Random Play - Wise's Room
July 5th, 7:45am

Wise: We don't offer discounts on our commission fees.

Billy: Wow, Manager. You know Nicole like the back of your hand.

Nicole: Wait, listen to what I have to say first! I won't mess with the official price. Just open an alternate account on Inter-Knot and give me a discounted price like before...

The Player was still sleeping on the couch while the conversation was going on, but as it continued, he opened his eyes and laid still for a moment.

Anby: Proxy, please give us a discount or Nicole won't let me eat. Cry as you say this.

Nicole: Don't read what's in the brackets!

The Player immediately recognized the voices... He got up from the couch and stretched his arms out. He was wearing a clean undershirt and black shorts, provided by Wise, for night clothes.

He looked over and saw Wise sitting at the PC desk with a deadpan look on his face. He was holding his phone up with one hand and resting his cheek against the other, he was discussing business with the Cunning Hares and had them on speaker.

The Player knew that look well and he just got here. He waved and Wise nodded his head up, his expression unchanged because of Nicole's nonsense.

Nicole: Anyways, we really need the discount. It's just a liiittle money. It's nothing to you, Phaethon, right?

Wise closed his eyes and heavily sighed. Despite showing a clear disregard for Nicole's gaslighting, there was something in him that couldn't turn her away... Perhaps it was for Billy and Anby's sake, knowing they were good people under poor management.

"Urgh, fine," Wise reluctantly agreed.

Nicole: Woo! Thanks, Phae-!

Click! Wise hung up and put his phone on the desk.

"She's quite the character, huh?" The Player said.

"She's something," Wise pinched the bridge of his nose, disappointed with himself for making poor business decisions.

"Try not to let it bother you too much. I'm sure Nicole will do the right thing when the time comes."

"Then you don't know Nicole," Wise let out an exasperated huff, what's done is done. "Beyond all that, though, how'd you sleep?"

"I slept great. This couch is really comfy."

"Perfect. I guess Belle and I have a knack for picking out the best couches. We often fall asleep on the couch in the staff room when doing Proxy work."

"Oh yeah? I'll be sure to hit you guys up for interior decorating when I get my own place."

"We'll be there," Wise smiled

"And I won't stiff you guys on the bill either," the Player made a playful jab at Nicole.

"That's actually reassuring to know," Wise chuckled before grabbing his phone and standing up. "I always said Belle and I are too nice."

"Without that kindness, I wouldn't have a place to stay. Don't change on me now."

"Don't worry, we won't. By the way, Belle finished washing your clothes. You should be good to go for the day. They're on the drawer by the door."

The Player looked ahead and saw his clothes neatly folded beside a pair of white shoes. "Great. I'll be sure to thank her when I see her. Is she around?"

"She's downstairs and getting ready to open up the store."

"Gotcha. I'll get dressed and be down to help with whatever you guys may need."

"Take your time. You remember where your toothbrush and washcloth is, right?"

"Yeah. I left it in the bathroom after getting cleaned up last night."

"Perfect. Just come down when you're ready."

Wise walked out of the room and went downstairs to help Belle open the store, leaving the Player to his business in the bathroom so he could get cleaned and dressed.


Random Play - Lobby
8:02am

Downstairs, Wise was counting the money at the register with Bangboo 18 to make sure there was a good balance in the drawer.

Meanwhile, Belle was cycling through tapes to find three good picks for the weekly trending genres: Action, Comedy, and Thriller. When she found what she felt was good, she put them on display in the front window.

The Player came downstairs not long after.

"There he is," Belle said while retrieving the previous three trending tapes from their display stands. "Good morning."

"Morning, Belle. How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. Thanks for asking."

"You couldn't tell?" Wise asked, giving the Player a side glance before focusing on the money. "With all the snoring she was doing, you could tell it was a good sleep."

Belle briefly froze before turning an embarrassed glare at Wise.

"Belle snores?" The Player asked, looking amused.

"I don't," Belle assured as she took the old movies back to their labeled shelf.

When the Player looked over at Wise, he saw that Wise was pursing his lips in a heavy case of doubt. It was as if Wise was saying,"I don't know about that one, sis,"which made the Player laugh.

"Is there anything I can help with?" The Player asked.

"Not at the moment," Wise said as he finished counting the money and organizing the register's drawer. Once that was done, Bangboo 18 re-inserted the drawer back in the base.

"Are you hungry" Belle asked the Player before pointing over to the dumpling steamer basket by the radio on the counter. "Help yourself to some dumplings. They're still fresh."

"Oh. I could definitely go for a bite... Thank you," the Player went to the steamer and removed the lid to find 8 steamy dumplings waiting for him. He could feel his mouth nearly watering at the sight. He grabbed a fresh pair of chopsticks and grabbed one.

"By the way," Wise said to Belle, "I spoke with Nicole."

"Have you now? What did she say?"

"She was asking for a discount."

"Of course she was," Belle rolled her eyes so hard they nearly went back into her head.

"She was pretty desperate. More than usual. She even tried getting Anby to play an act like they didn't have food."

The Player took a moment to swallow the food in his mouth and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I might have only known Nicole for a little while, but considering how she's moving, it wouldn't be hard to believe that there's some truth in their destitution."

"I just can't with them," Belle sighed. "Every time a regular asks for a discount, we have to open an alternate account to bill them, but Wise is used to it by now. Which is why we're making a new account. Isn't that right?" That was more of a rhetorical question since she already knew what Wise decided on.

Wise snickered and inclined his shoulders after crossing his arms.

"Pfft... Well, we deleted the last alternate account after we were done with it. You can use my info to create a new account again!" Belle offered.

"Okay. I'll get that up and running now," Wise took out his phone to make the account. A few thumb swipes and taps in, he looked up to Belle. "What should we call it this time around?"

"Mmmmm... Let's go with Heliades."

"Done," Wise announced while checking the Inter-Knot forum.

"The account's already setup?" Belle was genuinely surprised. "You're so fast, Wise."

"It's nothing. By the way, Player. You're going to need an account too."

"I do?" The Player was in the middle of dumping his dumpling into the dipping sauce.

"Yeah. I made an account for you already, so you don't have to go through the hassle of making a new email account or anything," Wise reached into his pocket pulled out another phone. "Here," he held out the phone.

"What's this?" The Player took the phone and examined it closely. 'Wait... Is this a Nokia E75?'

"My old phone," Wise answered. "Since you're new around here, it's important that we stay in contact. We don't want you getting lost, right? My new number is already registered in there, and Belle's should too."

The Player examined the phone and turned it horizontally to check the side-sliding keyboard. He put the phone back into its candy bar-style and checked the content.

Belle went over to the Player's side to help him get started. "Go to the Inter-Knot icon," she pointed on the screen.

The Player pressed the directional keys until finding the double globe icon Belle pointed out. Once he hit enter, he automatically signed into the account, revealing his username: Hyperion.

"This is where Wise and I handle Proxy work. Inter-Knot posts often contain all kinds of information, so if you have questions you'll more than likely find them here."

"I see," the Player went down the list of posts until he noticed a thread with blue text.


Foodiesoul
[Commission: Logistics accident! In URGENT need of a Proxy!

Something happened to my delivery. Pegasos Logistics' tracking shows their truck crashed into the Companion Hollow on Fourteenth Street and hasn't been seen since. Can a Proxy help me find out what happened to that delivery truck? I don't even care about the ingredients anymore. I just hope the driver is okay!

"The Hollow on Fourteenth Street... Isn't that the same one you guys saved us from?"

"Yep. And it looks like something big went down," Belle continued reading, going down to see the replies.

[OP]Foodiesoul
It's been half an hour. No one's interested? The pay's pretty good!

CarrotTalent
Even if your average Proxy wanted to take it, they'd still need time to make a Carrot. And those big names probably got bigger fish to fry.

[OP]Foodiesoul
You're a Proxy too, right? CarrotTalent Why don't you accept it?

CarrotTalent
I had an accident on my last gig... Broken bones.

Heliades
I'll take the commission!


The Player squinted at the last name to reply to make sure he was seeing right. "Heliades... Isn't that your new account?"

"Yep," Wise confirmed. "I just accepted the commission."

"Meaning we're about to get a nice little payday," Belle said with a smile before focusing on the forum again. "Hey, Wise. Based on this ID and the content of the request, could it have been posted by General Chop?"

"More than likely. He must've finally made an account."

"General Chop?" The Player looked at Belle, curious.

"The best cook on Sixth Street," Belle answered with a smirk before looking back at the Player's phone to see the commission. "Wise, since you used the new account to accept the commission, from General Chop's perspective, the one taking the request is a new Proxy called Heliades. He's probably not feeling very assured."

"Oh yeah. I guess I should've jumped back over to Phaethon, huh?"

"No worries. I'll go see General Chop and explain the situation," Belle offered. "And guess who's tagging along?" She playfully leaned in toward the Player to get his attention.

"Hmph?" The Player eased his head back with a full mouth.

"You're coming with me," she said, straightening her posture. "You'll need a tour around Sixth Street and get acquainted the neighbors. You'll be here for a while, so it'll be good to get familiar with the area."

"That's actually a really good idea," Wise concurred.

The Player finished chewing and swallowed the food. "Mmmnf. Sounds good to me. When were you thinking of heading out?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Then we can go now. I've had my fill," the Player put the lid back on the steamer and turned to Belle.

"Great! Let's hit the town!"

Belle grabbed her jacket from the bench by the front desk and the Player walked to the front door ahead of Belle.

"Since you two are going for a walk, would you mind stopping by Box Galaxy to check in with Susie?" Wise asked, getting the pair's attention. "I meant to tell you earlier, Belle, but she reached out to us, saying she has something to ask of us."

"Susie? Got it. No problem, bro!" She faced the Player and pointed to the door with her thumb. "Let's hit it."

The Player went first, opening the door and holding it for Belle. "After you."

"But aren't you the one who went first?" She teased with a passing chuckle.

"Wha- Nah... I was just-"

"Going first?"

The Player knew she was yanking his chain and followed her out the store with a muted smile.


Sixth Street
8:15am

When the duo got outside, the Player was met with warm glow of the morning sun. He put his hand over his eyes to get a look of his surroundings - Sixth Street was a cozy district with narrow streets and alleyways.

There were numerous small businesses throughout the neighborhood and the sound of morning traffic and passerby chatter filled the air.

"Before we go, I want to make a quick stop at the newsstand for a scratchcard," Belle said.

"Okay. Let's go."

Belle took lead this time, guiding the Player to the newsstand across the street. "I wonder how my luck will be today," she was blooming with anticipation as they approached the stand.

"You often win?"

"Nothing serious. Just a few Dennies here and there, but something is better than nothing, right? It may just be a freebie for an annual newspaper subscription, but there's always a chance of winning something good."

"I hear that. Maybe I should get in on that too."

"Yeah! You should definitely subscribe. You'll get daily scratchcards."

"I'll need money for it, right?"

"Nope. It's free! All you need to do is sign up for it online and you'll be good to go. I'll help you get started once we get back."

"Great."

Once the Player and Belle got to the stand, they were greeted by peculiar husky wearing a haori.

"Morning, Howl!" Belle greeted the dog with a gentle pet.

"Aaaw... He's cute," the Player smiled as Belle showered Howl with baby talk praise. "Is this the owners pet?"

"Howl doesn't have an owner. He runs the newsstand all by himself."

Belle's comment made the Player question his sanity. Perhaps this was one of the side effects of being trapped in the Hollow for so long? The longer he thought about it, the more he disbelieved it.

That is, until...

"Glad to see you're doing okay, boy," Belle continued the conversation with Howl. "I'm here to pick up the usual."

Howl retreated into the stall and came back with a scratchcard for Belle.

"Thanks!" She took the card and scratched the covering off.

Belle showed Howl what was underneath: a picture of three bowls of dog food. Howl went back into the stall and came back with a small pouch that he put on the counter.

Belle exchanged the card for the pouch and dangled her prize in front of the Player.

The Player witnessed the transaction from start to finish and couldn't wrap his head around what he just witnessed. Howl was literally running a business... The dog was running a business and no one was batting an eye.

"5,888 Dennies. Nice!" Belle cheered. "I'm on a hot streak today! Guess I get to show off to Wise later. But let's get down to business first."

The Player fluttered his eyes in disbelief as Howl moved onto the next customer in line.

"First, let's head to the noodle shop to see General Chop about the commission," Belle continued. She put the pouch in her pocket, looking at the Player as he remained fixed on having a star off with Howl. "Then we can go to the gadget store to find Susie."

The Player was still focused on Howl. When Howl finished with the customer, he noticed the Player's gaze and returned it with an adorable smile.

"Are you even listening?" Belle gave him a dull glance.

"...The... The dog is running a business."

"What's with the hyperfixation on that?"

"...Belle... The dog is-"

"Come on," she grabbed him by the arm and pulled the Player along.

The Player's eyes remained fixed on Howl as they departed. But a few steps later, he turned around and refocused. He would worry about the canine-led business later. For now, he had to finish the tour with Belle.

After a short walk down the street, Belle and the Player arrived at Waterfall Soup, a yatai food stand that specialized in ramen.

"Morning, General Chop!" Belle waved at the man behind the counter.

General Chop was a peculiar man. He was short and had red skin, thick eyebrows, and a long mustache. But the most intriguing thing about him was the mechanical arms he wore as a backpack.

From Howl to General Chop, the Player couldn't help his wondering eyes.

"Argh, how annoying!" General Chop ranted with his arms crossed and a noticeable scowl, causing the Player to flinch.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to stare," the Player corrected himself immediately.

"Huh?" General looked up and noticed the Player and Belle. "You talking to me, kid?"

"He wasn't talking about you," Belle whispered to the Player.

"That's a relief," the Player whispered back.

"Still, be mindful of your eyes," she nudged him with her elbow.

"Right. My bad."

"Belle! How are ya?" General Chop greeted her warmly.

"Hi, General Chop. I'm good."

"How's business?"

"It's been good! We've had a pretty busy week."

The Player once again found himself staring at General Chop's mechanical arms as they towered over him.

"Who's this you brought with you?" General Chop asked, noticing the Player's gaze.

Belle gently popped the back of the Player's head when she noticed his piercing eyes. "This is the Player. Sorry, he's new in town and I was giving him the tour."

"Ah, a new face on Sixth Street, huh? Well, it's a pleasure to meetcha!"

One of the mechanical arms extended itself out to the Player with its hand held out.

The Player flinched from the sudden outreach, but was met with General Chop's hearty grin to show that this was friendly exchange.

"Nice to meet you," the Player, almost hesitantly, extended his hand and gave the mechanical arm a good shake. "Wow. That's pretty cool. Nice arms, Mr. Chop. O-Of course I mean the mechanical arms. Not your actual arms. Not that there's anything wrong with your actual arms. I was just... Uh..."

The Player overcorrecting himself earned him a good laugh from General Chop.

"It's alright, I get what you mean. And, please, General Chop is fine. No need for formalities if you're a new resident."

It was good to know General Chop was so friendly. The Player wanted to ask more about his mechanical arms, but it probably wasn't the best time, nor within his right after just meeting him.

"You got it, General Chop," the Player corrected his previous comment with a smile.

"That's better!" He grinned with his arms crossed as his eyes paced between the two to get a read on them. "You two on a date? Unfortunately, I can't take your order right now."

"Date?" Belle questioned with a chuckle. "No, it's nothing like that. Just a plain old tour. How about yourself? How's business?"

"It's been a bit shaky because of this Pegasos Logistics problem! The ingredients I ordered haven't arrived yet. I just ran a track and trace order. Apparently, they somehow sent everything into a Hollow!"

"Ouch," the Player inhaled through his teeth.

Belle crossed one arm over to support the other so she could pinch her chin. "Is it because of a Hollow disaster?"

"It must be," General Chop sighed. "The ingredients are no big deal, and I've already bought replacements elsewhere. It's just... I hope nothing happened to that poor courier. I don't even know his name, but he's my regular guy and I feel responsible for him."

Belle and the Player gave each other a knowing look and smiled.

"I've already posted a request on Inter-Knot to find the truck," General Chop continued. "A proxy named Heliades accepted the job offer earlier, the account is new though so I'm not sure if it's reliable or not."

"Actually, we're the ones who accepted," Belle revealed with a confident smirk.

General Chop gave Belle a curious eyebrow raise. "Huh, you're the one who accepted the job? Heliades is you?"

"The one and only."

"With a side of Wise," the Player playfully added.

"Don't ruin this for me," Belle gave him the side eye.

"Oooh, I see, "General Chop snickered. "You created a new account to make certain things easier."

"Something like that," Belle's expression flattened a little, thinking of Nicole.

"I got so flustered earlier. I should've just come directly to your store for help. I shouldn't have wasted time on Inter-Knot. But since you've taken the job, I'm somewhat relieved!"

"Somewhat?" Belle questioned under her breath with a nearly deflated smile.

"Well then, I'll leave the whereabouts of the truck to you. However, until I'm sure the driver is safe, the noodle shop won't be opening... I can't cook while I'm worried like this!"

"Not to worry. We'll solve this problem for you. You have my word," Belle declared, flexing her non-muscular bicep and gripping it with her free hand as a sign of confidence.

"I have nothing but faith in you!" General Chop grinned. "And hey, it good to meet you, kid. Stop by once they're done with the commission and I'll whip you up a bowl of my famous vegetable noodles as a Sixth Street welcoming gift!"

"Really? Thank you, General Chop. That sounds fantastic," the Player was genuinely pleased with the offer.

"His noodles are the best. You'll love it," Belle assured.

"You gonna treat me to a bowl one of these days, miss hot streak?"

Belle put all her weight on one leg, giving the Player a playfully flat look to his teasing smirk. Rather than humoring him with a response, Belle walked off without a word, having the Player powerwalk after her.

Once he caught up, the pair engaged in friendly conversation while making their way down Sixth Street.

As they passed Coff Café, something caught the Player's eye. He stopped once he noticed a familiar face across the street. "Hey... Isn't that Anby?" He pointed her out as she was browsing goods.

"Oh yeah. That is Anby. I wonder what she's doing out here this early in the morning."

"Should we say hi?"

"Sure. Why not?"

As the Player and Belle crossed the street, Anby looked over her shoulder as though she sensed their presence. "Oh. Player, Proxy. Hello," she greeted them with her trademark monotone voice.

"Morning, Anby," the Player waved.

"Hey, Anby," Belle smiled. "What are you up to?"

"Nicole asked me to buy some supplies for the next commission."

Buying supplies before paying their bill...How very on brand. So much so that Belle immediately deflated and looked unamused.

The Player noticed Belle's drop in mood and stepped up to salvage the conversation. "What did you buy?" He asked in hopes it was minor goods.

Anby opened the plastic bag she was carrying to check what she got. "A gallon of Bomb Cola, a UFO potato chips fun pack and some Ol' Captain Jerky, a supersize bottle of Nitro-Fuel, and some Rocket Popping candy..."

The Player was uncertain of the validity of the list... Commissions were big in New Eridu, right? It involved dangerous missions inside perilous labyrinths that could turn you into a monster, assuming you haven't been torn to shreds by them already.

"Um... Did you get the right shopping list?" He asked with a uncertain chuckle.

"Hmm?" Anby looked at him the moment of his question and checked the list. "But this shopping list is the one Nicole gave me. Celebrative snacks for a successful commission are Cunning Hares tradition."

Belle squinted her eyes and groaned low, much to the Player's concern.

"Nicole says, 'Following me is the best strategy! You guys just start planning the after-party!' I trust her."

Belle's intolerable groaning got louder...

"O-kay! Well, we won't disturb you," the Player intervened before Belle could find the words to express her vexation. "It was good seeing you, Anby. C'mon, Belle. Let's go."

"Mmmmmm," Belle adorably growled like a vicious puppy.

"Come on," the Player grabbed her arm and guided her along, mirroring how she did him earlier with Howl.

Anby watched them off with a confused look.

Back on track, the Player and Belle made their way around the corner and approached Box Galaxy. When they arrived, a girl wearing headphones and a Bangboo apron was standing outside.

"This is the place," Belle said.

"A toy store?" The Player asked himself.

The aforementioned girl was in the middle of stretching and getting a good yawn in as the Player and Belle approached. Once she noticed she had company, she straightened her posture and waved at them.

"Hello! And welcome!" She greeted them with spunky energy that contradicted her exhausted yawn.

"Morning, Susie," Belle nearly giggled at the display, revealing her name.

"Belle! Your timing is perfect!" Susie delightfully clapped her hands together. "My boss says I'll need your help with something!"

"Yeah, Wise mentioned that. What is it?"

"He wanted the message delivered verbatim, so here it is -" Susie cleared her throat and adjusted her posture so that she appeared macho. "I've found a new way to source awesome new gadgets. I'm sure you'll like them. If you're willing to help, they should be available in the store soon," she spoke as deep as she could to imitate a man's voice.

The Player and Belle were visibly entertained with Susie's performance and couldn't get the smiles off their faces as she carried on.

"You sound just like your boss," Belle complimented.

"Wait, I'm not finished yet!" Susie cleared her throat again to prep for the role. "This new path is blocked, and I've lost communication with the assistant I sent there. Could you help me sort it all out? I'll send more details soon. That's it! Everything my boss said!" Susie immediately dropped the act and put her hands behind her back.

"...She is adorable," the Player whispered.

Despite the Player whispering to her, Belle was lost in thought after hearing everything Susie had to relay.

'I see. There's something wrong with the gadget store's underground W-Engine business. A batch of goods must've fallen into a Hollow and they need me to clean this mess up,' Belle had her arms crossed with a rather neutral face, easily drawing the Player's cause for concern. He gently nudged her arm with his elbow. | "...Hmm? What's up?" Belle looked at him.

"Just checking to make sure you're okay. You kinda spaced out."

"Nah, I'm good. I was just thinking."

"I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it sounds like there was a problem with the gadgets they call W-Engines," Susie said. "Aren't they the ones you and your friends are collecting?" She was referring to Belle and the Cunning Hares, getting Belle's attention. "Since it's such an urgent request, boss said that apart from the regular payment, I can also give you a sample as a thank-you gift."

Susie reached into her apron pocket and took out a green W-Engine, saving the Player's curiosity of wondering what a W-Engine looked like.

The W-Engine was about the size of a tennis ball and it had a really intricate design - the material was made from a fine steel and had a few warning signs on it that suggested the owner beware of electrical hazards.

Without warning, an electrical hum came from the W-Engine and it activated itself. The main compartment opened and revealed three active charges inside.

At a glance, the W-Engine seemed awfully familiar: green and focused on electricity...

'Wait. This texture,' Belle took the W-Engine from Susie an examined it closely. 'This batch of goods must be-'

"-The latest W-Engine equipped with the fourth-generation synchronous conduction device," Anby appeared behind the Player and Belle as if she literally spawned there, scaring the Player and Belle.

"WHOA!" The Player jumped. | "JEEZ!" Belle took a few steps back with one hand over chest, accidentally dropping the W-Engine.

Despite the surprise, Susie didn't have much of a reaction...

Once they realized who their company was, the Player picked the W-Engine up for Belle.

Anby was still fixated on the W-Engine and took a step closer for a better look. "This model can release ultrasonic waves that effectively resonate with the active wavelengths of various Ether weapons," she continued explaining as though her sudden appearance didn't just jump scare the group. "According to official data, the average initial weapon performance can be improved by up to 44.21% and the combat survival rate of personnel equipped with such gear can be increased by at least 30%."

Anby going into intricate detail about the W-Engine without acknowledging that she scared them all made the Player eye her with concerning wonder, and yet he couldn't stop himself from being impressed with her knowledge on the subject. 'She really went in on the information there. It...feels like I learned a lot, and yet I'm still mostly confused. Sheesh. She really knows her stuff when it comes to weapons and stuff. Huh. Why am I getting a weird sense of déjà vu?'

Belle leaned into Anby to get within whispering distance. "Shhhh - Susie may be working here, but she has no idea W-Engines are weapons! Don't say stuff like that in front of her!"

Anby didn't have much of a reaction beyond just plainly understanding Belle.

Meanwhile, Susie was scratching her head and looking lost. Maybe that's why she didn't have a reaction to Anby appearing out of nowhere. "Ultrasonic waves? Weapon performance?" She questioned.

Belle knew they were in trouble if she didn't think of something fast, so she quickly turned a suspiciously innocent gaze to Susie. "Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhh, it's just a game... You probably didn't know that, Susie, but you can use W-Engines to play board games. Each W-Engine has different stats assigned."

"Nice save," the Player whispered.

"Ooooh, is it similar to playing pool?" Susie asked, still blissfully unaware of the truth. "W-Engines are round after all."

"...Sure," Belle went along since Susie unknowingly helped contribute to the lie.

In the middle of the conversation, Susie felt her phone vibrating in her apron pocket. "Guys, hold on a sec," she took out her phone and read over the message she just received. "The boss just texted me, and he has a message he wants me to share with you: Looks like I've found a connoisseur. Good gadgets truly shine in the hands of someone like you. If you purchase one when the shipment arrives, I'll give you an exclusive customization. Whoa, who would've thought the boss would get involved himself!"

The Player raised an eyebrow in suspicion. 'That's...odd. A connoisseur. Is he referring to Anby for her overview? If so... Is he watching us on camera or something?'

"Thanks, but there's no need," Anby shook her head to decline. "I do want to buy a new W-Engine, but even with the account balances of Cunning Hares combined, we wouldn't be able to afford the latest model."

Either W-Engines were expensive or the Cunning Hares finances were in the red and bordering on going black... Hearing that made the Player feel bad for Anby. Despite her tone and outward appearance, she genuinely seemed disheartened from being unable to afford the upgrade.

The Player looked at the W-Engine and then over to Belle.

Belle could already tell by his softening expression that he wanted to offer the W-Engine to Anby.

There was no harm in giving it away, especially to someone who would've had more use for it than they did. Belle gestured her head in a way that confirmed she was in agreement with the Player's hospitality.

When he read Belle's signal, the Player smiled. "No need to worry about finances for this one," he turned his attention to Anby and held the W-Engine out to her. "It's on us."

Anby was surprised by the sudden offer. She looked down to the W-Engine and then up to the Player and Belle. She didn't know what to say and looked at them as though they were on the verge of pranking her.

"The boss is about to give me one as a thank-you gift," Belle said. "It won't be of much use to us, so we'll pass it on to you."

"Really?" Astonished joy actually came out of Anby's mouth.

Actual emotion? It almost sounded foreign to the Player and Belle.

"This will make dealing with that superior Ethe-" Anby cut herself short when she remembered what Belle said about Susie, "...I mean, player, a lot easier."

The Player looked offended and retracted his arm, keeping the W-Engine away from Anby. "Whoa. What I do?"

"N-Not you," Anby confirmed. "Lowercase p."

"Okay... Good," he went back to holding the W-Engine out to her and she took the gift.

"Oh? It sounds like you're planning to meet other W-Engine players?" Susie asked with excitement in her voice. "Don't worry, with the boss's skillful customization, you'll be sure to leave a lasting impression.

"You like it?" The Player asked.

"Yeah, I like this design," Anby happily examined her new W-Engine with a shimmer in her eye.

"I have a feeling this was always meant to be in your hands. The color and element matches with you perfectly. I'm sure you'll get a ton of mileage out of it."

"Thank you," Anby smiled at the Player and Belle before turning to Susie. "And the boss, too. I'll treasure it."

Smiling faces and good vibes all-around, Susie was feeling the joy of having satisfied customers. "From the look on your face, you seem to like the owner's gift. That's good," she said to Anby.

"When it comes to investing in W-Engines, Nicole only put in enough for 'peace of mind.' She'll be overjoyed when she finds out," Anby couldn't stop smiling.

While Belle was happy for Anby, she was still on the fringe about Nicole's priorities when it came to her finances... But she didn't want to ruin Anby's moment and crossed her arms with a pouty face. "Tell her to spend money in the right place," she maintained a passive look.

"Sure, I'll let her know," Anby nodded.

"And that's about it from me," Susie said. "We don't have anything else from the Manager, Belle. I'll leave the store's goods in your capable hands."

"Sure thing. Let your boss know it'll be okay."

After the exchange, Susie gave her farewell to the party and returned to the store to finish working.

"Now that we received the gift, let's head to the Hollow and retrieve the missing W-Engines," Belle said to the Player. "They're worth a lot."

"Sounds good. That means we're heading back to Random Play, right?"

"Yep. We'll update Wise and I can show you the ropes on how we do things."

Just as Belle and the Player turned to go back to Random Play, Anby took a step forward. "Hold on," she called out to them before they could get far.

The Player and Belle stopped and turned to Anby. "Everything okay?" Th Player asked.

"You're about to go inside a Hollow?" Anby asked.

"Yeah. We've got a few commissions lined up," Belle answered. "We've got to make some preparations first, but they're simple. So it shouldn't be too bad."

"Does that mean you already hired Agents to take the commission with you?"

"Agents?" The Player questioned, turning his attention to Belle. "You have to hire Agents?"

"Yeah. Since Wise and I are Proxies, we can move around in the Hollow freely. That's something most people can't boast of being able to do. But we need Agents with combat experience to handle Ethereals and other dangers. Wise and I had a few Agents in mind already."

"So you just need someone to handle the Ethereals? If that's the case, I'll handle it. That way you and Wise won't have to spend any money."

"By yourself?" Belle questioned.

"Yeah. Now that I'm familiar with Hollows and how they work, I know what to expect. The commission shouldn't be a problem as long as there's no huge threat like Dullahan or a Metro Goblin lurking."

"You never know what you'll encounter in a Hollow," Anby said. "Taking on a commission alone is too dangerous. I'll accompany you."

"You will?" Belle was surprised by the sudden offer.

"I can't allow the Player to fight alone, so I'll go with him."

"Aaw... Thank you for being concerned about my safety, Anby. You're so sweet. But don't you have to get your snacks back to Nicole? We don't want to keep you."

"There's no hurry. Besides, Nicole wouldn't mind if she knew."

"She wouldn't mind because she'd overcharge us for your services," Belle's delivery was flat as she imagined how outrageous the fee would be.

"Nicole doesn't have to know about us taking a commission together. I won't ask for any payment because you've given me a new W-Engine."

Belle didn't see any harm with Anby tagging along. Chances are she was just looking for an excuse to test out her new W-Engine anyway, and since she was already here, and they needed as much help as they could get, Belle gave an approving nod.

"Okay, Anby. You're hired!"

"Nice," the Player turned to Anby with his fist upheld. "Looks like we're a team, partner."

"Indeed," Anby raised her fist and bumped knuckles with the Player. "Let's ensure the other's survival."

"Hey," Belle got their attention, but she was directing her comment at the Player. "Since Susie has no idea about her boss's 'side gig,' let's be careful not to spill the beans when discussing the commission with her."

"Gotcha," the Player nodded.

Now that Belle had a reliable pair of Agents, it was time to get those commissions started. The party made their way down Sixth Street and returned to Random Play.


Random Play
8:30am

In the Staff Lounge, Wise was prepping the HDD for the upcoming commission. The screech of the metal door opening got his attention as Bangboo 6 let Belle, the Player, and Anby in.

"Back already?" Wise smiled.

"Yeah, but I didn't get to show the Player everything Sixth Street had to offer," Belle admitted. "I wanted to get the commissions out of the way first, because Susie's boss had some W-Engine related work for us."

"Oh yeah?"

"Missing W-Engine shipment."

The Player snickered softly. "Missing W-Engine shipment and General Chop's missing ingredient shipment? Supply and demand must be crazy in New Eridu because of the Hollows."

"You get used to it around here," Wise then turned his attention to Anby. "Hey, Anby. It's good to see you. Are you here to rent a movie?"

"And to you as well, Proxy," Anby smiled at him. "I'm here to help the Player on the commission."

Wise turned his concerned gaze to Belle. "How much is Nicole going to charge us?"

"Nothing. I'm doing this on my own volition," Anby answered.

"Which means we'll be seeing a good profit from these commissions, bro!"

"That's actually motivating to hear," Wise was pleasantly surprised.

Belle smirked at her brother before turning her attention to the Player. "So, this is where all the magic happens. Welcome to the staff room."

"Aaah. So this is Phaethon's lair, huh?" The Player took a gander around the room.

"In regard to our commissions, the HDD is where we find everything we need to know about the Hollows," Wise brought the Player's attention to the high-tech computer at the desk.

"HDD?" The Player questioned.

"Hollow Deep Dive system," Wise turned the HDD on and navigated the complex UI until a map of the Janus Quarter appeared on screen.

Authentication verified. User login: Phaethon

As Wise continued showcasing the HUD, he enhanced the map to reveal three Hollows.

"What's that?" The Player asked.

"A map of the Janus Quarter," Wise answered. "You see these three Etheric domes? They're the Hollows on Fourteenth Street. The big one, right here, is the Cretan Hollow."

"The Cretan Hollow is where we first crossed paths," Anby added.

The Player took a closer look at the map as Wise did another enhancement to bring the map down to street level to make it easier to follow.

"Oooooh," the Player snapped and wagged his extended index finger at the screen "okay. I see. I recognize a few of those roads from Nicole's 'driving,' if you want to call it that. Hold up, if that's the Cretan Hollow, what are the other two doing there?"

"Those are Companion Hollows," Wise answered.

"Strange... I don't remember seeing any other Hollows in the area," the Player said.

"That's because they're spread out a little farther from the Cretan Hollow."

"You'd have a hard time seeing them anyway because they aren't as big as the parent Hollow," Belle explained. "They don't scale in size to the original, and, lucky for us, they aren't as dangerous."

"Right," Wise nodded to confirm that Belle's comment was valid. "And they're easier to navigate, so the commissions should be an in-and-out job."

"That's good news," the Player crossed his arms.

While the siblings continued discussing the matter with the Player, Eous walked in. "Ehn-ne," he gave the Player and Anby's leg a pat to let them know he was coming through.

"Hmm? Oh!" The Player moved aside to let Eous by. "Sorry about that, little guy."

Eous turned back to the Player with a friendly emoting face. "Uhn-na! Na-na," he held up his little arm and waved as if gesturing that it was no problem.

"Great! Eous is here," Belle smiled. "Bro, I think we're ready to get these commissions started. Eous, you're going to be tagging along with the Player and Anby, okay? We've got two commissions to get done."

"Ehn-na!" Eous saluted Belle like a solider.

Wise was typing at the HDD and looked over the information that was on display. "I've got confirmation on Hollow activity coming from FSCH-C1 and FSCH-E2."

The Player didn't know what those words meant but he nodded his head anyway. "Okay. Shouldn't be a problem. How do we get there?"

"I drove over," Anby said. "We can use the company car to reach the Hollows."

The Player swallowed the lump in his throat as the haunting memories of Nicole's driving replayed in his head.

Wise and Belle noticed the Player's expression and looked on with increasing concern.

"Hey, are you okay?" Belle asked.

"...H-Huh?" The Player looked over to Belle after a brief delay.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"N-No. I'm fine. It's just... Um. Yo, Anby?"

"Yes?"

"What color light are you supposed to stop at?"

"Red."

"What does a yellow light mean?"

"Start slowing down.

"What should you do when you see pedestrians getting ready to cross at a corner?"

"Yield before turning."

"Why?"

"Because pedestrians have the right of way."

The Player placed his hand over his chest and let out a sigh of relief. "All is well, Belle," he confirmed with tender joy. "All is well."

Belle wasn't there so she wouldn't know the reason for the Player's behavior. All she offered in return was an uncertain smile. "Okay. Well, uh, great! Let's get started. Remember, you have our numbers in your phone. Call us when you get there, okay?"

"You got it. Eous, ready to go?"

"Uhn-nah-nuh!" Eous bumped his chest with his adorable stubby hand and marched out the room with Anby following behind him.

The Player gave one final goodbye to the Phaethon pair and was the last to leave.


Trust Event: Demara Faith

Once everything was in place, Anby led the Player and Eous to the parking lot where she had left the company car.

Sixth Street Parking Lot
8:45am

"Do you have everything?" Anby asked as they approached the car.

"Everything's good on my end," the Player confirmed. "I've got you watching my back in the Hollow and Phaethon as a navigator. This'll be easiest money we ever made."

"Agreed. Together, we should be able to handle anything that stands in our way."

"How about you, though? You ready for this?"

"I'll be fine. A little hungry, but nothing I can't work through."

"Whoa, hold up. You can't work on an empty stomach. At least, not through this kind of work. Want to get something to eat before we leave?"

"I would, but I don't have the funds to eat a proper breakfast."

"Don't have the funds to... Hang on, you don't have any money?"

"I do, but it's for rent. I don't have enough to buy breakfast."

The Player stopped and got Anby and Eous to stop shortly after him. "I'm not letting you fight on an empty stomach. I'm treating you to breakfast."

"Thanks, but I couldn't ask that of you."

"I insist. Come on, where do you want to ea-" the Player reached into his pocket and froze when he felt his emaciated wallet. "-aaaactually, do you like dumplings?"

Several minutes later...

Anby was sitting on the roof of the car eating dumplings out of the bamboo steamer. The Player, meanwhile, was leaning against the front fender of the car and Eous was sitting on the hood beside him.

"Sorry there's not much left. Wise, Belle, and I have eaten quite a few."

"There's no need to apologize. This is more than enough," Anby assured as she went for her second dumpling. "They're delicious," she complimented after swallowing, careful not to talk with her mouth full.

"I'm glad you're enjoying them," the Player crossed his arms as he continued leaning against the car. "So, has there been any progress on locating the strongbox?"

"Nothing concrete yet, but Nicole has a few leads that may point us in the right direction."

"I see. Huh... I gotta say, Nicole sounds resourceful. I wasn't expecting her to have so many connections. Or at least that's what I'm assuming, based off of what you told me."

"She is quite resourceful, yes. That's because Nicole has been in the Hollow Raiding business for quite some time. She's an experienced entrepreneur and knows how to maintain healthy partnerships."

Nicole Demara — An experienced entrepreneur? That was news to the Player... Especially with the way Wise and Belle seem to, at the very least, tolerate Nicole's business. Even 'healthy partnerships' sounded a bit generous after Nicole guilt tripped him into helping the Cunning Hares retrieve the strongbox.

"Oh yeah?" A dismissive chuckle almost slipped out the Player's mouth.

Anby nodded after biting into her third dumpling. "I know it may seem bad from time to time, even the Managers question how trustworthy Nicole is, but Nicole truly is a hard worker who does her best to honor her word and business. Things just happen to go awry when it comes time for her to pay her dues, but even then, she always comes through. For everyone — Billy and me, and our business partners."

It was almost like Anby detected the Player's dismissiveness and put her heart into her words about Nicole.

The Player picked up on Anby's sincerity and listened as she spoke.

"Of course, there's always room for improvement," Anby continued "but that comes with time. And in time... I know Nicole will become someone nobody will doubt. The Cunning Hares will prosper one day, with Nicole at the helm."

Initially, the Player was visibly uncertain of Anby's words about Nicole, but after hearing all of that, maybe it was too early in their partnership to tell, so his uncertainty didn't last long and he returned to looking more neutral about the topic.

After giving it some more thought, the Player found it in himself to genuinely smile. "Then I guess we're all in good hands," he said with confidence. "I'm looking forward to hearing from Nicole about the strongbox. Once we get that, your commission will be done and that'll be another step toward the Cunning Hares big break."

Anby knew the Player meant what he said and it caused her to smile back at him. "I feel the same way," she put her chopsticks down now that she was finished eating. "However, I admit, I'm sorry you got roped into this after spending so long in the Hollow."

"Nah, that's nothing. I don't mind giving you guys a hand with your commission. Don't worry, I got your back. Just like you and Billy had mine when I needed it."

Anby: Significant Trust Increased!

"Thanks. Billy and I really appreciate it. Nicole does too, she just has a hard time expressing it because her mind is always on the big prize."

"Pfft, that's fine," the Player chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, pardoning Nicole's behavior. "I can't fault her for that. She's focused and knows what she wants. A real go-getter."

Anby got off the roof of the car and turned to the Player and Eous. "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely," the Player stood upright.

"Ehn-nah!" Eous got up with an energetic bounce.

As Anby got in the driver seat and started the car, the Player made sure Eous was safely strapped in the back seat. Once everything was in order, they drive off — heading toward the Companion Hollows.


After a short drive through town, the gang returned to the old metro district. Anby found a parking spot under an overpass, it was out of sight and had multiple routes for escape if law enforcement were lurking about — a detail the Player wasn't aware was an issue.

Once they were out of the car and had their gear equipped, Anby lead them to the nearest Companion Hollow: FSCH-C1. She made sure the route they took was discrete so they wouldn't attract any attention or have anyone be able to identify they were about engage in a commission.

"This is it," Anby said as she faced the Etheric dome before them.

"Okay, let me make the call," the Player took out his phone and rang the Phaethon siblings. "Yo, Wise. We're here."

Wise: Nice. You guys made pretty good time. Is Eous still with you?

"Of course. He's standing right here," the Player confirmed while looking down to Eous standing by him and looking at the Hollow.

Wise: Good. Everything is ready to go on our end. We're about to sync up with Eous now. Belle, you ready?

Belle: Mhmm! Let's get this started.

The Player got onto one knee to get down at Eous' level. "They're patching through now," he said to the Bangboo, getting his attention. "Anby and I will keep you safe. Just like before."

"Ehn-na-nah!" Eous expressed a positive response to the Player's words.

There was a small delay, Eous' eyes were replaced with a rotating loading icon, before they returned to normal.

"Hmm?" The Player looked on, curious as to what happened.

Anby approached and looked over the Player, down to Eous, who had a clear view of the pair.

"Hey-a!" Belle's voice came through Eous, marking the arrival of Phaethon(B).

"Ah, there she is," The Player was pleased to see the sensory sync was successful.

Wise: Good, we're connected. Well, then... Let's get down to business.

The Player stood up and nodded against the phone. "Gotcha. Entering the Hollow now," he hung up and turned to Anby. "Let's get this done, partner."

"Yeah," Anby was ready for anything.

"Okay, guys! Follow me!" Phaethon took lead, proceeding toward the Hollow.

The Player followed after Phaethon and Anby after the Player, the former pressing her headphones to set the tone for herself.

Upon passing through the Etheric matter from the outside, the group successfully entered the Companion Hollow. The air inside was thicker, and they could feel the weight of Ether pressing down on them, if only by a small amount.

"Back again," the Player said as he observed their surroundings.

"Yep... But, we won't be here for long," Phaethon said as she continued leading. "The map data Wise developed is already picking up traces of a bizarre Etheric trail that's just beyond this metro."

"Nice. This is going surprisingly well so far. I was expecting to run into Ethereals the moment we entered the Hollow. Especially since it's smaller than the parent Hollow."

"Knock on wood," Phaethon chuckled softly.

"I would, but it's just metal and steel out here," the Player chuckled as well.

While the Player and Phaethon were ahead, Anby was in the background lightly bobbing her head. "...Dun... Dun... Dundundun... Dun," she was mumbling something to herself, not paying much attention to the business at hand.

The gang was following a path that was straightforward and without complications. There was no need for detours, no issues with Hollow distortions, and most importantly, no Ethereals.

The lack of strife was becoming concerning... Things were going all too well for them.

"Just a little farther," Phaethon pointed ahead as they approached an abandoned train station with several derailed trains.

There was a train car ahead of them that had enough clearance for them to pass from under it. Phaethon went first and after checking to make sure the coast was clear, she signaled for the Player and Anby to follow her lead.

The Player and Anby carefully crawled under the train car, one after the other, and reached the abandoned train station.

"Good to go?" Phaethon asked.

"Yeah," the Player nodded despite looking uncertain, which Phaethon picked up on.

"You sure? Your face is telling me a different story."

"It's just... It's quiet... Too quiet. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think we may be walking into an ambush."

"An ambush?" Phaethon questioned before turning around to survey the area. "It seems genuinely abandoned to me. If there were any Ethereals around that wanted us, they would've came for us a while ago."

"Mmmm... I don't know. It's just this feeling I'm getting. What do you think, Anby?" The Player continued looking around, checking the area for danger.

"Dum, dumdumdum, dum, dumdumdum..."

Was that even a response?

Befuddled, the Player looked back to Anby and saw her beginning to rock out to the music she was listening to. She had one hand on her headphones while motioning her body to be in sync with the song. He almost couldn't believe it.

"Heh, someone's having fun," Phaethon said.

"Is she... Is she beatboxing?" The Player asked with an amused smirk.

As Anby continued moving her body in tune with the music, the Player tapped her shoulder while her back was turned to him.

"Hmm?" Anby pressed the button on the side of her headphones to pause the music.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to see how you were holding up?"

"I'm okay. I was listening to some music to set the stage."

The Player didn't realize Anby meant that literally... Still, he found it adorable and somewhat innocent.

"Oh yeah? Not to be nosy, but I am curious, whatcha listening to?"

"Derailed Order - Day."

"Hmm. I don't think I'm familiar." | 'Not sure why I said that. Of course they wouldn't have anything I'm familiar with.'

"...Do you...want to listen together?" She offered, almost sounding hopeful.

"To the music? Sure."

"It would make things livelier around here," Phaethon 'smiled.'

Anby double tapped the button on her headphones before keeping it pressed to enable speaker mode so the Player and Phaethon could hear it.

The Player gave it a moment to settle before he could find the rhythm. "Huh... Pretty tamed. The way you were getting into the grove, I thought you were listening to metal or something."

"That's because I reset the song so you can hear the whole thing. Give it time."

"Right, of course," the Player snickered. "Anyway, we're almost at the target location Phaethon mentioned. But... There haven't been any Ethereals around and I think that's a tad suspicious. Do you think we're walking into a trap?"

Anby folded her arms to consider the possibility. "More than likely. We've been wandering around the Companion Hollow for a little while now, and we haven't exactly been stealthy in our approach. The lack of hostiles is indeed concerning."

Phaethon rubbed her chin in a thinking gesture before looking back up to her Agents. "All the more reason to not waste any time. Come on, we're just a short walk away from-"

Skuld: Stay alert!

The Player's eye turned sharply aside and he instinctively reached for the grip of his weapon.

Sensing the sudden danger, Anby unsheathed her sword and turned around, holding her weapon in a defensive position that clashed with an Ethereal(1) using a hunting technique known as a 'stoop' — diving from the sky and using its sharp armored head to skewer its prey like swordfish.

The attack sent Anby sliding back a few meters, but she held her ground and didn't relent.

A similar Ethereal(2) came diving out the sky, aiming for the Player, but he managed to evade with a swift tactical roll, having the stealthy Ethereal dive into a portal instead of faceplanting into the ground.

Anby grit her teeth and turned the stalemate against her foe by angling her sword down just enough to be able to smack the Ethereal(1) in the face with the pommel of her weapon.

The Ethereal(1) hit the ground and rolled along from the attack, but it managed to make a quick recovery and reveal itself to the group — the ambushing Ethereals were nothing like the Tyrfing's the Player was used to, they didn't have legs and looked spectral in appearance. Despite missing legs, they had large arms

Despite missing legs, they had large arms, but their most noticeable, and dangerous, trait was the sharp armored plating around their core that they could use to attack their opponents, again, similar to that of a swordfish.

The Ethereal(2) that dived into the ground resurfaced and appeared behind Phaethon, who turned around and saw the Ethereal rising from the portal in the ground.

Spooked by the sudden appearance of the Ethereal(2), Phaethon ran over to the Player and Anby. The duo were standing back-to-back with their weapons drawn as there were Ethereals from both sides. The music Anby had put on was beginning to build up.

"We've got company!" Phaethon said with a glare.

"Took your time, did you?" The Player asked the ambushing Ethereal(2) with a smile. "Nevertheless, glad you showed up, I was worried things wouldn't go awry."

Anby got a good look at the Ethereal(1) and recognized it. "Cyrtoidea," she announced.

"Huh?" The Player looked over his shoulder.

"The Ethereals. They're a pack of Cyrtoidea."

"Cyrtoidea?" Phaethon curiously repeated. "Hold on... Let me just check the White Star Institute database aaaand... Ah. I got it. Okay, so, these Ethereals are tricky. They stealthily prowl from the shadows, lurking beneath the surface and strike with deadly precision. Based on the data gathered, Cyrtoidea rely on ground vibrations to track the movement of its prey."

"So we were being stalked," the Player assumed his battle stance, ready to fight.

"Get ready, they're coming," Anby calmly warned.

"Phaethon, get to safety. We'll take care of this," the Player said.

"Right. Watch your steps and keep them guessing. Keep each other safe,"

Player: Of course. | Anby: Roger.

Phaethon sprints to the side, out of view and off the battlefield, the Ethereals didn't seem to pay her much mind since their primary targets were the Player an Anby.

The Player smirked, he already had an idea in mind. "Yo, Anby," he held his hand out, but didn't take his eyes off the Cyrtoidea(2) ahead of him.

Anby took a second to look over her shoulder, but she immediately went back to focusing on the Ethereal(1) staring her down, or at least vaguely looking within her direction since they required the vibration in their footsteps to 'see' them.

"Yeah?"

"Take my hand for a second."

Anby noticed him reaching out and gesturing his fingers for her to take his hand, and she complies: The Player synchronized with Skuld and had black energy materialize from his forearm down to his hand — he gently confirmed Anby's hold and performed a quick 360, using some of the enhanced strength he gained from the brief sync with Skuld to send Anby hurling toward the Cyrtoidea(2) he was facing.

Anby shot across the station at a high speed, but her quick thinking immediately enabled her to catch onto what was happening.

Using the speed to her advantage, she gripped her sword and generated electricity around it, sending an electric-charged slash into the Cyrtoidea abdomen and soaring with it until slamming its back into the white barrier that protected the station's transformer.

Immediately after sending Anby flying, the Player used the momentum he gained from the spin to turn to the Cyrtoidea(1) that Anby was facing and used another brief enhancement from Skuld to shoot himself across the battlefield to close the gap in seconds, lunging his sword through the Ethereal's torso.

The Cyrtoidea threw its hand back, ready to swat the Player away, but he brought his foot up and kicked himself back, forcibly prying the sword from the Ethereal's torso and backflipping away, evading the oncoming attack.

The sound of clashing metal could be heard in the background, Anby was parrying an onslaught of attacks from the injured Cyrtoidea who was getting progressively slower with its attacks from Anby's attack.

Anby was strategically letting the Cyrtoidea wear out its energy until she was able to confidently identify weakness in its attack patterns and she did the moment it reeled its head back for another attack — spinning around and sending a vicious hook kick into its core, that sent it spinning.

After completing the rotation from the previous attack, the Cyrtoidea(2) was met with a flip kick from the opposite foot and sent into the air where it eventually fell onto its back.

The Player ran into a slide along the ground, dodging an incoming dive from the Cyrtoidea(1), but rather than sinking into a portal for a safe recovery as it did last time... The Player's slide left behind a shadow trail that erupted into a series of spikes that pierced the Cyrtoidea's body and left it suspended.

Once he recovered, the Player got up and walked toward the Cyrtoidea as it was slowly sunk into the shadow he left behind... He motioned his hand as if telling the consuming shadow to stop just as the Cyrtoidea's head was the only thing left surfaced.

Once he got close, the Player crouched down to the Ethereal. "If you can tell me why you thought nearly killing my friend was a good idea, I'll let you go."

The Ethereal wasn't capable of human speech, so it just growled and violently motioned its head as if wanting to butcher the Player.

That went just about as he expected, so he stood up and looked down to the Ethereal. "Yeah, see, I don't get it either." After that brief exchange, he dove his blade into the Cyrtoidea's core, killing it instantly.

One down, one to go: A bolt of lightning surged around Anby's body before helixing down her arm and reaching the tips of her index and middle finger that she had aimed at that diving Cyrtoidea above. Before it could strike, Anby fired lightning from the small electrical ball that formed at her finger tips, sending the Ethereal back into the air.

After firing the lightning, Anby exhaled calmly before flinching from the electricity overwhelming her body. The sudden shock made her grimace slightly.

There was a minor tremor that came out of nowhere shortly after...

The Cyrtoidea that Anby struck was plummeting out of the sky and breaking into colorful cubes along the way, completely fading before it even touched the ground.

With the Ethereals dealt with, the Player jogged over to his partner. "Anby!" He called out to get her attention, slowing his pace to walking. "Nice work. They might've gotten the jump on us, but with us working together there was no way they'd-"

There was a second tremor that was more noticeable than the first. It was so strong that it stopped the Player in his tracks.

"...The hell?"

Anby was on alert, the tremors weren't normal, but once silence fell, they eased their worries and turned to each other again.

"So, uh, you felt that, yeah?" the Player asked. "Is that more of the Hollow's tricks?"

"No... That was different," Anby answered.

"Hmm. I wonder what could've caused it then," the Player put on hand on his hip and pinched his chin with the other, thinking to himself. "In all the time I've spent in the Hollow, I've never come across tremors. Maybe it's because we're in a Companion Hollow?"

Before Anby could answer, another tremor occurred... And then another... And another.

While the tremors were picking up, Phaethon was running analysis on the Hollow to try finding the source... Something was coming.

"Sudden spike in Ether activity... This isn't good," Phaethon muttered.

There was a quaking rumble in the distance, rapidly approaching. Soon the rumbling reached the station, and a growl could be heard as a hulking behemoth ran in and jumped over the derailed trains. It soared overhead, briefly blocking the sun from the Player and Anby as it descended.

It landed with a heavy crash, smoke and dust erupting from the landing zone, obscuring the source. The Player and Anby turned to face the looming smoke screen, wondering what had landed.

A low growl could be heard, and then a menacing roar cleared the smoke, revealing a massive Ethereal that towered over the duo.

"Holy hell!" The Player was genuinely shocked to see new Ethereal.

Anby grit her teeth and tightened the grip on her sword. "Stay alert! I'll watch your six!" She glanced over to the Player, confident they'll find a way to overcome this new challenge.

The Player noticed Anby's gaze and nodded, confirming he understood the mission. "Right," he looked ahead at the beast now beating its chest as a form of dominance.

Phaethon was shocked by the sudden arrival of such a massive Ethereal. All the data she collected all pointed to the same conclusion: This Ethereal far exceeded the Metro Goblin's Ether level, meaning it was far greater threat.

Once the scan was complete, the HDD AI Assistant came online.

HDD AI Assistant: Dangerous threat detected: Newborn Farbauti. This Ethereal possesses immense physical strength. It can block attacks with its arms. In addition, it can perform a series of rapid attacks.

The Farbauti was heavily armored in Ether Crystals, but its hulking arms were the most heavily armored, giving it the appearance of having a pair of twin shields attached to them. If the Cyrtoideas were based on aquatic predators, then Farbauti was based on the ground-dwelling great ape.

"This... This isn't good," Phaethon was stricken with dread as she watched the Player approach.

Wise: Let's stay calm... Things might not be as dire as they seem.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Wise: Remember, this is the Player we're talking about. I think we're about to see a good example of the original Synchronization.

As the Player approached, despite his weariness on the size difference, he smirked at the Farbauti. "Goddamn, you're a big boy. I doubt I'll be able to do much damage to you."

Skuld: Looks like the right size to me.

"Yeah, well... Not everyone is built like you, little miss," the Player muttered with a snicker. "Also, you might want to take some time to rephrase your wording."

Skuld: Not sure what you're implying, but I'll keep you safe. Let's make a play.

"Working on it..."

The Player knew he had to test the waters and an idea came to mind — he tightened the grip of his blade and chucked the weapon at Farbauti without warning.

Seeing the incoming attack, Farbauti held up its arm and showcased its defense by having the sword bounce right off of its armored Ether Crystal appendage.

So that didn't work, of course, so the Player held out his hand and used Synchronization to retract the weapon without needing to get close, getting it back in his hand without it even touching the ground.

"About as expected. Now let me try this..."

His arm became engulfed in a black aura, similar to when he threw Anby earlier, meaning he was now enhancing his strength thanks to Skuld's input. His bicep lightly bulging, the Player put a bit more force into the throw, sending it soaring through the air with enough power to generate a shock cone at the blade's tip.

Farbauti barely had time to react, but it managed to block the attack again, however, this time the blade actually got lodged in its crystal armor, showcasing a breach in defense was possible.

"Okay, so it's not impenetrable. That's good. Yo, Anby?"

"Yes?"

"I think I have a-"

Farbauti let out a massive roar and briefly stunned the pair. The behemoth ran across the station and got within attack range while they briefly off-guard, the Player's weapon was still lodged its armor.

Anby opened her eyes just in time to see the Ethereal reeling backs its arm to smash down upon them.

"Retreat!" She alerted, before sprinting to the side.

"Huh?" The Player was a bit slow on the recovery and looked aside as Anby got out of the way. When he looked up he saw Farbauti's fist coming down.

There was no sugarcoating what happened next, Farbauti actually managed to land a crushing blow on the Player and his arm sunk deep into the station's steel walkway.

Anby looked back and saw Farbauti hammering its arm into the ground. There was no sign of the Player, so it was clear what had happened.

With sword in hand, Anby charged at Farbauti to avenge her fallen comrade. Suddenly, she darted forward, her sword slashing through the air. Lightning crackled around her as she drove the sword into Farbauti's rib, striking the vulnerable spot that was not protected by Ether Crystals.

It was a successful blow, one that was enough to have Farbauti react as though it were pinched by an insect's sting.

Anby kicked herself from the Ethereal, prying her sword from its side and landing on the ground, only to immediately go back to attack the moment her shoe touched down — Anby went directly for the core, rage in her eyes, but Farbauti lunged its arm forward and clutched Anby in its grasp.

The hulking giant spun her around and threw Anby across the station and having her slam into a distant train car.

With Anby out of the way, Farbauti looked back to the rising smoke where it hammered down on the Player and proceeded to blindly beat down into the smoke, violently crushing the seemingly defenseless victim.

Anby pulled herself from the train wreckage, but not without issue — she received some damage from the throw, evident by the small blood trail over her closed eye. She was forced to watch Farbauti beat the Player into submission, if he wasn't already a bloody mist by now.

A few more strikes into the ground and Farbauti raised both arms into the air, bringing them both down with a crushing blow that shook the ground.

Phaethon had to look away, unable to stomach the thought of such a brutal end.

When the smoke cleared, Farbauti's arms were hard pressed on a miniature black dome. It was solid and extremely durable, apparently withstanding the punishment Farbauti gave it.

Confused, the Ethereal took a step back to examine this strange object.

While it was distracted, Anby returned, attacking from the side and giving the beast a clean diagonal slash across the core. Unfortunately, the attack wasn't enough to do any noticeable damage, but it did manage to have Farbauti stumble off to the side.

Anby's eyes sharpened, locking herself in for combat.

The black dome spirals around and revealed the Player sitting on the ground with a look of relief — he was saved from a savage death at the last second thanks to Skuld's interception.

Anby looked over her shoulder and saw the Player sitting. "Are you okay?" She held her hand out to him. "I thought... I thought you died."

The Player took Anby's hand and got himself up. "You thought I died?! Pfft! Nah. It's too early for that, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled at first, but when noticing the blood trail on the side of Anby's face he became concerned. "Whoa, you're bleeding. Are you hurt?"

Anby touched the side of her forehead and looked down to her palm to see traces of red on fingertips. "The Ethereal got me. I'm fine now."

"But you're still bleeding. Let me see it."

The Player eased Anby's bang back and saw the cut on her forehead. It wasn't too bad, but he didn't like seeing her injured and the lack of medical supplies meant they had to get the commission done before they could tend to Anby's wound.

"It's not too bad. You won't need stitches or anything, so that's good news."

Farbauti let out an annoyed cry, furiously beating its chest as a declaration of war after Anby's attack.

The Player and Anby glare at the towering behemoth and focused.

"Let's get this done," the Player said.

"Roger," Anby tightened her hand on the grip of her weapon as a low electrical hum could heard.

"Take point, I'll cover you."

Anby took off immediately, sprinting toward Farbauti and jumping — launching herself to its head, where she planted her foot into its core and kicked herself off of it, flipping behind to cause a distraction.

Farbauti looked back where Anby had flown off to, leaving the Player to attack its rear: but Farbauti was onto their strategy — the Ethereal swung its massive arm around and had its crystal armor block with the Player's attempted sneak attack.

Farbauti used its superior strength to overpower the Player and swats him away, sending him tumbling along the ground.

Anby returned to assist, coming in for an attempted lunging stab, but before she could even draw her blade to attempt the attack, Farbauti threw its arm back and forced Anby into a defensive play — pulling the sword up and having Farbauti swat her away, similar to how it handled the Player.

After rolling into a recovery, the Player ran back Farbauti just as it dealt with Anby. "Hey!" The Player called out getting the Ethereal to look in his direction, having it turn just in time to get a slash across its core.

A successful hit, but Farbauti returned the favor with a swift recovery, backhanding the Player with its massive arm and sending him flying across the field.

Anby jumped from behind Farbauti and performed an aerial somersault strike, slashing the core and sending Farbauti's head jerking back. She landed, her back turned to her foe, but as she turned to face it, all she saw was the descending might of its fist.

SHIIIIIIING! The Player swooped in at the last second and protected Anby by sending his blade into Farbauti's hand, the clash of metal and Ether Crystals echoed through the station.

With gritted teeth, he pushed back against the Ethereal and repelled it away from them.

Anby got up and blitzed by her partner, sprinting toward Farbauti to capitalize off of its unbalanced state.

As Anby went for a lunge at the core, Farbauti recovered just in time to grab her sword.

The Player jumped in for another save, but Farbauti swung Anby around and used her as a weapon to strike the Player, sending him flying in the other direction. It released Anby the moment of impact as well, sending the pair rolling together along the ground.

Once they came to a stop, Anby went to the Player's side to check on him. "Are you hurt?"

"Nnngh... I'm fine, thanks. This guy is pretty tough."

"Another sub-boss," Anby said as she looked over to Farbauti.

This was the second time the Player gave Anby a questioning look for her comment, but he gave her a passive "Right... Right," in favor of focusing on the matter at hand. "Hey, you remember what we did last time?"

"Hmm?"

"Against the Metro Goblin. When you got that power-up?"

"...Oh! Are you proposing that we use that ability?"

The Player nodded with a confident smile.

Farbauti was feeling quite pleased with the current battle and beat its chest as a declaration of superiority, but it stopped short when it saw the Player and Anby walking side-by-side, approaching it.

Time for another round, or perhaps this was the start of the real fight — Anby walked toward their foe with her eyes closed, heightening her focus and preparing herself to receive the boost in power. When she opened her eyes, they were alight with a unique ring around the iris similar to Phaethon when syncing with Eous.

The Player and Anby were now synchronized, the power buff was substantial enough to have Anby produce an electrical discharge that sent sparks spiraling around her body.

While continuing to watch from the side, Phaethon was astonished to see the specs of the exponential increase in power coming from Anby. "This is unreal... These numbers. They're unlike anything I've ever seen."

Wise: Right. It's even higher than when they fought the Metro Goblin. I wonder what's the cause for this spike in energy.

The Player held his sword in the ox guard stance, leveling the blade closer to his shoulders and Anby pointed her index, middle finger, and thumb at the target — the pair fired darkness and electricity together, the two sources came together to produce a dark wave of electricity that struck Farbauti with considerable force, taking it off its feet and sending it flying across the station, having it crash through numerous train cars before stopping.

As Farbauti was beginning to pick itself up from the destruction, Anby appeared above it came down with both feet to the back of its head, having its core face plant into the ground.

Anby jumped off the Ethereals head, having it pick itself up on all fours, only to have the Player come in and swing his sword into the core, knocking it over again and putting the beast on its back to look toward the sky.

Farbauti raised its head and got shot in the core by a streak of lightning immediately, throwing its head back and having it lay flat on its back once more.

After shooting the attack, Anby lowered her hand and looked down to her palm as coils of electricity flickered around her fingertips. 'Because of this state... It feels like I have total mastery over electricity, 'she then turned a side glance over to the Player, who was still focused on the enemy. 'The Player being here, like this, may turn things around for us.'

Farbauti was beginning to recover, finally getting up to its feet although it was showing signs of weakness from the Player and Anby's assault.

"Back for more? Well, we can be accommodating," The Player's smile sharpened as he knew they had it beat now that he and Anby were working in unison. He looked over and met Anby's gaze. "Ready to wrap this up?"

"Mmm," she nodded.

There wasn't any more chest beating coming from Farbauti, a far cry from its earlier confidence, but that didn't stop it from wanting to tear the pair apart so it struts forward.

The Player walked toward the beast as well, but Anby charged forward with lightning trailing behind her as a demonstration of her newly enhanced speed: she lunged her sword forward, and although she was quick, Farbauti managed to throw both its arms up and guard, just barely keeping up with the attack.

After blocking the attack, the Ethereal swung its arms out to repel Anby, but in doing so left itself open to have the Player come in with a double-handed slash up its torso.

Anby attacked from behind the moment the Player attacked, diving her sword into Farbauti's upper back and shattering the Ether Crystals that served as protection from rear assaults.

The Player transitioned into a horizontal swing after the rising slash and swung his blade into Farbauti's core just as Anby's backstab brought the Ethereal down to his level.

Just as the Player's attack sent Farbauti to the side, Anby's speed brought her from its back to circling around to where it was going and stabbing the core with enough power to put a crack in it while also having it stumble back in the Player's direction.

Farbauti's core met the Player's blade halfway as the latter was already in the middle of sprinting toward it beforehand.

The tip pierced the crack Anby made, and the critically injured Ethereal was sent back.

Farbauti was now desperately flailing in an attempt to pry the weapon from its core, but Anby jumped in with a somersaulting overhead axe-kick and hammered her heel into the sword's pommel — driving the blade deeper into Farbauti's core and delivering the killing blow.

Anby grabbed the Player's weapon and kicked herself off of Farbauti's flickering body. When her shoes touched the ground, the Ethereal died out in a burst of colorful cubes.

"Great work," the Player approached while clapping, applauding Anby for her stylish moves. "You really showed that thing what's what. Do me a favor? Remind me to never get on your bad side," he chuckled.

Anby closed her eyes and calmly exhaled. When she opened them again, the ring around her irises were no longer there, revealing she had de-synced with the Player.

"I can't take all the credit. We worked together and handled the situation accordingly."

"Fair enough," the Player snickered and tucked his hands in his pockets.

While the Player and Anby were talking, Phaethon was watching from afar, but no longer hiding now that the danger was gone.

Wise: You see what I mean? He can synchronize with Agents at will. He gives them supernatural enhancements that allows them to take on the strongest Ethereals within the Hollow.

"And that's not all," Phaethon said.

Wise: Hmm?

"It's not just the fact that he has some kind of immunity to Ether Corruption, but when he synchronized with Anby... All traces of Ether buildup ceased. It's like she gained temporary resistance to Ether."

Wise: So... In a way, it's like neutralizing Ether Corruption for those who are susceptible to it?

"Seems that way. Wise, this is huge."

Wise: Yeah. With him, Hollow Zero and everything relating to it might actually be a possibility. This is what we need to take the next big step.

Phaethon snickered, remembering something she heard from long ago.

Wise: Something funny?

"Just reminiscing — 'A game can only begin if there's a Player to play it,' right?"

Wise: You still remember that?

"How can I not? They only hammered it in our heads every semester. Heh, heh... Well, with that said-"

Wise: Let the game begin.

Back to the Player and Anby, Anby returned the Player's sword to him.

"Thanks, partner," the Player put the weapon back in its holster after it reverted to its compact form.

"Amazing work, you two!" Phaethon said as she happily approached them.

"Thanks, Phaethon. How are you holding up?" The Player asked. "You didn't get caught in the crossfire, did you?

"Me? Of course not! You were the one doing all the fighting. I'm great!"

"Just had to make sure. I told Eous that Anby and I would make sure he'd be okay. I didn't want to look like a liar to the little guy when we got back."

"I see. Well, I'm in tip-top shape! No need to worry."

Wise: More importantly, are you two okay? Last time you used Synchronization, you passed out.

"That's true," Anby said, looking at the Player with a slightly puzzled gaze. "At the moment, I feel fine."

"I agree," the Player concurred. "I'm pretty sure it's because we didn't overwork ourselves this time. Also, our connection seems to be stronger. Synchronization is more efficient with stronger bonds."

Wise: Oh, right. You did mention it was some kind of bonding phenomenon. That makes sense.

"Nothing quite like getting to know your main," the Player off-handily said.

Wise: Main?

"Nothing," the Player chuckled and flagged his hand to dismiss himself.

"Makes me wonder what you two were doing to suddenly get so close," Phaethon teased with shifty eyes between the two.

The Player and Anby looked at each other and then down to Phaethon. "Nothing," they both answered sincerely.

"It was just a natural progression of friendship," the Player added.

Phaethon's eyes drooped in disappointment. "You guys are no fun."

The Player playfully rolled his eyes and shook his head before changing the subject. "Now that the threat has been dealt with, we should be in the clear to get the commission done, right?"

"Yep. It's just beyond this point," Phaethon pointed ahead.

"Great. After you."

Phaethon lead the Player and Anby beyond the ruined station and they eventually reached a clearing where they saw a box truck on its side being investigated by a human male dressed in an Ether bunker suit.

There were boxes scattered all around the truck, most likely containing goods that had been salvaged from the cargo bay. Among them was peculiar silver crate.

Investigator: Seriously? I have to fill out a form for this?

The Investigator was going over paperwork he had on a clipboard while Phaethon, the Player, and Anby approached after spotting him.

Investigator: Applicant Information... Supply Consumption Records... Involved Assets.

When the gang approached, they didn't say anything in hopes that the Investigator would naturally be aware of their presence by the time they got to him... It was a good thing they weren't Ethereals, otherwise the guy would've been in for a pretty bad time.

It was still bizarre he didn't catch onto them as he continued to file the report. Did he not hear all the chaos that took place not far from his location?

"Um... Excuse-" The Player held out his hand just as he went to speak.

The moment he heard the voice from behind him, the Investigator jumped out of his skin. Turning around to the party and squealing in horror.

Investigator: Wah — Waaaah!

The Player held gestured his hands for the man to bring it down a notch. Phaethon and Anby were just looking at the unsuspecting man with indifference.

When he realized the gang meant him no harm, the Investigator calmed down.

"You okay?" The Player stifled his laughter.

Investigator: Y-Yeah... Sorry about that. Holy cow! I thought it was an Ethereal.

"Nope. Just a group of friends on a commission," the Player looked beyond the Investigator to the truck and pointed to it before focusing on the former. "Hey, um, you wouldn't happen to be the driver of this truck would you? We're here to look for a driver who got stuck in a Companion Hollow."

Investigator: The Pegasos driver? Isn't our team the one in charge of the Pegasos commission?

"Um... I'm... I'm not sure?"

The Investigator took a good look at the group, specifically the Player and Anby.

Investigator: You aren't one of us. Don't tell me...

Concern was slowly surfacing on Phaethon and Anby's face as the Investigator was starting to give them suspicious eyes, but the Player was still neutral and didn't pick up on the man's body language. Which was probably for the best, because...

Investigator: Has the system assigned duplicate commissions again?!

The man's intuition was completely off. Phaethon and Anby eased their concern and returned to neutral standing.

"I'm not too sure about all that," the Player furthered the conversation. "We didn't see anyone take the commission when we were getting the details. Hell, even the client was complaining that nobody was stepping up to help."

Investigator: I see. I really envy you!

"Whys that?"

Investigator: You only show up after all the work has been done...

Considering they just fought Farbauti, the Player and Anby looked at each other with deadpan eyes before returning their attention to the man.

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Anby put one hand on her hip, looking short with the Investigator for his passive aggressive sounding comment.

Even Phaethon rolled her temporarily digital eyes. Among all the goods that were neatly organized, her attention was drawn to the silver crate and went over to inspect it while the Player and Anby continued speaking with the Investigator.

Investigator: Anyway, that driver left the Hollow together with the first batch of evacuees. I think he was sent to the hospital for a medical checkup.

So the commission ended up being done before they even got there... That was a bit disappointing considering the life and death situation the Player and Anby had to go through to get there, but, then again, that's the kind of thing that comes with the job.

"Well, the driver's safe, and that's all that matters," the Player passively shrugged his shoulders while looking at Anby.

"Yeah. We should pass this onto the client as soon as we can," Anby suggested.

"Agreed."

"Player! Anby!" Phaethon called out to her Agents, signaling for them to come over.

"What's up?" The Player asked as they drew near.

Phaethon moved aside and revealed the crate was full of W-Engines.

The Player took a closer look and pointed. "Hold on... Is that...?"

"The missing W-Engine crate," Anby finished his sentence.

Wise: That's odd... How did it get here? It was meant to be in FSCH-E2. Or at least, that's where... Huh? Wait... It did change. Was it extracted from the neighboring Hollow and brought here?

"Excuse me, sir?" The Player called out to the Investigator.

Investigator: Yes?

"Are these boxes yours?"

Investigator: No, those were from the truck. I was just organizing what I found to make collection easier when my team returns.

"And how about this silver crate?"

Investigator: That's not mine either, but my co-worker picked it up from one of the Hollows we were in before coming to this one. He thought it something worth taking a look at, but when he opened it all he found were those toys. He seemed pretty disappointed.

"I see.. Well, this crate actually belongs to our client. We took another commission and they wanted us to find this crate and return it to them. Would it be okay for us to take this off your hands?"

Investigator: Be my guest. Less paper work for me.

Phaethon pumped her adorable plush arm into the air. "Awesome!"

"Two birds with one stone," Anby smiled.

The Player and Anby high-fived each other for a successful mission.

"Thank you, sir!" The Player turned to the Investigator. "We'll be sure these W-Eng- I mean...toys are returned to their rightful owner," he assured.

Investigator: No problem. I'm out of here after I'm done filling out this form. Wanna wait for me and head back together?

The Player sharply inhaled through his teeth while Phaethon and Anby were putting their loot inside of an empty HIA labeled case they found among the boxes, perfect for housing the W-Engines.

"We'd like to, buuuuut-"

Investigator: No?

"No," the Player answered honestly. There was no beating around the bush. "Sorry, it's just... We've been fighting Ethereals since we got here and we're kinda running on fumes. Not only that, this commission is pretty important. We'd like to return this to store owner ASAP."

Investigator: Right, your commission. Ah, go ahead and do your stuff then. I still have a lot of things to fill out...

"Thanks for understanding," the Player smiled.

With the HIA case full, Phaethon and Anby proceed ahead of the Player, who joined them after giving his thanks to the Investigator.

Investigator: Now let's see here... Licorice.. Pumpkin... Pork belly... Wild mushrooms... What do these things mean...?


Random Play Parking Lot
10:55am

Despite traffic picking up, the Player, Anby, and Eous made it back to Sixth Street in good time. Once Anby locked the car and made sure the alarm was active, the Phaethon siblings came outside.

"There they are," Belle greeted them.

As the Player and Anby walked to Wise and Belle, Eous ran to the Phaethon siblings.

Belle picked the little Bangboo up and Wise gave him a comforting pat on the head as he snuggle into Belle's arms.

"Great work everyone, you all did great," Wise praised the entire team.

"Thanks. We couldn't have done it without you and your coordinates," the Player returned the sentiment to Wise.

"How did the W-Engine work for Anby?" Belle asked.

"I didn't get a chance to properly use it in battle. I plan on modifying it once I have free time. If I calibrate it correctly, the W-Engine in tandem with the Player's Synchronization ability will boost combat performance by 150% give or take."

"Oh jeez... That's a lot," the Player snickered in disbelief.

"Sky's the limit with that ability," Wise said with playful confidence.

"I suppose," the Player smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "So, what should we do with this?" He then held up the HIA case.

"Right, the commission," Belle said. "Could you do us a favor? Wise and I have our hands full in the store at the moment, we're seeing a lot of morning traffic, could you meet with the clients and fill them in on the commissions?"

"Of course. Leave it to me."

"You remember where they are, right?" Wise asked.

"Yeah, it's still fresh in my memory. You can't really miss 'em."

"Okay, great!" Belle was delighted to hear it. "What about you, Anby? What's next for you?"

"I'm going to go home. I still have the snacks Nicole wanted, so she's probably wondering where I've been."

"More like, she's wondering where the money's being spent," Belle remarked.

"Not on her debts, clearly," Wise said with a passive chortle.

The Player snickered at the siblings comment before turning to Anby. "And remember, this little adventure of ours stays a secret."

"Of course," Anby nodded.

"We'll see you in a bit," Wise directed his comment at the Player as he and Belle return to the store. "Take care, Anby."

"Drive safe!" Belle waved.

"Goodbye," Anby waved back at the siblings.

"I should get a move on," the Player said, getting Anby's attention. "Don't want to keep the clients waiting. It was great getting to team up with you again. I'll be looking forward to our next commission."

"Likewise. But before you go-"

"Hmm?"

"Could I see your phone?"

"Oh, sure."

The Player got the phone from his pocket and gave it to Anby. After pressing a few buttons, she returned the phone to him.

The Player saw Anby's name and her personal number registered in his contacts.

"At this point, I feel we're beyond just being colleagues who collaborate to take commissions," Anby lead the conversation before the Player could speak. "Contact me if there's anything I can do to help you."

The Player was surprised at how well things had turned out, and was overjoyed to have made a friend in Anby. "You'll be the first person I contact when I get paid," he said. "I'll treat you to that meal I mentioned before."

"Looking forward to it."

After their goodbyes, Anby left Sixth Street and the Player went to meet with General Chop and Susie to fill them in on the commissions.


Sixth Street — Waterfall Soup

The first stop was immediately across the street from Random Play and the Player approached just as General Chop served the first customer of the day.

"Excuse me, Mr. Chop?" The Player politely called.

"Huh?" When General Chop saw the Player, he gave him his iconic toothy grin. "Ah! You're Belle's friend, right? Good to see you again, kid. And, please, General Chop is fine."

"Oh! Okay, Mr. Ch- I mean... Heh. Of course, General Chop," the Player corrected himself with a laugh.

"Heh! So, how've you been? Please, take a seat. Take a load off."

The Player sat at the nearest free seat. "Thank you, sir. I was just stopping by to inform you of the commission you gave us. It was a success. Well, technically it was a success. By the time we got to the location of the courier's last known location, he was already out of the Hollow. Safe and sound."

"Wait, that means I sent you there for nothing?" General Chop genuinely looked displeased hearing the team's effort was for naught.

"I wouldn't say that. It's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"Yeah... That's true."

"Besides, we handled it. Those Ethereals didn't stand a chance."

"Haha! You've got spunk, kid. Not only that, you're reliable! Thank you for taking time out of your day to lend a hand. You're always welcome to my shop! If you're ever hungry, stop by and I'll make a bowl you'll never forget!"

"That sounds great... I'm actually having trouble staving off the urge to order now."

"Why hold it off? I'd say you earned it. In fact, I thought I'd treat you to a meal. As a Sixth Street representee, I have to make sure our esteemed guest will be treated to the finest bowl of noodles."

"Really? Mr. Ch- Ugh... General Chop, I'd hate to impose."

"Nonsense! I want to do this for you. Really, it's okay! Now that the ingredients I purchased last minute are here, and the driver's also back, I can finally make noodles in peace. Today I'm pulling out all the stops to give you my special!"

"Well... I guess I did work up an appetite while in the Hollow. Okay! I'll have the special."

"Attaboy! Coming right up!"

General Chop wasted no time and got to work: He started by making homemade noodles, using his mechanical arms to knead the dough until it became smooth and elastic on the surface.

The mechanical arms stretched the dough and used an assortment of moves to make thin cuts in the dough to form the noodles, no cutter required.

General Chop put the noodles in a bowl and poured the hot water in.

Watching General Chop make the food was an amazing experience. The Player was speechless, but he was thoroughly entertained.

General Chop put the finishing touches on the bowl by seasoning the water. "Heh, heeeeh! You're going to love this!" In just a few short minutes, the ramen was ready and General Chop slid the bowl to the Player.

The Player's jaw dropped at the sight, the ramen looked exquisite. "Wow! This is amazing! No, no... That doesn't do it justice. This is... This is...! I'm actually at a loss of words here. Mr. Chop, you're incredible."

General Chop let the accidental formality slide because he was grateful for the Player's appreciation of his culinary skills. "Enjoy it, my boy! You've earned it," he grinned.

The steam caressing the Player's nose nearly made his mouth water. General Chop didn't have to tell him twice, he grabbed the nearest set of utensils and prepared to stuff his face, but not before giving a hearty "Thank you," to the chef.

The player enjoyed a delicious bowl of noodles. He ate every bite, and when he got to the broth, he drank it in one go. It was the best bowl of noodles he had ever had.

"Aaaaah," the Player let out a rejuvenated sigh.

"Had your fill?" General Chop asked while serving another customer.

"Oh yeah. The tank is definitely full after that. Phew! A meal that good, I feel bad not paying you."

"Seeing you enjoy my noodles is more than enough!"

The Player chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Seriously, General Chop, the food was sensational. I know where I'll be bringing Anby next time I see her. I owe her a meal, and I'm sure she'll love it here."

"Of course! Come on down whenever you can."

Female Customer: Greetings, General Chop.

General Chop turned to the newcomer and was pleasantly surprised to see one of his regulars. "Oh, hey! Good to see ya! How've you been?"

Female Customer: Fine. I just completed a mission and thought I'd unwind with a bowl of spicy noodles since I had a little free time, but it appears all the seats are full. Will you be available later tonight?

"Actually, a seat just opened up," the Player said, signaling the customer to take his seat. "Hey, General Chop I've got to return this case to a client so I'm going to hit the road."

"Okay, take it easy. We'll be seeing each other a lot so it's good we got acquainted."

"Oh, you'll definitely be seeing me around," the Player chuckled, referring to his new food addiction. "Thanks again for everything. Enjoy the rest of your day." He grabbed the HIA case and moved aside for the customer to take his seat.

Female Customer: Thank you, citizen.

"Huh?" The Player turned back, just catching onto her thanks. "Oh! No problem. Enjoy your food," he carried on after the brief exchange to meet with Susie.

The female customer sat down and removed the ballistic goggles from her face.


After his meal, the Player continued his journey down Sixth Street. "Okay... I believe the store was somewhere around here, right? If I'm not mistaken, it should be just around this corner."

A short walk around the block and the Player stumbled upon Box Galaxy.

Susie was outside hanging up new posters to advertise the new W-Engines that were soon to be in stock.

"Ah, here it is," the Player stopped when he noticed Susie and approached her.

Hearing the footsteps draw near, Susie turned. "Hello! Welcome to- Wait... You're Belle's friend, aren't you? Yeah. I remember you from earlier this morning."

"Yep. Just coming back to check in since Belle had some business to tend to."

"I see. How'd the commission go? Is everything sorted out?"

The Player inclined his arm to show the HIA case. "Your restocking issue has been solved," he gave the case to Susie. "You can let your boss know."

"Great! I'll go tell the boss. Wait a sec!" Susie entered the gadget store filled with excitement and walked out happily not long after. "Boss is so grateful for your help. He asked me to pass on his thanks to you!"

The Player remembered how this played out earlier and was ready to be entertained by Susie's performance.

"Here it goes, then? Ahem... Excellent. I knew I could trust you. The new toys will be on the shelves very soon. Same goes for future. I'll do my best to help you out if you're buying cool new gadgets or trading in old ones."

The Player snickered. "You should get into theater. I think you'd make a killing with your act."

"I'm not done yet!" Susie cheerfully declared, somehow, the Player knew that was coming as well. "Ahem... Come to the store whenever you like. The kid will show you around."

'Pfft... She is so adorable. We have to make sure nothing bad ever happens to her.'

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," Susie spoke up after her act, getting the Player's attention from his thoughts.

"Oh? I guess it must've slipped my mind. Funny thing, Belle took me out this morning to get me acquainted with the neighbors, and yet I didn't get a chance to do that until now. Sorry about that. It's a pleasure to meet you, Susie. I go by the Player around these parts. Consider it a nickname since my real one is nothing but trouble."

"Player, huh? Heh! That's basically the same as Wise and Belle with Manager. I getcha! You already know my name, but it's nice to meet you again. I'm Susie."

"The pleasure's mine. I'll be sure to give you a 10/10 on the review for customer service."

"That'd be great! Thanks!" Susie giggled. "By the way, let me ask secretly, Player," she leaned in as if to whisper "that W-Engine the boss gave you, did you give it to that cute girl for fighting..."

The Player's eyes slightly widened as Susie's comment was dangerously close to the reality of their situation. He had to be quick with a believable response: "We didn't use the W-Engine to assist us in combat against Ethereals while in the Hollow doing the commission. That would be silly," he chuckled nervously. | '...Wait. Oh shit, what did I just say? Damnit!'

Confused, Susie raised an eyebrow. "Ethereals? Oh no, no, I mean, for battling other players, right?"

'...Roll with it.' | "Yeah! Battling other players. Naturally."

"So, did you win?" Susie stood upright with her arms behind her back.

"Of course, we won. It was a total victory," the Player feigned confidence as though they had won a gaming tournament.

"I knew it!" Susie happily pumped her fists. "With the boss's modifications, it should easily be the best toy!" Susie broke out into a celebratory humming tune. "Our store's toys never lose!"

'Why is she so precious?!'

"We're putting some new items on the shelves this time. Player, are you interested? Want to come in and check them out? You can get first pick!"

"I'd love to, but I'm flat broke," he bashfully chuckled. "Not only that, Wise and Belle are expecting me back at the store soon. I've been out longer than I was anticipating. Maybe some other time."

"Aaaw... Well, it's okay to look around even if you don't plan on buying anything! I'll be waiting for you at the store, be sure to drop by when you have time!"

"You got it. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Mhm! Have a nice day!"

"You as well. Don't work too hard."

After the conversation, Susie went back inside to finish work.

"Welp, that's that," the Player sighed. Before long, his phone vibrated. He took it out and checked the notification.

It was a text message:

Belle
Reply when you receive this message!

Hey, I got your message.
Is everything okay?

Belle
That was fast
Everything's fine. I was
just checking on you. You've
been out for a while

Yeah, just wrapped things up with Susie.
I literally just told her you were going to be
wondering where I've been lol.

Belle
Yeah! I nearly went out to find you before it
suddenly hit me that I could text you.

Modern technology sure is beautiful isn't it?
Want me to get you something while I'm out?
Nvm, I keep forgetting I'm broke...

Belle
It's fine XD
Also, Wise and I just got a DM from Nicole and
they'll be coming over to the video store real soon.
Things are about to get lively again.

Okay. I'll be ready.

Belle
No need to rush. She meant in the next day or so.
If you still have things to take care of outside,
by all means.

I think I'm good on my end.
I'm omw back now to help
you guys with the store.

Belle
Okay! See you in a bit!

The Player began the trip back to Random Play after slipping the phone in his pocket. It was a productive morning, and it was sure to be the first of many for his time in New Eridu.


A/N: I wasn't expecting this one to take as long as it did, but my life schedule is to blame. Every time I think I'll have free time, something calls to my attention and my entire day is gone just like that. Still, I think this chapter came out pretty good.

Actually, it was going to be a lot longer, but when I realized the chapter length was nearing 20k words, I cut a lot of content so that it wouldn't be too bloated. Longer chapters are going to be inevitable, but I don't want to make long chapters so early into the stories life just in case people aren't fully sold on it yet.

Originally, Phaethon, the Player, and Anby were going to investigate a second Hollow to search for the missing W-Engine crate, but it would've been too long and it could've been a chapter on its own. If I added that, the chapter would've been 30-40k words long and that's a doozy.

The original premise for the exploration Hollow was that after the battle with Farbauti, the Player would've lost consciousness after the battle and Anby would've had to take on the Hollow by herself with Phaethon. I know that sounds like a big missed opportunity, especially for Anby fans, but like I said, that would've been a chapter all on its on. Sorry to all my Anby fans/readers!

The exploration Hollow was cut, so that means I had to cut the Arlaune Ethereal encounter as well, but that wasn't the only Ethereal battle I skipped — two Nassellaria were supposed to show up during the Player and Anby's battle against the two Cyrtoidea, just like in the game, but I decided against it and thought it'd be better to have them show up with Farbauti, but as I was experimenting with the battle's pace, I realized those Ethereals would slow the fight down by a considerable margin.

Ultimately, I didn't really know what to do with them so I just cut them from the fight all together. They'll have their purpose, but, for now, they've been cut and will most likely show up later. It's a bit tricky trying to find out what to do with enemies when they're in groups, especially when they're meant to be in the background and lugging projectiles at you.

The Player was going to handle the Nassellaria while Anby took on Farbauti, but the Player can easily steamroll them since they're slow, so, for me, there was legitimately no reason to have them appear lol.

Aside from that, there's been some cut dialogue as well. I only kept one thinking it was worth keeping and I'll share it below:


"I agree," the Player concurred. "I'm pretty sure it's because we didn't overwork ourselves this time. Also, our connection seems to be stronger. Synchronization is more efficient with stronger bonds."

Wise: Oh, right. You did mention it was some kind of bonding phenomenon. That makes sense.

"Nothing quite like getting to know your main," the Player off-handily said.

Wise: Main?

"Nothing," the Player chuckled and flagged his hand to dismiss himself.

"Makes me wonder what you two were doing to suddenly get so close," Phaethon teased with shifty eyes between the two.

The Player and Anby looked at each other and then down to Phaethon. "Nothing," they both answered sincerely.

"It was just a natural progression of friendship," the Player added.

Phaethon's eyes drooped in disappointment. "You guys are no fun."

"What? Wait… Don't tell me," The Player put his hands on his hips and leaned down, giving Phaethon a smug smile. "Is little Miss Phaethon jealous?" He teased back, hoping to remedy her playful disappointment.

"Jealous? No! Why would I be-"

"Sounds like you're jealous," the Player straightened his posture and turned his head away.

"No, really! I'm not-"

Wise: Denial. A common symptom of jealousy.

"Shut up, Wise!"


That exchange was purely a friendly one and only meant to serve as a laugh. It was a means for the Player to tease Belle with Anby having best girl status, but as I was re-reading it I saw how it could've been seen as ship bait, and I didn't want to do that. It just didn't seem to be in good taste at the time.

Moving along, the chapter was going to end wit the Player bringing up Howl to Wise's attention before bed.


"…Oh! Wise!" The Player sprung up.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Wise got up, alarmed by the urgency in the Player's voice.

"Did you know there's a dog across the street that runs a business?!"

The look on Wise's face dropped to confusion.


Howl running a business was living rent free in the Player's head for the entire chapter, and I found that funny. I wanted it to come full circle, but the ending would've fattened up the chapter and I didn't want to add more.

What else is there to say? We'll be seeing more original content. We've seen some snippets of it here and there with the other chapters, and more specifically in this one, but we're going to get more of it later on. In fact, there's going to be a sub-chapter before the next major one and you'll see what I mean once you read it.

We just need to re-run through some parts of the game to get people who aren't familiar up to speed with the Zenless Zone Zero world and rules. So to those who already played the game and are already familiar with everything, thanks for sticking around regardless.

Okay, I think that's it from me. As always, thanks for reading, guys!