaboration was involved—but turns out, a journalist had issued the attack order.
A clear case of command failure, spun into a feel-good news piece. Journalism really could be a menace.
"Bring my people and my client's item back from that Hollow, safe and sound. This is a textbook Proxy job. You guys gonna pass on it, Phaethon?"
"Complete this job, and I'll settle every bit of my previous debt."
Nicole crossed her arms and painted a very big picture.
"Sounds tempting. Alright—we'll take the job."
The siblings sighed but accepted the request.
Sure, given the Cunning Hares' financial state, it was unlikely Nicole could clear all her debts.
But they were old friends. Watching an old friend suffer and doing nothing? That just wasn't them.
Besides, if Billy and Anby were trapped inside the Hollow, recovering the debts from them would be even harder.
"Still gotta calibrate the HDD. You two take a break for now. Later, we'll need you to transport Eous to the edge of the Hollow."
Wise turned to Nicole and Su Chen.
"Oh, deploying your Bangboo unit? No problem!"
Nicole agreed without hesitation and pulled Su Chen onto the nearby couch to wait.