"I'll recalculate the route."
Phaethon spoke as her Bangboo powered down into standby mode again.
Ignis stood guard nearby, his ears twitching. He could already hear Ethereal activity—the noise from their emergency stop had been loud enough to draw attention.
"Good news," Phaethon said after a moment. "I've found another path. Not far from here."
She hopped over to the Cunning Hares pair. "See the wrecked train ahead? Follow it along and we'll reach the freight station soon."
A series of howls erupted. Several Ethereals leapt onto the derailed cars.
Unlike the staggering, malformed Tyrfings, these were stronger, taller—disturbingly human-shaped.
And they were armed—wielding signal-light poles like clubs.
"It's Metro Goblins!"
Nicole's briefcase-cannon fired first. With a sharp blast, one Ethereal dropped dead.
"Doesn't matter what they are—we wipe them all out!"
Ignis charged. His first punch shattered a Metro Goblin into chunks.
"Ehne!" Amillion joined in, its twin miniguns roaring to life again.
Against the towering Salamander in his Mark X Gravis Power Armor, the Ethereals looked pitifully small. He didn't even need to activate the Power Field—as sheer strength was enough to crush them.
As he backhanded one Metro Goblin into the air, his HUD marked a fast-moving object inbound.
He sidestepped the incoming lamp-post strike, counterpunched the attacker away, and narrowly avoided the projectile that flew past.
Looking down, he saw a splatter of liquid Ether on the ground.
"Watch out for those Alpecas!" Nicole shouted. "They spit liquid Ether—it'll corrode your armor!"
Ignis looked up. At least seven or eight Alpecas crouched atop the train wreck, their broken limbs twitching as they aimed.
They resembled Tyrfings—hunched, unstable—but both their arms were snapped off, mutated into ranged acid launchers.
Nicole's briefcase-cannon thundered twice more; two Alpecas were blown apart.
Amillion's guns followed with a burst, cutting down three more.
With the ranged threats handled, Ignis focused on the Metro Goblins wielding poles.
Once he confirmed the metal rods weren't corrosive, Ignis fought freely.
Those man-made weapons couldn't even scratch him. He crushed the creatures one by one, smashing them like pests.
Ignoring a blow that bounced off his leg armor, Ignis grabbed the last Metro Goblin, tore it in half, and hurled both halves into the final two Alpecas—splattering them into pulp.
"Reliable as ever," Phaethon said, wobbling over. "Those Ethereals barely even scratched your armor. If I hadn't seen your face, I'd think you were one of the Defense Force's autonomous combat mechs."
"Of course," Nicole replied, retracting the cannon back into her case. "Ignis is our newest Cunning Hares member. From now on, hiring us will cost extra!"
"Nicole," Phaethon grinned, "the word on the forums is that you're obsessed with money. Care to comment?"
"That's total bullshit," Nicole crossed her arms. "I'm not obsessed with money—I just don't have any!"
First time I've seen someone say that with such pride.
Ignis couldn't help but think she was destined for big things—mostly because her face was as thick as her skin.
"But I've never shorted anyone's salary," Nicole added, turning to him. "Ask Billy or Anby if you don't believe me. Sure, it's sometimes late—but always paid in full."
Judging by Billy and Anby's attitudes, Ignis could tell she was telling the truth. A bad boss wouldn't have such loyal subordinates.
"Anyway, shouldn't we focus on finding that missing cargo?" Ignis brought the conversation back to business.
"Right, right—this way." Phaethon pointed forward. "Follow the tracks; the freight station isn't far."
The group moved out, Ignis leading the way, sweeping aside every Ethereal that crossed their path.
Whenever he was too occupied, Nicole unfolded her cannon to provide covering fire.
She clearly wasn't formally trained—but her aim was surprisingly precise, every shot landing true.
"Bullets aren't cheap," she said, picking up spent casings. "Gotta make every round count. We can have Billy reload these with the reloader—get a few more uses out of them."
"Sometimes I envy Anby," she muttered, stuffing the casings into her suitcase. "Her weapon maintenance costs a lot less."
"The Cunning Hares aren't exactly cheap, though." Phaethon turned and walked backward. "I remember your rates are pretty high in the industry."
"Our employees aren't exactly ordinary, you know." Nicole looked up at the gray sky. "A lost-tech android, a movie-obsessed girl, and now a three-meter-tall giant."
"If they were normal, I'd be rich by now." Ignis could feel the life drain from her voice.
"But you've never abandoned them, have you?" Phaethon smiled. "When Anby and Billy were in trouble, you rushed straight to me."
"'This is my one and only request,'" she said, mimicking Nicole's desperate tone from back then. "Don't even hesitate despite our high fees."
"Yeah, and she's also been planning to rent a new place," Ignis added. "She said the old one's too small for me—needs somewhere I can actually fit."
"See? She's super kind!" Phaethon beamed. "Oh, by the way—'Cunning Hares' is just a nickname. The official company name is [Gentle House Staffing Agency]."
"Gentle House?" Ignis nodded. "I like that name."
"Alright, we're here." Phaethon stopped and pointed toward a cluster of stationary trains.
Rows of freight engines sat silent on the rails. Through the gaps between cars, Ignis counted at least six trains parked in the yard.
"Looks like this used to be an important freight hub," Nicole said, scanning the area. "So, how do we get in, Phaethon?"
"These cargo trains are unmanned. I found a network access node nearby—if my Bangboo can connect, I can override their controls and move the cars to clear us a path."
"Alright," Nicole nodded. "Ignis, let's start searching."
"I have another idea." Ignis clenched his fists. "These trains are abandoned property, right?"
"Wait, you're not thinking—" Phaethon froze, immediately guessing what the giant had in mind.
"This way's faster, isn't it?" Ignis replied calmly. "The mission's to recover the cargo. No one said we couldn't break things."
"Get behind me. Stay clear of debris."
Ignis's power fists began charging, arcs of blue lightning crawling over them.
The Power Field built into his gauntlets could dent even Predator Tank armor—these thin freight cars wouldn't stand a chance.
After a few thunderous punches, the car's structure collapsed. Ignis tore straight through, carving a tunnel out of steel.
"Anby told me about you tearing off a blast door," Nicole said, staring at the gutted metal serpent. "Seeing it in person… damn."
"The lightning on your hands—it vaporized the car frame?" Phaethon asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Not vaporized—disintegrated," Ignis said, continuing to clear the path. "It breaks the material's bonds, turning it into fragments."
Soon, only one last train stood between them and the cargo station.
Ignis's ears caught the sound of something moving—four legs, heavy steps. But that was impossible. Nothing alive could survive Ether radiation in a Hollow.
Ignis tensed, beginning to breach the final car.
"What happens if that weapon hits a person?" Phaethon asked suddenly, freezing him mid-motion.
He remembered the heretics and mutants he'd destroyed—how the field had ripped their bodies apart.
"They'd explode into chunks. Not a sight you'd want to see," he said flatly, tearing through the last barrier.
"Oh—a cargo truck," Nicole said, spotting the reinforced container ahead. "Made out of anti-corrosion grade materials, too. High-end stuff."
She walked over to inspect it—after all, the cargo bonus meant extra pay.
"Watch out!" Phaethon shouted.
Nicole turned at the cry—a black-green beast lunged from the top of the car, jaws wide and full of razor teeth.
"Die, monster!"
Ignis roared, charging in from the flank. His lightning-charged fist met the creature midair.
The Power Field activated instantly—the beast's body shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the platform.
"One hit… took out a Hati-class Ethereal?" Phaethon was stunned. She could already imagine what that field would do to flesh and blood.
"You alright, boss?" Ignis shut down the field and reached out, pulling the shaken Nicole to her feet. "Check the cargo's status."
"Yeah…" Nicole steadied her breath and confirmed the container was intact.
"On board—let's move!" she said, climbing into the cab and waving to him.
Ignis lifted Phaethon and Amillion up into the driver's cabin, then ducked easily into the cargo hold.
Seems like I've been spending a lot of time in cargo bays lately.
Ignis could feel the vehicle's machine spirit—young, fierce, and ready to run. A beast built for motion.