In mere seconds, the black hollow known as the "Void Veil" had vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, Soldier 11 hurriedly said, "We should go check it out immediately."
Cloud Retainer remained unhurried.
"Don't panic. Due to the hollow's rupture, the ether concentration over there is extremely high. Let the Defense Force retreat first."
Immediately after, Cloud Retainer led Soldier 11 back toward Scott Outpost.
Before they even reached the outpost, they saw enormous Ethereal corpses sprawled across the ground. Exposed outside the hollow, the bodies were rapidly dissipating, thick Ether Substance rising like smoke into the air...
When they returned to Scott Outpost, Soldier 11 saw an enormous crater between the outpost and Hollow Zero, the ground around it torn apart. It was clear that the massive pit had been carved by the meteorite's impact just moments ago.
By all logic, such a violent collision should have caused far more devastation than the tremors they had experienced earlier. Yet Scott Outpost, though standing so close to the explosion—practically right beside it—remained untouched. Every building was still perfectly intact.
It must have been Sam Li who had protected them.
Just as Soldier 11 stood in stunned silence, a calm voice came from behind.
"The Ether Substance here is exceptionally dense. Evacuate the nearby residential areas immediately to prevent the populace from being affected by the Ether Substance..."
The reason for such a high Ether concentration was twofold. First, the method used to suppress the hollow had been different, and the decomposition of those destruction-level and apocalyptic-class Ethereal had produced vast quantities of Ether Substance. Second, because this hollow was connected to Hollow Zero, a large amount of Ether had leaked out during the suppression process.
Still, it wasn't a major issue. Within an hour, the Ether Substance would completely dissipate, and the environment would return to normal.
Hearing Sam Li's voice, Soldier 11 immediately turned around. Seeing Sam Li as calm as ever, he nodded quickly.
"Yes, I'll contact New Eridu Public Security to handle this..."
After Soldier 11 left, Sam Li and the Adepti discussed briefly before also departing Scott Outpost.
A few minutes later, the group returned to the Hollow Zero Operations Department.
As Sam Li and the others arrived, Keqing returned as well and immediately asked about the situation at Scott Outpost. When she learned that the hollow had been suppressed, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then Keqing said earnestly, "There's been a minor issue with the Defense Force's preparations. They're making adjustments, and by tomorrow they should be ready to launch the full assault on Hollow Zero. What do you think, Mr. Sam Li?"
Sam Li replied slowly, "Then tomorrow it is."
Tomorrow had been the original plan.
On the final day before the full assault on Hollow Zero, all of New Eridu was still shaken by the sight of the Planet Befall that Sam Li had summoned from the heavens.
Across every online forum, people were talking about it.
Some claimed it was a weapon from an alien civilization.
Others said it was a relic from the old world.
And many believed it to be a divine act—a power meant to destroy Hollow Zero.
It wasn't just ordinary citizens who were astonished. Even the members of the Exaltist Order, hiding deep in the city's shadows, were completely stunned. For the first time, they began to doubt their chances of victory.
Miss Sarah took a deep breath. "You cannot defeat the Creator."
She was one of the few within the Exaltist Order who had entered the very heart of Hollow Zero. To outsiders, that enormous hand which had appeared was the Creator—but only those who had seen the core of the hollow knew the truth: the true Creator was a colossal being, thousands of meters tall, radiating the brilliance of the Sun-Colored Starlight Giant.
Who could possibly defeat such an existence?
As Miss Sarah frowned, trying to think of a way to stop New Eridu's assault on Hollow Zero, a sudden knock echoed at the door.
"Boss, I'm back. Open up..."
Miss Sarah's brows drew together immediately. Her subordinates never called her "Boss."
The next moment, she glanced toward the door, then strode quickly to the window and pushed it open. Just as she was about to escape—
Thud!
A nunchaku swung through the air, blocking her path.
"Ah, Miss Sarah, save your effort. Come with me."
In an instant, Qingyi appeared before her.
At the same time, Zhu Yuan and her team broke down the door, entering with guns raised.
"Miss Sarah, I've finally found you—"
For some time, Zhu Yuan had been tracking the remnants of the Exaltist Order. Persistence paid off—just yesterday, she had uncovered Sarah's location, leading to today's capture operation.
Facing Qingyi and Zhu Yuan closing in from both sides, Miss Sarah showed no sign of surrender.
But at that moment, two more figures entered the room.
"Sorry, we're late—"
The speakers were Tsukishiro Yanagi and Hoshimi Miyabi.
The situation shifted again. For Miss Sarah to escape now, she would have to take on all four at once—a hopeless task.
Miss Sarah drew a deep breath, her eyes burning with defiance.
"You've won this time. But you won't win forever. You can never defeat the Creator—"
Zhu Yuan said solemnly, "Miss Sarah, I will let you witness the suppression of Hollow Zero with your own eyes."
Immediately after, the group formally placed Miss Sarah under arrest.
It wasn't just her—on the same day, Public Security forces across the city arrested more than a dozen remaining members of the Exaltist Order.
As soon as Zhu Yuan returned to New Eridu Public Security, she received Keqing's message confirming the final assault on Hollow Zero would begin tomorrow.
On the eve of the full-scale assault, all of New Eridu blazed with light. People couldn't sleep. Citizens argued and speculated online, while soldiers polished their weapons in silence.
At that moment, everyone felt it—
A new world might be about to dawn.
...
Time flew by.
The people of New Eridu finally endured the longest night of their lives.
At dawn, New Eridu Public Security, H.A.N.D. Headquarters, the Defense Forces, the Hollow Investigation Association, along with various civilian and Outer Ring factions, all mobilized simultaneously.
Every participant in this war gathered outside Hollow Zero.
According to the plan, Sam Li and the Adepti would strike directly at the heart of the hollow, breaking into its deepest core to subdue the Sun-Colored Starlight Giant.
Meanwhile, the other forces would enter Hollow Zero from three separate locations, tasked with eliminating the lesser Ethereal and assisting the Adepti in suppressing the hollow.