It was around six o'clock, and the sky over New Eridu was just beginning to glow with the city's neon dawn.
Su Chen woke up on the Cunning Hares' battered sofa, not because he was an early riser, but because his stomach was growling louder than a Hollow Ethereal.
He had arrived in this world yesterday evening, somehow transported to New Eridu. After activating his mysterious system and fusing a rare gold card, his energy seemed to drain faster than a Bangboo's battery.
"Huh? Don't the Cunning Hares eat dinner?" Su Chen muttered, rubbing his empty stomach in confusion.
When he first met the team, they were sprawled on the floor, exhausted from a commission. They must've burned through a ton of energy.
So why skip dinner?
Unbeknownst to him, last night, Anby and Nicole had embodied the Cunning Hares' motto of grit and perseverance. If they'd held out just a bit longer, they might've scraped together enough Dennies for a proper meal by morning.
"Draw a card first, then hit the kitchen for breakfast," Su Chen decided.
He opened the system panel in his mind, and a new card-drawing opportunity gleamed in the pool.
With a thought, a white card materialized.
[Eous's Memory Chip]*1
"Only a white card, but Eous? That Bangboo's got some stories!" Su Chen said, a bit excited.
Eous was the loyal Bangboo companion of the Cunning Hares, always zipping around with surprising smarts. What data could its memory chip hold?
Su Chen activated the card, and a small, glowing data drive appeared in his personal storage.
Bangboo Tech Notes (New Eridu Edition)
"Tech notes? This is just a Bangboo repair manual!" Su Chen groaned.
It was useless to him—bread in New Eridu didn't cost five hundred thousand Dennies, and he wasn't fixing Bangboos anytime soon.
He considered tossing it into the trash but hesitated. If a kid picked it up, they might try rewiring their Bangboo and cause a street explosion.
"Whatever. Breakfast first, and I'll make enough for the others," Su Chen muttered, heading to the kitchen.
Though he'd awakened a strange system, Su Chen had no plans to leave the Cunning Hares. For one, their base was a great hub for growth in New Eridu. For another, Nicole's confidence and, well, presence were hard to ignore.
As for why he was cooking for Nicole and Anby, Billy was a robot—maybe a shot of motor oil would suit him better.
But when Su Chen entered the kitchen, he froze. Two massive sacks of potatoes stared back at him. After rummaging around, he confirmed: potatoes were the only thing in stock.
"Is this some kind of Hollow survival training? Even prison food would be better!" Su Chen grumbled.
The Cunning Hares' finances were so dire that potatoes were their lifeline.
He sighed, recalling the "Eous's Memory Chip" he'd drawn. Maybe it included a recipe for Bangboo fuel made from spuds?
"Forget it. Potatoes are edible, at least," Su Chen said, rolling up his sleeves.
For an orphan like him, potatoes were old friends—cheap, filling, and versatile. In just half an hour, he whipped up mashed potatoes with a scavenged bit of cheese, roasted potatoes crispy on the outside with a spicy sauce, and fragrant potato pancakes.
Three potato dishes sat neatly on the table, their aroma filling the Cunning Hares' hideout.
"That smells amazing! Are the neighbors cooking?" Nicole said, sniffing the air as she stumbled out of her room, eyes half-closed.
"Nicole, we pulled an all-nighter on that commission. We need to refuel," Anby said, stepping out with her usual calm demeanor.
"Breakfast? We're eating breakfast today?!" Billy shouted, his robotic eyes practically sparkling. Apparently, meals at the Cunning Hares were a rare event.
"Huh?!" Nicole stared at the table, jaw dropping.
Anby's stoic face twitched with surprise.
"Boss Nicole, Anby, come eat," Su Chen said, munching a potato pancake.
"Oh…" Nicole and Anby sat down, dazed, and took their first bites.
Their eyes fluttered shut as they savored the flavors, a far cry from their usual boiled potato slop. Billy sat nearby, mimicking their bliss despite not eating.
Su Chen raised an eyebrow. This robot was too lifelike.
Soon, the plates were cleared, and Nicole and Anby leaned back, satisfied.
"New guy, you're not half bad!" Nicole said, slapping Su Chen's shoulder.
She'd only taken him in for some free labor, but his cooking was a game-changer.
"Not bad at all," Anby added, her gaze softening slightly.
Su Chen wasn't a master chef, but he was leagues above their potato-boiling skills.
"Thanks. But maybe stock the kitchen with more than just potatoes?" Su Chen said with a grin.
The potato pancakes were tasty, almost nostalgic, but eating spuds after crossing worlds felt a bit pathetic.
"Ahem, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Master those potatoes, and you're already a hero!" Nicole said, coughing awkwardly.
"So, the Cunning Hares are so broke they can only afford potatoes?" Su Chen teased.
"It's just this month! We owe Phaethon's proxies a chunk of Dennies for that last Hollow dive," Nicole said, wincing. "If we didn't pay up, they'd cut us off."
All the Dennies from yesterday's commission had gone straight to Phaethon's wallet, leaving the Cunning Hares scraping by.
"Got it, Boss Nicole," Su Chen said, relieved. Nicole's figure didn't scream malnutrition, so things couldn't be that dire.
"By the way, Su Chen, have you tested your ether aptitude?" Nicole asked.
Since he was proving useful, she figured it was time to see if he could join their Hollow raids. Ether aptitude measured resistance to Hollow corruption—the higher, the better for exploring those dangerous rifts. A score of 60 or above qualified someone as a Hollow Raider.
"No clue," Su Chen admitted. He was curious too. Without ether aptitude, he'd stick out like a sore thumb in a world obsessed with Hollows.
"Are you some back-alley drifter? Even kids in New Eridu get tested," Nicole said, baffled.
She no longer suspected he was a spy—no undercover agent would sound this clueless.
"His expression says he's not lying," Anby noted, studying Su Chen with a curious look.
This guy was an odd mix of secrets and naivety.
After breakfast, Anby and Billy wandered off, while Nicole dragged Su Chen to the Hollow Investigative Association (HIA) for a free ether aptitude test.
"You better pray you've got the aptitude, or you're stuck as our cook for 20 years!" Nicole said, shoving him toward the HIA's entrance with a smirk.
"We'll see," Su Chen muttered.
If he lacked the aptitude, maybe he'd try his luck as a bodyguard for Belobog Heavy Industries instead. With his system's power, he could outshine even New Eridu's toughest.
Chuckling at his wild thoughts, Su Chen stepped into the Hollow Investigative Association.
Moments later, a shout echoed from inside.
Su Chen emerged, grinning, followed by an excited HIA staff member.
"A genius! An ether aptitude of 90 points—a natural-born Hollow Raider!" the staffer exclaimed. "The Hollow Investigative Association needs you!"